Internship in Nestlé - 30th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 9.15 a.m., we had a meeting with the operators. Before the end of the meeting, as today is the last working day of 2016, Tee thanked the operators for their cooperation and contributions to the team throughout this year.

At 10.00 a.m., I conducted pipeline tracing in the DPRS site to be fully familiar with the flow and location of each equipment.

At 11.30 a.m., Tee asked me to do the calculation of the amount of chemicals required for the flocculation and coagulation using a jar tester. I am planning to understand the information of the jar tester in advance.

At 11.45 a.m., I went to WWTP to observe the existing DAF unit. Jaclyn and the operator Desa were monitoring the water condition in the flocculator. They managed to obtain a clear solution with floating flocs when adding the flocculants (polymers) into a bottle of water sample taken from DAF influent, but the same result was not shown for a water sample taken from the flocculator after the chemical dosing. Eventually, they managed to get the same outcome after several trials and errors.

At 3.00 p.m., I met Tee and Jaclyn in the WWTP control room. Tee conducted a simple experiment with a water sample taken from a sludge recirculation pit to observe various types of microorganisms using a microscope. He showed us the bacteria and metazoan such as rotifer. I had an opportunity to observe the rotifer swimming freely, using a microscope.

Figure 1: Rotifer in microscopic view (Source: Wikipedia)

The rotifers are often found in extended aeration-activated sludge (EAAS) systems with older sludge. Their principal role in wastewater is to develop floc stabilization. Their presence indicates a good, stable sludge with plenty of oxygen. Rotifers are good indicators of wastewater toxicity as they are sensitive to toxic loads, however, they should never be dominant in the system.

At 4.00 p.m., Jaclyn and I went to the DPRS site. At the same time, the construction of a new above-ground pipeline is carried on to replace the old, broken underground pipeline.

Reference:

Rotifers. [online] Available at: http://www.environmentalleverage.com/Rotifer.htm

[Last Accessed: 2 January 2017].

Internship in Nestlé - 29th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 9.15 a.m., we had a short meeting with the operators.

At 10.00 a.m., I did observation in the WWTP and installation sites. The mechanical aerator of the second aeration was not running because one of the bolts to support the aerator was broken.

At 11.00 a.m., Tee gave me a new 3M safety helmet (white pin-lock suspension) to replace the expired hard helmet which I used currently. I learnt and followed the manual instructions to assemble the new safety helmet.

New safety helmet

At 2.00 p.m., Tee had signed and returned my weekly log sheets of Week 1 - 5 to me with comments. He told me that in the following weeks (at the beginning of the next year 2017), we would be busy due to the arrival of a new DAF unit and the commissioning procedure of DPRS.

At 2.45 p.m., Jaclyn and I went to the WWTP control room. She showed me the daily recording which contains flowrate and water parameters such as pH, COD, MLSS etc. She explained the purpose of data recording and shared some information.

For example, the colour of the DAF influent (measured in terms of American Dye Manufacturers' Institute or ADMI) has to be recorded, but not the colour of the influent of other balance tanks. This is because the colour of the final discharge (to the environment) is also one of the parameters to be monitored. Since DAF influent mainly consists of wastewater from coffee production and is relatively darker than the others, it is necessary to monitor the colour of DAF influent in the early stage.

At 3.15 p.m., we observed the contractors to replace a new bolt. The mechanical aerator of the second aeration tank was locked by LOTO to prevent any accident. They also greased the joints of the metal support of this aerator to reduce the noise and ensure a prolonged operation of the aerator.

Internship in Nestlé - 27-28th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

Tuesday, 27^th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 8.15 a.m., I received an email from Tee with the attached file of the Maintenance Plan after being checked by him. He wanted me to update and complete the remaining parts. He also attached the Portable Document Format (PDF) of the P&ID of reverse osmosis (RO) and chlorine dioxide generation and dosing system for my own reference.

At 9.15 a.m., we had a daily review meeting with the operators.

At 10.15 a.m., I observed and recorded the information on the remaining equipment at the DPRS site. Currently, three projects are carried on now in WWTP, which are the installation of a new DAF, DPRS and sludge dewatering system.

Online TOC (Total Organic Carbon) Analyser (taken at the same day)

At 1.30 p.m., I read the book CePIETSO (Biological Processes) and studied the working concepts of the performance monitoring of common biological treatment processes. The definitions and formulae of water parameters are clearly explained, such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), sludge volume index (SVI), mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS), etc.

