Tag: changes

Feb 21
Propeller Pump Troubleshooting: Symptoms

Introduction In high-volume municipal flood control, stormwater management, and industrial water transport, the axial flow “propeller” pump is the workhorse of the hydraulic world. However, their unique specific speed characteristics and sensitivity to intake conditions make them prone to issues that differ significantly from standard centrifugal pumps. Engineers and operators frequently overlook the subtle precursors […]

Feb 21
Transfer Pump Installation Best Practices (Wet Well Dry Pit and Rail Systems)

INTRODUCTION One of the most persistent challenges in municipal and industrial fluid handling is not the pump itself, but the configuration of the installation. Engineers frequently encounter systems where high-quality rotating assemblies fail prematurely due to poor intake design, inaccessible valving, or structural resonance—issues directly tied to the physical installation method. Statistics from major utility […]

Feb 21
Retrofit vs Replace: When to Upgrade Misc. Pumps in Aging Stations

Introduction In municipal and industrial water treatment infrastructure, the reliability of auxiliary equipment often dictates the resilience of the entire process. While massive raw sewage lift pumps garner the majority of capital planning attention, the failure of miscellaneous pumps—seal water systems, polymer feed pumps, sampling units, and dry-pit sump pumps—frequently triggers permit violations or costly […]

Feb 20
Dissolved Air Flotation: Separating Solids from Wastewater

Dissolved Air Flotation: Separating Solids from Wastewater Article Overview Article Type: Informational Primary Goal: Provide municipalities, design engineers, operators, and equipment manufacturers with a practical, technical reference for selecting, designing, operating, and troubleshooting dissolved air flotation systems to optimize solids separation, footprint, and lifecycle cost for municipal and industrial wastewater applications Who is the reader: […]

Feb 20
Diaphragm Seal Failures: Causes

Introduction In municipal water and industrial wastewater treatment facilities, pressure instrumentation is the sensory nervous system of the process. Yet, a surprising number of process upsets, pump protection failures, and chemical dosing errors can be traced back to a single, often overlooked component: the diaphragm seal (or chemical seal). Engineers frequently treat these isolation devices […]

Feb 19
Metering Pumps Materials Selection: Cast Iron vs Stainless vs Duplex in Wastewater

Introduction In municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, the precision of chemical dosing is directly linked to process compliance, yet the longevity of the dosing equipment is often compromised by material mismatching. A common point of failure in chemical feed systems is not the mechanical drive mechanism, but the degradation of wetted parts due to unforeseen […]

Feb 18
Double Disc Pump Wet Well Design and Minimum Submergence to Prevent Vortexing

Introduction One of the most persistent misconceptions in municipal wastewater engineering is that positive displacement (PD) pumps are immune to the hydraulic sensitivities that plague centrifugal systems. While it is true that double disc pumps (DDP) are robust, self-priming, and capable of handling high solids, they remain subject to the fundamental laws of fluid mechanics. […]

Feb 18
Submersible Materials Selection: Cast Iron vs Stainless vs Duplex in Wastewater

Introduction to Submersible Pump Metallurgy One of the most persistent and costly challenges in modern wastewater management is the premature degradation of submersible pumping equipment due to shifting influent chemistry. As water conservation efforts reduce flow rates, wastewater becomes more concentrated. Simultaneously, longer retention times in force mains and collection basins accelerate septicization, leading to […]

Feb 17
Non-Clog Wastewater Pumps Wet Well Design and Minimum Submergence to Prevent Vortexing

Introduction One of the most persistent and costly failures in municipal wastewater collection systems is not the mechanical failure of the pump itself, but the failure of the intake hydraulics. Engineers frequently specify high-efficiency, robust pumping equipment, only to place it into a geometry that guarantees reduced lifespan. A significant percentage of premature bearing failures, […]

Feb 17
Selection Guide: How to Specify Metering Pumps for Municipal Lift Stations

Introduction Municipal engineers frequently underestimate the complexity of chemical injection at remote lift stations. While the primary sewage pumps receive the bulk of the design attention, the auxiliary chemical feed systems are often the critical defense against the wastewater industry’s most pervasive enemies: hydrogen sulfide ($H_2S$) corrosion, noxious odors, and Fat, Oil, and Grease (FOG) […]