The Suzhou River near Shanghai, China, winds peacefully through beautiful gardens and parks, and flows alongside elegant temples and pagodas. The river has a rich cultural heritage in the region, including several elaborate stone arch bridges that cross it. However, as Shanghai has expanded the river has faced serious challenges from pollution.
In 2007 Shanghai urban construction officials made protecting the river a top priority. As part of the Suzhou River Wastewater Works Phase II, the Chang Ping Road pump station was designed and built to collect wastewater and storm water from the region and send it to a wastewater treatment plant for purification. The pump station is surrounded by residential neighborhoods and sits on the shore of the Suzhou River. Through several discussions with Ivy Canada, a Hangzhou, China-based wastewater equipment consultant, and designers from JWC Environmental (JWCE), the owner decided to accept JWCE’s proposal to construct the entire pump station underground. A beautiful park for residents could then be built right on top.
This meant the pump station could not have wastewater screening debris collected inside the building—material had to be ground up and pumped to the wastewater treatment plant. This ensures foul, malodorous sewage screenings will not disturb the neighborhood or the beautiful park. Odors also would be a nuisance for local residents. In addition, pumping debris to a treatment plant eliminates the need for a weekly or daily trash pick-up, saving the owner money and keeping big garbage trucks out of the park.
The project owner purchased two of JWCE’s largest sewage grinders, the 70000 Macho Monster. This massive grinder stands more than 10 ft tall and has two rows of sharp steel cutter teeth that shred debris into small particles, allowing it to easily pass through pumps and pipelines. The debris then is removed at the headworks of the treatment plant by fine screens. The Macho Monster uses a 25-hp motor to generate slow speed, high torque grinding power so it can slice through even the toughest wastewater solids.
The capacity of the pump station is 500 million gal per day. A trash rack with a grabber bucket lifts debris into two massive hoppers where the grinders turn material into small particles and drops it back into the wastewater channel. Material is ground so small that the pumps do not become blocked.
The project owner is satisfied with the pump station: The Macho Monster model 70000 grinders protect the pumps, the river is protected from pollution and local residents get a beautiful new park to play in. Local residents do not even know two massive Macho Monsters are lurking right under their feet, quietly chewing up sewer-clogging debris everyday.
Alec Mackie is the marketing manager for JWC Environmental.