5029
unitea states
Envir )nmental Protection
Ager* ;y
Office of Municipal
Pol ution Control
Planning and Analysis Division
January 1987
905R87010
Protecting Our Investment
Contract Operation and
Maintenance
The Answer for Your Town?
1
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region Vt Library
230 South Deartorn Street
Chicago, Hllnofs 60604
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CONTRACT
OPERATIONS:
THE ISSUES
OPERATIONS AND
MAINTENANCE: ARE YOU
PROTECTING YOUR
INVESTMENT?
bunt with these funds Yet, in many
communities acrossthe country oir
investment in water quality is bemc
squat clered liueic inadequate
operations and cnamtenanr « Because
jpeiaHms and maintenance (O&Mi y>-?
i o- D'-ing taken se^o^siy eno jyr. •-
ho,;; c- nter elate J pioblema :ias>
r^'$,i!iec! po ;•• pertoirnance siat?
v>,r>':: .^i ,'iOvTu ' :•'pesrn'is i~i,c
!.<\;t?'" OrODii/Tl-". :;';!'>' QtM-'- ,: r, .
:?H' . wan* '•" th.,lr. .101 .Js V j ,-?, -, '-
Sf-H'.a^c- tieaniit:'1 plants -\,i ;,-• ;
Pr;i' v)f the Drot;i.-'-:;. -s;'1' .! jc;ii :i ".-
wf.Cb1^ wotk get:- hrni'ea atte.i;..-
-eape:-1. evoi-' though mat wo."* ,f
^n,' on^-- u"pie-:sa'i!, a dep^fimo
A/''.3re rno'^:e dnc pericMnac ,e .r -
S'ate a-ia
;:ontt !;."'!"
dav-to '.,
q^'Uv iMPA) has provided
;!••' ' ? >r!Stf;ct!O!> grants
,c! ;a
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IMPROVING OPERATION
AND MAINTENANCE
If the concept of improving O&M at
your town's wastewater plant intrigues
you, you have two basic choices on
how to proceed. Your municipality can
undertake the challenge on its own. Or,
you may want to acquire expert help
from a contract operations firm. These
companies contract with municipalities
to manage and run their treatment
plants. They offer to take the
headaches of wastewater O&M off the
municipality's shoulders, run the plant
professionally and economically, and
sometimes even save the town money
EPA has surveyed the services offered
by these contract operations firms and
investigated some of their projects.
This brochure summarizes the findings
of that study. The information is
designed to help you evaluate your
unique situation and decide whether
you should engage an O&M expert.
While it may not be right for every city
or town, contract operations may be the
answer for you
ALL ABOUT
CONTRACT O&M
As part of EPA's study, staff at several
contract operations firms were inter-
viewed. Here is a synthesis of their
answers to typical questions about
their wastewater management,
operations, and maintenance
approaches.
What is Contract Operations?
When referring to contract O&M in this
brochure we mean arranging with an
outside organization (usually a private
for profit firm) to perform all operation
and maintenance functions at your
wastewater treatment plant. Sometimes
this is also referred to as full contract
O&M (FCO). With this arrangement the
municipality still owns the plant and
equipment—so this is not privatization.
However, the plant staff become
employees of the contract firm and the
firm generally assumes responsibility
for all plant functions—therefore
contract O&M is more than contract
management You should recognize
that a range of other contract services
is available—lab work, training,
maintenance management, start-up
and troubleshooting. You need to
carefully decide which level of service
is appropriate for your situation This
brochure will discuss only the full
contract O&M level of service.
HOW CONTRACT O&M
WAS EVALUATED
EPA evaluated contract O&M by talking
to the firms and their references: the
city officials and plant staff at several
treatment plants (POTWs) where O&M
is contracted. Four national contract
O&M firms and one regional firm were
included in the study. Interviews were
held with each firm/and a list of plants
under contractJWhithree of the ftrfrts
was compiled;'
plants were -
* - Were 'tere
What chartf ^:f lc[ ^f
make in B}an,4alft^i
and mainjteria 'n0$%- .V-.
