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.

Case Study: Town of Jerusalem, New York

The Town of Jerusalem is located in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. The region's geography is gashed by several gullies and deep ravines that run down to Keuka Lake; valleys and rolling hills used primarily as farm land; and, steep slopes on the waterfront.

It was precisely the natural beauty and rocky terrain the region prizes that would make it laborious, environmentally disruptive and almost certainly cost-prohibitive to excavate for conventional gravity sewering.

Hundreds of vacation homes (seasonal occupancy is only approximately 20-percent full-time residents) are located very close to the lake, often on small building lots with very little room for septic leach fields.  A high water table and ineffective subsurface drainage means the drain fields have poor percolation to begin with, so decline is rapid and inevitable. 

The town had required homes to be scrutinized every five years.  If an existing septic system flunked inspection, corrections were required which often included the installation of a new tank and drain field at a cost of $20,000 to $30,000 per residence. In many instances there was not enough room to put in an up-to-date replacement.

Constructing a gravity sewer system, back in 1999, was estimated to cost $6 million, whereas an E/One pressure sewer system would cost $3.2 million. The proposed LPS for the Town of Jerusalem eliminated the need for 12 lift stations with a total cost savings of $900,000. Nor did it require a rock excavation outlay pegged at $775,000.

What has Jerusalem's experience been with pressure sewer? Read the entire article on Modern Pumping Today's web site. 

 

Article Share: You can put ANYTHING into a Septic System ... Right?

Often when homeowners are told they have to convert from septic tanks to sewer systems -- especially sewer systems with grinder pumps -- they're quite surprised that they suddenly have a list of items they can't flush/pour down the drain.

"I never had these rules with my septic tank!" they say.

Or did they?

The January issue of Pumper magazine contained a great piece by Jim Anderson, Ph.D., 6 Tips Your Customers will Appreciate. The recommendations, for the most part, are the same for sewer systems. A few are items are even more restrictive than they are for sewer systems.

Here are the six tips summarized, but go to the article for the full context:

1. The toilet is not another wastebasket -- Mostly agreed. We've heard from many service techs about the crazy things that end up in the grinder pump as well. Household wastewater and toilet paper are all that belong. There is one point where we disagree with the author: "... the toilet is used as a handy wastebasket to flush away a number of items. This may work where homes are serviced by the 'big pipe' ..." NO!!! Ask any treatment plant operator how he feels about baby wipes and "flush and forget," and we bet he'll agree with us.
2. Space out laundry loads -- This one is interesting and really applies only to septic tanks. Whether or not your sewer system involves a grinder pump, you don't have to worry about timing out your laundry chore.
3. Avoid the garbage disposal -- Again, this one applies to septic tanks. You can have a garbage disposal with your grinder pump, but pay attention to what you're putting through the disposal. Did you know that you're not supposed to put meat and bones through the disposal? And that you're supposed to run the water for about 5 minutes to ensure your kitchen drain is clear?
4. Dispose of medicines properly -- Agreed, and you're not supposed to throw them in the garbage, either, according to the EPA. Your town probably has a drug take-back day once or twice a year, or your pharmacy may take and dispose them.
5. Say no to solvents -- Strong chemicals don't belong in any system.
6. Give new systems a fresh start -- If you're buying at a home that has a grinder pump, find out everything you can about the system: age (if it's in an existing home), manufacturer, warranty (in a new or existing home), who is responsible for maintenance (you or the town), who is the local service provider (the town or a local company).

The bottom line is, whether you have a sewer system or a septic tank, be kind to your system.