At 3.40 p.m., I went to WWTP again to observe the DPRS process.

Wednesday, 28^th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 9.15 a.m., we had a meeting with the operators. The WWTP operator had reported that an oil layer was observed at the balance tank recently.

At 10.00 a.m., I went to the DPRS as usual and recorded the information of the remaining equipment which is available. The task of updating the Maintenance Plan file is ongoing once I collected the data from the DPRS site.

At 1.45 p.m., I read the book CePIETSO (Biological Processes) to learn the examples of calculation of water parameters for the performance monitoring of common biological treatment processes, such as BOD, COD, SVI, MLSS, etc.

At 3.00 p.m., I conducted pipeline tracing in the DPRS site with the aid of P&ID on hands and observed the existing WWTP. I have to be familiar with the detail and location of each equipment in DPRS for the preparation of commissioning in the future. 

Internship in Nestlé - 23rd Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 9.15 a.m., as usual, we had a meeting with the operators.

At 10.00 a.m., Tee asked me about my progress in preparing the Maintenance Plan and said that he would check it this afternoon. Then I read the book CePIETSO (Biological Processes) which contains information about water treatment. This book consists of many modules and formulae for calculating water parameters.

At 2.00 p.m., Jaclyn told me that she had received the P&ID of the sludge dewatering system. This system is under installation now. She shared this P&ID and briefly explained the process of sludge dewatering to me. I took this opportunity to study sludge management in the industrial sector.

At 2.30 p.m., Jaclyn and I went to the DPRS site to observe and study the process flow again with the aid of P&ID while looking around the existing WWTP. We realized several alterations during the installation of instruments and differences with the arrangement as shown in P&ID.

At 3.30 p.m., we noticed that water was turbid at the second final discharge point. We also realized that there was a sludge overflow at the second clarifier. We quickly opened the valve fully to allow the sediment sludge to flow out from the clarifier for a certain time. Eventually water flow at all final discharge points were clear.

At 4.45 p.m., I emailed the Maintenance Plan to Tee and Jaclyn for checking.

Internship in Nestlé - 21st & 22nd Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

Wednesday, 21^st Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 9.15 a.m., as usual, we had a meeting with the operators. During the safety section, the WWTP operator Desa brought up an issue that it is dangerous when taking the data from the flowmeter installed along the pipeline of the wastewater source as there is a metal bar nearby for the DPRS installation. This issue was recorded down and to be solved.

At 10.00 a.m., I went to the DPRS site to observe and do the pipeline tracing for the upstream (MBRs) again while checking the information I had gathered previously. I updated the Excel file of the Maintenance Plan in the office.

At 11.00 a.m., I began to study and summarize the process description of DPRS and made my own notes for my understanding of the knowledge of DPRS.

At 3.00 p.m., I continued the information checking while observing the remaining part of DPRS, which is the RO system. The installation was ongoing and the chemical dosing systems had not been installed yet.

At 4.00 p.m., I went back to the office while updating the Excel file. Jaclyn had told me that our country, Malaysia is the third country to install the DPRS in water treatment in Nestlé, which is under construction now. DPRS is an advanced technology that reuses and recycles clean water for other purposes as an effort for water sustainable development.

Thursday, 22^nd Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 8.30 a.m., my colleagues Shanji and Jaclyn asked me about my progress on the current task. I had reported to them that certain information was unavailable. We decided to visit the DPRS installation site together this afternoon.

At 9.15 a.m., as usual, we had a meeting with the operators. They had informed us of any issues in their working sites.

At 10.00 a.m., I studied the DPRS process and the function of each equipment, including the purpose of chemical dosing systems using the P&IDs and site layout. This aids me in further understanding the process for my following tasks in the future.

At 2.30 p.m., it was cloudy but three of us still visited the DPRS site to study and trace the pipelines together. I shared my understanding of DPRS with them. We discussed among each other about the existing WWTP and DPRS. Shanji also shared his industrial experience when he observed something at the site.

At the end of the visit, I was glad as they thanked me that I had done a great job of guiding them to understand the process more easily. Throughout the task, I found it very interesting to study P&ID and conduct pipeline tracing of process systems in the actual site at the same time. 

