A choice pump for wastewater polymer dosing

UK-based electrical and mechanical engineering company Chemical Support Systems (CSS) designs, manufactures, installs and commissions chemical dosing systems across a variety of industries, including water treatment.

Phosphorus in wastewater remains the most common cause of Water Framework Directive (WFD) quality failure in the UK. More than half of the UK’s river water bodies and three-quarters of its lakes exceed the phosphorus discharge consent level of 0.1 mg P/L for good environmental status.

To help combat phosphorus levels, a chemical coagulant or polymer is typically dosed into wastewater. The amount of dosing depends on the amount of phosphorus present, with potential fines for those found guilty of discharges outside of limits.

For polymer dosing in wastewater treatment applications, CSS opts for Qdos pumps from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG).

CSS co-owner Ian Bishop said, “Companies with wastewater streams are trying to achieve increasingly stringent discharge consent limits, but also want to reduce operational wastewater treatment costs. Our chemical dosing systems, many of which rely on Qdos pumps, help companies achieve both these things.

“When supplying a chemical dosing system to a customer, there are certain qualities we look for in a dosing pump,” Bishop said.

“We use Qdos pumps predominantly for their reliability, intuitive operation, accurate dosing and ease of maintenance. If chemicals are particularly viscous, such as polymers, we find Qdos pumps even more useful.

“In our experience, using conventional diaphragm pumps for dosing high-viscosity polymers can be problematic due to blockages within the suction and discharge valves. The benefit for customers of specifying Qdos pumps is a reduction in the level of maintenance required by not having to clean and flush the associated pump head and valves on a periodic basis.”

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