Controlling the Flow
Windemuller provided controls upgrades for the Grand Haven/Spring Lake Sewer Authority systems that will allow the plant to run more efficiently and accommodate future growth. The project included a new headworks building and primary & activated sludge pump upgrades.
Overview
The Grand Haven/Spring Lake Sewer Authority is responsible for handling the sewage and wastewater treatment for the communities of Grand Haven City, Grand Haven Township, Spring Lake Village, Spring Lake Township, and Ferrysburg City. The authority was in need of a systems upgrade, both to update aging equipment (the initial system was built in the 1950s) and to put itself in a position to handle future growth with increased efficiency. Working with Triangle Construction, the general contractor for the project, Windemuller completed numerous control upgrades for the existing Sewer Authority facilities, as well as a control system for the new headworks building.
The Challenge
The main challenge of this particular project was the task of phasing the sludge pump upgrades. The primary and activated sludge pump upgrades had to be performed in phases since two of the four pumps in each system were required to stay in operation no matter the circumstance. The need to ensure two pumps were in constant operation increased the timeframe of the project and created additional work for our team.
The Solution
Windemuller was fortunate to have two concurrent projects at this location, which essentially improved our response time. Manpower scheduling became easier in regards to shutdowns and startup activities, because a lot of the work was completed at the exact same time. Our technicians were often on-site working on a given project and if needed short notice, were able to hop over to another job at the same location. Many of the technicians became familiar with both projects and could transition with ease.
Another advantage of the two ongoing projects was the improved consistency of programming and HMI / SCADA graphics. We created screens for one project and then implemented those as a template for the next project, which ensured that the button locations, fonts, color schemes, and additional features were identical. This is beneficial to the customer since the same operators will be controlling / utilizing the screens Windemuller developed for both projects.
