Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County/Discovery

The goal of this session is to articulate project goals and identify relevant human, information and technology assets and processes. This starts as an unbounded brainstorming, 'blue sky' exercise followed by one or more iterations of elaboration and scope refinement. Following are questions for discussion.

Build Utilities GIS Database

 * Complete the Atlas for NCRRF & Western landfill (future)
 * Locate all valves, wells, pumps, pumpstations, pipes, cables == all utilities - all layers in Atlas.
 * Properties about facilities: manufacturer, install date, history, spare part storage areas, specifications, scheduled maintenance,
 * Atlas is built from design documents, inaccuracies: content often doesn't match field facilities, positions
 * Data access issue: Utility locations in CAD -- Engineering responsible for that data -- start with coordinates in Atlas and ground truth

Preventative maintenance programs

 * Preventative maintenance program for leachate gravity collection system
 * historical documents archive - activities, maintenance records -- must be maintained for inspection
 * cleaning and video inspection -- regulatory requirement
 * Preventative maintenance program for leachate force main system
 * Preventative maintenance program for gas collection system
 * compression skid and flare at Class I landfill (fuel source)
 * flare at Class III landfill

Protect utility assets

 * Define process to prevent damage to underground and overhead utilities
 * Incorporate T&C's in bidding process for requirements met before digging
 * Define mechanism that identifies responsibilities for locating underground utilities
 * Perform corrective actions

Permit compliance

 * Collect, organize and access utilities compliance permit data
 * Permits: FL Dept of Env Protection (DEP), distribute information for use in compliance reports
 * Mary Beth Morrison in Environmental Department has some info in SQL Server
 * Maintain access to permit documents: Title V, injection wells, gas wells, monitor wells.
 * Does DEP post to the web?
 * Solid waste permits are not web accessible (scan into pdf)
 * Air permits are accessble from web at DEP

Situtational awareness

 * Gas wells status - Marc Bruner would like to see this in GIS

Which facilities & business assets should be included in SWA's GIS? Which aspects and functions?

 * Properties?
 * Monitoring?
 * Measures?
 * Modeling?
 * Maintenance?
 * Reporting?


 * Injection wells and gas collection are two most important with regard to permit compliance -- high risk


 * Weather
 * Rain gauge - twice per day
 * Barometric pressure
 * Ambient temp


 * Intercepter system -- model groundwater quality -- use to determine which wells to draw water for cooling tower at power plant


 * Gas monitoring system is in place - output
 * Temperature, oxygen
 * Weather events can flux in the 25%-range magnitude after certain storm events
 * SCADA system: gas flow and temperature, open/close valves -- test program @ 2 week intervals
 * Intellution SCADA software


 * Gas
 * well number (ID) and coordinates for all gas extraction wells
 * manually go to wells - use instrument to collect O2, Co2, CH4, Temp
 * collected min monthly -- or more frequently if out of permit compliance
 * flare skids (paper & clipboard) - flow, temp, blower amp, valve positions, nitrogen tank levels, condensate sump levels, pump hours (daily)
 * collected daily and entered into Access database - well monitoring extension/database in onpoint
 * quarterly: methane sweeps over landfill -- consultant collects coordinates and reading levels -- get this content digitally
 * semiannual report -- done at flare skid - lab results, provide to DEP


 * Leachate
 * manhole ID
 * sample Class I cells -- TSS, TKN, etc. Leachate analysis (Excel database)
 * laterals - jet clean, video inspect, measure depth
 * cycle through entire cell once every five years for older cells, annually for newer
 * Biofilter/lift station
 * Dyer Park


 * Injection well
 * flow measure, pressure, temperature -- permitting report requirement
 * blowdown


 * Intercepter wells


 * Detection wells
 * maintenance program


 * Power distribution


 * Non-potable water


 * Water distribution


 * Wastewater collection


 * Fire system


 * Communications

Which standards -- technical, semantic and policy -- are applicable to promote interoperability and aid in understanding and using SWA's information content?

 * Color coding for valves
 * Water - Blue (treated), wastewater (sanitary - yellow), electric
 * Leachate -- orange marker

Are SWA assets or business processes subject to risk, damage or threats (e.g.; events, weather)?

 * Contractors digging and hitting underground utilities
 * Finding assets that are damaged and/or buried, covered
 * Anything with tracks

Is information needed to do your job readily accessible? Timely? Accurate? In useful form? At right level of detail?

 * Must reference multiple plans, drawings, sources to determine if facilities are at risk for dig -- consolidating into one authoritative source is goal

Is there information content outside your group or SWA organization that you would like to access? Type/formats?

 * Assembling a comprehensive picture of utilities information will require access to coordinates maintained in Atlas & Engineering CAD database

Do staff, partners and the public clients have maximum appropriate access to SWA information and knowledge?

 * Asst to Exec Director Dan Pellowitz - Executive Dept
 * crunches, produces annual report with key measures KPIs e.g.; landfill depletion model, cost
 * Power plant -- control rooms exchange information, monitoring powerplant
 * Provide finance group with meter readings for billing power, water, etc.

Are there opportunities where map visuals or spatial analysis would improve day-to-day activities?

 * Laptop access to GIS content would be helpful

Are you aware of untapped digital technology that will make SWA staff work more effectively?
No

What is make/model/state of SWA's existing IT environment (e.g.; servers, network, wireless coverage, databases, desktop OS, web browser)?

 * Who are target end users for the planned system(s)?
 * What is their previous exposure to technology and GIS?
 * Access: desktop or mobile?