How Submersible And Non-Clog Pump Designs Are Reshaping Municipal Sewage Systems
By David Starr
As technology improves and becomes more accessible, outdated municipal wastewater systems are fast beginning to show their age.
Gone are the days when all systems were forced to rely exclusively on gravity for their operation. No longer do systems have to be centralized to one main processing plant, requiring massive equipment that takes incredible effort and massive expenditure to install, maintain, and replace.
Today, water pumps come in a variety of designs that enable uses that previous generations could only have dreamed of. From a more reliable submersible pump to no-clog pumps that can easily handle even thickened sewage and other debris that might challenge or incapacitate older designs, modern pump technology is bringing efficiency and innovation to the age-old question of urban waste management.
Decentralization Of Waste Treatment
As urban centers become more densely inhabited and climate becomes less predictable, the massive water treatment plants that once managed the waste with a fair degree of success are becoming more and more problematic.
Combine this with tightening environmental restrictions as the unfortunate impacts of overflow, leaks, and other failures become more widely known, and the old model of municipal waste management becomes painfully inadequate.
Fortunately, pump technology has evolved greatly since the years when most U.S. cities and their water management systems were constructed.
With the advent of improved submersible pumps, it has become far more feasible and affordable to separate sectors of a city’s wastewater system from the main sewer and give them their own subsystem — or at least better overflow control when volume is high due to large events or storms.
Emergency Water Handling
In addition to planned and permanent installations, having multiple pumps available to install as needed can be an incredible help when weather events create problems for existing systems.
When city municipal garages have a supply of submersible pumps on hand, they find that their potential uses are very numerous.
From drawing down the water level in a challenged reservoir to prevent an overflow, to clearing flooded basements before the water level gets high enough to cause water damage or endanger lives by submerging high-voltage electrical circuits, these powerful submersible pumps are well worth keeping on hand for all manner of water-related emergencies.
Some municipalities are even installing underground vaults equipped with permanent submersible pumps to control the water table when the existing systems are inadequate, preventing potentially millions in water damage.
Energy Efficiency
New technology in water pumps can save municipalities tens of thousands of energy dollars.
Whether this is accomplished by using submersible pumps to move thickened sludge in the treatment plant itself or using variable speed pumps that can adjust flow rate based on needed demand, new pump designs offer incredible opportunities to create significant cost savings over time.
Retrofitting Existing Systems With New Pump Technology
As pump technology advances, so does the ease and cost effectiveness of retrofitting existing waste management systems.
Many modern high-volume pumps are compact enough to be installed with little to no surface disturbance, allowing built-up areas of the city to be upgraded without having to apply eminent domain and demolish buildings in order to create installations.
And non-clog pumps can save thousands by eliminating some of the most common issues that plague the water management sector of urban development.
Reimagining municipal water systems has become easier, more cost effective, and less disruptive than ever before. Cities that are facing water treatment challenges would do well to consider these modern innovations in pump design and usage.