The City of Brewer, Maine, home to roughly 10,000 residents, treats between 1.5 to 2 million gallons of wastewater daily, according to Lou Colburn, chief operator at Brewer’s Water Pollution Control Facility in Maine.
This facility is a Grade V treatment plant that utilizes the activated sludge process to handle both conventional and unconventional pollutants. Its operations span the main treatment center and 14 separate pump stations.
Lou Colburn has dedicated 47 years to the Brewer facility, having taken on the role of chief operator in 1998. With decades of hands-on experience, he's seen firsthand the recurring challenges that wastewater operations can face — particularly at the pump stations.
“One of our toughest problems was moving activated sludge to the wasting unit,” Colburn recalls. “The ball checks were constantly clogging with debris. We were dismantling pumps about five or six times a day to clear out materials — mostly plastics and tampon applicators. It was extremely labor-intensive.”
An attempt to use a competing product proved unsatisfactory, prompting Colburn to take matters into his own hands. His in-depth research led him to the Franklin Miller TASKMASTER TM8512 Inline Grinder.
“I looked into a number of solutions and the TASKMASTER really stood out for its reliability and performance,” he says. “Everything I read pointed to it being a good fit for what we needed. We installed our first unit in 2006, and it’s been excellent.”
A decade later, in 2016, Brewer expanded its facility to include a septic receiving station — introducing even more complexity to the waste stream. The incoming septage created new pumping challenges, which led the team to install another TASKMASTER inline grinder.
“That was a game changer,” Colburn explains. “We went from cleaning our primary pumps multiple times a week to only needing to clean them once since the installation — and it’s been running for four or five years now. That’s a big win for us.”
In 2020, Brewer added a third TASKMASTER TM8512 to its lineup. Installation was straightforward and smooth.
“We worked with a contractor who regularly handles our repairs,” Colburn says. “They had no problems getting it in place. It integrated seamlessly into the existing feedline.”
One standout feature that Colburn praises is Franklin Miller’s Cutter Cartridge Technology. Previously, maintaining their grinders meant replacing individual blades — a time-consuming task.
“With the Cutter Cartridge, we just pull the entire unit and drop in a new one. It’s incredibly efficient. This system is a real blessing,” he says.
His verdict on the equipment: “It’s excellent gear. I’d recommend it to anyone. If we ever need another unit, Franklin Miller will be our first call.”
Though Franklin Miller provides reliable support and readily available spare parts, Brewer’s grinders have been running strong without requiring any replacements or significant maintenance.