* How
contractor
t How
between ^e:ci%awd the contract
' firm? '••• -o ''•'.'• - - ''••' '-. • '. ' .
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Who Will These Firms Serve?
The large contract operations firms
look nationwide for their clients,
evaluating business opportunities
against plant size and location. They
will tackle any process type or
treatment level. They look for plants
from 1 (but usually 2) million gallons
per day, on up. (Most plants range
between 2 and 10 to 15 mgd.)To extend
service to smaller plants a contract firm
may iook for towns where services can
be shared among several small,
neighboring plants
Contract operations firms are generally
reluctant, however, to take on problem-
ridden plants in situations where the
community is not willing to pay a
realistic sum to turn the plant around-
Strife over the wastewater budget is
oniy one of several difficult political
situations in which these firms prefer
not to get involved. Dissension on the
municipal council over whether or not
to choose the contract operations
option, labor disputes involving plant
staff, a willingness to accept routine
noncompliance levels in an attempt to
keep or attract industry, are examples
of circumstances where a contractor
may choose to stay away.
Who Are These Specialists?
A handful of large firms exists—all
highly experienced. At least one is
operating in your area of the country.
These specialists provide a wide range
of expertise in plant management,
process engineering, design
engineering, automated systems,
procurement, training, and budgeting.
On the other end of the spectrum are
small, local firms with varying levels of
experience and sophistication. Many
are now moving into the business.
Such local providers may offer the
advantage of being intimately familiar
with your plant's design and equipment
or may understand your municipality's
unique political climate very well.
What's the Deal?
Nateratty, fcontmct
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WHAT EVERY
MUNICIPALITY
WANTS TO KNOW
How Can A Firm Beat Oui Performance
And Still Save Money?
Ccntract operations firms are proud of
the casts in which they 'mproved plant
08M and fancied the city a cneck for
srvi't;d savings at yea; s end But •<• you
se^K ooUom-une sav-ngs jniy. you may
= "d up fi'sappc.rted 3oniract
~r,.--tat GTS cor;pa>i,e;-> roie Tfipioved
; "ilosn.a^ce is ,ne'r .:•, in ary goal arr
;o;;u£ en civic c\'-e<^~ tiit TIGS' *Ci he
•^i.ppy ;hey spe.'C >r "ia' \ instances
T»ve^:-., cost 5a/;p:': oai'i also bf
a c •- v en
Sa.:ngs depend on 'a < • timgs,
P3't C'jIarSy on toe rh'uie of your
o- -: •>";• problems A HI- toi r ~f .ifcve'f
:, . vca problems o ^ / poor
T'caoemen* ai you; ,i:-i"i ma- 'iieai
' -, 'X-'S' co:"sei ya!;o ' by a cc; tra ;!• r
•• :! Le sh.fled to ol.v:. jeiio1 ;iii an-?,:
•^ ''orove perk rr-a ".'• ""he >.-}U;li
P'G . " r -"nprc/nc p!a' ' OiM .s a!s._ a
in short, don't expeoi -, Trade, even
though some compares do have
miracles on the.r boor.s
How Do They Do It?
Cosi savings can be acn-eved \r !U3:,-
\VayS
Energy Efficiency- -Analysis of desigr
and operations ctten reveal ways to ;
?uei and eiectricai cor ^j.npt
Tota!O&M55/Mil. Gal.
