CLEANING UP AFTER HURRICANE IRMA IN NORTH FLORIDA More than a year after Hurricane Irma came ashore, a city in northern Florida was still experiencing aftereffects of the storm throughout several of their facilities. A buildup of sand and grit in multiple lift stations was causing reduced efficiency throughout their collection system and needed to be removed in order to restore capacity. Paul Del Favero, Field Supervisor for U.S. Submergent Technologies® (USST), mobilized the USST crew to begin work on cleaning eight lift stations throughout several of facilities. The wells were approximately 20-feet deep and were cleaned using USST’s Combination3® truck. “We successfully removed material from eight lift stations in just six days,” said Paul. “Each wet well had a buildup of sand and grit, and we removed rags as well. Our equipment allows us to be extremely efficient in removing material without having to bypass pump, and crew members were able to avoid confined space entry.” In addition to valuable capacity being restored, the sand and grit removed was paint-filter dry and was disposed of offsite using USST’s GritGone Process®. All facilities remained online throughout the cleaning process, saving both time and energy for the client. Whether you are … Read More
GrowFL Announces 50 Florida Companies to Watch
Leader in Submergent Cleaning Selected as Top Second Stage Honoree (Sarasota, Florida, September 24, 2018) – U.S. Submergent Technologies® (USST), a premier service provider specializing in submergent cleaning of hard-to-reach environments, is among GrowFL’s Companies to Watch for 2018, having been selected from a group of more than 500 nominees. An innovator in the waste removal industry, USST is the only company in its category to be recognized. “We are thrilled and humbled to have been selected as a Florida Company to Watch and it is a privilege to share this honor with 49 prestigious companies,” said USST’s CEO, Denver Stutler, Jr. “Our unique, patented Combination3® truck is the only one of its kind, coupled with our entire USST team, we stand ready to solve problems for our customers by restoring the capacity of wet infrastructure.” The statewide competition aims to recognize second-stage companies who show steady growth in both revenue and employee counts, innovation in leadership and technology, demonstrate community support, have a strong corporate culture, and other factors. Total economic impact of the finalists collectively represented $339 million in 2017 revenue and 1,750 employees across 31 cities in 18 different industries. “These stand-out companies are all led by … Read More
Sand Gone, Capacity Restored
38-Tons Removed in Sebring, FL, Facilities Remain Online Two facilities in The City of Sebring, Florida were experiencing reduced capacity due to a buildup of sand and grit. Paul Stephenson of U.S. Submergent Technologies (USST) mobilized the USST crew to Sebring and was able to efficiently clean all affected structures. “Cleaning in submerged conditions is no problem for the USST crew,” said Paul. “Our Combination3® truck outfitted with extended boom, downhole pump, and jetter allows us to be extremely efficient in removing material without having to drain down the tank or require confined space entry.” “We can save a client valuable time and resources by not having to drain down tanks in order to remove material,” said Denver Stutler, Jr., CEO of USST. “Our equipment is extremely efficient in submerged and surcharged conditions, and tank height is almost never an issue for us.” A lack of an onsite water supply added complexity to the project, but the crew was able to successfully navigate the issue. Approximately 24-tons of sand and grit material was removed from an aeration basin at the Country Club of Sebring Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), as well as nearly 14-tons removed from two SBR basins at the … Read More
The Value of Restoring Capacity
A Cost-Savings Opportunity for Wastewater Treatment & Collection Facilities You’ve heard it before and most likely experienced it firsthand – the buildup of sand and grit in wastewater treatment infrastructure resulting in reduced treatment volume and increased energy usage. The questions to ask are, do you have a sand and grit problem, and how do you know? If you can’t see it, it must not exist! The water at a wastewater treatment plant is often too murky to see through, and sand and grit might or not might not be present. If it is present, there is value in restoring capacity. Determining whether or not there is an issue can be the real challenge. Over time, sand seeps into pipes and lift stations and is eventually transported to wastewater treatment infrastructure. Since the water in tanks at facilities are not see-through, accumulated sand at the bottom of tanks remains unseen and unnoticed until the associated problems have become acute and require immediate attention. Often, the first solution to restoring capacity is to build a new tank instead of cleaning existing tanks. Consider instead the value of restoring capacity versus replacing capacity by cleaning; when the sand is removed, capacity is restored … Read More
Florida Environmental News
Red Tide: Is It Finally On Its Way Out? If you’re currently living in the state of Florida, chances are you’ve been affected by red tide this summer. The West Coast of Florida has been hit the hardest, with the first severe bloom of red tide spreading through the Gulf of Mexico this past June, pushing Gov. Rick Scott to declare a State of Emergency, making national headlines. Dead fish and wildlife littered beaches, cloudy, toxic water lapped the shores, and residents suffered from upper respiratory and eye irritation. Tourists have steered clear of the coasts and local businesses felt the loss this past Fourth of July and Labor Day. As Floridians, we’ve experienced the effects of red tide in previous years, but what made this year’s bloom so much worse? The first intense bloom of the year appeared off the coast of Sarasota in June, but scientists say it never really went away from October of last year, creating a convergence of old and new blooms. “Scientists widely agree red tide, made up of Karenia brevis algae, gets seeded offshore at the bottom of the Florida shelf, then carried inshore by bottom currents. As the algae gets close to … Read More
Under the River & Around the Corner
70-Cubic Yards of Material Creatively Removed from 660-Feet of Pipe, While in Operation U.S. Submergent Technologies (USST) recently completed work for the City of Tampa on a 300-foot section of interceptor sewer pipe running alongside the Hillsborough River which was experiencing reduced capacity due to a buildup of sand and grit. Located in a neighborhood, USST setup downstream on the southeast bank of the Hillsborough River. In order to access the 300-foot 48-inch diameter interceptor sewer pipe, the USST crew had to maneuver through a 360-foot 36-inch diameter siphon and parallel 20-inch diameter siphon under the river, with a 115-degree change in direction. USST’s unique Combination3® truck with extended boom, dripless tube system, and jetter were utilized to travel the 360-foot length of siphon, navigate the 115-degree turn, and remove material from 300-feet of interceptor sewer pipe. USST’s Field Supervisor, Aaron Hood lead the USST crew on the Tampa project, having been with the company since 2014, and has the most experience managing the capabilities of USST’s Combination3® truck and the GritGone Process®. “While I was surprised at the amount of material that we encountered in the pipe, I wasn’t surprised that we had the capability to remove it,” said … Read More
Who’s Got the “Quench Factor?”
