Half-Filled Magmeters Give Sewer Authority Complete Solution to Wastewater Overflow

WaterConnections

Presented by KROHNE

The town of Schuylkill County, Pa., was experiencing a serious problem with wastewater overflow given that its sewers had been built in the 1800s.

“During high water events, the treatment plant was being flooded out, causing untreated or partially treated water to enter nearby streams,” said Richard Lowrie, industry manager for KROHNE. “This resulted in fines from the state agencies and impact on the environment.”

A solution to control the flow of water to the wastewater treatment plant, particularly during heavy storms, was needed and regulating the initial flow of water into the interceptor system was key. Buchart Horn, a full-service engineering and architectural firm based in York, Pa., was hired.

“The city had a combined system comprising stormwater and sanitary flow,” said Bruce Hulshizer of Buchart Horn. “In order to have such a system, you have to have control structures that basically separate out sanitary flow away from a pre-designated amount of flow. After that, it would be storm flow, so you’d have to have some way of dividing the two. That’s where partially-full magmeters came in.”

Buchart Horn chose 21 of KROHNE’s TIDALFLUX line of electromagnetic magmeters. These partially filled magmeters measure the lower normal flows and the higher flows during high water events. The city is now able to measure the normal flows (which would not keep a typical magmeter full) or the higher flow rates that occur in storm conditions. Flow measured during storm events is diverted away from the plant to nearby waterways. Once normal rates resume, it is directed back to the plant. WW

KROHNE is a world-leading manufacturer and supplier of solutions in process instrumentation and measurement. To learn more, visit https://us.krohne.com.