PC-DEC22-PG32.1_Layout 1 04/01/2023 15:39 Page 32
PUMPS, VALVES & ACTUATORS
ERADICATING PUMP CLOGGING ISSUES
A Landia EradiGator proved to be the ideal solution for a problematic lift station at a Daphne Utilities’ plant in Alabama
station. However, as we all know, the curse of so-called ‘flushable’ products in our sewer systems is also proving that some so-called ‘non-clogging pumps’ are getting clogged. If you don’t have a problematical lift station
S
in your network, you’re either lucky or have the most environmentally responsible residents in the country. Or perhaps you’ve already solved the problem with an EradiGator from Landia? More and more maintenance
teams are having to contend with the rise in non-biodegradable products, and this inevitably results in problems for wastewater lift stations. This critical piece of infrastructure is further hindered by today’s low-flow household wastewater systems that may save water, but allow solids to build up. Unclogging the supposedly
non-clogging pump can be a thoroughly unpleasant job, especially for example, in Daphne, Alabama, where its main lift station at Windscape was besieged with ragging issues to the point of having a vac truck there at least once per week. All part of the job, maybe, but in conscientiously trying to run the process as best as one can, burning up hours of labour can be quite demoralising; returning to that same problematical lift station again and again and again. The fact that some of those first to complain about back-up and odours might include people who have contributed to the problem is not lost on the engineers, who are doing their best to make things right. At Daphne Utilities, the top priority is always
to provide a reliable wastewater collection and treatment system that supports the needs of its community, protects the environment and quality of life for all Eastern Shore residents, and meets or surpasses all federal and state requirements. The Daphne Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) can treat up to 4.17 million gallons of wastewater per day (MGD) but has the hydraulic capacity to process up to 9 MGD. The facility serves
approximately 12,000 homes/businesses and treats an average of 3 million gallons of wastewater every day. Extensive pipe and collection system
cleaning is in place, as well as a comprehensive pre-treatment/grease management programme to combat fats, oils, and grease (FOG). This includes the requirement for grease interceptor devices at all food service establishments and for car wash establishments to have sand/oil interceptors. Despite all these pro-active
measures, the recurring problem at Daphne’s
Windscape lift station was
getting some unwanted attention from some areas of the community.
Goeff Wilkins, Water Reclamation Facility Manager at Daphne Utilities, said: “We have two 88HP pumps, but were still having ragging issues. Our power source was also unreliable, so our bypass pumps would soon become clogged. Windscape is our primary lift station, which with seven others feeding into it, handles about one million gallons per day; about 1500 gallons per minute, so it’s a very critical part of our network. I know some operators choose to use chemicals to address certain issues, but with wastewater being more aggressive, we wanted to find the best, long-term pumping solution.” Always on the look-out for technologies
that will help improve the Reclamation Facility and its sewage network, Daphne Utilities had established a link with leading process equipment provider, Cahaba Water Solutions Inc., (CWS) based in Birmingham. CWS suggested trialling an EradiGator from Landia, which is based on the very same Chopper Pump design that Landia invented back in 1950.
32 DECEMBER 2022/JANUARY 2023 | PROCESS & CONTROL Tim Boyne, Owner/President of Cahaba
Water Solutions, Inc, commented: “Daphne Utilities continues to be proactive in addressing and solving issues in their collection systems. However, like all utilities, there is always a pump station where there will be a continuing heavy presence of non- biodegradable products. We felt if we could demonstrate the performance of the Landia EradiGator under these tough conditions, we could greatly reduce their operation and maintenance costs at the Windscape Station, as well as reduce the potential of overflows from clogged conditions.” Wilkins continued: “At the trial, we could see
the chopping and mixing of the Landia EradiGator (only 20HP), which was priced very competitively. It immediately resolved the issues in the Windscape lift station, so we had no hesitation in investing in it.” Set up on a timer to operate for 15 minutes
per hour, the Landia pump now effectively protects the two existing 88HP pumps by its chopping and mixing action; the EradiGator is designed with an external knife system that prevents unpumpable solids from entering the pump’s casing. “It does a phenomenal job,” continued
Wilkins. “We can really see the difference at the headworks to our facility where there is now much less debris. We’ve saved huge amounts of time by not having to pull out the clogged duty pumps or send in the vac truck. Through SCADA and from daily inspections, we still check for any signs of matting and ragging, but the Landia EradiGator doesn’t need much maintenance. It works fantastic. “Cahaba have been very helpful in finding
us such a solid yet simple long-term solution to the issue we had with our main lift station.”
Landia
www.landiaworld.com
uck it up, pressurise it and send it to the treatment plant. In theory, this should be a straightforward job for pumps at a lift
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70
