Reinforced polyethylene system solves overflow issues

Problem: The existing Lakewood Lift Station at Lakewood Park located in St. Charles, Missouri, is an emergency lift station that operates only during high flows. Even with the station operating, some area manholes were still experiencing overflows in times of exceedingly high flow. Public Water Supply District 2 determined that the best solution would be to construct a new collector station and an additional sanitary sewer overflow tank to take flow away from the underlake sewer system where the existing lines were below capacity, alleviating the current overflow problems.

Solution: As part of the improvements, DuroMaxx SRPE from Contech Engineered Solutions was chosen for the design of the in-line storage of sanitary sewerage required for the project. The engineering team at Hanson Professional Services designed the SSO system as a 96-linear-foot-long, 72-inch-diameter, single-barrel in-line tank.

Result: Having had previous experience with DuroMaxx SRPE as a tank solution, the design team at Hanson Professional Services knew it would be a good solution to capture sanitary effluent in this application. The product has continued to perform as designed. 800-338-1122; www.conteches.com.

Plant eliminates chronic clogging with pump system

Problem: The Suffolk County (New York) Department of Public Works was facing ongoing interruptions to pumping operations as a result of ragging, where a buildup of fibrous materials was leading to frequent pump blockages at their Stony Brook Pump Station. Clearing a pump is a costly, dirty and unpleasant task that required a maintenance team and often a crane. They were looking for a reliable, efficient solution that would eliminate this challenge and deliver cost-savings.

Solution: Flygt - a Xylem Brand proposed swapping one of the existing pumps in the duplex station with a new Concertor, a wastewater pumping system with integrated intelligence. Department of Public Works personnel simply removed one pump from the station and installed the Concertor in its place as the lead pump. A factory technician then installed the controller and input the settings. The entire process only took about one hour.

Result: The Concertor delivered continually clean wet wells, clog-free operation and reduced unplanned vacuum cleaning callouts. With close monitoring, the system’s benefits quickly became apparent. After a year of operation without any incidents of clogging, no cleaning has been required, and they had realized a 25 percent energy savings. 855-995-4261; www.flygtus.com.

Submersible chopper pump stands strong through tropical storm

Problem: The main lift station serving the wastewater treatment plant in Morgan’s Point, Texas, experienced problems with its three standard nonclog pumps. The pumps frequently clogged with shop rags, pieces of lumber, plastic bottles, gloves and wet wipes when rainfall reached or exceeded 2 inches. Over seven years, these issues required the city to spend $100,000 for pump maintenance and service.

Solution: The city installed a Vaughan SE-Series submersible chopper pump, along with a complete guide rail system to solve the problem.

Result: After the pumps were installed in July 2016, the city experienced more than 100 inches of rain with no plugging or other issues. During Hurricane Harvey in 2017, the pumps ran continuously for 72 hours without incident. “I just wish we had purchased these pumps years ago to eliminate the maintenance headaches we endured and the costs we incurred keeping our previous pumps in operation,” says Brian Schneider, city administrator. “If the former pumps were still installed, residents would have had sewage in their homes.” 888-249-2467; www.chopperpumps.com.