Problem: The Saginaw Charter Township (Michigan) Wastewater Treatment Plant handles sewage and stormwater runoff, resulting in dramatic wet-weather flow increases. The 4.65 mgd facility can see peak flows at 20 mgd, including stormwater debris.

Solution: Seeking an innovative screening solution, the plant upgraded to the Duperon FlexRake IQ², which automatically adapts to changing flow. During high flows, the raking speed increase. If speed alone does not satisfy the conditions, the screen opening size changes, improving hydraulic capacity. 

Result: Plant operators quickly saw improvement. The screen removes about three times the debris and does so as efficiently at 20 mgd as at 4 mgd. It reacts to flows, preventing backups or slowdowns. Increased debris removal requires more frequent emptying of the collection box, but plant operators view that as a worthwhile trade-off. 800-383-8479; www.duperon.com