Vacuflow® Vacuum Sewer Systems

C.G. Godfrey Ltd is the region’s leading independent Waste Water specialist. We are the sole UK agent for the Qua-Vac Vacuflow® System. Qua-Vac is a globally orientated company with over 50 years experience in vacuum sewerage technology.

Background

Properties not connected to either mains drainage or private treatment plants must discharge sewage into cesspits or septic tanks, this method can cause environmental pollution and is an ineffective way of dealing with sewage.

Working in partnership, Qua-Vac and C.G. Godfrey Ltd design and install environmentally, economically and socially sustainable wastewater collection systems. In a lot of instances properties that are not connected to mains drainage are situated in rural or coastal areas. In these circumstances, the topography and/or difficult ground conditions means that the natural fall on which gravity systems depend must be artificially created without the need for multiple pumping stations, vacuum technology provides an ideal solution.

How it Works

House Connection

Houses are connected to a collection chamber where wastewater is collected. The collection chamber has a vacuum valve that is automatically activated when wastewater reaches a certain level.

Advantage: the collection chambers operate pneumatically/mechanically which therefore does not require electricity.

The Collection Chamber

Traditional gravity sewers transport wastewater from its source to what we call a ‘vac pot’ or ‘collection chamber’. The vacuum valve within the chamber operates automatically once the wastewater reaches a predetermined level.

The advantages of the Vacuflow® System are;

• No electricity
• Fully submersible
• No breather pipe
• Minimal maintenance

The Valve

Wastewater is discharged into the collection chamber. Once the wastewater rises to a certain level in the chamber the vacuum valve opens. This is triggered by a switch mechanism on the ball float.

The differential pressures between the pipe network (vacuum) and collection chamber (atmospheric pressure) draws the wastewater into the pipe network and transports it to the vacuum station, where it is collected in the vacuum tank storage.

Due to the high speed of transport this means that the wastewater is in the network for only a short period of time, therefore septicity is not an issue.

Once the level in the vacuum storage tank reaches a predetermined level discharge pumps empty the tank and send the effluent to the nearest treatment facility.

The Pipe Network

The pipe network consists of PVC or HDPE pipes. A central vacuum station keeps this pipe network under negative pressure. Due to their small diameter, the pipes can be laid at depths of 80 to 120 centimetres under the ground surface thus alleviating the need for the deep excavations of traditional gravity drainage. The addition of air makes the wastewater lighter, which leads to higher transport speeds. The pipe network is laid in a ‘saw tooth profile’. Within this profile, a mixture of wastewater and air from the collection chamber is transported to the vacuum station.

Within the pipeline network, the wastewater at rest flows into deeper lying ‘pockets’. Once a collection chamber in the pipeline network is activated, the mixture of wastewater and air is transported towards the vacuum station.

Once the collection chamber is emptied, the entire system will come to rest. One transportation cycle has then been completed.

Vacuum Station Functions

The wastewater from the collection chamber is transported through the pipe network and enters in the vacuum tank. The vacuum in the tank is generated by vacuum pumps. The extracted air from the vacuum tank can be purified with a Bio-filter. The level in the tank is measured with an ultrasonic transducer. The discharge pump(s) will be activated at high level and the wastewater will be transported to the nearest treatment facility. The discharge pump(s) will stop automatically at low level.

Exhibition Unit

We have a purpose built exhibition unit which can demonstrate the system to prospective clients anywhere in the UK.

Please contact us to arrange a no obligation visit.