WATERWORLD • September 2012

The water treatment facility in the City of Fairfield,  Ohio,  uses vibration analysis as part of its condition-monitoring planned/predictive maintenance program to help verify and assure equipment is operating satisfactorily. The Water Treatment Plant processes an average 5.1 mgd for a population of 44,000 people with a customer base of approximately 14,000 accounts.

Public Utilities Superintendent Andreas Eddy initiated the vibration analysis program as part of a cost-savings measure with regard to the “total” operating cost of equipment associated with the water treatment process. The intent was to identify potential equipment problems at an early stage and to allow maintenance work to be performed on a proactive basis.

Vibration data was collected with the VIBXPERT® 2-channel vibration analyzer and plotted with OMNITREND® software by Prueftechnik/Ludeca. The system helped identify a “Severe Mechanical Looseness” problem on a pump installed at a pumping station considered critical to the city’s water system.

Read the entire article Vibration Analysis Helps Identify Pump Problem

Thanks to Ray W. Wonderly of Advanced Maintenance Technologies for sharing this case study with us. Special acknowledgment to Andreas Eddy, Superintendent of Water Treatment Operations for co-authoring and approving this case study.