New Grinder Pump Station Added to "W" Series

E/One Sewer Systems has added another grinder pump station to its W-Series product line, the WH472. The WH472 is a duplex (2 pumps) version of the WH471, which we rolled out at WEFTEC in October. The WH472 offers the same capacity of 476 gallons, but the daily flow is 3500 GPD, compared to 2000 GPD for the WH471.

More information -- including drawings -- is available on E/One's web site.

American Infrastructure Magazine Publishes E/One Case Study

The case study about Athens, Tennessee, that we've been talking about recently has garnered a lot of attention. This month, American Infrastructure magazine discusses Athens in its article "Operation Renovation at Oostanaula."

As you know, Athens replaced part of its failing gravity system with an E/One pressure sewer system, with incredible results. Click here to read the story from American Infrastructure.

Air Release Station Added to Product Line

E/One Sewer Systems has added an Air Release Station to its product lineup.

Air release stations are often required on large sewer systems. When the main is submerged under a static head, air release valves are normally located at high points in the system.

The tank is made of HDPE, the same material used on E/One's D-Series and many W-Series grinder pump tanks. The open-bottom design allows any odors to be absorbed into the soil bed. Height adjustments can be done in the field. The valve is a combination air valve for wastewater, 2" NPT and includes a drain/relief valve.

Drawings, specs and installation instructions are available on E/One's web site.

E/One Grinder Pump Case Studies in Pumps & Systems Magazine

The current issue of Pumps & Systems magazine features a special section devoted to grinder and chopper pumps. This section features and article entitled, "Grinder Pump Driven Pressure Sewer Systems." The article highlights two communities that use E/One grinder pumps:

Athens, Tennessee
Athens, which we talked about here a few months ago, suffered from extreme infiltration problems. An aging gravity sewer system could not handle the town's wastewater flow, and rainwater that bypassed the pump station made the situation worse.

Instead of building a new gravity sewer system, Athens decided to use a pressure sewer system using E/One grinder pumps. Installation was less disruptive, saving on construction costs. The reduced flow into the wastewater treatment plant resulted in an annual (treatment) savings of more than $89,000.

Marion, Massachusetts
The New England coast poses several geo-technical challenges: sloping terrain, rock, high groundwater and sandy soil. When Marion needed to expand its sewer system, pressure sewer was the obvious choice.

Pressure sewer service to the 455 homes saved 40 percent over the cost of the proposed gravity system -- and was completed in half the time of the gravity sewer proposal.

Additional Case Studies
To read more articles about communities who have successfully used E/One grinder pumps, visit the Case Studies and Technical Reprints sections on E/One's web site.

E/One Debuts New Grinder Pump Stations at WEFTEC

WEFTEC is going right now at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, where E/One is debuting two new large-capacity grinder pump stations:




WH471 & WH472 Grinder Pump Stations


The WH471 and WH472 are new additions to E/One's W-Series product line. The station is an open-wetwell design that boasts a 476-gallon capacity. The tank is made from HDPE and can have one (WH471) or two (WH472) Extreme Series grinder pumps. It's an ideal choice when extra capacity is required.




WH482 Grinder Pump Station


THe WH482 is the other new addition to E/One's W-Series product line. The station is also an open-wetwell design, but offers 486 gallons of capacity. The tank is made from HDPE and is a duplex (2 pumps) grinder pump station. The WH482 can accommodate up to four Extreme Series grinder pumps.







Both grinder pump stations are expected to be available in December 2009. More information about these grinder pump stations is available on E/One's web site at http://www.eone.com/sewer-systems/regions/us/product-catalog/grinder-pumps.html

E/One Exhibiting at WEFTEC

If you're attending WEFTEC next week in Orlando, be sure to visit E/One at exhibit #4345 in the B Hall. We'll have a number of new products on display, including new tanks and a new pump. Our sales staff will be available to answer questions about our products and discuss any projects that you might have.



WEFTEC takes place October 10-14 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Visit http://www.weftec.org/ for more information.

Homeowners: Do you have an E/One grinder pump?