Installation was undergoing (taken at the same day)

Internship in Nestlé - 19-20th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

Monday, 19^th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 9.15 a.m., we had a meeting in the absence of Tee as he was attending a training course for a few days.

At 9.45 a.m., I went to the direct potable reuse system (DPRS) installation site to observe the equipment and instruments after wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), such as a safety helmet, earplug and reflective vest. Around this time the workers were having a short break, so it was convenient for me to trace the pipelines and record the information of equipment and instruments, such as serial numbers and dimensions. This time I only managed to study the upstream of DPRS, which mainly consists of post-treatment aeration basin and membrane bioreactors (MBRs).

Example photo of equipment with serial number

Pressure gauge

At 11.15 am, I analyzed and typed the information recorded just now into the Excel file that was created last week.

At 2.30 p.m., it was after raining. I continued to collect the information on the DPRS site. This time I managed to observe the downstream, which consists of the reverse osmosis (RO) system.

At 4.00 p.m., I analyzed the information before typing it into the Excel file. There was much information to be processed as there were many equipment and instruments.

Tuesday, 20^th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 8.30 a.m., Bhajan distributed the form of Behavioral Observation (Pemerhatian Perilaku) to all colleagues. He told me that I could fill in the form as feedback to him when noticing any issues relating to safety within the factory site.

At 9.15 a.m., as usual, we had a meeting with the operators.

At 10.00 a.m., I was planning to observe the DPRS, however it was raining heavily. I stayed in the office to update the Maintenance Plan using an Excel file. Besides that, I read the technical description manual prepared by the manufacturer. This manual listed the information and explained the function of each equipment installed in DPRS.

Low range turbidimeter (taken on the same day)

At 2.00 p.m., I began to study the operation manual of DPRS prepared by the manufacturer.

At 3.00 p.m., I went to the DPRS site and traced the pipelines from the beginning to double-check whether the information I obtained was correct since there were several parallel piping equipped with the same instruments.

At 4.00 p.m., I updated and checked the Maintenance Plan using an Excel file in the office.

Internship in Nestlé - 15-16th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

Thursday, 15^th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)  

At 9.15 a.m., we had a meeting with the operators. We have been informed that recently many production plants have performed shut-down procedures during the end of the year.

At 9.45 a.m., I went to the DPRS installation site to observe the equipment and piping after wearing a safety helmet and reflective vest.  The installation was ongoing and the workers were pouring cement for the construction of the foundation. It was inconvenient for me to walk around safely to study the DPRS system.

At 10.00 a.m., I noticed a piece of metal mesh grate was located at the walkway around the existing DAF unit in WWTP. It was suspected that the metal grate was left after the construction, making a protruding floor surface that was not obvious to be seen. I sent an email to Tee regarding this safety issue.

Protruding floor surface (view 1)

Protruding floor surface (view 2)

At 11.15 a.m., Tee gave me the task of preparing a maintenance plan for DPRS. I have to identify which equipment and instruments are required for maintenance and to list their serial numbers by next Thursday, with the aid of the technical description manual received from him. In addition, he also gave me an instrument list and the P&ID of chlorine dioxide generation and dosing system for my reference.

At 2.00 p.m., as usual, I continued to observe the existing fitting and piping of equipment in WWTP and took notes for updating the P&ID drawn using Microsoft Visio.

Then I began to study the information and manual given before preparing the maintenance plan.

Friday, 16^th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 9.15 a.m., as usual, we had a routine meeting with the operators.

At 10.00 a.m., it was a short break time for the contractors. I entered the installation site of DPRS to begin my first observation of the DPRS built so far. It is to avoid the site being crowded by people when the installation is continued later. Using the P&ID as a guideline, generally, I managed to trace the flow of DPRS with the fittings along the pipelines. However, some equipment and instruments were pending to be installed.

At 2.00 p.m., I continued the data collecting of DPRS. While observing the flow and piping, I learned the appearance of various types of valves that are commonly used in industrial sites. Then I walked around the existing WWTP to observe the check valves I had missed out so far.

At 3.45 p.m., I started to create a draft of the maintenance plan and typed in the information using Microsoft Excel. Tee had told me to finish the task and there would be further details to be included as well.

