McCrone is pleased to have had the opportunity to reconnect with fellow industry professionals while discussing the latest in the wastewater industry at Chesapeake Tri Association Conference (Tri-Con).

McCrone had a great time attending this year’s Tri-Con with fellow water industry professionals from across the Chesapeake region. We’re always glad to be a part of this informative event. This year’s conference included many exhibits and speakers showcasing some of the fascinating things happening in the wastewater industry.

One interesting presentation from the week discussed the upgrades of the bio-solids handling facility at the Little Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant.  Joshua Gliptis with Howard County talked about the challenges the department had to overcome during COVID-19. Their biggest problem? How to procure and coordinate direct-heat belt drying systems during a pandemic. This is a difficult problem because the manufacturers of the equipment are almost exclusively foreign.  In the end, teamwork solved the problem. Everyone was willing to go the extra mile to coordinate and make it work, underscoring the importance of team effort on projects like these.  The department now has a facility that produces high-quality bio-solids Class A with the largest belt-dryers in the U.S.

Another memorable moment came from one company presentation that discussed their approach to untangling a sophisticated piping system at a Water Treatment Plant. Even operators sometimes did not know the purpose for some piping or whether the piping was still in service. Using LiDAR technology and additional software, the company recreated the piping system in 3D. This meant the plant could be toured virtually, which is especially beneficial during pandemic times when people cannot gather in one location for safety reasons. It’s also useful for when people need to coordinate on issues that arise at the plant, but cannot get to the plant in person.

McCrone Engineering was pleased to send several employees to the Tri-Association Conference to keep a pulse on the industry, learn and connect.  We walked away with some interesting and useful information, and we’re excited about next year’s event!