Category: Blog

Introduction For municipal and industrial engineers, the centrifugal pump is the heartbeat of water conveyance and treatment infrastructure. However, a staggering number of pump installations fail to meet their expected lifecycle due to specification errors rather than manufacturing defects. Industry statistics suggest that over 60% of pump failures are attributed to operating outside the Preferred […]

INTRODUCTION In municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, the sludge dewatering process represents one of the highest operational expenditures (OPEX) outside of aeration. Engineers often focus heavily on the selection of the dewatering unit itself—the centrifuge, belt filter press, or screw press—while treating the feed and conveyance pumps as ancillary components. However, data from utility asset […]

Introduction   The escalation of non-dispersible solids in municipal wastewater—specifically the “ragging” phenomenon caused by synthetic wipes—has transformed solids reduction from a luxury to a necessity. For consulting engineers and plant operators, the failure to adequately protect downstream pumps and dewatering equipment results in catastrophic downtime. Industry data suggests that unscheduled maintenance due to ragging […]

1. INTRODUCTION The “flushable” wipe epidemic and the increasing fibrous load in modern wastewater have fundamentally changed the operational risk profile for lift stations and headworks. For municipal engineers and plant directors, the cost of derragging pumps is no longer just a maintenance nuisance—it is a significant operational expenditure (OPEX) driver and a safety hazard. […]

Introduction One of the most persistent inefficiencies in modern wastewater treatment plants is the misapplication of mixing energy. While aeration systems typically consume the lion’s share of plant power, submersible mixers often operate continuously in anoxic zones, sludge holding tanks, and equalization basins, accumulating massive lifecycle costs. A surprising industry statistic suggests that up to […]

Introduction   For municipal and industrial treatment plant engineers, solids handling frequently represents the single largest operational cost center, often accounting for 40% to 50% of total plant O&M budgets. While liquid stream processes often garner the most design attention, the failure to properly specify dewatering equipment creates a bottleneck that can jeopardize regulatory compliance […]

Introduction For municipal engineers and utility directors, the proliferation of “flushable” wipes and increasing solids loading in wastewater streams has transformed the specification of pump stations. The days of standard solids-handling pumps working universally are over; difficult terrain and high-head requirements often necessitate Low Pressure Sewer (LPS) systems driven by robust grinder pumps. However, selecting […]

Introduction One of the most precarious scenarios for any municipal wastewater utility is the flooding of a dry pit pump station. In traditional designs utilizing standard TEFC (Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled) motors, a line break or seal failure that floods the dry well usually results in catastrophic motor failure, lengthy downtime, and expensive rewind or […]

Introduction to Double Disc Technology in Wastewater One of the most persistent challenges in municipal and industrial wastewater treatment is the reliable handling of thixotropic, abrasive, and rag-laden fluids. Engineers frequently grapple with the premature failure of progressive cavity (PC) pump stators or the ragging of centrifugal impellers in grit and scum applications. While many […]

Effective Solids Management Strategies in Wastewater Treatment Understanding the Composition of Wastewater Solids Did you know that nearly 50% of the solids in wastewater are organic matter? That's right—half of what’s swirling around in your treatment plant could potentially be turned into renewable energy or valuable fertilizers. But before we can start dreaming about turning […]