Featured Case Studies and Articles

11. Get It Out: Effective Removal Of Inorganics 6/20/2020

    Modern wastewater treatment processes are not designed to operate with inorganic solids in the waste stream. While grinders are typically a cost-effective method for protecting the pumps at pump stations, there are other critical junctures within a treatment plant where operators have an opportunity to protect valuable assets with screening technology.

12. A Simple, Effective Strategy For Preventing Clogs 6/19/2020

    Municipal wastewater treatment plant operators face significant challenges from a surge in clogs. Wipes that have been marketed as flushable, but don’t necessarily break down like toilet paper, are increasingly ending up in the waste stream. The proper mechanical solutions can help mitigate the problem and make operators’ lives easier.

13. Combining Biosolids Waste Streams? Not So Fast… 7/12/2019

    The idea of combining two systems into one sounds like a common-sense solution to simplifying operations.  Wastewater treatment plant operators have been experimenting with this concept by combining waste activated sludge with primary and septage waste streams with the goal of lowering system complexity.  The reality of these efforts is proving, in many cases, to be problematic.

14. Sludge Thickeners: The Good, The Bad, And The Smelly 7/11/2019

    Management of wastewater sludge is a core responsibility of treatment plant operators. With this responsibility comes common challenges that must be overcome.  These include controlling odors so as to have a minimal impact on the surrounding community and minimizing hauling costs for its disposal.  Getting a handle on both of these responsibilities and more can be much easier with the proper sludge-thickening equipment.

15. Sludge Sampling For Polymer Selection — Critical For Project Success 7/10/2019

    Polymers — the chemicals used in wastewater to thicken sludges and facilitate the removal of water — are critical to the operational efficiency of sludge-thickening equipment. Unfortunately, it’s common practice at treatment facilities to order and install equipment before even considering what the ideal polymer might be for the sludge produced at the specific plant. This flawed process is time consuming, disruptive to plant operations, and can become very costly.

16. How To Boost Wastewater Treatment Capacity Within An Existing Footprint 7/9/2019

    Municipalities can find themselves in a real bind when wastewater treatment operations are strained by population growth. That’s because facilities are either landlocked and can’t expand at their current location, or the prospect of building an addition isn’t in the budget. When the bottleneck is at the digesters — the tanks where microorganisms break down waste — there are some commonsense strategies treatment plants can employ to address those growing pains.

17. Technology Tips – Grinders For Sewage Sludge Systems 4/20/2018

    Ever since its invention in 1973 the Muffin Monster two-shafted grinder has been a fixture in wastewater treatment plants sewage sludge systems.  The industry has seen significant changes since then but the need for grinders has persisted and evolved with the requirements of plant operators and engineers.

18. Monster Keeps Wipes At Bay In Billerica, MA 4/19/2018

    Billerica, Massachusetts embodies an ideal American suburb – picturesque streets, quaint houses, inviting storefronts and a central city square perfect for socializing with fellow neighbors and visitors. Located just 50 minutes north of Boston, Billerica is also a prime spot for young families who want the convenience of a close-by city with the atmosphere of a restful community.

19. Protecting The Process: Pretreatment For Membrane Bioreactors 9/12/2017

    Toward the end of the 1980s, Professor Kazuo Yamamoto from Tokyo University gave a lecture to a skeptical crowd. His topic? Immersed hollow fiber membrane bioreactors. Since the day that first audience listened to the possibilities of MBRs, much work has been done to make membrane bioreactors a common step in the wastewater treatment process.  

20. The Truth About Clogged Pumps 4/19/2017

    The sky is blue, grass is green, and, someday, your pumps are going to clog. It’s just another fact of life — or is it?