Tag: strategies

Introduction For municipal water utilities, Non-Revenue Water (NRW) represents a significant financial and operational hemorrhage. While aging distribution networks are often the primary culprit, poor installation practices for ancillary equipment contribute disproportionately to this loss. Automatic flushing devices (AFDs) are essential tools for managing water age, maintaining chlorine residuals, and removing sediment in dead-end mains. […]

Introduction In the hierarchy of critical decisions a process engineer makes during the design of a water or wastewater treatment facility, few specifications have as immediate a safety impact as fail positions. While pump curves and pipe sizing dictate the system’s efficiency during normal operation, the fail position of control valves and actuators dictates the […]

Introduction In municipal water and industrial wastewater treatment, the failure of a large-diameter isolation valve to close during a pipe burst, or the inability of a filter effluent valve to modulate flow accurately, can result in catastrophic flooding, permit violations, and massive financial losses. Yet, during the specification phase, the interface between the valve and […]

Introduction Municipal wastewater infrastructure in North America and Europe is facing a critical convergence: aging assets and evolving waste streams. A significant percentage of lift stations commissioned between 1970 and 1990 are reaching the end of their design life. Simultaneously, the composition of modern wastewater—laden with non-dispersible synthetics and wipes—is wreaking havoc on hydraulic designs […]

Introduction The operational landscape of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment has shifted dramatically over the last two decades. The influx of non-dispersible fibrous materials—commonly referred to as “flushable” wipes, synthetic rags, and hair accumulations—has created a chronic reliability crisis for positive displacement pumping equipment. For engineers designing sludge transfer systems or primary clarification wasting circuits, […]

Introduction In municipal wastewater treatment and industrial slurry handling, few pieces of equipment are as universally relied upon—and as frequently misunderstood—as the progressive cavity (PC) pump. While centrifugal pumps dominate clear water applications, the PC pump is the workhorse for viscous, abrasive, and shear-sensitive fluids. However, these positive displacement machines operate on a friction principle […]

Introduction For municipal engineers and utility operators, the “3:00 AM high water alarm” is a scenario that is all too familiar. In the modern wastewater environment, the composition of influent has shifted dramatically. The proliferation of non-dispersible synthetics—commonly known as “wipes”—combined with water conservation measures that increase solids concentrations, has rendered many legacy pump specifications […]

Introduction For decades, the default solution for moving wastewater and sludge has been the non-clog centrifugal pump. However, as modern wastewater streams become increasingly burdened with fibrous materials (“flushable” wipes) and solids content rises due to enhanced thickening processes, the traditional centrifugal curve is often pushed to its limit. Engineers frequently encounter a critical decision […]

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 […]

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 […]