Looking importance and types of sewerage systems? Then you have jumped into the right place.
It is important to determine what would be the best type of sewerage system for your project. In many cases, it could be a combination of some or all, which may be the best way forward.
Types of Sewerage System
Grinder Pump or Low-Pressure Sewerage System
Grinder pumps can be an ideal solution for small communities of less than 100 houses, especially if they are located in mountainous areas where large blocks of houses are a long-distance away. Pumps can often be used in combination with vacuum or gravity systems when you want to link small outlying communities or houses to a municipal facility.
They are not ideal for coastal areas where sand can affect the crusher impellers, nor for areas with power supply problems as they can completely paralyze the system.
As the pumps are generally located in the homes of the owners and they often bear the expense, there is often a negative reaction from the communities when there is some other alternative available such as a vacuum. Unlike vacuum sewer systems, grinder pump systems require operators to enter private property, often spilling effluent onto the ground when making repairs.
Community anger at decision to adopt low-pressure grinder pumps/sewer systems.
Gravity sewers
Residential areas have often been left without a sewer because it is too difficult or expensive to install a gravity sewer system in the area. Gravity culverts have been used for hundreds of years, but advances to improve operator health and safety, reduce energy and water costs, and also minimize environmental damage have made them obsolete in flat areas. or with little slope.
As the name suggests, these are large diameter pipes that rely on a sewage movement by gravity going down a pipe until it is too deep, then a pump will lift it to the surface, where the process begins again.
This leads to several problems. As old systems have broken pipes, the sewers contaminate groundwater and fishing areas causing health problems and rainwater enters the system with subsequent loss of energy in both pumping and treatment.
One of the most complex problems with the gravity sewer system lies in its construction. Many systems require deep excavation or multiple pump stations that require space and energy.
In many municipalities, there is simply no site. Drinking water pipes, stormwater pipes, and electricity and communication cables also need their space under the streets.
Construction time can be expensive and long, not good for developers or residents.
It is very common to read in the press about “fat icebergs” forming in sewers or about rat infestations. Do operators really need to put up with this in the 21st century? Is it necessary to put their lives at risk from concentrations of gas in the sewers?
Typical deep gravity culvert construction.
Vacuum sewer
Enter the 21st century. Typically, vacuum sewer systems are found in areas where it is difficult to install a gravity sewer. Today we can also see them supplement excess flow gravity sewers in municipalities or in areas that regularly succumb to earthquakes, typhoons, and hurricanes. We will not find them in the middle of densely developed 40-story residential buildings as installing a central gravity tube to service them is much easier. Take a look at our Projects page to see the variety of vacuum projects we have carried out.
Vacuum systems are often found in flat areas with high groundwater or difficult to excavate due to hard rock. But there are many other reasons why a vacuum system may be the perfect fit for your project. The average size of the project has 2,000 people, but it can be installed for 1 or 100,000.
There are a variety of reasons why vacuum systems have been chosen for these projects. The capital cost is one of the highest, as well as the energy costs, also the reduction of a possible effluent seepage is a primary factor. With environmental protection agencies, fines for polluting rivers, beaches, and fishing sites have skyrocketed. Communities with Flovac vacuum sewer systems have significantly lower risks.
Importance of Sewer Systems
Initially, the construction of buildings, houses, streets, parking lots, and others modify the natural environment in which man lives and has, as some of its many consequences, the creation of poorly permeable surfaces (which favors the presence of a greater amount of water on the land) and the elimination of natural channels (which reduces the ability to evacuate rainwater and wastewater).
In most cities, there is a need to evacuate rainwater to prevent flooding of homes, businesses, industries, and other areas of interest.
This place, in a properly conceived project, should be a place where it is possible to subject them to a treatment process.
The treatment of wastewater generally consists of the oxidation of the biodegradable matter and its purpose is to achieve its stabilization, to remove the harmful power that they carry, and to be able to dispose of them safely without causing dangers or risks to human health in case to be used.
Sewage is produced continuously and increases in quantity as the population grows and diversifies its socioeconomic activities: they produce infectious diseases, affect health and the environment, and therefore must be treated before being discharged into rivers, lakes, or other bodies of water, or to be reused for agriculture, garden irrigation or other activities.
On the contrary, rainwater is transitory and its frequency and intensity depend on the prevailing rain regime in each locality. However, in all cases, they can be directed by interceptors to more rational places and uses without passing them through expensive treatment facilities.
What are the water and sewer systems?
Although many people do not really give them the value they deserve, the water and sewerage systems are among the most important constructions for the general population.
Read on so you know what they are, the type of wastewater that travels through them, and, also, how they are classified.
Sewerage and the origins of wastewater
The sewerage system is known for being a group of pipes and complementary works, which become necessary at the moment that the need is created not only to receive but also to evacuate all the wastewater of the population. As well as the surface runoff produced by rain.
Using these water collection nets is of utmost importance since, if it were not for them, or were used incorrectly, the community, in general, could be exposed to a great risk of contracting epidemiological diseases. Apart from generating the occasional material loss.
Origins of wastewater
- Domestic origin. This is what comes from homes, more specifically from laundry rooms, toilets, kitchens, and any other element that emerges residual water. They are mostly composed of suspended solids, sedimentable solids, nutrients, and pathogenic organisms.
- Industrial origin. They are those that are generated by manufacturing or industrial processes. They are capable of containing all the components of domestic water, but, in turn, contain toxic elements such as lead, mercury, Niguel, among others. This means that, necessarily, they need to be removed and not reversed within the sewer system.
- Origin by rain or rainwater. They are those generated from rainfall, and also by the fall of these in cars, roofs, terraces, streets, among other places. They contain a huge amount of suspended solids. It is also possible that they bring chemicals and heavy metals with them.
How are water and sewer systems classified?
The classification of water and sewage systems is given according to the type of water that is transferred through these pipes, so it is necessary to study what is discarded by society to structure the appropriate one.
- Sanitary sewer. It is a system that is designed to transfer domestic and industrial wastewater through it. The development of the materials in this type of works can vary since sometimes the industries also dispose of toxic waste.
- Storm sewer. This is a system that is designed to transport the water that falls from the rain thanks to drains that end in the nearby wells. As for acid rain, a more compact and direct study is necessary, because a simple pipe would not resist it due to the number of chemicals they have.
- Combined sewer. This is a slightly more complex water and sewer system, which is suitable for the two cases mentioned above. The only difference is that this is relatively more expensive, and the completion of the work takes a little longer.
What is expected of a water and sewer system?
- That it has sufficient capacity. To conduct a maximum volume of water with total safety, so that the removal occurs more quickly.
- It must have adequate resistance. Each conduit is subject to a certain effort, and it must be able to withstand it. Everything will depend on the materials used in its construction.
- They must have an appropriate depth. If you do not want a live load break, you must work with the proper depth. This also ensures that the home discharge connection runs smoothly.
- They should be easy to clean and inspect. The sewer lines are not cleaned alone, suspended solids constantly adhere to the walls of the ducts, so that inspections and cleanings are necessary.
If you have any questions regarding the importance and types of sewerage systems? Feel free to ask.
