The Daily Process Round
A consistent set of process observations completed at the same times each day catches trends that grab samples miss.
A process round walks through every major treatment step daily, observing DO, MLSS visual character, RAS and WAS flow, clarifier blanket, effluent clarity, scum accumulation, and unusual odors.
The order of the round matters — typical sequence starts at the headworks (influent character, screening operation, grit removal) and moves downstream with the process flow.
Note everything observed, even 'normal' observations — the documentation value is highest when a trend develops slowly and only becomes visible in the round log over time.
Setpoint deviations during the round should be corrected in the SCADA and also logged with a reason — silent setpoint corrections make trends impossible to interpret later.
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