Before/After Contract Operations
c
o
1
S "O
.5 c
i i
~ .c
»J U
$2 8 --
S26 --
S2 4 --
$22 -
S20 -
St S -
51 6 -i
Si ^ H
o
ȣ
C^'
Legend
Before
After
em
ases ir pa^ 3'id
ale ard !acor
Pu'C^a?..,g Put'./e/— uarge Ccr^iact
op-?ratiops firms have r,c,t'Onai
c;0'itrac!s 'O' parts ano crer
StcJfh'i; an.! Training- -Better Iraineo
and rorr, pr:x:.uctive personnel mean
oetler ;e?m«'crk and maKe possible a
eonei s:aifipc; plan
-chiton /-.^ or Scale- -Contractc rs
often uoerate -• riumber of sm&li^i"
i!ant" with .no 'cire ','••• ridei"
e^i:e. t= oeci "'/dneye: -. : rin rnean
'ewei chemicals and !(-s.; energy used
Auiomaied Systems-— \\l\cs\ firms
•'eatu'8 oomputerired management,
monitoring, and aanrrvsirauve system;
:ha: cut costs wnile .nc teasing
oversight power
improvements— Contracl frrns
dentifx ,ong-term >epair and
•eoiar.ement neecs Some *:l! help
*mance rnaio-" equ.pn/eri
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Is Contract Operations Right for My
Plant?
The decision to bring on a contract
O&M firm should not be made in haste
It is essential to perform a complete
evaluation to determine whether the in-
house route is feasible and if so, more
cost-effective. The place to begin is by
getting input from sources that are as
knowledgeable and objective as
possible. To find out more about the
present problems and in-house
solutions, talk to the plant staff and
superintendent. If your community is
large enough to have these
departments, check with the public
works director, community relations
officer, and financial manager. To find
out more about contract firms that may
be able to help you, check with the
state health and environmental
agencies. It may be very helpful to
contact a city manager or plant
superintendent in another municipality
who has experience with contracting.
You could also invite representatives
from various contract firms to give you
a presentation of their services. Don't
expect a full-blown audit of your plant,
however. These are costly and few
firms will carry out a thorough plant
review without a definite job prospect.
To better evaluate the information from
contractors it can be beneficial to
develop a cost estimate for m-house
improvements. What will it really cost
you to improve plant management,
revise staffing, implement necessary
training, install a preventive
maintenance program, and carry out
the other changes that a contract firm
would put in place. EPA's brochure on
cost-effective plant operations—Six
Cities Save Over A Million Dollars—
should be helpful in making this
assessment.
Another tool that can be used in your
decision-making process is the
accompanying plant checklist. Review
the list and attempt to answer the
questions realistically. If you answer
"yes" to several of the questions, it may
reflect major underlying problems with
plant management and budgeting. In
this case it may be hard to bring the
plant around on your own. On the other
hand, major changes in management,
staffing, and financing can work
wonders. It takes a major commitment,
however
Your final decision should also
consider that it will cost you something
to bring on and manage a contractor.
Based on the communities we talked to
you may spend one-third of a staff
person's time for four or five months to
research and write a request for
proposal, and manage and evaluate the
response. Contract management will
also be required over the length of the
contract term.
place (or keep a good one).
of
operations. „.
•'Fix gross
« GWethe
ma
©ftteterrt tools
and
ftSOliVS
e
lay)
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What's the Best Way
to Engage a Firm?
If you have completed the necessary
facHity evaluation and concluded that
cor tract O&M is probably the bes;
route to take, the next step is to develop
anc carry out a process for hinng a
cor factor In 01f survey of plants
across the country some chose to
produce a request for proposal that
clear^ outlined their needs and then
solicited technical and cost proposals
fror i a number of contract firms Others
just accepted recommendations from
other communities, professional
organizations and other sources !n this
case, oids from a small nurnoe-" of
quahfied firms were requested
Regardless of the approach taken to
identify qualified firms, once
information is received, you should
review the materials and evaluate the
following points at a m;nimum
• Is the staff large enough to handle
your needs along with other on-
going work.
• Is the training and experience of the
staff relevant and adequate for the
work
• Does the firm and the staff have
experience with the treatment level
and process type of your plant.
• Do reference checks verify that the
firm's work has been professionally
completed as scheduled and for the
projected budgets.
