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DisposableWipesThreatenWastewaterSystems
Newshredderpumptechnologycanpreventcostlycloggingandminimizedamagetoequipmentandmunicipalreclamation
facilities.
byMikeBjorkman(BJMCorp.)
Whilemanufacturersclaimthesewipesareflushable,theyhavebeencausingmajorproblemsforwastewaterfacilities,andthe
problemhasonlyworsenedinrecentyears.NewYorkCityaloneclaimsthatmorethan$18millionhasbeenspentduringthepast
fiveyearstoremedywiperelatedproblemsintheir14wastewatertreatmentplants.
IntheSouthwest,aTucson,Arizonabasednewscrewvisitedaregionalreclamationcenteranddocumentedthat"whitewipes
wereeverywhere."Theoperatorsuspectsthewipesarenotbiodegradingasfastasthegeneralpublicisbeingledtobelieve.The
wipescakethewallsandeventuallygetstuckinthesewerswheretheyclogpumpsandpipes.Whenblockagesoccur,thereis
justonewaytoclearthembyhand.

Image1.JaeWilson,servicemanager
atWilliamsonNewEnglandElectricMotorandPumpCompany,consultedwiththepumpmanufacturerwhilereviewingthesystem
anditsrequirements.(ImagescourtesyofBJMPumps)
InVancouver,Washington,sewerofficialsperformedtheirownexperimentafterspendingmorethan$1millionreplacing11
pumpsthatregularlybecamecloggedasaresultofwipeingestion.Theydyedwipeslabeled"flushable"andsentthemonaone
milejourneythroughthesystem.Theydidnotbreakup.
Onemajorproducerofflushablewipesclaimsthattheproblemiscausedbyproductsnotmeanttobeflushed.Theyexplainthat

flushablewipes,whenusedasdirected,breakupafterflushingandclearproperlymaintainedtoilets,drainlines,sewers,pumps,
andsepticandmunicipaltreatmentsystems.
ConsumerReportsperformedteststhatdisputetheseclaims.Themagazineranvortexandmixertestsonseveralmajorflushable
wipebrandsthatclaimedtobesafeforsewerandsepticsystems.After10minutesofagitation,thewipesdidnotbreakdown.
ConsumerReportsstatesthatthepublicmustunderstandwhatissafetoflushandwhatisnot.Theiradvice:"Donotflush
flushablewipes."
Untilindustrystandardsforallwipesmeetwastewaterhandlingequipmentrequirements,thepublicmustbeinformedand
responsivetominimizesystemdowntimeandtheresultingcoststotaxpayers.Inthemeantime,wastehandlingequipmentmust
beupgradedtohandlealargevolumeofthesewipesinthesystem.

Image2.Whilemanufacturersclaim
wipesareflushable,theyhavebeencausingmajorproblemsforwastewaterfacilities,andtheproblemhasonlyworsened.

FacingtheProblem
Severalpumpcompanieshaveattackedtheproblembydevelopingequipmentthatwillshredwipesandothersolidstomakethem
safeforwastewatersystems.Theengineersatonecompanyhavedevelopeddualshreddingtechnologythatfeaturesradialand
axialshreddingelements.Thisdesignobliterateswipesandotherhardtohandlesolids.
"Incorporatingbothradialshreddingandaxialcuttingachievesoptimumresultsonhard,tonearimpossibletopumpliquids
containingfibroussolidslikewetwipes,"saidBrianMitsch,thecompany'sVPofoperationsandengineering."Theradial
shreddingisachievedbyarotatingcutterbarwithserratededges,whichtrapsandshredssolidsagainstthesharpgroovesofthe
radialcuttingring.Wipesandotherfibrousdebrisareefficientlyrippedapart.Thecomplementaryaxialcuttingutilizesdualcutting
elementsoperatingintandemtomultiplytheshearingaction.Asthematerialexitstheradialshreddingarea,theaxialcutting
componentsshearanyremainingpiecesusingmultiplecuttingbars.Theimpellerdesignexpeditesflowandhydraulic
performance,preventingwrappingandclogging."
Thesepumpsfeatureshreddingelementsthatarecastinhardened440Cstainlesssteel(Rockwellhardnessabove55C),andthe
patentpendingdesignprovidesexcellentsolidspassageefficiencythroughitsimpellerandvolute.Availablewith2,3or5
horsepower(HP)hightorquefourpolemotors,thesepumpsareidealforsmallerwastewaterstations.

Image3.Thisdualshredding
technologywithradialandaxialshreddingelementsprovidessolidspassageefficiency.

