Insight on Groundwater Remediation Systems: Keith Brodock’s Remote Solution

Cleaning up a Superfund site often involves a complex array of systems designed to remove contaminants from groundwater. Whenever a water treatment system is unexpectedly offline, costs escalate and schedules slide.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Integral principal engineer Keith Brodock was called upon to solve a water treatment system dilemma: review 300 pages of code and find the coding issue preventing the system from restarting after a maintenance shutdown. The unplanned extended shutdown was costing time and money. Every hour that the system was offline for repair meant that treatment requirements were not being met, and a regulatory clock was starting to tick. Key challenges were not only to discover the source of the issue, but also to fix the problem remotely over COVID-19 concerns and to bring the system back online safely.

Integral was called after the prior onsite contractor had spent hours trying to pinpoint the problem. “With more than 1,300 lines of code, the task of finding the source of the coding issue was like finding a needle in a haystack,” says Mr. Brodock.

But with the right skills and the right tools, Mr. Brodock was able to solve a problem that had the team stumped, creating a solution that can be applied to site systems nationwide. Drawing upon his extensive expertise, Mr. Brodock analyzed the issue and within 2 hours had the source identified and the system back online.

“Using remote controlled technology, we performed real-time system adjustments and communicated directly with field staff. This approach quickly solved the problem, reduced costs, and kept site employees safe,” he explains.

What made the Integral difference? According to Mr. Brodock, consulting expertise in solving control systems issues, along with deploying remote technology to identify and fix the system control issues.

“Integral’s approach significantly reduced treatment system downtime and provided a prompt, effective solution for our client,” he explains. Since that time, the system has operated in a safe and reliable manner with no unplanned outages.

To learn more about how Integral can provide insight and technology for better outcomes, contact Keith Brodock at kbrodock@integral-corp.com.