About the Author

Loraine A. Huchler, P. E., CMC is a chemical engineer with an insider's view of manufacturing and commercial operations. Her work as a consultant has provided insight into the challenges to remain competitive in industrial operations, especially refining and petrochemical. She is an acknowledged expert in industrial and commercial water quality with numerous publications, including a book, "Operating Practices in Industrial Water Management, Influent Water Systems," the first of a four book series. Ms Huchler is licensed as a professional engineer in New Jersey and Maryland and is a certified management consultant. She currently authors a quarterly column, HPIn Water Management, in "Hydrocarbon Processing," published by Gulf Publishing, Houston, TX. Her firm, MarTech Systems, is an engineering consulting firm that specializes in assisting managers and operations personnel in managing risk, including risk of equipment failure, exposure to legionella in operating plants and lost profits and productivity in water utility systems such as clarifiers, demineralizers, reverse osmosis units, boilers, cooling towers and wastewater treatment systems.

The Importance of Data

For the last decade, as the “Water Doctor” for a chemical plant on the Gulf Coast, I’ve watched management’s slow progress gaining cooperation of operators to enter data into the centralized electronic database.

My experience at this plant prompted me to discuss the need for a robust data collection and management system in my November 2009 [...]