Based on the review of qualifications,
one or more firms should then be
chosen and their bids evaluated. The
first step is to compare the firms'
projectec costs to the in-house totals
generated earlier If they appear
reasonable m this light, then compare
the costr; io each other Make sure yoi
know what each firm is promising for
the cost—the number ot meetings with
the municipality the types and
frequency of reporting, the types o;
responsibilities the firm .vil assume
guarantees of performance and
willingness to accept responsibility to-
fines, ana most importantly the uasis o*
payment and willingness to 'ebafe any
savings. Negotiate with the top one or
two firms until you are satisfied with
one firm and fee! that the bid price is
best for tne municipality Before a
contract is signed, make sure that it
specifies the roles of the contractor
and the community and th,?t these roles
are acceptable to you
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EVALUATING WASTEWATER PLANT OPERATIONS
AND MAINTENANCE: A CHECKLIST
Is your plant experiencing some of these problems? W so you may want to seek
expert help from a contract operations firm.
Yes
No
Design Problems? Has your plant had trouble meeting design
specifications from the beginning"* Have increasing design
problems come to light as tha plant has aged? Have staff had to
jerry~rig solutions to design problems continually? Is the plant
being run to design parameters7
Excessive Costs? Has the wastewater budget been Increasing
disproportionately as the plant has aged? Are replacement
costs high? Are the same items being replaced too frequently?
Personnel Problems? Is morale low?.Ar$ staff overworked, but
poorly uttftzed? Is staffing out of synch with workload and shift
requirements? Are there tabor/management disputes? Is salary
commensurate with performance? & ff hard to acquire and
; Image Issues? Do you hear complaints from citizens
about pveriow and toseRup proWswtsf Odors'? Appliance?
High ^s^charges? Watftr
s fall to take
or economies of
Have;
•?
frequently t>ten in
enfore^ttent
marginal: right at
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HOW SMOOTH IS
THE PARTNERSHIP?
If you're like most municipal officials,
you probably have concerns about
relinquishing absolute public control of
a municipal asset. There are probably
nagging doubts about putting a profit-
motivated enterprise in charge of the
municipality's most costly capital
investment. It may be helpful to
describe the typical division of
responsibilities and methods by which
you will be able to exercise control
over the contractor.
The contract operations firm will take
over almost every aspect of plant O&M.
Typically, the city is left with
responsibility for the collection system
including control of inflow and
infiltration and industrial discharges,
(although in some cases, it may be
more cost-effective for pump stations
and the collection system to be
contracted also). In most cases, the
municipality maintains responsibility for
billing consumers, and property
msurance.The accompanying chart
shows a common division of labor
between the city and the contractor.
The fear of losing control of the facility
is a valid concern for officials who
must answer to the public. However,
the municipal managers in EPA's study
did not raise this as a problem. In
general, if you investigate the firm's
reputation, carefully analyze its plan for
plant improvement, read the contract
carefully, establish regular reporting
mechanisms, and keep a watchful eye
on operations, you will have a great
deal of control over plant O&M while
getting rid of many of its headaches.
These are simply common sense
precautions that take few resources to
carry out.
Because of public concerns that the
firm's self-interest will tend to overrit
the public interest, contract operatic
firms have wisely moved to allay feai
by opening their books, committing t
the payment of fines, rebating unspe
maintenance funds, and engaging in
other sunshine practices to attract
customers. Also, because news of ai
wastewater "horror story" travels fas
the industry, firms make sure they ca
make a plant work before they accer.
job, and take great pains to fulfill thei
contracts. Despite these deveiopmer
question the firms closely to satisfy
your concerns and get specific
commitments in writing.
