Bundaberg Council
Sewage Plant’s Performance on the up Thanks to the Installation of a Unique Two-Stage Centrifugal Pump
Project Background
Operated by the Bundaberg Regional Council, Woodgate Vacuum Sewer Station is a medium-sized plant that services an area of approximately 3000 people and can grow to a population of 8000 in peak holiday times.
The sewer station incorporates a network of sewage lines that come from houses and businesses, and which all lead back to a collection point. A vacuum tank is located at the collection point and the sewage flows towards the tank with the aid of vacuum pumps.
Once full, the tank then needs to be emptied using a sewage pump that transfers the sewage out of the tank under a vacuum and into the treatment plant. To undertake this task, the station was using a positive displacement lobe style sewage pump.
‘Over time, the wear and tear on the lobe style pump had increased and our maintenance bills were rising. The tips on the pump’s rotor were continuously wearing and it required maintenance almost monthly with major works every quarter. By the end of 2009 our bills had become enormous,’ said Kevin.
‘We were also experiencing higher power consumption and increasing electricity bills. Initially we were shifting say 20 litres of sewage a second and then as the sewage pump became more and more inefficient we would only move 5 litres per second. Much more power was now required to pump out 20 litres of sewage. We were also running out of pumping time,’ said Kevin.
“It’s now been about 15 months since we installed the VS3A60-B and we have not even had to touch it once … We are no longer wasting valuable time and money fixing an inefficient sewage pump”
– Kevin
The Options
Faced with such a dilemma, Kevin decided to explore alternative sewage pumps with the aim of identifying a more efficient and robust solution.
‘I had already been assessing different pumps and suppliers when I came across Garry Grant from Hydro Innovations at the workshop. I explained the problem we had and discussed it at length with him. When the final design was presented it was not only cost-effective, it was customised to suit our situation. When assessed on a whole of life cost, including installation, maintenance and annual running cost of the units, their pricing was very competitive, which is also something that local government must consider,’ said Kevin.
Hydro Innovations recommended that Bundaberg Regional Council consider installing a Gorman-Rupp Ultra VS3A60-B (3”) two-stage self-priming centrifugal pump. As a self-priming pump, it has inherently low NPSHr, making it ideal to handle the negative 80kPa on the suction side of the pump. It is currently the only two-stage centrifugal pump on the market and offers superior solids handling and increased pressure capabilities.
As with other Gorman-Rupp sewage pumps, the VS3A60-B centrifugal pump is also fitted as standard with a unique and patented self-cleaning wear plate system that enables the pump to handle stringy materials and rags that would block other pumps.
A large back cover plate allows easy access to the interior of the pump. The clearance between the impeller and wear plate can be adjusted simply and quickly without the need to realign belts, couplings or other drive components. Once adjusted, the centrifugal pump’s unique lock collar and adjusting screw maintain the clearance setting even if the cover plate is removed.
The Solution
Although the Gorman-Rupp VS3A60-B self priming pump seemed viable on paper, Kevin was keen to trial it to ensure it was capable of meeting the stations requirements and Hydro Innovations readily agreed. Bundaberg Regional Council installed their new centrifugal pump in January 2011 and has not looked back since.
‘It’s now been about 15 months since we installed the VS3A60-B and we have not even had to touch it once. It has been performing within the required parameters, maintaining a flow rate of 20 litres per second and a head pressure of approximately 73 metres. It has significantly improved the greater overall efficiency of the whole plant,’ said Kevin.
The VS3A60-B pump has also helped the council save on maintenance costs and the hassles associated with constant repairs. Thanks to an innovative transition chamber found inside the VS3A60-B, maximum pressure is increased up to three times that of a traditional solids-handling self-priming single stage pump to deliver greater performance. The VS3A60-B two-stage centrifugal pump also provides up to 60% increased flow when compared to the industry standard. Overall, the self priming pump’s hydraulic efficiency is much greater than any other self-priming sewage pump currently on the market, with between 16.6% and 20.7% higher efficiency delivered by the Ultra V range.
‘We are no longer wasting valuable time and money fixing an inefficient sewage pump and can now focus on other core activities,’ explained Kevin.
‘That chance meeting in Rockhampton proved invaluable. Hydro Innovations is a good supplier, professional and capable. They know their stuff and are happy to back their products. We have a great relationship with them and we’ll continue to foster it. In fact, we have ordered two additional VS3A60-B’s said Kevin.
The Pumps
The Gorman-Rupp Super T Series self priming centrifugal wastewater/sewage pump has been the world benchmark for this technology since 1963 (over 50 years!). They have been designed for economical, trouble-free operation, with superior solids handling capability and a large inspection cover to access pump internals for service or blockage removal.
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Australia Wide
Hydro Innovations is proud to distribute a broad range of quality, reliable and industry-leading industrial pumps and aerators.
We are also delighted to share that Hydro Innovations is proud to be the exclusive distributor of Gorman-Rupp Pumps.
Gorman-Rupp is the world leader in self-priming centrifugal wastewater pump technology, and invests heavily in R&D, and in training for their international representatives – like Hydro Innovations.
This puts us in an excellent position to make the very best recommendations for our Australian customers.
Our other suppliers, Ragazzini of Italy and EDUR of Germany, are also world leaders in their respective technologies (Peristaltic Pumps – Ragazzini, and Specialist centrifugal pumps – EDUR).
We carry a very large inventory of pumps and spare parts for all of these brands, to help us to deliver industry-leading service.