E/One is looking for homeowners who have E/One grinder pumps installed at their homes. Whether they’re 6 months old or 26 years old, we’re interested in your opinions and experience. Please send an email to eone@eone.com with your name, city/state and the subject line “Homeowner Survey Signup.” We will NOT sell your email address to anyone – all contact information collected is solely for the purpose of knowing who uses our grinder pumps.

Sewer System Technology: Vacuum Sewer vs Pressure Sewer

At first thought, a vacuum sewer system sounds like an easy, convenient alternative to a gravity sewer system. Vacuum sewers require shallow trenches, small mains, and can be used in flat or rocky areas. No individual pump stations are required at each home. But they aren’t ideal for every situation or every location, and require regular maintenance.

How a Vacuum Sewer System Works
Vacuum systems use differential air pressure to move wastewater. The system consists of one or more vacuum stations, collection system piping, valve vaults and vacuum interface valves. The sewage is transported in small diameter pipes placed at variable grade and deflection underground. The wastewater is drawn to the station and pumped to a wastewater treatment plant. Vacuum interface valves regulate the entry of wastewater and air from the valve vault into the collection system piping.

Vacuum System Disadvantages
There are a number of disadvantages to vacuum systems. First, while the mains are small and require shallow burial (just below the frost line), they are limited to approximately 20 feet of head. The sewer lines must have a specific profile of pockets or running traps, so installation requires the same attention to grade as a gravity sewer main.

The biggest disadvantage is system size. The central vacuum stations require a large capital investment, so a system for less than 50 homes is not economically feasible.

Pressure Sewer Systems
Pressure sewer systems use pump installed at each home to grind wastewater and move it to the sewer system. Pressure sewer mains are also small-diameter pipes that are buried just below the frost line, but follow the contour of the land – therefore, they don’t require the pockets or running traps that vacuum systems need. Head is limited by the capabilities of the grinder pump installed at the home (185 ft for E/One pumps), allowing for uphill pumping.

Small systems are also economically feasible. A few homes – or even one home – can connect to the sewer system at a reasonable cost. E/One’s grinder pump does not require preventive maintenance and boasts an average mean time between service calls of 8 to 10 years. Visit the Case Studies section of E/One’s web site to read more about communities that have used E/One Sewer systems.

How do I know which size grinder pump to choose?

E/One grinder pumps are available with a variety of tank sizes. To determine which size grinder pump station is needed, you’ll need to consider a few factors:

• Wet well and discharge piping must be protected from freezing
• Model and basin size must be appropriate for incoming flows, including peak flows
• Appropriate alarm device must be used
• Suitable location

Daily flows above those recommended may exceed the tank’s peak flow holding capacity and/or shorten the interval between pump overhauls. E/One should be consulted if higher inflows are expected. The final selection will have to be determined by the engineer on the basis of actual measurements or best estimates of the expected sewage flow. The recommended flows for each of E/One’s grinder pump stations are available in the Product Catalog.

Article: The Athens Alternative

The May/June issue of Government Engineering magazine features an article about Athens, Tennessee. Athens replaced its failing gravity sewer system with an E/One low pressure sewer LPS system.

Challenge

The gravity sewer had been constructed during the 1960's. The system experienced huge amounts of infiltration and inflow, causing overflows and leading to a moratorium on new sewer connections in 1990. As a result, economic growth in the town suffered. Renovation of the wastewater treatment plant helped, but was still not a solution.

Solution

Railroad Avenue is a relatively flat but rocky area with high water tables. The Athens Utility Board (AUB) decided to abandon the gravity sewer system in this area and install a low pressure sewer system with E/One grinder pumps.

Results

In 2003, with the gravity system, pump stations in the area recorded nine overflow events for a total of 500,000 gallons of water overflow. After the LPS system was installed, there were zero overflow events and zero gallons of infiltration. Records indicate that 27.5 million gallons per year less flows to the treatment plant. This translates to a yearly savings of $89,212 in treatment costs alone. And, because stop-ups have also been eliminated, AUB has experienced fewer maintenance requirements and less overtime, providing additional cost savings.

Installation costs also offered a savings of 25 to 35 percent versus gravity, even with the cost of the gravity system abandonment included. Directional drilling had been used for much of the installation of the main, which offers little disruption to homeowners' yards.

