Chopper pump solves clogging by macerating solids from screens at treatment plant

Problem: The wastewater treatment plant in Hamilton, Alabama, has a solids handling pump station that discharges onto screens to trap solids. Since the station has high solids content, the city had to de-rag the solids handling pumps every month as they could not handle mopheads, rags, greasy hairballs, plastics and debris.

Solution: Pump & Process Equipment, a municipal distributor of Crane Pumps & Systems, provided a 4-inch Barnes Sithe submersible chopper pump with a monovane impeller and 7.5 hp motor.

Result: The pump had not clogged after nearly a year after installation. During its routine six-month inspection, the pump’s stainless steel heat-treated blades were found in pristine condition and had retained sharpness. The pump continues as the lead pump in the station. 937-778-8947; www.cranepumps.com

City retrofits existing control valve with automation for water efficiency

Problem: The city of Sheridan, Wyoming, wanted to add automation and instrumentation to bring part of its system online, enhance control over the water system and provide system redundancy. 

Solution: The team repurposed an existing pressure-reducing valve to leverage gravity flow from an upstream treatment plant to fill a water storage tank. By reconfiguring the valve operation with instrumentation and automation (in combination with a realignment of buried valves in the yard), they brought this otherwise hidden valve live into the control system. The project saved power as the booster station would not have to be used to fill the tank, although that options remained as redundancy when needed. The existing Singer Model 106-PR was repurposed to a Singer Model 106-2SC-PCO. The new valve will be controlled by a control panel via new valve-mounted solenoids that replaced the hydraulic controlled mechanical pilots. An electronic valve position indicator and differential pressure transmitter were also added. To control the reconfigured valve for both flow and level control, a Singer industrial control panel was added.

Result: With two options to fill the tank, the city can use real-time data to choose to run the most advantageous option at any time. This can be done remotely from the control room at the head office. 888-764-7858; www.singervalve.com

Packaged pump system used in switch to sodium hypochlorite 

Problem: The city of Camden, Tennessee, was changing its disinfection system from chlorine gas to sodium hypochlorite. The city needed a metering pump to fit in a limited space.

Solution: The city selected two Flowrox Packaged Pump Systems with two pumps each. The peristaltic pumps do not vapor lock when sodium hypochlorite becomes unstable and do not fail whether the state of the sodium hypochlorite is gaseous or liquid. They have 4-20mA input and output, a NEMA 4X enclosure, 2,500-1 turndown and internal tube leak detection. They are on a wall-mount base within a containment basin. In case of malfunction, the sodium hypochlorite is captured in the base. The assembly includes pulsation dampeners, safety shut-off, and drain valves, pressure relief valves, and gauges. The base can be equipped with an alarm and drain valve.

Result: The systems saved the city space and created a safer working environment. 410-636-2250; www.flowrox.com

Septage plant helps pump station achieve biosolids quality goal

Problem: In Newark, Ohio, a pump station was struggling with rags and hair. Despite having a grinder, debris such as plastic were getting into the digesters and adversely affecting biosolids quality at the plant, which treats 2.75 million gallons per year of septic waste.

Solution: A self-contained, fully automatic Raptor Septage Acceptance Plant from Lakeside Equipment was installed. With a heavy-duty three-plane fine screen, it employs a rotating rake that passes through the full depth of the basket bars to remove debris from the screening area. The rake deposits screenings in a central screw conveyor hopper that leads to a transport tube. Screenings are spray-washed in two stages to return organic materials to the liquid stream.  

Result: The unit’s smaller footprint made it easy to use and economical, according to Darin Wise, plant superintendent. “I fully expect our unit to give us a good 20-years-plus of dependable duty,” he reports. 630-837-5640; www.lakeside-equipment.com

Rural collections system simplifies lift station maintenance with aboveground systems

Problem: The city of Perryville, Missouri, employs a small staff to manage its lift station network, spread over many miles. The submersible pump lift stations were unreliable and required time-consuming confined-space entry and frequent pump replacements.

Solution: The city now operates six Wet Well Mounted Pump Stations from Smith & Loveless. All pumps, valves and controls are housed above ground-level and outside the wet well. “You don’t have to be in the wastewater and dealing with all the hazardous situations,” says Linda Chappius, maintenance technician.

Result: Chappius inspects each station daily without confined-space entry. This has helped the city achieve continuity of maintenance, simplify its pump station maintenance program, and achieve superior station longevity. The first station, installed in 1995, is still in operation. “It’s been a tremendously good lift station,” Chappius says. “For where it’s located and what it goes through for day-to-day use, it’s an excellent piece of equipment.” 800-898-9122; www.smithandloveless.com

Biogas blower systems enable renewable energy for specialty foods plant 

Problem: Kroger’s K.B. Specialty Foods wastewater treatment system in Greensburg, Indiana, was inefficient and was not harnessing the energy potential from the biogas output of food byproducts. Suzanne Lindsay-Walker, director of sustainability, announced a goal of “moving toward becoming a zero-waste company by 2020.” Plans for upgraded systems became essential to improving efficiency and capturing renewable energy for the plant.

Solution: Universal Blower Pac provided two biogas blower systems to extract the gas created in the anaerobic reactor and discharge it to a 60 kW generator. The company also provided two 3C-Hybrid blower systems to increase aeration efficiency in the sequencing batch reactor.

Result: The biogas and hybrid blowers improved efficiency, providing long-term energy and maintenance savings. The facility is expected to eventually generate 40 percent of the plant’s electrical needs. 317-773-7256; www.universalblowerpac.com

Submersible chopper pump stands strong through tropical storm 

Problem: The main lift station serving the wastewater treatment plant in Morgan’s Point, Texas, experienced problems with its three standard nonclog pumps. The pumps frequently clogged with shop rags, pieces of lumber, plastic bottles, gloves and wet wipes when rainfall reached or exceeded 2 inches. Over seven years, these issues required the city to spend $100,000 for pump maintenance and service.

Solution: The city approved a Vaughan SE-Series Submersible Chopper Pump, along with a complete guide rail system to solve the clogging problem.

Result: After the pumps were installed in July 2016, the city experienced more than 100 inches of rain with no plugging incidents or other issues. During Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the pumps ran continuously for 72 hours without incident while pumping more than 2.5 million gallons of unscreened sewage through the lift station. “I just wish we had purchased these pumps years ago to eliminate the maintenance headaches we endured and the costs we incurred keeping our previous pumps in operation,” says Brian Schneider, city administrator. “If the former pumps were still installed, all of the residents would have had sewage in their homes.” 888-249-2467; www.chopperpumps.com