Introduction
The Kentucky Center for Wastewater Research (KCWR) at Western Kentucky University
(WKU) provides technical, managerial and financial support for communities in Kentucky and
the surrounding states dealing with the establishment, management and operation of public
wastewater utilities and decentralized wastewater treatment systems.
This project seeks to address capacity and infrastructure needs through the provision of technical,
financial and managerial assistance to small and decentralized wastewater treatment systems. In
doing so, it is anticipated that the potential negative environmental impact of poorly functioning
small and decentralized wastewater systems will be limited resulting in greater protection of
public health.
This project targets all organizations including utilities, municipalities, both community and noncommunity
systems as well as individual homeowners by providing technical assistance,
training, demonstration and analytical support for management and operation of small and
decentralized wastewater systems.
Activities and Outcomes
Task 1:
Water and Wastewater Laboratory Analysis
DNA Cloning and Sequencing
Operational Troubleshooting
Specialized Training
Mapping and Modeling
Sampling and Monitoring
Applications Development
Proof-of-Concept and Technology Verification
The CWRS is organized into three divisions - The Water Analysis, Training, Education and Research Services laboratory consortium, providing state-of-the-art water, wastewater and microbiological analytical services; the Environmental Informatics and Information Technology division, specializing in expert systems technology and environmental software applications development; and the Field Operations and Outreach division, providing in-field technology verification, mapping and monitoring services.">Center for Water Resource Studies (
Water and Wastewater Laboratory Analysis
DNA Cloning and Sequencing
Operational Troubleshooting
Specialized Training
Mapping and Modeling
Sampling and Monitoring
Applications Development
Proof-of-Concept and Technology Verification
The CWRS is organized into three divisions - The Water Analysis, Training, Education and Research Services laboratory consortium, providing state-of-the-art water, wastewater and microbiological analytical services; the Environmental Informatics and Information Technology division, specializing in expert systems technology and environmental software applications development; and the Field Operations and Outreach division, providing in-field technology verification, mapping and monitoring services.">CWRS)
Public Relations
During the quarter,
Water and Wastewater Laboratory Analysis
DNA Cloning and Sequencing
Operational Troubleshooting
Specialized Training
Mapping and Modeling
Sampling and Monitoring
Applications Development
Proof-of-Concept and Technology Verification
The CWRS is organized into three divisions - The Water Analysis, Training, Education and Research Services laboratory consortium, providing state-of-the-art water, wastewater and microbiological analytical services; the Environmental Informatics and Information Technology division, specializing in expert systems technology and environmental software applications development; and the Field Operations and Outreach division, providing in-field technology verification, mapping and monitoring services.">CWRS personnel conducted multiple outreach activities. Dr. Andrew Ernest
gave a presentation on the partnership between WKU and Kentucky Rural Water Association
(KRWA) at the Utility Management Institute (UMI) Conference in Bowling Green in October.
Dr. Ernest also gave a presentation on Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO) at the Annual Fall
Conference of the Eastern Kentucky and North Central Kentucky Wastewater Operators
Associations in Lexington, KY in October. Dr. Ernest attended two Hardin County Wastewater
Disposal Alternatives meetings in Elizabethtown, KY and two KY Board of Certification of
Wastewater System Operators meetings in Frankfort, KY during the quarter. Alanna Storey
conducted a Pipeline Assessment Certification Program (PACP) training course in conjunction
with KRWA on October 3-4.
In November, a poster titled “Wastewater Treatment Using Sunlight and Titanium Dioxide
Nanocrystals” was presented at the 92nd Kentucky Academy of Science Conference held at
Morehead State University. The KCWR website is currently being updated and maintained.
Data Mining
The use of data mining in water quality management has opened the way for the creation of tools
for analyzing water quality data. The tool developed in the previous grant year for mining the
water quality data in spatial data format is currently being refined as an extension to the webKentucky
based GIS (see Task 2). During the quarter, data was gathered from multiple locations to
populate the water quality database.
Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Support
During the quarter, KCWR and the KY Division of Water (KDOW) discussed the possibility of
relocating the current version of the Long Term Control Plan (LTCP) template developed by
KCWR from WKU servers to KDOW servers. Some issues arose with the types of technical
assistance KCWR was providing to the CSO communities, in relation to Professional
Engineering practices. KCWR still plans to provide site development support to KDOW and
technical assistance to CSO communities in the coming quarters, although some efforts were
hampered by the Board of Licensure this quarter.
KCWR representatives visited the city of Vanceburg, a CSO community, to discuss mapping
their wastewater system in conjunction with KRWA using GPS/GIS. The mapping project is
expected to begin in February 2007.
Task 2: Spatial Data Integrations, Inc (SDI)
Spatial Data Integrations, Inc (SDI) is in the process of developing a prototype system to
determine the effectiveness of a web based GIS solution for rural wastewater utilities. Several
questions need to be answered regarding the bandwidth required, current utility IT infrastructure,
and the most efficient means to control data flow in order to determine if remote processing
could be a commercially viable solution to small rural utilities. SDI is currently seeking a
qualified WKU intern to assist on the project.
SDI continues to provide approximately 300 square feet of office space and high-speed Internet
access to KCWR staff and student workers, along with technical assistance with GIS related
projects. This quarter, SDI provided KCWR assistance in demonstrating the effectiveness of
GIS and GPS technologies to CSO communities throughout the state and provided general
consulting on various GIS tasks performed by student workers.
Task 3: Water Analysis, Training, Education and Research Services
(WATERS)
During the quarter, WATERS Lab prepared 22 Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) for 9
different wastewater systems. A presentation was given to wastewater operators in Carrollton,
KY on October 10 regarding proper sample collection and transportation techniques. Continuing
education credits were offered for the training.
Bob Yost from the Harlan County wastewater treatment facility contacted the KCWR concerning
how to determine the required Minimum Detection Limits (MDL) for several types of analyses
in his laboratory. WATERS Lab assisted this facility by providing standard operating
procedures to conduct analyses, and spreadsheets to complete calculations required to obtain the
MDL.
Barren River Lake State Resort Park maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contacted
the KCWR seeking help concerning Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) and compliance issues
at their wastewater treatment facilities. On-site training was conducted for the park personnel on
how to correctly read their KPDES permits and DMRs and how to correctly complete the chain
of custody for the laboratory analyzing the samples collected.
Task 4: Kentucky Rural Water Association (KRWA)
Financial and Managerial Assistance
During the first Quarter from October 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006, financial and management
assistance was provided to seventeen wastewater utilities. The following provide summaries of
assistance in two notable instances:
City of Hyden
KRWA’s Financial Analyst, with assistance from the WKU Water Circuit Rider, has performed
a rate study for the City of Hyden’s wastewater system. Hyden is located in southeastern
Kentucky and serves 180 wastewater customers. The City had not had a rate increase in many
years so an increase is badly needed. A report was presented to the City Council and they are
deliberating over the amount of increase that they are willing to pass on to their small, lowincome
customer base.
City of Whitesburg
KRWA has been working with the City of Whitesburg and their contract management partner,
Veolia Water, on a cost of service study that includes drinking water, wholesale water and
wastewater charges. The wastewater study found that this portion of the utility has been
operating at a loss for a considerable period of time, and that other revenues were balancing this
loss when all operations are included together in a unified financial statement. Our
recommendation to Whitesburg was to treat each utility function individually and charge rates
that will pay for each service on its own. The City Council is weighing the report at the current
time. There is a good deal of conflict between the current City Council and Veolia Water in
regards to the contract for operations and management.
Technical Assistance
During the first Quarter, the Wastewater Technician logged 547 hours. Of that time 61.7% of
the total time was spent directly assisting systems or their personnel including 277.25 hours onsite
time working with systems, 38.5 hours developing plans, reports, and maps for systems, and
22.0 hours providing formal training.