Future
AUB is planning to attack other problematic areas and is considering grinder pumps for other areas of the town.

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Product Spotlight: "Upgrade" Grinder Pump

E/One offers a pump to replace existing pumps in low pressure sewer systems. Called the "Upgrade," this pump is a drop-in replacement for centrifugal or other SPD pumps. The Upgrade is designed to fit into virtually any open-wetwell grinder pump tank and is a complete replacement for all of the troublesome components of a centrifugal pump, including slide rails, pump/motor, float switches, piping and motor control devices.

More information about the Upgrade pump is available on E/One's web site.

Grinder Pump Repair: Why not Call my Plumber?

We’re often asked if any plumber can repair an E/One grinder pump. The answer is “probably not.” While some plumbers may have experience working with sump pumps and septic tanks, grinder pumps are different and should be repaired by a trained service center.

We’ve heard E/One grinder pumps referred to as “throwaway pumps,” meaning that instead of being repaired, they must be replaced. This is not true at all. There are thousands of E/One grinder pumps that were installed in the 1970’s that are still in operation. Have they been serviced in some way? Likely. But we do hear from homeowners who have never needed repair on their pumps, even after 25 years of operation. The average mean time between service calls? Eight to 10 years.

E/One has a network of sales and service providers around the country. We recommend that you contact the distributor closest to you for service and/or repair. Our distributors are trained and can diagnose your pump’s problem – and tell you whether the pump requires repair or replacement. Contact information for E/One’s distributors is available here, on E/One’s web site.

E/One Declares War on Failing Septic Tanks

Environment One put out a news release yesterday about its war on septic tanks.

Once popular and considered an easy solution for homeowners not connected to a municipal sewer system, backyard septic tanks are posing a serious danger to drinking water supplies and the quality of life for millions of people around the country. In observation of Earth Day’s 39th year and Environment One Corporation’s 40th year, E/One is escalating its mission to deliver a higher environmental quality of life to new and existing communities around the nation.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said “leaking, malfunctioning, and worn out septic tanks are responsible for most of the groundwater pollution in the U.S. today.”

Every year, more than 70 million people flush more than one trillion gallons of water and household waste into more than 20 million septic tanks all around the country. As reported in the Canter & Knox study “Septic Tank System Effects on Groundwater Quality” done for the EPA, an average of 40 percent (8 million) of these septic tanks do not function properly. The tanks fail eventually, dumping hundreds of millions of gallons of raw, untreated wastewater and other toxic materials into the ground, and at times into the nation’s water supply.

But drinking water is not the only problem. Thousands of lakes, streams, rivers, bays, estuaries, and other bodies of water are being threatened and polluted every day. The systematic failure of septic tanks around the country has a negative economic and personal impact.

Click here to read the full release on E/One's web site.

E/One Product Spotlight: Alarm Panels

E/One offers a range of alarm panels for its grinder pumps. Called the E/One Sentry panel, a range of features is available to fit your needs. All panels are corrosion-proof, NEMA 4X-rated, thermoplastic enclosures and supplied with audible and visual high level alarms. Standard panels are approved by UL, CSA, CE and NSF to ensure high quality and safety.

Basic Panel: The Basic panel includes audible (with manual silence) and visual alarms, manual run feature and run indicator, redundant start function with high-level alarm, terminal blocks and ground lugs.

Protect Panel: The Protect panel includes all of the features of the Basic panel. Trouble indication shuts down the pump temporarily in the event of an unacceptable operating condition (brownout conditions with the electrical power supply; system over-pressure condition such as with a closed valve; run-dry operation of the pump). The Protect panel also has a contact group (dry, powered, Remote Sentry).

Protect Plus Panel: The Protect Plus panel includes all of the features of the Basic and Protect panels, but also offers a predictive status display module; pre-alarm indication for major operating parameters; alarm indications for major operating parameters; hour meter, cycle counter and alarm delay; and an LCD display and user-friendly interface.

PreSTAT Panel: E/One Sentry PreSTAT provides advance warning of pending service needs by monitoring major operating conditions. A Trouble indication is provided when these conditions fall outside of normal ranges, although the grinder pump station may continue to operate. PreSTAT also includes a programmable auto-dialer; predictive status display module; hour meter, cycle counter and alarm delay; LCD display and user-friendly interface.

