Aguasresiduales.info, sponsored by Flovac
Flovac is now sponsor of Aguasresiduales.info, a leading digital magazine in information, training and knowledge for the water treatment sector. Flovac’s news and exclusive articles about the vacuum sewerage system will be published on their website. Last Wednesday our very first article was published: “The advantages of vacuum sewerage compared to gravity sewerage”. Next week, an interview with Flovac Spain commercial director Bruno Galindo will be also available on the website.
Sewerage system comparisons: vacuum vs. gravity
In Aguasresiduales.info’s latest article, Flovac explains the main advantages of the vacuum sewage system compared to the more conventional system, the gravity one.
Vacuum sewerage systems can be used in a variety of situations. For example: in residential areas, marine and port facilities, green buildings, hospitals, industrial areas and army, emergency and mining camps. The principals of operation are the same as in residential areas, where a vacuum system may have replaced an old septic tank or gravity system.
How does the vacuum system work?
In a vacuum system, the difference between atmospheric pressure and the vacuum in the system (from – 50 Kpa to – 70 Kpa) is achieved by the vacuum pumps, which are located in the vacuum station. This pressure difference provides the energy necessary to open the valves (without the need for electricity) and therefore, to transport the wastewater.
The wastewater flows by gravity from the connection or household manhole to the vacuum pit. When about 40 liters have accumulated, a detector pneumatically opens the vacuum valve, which is located inside the pit. This valve absorbs the water, transporting it through the Ø 90 mm connection to the main line. Then, the wastewater flows into the tank of the vacuum station. Finally, when a certain volume of wastewater has accumulated in the vacuum tank, the impulsion pumps will pump it towards the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) or another nearby upper sewer point.
Comparison of systems
In the gravity system, broken pipes can go unnoticed for long periods of time. This is due to the depth at which they are located, which makes detection difficult and expensive to repair.
On the other hand, with Flovac’s system there is no chance of sewage leaking, since the vacuum is maintained within the mains at all times. When a leak occurs in the main pipe, operators are immediately alerted so they can find and repair the leakage as fast as possible.
For these reasons, the vacuum sewerage system is the best alternative to the gravity system. It reduces overall costs and it is also the most ecological option, since it is incapable to produce a leak to the ground and therefore the environment can’t be polluted.