Best Tasting Water Contest Results, FRWA Conference 18 utility companies serving customers in Florida came together at the FRWA Conference last week to compete in the Best Tasting Water Contest. We spoke to Ben Lewis, State Water Trainer, and got the details about FRWA’s annual event. Contestants are judged on four factors: taste, odor, color and the quench factor. The first three categories are easy to understand, but what exactly is “the quench factor?” When asked Ben about this category, he explained that it is to observe how refreshed you feel after tasting the sample, the “ahhh” factor. Up to 120 potential points per contestant are up for grabs from three judges. Each judge can give up to 10 points per category, and the identity of the judges is anonymous. The three judges are picked in the following way: One judge must be from a regulatory body, such as the FDEP. The second judge must be a vendor present at the conference. The third judge is either the head chef from the hotel or can also be an individual from a water utility that is not participating in the contest. When judging the water samples, judges assign each sample a … Read More
USST at FRWA Conference in Daytona Beach, FL
For the 5th year in a row, USST exhibited at last week’s 2018 Florida Rural Water Association Conference (FRWA) in Daytona Beach, Florida. Our team was excited to meet and greet with customers, discuss their facility’s needs, and had fun spinning the prize wheel giveaway. More than 600 attendees traveled to Daytona Beach this year, and we enjoyed speaking with everyone who stopped by the booth. The Best Tasting Water Contest was held at the conference where 18 utilities competed for a spot in next year’s National Rural Water Association’s Water Rally in Washington, D.C. We’ve got details about how the contest works and who won here. If you missed us at FRWA, you can catch us at the next event. Keep an eye on our Conferences page which we’ll update as new events are scheduled, or simply give us a call to make an appointment at any time at (844) 765-7688.
72-Tons Sand and Grit Removed While Plant Remained in Operation
The City of Lake Wales Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) was due for maintenance on a large Oxidation Ditch and experiencing reduced plant capacity. The facility’s treatment process is comprised of a Type 1 Oxidation Ditch operating as a conventional activated sludge treatment facility, and had built up a significant amount of sand and grit material, and needed to be cleaned while it remained in operation. U.S. Submergent Technologies’ (USST) Paul Stephenson arrived with a team to the Lake Wales site prepared to remove material from submerged conditions. “Using our unique Combination3® truck and GritGone Process®, we were able to efficiently remove about 72-tons of sand and grit while the plant remained in full operation,” said Paul. “I knew our reliable equipment and exceptional crew would be able to get the job done quickly and on schedule.” The Combination3® truck’s extended boom, downhole pump, and jetter was utilized to safely remove sand and grit from the oxidation ditch. No confined space entry was needed to complete the job, making it safer for the onsite crew and limiting costs for the client. “When our solution reduces or eliminates the need for confined space entry and gets the job done, everybody wins,” says … Read More
In the USST Spotlight: Michael Kisling
Say hello to Michael Kisling, one of our hardworking Service Technicians here at USST. Originally from Germany, Michael moved his family to America three and a half years ago with no home, no job, and couldn’t speak any English. In just a short time, he has accomplished what some would call the American dream: his family has a home, become fully fluent in English, and has proven himself to be a valuable and reliable member of the USST crew. Michael began his career two years ago with USST as a Tech II, moving up to the position of Tech 1 due to his leadership ability, attention to detail, and mechanical skills. He even developed a training process for new team members needing to learn how to operate some of our equipment. Read on to learn some other surprising details about our team member. Hometown: Landshut, Germany, located northeast of Munich in the Bavarian area. What I Do as a Service Tech I: Responsible for where the crew is going that day, organizing trucks and equipment for the project, maintaining contact with the client, monitoring progress and safety throughout the day, and basically making sure everything is straight. I also train … Read More
