WEF Collection Systems Award 2021 – George E. Kurz, P.E., DEE Nomination –
Accomplishments:
George Kurz is nominated based on his Collection Systems work and service in the areas of management, overall planning, operation and maintenance, training, and research. Over the 42 year span of his engineering career, George has worked on many facets of collection systems but with a primary focus on I/I (Inflow & Infiltration). He concluded that I/I was probably the number one problem in sewage collection systems: first as a direct problem (SSOs, wasted treatment costs, overloaded treatment facilities, etc.); and second as an indirect problem because I/I contributes to pipe deterioration and eventual collapse by transporting soil fines from the pipe bedding. During that period, great strides were made in developing products and processes for rehabilitating sewer systems and stopping I/I. However, George observed that little information was available statewide (and nationwide) about the quantity, rate, and distribution of I/I and RDI/I (Rainfall Dependent I/I) in municipal NPDES systems. He was also convinced that the monthly reports of daily observations made by system Operators represented a huge database that could be analyzed to measure I/I and RDI/I, and track system deterioration (or improvement following rehabilitation). A database of municipal I/I based on actual measurements would be far superior to the Clean Watersheds Needs Survey (Category III-A, I/I Correction) conducted every four years and published by the US-EPA. That survey is based on responses solicited from municipal agencies (but not necessarily supported by data). George developed a simple Excel spreadsheet for analyzing influent flow, influent BOD, and rainfall normally recorded daily by plant Operators in the MORs (Monthly Operating Reports) that form the basis for the DMRs required by EPA. This meant that plants could be studied for any past year without requiring new monitoring. Also, the spreadsheet tool uses the influent BOD concentration as a cross-check on dilution caused by I/I and as an indicator of dry weather infiltration (often undetected by flow analysis alone). George openly shared his work for the benefit of our industry by publishing and presenting the various steps and stages of his research at WEFTEC, WEF-CSC, and in Water Environment and Technology (and other publications and conferences). Working independently to demonstrate the applicability and ease of analysis with this tool, George transcribed over 170,000 data points from Tennessee municipal MORs into Excel format for analysis. Once transcribed, a year’s data could be analyzed in 15 minutes by a typical licensed treatment plant Operator. The spreadsheet was adopted by the State of Tennessee. In 2019, he presented the results for 528 municipal wastewater systems which showed that the gross annual I/I in those systems was 36.3% and the median for those systems was 51%. These results included all systems in Tennessee and North Carolina, and George found that there was a 10% difference between the two states. This study represents 3.7% of all NPDES municipal systems in the USA and is the largest of its kind ever published for I/I. Additional highlights:
- Designed and implemented Chattanooga’s first Pretreatment Program. This program was the first approved in Tennessee (and meeting the 1 July 1983 deadline) and was used as a model nationwide.
- Designed and implemented the Chattanooga’s MCP (Municipal Compliance Plan – EPA program - 1985) for sewer rehabilitation and control of sewer overflows.
- Created the “Nine Minimum CSO Controls Plan” for Nashville, TN and Kansas City, KS as required by EPA’s national CSO policy.
- Planned and designed 30 miles of sewer lining rehabilitation for Nashville, TN, Brentwood, TN, and Jackson, TN.
- Served on the US-EPA PIRT (Pretreatment Implementation Review Taskforce), 1984
- Group Chairman (2000-2) for the US-EPA -ETV Project – Wet Weather Flow Monitoring
- Organized and taught annual workshops on establishing Municipal Sewer Rehabilitation Programs at the annual UCT (underground Construction Technology) conferences, 2006-2017