Category: Blog

Proco vs Bray: Isolation Valves and Elastomeric Backflow Devices Compared Introduction Engineers comparing Proco and Bray are not comparing two versions of the same product. Bray Controls manufactures rotary isolation valves — butterfly and ball — for automated process lines. Proco Products manufactures rubber expansion joints and elastomeric duckbill check valves. Proco does not make […]

Introduction In the municipal water and wastewater sector, the electric actuator is often the single most critical interface between the control room and the physical process. Yet actuators are frequently treated as commodity items or last-minute additions to valve specifications. The consequence is that a large share of early actuator failures are not equipment failures […]

Comprehensive Wastewater Management Systems: Planning and Implementation Introduction A wastewater management system is not a treatment plant. It is the whole chain from the point where wastewater is generated to the point where treated effluent and residuals leave the utility’s control: collection, conveyance, pumping, treatment, disposal or reuse, and the asset management, funding, and regulatory […]

INTRODUCTION One of the most persistent challenges in municipal water distribution design is the control of storage tank levels—specifically, balancing the simplicity of mechanical hydraulic valves with the data-rich requirements of modern SCADA systems. For decades, the industry standard was the pilot-operated hydraulic globe valve. However, a significant shift is occurring toward electrically actuated quarter-turn […]

Introduction Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) is frequently the unit process of choice when dealing with low-density solids, algae, or fats, oils, and grease, contaminants that defy gravity settling. However, a surprising number of DAF installations fail to meet performance guarantees not because the tank is the wrong size, but because the whitewater system is improperly […]

Introduction One of the most visible failures in municipal water distribution is the overflow of an elevated storage tank. Beyond the public embarrassment of a “waterfall” cascading down a tower in the town center, the engineering consequences include structural icing loads in winter, erosion at the foundation, and significant wasted pumping energy. While SCADA systems […]

Introduction The catastrophic collapse of a pipeline due to vacuum conditions or the rupture of a force main caused by trapped air pockets remains a persistent threat in municipal water and wastewater infrastructure. Despite the critical nature of air management, air valves are often the most undervalued component in the hydraulic profile, frequently selected based […]

Comprehensive Odor Control Solutions for Wastewater Facilities Introduction Odor is the wastewater industry’s most visible failure mode. A plant can meet every permit limit on its discharge and still be judged a failure by the people who live downwind of it, because odor is the only aspect of treatment performance the public can perceive directly […]

Introduction One of the most persistent yet overlooked threats to municipal pipeline integrity is the mismanagement of entrapped air and vacuum conditions. Design engineers often treat air valves as commodity items, specifying them based on nominal pipe diameter rather than hydraulic performance or operational longevity. This oversight frequently leads to catastrophic line failures due to […]

Introduction In the realm of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, sludge management typically accounts for 30% to 50% of a plant’s total operating costs. The efficacy of the dewatering process is the linchpin of this economic equation. While centrifuges and screw presses have gained market share in recent decades, the belt filter press (BFP) remains […]