Since the beginning of the Stay-At-Home orders mid-march, cities across the US have experienced costly issues with their pump stations getting clogged.
According to this Associated Press news article, “When everyone rushed out to get toilet paper and there was none … people were using whatever they could,” said Pamela Mooring, spokeswoman for DC Water, the system in the nation’s capital.
Sanitary sewer overflows jumped 33% between February and March in Houston because of clogs from rags, tissues, paper towels and wipes, said public works department spokeswoman Erin Jones. “At one wastewater pumping station alone, one that does not have grinder pumps, we have seen an increase of 37,000 pounds of wipes during January-March 2020 compared with the same time period in 2019,” utility spokeswoman Lyn Riggins told the Associated Press.
While many cities and states have launched campaigns to educate and prevent people from flushing anything but toilet paper, another issue is littering masks and gloves making their way into the sewers.
All of this has not only resulted in equipment getting damaged but also contributed to a sharp increase in maintenance costs, as some cities went from cleaning their sewage pumping stations once a month to twice a week.
Rather than wasting thousands of dollars in maintenance costs, a more effective solution is installing Aqualitec’s innovative vertical bar screen Screentec which has allowed some of our customers to save $500K a year in pump maintenance.
Designed for headworks, pump stations, lift stations, wet wells and manholes, Screentec protects pumps from rags, wipes, plastics and other solids. It also prevents pumps from clogging up, extends their life cycle and improves the quality of wastewater treatment.
To find out how Aqualitec can help you, call 855-650-2214 or email us now.