The majority of this time was spent assisting systems with collection system GPS/GIS mapping,
manhole inspections, smoke testing, and video inspection.
Significant Contacts
During the first Quarter, four systems provided the opportunity to perform extensive assistance.
Mt. Washington Water and Sewer – located in Bullitt County with 6086 water connections
and 3214 wastewater connections.
Follow up work was completed with Ronnie Fick, manager of Mt. Washington Water and Sewer.
Results of the smoke test performed during the last quarter were reviewed with Mr. Fick, and
areas with large amounts of inflow and infiltration were identified for video inspection.
Approximately 2400 feet of sewer line was video inspected and all defects in the lines were
coded using the Pipeline Assessment Certification Program. A report was then generated
including DVD videos of all lines inspected, and provided to Mt. Washington Water and Sewer.
This work saved Mt. Washington approximately $3500, in addition to specifically identifying
locations that when repaired will significantly reduce the amount of inflow and infiltration into
the collection system.
Smithland Water & Sewer System – located in Livingston County with 275 water connections
and 217 wastewater connections.
Jeril Andrews, Operator for Smithland Water & Sewer System contacted KRWA to request
assistance with inflow and infiltration studies on the collection system. The Wastewater
Technician for KRWA met with Mr. Andrews and smoke tested the entire system. Many
problems were identified during the smoke test, and it was determined that video inspection
would enable a more accurate assessment of the problem areas. Video inspection of
approximately 3100 feet was done on the collection system and all defects were identified,
including some major line collapses. A report was generated including DVD video of all lines
inspected. The work done for Smithland Water & Sewer System saved the system
approximately $7980. There will be additional savings as repairs are made and the amount of
inflow and infiltration is reduced.
Warren County Water District – located in Warren County with 2401 wastewater connections.
B.J. Malone with Warren County Water District contacted KRWA regarding GPS/GIS mapping
of the wastewater system to include manhole inspections. Through collaboration with Western
Kentucky University, and Spatial Data Integrations, KRWA mapped a section of Warren County
including inspection of all manholes in this section.
Caveland Environmental Authority, Inc. – located in Hart and Barren Counties with 270
water connections and 1926 wastewater connections.
David Peterson, CEO of Caveland Environmental Authority, Inc., contacted KRWA regarding
video inspection of the collection system for Cave City, Kentucky. The Wastewater Technician
met with Mr. Peterson to discuss the scope of the work and to begin inspection of the collection
system. In addition, Mammoth Cave National Park was reporting contamination at sampling
sites, so additional camera work was performed in the Park collection system to identify if there
were any problems or defects in the sewer lines that might contribute to the contamination.
Approximately 2800 feet of line were inspected in Mammoth Cave National Park with no major
defects found. A report was generated including DVD videos of all lines inspected and given to
CEA, Inc. Also, approximately 8200 feet of collection system for Cave City was inspected and
all defects in the lines were identified. A report on the inspection was generated. Approximate
savings to Caveland Environmental Authority, Inc. were $9,400.
Planning
During the first Quarter from October 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006, planning assistance for
Hart County has been spent performing field research and data collection. We have met with
representatives of the community and the wastewater utilities in the county. The KRWA Intern
has been working with the utilities to gather GIS/GPS data within the county. A mailed survey
was sent to residents of the county to gather data on existing wastewater services. The data from
these surveys has been entered into spreadsheets by the intern and maps have been prepared for
use by the utility. The City of Bonnieville has just completed constructing a sewer collection
system which will be operated and managed by Caveland Environmental Authority. Our intern
has been working to GPS all the features of this new system.
Project Goals
The anticipated goals of this planning effort are to (1) involve local groups and individuals in
developing local solutions to wastewater collection and treatment challenges within the county
(2) accurately assess the existing methods and conditions for wastewater disposal and treatment
for all households within Hart County and (3) develop strategies for expanding wastewater
service, improving existing methods of collection and disposal, and proposing and implementing
innovative solutions for identified wastewater challenges in Hart County.