SOUNDS GOOD,
BUT SHOW ME
EPA's sample of contract operated
plants revealed that contract
operations is a successful technique
for improving the performance and
cost-effectiveness of many municipa
treatment plants. Nearly all of the plai
in the study experienced major
problems prior to contracting out O&
In most cases, conditions improved
significantly after take-over by the
contract firm. Often, however, the
improvements came in the areas of
performance and compliance, not
necessarily cost. All but one of the
plants studied have been brought intc
compliance on a regular basis, and
even that one is coping well with higr
strength industrial waste loads. As
detailed below, some plants did
experience significant decreases in
total costs, while others experienced
significant increases.
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CONTRACT OPERATIONS:
TYPICAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Want"-.
• Plant
Maintenance
« Noncompliance
Responsibility
* Service Charges
Payment
• User Charge
System
• Design Modi-
fication
Clause
Responsibility
City
Contractor
Contractor
Contractor
(pays fines}
City
City
Contractor
(with City
approval)
Action
» Maintenance
inventory
Levels
• Residues
from
Facility
* Liability
Insurance
• Fire, Casualty
Eminent Domain
• Grounds for
Contract
Termination
• Equipment,
- Failure/Emergency
Maintenance
- Performance
- Payment
Responsibility
Contractor
Contractor
Contractor
City
Contractor/
City
(Breach of Contract)
Contractor
Contractor/
City (Contractor)
responsible up to
$1,000 per piece of
equipment City
responsible for
expenditures over
$1,000 per piece of
equipment).
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CONTRACT
OPERATIONS:
THE RESULTS
IMPROVING A PROBLEM
LARGE PLANT
A large midwestern secondary
activated sludge treatment plant which
was in significant non-compliance
prior to contracting now meets weekly
BCD limits but still occasionally
exceeds 30-day averages. Previously,
sludge had beei temporarily held in
lagoons. An on-going land application
program has now been put in place
and both the stockpiled sludge and
cuirent production is being disposed.
Odor problems nave also been
signif.cantly reduced
The contractor has reduced the staff by
35 percent, implemented a
computerized preventive maintenance
system, and put in place numerous
cost-saving operating techniques such
as mproved methane recovery and
increased blower efficiency. Though all
of these efforts have yet to be totally
successful, there has been an
improvement in performance. Cost to
the city in constant dollars has not
increased significantly under contract
firm operation even though solids
disposal costs are now greater and
effluent quality is improved.
SMALL AWT ACHIEVES
MAJOR COST REDUCTION
AND PERFORMANCE
IMPROVEMENT
In another midwestern community
contract operations was selected for a
smaller, oxidation ditch plant with
stringent limits for BOD and suspended
solids, but no nutrient limits. This
facility was brought under contract
along with the town's water supply
system when a newly appointed city
manager found very poor management
and operating conditions at both the
facilities, and compliance problems
with the wastewater plan:. Three
options were evaluated—turn things
around with the existing staff, hire a
new manager, or contract the entire
operation out. Option threse was
chosen.
In the fifteen months since contract
operation began the contractor has
made numerous improvements at the
plant. An energy audit was carried out,
pumps and impellers were rebuilt,
excessive sludge in the process units
were gradually eliminated, and a
computerized preventive maintenance
system was put in place. Plant staff
was trimmed, largely by cross-training
operators so they can run both water
and wastewater facilities. Major design
problems with the plant have been
identified and a correction program is
about to get started. During this period,
problems with solids have been
eliminated, and effluent quality has
increased. At this particular facility, the
contractor has also been able to
reduce annual costs to the municipality
by over 50 percent.
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LIMITED CHANGES AT
SMALL WESTERN PLANT
A small western activated sludge plant
was one of the exceptions to the overall
finding of significant improvements.
