Municipality Overview:
Life Before Chopper Pumps: The Charter Township of Brownstown, MI is a residential community located less than 30 miles south of Detroit. The Township’s Department of Public Works strives to provide safe drinking water and efficient sewer services for the rapidly growing township that includes over 10,000 residential and commercial customers.
Lift Station Details:
One of the most problematic pump stations for Brownstown was the Pleasant pump station. The triplex station, built in the 1970s, receives sewage from nearby residences and a few commercial establishments. The Pleasant station discharges directly to the South Huron Valley Waste-Water Treatment Plant.
When the existing non-clog pumps in the station began causing problems, the Township authorities tried replacing one of the pumps in the station with a different non-clog pump brand. This solution was unsuccessful and resulted in frustration for the township staff who were forced to coordinate with multiple distributors to order parts and service. The Township also had to keep inventory parts for one of the pump brands, some of which were highly expensive. These included proprietary seals and other parts that had to be imported from across the Atlantic.
The preexisting pumps were clogging at least twice each quarter and were often running for long durations indicating that the pumps were clogging. Frustrated with having different pump brands in the station and high total cost of ownership, the Public Works Director, Mr. William Turner, decided to standardize and install three reliable submersible Sithe chopper pumps in the station.
Chopper Pump Installation:
Jett Pump & Valve, a municipal distributor of CP&S, worked with the Township of Brownstown to size and install three 4” 7.5HP Barnes Sithe Chopper pumps in the station in July 2018. Since installation, the three pumps have been operating without any issues. Mr. Turner is extremely satisfied with the Sithe Chopper pumps and with Jett Pump’s passion for solving customer problems and quality of service.
Key Takeaways:
PAIN POINTS:
• Pleasant pump station had three non-clog pumps of different brands
• Brownstown had to keep inventory of expensive spare parts and depended on multiple distributors for servicing and ordering
• Pumps were clogging due to rags at least twice a quarter
SOLUTION:
• The Township standardized and installed three Sithe chopper pumps
• Sithe pumps have been operating without any issues since July 2018
• Sithe pumps have increased reliability and reduced total cost of ownership
To learn more about the SITHE Chopper pump:
https://www.cranepumps.com/products/details/sithe-chopper-pumps