The Aberdeen (Washington) Wastewater Treatment Plant main influent pumps were old and worn out nonclog-type pumps, highly susceptible to plugging and both electrically and hydraulically inefficient. The facility needed to be unclogged a minimum of once daily, which was exhausting the city’s budget with excessive maintenance time and additional risk to the treatment plant operators.

The City of Aberdeen purchased one 60 hp, 1180-RPM model PE8N10CS-133 Vaughan chopper pump to see how the pump would work alongside the plant’s older influent pumps. The rated performance was 3,300 gpm at 37 feet total dynamic head, and the pump did not disappoint.

 “We are happy with the performance of the Vaughan chopper pump,” Aberdeen’s public works director explains. “It has eliminated the need for daily unclogging of pumps, which eliminates the safety risks involved with cleaning a clogged pump, and maintenance has been reduced to standard preventive maintenance as opposed to repairs. Also, we seem to have a lot fewer rags throughout our system, and fewer rags reduces wear on downstream equipment and reduces the cleanup time when we take facilities down for maintenance.”

Doing primary duties

The Vaughan chopper pump is so effective at eliminating clogging problems and the associated costs compared to the older pumps that it is now used as the primary influent pump and the older pumps are rarely used, often being left in standby mode.

The Vaughan PE8N influent pump was installed in Aberdeen and the plant saw immediate results. On average, this area receives nearly 85 inches of rain each year. Aberdeen’s Wastewater Treatment Plant averages daily flows of approximately 3.5 mgd with high flows slightly exceeding 16 mgd. 

Thanks to the addition of the Vaughan chopper pump, previous routine plugging problems in the influent station have been eliminated. And with the elimination of annual maintenance costs of around $36,500 per year, the return on investment for the pump was under 10 months.

Vaughan Co. Inc. is a pumping and mixing equipment manufacturer located in Montesano, Washington, that provides products for both domestic and international businesses and municipalities. Vaughan Co. focuses on producing quality pumps and mixers for tough applications within the municipal, industrial and agricultural markets. This focus on quality means the company takes time on each project to ensure that the pumps and/or mixers are properly sized for each installation.  

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