Category: ETP Field Guide

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A weekly O&M review should connect the reading, the decision, and the follow-up. I reviewed the five Excel starter files with that in mind. The new workbook brings their sample records together and shows where the team still needs evidence.

Download the dashboard workbook

Download the ETP/WTP O&M dashboard workbook (.xlsx). Start on Review Setup. Set the week for performance and cost, and the as-of date for due samples and actions. Edit the amber cells in the logs. The example readings and added plan, risk and cost records are fictional.

What the three dashboards show

• Process performance. The sample shows 89.1% COD mass removal from 17 comparable inlet/outlet pairs across 20 discharging shifts. Check the coverage alongside the result. The WTP logged 177 m³ of wash water and two washes still need a return-to-service reference.
• Asset reliability and actions. The sample ranks PM work by likelihood and consequence and shows two high-risk assets with overdue PM. An action moves to verified closed when the work date, verification date, reviewer and reference support that status.
• Resource cost and dosing. The training week shows 0.69 kWh/m³ and BDT 14.74/m³ for recorded energy and chemical costs. Each ratio uses its own matched intervals. One interval lacks a chemical quantity and drops out of the cost calculation. The pump example compares 30.00 L/h calculated with 29.40 L/h measured.

Where the five starter files fall short

Workbook	Already covered	Evidence gap	Added in the dashboard workbook
ETP Shift and Performance Log	Shift volumes, COD pairing, review flags	Approved sampling schedule, method, collection and QA evidence	Planned events matched to sample IDs and logged results
WTP Filter and Water Quality Log	Separate filter readings, washes and outlet samples	Evidence of return-to-service checks and scheduled sample review	Backwash return references and due versus accepted samples
Plant PM and Work Orders	Asset IDs, PM intervals, owners and verification references	Condition, backup, risk rationale, renewal review and dated verification	Likelihood × consequence ranking, PM exposure and verified closure
Chemical Dosing and Operating Cost	One shift and a timed pump check	Comparable periods, energy baseline and pump test traceability	Matched weekly cost and energy rates plus test evidence fields
ETP/WTP O&M Checklists	Check result, evidence, owner and follow-up time	A shared register to follow issues across shifts and verify closure	Action IDs, source references, due dates and dated sign-off

Try the monitoring view first. In the sample, 3 of 10 due slots have complete acceptance evidence, 2 have a result pending and 1 lacks a sample ID. The remaining 4 need evidence review. A recorded peak can prompt an operating check while the sample’s evidence review is still open.

Standards and guides to keep handy

• Bangladesh regulatory basis. Use the applicable DoE rules and plant clearance conditions when setting discharge obligations and reporting requirements. The workbook uses practice triggers. Environment Conservation Rules, 2023.
• Asset management and performance. Use ISO 55001 for the management system, EPA’s guide for building the asset plan, and the EUM Primer for selecting performance measures. ISO 24511 and ISO 24512 provide utility-level service assessment guidance. ISO 55001:2024 · EPA asset management guide · EPA EUM Primer · ISO 24511:2024 · ISO 24512:2024.
• Sampling and water safety. Keep the wastewater sampling plan and sample handling procedure with the record. For drinking-water plants, WHO’s water safety plan has separate templates for operational and compliance monitoring. The EPA turbidity guide is a technical reference for filter-level monitoring and backwash review. ISO 5667-10 · ISO 5667-3 · WHO Water Safety Plan Manual · EPA turbidity guide.
• Energy performance. Define the boundary and choose a comparable energy baseline before using kWh/m³ to judge improvement. Flow, load and operating duty can change the comparison. ISO 50006:2023.

For a live plant, start with the approved monitoring plan and name the people who can accept evidence and verify closure. A full standards assessment also needs the complete applicable documents, site procedures and implementation records. Use the shift and review checklists to capture the field evidence.

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At shift handover, the next operator needs three answers. What changed, which reading needs a closer look, and who owns the next action? A well-built Excel log brings those answers together for an effluent treatment plant (ETP) or a water treatment plant (WTP).

See the companion O&M dashboards and standards review for a combined weekly view and the evidence gaps in these templates.

Download the sample workbooks

• ETP Shift and Performance Log (.xlsx). Record shift volumes, COD, pH, and aeration DO. Follow a seven-day trend and flag readings for review.
• WTP Filter and Water Quality Log (.xlsx). Track filter run age, headloss, turbidity, and backwash water. Log plant outlet samples on a separate sheet.
• Plant PM and Work Orders (.xlsx). Schedule preventive maintenance, assign work, and verify closeout against a dated record.
• Chemical Dosing and Operating Cost (.xlsx). Translate an approved active dose into stock-feed L/h, compare it with measured pump delivery, and calculate kWh/m³ and BDT/m³.

Pair the workbooks with the O&M checklists for plant rounds, maintenance, and report review.

Each workbook includes fictional data. Edit the amber cells and keep the blue calculation cells. Replace the practice triggers with values approved for your plant. The workbook labels are in English.

Checklists for plant O&M

Download the fillable O&M checklists (.xlsx). Save a copy for each shift, round, maintenance job, or report review. Record the evidence, assign an owner and follow-up time for each issue, and use your plant’s approved procedures and review triggers.

ETP shift rounds and handover

• Read the last handover. Confirm active trains, inlet and outlet volumes, equalization level, and any held flows.
• Check the equipment, aeration DO, and solids separation from designated observation points. Log each sample by point, time, and ID.
• Carry forward alarms, pending results, and unresolved issues with an owner and a check-back time.

WTP rounds and water quality

• Record active trains, feed and product flow, and filter status. Track headloss and turbidity by filter ID.
• Log backwash events and return-to-service checks. Keep individual filter results separate from plant outlet samples.
• Record missing tests and readings outside your plant’s triggers. Follow the escalation procedure.