CaseStudy
FoxRockPropertiesownsandoperatestwomassiveofficeandmedicalcomplexesinNorwell,Massachusetts.Thefirstofthe
neighboringpropertiesisLongwaterPlace,a27,000squarefootofficebuilding,partofalarger26acrecampusthatincludes
84,000squarefeetofcorporateofficesanda160,000squarefootwellnesscenter.LongwaterPlaceincorporatesafullcafeteria,
andfitnesscenter,featuringagymnasiumwithsquashcourtsandlocker/showerfacilities.
TheadjoiningpropertyisSouthShoreMedicalCenter,an85,000squarefootfacilitycomprisedof100medicalexamination
rooms,70medicalofficesandacompleterangeofdiagnosticequipment.

Image4.Thenewpumpwasplacedin
thesumpwithoutascreen,alongsideashredderpump.
Becauseoftheexpansivesizeofthesebuildings,propertymanagementfacesmajorwastewaterhandlingchallenges.The
complexhas30bathroomsand64toiletsthatpassflowcontentconsistingofsanitarywaste,wipesandfemininehygiene
productsflushedbystaff,patientsandvisitors.Allofittravelsthroughthesewerlinesofbothpropertiesandisfunneledintoan
outside10,000gallonoverflowtank.Thewastewateristhenpumpedthrougha4inchPVCdischargepipemorethanoneeighth
ofamilefromthetankintothemunicipalsewersystem.Twosolidshandlingsubmersiblepumpsareattheheartofthesystem.
Althoughnotrequiredbylocalregulations,FoxRockPropertiesmaintainsthispumpingsystemtoensurethatdischargestothe
municipalsewersystemcanbehandledeffectivelybythelocaltreatmentfacilities.
"Giventhebuildings'populations,professionalrangeofclientsandtypesofservicesprovided,itisexpectedthatwewouldsee
morethanourfairshareofflushables,"saidDanSnyder,propertymanagerforFoxRock."Inthepast,weexperiencedfrequent
failuresaswipesblockedscreensprotectingthepumpsandwrappedaroundimpellers,cloggingthevoluteandeventuallyburning
outthepumps'submersiblemotors.Evenwithabackuppumpinplace,theserviceinterruptionsandmaintenancecostsbecame
unacceptable."
Theaveragepumpservicelifewaslessthan1.5years.
Afteroneofthe460voltsubmersiblepumpsfailedagain,SnyderaskedthewaterandwasteequipmentspecialistsatWilliamson
NewEnglandElectricMotorandPumpCompanytoexaminetheproblemandrecommendasolution.
JaeWilson,servicemanageratWilliamsonNewEnglandElectricMotorandPumpCompanyreviewedthesystemandits
hydraulicrequirements,includingthedifficulttopumpwastewatercontent.Althoughnumeroussolidshandlingpumpswere
available,nonepresentedtheperfectsolution.
Researchindicatedthattheheavywipecontentwouldstilltendtowrapandclogpumpswithtraditionalnonclogimpellers.The
resultingfailuremeantliftingthepump,disassemblingandmanuallyclearingtheblockage,andpossiblyreplacingthemotor.
Wilsonconsultedwithoneofhispumpsuppliersanddecidedtoinstallashredderpumpwithdualshreddingtechnology.Because
itusedbothradialshearingandaxialcuttingtopasshardtopumpitemssuchaswipes,thisnewdesignwasidealforthe
application.
Oneimportantadvantageofthenewsystemwasimmediatelynoticeable.Mostnonclogs,includingthesecondwastewatersump
ontheFoxRockproperty,mustbesurroundedbyascreen.Thesolidsanddebristhatgetcaughtinthatscreenmustberoutinely
clearedbyhand.Theinstalledpumpdoesnotrequireascreen.Apostinstallationinspectionshowednodebrisinthesump.
"Sofar,Iamveryhappywiththepump.ItwasinstalledinJuly2014andcontinuestooperatewithoutclogging,"Snydersaid.
Whilepreventingnonflushablematerialsfromenteringthewastewatersystemisimpossible,FoxRockPropertieshasapumpthat
canminimizethepossibilityofcloggingandimprovedownstreamconditions.
AbouttheAuthor
MikeBjorkmanisvicepresidentofBJMCorp.andhasmorethan30yearsofexperienceinthepumpindustry.Heservesas
marketingandITdirectorforBJMPumpsLLCandAllTestProLLC,bothsubsidiariesofBJMCorp.Formoreinformation,call
8603995937orvisitbjmpumps.com.

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SourceURL:http://www.pumpsandsystems.com/pumps/september2015disposablewipesthreatenwastewatersystems?
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