E/One Named "Top Projects Award" Winner by Water & Wastes Digest

News Release:

NISKAYUNA, N.Y., Sept. 26, 2014 -- Environment One Corporation (E/One), a pioneer and world leader of low-pressure, gravity-independent, contour-following sewage collection systems, has been selected as one of the winners of Water & Wastes Digest's Top Projects Award Program. The presentation will be made on Tuesday, September 30, in New Orleans on the occasion of the Water  Environment Federation’s Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC^®), the largest event of its kind in North America.

In attempting to clear up an E. coli problem in the area’s lakes by replacing deteriorating septic systems, E/One and its client, the Twin Lakes Regional Sewer District in Monticello, IN, constructed the single largest grinder pump driven low-pressure sewer project in the Western Hemisphere.

"For this area, for this district, the best thing was low-pressure sewer," says Mike Darter, general manager of the Twin Lakes Regional Sewer District.  "By far and away LPS was the only way to sewer this area. It provided a timely installation with minimal disturbance to the property owners."

At present, the $65 million project counts 5,071 E/One grinder pumps which service approximately 8,000 residences and businesses around Lake Shaffer and Lake Freeman. Nearly 300 miles of pressure sewer lines link across more than 29 square miles and traverse the Tippecanoe River multiple times. The expected flow from the entire system is 1,285,000 gallons per day delivered to four separate wastewater treatment plants.

"It's quite an honor for E/One Sewer® systems, and for the grinder pump category which we pioneered and which was not too long ago considered an 'alternate' technology. Today LPS has become the 'appropriate' technology solution for a growing number of progressive communities worldwide," says E/One President Eric LaCoppola.

E/One conceived the concept of the household grinder pump in the late 1960’s. E/One Sewer systems have since proven to be an economical and effective method of sewering otherwise difficult land areas, such as flat, wet, rocky and hilly terrain.

At the heart of an E/One Sewer is the grinder pump, developed by Environment One. These units accept household sanitary waste, grind it into a fine slurry, and pressurize it to permit transport through small-diameter pipes. E/One Sewer systems now serve over one million

end-users daily.

Other participants in the Twin Lakes project include E/One’s local distributor Covalen; Gorman-Rupp; Reynolds, Inc. (now Layne Heavy Civil), Orleans, IN; HRP Construction, South Bend, IN; Rothenberger Construction, Concord, MI; Clyde E. Williams & Associates, LaGrange, IN; RheinBach Engineers, South Bend, IN; and, GRW Engineers, Indianapolis, IN.

ABOUT E/ONE

Environment One Corporation (E/One) is a diversified, high-technology company located in Niskayuna, New York, U.S.A. Manufacturing, engineering, administration and marketing operations are managed from Niskayuna. Environment One also maintains regional sales offices in key cities in the U.S.A. and globally. Environment One Corporation is owned by Precision Castparts Corp. (PCC), a worldwide manufacturer of complex metal components and products, listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "PCP."

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New Webinar: Grinder Pumps for Basement Flood Prevention

Join E/One Sewer Systems and Water & Wastes Digest on Wednesday, September 24, at 2:00 pm ET for a new webinar.

Basement flooding caused by sewer backups is downright damaging, extremely expensive, and quite common in towns and cities throughout the U.S. In addition to being a health hazard and a stressful event for building occupants, sewer backups can create tremendous resource burdens. These backups can be created by excessive groundwater or rainwater entering the sanitary sewer system as infiltration and inflow (I&I). In combined sewer systems, overflows often result from an insufficient capacity to properly convey the combined sanitary and wet-weather flow.

Find out how grinder pumps can now provide protection and security to homeowners and businesses by preventing sewer-related basement flooding. This proven technology provides a simple and straightforward solution to a stinky situation that has plagued system owners/operators and their constituents for decades.

Participants earn one professional development hour through Water & Wastes Digest.

Register now!

Article Share: Upgrades on the Fly

"Upgrades on the Fly," in the July issue of Treatment Plant Operator, is about the sewer system in Cohasset, Mass. Not only has the treatment plant undergone extensive upgrades, the 400 grinder pumps are getting upgraded as well -- literally.

E/One Upgrade grinder pump

The system originally used centrifugal grinder pumps, but they just didn't cut the mustard -- er, disposable wipes, among other things. So the town is retrofitting those grinder pumps with the E/One Upgrade SPD grinder pump.

The E/One Upgrade was designed specifically to replace 2 hp centrifugal grinder pumps and offers quick, drop-in replacement into the existing wetwell tank.

Read the entire article.

Looking to solve your sewer system woes? Learn more about E/One Sewer Systems and find out how we can help.

Article: Using Grinder Pumps to Prevent Sewer System Backups

Nobody wants to endure a sewer system backup into his home. Unfortunately, they happen more often as sewer system infrastructure in the United States ages. Combine age with storms that seem to produce heavier and heavier rains, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Combined sewer systems, which combine both wastewater from homes and stormwater from drains, still exist throughout the Northeast and Great Lakes regions of the United States. Overflows result from insufficient capacity to transport the wastewater and stormwater flows. Unfortunately, during heavy rain, this combined sewer overflow (CSO) can back up into the basements of homes and businesses, costing tens of thousands of dollars in damage.

Backflow prevention valves and catch basins have been typical solutions, but they have big drawbacks: backflow prevention valves, when engaged, prevent wastewater from backing up, but they also prevent wastewater from going out -- ie, the building's plumbing cannot be used. Catch basins can be overwhelmed by heavy rains, as the water goes to the sewer system anyway through manholes and other entry points.

A new best practice for preventing these CSO overflows and backups is installing a grinder pump station to handle the home's wastewater. How does it work, and where has this solution been used? Find out in Grinder Pumps for Basement Flood Prevention, which appeared in the October 2013 issue of Pumps & Systems magazine.

Have questions, or need more information? Visit the E/One web site, or contact us at eone@eone.com.

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.

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.

New Product: E/One Sentry Advisor

E/One Sentry Advisor is a remote monitoring system for E/One grinder pumps. This panel option can be used with all E/One Sentry panels for Extreme Series grinder pumps and is available for both new and existing installations.

Whether you're managing a system with a few grinder pump stations or hundreds of stations, let E/One Sentry Advisor monitor your system and help reduce the number of emergency service call-outs and eliminate unnecessary overtime. E/One Sentry Advisor monitors every start, run time duration, and stop of each grinder pump in the system.

Alarm conditions can be sent automatically to service personnel. Use reports to review system performance and spot data trends such as frequent alarms or unusually long run times.

Visit eone.com for more information about E/One Sentry Advisor.