Water and Wastewater News - April 2020

Straight centrifugal pumps

April 2, 2020

Newly updated on our website: AMT heavy-duty straight centrifugal pumps. These tough little pumps come in 2" and 3" sizes and are great for applications like circulation and industrial fluid transfer. Order them online anytime, day or night, through our online store. Most are ready to ship in about two business days.

Update to the diaphragm pumps in our online store

April 6, 2020

Our online store section featuring portable diaphragm pumps has been freshly updated. These are great machines for moving fluids that don't like to flow easily -- mud, slurries, sludge, and the like. They're great for in-plant applications at WTP and WWTP facilities.

We're here to help: Any platform, any device

April 7, 2020

We realize that social distancing is going to be with us for a while, so to accommodate your needs, we're ready to help you on whatever platforms or devices are most helpful to you. You can reach us in any of the following ways:

• By phone: 515-223-4144
• By text message: 402-965-1306
• By email: info@gongol.net
• By Twitter: @djgongol (our DMs are open)
• By Facebook: @djgongol
• By LinkedIn: @djgongol
• By Google: @djgongol
• By contact form
• By our chat tool (found on any page of our site)
• Or we can connect with you over FaceTime, Google Meet, Skype, Slack, Snapchat, Microsoft Teams, Yammer, or Zoom on request

Virus detection at the wastewater treatment plant

April 13, 2020

A story in Water and Wastes Digest says that a Dutch city of 150,000 found evidence of coronavirus in its wastewater before any cases had been otherwise detected in the city, just a week after the virus was first detected in the Netherlands.

The good news: This suggests that wastewater-level detection could provide useful surveillance to public-health experts as an accessory to the test, isolate, and trace protocols being discussed as the best means of dealing with the virus until vaccines are available. More information gathered at the community level can help identify hotspots that might be experiencing asymptomatic spread.

The bad news: It still isn't clear whether the virus can actually be transmitted in wastewater, either in the liquid flow or otherwise. Drinking water remains safe, but we also need to show concern for the public-works employees responsible for the collection and treatment of wastewater. They are invisible -- but essential -- front-line workers protecting public health, and they need adequate protection, too!

We have always believed that one of the most important ways to protect workers in the wastewater sector is to keep them in safe, above-ground locations wherever possible -- where fresh air and limited exposure to sewage can preserve their health. With the uncertainty surrounding the transmission of COVID-19, that's suddenly more true than ever. See our presentation "Revenge of the Mole People" for a list of 25 related reasons why it's important to keep wastewater workers above-ground (or as close to the surface) as possible, and 10 ways that lift stations can be designed to maximize that potential to stay high, safe, and dry.