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Phosphorus Reduction Opportunities Walk-through Checklist
Wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) operators may want to conduct walk-through site visits of their businesses and water treatment plant to identify opportunities to reduce phosphorus. Phosphorus can be reduced at the source by eliminating or minimizing it through substitution or other means.
All Business Users:
Commercial, Industrial and Institutional Operations
Cleanup Methods
___Use dry cleanup methods as much as possible before using wet cleanup methods.
___Ask about staff training or written procedures for facility and floor cleanup.
___Interview workers about common practices.
___Observe standard cleanup procedures.
Cleaning and Sanitizing
___Use low- or non-phosphorus products for cleaning and sanitizing.
___Check Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) or product labels for phosphorus content.
___Have the company check with vendors to see if alternative cleaners are available.
___Ask about purchasing criteria for cleaning products with low- or non-phosphorus content.
___Ask if the facility or vendor provides staff training on proper use and mixing of cleaning chemicals.
___Check if an automatic clean-in-place (CIP) system is appropriate.
Material Handling
___Keep materials off the floor and away from drains.
___Ask about staff training for waste materials management.
___Check for catch basins or collection trays to collect waste materials that may reach the floor.
___Ask if collected materials are returned to the process.
Inefficient Equipment
___Update old equipment to more-efficient equipment for production.
___Ask about upcoming opportunities to purchase more-efficient equipment.
___Check if existing equipment can be retrofit to increase efficiency.
Industrial Operations
Spills and Leaks
___Establish a preventative maintenance program to prevent spills and leaks and to maintain the plant at maximum efficiency.
___Ask if the facility has a preventive maintenance program in place.
___If not, ask how often spills, leaks, and operational efficiency are evaluated.
Process Controls
___Install mechanical and automatic process controls to make processes more efficient and reduce waste.
___See if the facility has process controls in place such as solenoid valves for water shut off or tank level indicators to prevent overflows.
___Ensure that all process controls are properly set, calibrated, and maintained.
Process Chemicals
___Maximize the use of process chemicals.
___Determine if the facility uses proper operating concentrations of all process chemicals.
___Ask if the facility or vendor provides staff training on proper use and mixing of process chemicals.
___Ask if process chemicals are reused.
___Look for opportunities to reuse solutions and rinses from phosphatizing lines and CIP systems.
Start-up and Shut-down
___Use designated equipment for different products to minimize waste due to start-up and shut-down.
___Inquire about opportunities to dedicate a product to one process line (i.e., potato salad on one line and coleslaw on another).
___Check for standard operating procedures for start-up and shut-down of equipment.
Drinking Water Treatment Plant
Phosphorus
___Optimize phosphorus addition at the water treatment plant.
___Work with water treatment plant staff to review additions of phosphorus used to prevent corrosion in water distribution lines.
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