Grinder Pumps

 

The system installed within the Choctaw Lake development includes grinder pumps which move sanitary waste from residents and businesses to the wastewater treatment facility. The grinder pumps operate on an intermittent basis and are activated once the water level in the grinder basin automatically turns the pump on. While all residents and businesses sanitary sewer flow utilizes a grinder pump, not all individual homes are provided a grinder pump on their property. Some homes share a grinder unit with their neighbor, however the majority of homes are provided individual units. All systems consist of a control panel that includes both a visual and audible alarm, a collection basin and grinder pump. For residents that share a system, the electrical panel may be located at the neighbor's home. As the grinder pumps are mechanical equipment, it is most likely they will fail at some point during their useful life. Therefore, all residents are encouraged to be aware of an alarm condition at any property and to contact the home owner or the Madison County Sanitary Sewer and Water District as outlined in the Standard Operating Procedure. 

Grinder Pump Instructions

Care and Use of the Grinder Pump
The grinder pump is designed to transfer sanitary waste to the collection system, however disposal of some products from the home or business may cause failure of the pump and create additional damages to their property. The Madison County Sanitary Sewer and Water District recommends the following items NOT be introduced into any sanitary sewer:

Disposable/Flushable Wipes
Glass
Diapers or baby wipes
Socks, rags or and cloths
Metal or plastic objects including toys, utensils, etc.
Seafood shells
Sanitary napkins or tampons
Goldfish stone from fish tanks
Kitty Litter

In addition, DO NOT introduce the following items into any sewer system:

Explosives
Strong chemicals
Flammable liquids including gasoline
Lubricating oils
Household grease

Pump Alarm Condition 
In the event the grinder pump fails and the water level rises in the collection basin, a high water alarm may be activated to signal the resident a problem may have occurred with the grinder pump system. If the water level rises in the collection basin beyond the normal operating range of the pump, a high water sensor will activate the alarm pump on the pump control box located at the outside of the home or neighbor if a shared unit. Residents are encouraged to located their control panels to ensure they become aware if a grinder pump failure occurs. Each control panel alarm has a visual and audible alarm and should be activated if high water levels are experienced in the collection basin. 
Once the resident is aware of an alarm condition, water usage should stop immediately and call the Madison County Sanitary Sewer and Water District at 740-845-1284 to report the alarm. DO NOT disable the alarm until contact is made with a District representative. The District personnel will take the steps necessary to identify and correct the alarm condition. The alarm should only be disabled AFTER speaking with the District personnel. Failure to terminate water usage or notify District personnel immediately may result in sewer backups into the residence or overflow to ground level of the collection basin.
  
Periods of Disuse
If a home or business is unoccupied for a period of more than 2 weeks, the grinder pump system must be purged. Purging of the system means running clean water into the home or business drain system until the grinder pump is activated. Once the pump begins operation, immediately turn off the water supply and allow grinder pump to turn off automatically. If the grinder pump is a shared unit, purging is not required if the other user is to occupy their residence or business. For commercial units, special attention must be taken to ensure both grinder pumps are activated when the clean water flows to the collection basin. Run clean water into the collection basin until the first grinder pump is activated. Allow the pump to operate until it automatically turns off. Repeat the process for the second grinder pump. 
Important - DO NOT SHUT OFF THE ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE GRINDER PUMP. At no time should the power be turned off to the grinder pump, even if the water supply to the property is turned off or will not be used for a period of time. Ground water may enter the grinder pump or an unexpected event may occur which allows water to enter the grinder pump basin. If the power is turned off any water entering the system may backup into the residence.
 
Power Failure
In the event of a power failure, the grinder pump and alarm system will not operate. It is critical to discontinue the use of water during a power failure as the collection basin for the grinder pump has limited capacity. Continued use of water may cause backup into the home or business. If the power failure is for an extended period, contact the Madison County Sanitary Sewer and Water District and turn off the circuit breaker within the home or business until the power is fully restored.