Vacuum sewerage systems are used in a variety of situations where ground conditions make it difficult to install a traditional gravity system or where there is an overriding environmental issue. The principles of operation are the same as in residential area’s where a vacuum system may have replaced an old septic tank or gravity system or in a new housing development.
Developed in the 1960’s, it is a sewerage system which uses differential air pressure and gravity to rapidly transport sewage in a network of essentially empty pipes from Collection Pits to a central collection tank and then to a point of discharge. A batch of sewage enters the vacuum system when the pneumatic Flovac Valve opens in a collection pit and the sewage is transported into the vacuum main. The Flovac Valve remains open briefly following the removal of the sewage from the pit sump allowing atmospheric air to enter the suction pipe and sends the sewage batch toward the Vacuum Pump Station. Unlike the older vacuum sewerage systems the transport in modern systems is fast and notably not due to a siphon.
Read about different aspects of the system by clicking one of the following links
Difficult to sewer commercial areas including shops and restaurants as well as residential
Have a look at our descriptive Video to learn more about how vacuum sewers work or see our interactive system layout below.
Please have a look through our interactive typical system to see different aspects of the system. naturally every system is different but all systems will have a pump station, valves and pipework.
INTERACTIVE PDF VACUUM SYSTEM LAYOUT
This is an interactive PDF and shows how a typical vacuum system is laid out, describing key components and some additional ways in which vacuum sewers are used. To navigate through the diagram, click on a label to view a brief description. THIS MAY TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO DOWNLOAD.
The Interactive PDF shows a typical canal development and is based on an actual project in Queensland, Australia that is utilizing a Flovac system. The Vacuum Pump Station (6) has four vacuum mains (3) covering the whole development. Approximately 2,600 houses will ultimately be serviced by the Flovac system and will be staged over a number of years. On average 4 houses are connected to a Collection Pit (4) which houses the Flovac Valve (5). This system services houses as well as commercial area’s, a Hospital (7), office buildings (8), a golf course resort and club house as well as a marina (10) which includes a suck out point for the boats.
The system includes a valve monitoring system (11) that allows the owners to detect if infiltration is occurring or if there are any problems within the system. This has reduced operational costs, as all call-outs can be prioritized, energy savings are made and labor costs are lower as the time in the field is shortened.
How can you determine if a vacuum system would be right for your project. You can get more information here.
For more information or a free concept layout or quote please Contact Us.
