Business North October 2021

| 33 South Waikato District Council: 3 Waters Project REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT The upgrades are driven by a population surge that’s been going one for the past five or six years. For those oblivious to the unpleasant world of wastewater treatment, a digester is the heart of a modern wastewater treatment plant. Inside, bacteria break down organic waste to produce biogas, and digestate. To maintain digestion rates, it is vital that the digester sludge is well mixed, and warm. Pump Systems, a 100% NZ owned and operated company that specialise in biogas and wastewater processing technology, was contracted to supply the digester mixing, and sludge heat exchange systems for Tokoroa’s Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade. Vaughan’s Rotamix® system, widely accepted as the world’s most reliable, and cost-effective means of mechanical hydraulic mixing for sludge tanks, and digesters was chosen and supplied.Designed to match the digesters shape, volume, and unique sludge rheology, the Rotamix® system is guaranteed to provide minimum 90% active volume mixing. Pump Systems are the exclusive agent for Vaughan in NZ & Australia. How does it work? The Rotamix® system consists of carefully aimed nozzles inside the digester tank, and a pump located outside of the digester. Sludge is pumped through the nozzles to create high velocity jets that mix the volume inside the digester. Nozzles are warranted for 10 years, and all World Leading Technologies for Tokoroa’s Wastewater serviceable items are located externally, thus the digester won’t need draining for maintenance activities. To keep the bacteria nice and warm inside the digester requires a unique type of heat exchanger, one built to handle thick sludges. Lackeby in Sweden manufacture such a machine. Lackeby’s heat exchangers are used the world over because of their patented turn chambers that increase efficiency, decrease size, and decrease pressure losses through the heat exchanger. Pump Systems are the exclusive agent for Lackeby Products in NZ & Australia. Powering the Rotamix® system, and pumping sludge through the heat exchanger are Vaughan chopper pumps, the only pumps in the world to offer a non-clogging guarantee. Modern sewage is filled with so-called ‘flushable’ sanitary products that can cause serious blockages to pumps, and equipment. The Vaughan chopper pump ‘chops’ all incoming solids to protect the pump, and downstream equipment. These are extreme-duty pumps, built for the harshest of environments. A late addition to the project was a reversible pump able to handle solids laden media. As Börger agent for NZ, Pump Systems supplied a rotary lobe pump that meets system requirements, and benefits from Börger’s MIP (Maintenance In Place) technology that allows a full wet end re-build in-situ.                     THE SOLIDS HANDLING & BIOGAS SPECIALISTS Guaranteed non-clogging chopper pumps up to 3,000m³/hr, and Rotamix®, the worlds most reliable, cost e ective means of mechanical hydraulic mixing for; sludge tanks, digesters, and other high volume applications