“The Wastewater Treatment Plant at the City of Clyde (Ohio) is immaculate,” says Paul Matrka of Smith Environmental. “Everything looks brand new. It’s a pleasure to visit.”
That’s high praise for a facility that’s been operating since 1986. Under Superintendent John Biggs, Clyde (population 6,000) continues to push for improvements, especially in its sanitary/storm separation process.
Behind the scenes, in an arduous weeklong operation, the treatment plant team recently removed a staggering 37 tons of debris from just one oxidation ditch. It was hardly the most pleasant of tasks which, despite a vac truck, involved a huge amount of manual labor. The same clean-out job is due to take place soon for Clyde’s second oxidation ditch.
Completely transformed
The debris was the result of nearly 40 years of accumulation. The installation of two Lakeside Raptor Rotating Drum Screens has transformed the intake process and eased the burden on downstream equipment.
“Our new screens have made a world of difference,” says Biggs. “We’re very pleased to be rag-free.”
Ninety percent of the time at Clyde, just one of the two new screens is in operation. But during storm events — which can suddenly send flows shooting up from 1.6 to 6 mgd — the second screen is essential. Frequent storms, seasonal challenges like snowmelt and mountains of fall leaves once overwhelmed the plant, but now the new Lakeside screens handle these with ease.
“Our old bar-rake screens didn’t catch much beyond large objects,” Biggs says. “Rags would pass through and clog pumps. Storm surges used to be a major issue. Now, we’ve had no problems — even with multiple storms.”
Efficient debris removal
The Lakeside screens remove debris down to the size of a cigarette butt, including grit attached to rags. Clyde now removes 1-2 cubic yards of debris weekly.
Made of stainless steel, the screens capture fine solids via a 1/4-inch perforated plate. When water levels rise, the basket rotates, and debris is washed off and collected. A screw conveyor then transports, washes, compacts and dewaters the material before discharge. The result: is 40% solids, 50% volume reduction and 67% weight reduction, lowering disposal costs.
“There were a few adjustments needed early on,” says Biggs. “When both screens ran, pressure was low. Lakeside responded immediately with a booster pump.”
Paul Matrka confirms that, saying “Lakeside cares deeply about installation. Their engineering team stepped up right away.”
Reliable and user friendly
Each screen handles up to 5 mgd, giving Clyde peace of mind. The team monitors the SCADA system during storms and rotates the screens monthly, with weekly pressure-washing for maintenance.
“Overall, the Lakeside screens are user friendly and maintenance friendly,” Biggs says. “We did our homework, spoke to operators across the state, and chose Lakeside for quality and value. It’s the best decision we’ve made for the plant and for the City of Clyde.”
Lakeside Equipment Corp. is an engineering and manufacturing company that concentrates on helping to improve the quality of water resources. Lakeside began engineering water purification systems for municipalities and companies throughout North America in 1928. Today, the company operates globally.
630-837-5640 | sales@lakeside-equipment.com | lakeside-equipment.com