Internship in Nestlé - 12-14th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

Monday, 12^th & Tuesday, 13^th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

PUBLIC HOLIDAY

Wednesday, 14^th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 9.15 a.m., we had a meeting with the operators as usual. Tee informed us that one operator was cut by the sharp protruded edge of a metal insulation pipe during cleaning. He wanted us to learn from this lesson and advised the operators always to identify and report any hazards in their working areas as soon as possible to prevent any accidents.

At 9.30 a.m., Satiya asked me to bring personnel to collect the water sample from the final discharge point. This is a weekly task conducted by the agent to collect the final discharge sample for monitoring the parameters of discharged water and to be reported to DOE.

At 10.00 a.m., Vasu explained to me the structure and piping of the sludge silo which is located near the WWTP control room. However, there was a leakage of sludge from one of the outlets of the silo. He suspected that one of the gate valves had been accidentally opened. He was water spraying on the floor to remove the overflow sludge.

Later Tee had told me that I am allowed to enter the installation site of DPRS from today onwards to trace the piping and flows. However, a safety helmet and reflective vest must be worn at all times when entering the site. He then gave me a reflective vest.

At 11.30 a.m., I went back to the office and updated the P&ID of WWTP based on the data obtained just now.

At 2.45 p.m. onwards, a mechanic was repairing the surface skimmer of the second clarifier as the blade was bent and hit with a scum baffle. The rotating skimmer was stopped and locked using a lockout & tag-out (LOTO) device to avoid any accident in case of unintentionally switching on the machine. 

Internship in Nestlé - 8-9th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

Thursday, 8^th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 9.15 a.m., we had a short meeting with the operators. The meeting agenda is the safety aspect, followed by any highlights.

At 10.00 a.m., Jaclyn shared the operation manual of the existing RO plant for producing treated water for the boiler. I read it to understand the operation of the RO process.

At 1.45 p.m., I continued to complete the WWTP flow diagram using Microsoft Visio.

At 2.45 p.m., the administrative assistant, Ms. Yvonne informed me that my own company account was ready to use finally. From now onwards I can access the company computer using my account and communicate with others using the given company email address.

At 4.45 p.m., Tee listened to my presentation about my understanding of WWTP on the site. Tee gave me feedback that there are several additional details I should explore and understand by myself. Then he lent me a book titled Self Regulation Approach – Certified Environmental Professionals in IETS Operation (CePIETSO) – Biological Processes.

Friday, 9^th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 8.30 a.m., I started to read the book CePIETSO (Biological Processes). This book is published by the Environmental Institute of Malaysia (EiMAS). It contains plenty of information and regulations relating to industrial effluent treatment systems (IETS).

At 9.15 a.m., we had a short meeting with the operators. Before the end of the meeting, Tee introduced a new colleague, Shanji to us. He will mainly be in charge of environmental aspects, including WWTP.

At 3.00 p.m., I walked around WWTP with Vasu to observe the flow and piping in WWTP. Vasu was using water to spray on the floor in the DAP area because there was acid leakage from the chemical dosing system.

At 3.45 p.m., I also studied the details of the main influent and effluent from this DAF unit. The influent is from the DAF balance tank and the effluent of DAF is pumped to the aeration tank for further processes. 

Internship in Nestlé - 7th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 9.15 a.m., we had a routine meeting with the operators. Tee had told us there was a minor accident in the cereal production plant last Saturday. He reminded us to always ensure safety when working in the plant.

Then Tee asked me to help him generate the details of the chiller cooling towers in softcopy. I keyed in the information using Microsoft Excel and submitted the file to him via e-mail.

At 11 a.m., I began to summarize all information and drawings of WWTP for tomorrow's presentation to Tee. Jaclyn had given me several additional information and Power Point slides relating to WWTP.

At 12 a.m., I noticed that the DAF unit was not in operation. This is due to the low level of the DAF balance tank, leading to low incoming flow into the DAF unit. Therefore the DAF unit was temporarily shut down by the operator.

At 3 p.m., I went to the WWTP control room and was informed that the low-level (LL) sensor in the raw pit was not functioning and caused the submersible pump to shut off. The operators replaced a new LL sensor and switched on the pump to return to normal operation.

At 4.15 p.m., Vasu had given a brief explanation to me while observing the equipment in WWTP. The information was about the sludge silo, recirculation pit, clarifiers, outlet from the aeration tank to clarifiers and final discharge point. 

