Effluent pumping is a critical part of the environmental management of most water systems. Water from waste water, such as storm runoff or normal rainwater, is pumped to a tank by a pump and transported to a wastewater treatment plant (WTP) where it is processed into a liquid form. This liquid, known as effluent, is then disposed of via wastewater discharge, usually in a gravity feed system. For larger treatment facilities, this liquid is further treated to remove gases, solids, and bacteria before being released into waterways. A majority of water discharged through these means is reclaimed by natural wetlands. The remainder is sent to other municipal sewer systems or to the drainage systems that feed rural soil.
Effluent pumping – The environmental management of most water systems
There are two types of discharge mechanisms used to process effluent. Manual pumping requires an in-house team to manually suction excess water out of storm drains and waterways. This method can be extremely labor intensive and can result in overflowing pipes. When large quantities of liquid are being discharged, mechanical venturi loading devices are used to inject the liquid to a higher pressure, and further force it out of the pipes. While this may seem like a more expensive solution, it provides greater capacity for discharge and prevents pipe overflow problems.
A second method for automatic effluent pumping is to install a submersible pump that forces the effluent into a tube, where it is pumped out into a discharge nozzle. If large quantities of liquid effluent are being discharged, the submersible pump can be attached to high-pressure lines to send the effluent to wastewater treatment plants located far apart. This method offers better overall efficiency, because the pump can be operated on demand, depending on the amount of water being discharged.
