Heavy Lifting of Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment Made Easy

Tuesday 18th October 2022


What is Wastewater?

Wastewater is classified as used water from any combination of domestic, industrial, commercial, agricultural activities, surface runoff, or storm water.

What is wastewater treatment process?

The wastewater treatment process removes the contaminants from the wastewater and converts it into an element that can be returned to the water cycle with minimum impact on the environment. Water can carry harmful diseases and bacteria, making it important for it to undergo this treatment before it is returned to homes and businesses.

How does the wastewater treatment process work?


1. Travel

The wastewater travels through the large main sewer system underground to the wastewater treatment plant. As it reaches the plant, the water will be screened to remove any large items or debris from the sewage.

2. Preliminary Treatment

At this stage, the sewage is forced through the grit chamber. Water makes its way from large screens to small screens, removing objects as small as a match.

3. Grit Removal

The water is then pumped into sedimentation tanks to separate the components of the sewage even further. This removes all remaining grit from the water to be disposed of as it cannot be reused due to high contamination.

4. Primary Treatment

The water flows into primary settling tanks, and is guided towards the hopper in the base of the tank. During this, the hopper arm moves around the edge of the tank. This allows for the treated water to move towards the edges and the sedimentation to flow and settle at the bottom of the tank.


5. Secondary Treatment (biological stage)

The wastewater treatment plant will use bacteria to consume contaminants, carbon, phosphorous and biodegradable organics. This will turn into sludge, excess sludge is pumped out and moved to the digestion tanks for further treatment before the water will enter the settling tanks.
Digestion Tanks Sludge is heated and mixed. Biogas is produced during this process from the sludge. Wastewater treatment plants can reuse this for electrical and thermal energy production. Water is then separated from the sludge and taken back for further treatment.

6. Disposal of sludge

All of the sludge gathered is disposed in a sanitary landfill. After about a month sludge will be dried out enough to use for agricultural reasons such as fertilization of industrial crops.

 

7. Disinfection and Deep Inspection

The final step to the treatment plant undergoes a thorough inspection to analyze the contamination level. They make sure the treated water is acceptable to the highest standards. If the water passes this inspection it can be reused for domestic or industrial purposes.
For disinfection, treated water (also known as effluent) is sent through a chamber or series of reservoirs to allow sufficient time for chemicals or light to kill bad microorganisms that have not been removed. This effluent is now called ‘reclaimed water’ and is released back to the environment for beneficial purposes.
Wastewater treatment plants must reach a certain quality standard at the end of this process. In order to have this quality, they must make sure they stay up to date on maintenance and equipment. This equipment can be heavy and hard to maneuver.


Maintenance

In order to ensure high-quality water at the end of the treatment process, the plants must make sure that their equipment is well kept and they are up to date on all maintenance. Davit cranes are typically used for lifting, lowering, and/or positioning equipment at a treatment plant. Most commonly, they are used for maintenance purposes of submersible pump/mixers, WAS/RAS pumps, chopper pump maintenance, UV bulb replacement on UV Modules, lifting trash baskets for disposal, or positioning stop logs/dam gates.
Both jib and davit cranes can be used to accomplish this. While both can get the job done, a davit crane is better suited to complete this task.


Our Solutions for the Waste Water Industry


Our Supplier Thern, Inc. is a reliable name in lifting, pulling, and positioning equipment involved in municipal and industrial water treatment processes. Wastewater treatment systems around the world rely on Thern products to continue critical operations. Among the most common applications of Thern products include pump and mixer lifts. Thern winches and cranes allow wastewater treatment plant equipment to be raised from its working position for regular maintenance and repairs.
Keep looking in any wastewater treatment plant, however, and you may find Thern products doing the heavy lifting of many kinds of wastewater treatment plant equipment.

Solutions to Move & Maintain Wastewater Treatment Plant Equipment

Sludge Cart and Dumpster Positioning Systems

Thern winches eliminate the need for extra equipment and time when loading and unloading sludge carts and dumpsters. Use one heavy-duty electric winch and Thern’s precise positioning controls to move a receptacle two directions. This allows for sludge carts and dumpsters to be moved slowly during loading, then positioned for easy pick up and emptying. Once empty, use the same system to position the cart or dumpster at the starting location, ready to be evenly loaded again.
Through the use of a few simple pieces of rigging equipment and Thern’s variable-speed, programmable controls, the loading and unloading process of sludge carts and dumpsters no longer requires extra equipment and time to reposition the receptacle at any stage of the process. Allow the preprogrammed controls to operate the winch to multiple set positions at a simple press of a button.
When floor space is at a premium, Thern winches have valuable versatility. The winches may be mounted on the wall or even ceiling, reducing system footprint.



Long lifts and heavy wastewater treatment equipment provide a unique challenge that Thern can supply solutions for. The 4WP2 Atlas and 3WG4 Atlas II portable electric winches provide the perfect combination of lifting power, drum capacity, and flexibility. Plant operators may mount one of Thern’s portable electric winches to a Thern davit crane and begin lifting or lowering some of the heaviest wastewater treatment plant equipment into and out of long-lift situations.

Thern’s 4WP2 Atlas portable electric winch has a load rating of 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms), line speed of up to 97 feet per minute (29 meters per minute), and drum capacity of up to 280 feet (85 meters) of wire rope. If your situation requires even more power, the 3WG4 Atlas II boasts a load rating of 4,000 pounds (1,817 kilograms), line speed of up to 28 feet per minute (8 meters per minute), and a drum capacity of up to 300 feet (91 meters). Both Thern Atlas portable electric winches are excellent options for reliably lifting wastewater treatment plant equipment.

Rely on Thern to do Your Heavy Lifting

There is a reason Thern has made a name for itself as a reliable solution for lifting, pulling, and positioning wastewater treatment plant equipment around the world. When looking for effective ways to lift equipment, Thern davit cranes and hand winches offer cost-effective, dependable options. Pair a winch and portable davit crane with multiple crane bases to lift pumps, mixers, UV panels, and any other component of a wastewater treatment system.
When your needs move beyond what a hand winch and portable davit crane offer, Thern can continue to provide solutions. Heavy-duty electric winches, portable electric winches, and custom controls are just a small example of what Thern can provide for municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities.

Contact Prolift Handling today and leave your heavy lifting to us.

Sign up to our newsletter

Be the first to hear about our special offers, product updates and industry news.
Trustpilot