Best Practice: Effective Maintenance of your Capital Equipment

An investment in drinking water and wastewater systems is undertaken to protect public health and the environment. The decision to move ahead on a capital project is one that should not be taken lightly. Whether you are designing a new facility or upgrading an older site, any capital investment, should include the implementation of measures to protect that capital investment. The most effective way to protect an equipment purchase is to follow manufacturer-recommended maintenance and service procedures and schedules.  Download our Checklist using the form on this page to keep your equipment in tip top shape.

An equipment purchase is effectively the start of a long relationship between the purchasing company and manufacturer, going well beyond the installation, start-up and commissioning of a system. As a result, it’s important to focus on the service and maintenance a manufacturer offers throughout the life of the equipment. A simple review of the service offerings will help ensure a partnership with a manufacturer that understands what is required to effectively support their system.

Water and wastewater system operators play an important role in ensuring reliable water and wastewater equipment performance. Proper operation and maintenance of water and wastewater treatment equipment depends largely on the operators and the training they’ve received to support the equipment. Equipment-specific training from a manufacturer at start-up and routinely throughout the life of the equipment is important, especially given the high turnover rate of trained and experienced operators at water and wastewater treatment facilities.

From an operation and maintenance perspective, some of the common deficiencies affecting the ability to follow manufacturer-recommended procedures and schedules include:

• Lack of adequate treatment equipment
• Lack of maintenance equipment
• Poor record keeping
• Absence of O&M manuals
• Lack of regular maintenance
• The absence of replacement parts/ supplies
• On-site sodium hypochlorite generation system - maintenance profile
• For more than ten years, on-site sodium hypochlorite

When properly maintained, the equipment can be used for the full intended life, and unnecessary replacements and repairs can be avoided, leading to cost savings. Well maintained systems will experience less unplanned downtime, lessening the need to purchase a back-up method of disinfection and reducing the requirement of manpower to attend to unplanned maintenance.
 

Two final ways to ensure the highest level of performance of any water or wastewater equipment are to consider manufacturers’ parts or maintenance contracts and to use only manufacturer-recommended spare parts.

Water and wastewater equipment is no different than any other major capital investment. Following manufacturer recommendations and proper maintenance are the best ways to ensure a long and productive life.

What's the best time to replace parts and what parts will you need?

If you're unsure what parts you need at your facility, let our experts walk you through the process. We can help you identify what parts are needed and when to replace them. Contact a De Nora Parts Expert Now