Finding the right level measurement for duplex pump stations.

dBi sensors for wastewater pump station measurement.

In a small residential area in New York, it is crucial that wastewater treatment is running smoothly and requires little maintenance. They needed to find a solution that met these requirements for their duplex pump station.

The small pumping station had two 10-horsepower submersible pumps and float switches for detecting when the wastewater had reached the level necessary before being pumped to the next stage of the treatment process. The float switches were proving to be unreliable as the municipal team was making frequent site visits to the pump station to ensure the system would continue to operate as it should. These frequent service efforts take a lot of time, and there is never true certainty on how much time can be taken in-between visits before the floats need to be reviewed again.

The team needed a solution that would be able to shoot through a narrow opening with multiple obstructions in the station's collection basin. The solution also needed to be able to accurately track the level with the turbulent flows that would come from the influent line in the previous phase of the treatment process being close to the pump station.

The dBi6 HART sensors are loop powered (3.8-22mA), have IP68 ingress protection for outdoor applications, and are temperature compensated for increased accuracy. Set up was easy as there weren't any special programming requirements for the application and the narrow beam angle of the sensor was ideal. The world-leading DATEM technology (Digital Adaptive Tracking of Echo Movements) allows the sensors to zero in on the true echo while ignoring all other elements in the measurement path.

Having a reliable sensor was exactly what the wastewater treatment team had been looking for, and the dBi6 proved to be the right solution.