For many years, a water reclamation plant in Texas successfully used six Penn Valley double disc pumps for their primary sludge and scum applications. At their latest expansion project, they added macerators in-line ahead of all the double disc pumps to enhance their process and grind rags and debris. Since the installation of the macerators, they have suffered severe problems with plugging of the pump suction lines that led to frequent pump rebuilds. After years of frustration in dealing with this problem, they turned to the Muffin Monster.
According to the plant maintenance superintendent, “It’s been a blessing for the last six months” having installed the Muffin Monster. In general, the gravity system follows the region’s natural topography and drainage basins flowing to the water reclamation plant which is rated for an annual average flow of 6 mgd (977 cu meters per hour).
With their previous macerators, the plant had to interrupt the system two to three times a day to cut through rags, hair and debris. This would wear down the blades faster, requiring constant replacement. With two pumps on each system, the cleanup and pump building were time consuming. The lack of durability and strength of the macerators forced the plant to do a complete pump rebuild every two years, in turn increasing workload and man-hours. This became the norm at this facility for years.
