Operator rounds checklists

What to check at each kind of equipment on a water or wastewater plant walkthrough: 23 checklists, from pumps and filters to lift stations and eyewash stations. They're the checkpoint templates ShiftRounds starts from.

How to use them

Each checklist is one checkpoint on a round: a pump, a filter, a lift station. Walk them on paper, or put them on a route in ShiftRounds, where the operator answers each item on an iPhone, iPad or Android phone and the report goes to the chief operator when the round is done.

Required items are the ones a round isn’t complete without. The rest are asked, but can be left.
No limits are set. Expected ranges and alarm limits are your plant’s to choose. A default would be wrong somewhere, and a limit that’s often wrong teaches operators to ignore it.
Some items are asked only when they apply, such as a pump’s discharge pressure only while it’s running.
Every item can be renamed, removed or added to. A checkpoint can change to another template later, and the items the two share keep their readings.

For a whole route, see operator rounds for water treatment plants and for wastewater plants.

Treatment and pumping

Pump checklist

Item	What’s recorded
StatusRequired	On, Off, Auto, Hand or Fault. Fault is a critical finding.
Discharge pressureRequired	Pressure in psi. Asked only when Status is On or Hand.
Run hoursOptional	The dial's reading, in hours. Asked only when Status is On or Hand.
Leak checkRequired	Yes or no. A leak asks how bad: drip, steady or major, and major is a critical finding. It needs a note, and a photo can go with it.
Noise and vibrationRequired	Good, Attention or Critical, with a note unless Good.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Filter checklist

Item	What’s recorded
StatusRequired	In service, Backwash, Standby or Out of service.
Effluent turbidityRequired	Turbidity in NTU. Asked only when Status is In service.
Head lossOptional	Head loss in feet. Asked only when Status is In service.
Leak checkRequired	Yes or no. A leak asks how bad: drip, steady or major, and major is a critical finding. It needs a note, and a photo can go with it.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Basin checklist

Item	What’s recorded
DriveRequired	On, Off or Fault. Fault is a critical finding.
Settled turbidityOptional	Turbidity in NTU.
ConditionRequired	Good, Attention or Critical, with a note unless Good.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Clearwell or tank checklist

Item	What’s recorded
LevelRequired	Level in feet.
Free chlorineRequired	Chlorine residual in mg/L.
Hatch lockedRequired	Yes or no. No is a finding.
Leak checkRequired	Yes or no. A leak asks how bad: drip, steady or major, and major is a critical finding. It needs a note, and a photo can go with it.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Chemical feed checklist

Item	What’s recorded
Feed pumpRequired	On, Off, Auto or Fault. Fault is a critical finding.
Feed rateOptional	Flow in gallons an hour. Asked only when Feed pump is On or Auto.
Day tankRequired	Level in percent.
Containment dryRequired	Yes or no. No is a finding.
Leak checkRequired	Yes or no. A leak asks how bad: drip, steady or major, and major is a critical finding. It needs a note, and a photo can go with it.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Chlorine cylinders checklist

Item	What’s recorded
Scale 1 net weightRequired	Weight in pounds.
Scale 2 net weightOptional	Weight in pounds.
Leak checkRequired	Yes or no. A leak asks how bad: drip, steady or major, and major is a critical finding. It needs a note, and a photo can go with it.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

UV system checklist

Item	What’s recorded
ReactorRequired	On, Off or Fault. Fault is a critical finding.
UV intensityRequired	A reading in mW/cm². Asked only when Reactor is On.
UV transmittanceOptional	A reading in percent. Asked only when Reactor is On.
All lamps litRequired	Yes or no. No is a finding. Asked only when Reactor is On.
Leak checkRequired	Yes or no. A leak asks how bad: drip, steady or major, and major is a critical finding. It needs a note, and a photo can go with it.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Meter checklist

Item	What’s recorded
TotalizerRequired	The dial's reading, in million gallons, with the flow since the last round in MGD.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Analyzers and sample points

Turbidimeter checklist

Item	What’s recorded
ReadingRequired	Turbidity in NTU.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Chlorine analyzer checklist

