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During the construction or expansion of any site, or when mining operations take place, one key factor that demands careful planning is the effective management of wastewater, explains North Ridge Pumps.
At remote locations, consideration must also be given to reducing reliance on expensive freshwater supplies through the reuse of process wastewater, ensuring minimal disruption to surrounding communities and infrastructure which may not have the capacity for the demands of the construction site.
With tankered waste disposal costs climbing to as much as £35-100 per m³, mobile wastewater treatment is rapidly gaining adoption worldwide as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative.
The need for mobile waste water treatment often arises when a steady supply of clean water is essential but permanent systems are unavailable, under maintenance, or not yet in place. Whether supporting a temporary site, a major event, or ensuring compliance while facilities are offline, flexible water treatment solutions can fill the gap.
North Ridge were contacted recently by a wastewater treatment company who needed five new pumps for their mobile water treatment plant abroad within a tight lead time. They wanted units which could deliver up to 170M³H, be easy to maintain and operate via a variable frequency drive to modularise flow as wastewater treatment requirements varied.
The benefits of rotary lobe pumps are that they provide gentle, shear-free handling of fluids, handle a wide range of viscosities and solids, deliver smooth, consistent flow, and maintain reliable performance. Furthermore they can be built in stainless steel, enabling the handling of fluids which may contain aggressively low or high PH fluids.
They are a positive displacement pump that uses two synchronised, counter-rotating lobes to move fluids, in this case, wastewater, as the lobes rotate, they trap fluid in pockets, draw it into the pump, and then force it out the discharge port as the volume decreases.
They are used in a wide range of applications including:
• Wastewater treatment – handling solids and viscous sludge
• Chemical processing – pumping polymers, paints, and other viscous chemicals
• Food and beverages – moving products like chocolate, dough, sauces, or whole solids without crushing
• Pharmaceuticals – transferring viscous, shear-sensitive products such as creams, gels, and lotion
At North Ridge Pumps, we use over 25 years of expertise to select the best pump for each client, tailoring specifications for long-term performance across a wide range of applications—never relying on off-the-shelf models.
After discussing their requirements, we supplied five 6” rotary lobe wastewater transfer pumps complete with spares, which included two complete bareshaft pump heads enabling the head to be completely swapped over should more in depth maintenance or servicing be required.
They contained various features to enable the units to operate for extended periods of time in remote locations without the need for frequent maintenance.
This included Hardox wear plates which are resistant to abrasion and reduce wear to the pump head due to them being fabricated in a material with a higher hardness than that of the casing. A mechanical seal with seal quench to ensure seal faces remain free from solids, and should the pump be ran dry that the seals are protected as they are immersed in an oil bath. Gooseneck inlet and outlet pipework which ensure the pump head remains filled with liquid for easy repriming, and detachable front cover for expedited lobe replacement.
The units were designed to deliver a flow rate ranging from 65 to 170m³/h at an operating pressure of less than five bar with a rotating speed
