Case Study: Grinder Pumps Fuel Economic Growth

Southside sits in a rural area of Arkansas. Residents relied on septic tanks, which had a number of problems: some were a half-century old and ending their useful life, but more so, the shallow, soggy soil didn't perc well ... vital for septic systems.

Credit: Crist Engineers

"Improving the wastewater system represents the absolute top priority," was the urgent message of the 2009 Batesville Comprehensive Plan.

"Existing subdivisions couldn't grow anymore and were becoming unsafe due to raw sewage because of bad percolation," says Richardson. A new collection system was fundamental, he adds, "for growth both residential and commercial."

Credit: Crist Engineers

A gravity sewer system would have cause massive disruption and deep trenches. Crist Engineers, located in Little Rock, had designed pressure sewer systems before and chose E/One grinder pumps to do the job.

What were the results? Read the entire story on E/One's web site.

New Article: Examining Sewer Renewal and I/I Solutions with Low Pressure Sewer Systems

The December issue of Underground Infrastructure Management (UIM) magazine features an article by E/One's Keith McHale, PE, our inflow and infiltration project manager.

As the ASCE Infrastructure Report Card reported this year, the country's water and wastewater infrastructure needs can cost upwards of $298 billion over the next 20 years. The grade of "D" that the ASCE gave our wastewater systems indicate a serious need to address sewer system overflows, combined sewer overflows and other pipe-related issues.

Gravity sewer pipe in need of repair

Communities around the country are experiencing failures of their gravity sewer systems due to their age -- many pipes in established municipalities are easily 100 years old; sewer pipes even date to the 1860s. When these pipes fail (or at least compromised), engineers and municipalities will consider to repair, rehabilitate or replace the system entirely:

• Sewer repairs are generally used for localized areas of failure or deterioration. The objective is to restore the sewer to an acceptable operating condition.
• Sewer rehabilitation aims to restore the structural integrity of pipe, extend the operational service life, and in many cases, recapture the hydraulic capacity of the sewer pipe.  
• Sewer replacement is the most extensive approach to infrastructure renewal. Replacement involves the complete abandonment of the existing sewer pipe and the installation of a new pipeline.

Read the entire article on UIM's web site.

Infiltration and Inflow problems? Watch our video about I&I solutions and learn how an E/One Sewer system can solve your gravity sewer problems.

"You Can't Flush ANYTHING when You have a Grinder Pump"

(Notice that the headline is in quotes -- you'll learn why.)

As we've discussed on the blog before, new grinder pump owners feel incredibly limited by what they can pour or flush down the drain. They didn't have restrictions when they had septic tanks or gravity sewer systems, they say.

Are you sure?

We added a few video "Likes" to our YouTube channel last week about what not to flush and why. You may be saying, "Thanks for another reason to dislike a grinder pump ..."

Not so fast.

What's interesting about these videos is, not one of them ever mentions a grinder pump! Each video explains what what you should not be putting into the sewer system.


Still not convinced? Check out these links, found during a quick Google search (and have no obvious affiliation to E/One Sewer Systems):

• Village Requests Residents to Refrain from Flushing Baby Wipes -- Goreville, IL
• A kit by Goldstreet Designs, an agency that designs communications for the public utilities sector 
• The Septic Tank Maintenance entry on Inspectapedia.com (very similar list to the grinder pump)

Personal/cleaning wipes are a favorite topic: they're popular consumer items, yet problematic to the wastewater systems (equipment repairs, overtime, etc). Could it be true that people will pay for the convenience of wipes, even pay a plumber to clear a clog, but complain when their taxes go up because of increased sewer rates?

Of course, wipes aren't the only reason we are paying more for sewer. ASCE's Infrastructure Report Card was released a few weeks ago. We'll discuss the D grade that America's wastewater infrastructure received.

We've already started on our Facebook page (you don't need to be a member to view our page, only to add comments).

New Video: Infiltration & Inflow Solutions

We have just released a new video, available on our YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/eoneninja

This video explores the real cost of aging and failing gravity sewers -- not only the repairs that will be required, but the added cost of treatment. E/One low pressure sewer systems can virtually eliminate I & I, saving tens of thousands for communities.