The key reason for this finding,
however, may be that the facility was
not experiencing significant cost or
performance problems prior to contract
operations. Effluent limits were
routinely being met on a monthly
average basis. However, the utilities
director felt that it would be in the city's
interest to put the facility under
contract, partially because he was
concerned that operation would
become more complex with new units
coming on-line
Since the plant was put under contract,
performance has remained about as it
was previously Improvements put in
place by the contractor include
redesign of sludge pumps to save on
frequent replacement of pump
diaphragms, implementation of a
computerized preventive maintenance
system use of daily operating logs, and
an increased emphasis on safety at the
plant Staffing at the plant has also
been c ut by over 20 percent
Opportunities to increase productivity
of the staff, however, appear to have
been missed, as there has been little
salary increase for the remaining staff.
and incentive pay has not been used to
encourage performance or advance-
ment as it has at other plants in the
survey
STAFF STABILITY AND
BETTER EFFLUENT
QUALITY ACHIEVED
THROUGH CONTRACTING
Another western municipality with a
small activated sludge plant has also
selected contract O&M. Prior to
contracting out, the plant was
experiencing difficulties in meeting
effluent permit limits The mayor and
city manager also had experienced
great difficulty in attracting a qualified
plant superintendent. They also felt tha
the staff was not adequately skilled anc
trained Long-term cost stability was
another major issue
The plant has now been under contrac
for over four years. During this period,
effluent quality has improved until it is
now well within permit limits The staff
has also been trimmed by nearly
20 percent partially as a result of
cross-training and combining staff witt
the city's water plant Total costs for th
plant have decreased, but not by a
significant amount The contractor has
put more money into staff salaries,
significantly cut chemical cost, and
trimmed electrical cost. Sludge
handling efficiency has been
increased, cross-training has lowered
maintenance cost by 41 percent and a
preventive maintenance system has
been put m place Maintenance
efficiency has been improved through
the use of infrared and ultrasonic
testing of mechanical equipment. The
city received a refund based on cost
savings last year, and overall, city
officials are well satisfied with the
program
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RECOVERY OF A PLANT
WITH MAJOR PROBLEMS
STILL NOT COMPLETE
Tn^ study also examinee! two southern
co'nni'_,n[Sies which out contort 0£M
if: isi'.o Ine first con'^.:r:r\ operated
a TiL.'inrateiv-s./ec ser ••' i^u1,
:-.•",!','a^r1 sudge pi';1'1'r • -•••
s.-,a:s-'_ v-anpif; "i A" ? . -jr,-or
V'"""> • ':<;-.dequate ik-i-V'. .> "
•'es j j ' fs f re d ;• :t5" <: • ••'• rnn>.-
•-: s;a'
opera*o<- ana rnai-r?: a-
ter'p-'iar/ soiias hsj:d:;rx
oeer irsralied and pit;,'ir
developed for a mapr •>:•.
replacement program
beer tnmmed, and remaining sla •
become more productive throi.gr
weekly training classes A satet>
program has been put in plac3. as ha<
h computerized preventive
maintenance program ano cost
accounting system. As a result, effluent
quality has improved and the solids
disposal problem is on the way tc
resolution. Overall, contract operations
have brought significant improvements
to the facility. However, because of the
number of major improvements
required, the plant budget has
increased over 15 percent.