Many options are available. More information about E/One Sentry alarm panels, including drawings, can be found in the Product Catalog section of E/One's web site.

Grinder Pumps: How are E/One Pumps Different?

Not all grinder pumps are created equal. E/One's grinder pump lends itself to complex system designs because of its nearly vertical pump curve and the resulting nearly identical flow rate allows a wide variety of discharge heads. The predictable flows of the semi-positive displacement (SPD) pumps provide tolerance of widely varying system pressures.

The use of SPD grinder pumps is crucial to the success of a pressure sewer system. The performance characteristics of SPD pumps assist in maintaining a sewer network free from blockages. When deposition of solids occurs, tending to block the pipe, centrifugal pumps will move toward shut off, reducing flow and velocity and increasing the tendency to block the pipe. SPD pumps constantly scour the lines to prevent buildup because flow is maintained although pressure or head increased, effectively scouring the pipe.

Pumps & Systems magazine published an article that explores why SPD pumps are a better choice for sewer systems.

Sewer Systems: Pressure Sewer vs Gravity Sewer

When most people think of sewer systems, they think only of gravity sewers. Gravity sewers have been around for centuries, with origins in the Roman aqueducts. While often considered the "simple sewer solution" when septic tanks cannot be used, gravity sewers are not always feasible. What other choice is there? Pressure sewer systems.

Gravity sewer systems use large mains (up to 24" in diameter) that must be accurately placed and bedded along a continuous downward grade. Large, costly lift stations are often involved as well. All of the sewer mains must be in "straight lines," adding to the complexity of the system design. and, because the mains are all "below grade" of structures, large, deep trenches will be required. If the land has a high water table or a lot of bedrock, gravity sewers may be cost prohibitive or impossible to install at all.

Pressure sewer systems offer many more options. The small mains (usually 2" to 4" in diameter) are buried just below the frost line, eliminating the need for large, deep trenches. The mains are flexible, so they can often be installed via directional drilling. Grinder pumps transport waste from the homes to the pressure sewer mains. Because the wastewater is pressurized, it can be transported horizontally up to two miles, or 185 feet vertically.

Case Study: Great Sky, Canton, Georgia
The Great Sky development is located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Steep hills and bedrock made gravity sewers incredibly expensive -- deep trenches and 20 lift stations were estimated. Septic systems were not allowed.

The solution? A pressure sewer system with E/One grinder pumps installed at each home, allowing wastewateer to be pumped uphill. Shallow trenching was used to install the force mains. Only three lift stations were required.

Read the entire article, as published in Land Development Today magazine, on E/One's web site.

Grinder Pump Product Spotlight: Model DH071

E/One's model DH071 grinder pump station is a popular option for single-family homes. The DH071 is a simplex station that includes one grinder pump with integrated level sensing controls, a 70-gallon tank made from HDPE, an an alarm panel. Available tank heights range from 61 inches to 160 inches.

The DH071 is a newer model of E/One's popular GP 2010 grinder pump station. The 2010 used E/One's 2000 Series grinder pump, while the DH071 uses E/One's Extreme Series grinder pump that was launched in 2007.

Visit E/One's web site for more information about the DH071 grinder pump and other E/One grinder pump stations.

Free Sewer System Design Software

E/One offers free sewer system design software on its web site. Visit the Design Center, fill out the form, and you will receive a link to download the software. When you click get the email, click the provided link and installation will begin. Design Assistant 8 is exclusively for designing a system with E/One grinder pumps.





(If you don't receive your link within a few minutes of filling out the form, check your spam filter or junk folder. Send an email to eone@eone.com if you experience problems.)

Learn About Pressure Sewer Systems

For an introduction to pressure sewer systems, check out this webinar that E/One hosted with Pumps & Systems magazine in December 2008. "Grinder Pumps in Pressure Sewers" provides introductory information about when and where to use pressure sewer systems, and the advantages over gravity sewer systems.

Welcome

Welcome to the blog for E/One Sewer Systems. Visit us regularly for E/One news, industry news and upcoming events. Feel free to ask us questions here, or email us at eone@eone.com.