Item	What’s recorded
Free chlorineRequired	Chlorine residual in mg/L.
Total chlorineOptional	Chlorine residual in mg/L.
Sample flowingRequired	Yes or no. No is a finding.
Reagent OKOptional	Yes or no. No is a finding.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

pH analyzer checklist

Item	What’s recorded
pHRequired	A pH reading.
Sample temperatureOptional	Temperature in °F.
Sample flowingRequired	Yes or no. No is a finding.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Fluoride analyzer checklist

Item	What’s recorded
FluorideRequired	A reading in mg/L.
Sample flowingRequired	Yes or no. No is a finding.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Sample point checklist

Item	What’s recorded
Free chlorineRequired	Chlorine residual in mg/L.
pHOptional	A pH reading.
TemperatureOptional	Temperature in °F.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Wastewater and lift stations

Aeration basin checklist

Item	What’s recorded
Dissolved oxygenRequired	Dissolved oxygen in mg/L.
ConditionRequired	Good, Attention or Critical, with a note unless Good.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Blower checklist

Item	What’s recorded
StatusRequired	On, Off, Auto or Fault. Fault is a critical finding.
Discharge pressureOptional	Pressure in psi. Asked only when Status is On or Auto.
Motor currentOptional	Current in amps. Asked only when Status is On or Auto.
Run hoursOptional	The dial's reading, in hours.
Noise and vibrationRequired	Good, Attention or Critical, with a note unless Good.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Clarifier checklist

Item	What’s recorded
DriveRequired	On, Off or Fault. Fault is a critical finding.
Sludge blanket depthOptional	Level in feet.
ConditionRequired	Good, Attention or Critical, with a note unless Good.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Lift station checklist

Item	What’s recorded
Wet well levelRequired	Level in feet.
Pump 1Required	On, Off, Auto or Fault. Fault is a critical finding.
Pump 2Optional	On, Off, Auto or Fault. Fault is a critical finding.
Alarm clearRequired	Yes or no. No is a finding.
Leak checkRequired	Yes or no. A leak asks how bad: drip, steady or major, and major is a critical finding. It needs a note, and a photo can go with it.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Residuals lagoon checklist

Item	What’s recorded
LevelRequired	Level in feet.
ConditionRequired	Good, Attention or Critical, with a note unless Good.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Power, distribution and safety

Generator checklist

Item	What’s recorded
StatusRequired	Standby, Running or Fault. Fault is a critical finding.
Run hoursRequired	The dial's reading, in hours.
Fuel levelRequired	Level in percent.
BatteryOptional	Voltage in volts.
Leak checkRequired	Yes or no. A leak asks how bad: drip, steady or major, and major is a critical finding. It needs a note, and a photo can go with it.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Air compressor checklist

Item	What’s recorded
StatusRequired	On, Off, Auto or Fault. Fault is a critical finding.
Discharge pressureOptional	Pressure in psi. Asked only when Status is On or Auto.
Leak checkRequired	Yes or no. A leak asks how bad: drip, steady or major, and major is a critical finding. It needs a note, and a photo can go with it.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Storage tank or tower checklist

Item	What’s recorded
LevelRequired	Level in feet.
Hatch lockedRequired	Yes or no. No is a finding.
Gate lockedRequired	Yes or no. No is a finding.
ConditionRequired	Good, Attention or Critical, with a note unless Good.
Leak checkRequired	Yes or no. A leak asks how bad: drip, steady or major, and major is a critical finding. It needs a note, and a photo can go with it.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Valve checklist

Item	What’s recorded
PositionRequired	Open, Closed or Throttled.
Leak checkRequired	Yes or no. A leak asks how bad: drip, steady or major, and major is a critical finding. It needs a note, and a photo can go with it.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.

Eyewash and shower checklist

Item	What’s recorded
FlushedRequired	Yes or no. No is a finding.
Access clearOptional	Yes or no. No is a finding.
Photo and noteOptional	Anything worth knowing, with photos.