Nearly two-thirds of the earth’s surface is covered with water. Sadly, only a small percentage of it is potable. The purpose of a wastewater treatment system is to convert non-potable water into potable water safe for drinking or to convert it into safe effluents, that can be released into the environment, without causing harm to it.
What happens in a wastewater treatment plant?
Water treatment consists of both physical and chemical processes that remove dissolved constituents from water. Wastewater treatment kills bacteria, viruses, and other micro-organisms from water while removing suspended particles from it. Physical removal of suspended constituents is done with the following processes: • Sedimentation • Flocculation • Flash mixing • Sand filters and • Membranes All wastewater treatment plants use a different variety of pumps to handle the various processes involved in it. There are different types of wastewater pumps, all of which serve a different purpose. However, remember that not all wastewater pumps are suited for all applications. Choosing the right type of wastewater pump depends on the quality of wastewater. For instance, if the wastewater has plenty of effluents in it, it cannot be handled by certain types of pumps. Here, in today’s guide, we help you identify the right pumps for your wastewater treatment plants based on the quality of wastewater entering the system.
Types of Wastewater
Wastewater can generally be divided into four major types. • Drainage Water • Rainwater • Effluent • SewageFactors in choosing the Right Wastewater Pump
1. Size of the Passage All pumps have an internal passage through with the displaced liquid passes. The more solids the wastewater contains bigger must be the size of the passage. If the wastewater is more liquid than solid, then you can choose a pump that has a small internal passage. 2. Flow The faster the flow of the wastewater through the system, the bigger must be the passage and vice versa. Now, let’s take a look at the different types of wastewaters, one by one and identify the right pump that is needed to handle them.
#1: Drainage Water
This is wastewater without any toilet impurities. It doesn’t have any risk of clogging as there are no suspended particles in it. Which pump is ideal for it? Since there are no suspended particles in it, a regular submersible pump works well for drainage water. Look for submersible pumps with semi-open impellers and a passage size of 10 – 12mm. In case if the drainage water contains a few impurities, you can use a strainer attached to the pump, to prevent the impurities from entering the system.
#2: Rainwater
Also known as surface water, it is more or less similar to drain water. The only difference is that it contains small impurities like sand and gravel. Since it has these suspended particles, it requires a pump with higher capacity. Which pump is ideal for it? You can use the same pump, as mentioned above. However, for areas that receive heavy rainfall, the above submersible pump doesn’t work well. In such cases, look for a bigger submersible pump with an S-Tube and Super Vortex of size 50 – 100mm.
#3: Effluent
It’s wastewater that doesn’t contain toilet waste. To give an example, laundry water, wastewater from chemical plants, and other industries are effluents. Effluents generally contain dissolved textile fibers, dry submerged materials like trees, and other smaller suspended particles, that can block drains. Which pump is ideal for it? Since effluents contain submerged particles, you require pumps with bigger passages, ideally in the size of 30 – 35mm. Both centrifugal and submersible pumps with larger passages work well for effluents. The size of the passage of the pump depends on the flow of water. Higher the flow, bigger should be the passage.
#4: Sewage
This can contain human discharges or other slurry wastes. Sewage water is discharged from private homes, commercial buildings as well as factories. Sewage water contains toilet paper, toilet wastes, detergents, and other chemicals with a pH value of 4 to 9. Which pump is ideal for it? Since these pumps have bigger dissolved wastes, look for pumps with bigger passage sizes of 50 – 65mm. Adding a grinder system to the pump increases the flow of wastewater. If the sewage contains large amounts of dry material, gassy sludge, abrasives, and large quantities of fibres, then look for pumps with high hydraulic efficiency and a super vortex. Hope this gives you an idea of the right pump to choose for your wastewater treatment plant. If you need further help, don’t hesitate to reach out to our pump experts here at Sintech, India’s leading pump industrial and commercial water pump manufacturers and suppliers.