Tag: challenge
Introduction One of the costliest errors in municipal wastewater design is the mismatch between pump metallurgy and fluid characteristics. Engineers often default to 316 Stainless Steel for its “universal” corrosion resistance, only to witness premature failure due to abrasive scour in grit-heavy sludge applications. Conversely, specifying standard Grey Cast Iron for septic receiving stations can […]
Stormwater Treatment Systems: Managing Runoff Effectively Article Overview Article Type: Informational Primary Goal: Provide municipal engineers, wastewater operators, plant design engineers, and equipment manufacturers with a comprehensive, technically rigorous guide to selecting, designing, operating, and evaluating stormwater treatment systems so they can meet regulatory requirements, reduce pollutant loads, and improve resilience to changing rainfall patterns. […]
INTRODUCTION One of the most persistent and costly misconceptions in municipal and industrial water treatment is viewing a wet well merely as a concrete holding tank. In reality, the wet well is a complex hydraulic structure that dictates the reliability of the pumping equipment. A startling number of premature pump failures—often attributed to “defective manufacturing”—are […]
INTRODUCTION The integration of Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) with non-clog wastewater pumps has become the standard for modern municipal lift stations and treatment plants. While VFDs offer significant benefits regarding energy efficiency, flow matching, and reduced mechanical stress during startup, they introduce complex thermal challenges that are often underestimated during the design phase. A critical […]
Greywater Recycling: Sustainable Water Reuse Solutions Article Overview Article Type: Informational Primary Goal: Provide municipalities, engineers, wastewater plant designers, operators, and manufacturers with a technically rigorous, actionable guide to planning, selecting, designing, operating, and justifying greywater recycling systems for nonpotable reuse at municipal and large-building scale Who is the reader: Municipal water managers and decision […]
Introduction One of the most insidious threats to the longevity of large-scale pumping systems is the phenomenon of air entrainment caused by intake vortices. For municipal and industrial engineers, the challenge is compounded when geotechnical constraints force the use of deep, circular containment structures. Diaphragm Wet Well Design and Minimum Submergence to Prevent Vortexing is […]
Introduction One of the most frequent points of failure in municipal pumping infrastructure involves the misapplication of pump geometry to the wet well environment. While submersible non-clog pumps dominate small to medium sewage lift stations, engineers frequently turn to vertical turbine pumps (VTPs) for high-flow, high-head, or footprint-constrained applications. However, a staggering number of these […]
Biosolids Management: Best Practices for Treatment Plants Article Overview Article Type: How-To Guide Primary Goal: Provide treatment plant operators, engineers, and municipal decision makers with a practical, technically detailed roadmap for designing, operating, monitoring, and financing biosolids management systems that meet regulatory requirements, control risk, and maximize resource recovery. Who is the reader: Municipal wastewater […]
Introduction to Intake Hydraulics For municipal and industrial engineers, the physical geometry of a pump station is often treated as secondary to the selection of the pump itself. However, industry data suggests that nearly 30% of premature pump failures—manifesting as vibration, cavitation damage, and bearing wear—are directly attributable to poor intake conditions rather than mechanical […]
Coagulation and Flocculation: Essential Steps in Water Purification Article Overview Article Type: Informational Primary Goal: Provide municipalities, water and wastewater engineers, plant operators, and equipment manufacturers with a technically detailed, practice-oriented guide to coagulation and flocculation in water treatment that supports design decisions, operator troubleshooting, chemical selection, pilot testing, and online process control. Who is […]