Situated along Lake Huron in Michigan, Tawas City is a popular vacation town. While unique in many ways, the city is similar to many other communities in being plagued by frequent pump ragging in its wastewater treatment facilities.
Improper disposal of nonwoven and fibrous materials such as wet wipes and diapers is a multibillion-dollar problem in the wastewater industry: Lift stations regularly require manual lifting and cleaning of pumps. Even if the pumps do not regularly trip out, they are likely to operate in a partially ragged condition, hindering their efficiency.
In Tawas City, crews had to visit up to three
