Non-Clogging Wastewater Pump Keeps Small Town Running Smoothly

The situation

In the close-knit community of Owen, Wisconsin, with a population of about 940, the primary wastewater pump in the town's lift station was failing. Chad Smith, the Director of Public Works for Owen, emphasized their commitment: "We do it 100%. We want to do everything to the best of our ability for our residents, for our customers that are using our water and sewer."

The existing pump, over 25 years old, was showing significant wear. "The impeller was getting worn down quite a bit where it, gallons per minute, wasn't meeting what its specs should be. We have to pump four miles out to our wastewater treatment plant," Chad explained. The worn impeller made the pump prone to clogging with solids and fibers, leading to frequent maintenance and the risk of blockages disrupting service to residents.

Recognizing the need for an upgrade, Chad contacted William Reid, a trusted local supplier. Together, they sought a new pump to meet the community's needs.

The solution

William Reid and Associates recommended the Grundfos 56 frame SL pump, a submersible pump designed for wastewater applications. The pump's key feature is its non-clogging impeller, which is engineered to handle solids and fibers without clogging. This significantly reduces maintenance needs and the risk of future issues.

William Reid’s Richard Pierce noted, "The regular PMs should be done once a month, like the manufacturer or dealer states. Just make sure you change out the oil on a regular basis. Check your gapping. Make sure there’s no rag in it. That's one of the nice benefits of this pump. They should only have to pull it once a year to do all the maintenance."

Additionally, the Grundfos pump operates on lower horsepower, saving energy without compromising performance. Chad remarked, “This one actually has a little bit smaller horsepower, but it outperforms other pumps that we have here. By the way, their design was on the impellers and the one they have on there is a non-clogging impeller.”

The installation was seamless, reusing existing guide rails and fitting into the old pump's space without modifying the controls or base hubs. However, the connection required some customization. Anthony from Grundfos explained, “The biggest challenge in this retrofit was the breakaway fitting. The slide bracket from the existing manufacturer was very proprietary. To fit our pump, we used our engineering team in Aurora, Illinois, to reverse engineer the slide bracket on the existing volute. This allowed us to retrofit our pump without modifications.”

The outcome

Anthony stated, “The technology pump makes the City of Owen’s job extremely easy. Less maintenance and less repair cost because it's a smaller motor size. And the non-clogging capability of the impeller allows them to run that pump without having any issues.”

Paul Ludwig from William Reid added, “With this pump selection, when we pulled the pump, we just pulled a bunch of rags off around the pump, and the pump did not clog at all. So it's preventing those issues from happening.”

Chad is pleased with the improved performance, ease of installation, and reduced maintenance. He said, “I would recommend Grundfos pumps to other people in the industry. I'd recommend William Reid. They do a fantastic job.”