Internship in Nestlé - 6th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 9.15 a.m., as usual, we had a meeting with the operators. The operators were highlighting any updates of each service section.

At 9.40 a.m., Vasu was with someone at the final discharge sampling point, which is near to the WWTP control room. He told me that every early of month an officer from an agency will come to collect the water samples from several sampling points such as final discharge, aeration tank, balance (equalization) tank, DAF influent and effluent. The officer will analyse the water parameter and report to the Department of Environment (DOE) Malaysia to monitor the quality of discharged water from the industry.

Final discharge point

At 10.30 a.m., I followed Vasu to DAF. I observed the pipelines around the existing DAF unit. He monitored the water condition and adjusted the chemical dosing. Later he explained to me the air saturation unit of DAF. The purpose of air saturation is to produce the raising of suspended solids onto water surfaces in the form of scum by aeration and chemicals, followed by removal of scum by skimming.

While observing the air tubing, suddenly there was a water droplet dropped into my eye. Vasu brought me to wash my eyes using clean water at the washing station. It is suspected there is a leakage around the old DAF unit.

At 1.45 p.m., I continued data gathering and this time observing the chemical dosing systems of the DAF unit. Vasu told me that three types of chemicals are used in dosing systems, which are FeCl₃, sulfuric acid and polymers for coagulation and flocculation processes. He also guided me to observe the pipelines, connections and fittings of chemical dosing systems.

At 3.30 p.m., I drew the P&ID for the existing DAF unit using Microsoft Visio based on the information I collected today.

At 4.30 p.m., Jaclyn showed me the operational manual of DPRS consisting of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) and reverse osmosis (RO) system. She told me that recently we have been focusing on this project since the installation of DPRS is ongoing. 

Internship in Nestlé - 5th Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 9.15 a.m., we had a routine meeting with the operators from the boiler, chiller and WWTP. The purpose of the meeting is to update information and ensure the plant is always operated under normal and safe conditions.

At 9.45 a.m., I went to the WWTP control room and Desa was on shift. After having a quick conversation with him, however, I realized he did not know much about WWTP in detail, so I did observation around the WWTP to continue data collecting.

At 11.00 a.m., I began to sketch the PFD of WWTP using Microsoft Visio.

At 3.00 p.m., finally the boiler chargehand, Satiya gave me a brief explanation about WWTP. He said that to understand the operation and flows of WWTP, first and foremost, we have to understand the fundamental knowledge relating to WWTP. The purpose of constructing WWTP is to meet the environmental limits of final discharge for sustainability and the future.

There are primary and secondary treatments or biological and chemical methods in our plant. The biological method utilises bacteria whereas the chemical method uses chemical dosing for water treatment. I understood what he explained to me easily because I had studied water treatment for my group design project during the past study semester. 

Internship in Nestlé - 1st & 2nd Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

Thursday, 1^st Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 8.30 a.m., I met another on-duty WWTP operator, Desa. He explained that the laboratory experiments are conducted three times each day and all parameters of water sample would be recorded. Again I observed the structure of DAF which is under operation.

At 9.15 a.m., there was no routine meeting.

Almost all colleagues of the Engineering department are participating in the 2D1N team-building activity. Only Bhajan, Lok and I were in the office.

I was studying and understanding the PFD and P&ID of DPRS given by Tee yesterday in the office.           

Friday, 2^nd Dec 2016 (8am - 5pm)

At 9.15 a.m., there was no routine meeting.

Based on the data gathered and observations during the past two weeks, I sketched a PFD of existing WWTP as a draft on A3 papers. This would give me a rough idea and picture of the whole WWTP.

The diagram of new expanding or upgrading systems in WWTP such as DPRS and new DAF to be installed will be drawn in the following time.

At 12.30 p.m., I joined Bhajan and Lok to have lunch during these two days. They shared their work experiences to me who is a junior. Lok shared his opinion about the purpose of encouraging energy saving in Nestlé. He said that it would be a significant amount of cost savings by considering the various aspects for large food production plants such as Nestlé

At 3.00 p.m., I continued studying the P&ID of DPRS in the office. I tried to understand the detailed information provided in the P&ID of DPRS, such as mass balances of inputs and outputs, pipelines, fittings, structures, symbols of equipment and instrumentation, etc.