Tag: management
Introduction In municipal water treatment and industrial wastewater applications, the sticker price of rotating equipment is frequently the least significant number on the specification sheet. A surprising industry statistic often cited by the Hydraulic Institute reveals that initial purchase price typically accounts for less than 15% of a pump’s total lifecycle cost (LCC), while energy […]
Tighter permits and higher public scrutiny mean controlling nitrogen and phosphorus is a front-line operational issue for many utilities. This guide to nutrient removal wastewater gives municipal decision makers, plant designers, and operators straight answers on selecting, sizing, operating, and monitoring nitrogen and phosphorus control options, and when recovery makes sense. Expect engineering setpoints, performance […]
INTRODUCTION The axially split case centrifugal pump remains the workhorse of the water and wastewater industry. Its robust design, high flow capabilities, and relative ease of maintenance—allowing access to rotating assemblies without disturbing piping—make it a staple in raw water intakes, high-service pump stations, and large-scale cooling loops. However, despite their inherent durability, these assets […]
Introduction One of the most persistent and costly issues in municipal wastewater management is not the failure of the pump itself, but the mismatch between the pump’s hydraulic design and the system’s actual operating requirements. Industry data suggests that nearly 70% of centrifugal pumps in wastewater applications operate significantly outside their preferred operating region (POR). […]
Introduction In municipal water treatment and industrial wastewater processing, the chemical metering pump is often the smallest piece of rotating equipment with the highest disproportionate impact on process reliability. When a main lift pump fails, redundancy often covers the gap. When a chemical metering pump fails, regulatory compliance regarding disinfection, coagulation, or pH adjustment is […]
Understanding primary secondary tertiary treatment is where permits, budgets, and operations collide for municipal plants. This article gives municipal engineers, licensed operators, and equipment manufacturers concise, practitioner-focused guidance: quantitative performance ranges, key design and control parameters, sizing rules of thumb, and the retrofit tradeoffs that actually determine project success. Expect actionable monitoring strategies, common failure […]
Introduction to High-Volume Pumping Systems In the realm of municipal stormwater management and large-scale raw water intake, the axial flow (propeller) pump is the workhorse of the industry. However, these high-flow, low-head machines are notoriously sensitive to installation conditions and hydraulic environments. A surprising statistic from reliability studies indicates that nearly 60% of premature failures […]
INTRODUCTION The vast majority of municipal flood control and large-scale raw water intake infrastructure in North America was constructed between the 1950s and 1980s. Today, engineers face a critical ticking clock: massive concrete volute or vertical column axial flow pumps are reaching the end of their second or third lifecycle. The challenge is rarely as […]
Effluent Discharge Standards: Compliance and Best Practices Article Overview Article Type: How-To Guide Primary Goal: Equip municipal managers, plant operators, design engineers, and equipment manufacturers with a practical, technically rigorous roadmap to interpret effluent discharge standards, design and operate treatment systems to meet permits, implement reliable monitoring and reporting, and future-proof facilities for emerging contaminants […]
1. Introduction In the water and wastewater industry, the failure of screw pumps—whether large Archimedes lift pumps or progressive cavity sludge pumps—often stems not from hydraulic inadequacy, but from thermal mismanagement of the drive system. A surprising statistic from motor reliability studies indicates that for every 10°C rise in operating temperature above the rated limit, […]