The City of Nampa Wastewater Department allows septic haulers to make dumps into their system at a depot near the wastewater treatment facility. However, the original process was very labor intensive, inconsistent, and prone to error. For each transaction, a system operator was required to open a gate, meet the septic hauler’s truck at the depot, check the pH level of the sewage, and accept or reject the load. The operator also remained at the depot until the load was fully discharged into the system. It essentially required a full time equivalent employee to manage this process throughout the year. 

In addition, all of the data associated with this activity was manually recorded including the time, the septic hauler company name, the truck, the amount of sewage and other relevant information. Unfortunately, this approach was prone to error and omission of data. And septic hauling companies would sometimes dispute billing information, complaining that they did not deliver loads on the dates recorded. 

ACS designed and implemented an integrated solution that automated the operation and created multiple benefits. We developed a touch screen system that enables the septic haulers to serve themselves without operator assistance. Each hauler enters their unique identification number on a screen that brings up their account and truck information and allows them to process the load. After the hauler makes the dump, the system measures the pH of the load in a small reservoir and accepts or rejects the load. If rejected, the hauler has to pump the sewage back into their truck and pre-treat it or face a penalty. If accepted, the sewage is measured through a flow meter and recorded in the database along with the pH, company name, truck, time and date. 

At the end of the month, the system allows the wastewater department to print out invoices with one button. The system does not require any operator intervention and all information is tracked in the database that we developed.

The new system has eliminated the need for any operator intervention, provides more control, better information and more revenues. Over the last two years the system has generated over $700,000 in income which offsets operating costs at the plant.