Holden Beach, located on a barrier island along the Atlantic coast, has sandy soil, high groundwater, and flat terrain.  This primarily resort community was experiencing problems associated with septic tanks and failing drain fields and saw removing the onsite systems as a step towards a cleaner environment.

The decision to install vacuum sewers in Holden Beach was based primarily on these AIRVAC benefits: ease of installation, O&M simplification and safety, storm survivability, and environmental protection.

The new AIRVAC vacuum sewer system in Holden Beach supports the town’s goal of environmental stewardship by providing a closed system that prevents sewer overflows and eliminates infiltration and inflow.

The Village of Alloway, NJ had been looking to replace its septic tanks for decades, but cost and inconvenience delayed the project until 2007. Alloway’s new AIRVAC vacuum sewer system saved taxpayers approximately $1 million compared to installing gravity sewers and the project won a statewide Municipal Engineering Award. The Village of Alloway will also save on operational costs for years to come since the AIRVAC system requires very little maintenance and energy to operate it.

Fast-growing Hooper, Utah, (population 5,500) was the largest unsewered city in the state when it incorporated in 2000. The site characteristics and topography of the area made gravity sewer installation difficult, disruptive and expensive. Seeking a better alternative, the city did extensive research on several sewer conveyance methods and determined that vacuum sewer technology by AIRVAC was the best solution.

AIRVAC helped the city avoid several difficult problems. Vacuum collection lines can be buried in shallower trenches, eliminating the need for deep excavation and dewatering. This greatly reduced installation time and minimized traffic disruption. Hooper’s vacuum sewer required only three vacuum stations to serve the entire town, compared to the 15 pumping stations that a gravity sewer would have needed. As a result, the city saved about 25 percent by utilizing AIRVAC technology rather than gravity sewers.