Submersible Pump Cleans Up at Water Treatment Plant
END USER: Region of Waterloo (Canada) Water Services
THE APPLICATION:
Submersible pump to remove built-up sludge and silt in the reservoirs at a water treatment facility
THE PROBLEMS:
- Vacuum trucks took two weeks to remove the sludge and silt that were left behind when each reservoir was drained for cleaning.
- The trucks were expensive to operate and barely provided the suction lift necessary to remove the debris.
- Hydraulic pumps that were used as an alternative experienced severe wear and required frequent repairs or new hydraulic supplies.
- The hydraulic pumps presented a serious contamination issue if a hydraulic line were to rupture and leak fluid into the water supply for the region’s 500,000+ residents.
THE SOLUTION:
We eliminated the need for hydraulic centrifugal pumps and vacuum trucks by providing an S4x4 positive displacement submersible pump. In the above left image, you can see the portable pump in the custom container required for the project. The image on the right shows a front-end loader filling the container with sludge for the pump to remove.
THE RESULTS:
After experiencing routine failures with the centrifugal pumps it formerly used, the Water Region has experienced no pump failures or emergency maintenance incidents since the Pitbull positive displacement pump went into operation three years ago.
- The Pitbull submersible pump also cut in half the time needed to clean the sludge from the reservoirs.
- Because Pitbull pumps are pneumatically – rather than hydraulically – operated, the Pitbull pump eliminated concerns about contaminating the region’s water supply..
- Since they run on air rather than motors, Pitbull pumps don’t require lubrication, which eliminated another potential source of water contamination.
- Our positive displacement pump provided improved discharge pressure and flow.
- The Pitbull pump lowered operating costs compared to the vacuum trucks and provided an overall labor savings, as well.
THE SPECS:
Click here for the S4x4 spec sheet.
THE RESPONSE:
“This pump has worked very well for us and has cut our reservoir sludge cleaning time in half. Previous we used super vac trucks and due to the suction lift and sludge solids it would take us 2 weeks to vac and clean the reservoir. We then went to a hydraulic driven pump and were concerned with oil contamination (hydraulic line rupture) as this is a raw water supply for our Mannheim Water Treatment Plant. The Pitbull submersible eliminated that contamination risk. We also had better discharge pressure and discharge flow control of the sludge with the Pitbull pump. We installed the pump in a custom-made container as we needed for this application. In closing the Pitbull Pump has worked out very well for us and you have been there to answer any questions or concerns.”