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.