A: Well, you’d be surprised, there is a multitude of pumps being used in wastewater treatment plants. A lot is going on in those.
Some of them have above-ground, belt-driven, self-priming centrifugal pumps that’s actually pumping the raw sewage into the system. Inside the system they’ll have submersible or centrifugal, it doesn’t matter— chopper-style or slicer pumps as they call them. They do exactly what they sound like they do.
There will be a lot of mixers, agitators, and aerators in there keeping everything stirred up, helping everything digest and break down.
Then you’ll have the booster pumps that are usually on the other end. That is actually taking that material that’s been digested and very much liquified and pumping it to where it needs to be to get reclaimed, cleaned, or disposed of.
So, in this month’s post, we’re kind of taking a few previous articles and bringing them all together to answer the question above. We’re talking all about wastewater treatment and all that it entails regarding wastewater pumps.
The term wastewater pumps is a broad term that covers a lot of different pumps that are used in wastewater treatment.
A wastewater pump is anything that is pumping raw sewage, runoff—anything like that, into a city main or a disposal center to be reclaimed, cleaned, and sent downstream as a gray water product.
So, when you just say wastewater pumps, you could be talking about a wide array of pumps, not just a single type. In fact, there are nearly a dozen different pumps that can be used in sewage treatment.
What Do Wastewater Pumps Do?
Most people know that wastewater pumps are used to treat wastewater, clean it, and redistribute it through the water supply. However, do you know the actual tasks they are responsible for?
Wastewater Collection, Purifying, & Redistribution
The various pumps used all play a specific role. The overall objective is to take the wastewater from your home or building and discharge it into the main sewer and then to the treatment plant. The final stage is redistributing the purified water back into the main supply reservoir.
Wastewater pumps in the main system substations force the water down the line and direct the flow to the nearest water treatment plant. Once there, it is sifted for contaminants multiple times, and purified to be safe for consumption. Then, the treated water is redistributed back to you and everyone in the city you live in.
Sewage Processing
In your raw sewage, there can be solids present made up of substances such as
- Toilet paper
- Hairballs
- Feminine products
- Waste buildup & grime
- Grease clumps
It’s important to prevent your system from clogging by ejecting them and sending them off to the treatment plant. The right variation of wastewater pumps can handle these solids up to 2” in diameter under normal load.
Industrial Wastewater
Wastewater pumps used on industrial job sites such as oil drill sites, concrete plants, and mining operations are crucial to comply with environmental codes. The pumps used in these applications help to keep the soil from being contaminated with chemicals. It also mitigates contamination from runoff into local water sources such as ponds, lakes, and rivers.
Municipal Wastewater Disposal
Just as you may find wastewater pumps in use on commercial buildings as well as residential buildings, cities also employ them. Municipalities use these pumps on a much larger scale but still for the same purposes as the home.
Main Variants Of Wastewater Pumps
Depending on the application you may need one of the three main types of sewage wastewater pump. Each has its own capabilities and specific duties. Most wastewater systems are comprised of all three to efficiently process anything that comes through the sewage lines.
Effluent Pumps – Effluent pumps are most often used in smaller on-site systems. They are specifically designed to remove effluent flowing from a septic tank. Effluent is usually a clearer liquid since the solid waste has already been filtered out into the tank. These pumps can operate at a higher level and more efficiently than other pump variations since they’re not moving solids.
Solids Handling Pumps – These are a more heavy-duty type of pump and their also called sewage ejector pumps. They are designed to filter out raw sewage that has more solids than wastewater, which can cause a blockage. These pumps are only for applications where raw sewage needs to be pumped out.
Grinder Pumps – These pumps are often confused with a sewage ejector pump simply because they too pump raw sewage. The difference lies in how they process it. Grinder pumps are like a garbage disposal version of a wastewater pump. Rotating blades chop and grind the solid waste into more manageable pieces before being pumped. This makes the pumping process a lot less taxing on the motor and more efficient for the wastewater system.
The Sewage System Process
Most municipal sewage systems are comprised of two sewer mains—one for stormwater, and one for sanitary sewer water.
Storm sewers gather rainwater that is collected in catch basins. When those basins overflow, it’s directed into the storm sewer which directs the flow to the nearest natural water source. That source can be a lake, river, creek, or other body.
This water is not considered contaminated as it’s a natural source rather than wastewater, so it doesn’t need processing.
The sanitary line on the other hand collects water from commercial sewage systems and residential sewer lines. This water source is directed to the nearest treatment plant to be processed and purified via a variety of different processes.
If a building is at ground level, then sewage pumps are not necessary as they are not fighting gravity. However, when a building or home’s foundation is below the sewer line a pump is needed since water doesn’t flow uphill.
On a larger scale, when an entire city or neighborhood is below the main sanitary sewer line, a lifting station is critical. These stations are critical to a healthy sewage system as they connect low-lying neighborhoods to the water treatment plant. You will find these used very frequently throughout Houston and the surrounding suburbs. These lifting stations as you may have guessed, also depend on sewage pumps—however, they are much beefier than residential pumps. Often they work in tandem setup with several pumps working together.
That of course is a very broad explanation of the water treatment process. There are a lot of other factors and variables involved based on many moving parts. But, it gives you a general idea of how it all comes together and the role that wastewater pumps play.
We Have The Pumps You Need
At Gulf Coast Pump & Supply we pride ourselves on maintaining a massive inventory of all types of pumps and components. We service all industries and have many specialized components for various applications.
Our logistics teams are specialists at getting you the parts and pumps you need in the shortest amount of time possible.
Contact us today and let’s get your project up and running!