Steel Mill Wastewater: Eliminating Pipe Obstructions with Superior Cleaning Nozzles

Contractors can dramatically speed pipe cleaning and prevent process disruptions and downtime using a variety of high-performance, stainless steel hose nozzles.

By Del Williams, Technical Writer

Challenges in Steel Mill Wastewater Management

Although steel mill processes vary broadly, in any plant dusts, grease, slag, metals, residues, and cementitious particulates generated during manufacturing can make their way into the wastewater stream, accumulate, and even harden in underground pipelines.

As a result, steel mills conduct periodic maintenance to flush debris and sediment from pipes – including breaking up hardened obstructions – to prevent blockage and protect downstream wastewater treatment equipment from excessive loading.

“Many plants were built 40 to 80 years ago with most of the pipes underground, so they are old, hard to access, and can accumulate excessive, hardened debris that must be removed,” says Bill Benner, Senior Project Manager for Ventilation Power Cleaning (VPC), a Seattle, WA-based firm that provides vacuum truck services to remove various industrial debris.

“If this kind of debris is transported by pipe to onsite clarifiers, digesters, sewer vaults, or treatment plants, it can disrupt and overburden the process as it collects and hardens,” Benner adds. “A similar problem occurs when rain washes debris in outdoor processing or storage areas into basins, ponds, or reservoirs prior to transport through pipes for further treatment.”

The task of steel mill pipe cleaning typically falls to third party cleaning companies like VPC, which come to facilities with a vacuum truck and perform the work periodically, unless emergency debris removal is required.

Advanced Cleaning Solutions for Steel Mill Pipes

According to Benner, most wastewater pipes are typically 300-500’ long and 12-46” in diameter. Special nozzles are used to propel a hose connected to a vacuum truck down the pipeline and back using water jets. The nozzle must supply enough force to dislodge any debris and carry it back using water pressure, to be suctioned out by the vacuum truck.

“Industrial plants cannot afford production downtime, so we rely on high-performance nozzles to get the job done quickly and reliably. Using the right nozzle and technique can be the difference between cleaning out a pipe within 20 minutes or having it take hours, days, or fail completely,” says Benner.

Fortunately, an assortment of high-performance, stainless steel hose nozzles is available to expedite the removal of any debris buildup in steel mill pipes.

KEG Technologies, a manufacturer of industrial, sewer and storm lines products including Tier 1 to Tier 3 nozzles, floor cleaners, and chain cutters, is a member of NASSCO, the National Association of Sewer Service Companies.

For wastewater applications, VPC prefers floor cleaner and spinning style nozzles. As the name suggests, these nozzles travel along the floor of large diameter pipe – instead of just the center – and focus high-pressure water from hoses through an assortment of jets. The directed, high-pressure water is ideal for removing sludge, mud, compacted materials, and heavy debris from industrial pipes, storm lines, and sanitary lines.

KEG’s Torpedo Nozzle utilizes two different water jet angles to ensure superior sand, mud, and debris transport from the pipe floor in diameters from 6-16”. The company also offers a variety of floor cleaner sizes designed for pipe diameters from 4-72”. One unique floor cleaner model, called the Twins, utilizes two floor cleaners with high-performance fluid mechanics that work in tandem with a Y-connector, for pipes up to 84” in diameter.

KEG Technologies, a manufacturer of industrial, sewer and storm lines products including Tier 1 to Tier 3 nozzles, floor cleaners, and chain cutters, is a member of NASSCO, the National Association of Sewer Service Companies.

For wastewater applications, VPC prefers floor cleaner and spinning style nozzles. As the name suggests, these nozzles travel along the floor of large diameter pipe – instead of just the center – and focus high-pressure water from hoses through an assortment of jets. The directed, high-pressure water is ideal for removing sludge, mud, compacted materials, and heavy debris from industrial pipes, storm lines, and sanitary lines.

KEG’s Torpedo Nozzle utilizes two different water jet angles to ensure superior sand, mud, and debris transport from the pipe floor in diameters from 6-16”. The company also offers a variety of floor cleaner sizes designed for pipe diameters from 4-72”. One unique floor cleaner model, called the Twins, utilizes two floor cleaners with high-performance fluid mechanics that work in tandem with a Y-connector, for pipes up to 84” in diameter.

According to Benner, VPC also uses a unique rotating nozzle to remove stubborn debris from pipes. The Duce Nozzle utilizes water driven rotation and vibration to create a unique “jackhammer” action to remove grout and mortar residue, scaling, tuberculation, or other deposits that have hardened to the pipe floor or wall. This approach is more efficient than cutting and milling out the material but is not recommended for clay pipes.

When a severe blockage is identified, chain cutter nozzles are designed to cut through difficult obstructions and thick root masses.

Although the high-performance Tier 3 nozzles cost more than lower performing alternatives, Benner has found this acceptable because his work crew completes jobs much faster using them.

“We will not use inferior nozzles because they just don’t work when industrial pipes and lines must be efficiently cleaned and cleared of any debris. This has earned us repeat business and helped to keep plants running without incident or downtime,” says Benner.

About the Author

Del Williams is a technical writer based in Torrance, California.

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