MAJOR CHANGES IN
OPERATION BRING BIG
COST SAVINGS
•P the second s.oulnerr cornmunit\
dr^icj'tios were being erc'x.i-'Koreo
A:;h i.-,e t0\vr;'s srnai' advanced
•>erc- ^n;, a!s-:
;i •;u-'^rf • reelrg held t;' lhc ci^.1
f".;ii'iaC|fj: tna" ?- ir.o.'t reissue
P" I'e.o'^c1 'iict'i..:-' "' ::;;^rit'"o ti "•
""r11" f !an* has now beer •jjerat'ji ci":;
r-'^Titained D\ n pr^vate fir-- f.'f ?yer*
'.«v v .^ars D'jiri;; this pe :oc pfrije'1'
c]u:,: t h'is b^c- ' ir ought "•!(•
c;;;;nr;,iarict -irus ccsts hav? bet--r
ci^:.'r :.vKJ bv ever forty porcerr MajO'
i ";. ff-csas n '--'f-'t ency have bet;?"1
ar, 'iewec :;y T-sKing almost nalt ci tre
,.>i£rt jf-'-'ine :-,rd r<;.visint operat.or o-
; "it c "a nmc! on- >!ne umis Significant
j's :i~ siafc h ?/,t oeen put in plare .£
';ert manag'-.r has beer, assig^e j tc
v~- facility and a p'evious plant
•i;rpioyee p'omoied to superintendent
t ' iajor traininc program has been pu*
," place, tesu'ung in significant
,;nprovements in staff capability and
morale Compuienzed operations and
maintenance programs have also beer
installed at the plant. Town officials
have been very pleased with the results
of the contracting program. A number
of cost rebates nave been received
and it is felt that the stability and
reliability of the wastewater system was
instrumental in a major manufacturing
facility locating :n the community
CONTRACT O&M
PROVIDES STABLE
MANAGEMENT AND
IMPROVED EFFLUENT
QUALITY
rwc ire;; rrer;••" •• .'.crier
Unite''.! 'Mates were air- ! 'eM.ueoi >r t(i<-
su've/ ; ''• - of thesp ^,'is :< ' irv-i!'
363cor c: v ')." t- ,'MV'Ji 3i j >U'"' r/ani r(,
::v a vo ' , "i:.-?er ",-. we- a1 in< >'ii. K ?>
•A/'^G!" o .'O :f a "t t"-"' 'r-
..-' !",0!'i' ' .- a.-j fv,r ;; f'{J A.
rosp:-'
be-?". PL" r. place Tnetot.i ol
Dudget tias- deC'-easeo s^ni-.i ,,
ccr.t'aci •• 'OOK o\/»'
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MID-SIZE PLANT
IMPROVES MANAGEMENT
AND COMPLIANCE
The final plant in the survey was a mid-
sized secondary, activated sludge plant
in the northern United States. This plant
had experienced compliance
difficulties and public image problems.
The city also had significant personnel
management problems. After being
made aware of contract operation and
maintenance through a National
League of Cities meeting, the city
manager researched contract firms and
requested a bid from one firm.
The contractor has now been on board
for about one year. The city's staff was
retained including the plant
superintendent; however, training was
significantly increased. During this
time, operations have been improved, a
computerized preventive maintenance
system put in place, and economies
have been achieved in chemical use
and purchasing. As a result of these
efforts, the plant has been brought into
compliance and costs cut by about five
percent. The city manager believes that
the contract firm provides the skills and
operating stability the city needed, and
has brought about a complete turn
around at the plant.
WHERE CAN
I GO FROM HERE ?
If you are interested in obtaining further
information about contract O&M there
are a number of sources which we
would recommend. A call to your state
water quality management agency or
EPA is a good starting point. Agency
staff can probably provide names of
O&M firms operating in your area. They
may also know plants nearby that have
turned to contract O&M. Most of the
major, national firms advertise in
wastewater and municipal
management periodicals. Many of the
firms have exhibits at municipal
association conferences around the
country. Once you have a list of names
and references call the firms. They will
be happy to send you further
information and can probably have a
representative come out and meet with
you.
This brochure was prepared by EPA's
Office of Municipal Pollution Control,
Planning and Analysis Division. We
wish to recognize the assistance of the
following contract O&M firms: EOS;
The Maryland Environmental Service;
Metcalf and Eddy Services, Inc.;
Operations Management International,
Inc.; and Professional Services Group,
Inc. We would particularly like to thank
the employees at the eight survey
plants who gave a significant amount o)
time and assistance. EPA was assisted
in the preparation of this brochure by
the staff of Roy F. Weston, Inc., and
Peat, Marwick, Mitchell and Company.
US. Fjwirorsmer.tal Protection Agency,
R. i^n V, Lib;»ry
:<" -./ So-jtli Dear torn Street ->»*r*
?h;,: j'?o, "Illno's 60604
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