Category: Blog

Introduction For municipal and industrial wastewater engineers, the protection of downstream process equipment—pumps, valves, centrifuges, and digesters—starts at the headworks. The improper reduction of solids or the inefficient separation of inorganic grit can lead to catastrophic pump cavitation, seal failures, and the rapid accumulation of rag balls in digesters that necessitates expensive cleanouts. When specifying […]

INTRODUCTION Grit accumulation remains one of the most pervasive and costly “silent failures” in municipal wastewater treatment. While headworks screens provide visible capture, grit often bypasses preliminary treatment, settling in aeration basins, reducing digester capacity by up to 30%, and causing premature abrasion failure in downstream pumps. For consulting engineers and plant directors, the selection […]

Introduction One of the most persistent and costly challenges in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operation is the accumulation of inorganic solids in downstream processes. Industry data suggests that up to 40% of digester volume in older plants can be lost to grit accumulation, significantly reducing volatile solids reduction and gas production. For municipal consulting and […]

Introduction In the municipal and industrial water sector, data integrity is the bedrock of process control. Yet, a surprisingly high percentage of plant alarms—estimated by some automation audits to be over 40%—are nuisance alarms caused not by process failures, but by instrumentation drift, fouling, or improper specification. For the design engineer or plant superintendent, the […]

Introduction The movement of dewatered biosolids, screenings, and grit is often the final bottleneck in modern treatment facilities. While headworks and biological processes receive significant engineering attention, the conveyance of “cake” solids remains a frequent source of operational headaches, from housekeeping nightmares to complete mechanical failures. Engineers tasked with facility upgrades often face a critical […]

Introduction One of the most frequent oversight areas in wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) design is the “last mile” of the solids handling process: moving dewatered cake from the centrifuge, belt press, or screw press to its final load-out point. Engineers often spend months optimizing the dewatering device itself, only to treat the conveyance system as […]

Selecting the Right Wastewater Management System for Your Municipality Assessing Current and Future Wastewater Needs Municipalities must accurately assess both current and future wastewater needs to select an effective wastewater management system. This assessment is best for municipalities experiencing rapid growth or those with fluctuating industrial activities. Evaluating Population Growth Projections Population growth projections are […]

Introduction Grit removal represents one of the most abrasive and maintenance-intensive unit processes in municipal wastewater treatment. Engineers and plant superintendents frequently grapple with a critical reliability paradox: while grit capture technologies have advanced significantly, the pumps tasked with transporting that captured slurry to classifiers often remain the weakest link. A single failure in the […]

Introduction For municipal and industrial engineers, the “pump” is often treated as a singular asset, yet the success or failure of a pumping station frequently hinges on a single component: the impeller. The rise of non-dispersible solids (flushable wipes) and the demand for higher energy efficiency have created a paradox in modern wastewater design. High-efficiency […]

INTRODUCTION Grit removal efficiency is often the silent variable that dictates the lifespan of downstream biosolids equipment, clarifier drives, and digesters. While the civil design of grit chambers (vortex vs. detritor vs. aerated) garners significant attention during the design phase, the mechanism for extracting that captured grit—the grit pump—is the common failure point. Engineers often […]