Changing Wastewater Management: Grinder Transforms Pump Efficiency at Broomfield WWTP

Like many WWTP, the facility in Broomfield Colorado found themselves battling lots of issues with their pumps. After undergoing a lift station rebuild of a 40-year -old station, they began to look at their old pumps as the next step to get their facility upgraded and as efficient as possible.

“We had so much ragging with our old pumps,” said KevinLosey, Electrical and Mechanical Utility Manager. “We would take a pump apart and pull tons of rags out of the impellers. We were able to isolate the pump so it didn’t shut our operation down, but it did create a lot of work and use a lot of manpower.”

Previously, the city had installed a Franklin Miller grinder at one of their other stations, so they felt positive that going with another Franklin Miller unit would work well in their upgraded lift stations as well. After all, their original Franklin Miller unit was in great working order and its teeth had remained sharp and effective.

The city decided to install a Franklin Miller Dimminutor. The effect was immediate. “We installed the Dimminutor grinder in the inflow and it has been working really really well. We have had it installed since early2023. No trouble at all. It’s just been such a great change,” Losey said.

The DIMMINUTOR® provides automatic screening and grinding of liquid-borne solids with a straight-through open channel design. This unit reduces plastics, wood, vegetable matter, disposables and other oversized items to a fine particulate. The DIMMINUTOR® is designed for reliable operation and easy maintenance. For example, with its cantilevered design, the DIMMINUTOR® needs no seals or bearings near the gritty channel floor.

The unit’s screen is stationary so it never wears against bottom grit. Each cutter is interchangeable and cutters can be removed or adjusted independently. The unit’s seals and bearings are immersed in an oil bath for long life and low maintenance. These units can be installed in straight through channels, wet wells or water inlets. They can be installed for full or occasional submergence.

“Our whole experience with Franklin Miller has been great,” Losey said. “Everyone at their company, and at their rep here in Colorado have been great to deal with.”

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