Luncheon Description: Wastewater utilities generate vast amounts of operational data, yet many organizations struggle to trust or effectively use it. While enterprise data governance initiatives are often discussed, they can take years to formally launch. In the meantime, engineers and operators still need reliable data today to run treatment processes, troubleshoot issues, and make operational decisions with confidence.
At Metro Water Recovery, we did not wait for a formal, organization-wide governance program to begin improving our data practices. Instead, our Technology & Innovation and Data Analytics teams implemented practical, project-driven governance measures alongside day-to-day analytics work. What began as process calculations, dashboards, and light automation developed by process engineers evolved into standardized reporting pipelines, automated workflows, and shared datasets designed for quality, transparency, and clear ownership.
Using real operational examples, we’ll show how governance principles can be built into technical solutions through: (1) automated calculation frameworks with documented logic, (2) data quality checks and exception handling, (3) controlled updates/write-backs with approvals and audit trails, and (4) improved traceability so users can answer “Is this value real?”, “Who changed it?”, and “Where did this number come from?” By resolving these everyday questions, we built trust incrementally—without waiting for formal policy, enterprise tooling, or a multi-year program.
These grassroots practices delivered immediate operational value (better reliability, less manual effort, faster troubleshooting) while also laying a practical foundation for a broader enterprise data governance initiative. Attendees will leave with pragmatic steps—standardization, automation, documentation, and ownership—that can be implemented now to turn operational data into a trusted asset and accelerate future digital transformation.
Presenter: Josh Goldman is a wastewater process engineer with Metro Water Recovery in Denver in the Technology and Innovation Department. As the disinfection process lead engineer, he focuses on maintenance and optimization of the peracetic acid disinfection system at the Robert W. Hite Wastewater Treatment Facility. He also leads the Data Utilization Focus Area which aims to improve data usage and availability throughout Metro for quicker and more accurate design making. His position also gives him the opportunity to participate in several collaborative research projects with WRF, the Department of Energy, and the EPA.
Prior to working at Metro, he was an engineering consultant focused mainly on wastewater disinfection.
He received his PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of New Mexico in 2012.
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