38-Tons Removed in Sebring, FL, Facilities Remain Online Two facilities in The City of Sebring, Florida were experiencing reduced capacity due to a buildup of sand and grit.  Paul Stephenson of U.S. Submergent Technologies (USST) mobilized the USST crew to Sebring and was able to efficiently clean all affected structures. “Cleaning in submerged conditions is no problem for the USST crew,” said Paul.  “Our Combination3® truck outfitted with extended boom, downhole pump, and jetter allows us to be extremely efficient in removing material without having to drain down the tank or require confined space entry.” “We can save a client

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A Cost-Savings Opportunity for Wastewater Treatment & Collection Facilities You’ve heard it before and most likely experienced it firsthand – the buildup of sand and grit in wastewater treatment infrastructure resulting in reduced treatment volume and increased energy usage.  The questions to ask are, do you have a sand and grit problem, and how do you know?   If you can’t see it, it must not exist!  The water at a wastewater treatment plant is often too murky to see through, and sand and grit might or not might not be present.  If it is present, there is value in restoring capacity.

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Red Tide: Is It Finally On Its Way Out? If you’re currently living in the state of Florida, chances are you’ve been affected by red tide this summer.  The West Coast of Florida has been hit the hardest, with the first severe bloom of red tide spreading through the Gulf of Mexico this past June, pushing Gov. Rick Scott to declare a State of Emergency, making national headlines.  Dead fish and wildlife littered beaches, cloudy, toxic water lapped the shores, and residents suffered from upper respiratory and eye irritation.  Tourists have steered clear of the coasts and local businesses felt

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70-Cubic Yards of Material Creatively Removed from 660-Feet of Pipe, While in Operation U.S. Submergent Technologies (USST) recently completed work for the City of Tampa on a 300-foot section of interceptor sewer pipe running alongside the Hillsborough River which was experiencing reduced capacity due to a buildup of sand and grit. Located in a neighborhood, USST setup downstream on the southeast bank of the Hillsborough River.  In order to access the 300-foot 48-inch diameter interceptor sewer pipe, the USST crew had to maneuver through a 360-foot 36-inch diameter siphon and parallel 20-inch diameter siphon under the river, with a 115-degree

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Best Tasting Water Contest Results, FRWA Conference 18 utility companies serving customers in Florida came together at the FRWA Conference last week to compete in the Best Tasting Water Contest.  We spoke to Ben Lewis, State Water Trainer, and got the details about FRWA’s annual event. Contestants are judged on four factors:  taste, odor, color and the quench factor.  The first three categories are easy to understand, but what exactly is “the quench factor?”  When asked Ben about this category, he explained that it is to observe how refreshed you feel after tasting the sample, the “ahhh” factor. Up to

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For the 5th year in a row, USST exhibited at last week’s 2018 Florida Rural Water Association Conference (FRWA) in Daytona Beach, Florida.   Our team was excited to meet and greet with customers, discuss their facility’s needs, and had fun spinning the prize wheel giveaway. More than 600 attendees traveled to Daytona Beach this year, and we enjoyed speaking with everyone who stopped by the booth.  The Best Tasting Water Contest was held at the conference where 18 utilities competed for a spot in next year’s National Rural Water Association’s Water Rally in Washington, D.C.  We’ve got details about how

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The City of Lake Wales Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) was due for maintenance on a large Oxidation Ditch and experiencing reduced plant capacity.  The facility’s treatment process is comprised of a Type 1 Oxidation Ditch operating as a conventional activated sludge treatment facility, and had built up a significant amount of sand and grit material, and needed to be cleaned while it remained in operation. U.S. Submergent Technologies’ (USST) Paul Stephenson arrived with a team to the Lake Wales site prepared to remove material from submerged conditions. “Using our unique Combination3® truck and GritGone Process®, we were able to efficiently

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Say hello to Michael Kisling, one of our hardworking Service Technicians here at USST.  Originally from Germany, Michael moved his family to America three and a half years ago with no home, no job, and couldn’t speak any English.  In just a short time, he has accomplished what some would call the American dream: his family has a home, become fully fluent in English, and has proven himself to be a valuable and reliable member of the USST crew. Michael began his career two years ago with USST as a Tech II, moving up to the position of Tech 1

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Crew Gets Creative to Remove Vegetation in Manatee County   USST recently completed work for Manatee County Utilities, who needed two tank structures cleaned at multiple facilities in order to restore valuable capacity. The sludge holding tank at the North Water Reclamation Facility in Palmetto, Florida was overrun with cattails and rags.  At initial glance, it looked like a simple job of removing the 4-f00t high vegetation off the top.  However, once the project was underway, an 8-foot root system with rag material woven throughout was discovered underwater. USST’s unique Combination3® trucks are equipped with a 49-foot extendable boom, along

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