New Pump War Against the Curse of Wet Wipes

News that wet wipe-filled fatbergs could destroy Australia’s sewage systems is another clear example of why only pumps fit for purpose should be used to tackle them.

So say leading pump manufacturer Landia (UK), who claim that treatment plant buyers are bamboozled by claims that so many pumps are sold as supposedly ‘non-clog’, yet soon come to a grinding halt when trying to cope with costly, nuisance solids such as wet wipes. 

“It’s time to declare war on wet wipes, which are a serious and fast expanding problem”, said Paul Davies from Landia.  “This latest news from Australia shows, for example, that Sydney Water is spending around $8 million a year to fix blockages caused by wet wipes – and we have the same problem here in the UK and also in the U S”.

Water Services Association of Australia executive director Adam Lovell said authorities around the country were struggling to cope. In south-east Queensland alone, around 120 tonnes of wet wipes are being removed from the system every year.

Davies added:  “Bog-standard pumps can deal with standard sewage, but they are no match whatsoever for the tough, tear-resistant synthetic fibres of wet wipes.  Some treatment plants are reaching epidemic proportions of blockages.  So-called ‘flushable’ products are one thing, but when it comes to making marketing claims to shift more products, we’ve also got umpteen so-called ‘non-clog’ sewage pumps that do actually clog!”

Davies claims that on the other hand, chopper pumps that are designed with a genuine dual-action cutting mechanism, are a big weapon against wet wipes – whereby hardened steel knives chop and cut the materials prior to them entering the impeller.

He continued:  “There are several grinder/cutter pumps that utilise the actual impeller as part of the cutting mechanism, but this isn’t the most effective method.  In the war against wet wipes, buying the right pump is vital”.