478 Rethinking Power Plant Water and Steam Chemistry with Brad Buecker (Part 2)

Power plant water and steam chemistry does not fail in isolation. A mistaken unit, an unused analyzer, an overdesigned pretreatment system, or a misunderstood condensate return problem can ripple across equipment, permits, production, and safety.

In this Part 2 conversation with Bradley Buecker of SAMCO Technologies and Buecker Associates, Trace Blackmore continues a practical discussion on the details that shape industrial water decisions. Brad shares field stories from combined cycle plants, package boilers, wastewater permitting, membrane systems, and decades of technical writing.

 

When Small Errors Become Expensive Problems

Brad opens with a story about a wastewater permitting issue where parts per million and parts per billion were confused in a discharge permit. The result was not just a paperwork problem. Once the stricter limits were accepted by regulators, meeting those limits would have required more complex and expensive wastewater treatment equipment.

That story is a reminder for water professionals reviewing RFPs, permits, and engineering specifications. Precision matters before a project is built, not after the limits have already been approved.

Brad also discusses PFAS with appropriate caution. He does not present himself as a PFAS expert, but he connects the conversation to zero liquid discharge, brine concentrators, crystallizers, and the unresolved question of what happens to solids when contaminants are concentrated rather than discharged.

 

Membranes, Discharge, and the Changing Water Balance

Looking across more than four decades in the industry, Brad points to membranes as one of the major changes in power plant water treatment. He discusses how reverse osmosis extended ion exchange demineralizer run times, and how microfiltration and ultrafiltration improved water quality going to RO systems.

However, Brad also makes clear that better pretreatment does not remove every operational question. RO reject remains a substantial discharge stream. Meanwhile, the movement away from once-through cooling toward cooling towers has changed how plants think about water consumption, evaporation, discharge, and resource availability.

For professionals managing water in power and industrial systems, the episode reinforces a practical lesson: every improvement has a system-level consequence that must be understood.

 

The Real Cost of “Lean and Mean”

Brad uses the phrase “lean and mean” to describe how some combined cycle plants are staffed. In one example, a plant had a comprehensive online chemistry monitoring system installed, but it had never been turned on because the staff did not have the experience to maintain or interpret it.

In another case, a groundwater-based makeup system included seven-layer multimedia filters even though groundwater typically has very few particulates. Brad could not make a categorical conclusion without a full analysis, but the story raises an important question: are we solving the actual water problem, or simply buying equipment?

He also shares a case from an organic chemicals plant with four 550 PSI package boilers. The plant returned 80 to 90 percent of its condensate, but total organic carbon levels were far above the ASME recommended limit for that pressure boiler. Foam in the saturated steam samples helped point to carryover into the superheaters, where scale was building up inside the tubes.

 

Learning, Mentorship, and Leaving the Industry Better

Beyond the technical stories, Brad’s message is clear: professionals who keep learning are better prepared to make sound decisions. He encourages newer water treaters to study strong water treatment handbooks, talk to experienced people, and physically connect chemistry data to the equipment and processes in the plant.

For those nearing retirement, Brad offers a different kind of challenge: pass along what you know while there is still time. He and Trace discuss how sharing experience strengthens the next generation instead of threatening the people who already hold knowledge.

The episode closes with a reminder that water is central to manufacturing, power generation, and daily life. Keeping the lights on and protecting water resources both require people who understand the systems behind the scenes.

Listen to the full conversation above. Explore related episodes below. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!

 

Timestamps 

02:16 — Trace introduces Part 2 of his conversation with Bradley Buecker and sets up the continuation of a technical discussion on power plant water and steam chemistry.

04:10 — Trace asks Brad about a case where an engineering firm confused parts per million and parts per billion in wastewater permitting.

05:38 — Brad explains how NPDES discharge permits shape what a new plant must control before construction and operation.

06:35 — Brad describes how some constituents with typical PPM limits were submitted as PPB, creating a much stricter compliance problem.

07:18 — Brad explains why trying to meet unnecessarily low PPB limits can require exotic wastewater treatment equipment.

07:51 — Trace pivots the conversation to PFAS, and Brad responds carefully by acknowledging the importance of the issue while noting that he is not a PFAS expert.

08:34 — Brad connects PFAS concerns to zero liquid discharge, brine concentrators, crystallizers, and the question of what happens to concentrated solids.

11:27 — Brad identifies membranes as one of the major industry changes he has seen across more than four decades.

11:44 — Brad explains how RO systems placed ahead of ion exchange demineralizers extended operating run times in power plant makeup water treatment.

12:35 — Brad notes that membrane systems still create discharge challenges, including substantial RO reject streams.

13:23 — Brad discusses the shift away from once-through cooling and how cooling towers changed the water consumption picture for power plants.

16:14 — Trace asks Brad about the phrase “lean and mean,” opening a discussion about staffing, expertise, and hidden operational risk.

17:25 — Brad shares a case where a comprehensive online chemistry monitoring system had never been turned on because the plant lacked the right technical support.

18:31 — Brad describes a groundwater-based makeup system with a seven-layer multimedia filtration setup and raises the question of whether the equipment fit the actual water source.

20:39 — Brad introduces a case involving four 550 PSI package boilers at an organic chemicals plant producing superheated steam for process use.

21:30 — Brad explains that 80 to 90 percent condensate return, high TOC readings, and foaming in saturated steam samples pointed toward carryover into the superheaters.

23:29 — Brad summarizes the risk of cutting too deeply: being lean and mean can cost more in the long run.

23:55 — Brad reflects on the importance of continuous learning and shares his regret about not pursuing a master’s program in environmental science.

25:19 — Trace shares his father’s advice to leave the industry better than he found it, and Brad connects that idea to sharing safety-critical knowledge.

29:25 — Brad advises newer professionals to learn the basics, study reliable water treatment handbooks, and connect lab work to real plant systems.

35:32 — Brad thanks retiring professionals and encourages them to pass along practical knowledge to younger people while they still have time.

37:23 — Brad explains what people outside the industry should understand about water’s role in manufacturing, power generation, and daily life.

 

Quotes 

“Those are very important because if something goes south chemistry-wise at a power plant, you need to know very quickly.”

“You can be lean and mean, but it can cost you a lot more in the long run.”

“If you have any ambition or interest at all, continue learning.”

“If you pass along your information and give younger people a chance to do something, give them some responsibility, it just pays off much more.”

 

Connect with Bradley Buecker 

Email: [email protected]  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-buecker-705b9021/ 

Website: Water & Wastewater Treatment Solutions | SAMCO Technologies

 

Guest Resources Mentioned  

US EPA - National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) 

Buecker & Associates, LLC - Consulting and Technical Writing 

Beware of Flow-Accelerated Corrosion – Brad Buecker, Kiewit Engineering Group 

Muck Rack – Brad Buecker Articles 

 

Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned 

AWT (Association of Water Technologies) 

Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses 

Submit a Show Idea 

The Rising Tide Mastermind 

477 Rethinking Power Plant Water and Steam Chemistry with Brad Buecker (Part 1) 

 

Words of Water with James McDonald

Today's definition is the standard SI unit for the amount of substance, defined exactly as 6.02214076 x 10^23 elementary entities, such as atoms or molecules.  Can you guess the word or phrase? 

 

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