Maintenance planning and closeout

• Match the job to the asset tag, due date, and assigned person. Confirm applicable permits and isolation with authorized staff.
• Record the work, post-work test result, and verification reference. Confirm return-to-service authorization where required.
• Update the asset history and next preventive maintenance date after verified closeout.

Excel log and weekly report review

• Check dates, units, sample IDs, duplicates, and gaps. Keep a pending result blank and add a note.
• Check that formulas cover new rows. Reconcile volume totals and use matched intervals for COD mass removal.
• Verify dosing and cost use the right chemical and volume bases. Review flagged readings before sharing summary averages.

Build a log your next shift can use

• Give each row one job. Use one row per ETP shift, one per WTP filter observation or backwash, and one per outlet sample. Keep the date, time or shift, sampling point, and record ID where applicable. Put units in the column headers.
• Turn the log into an Excel Table. Use Insert → Table, freeze the header, and add drop-downs for shifts and equipment status. Filter by day, asset, or review flag during handover. Use conditional formatting to make review flags easy to spot.
• Keep a missing result blank. Put ‘Lab result pending’ in the notes and follow it up by sample ID. A recorded zero, such as zero outlet volume on a held shift, carries a different meaning. Use COUNT and IF to check inputs before calculating.

Turn readings into a decision

Compare COD load as well as concentration. An ETP shift with 600 m³ at 700 mg/L receives 420 kg COD. Another with 760 m³ at 900 mg/L receives 684 kg, about 63% more. For shift volume in C9 and inlet COD in E9, try =IF(COUNT(C9,E9)=2,C9*E9/1000,""). Use a representative concentration for that volume. Calculate mass removal only when the inlet and outlet data represent comparable intervals.

Review the trend and the underlying rows. Use SUMIFS to total volume or load over a date range and COUNTIFS to count review flags. Chart outlet COD or turbidity over time. A daily mean can hide a high individual reading, so keep the sample log one click away. Try a PivotTable to compare backwash volume by filter or open work orders by owner.

Give each flag an owner and a next step. If a filter’s headloss and turbidity rise together, check the individual filter log and the plant’s procedure. Record the observation, action, and follow-up. For maintenance, close the loop with a date and verification reference.

Try it with one shift

Open the ETP sample and change the first inlet volume from 600 to 650 m³. The calculated load should move from 420 to 455 kg. Then clear the outlet COD result. The row should flag the missing data, and its paired load should drop out of the weekly mass balance. Save a fresh copy for your own plant.

See the field note on COD load and equalization.

Further reading Excel Tables · SUMIFS · PivotTables · EPA turbidity guidance · EPA asset management guide.

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In a membrane bioreactor (MBR), membranes separate mixed liquor solids from the treated water, called permeate. Transmembrane pressure (TMP) is the pressure difference that drives filtration. Read it alongside the rate of water passing through each unit of membrane area, or flux.

Compare like with like

ET-01’s separate MBR example shows TMP rising from 16 to 28 kPa at comparable flux. Check temperature, filtration cycle stage, sensor readings, and the manufacturer’s normalized trend if available. A pressure rise under comparable conditions can signal increasing filtration resistance. Look at air scour, feed changes, and cleaning history before choosing a response.

Follow the permeate

A sudden change in permeate clarity or turbidity calls for its own checks. Confirm the instrument and sample point. Then review membrane integrity, seals, and possible ingress along the permeate route using the site and manufacturer procedures. Keep a trend that links TMP, flux, temperature, and permeate quality to time and operating state. A good trend helps separate the question of how hard the membrane is working from the question of what is passing through it.

Further reading · U.S. EPA membrane bioreactor fact sheet

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A high COD result and a darker outlet can point to different treatment problems. Trace the change upstream and compare tests made on the same basis before adjusting a dose.

Find what is driving the COD result

At ET-01, total outlet COD increases from 84 to 155 mg/L and total suspended solids (TSS) rise from 24 to 78 mg/L. Filtered COD changes from 60 to 63 mg/L. That pattern supports solids carryover as an important contributor to the total COD rise. Verify sample comparability, then check settling and the solids path.

Use a jar test to compare color treatment

For a color shift, check the production batch, EQ timing, pH, mixing, and actual chemical delivery. A supervised jar test compares a representative sample with an untreated control and approved trials under matched conditions. Record the method, pH, residual color, settling behavior, and sludge produced. The clearest-looking jar is one observation. A decision also uses measured quality, sludge handling, and the site’s approved operating procedure. The animation shows an illustrative comparison of jars after settling.

Further reading · IFC textile wastewater guidance

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A lab result is useful when you can trace it back to the right water, at the right time, by the required method. Give the sample an identity before it leaves the sampling point.

Match the sample to the decision

A grab sample describes a particular time and point. A composite sample combines increments over a time or flow period and can help estimate an internal load where the method and analyte allow it. For regulated discharge testing, follow the applicable requirements and the site’s approved plan. Schedule 12 of Bangladesh’s Environment Conservation Rules, 2023 specifies grab sampling for the applicable discharge testing described there.

Use approved safe access. Follow the laboratory instructions for the bottle, field readings, preservation, transport, and holding time. Record the collector, sample point and ID, date and time, process conditions, and each handoff. Check the lab report for the same ID, method, units, and a reporting limit suitable for the decision.

Follow one sample

ET-01 records O-16 as a grab sample taken at SP-301 at 16:00. The handover shows the result as pending. When the lab report arrives, match it to O-16, check the method and units, and compare it with the applicable criterion. Use the site’s escalation and release procedure if the result or sample record calls for action.

Further reading · Bangladesh Gazette, Environment Conservation Rules, 2023

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