On any given day at U.S. Submergent Technologies (USST), crews mobilizing Class 8 (any vehicle over 33,000 lbs.) commercial vehicles equipped with specialized cleaning equipment, depart from our operations hub in Orlando Florida.  Their destinations are wastewater treatment facilities and critical wet infrastructure all over Florida and parts of the Southeast.  Their purpose is clear; to safely restore the capacity of wet infrastructure nobody notices but everybody relies upon.  When this professional group of experienced and knowledgeable CDL drivers gets on the road, one word, and one thing is at the top of everyone’s list, safety.   “At USST, we

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USST Crew Responds to Changed Conditions Adeptly In rural Northeast Florida, a municipal wastewater treatment plant operating at .4 MGD was reaching critical capacity loss with their surge tank.  This large multi-chamber tank, which is essential to the overall health and functionality of daily operations at the plant, required cleaning.  U.S. Submergent Technologies (USST) was called in to assess the structure and remove the buildup of sand and grit throughout this wastewater tank. “This project was estimated to have 36 tons of material in the tank, but once we got on-site, we were dealing with at least seven feet of

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Florida Sand and Grit Grant Program Covers Restoration Costs PROBLEM: Two oxidation ditches at two wastewater treatment plants serving the City of Mount Dora were due for cleaning, having accumulated a significant amount of sand, grit, and debris over 15-years. This loss of capacity was increasing energy costs and reducing efficiency at these treatment plants. U.S. Submergent Technologies’ (USST) knowledgeable crew was called-in with our versatile Combination3® Truck, able to handle multiple setups to complete these projects. SOLUTION: A large oxidation ditch measuring approximately 50-feet wide by 330-feet in length was the first structure our crew tackled. While this oxidation

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USST’s Crew Navigates Tight Spaces and Difficult Access A municipal wastewater treatment plant in Central Florida required regular maintenance on their aeration basin, digester, and headworks to remove built-up sludge, sand, grit, and rag material.  U.S. Submergent Technologies (USST) was called in to tackle the job using our powerful and versatile Combination3® Truck and knowledgeable crew. “This was our third time back to this facility for regular maintenance,” said Paul Del Favero, Operations Manager at USST.  “Our company track record of safety on the job site and our crews’ ability to understand and overcome problems on the ground are all contributing

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Florida Sand and Grit Grant Program Aides in Restoration Costs PROBLEM: An oxidation ditch at the Lake Wales Wastewater Treatment Plant had accumulated over the course of a few years a large amount of sand and grit material. This accrued material was causing a loss of capacity, a decrease in flow, and the plant was not functioning efficiently. The facility’s treatment process is comprised of a Type 1 Oxidation Ditch operating as a conventional activated sludge treatment facility measuring 320-feet by 70-feet. U.S. Submergent Technologies’ (USST) knowledgeable and experienced crew was called in to clean this large structure while it

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Complete Visibility Leads to Better Stewardship One of the biggest challenges facing America’s wastewater infrastructure is it’s often out of sight, which means there is a high probability it’s also out of mind. Unlike potholes, which cannot be ignored, the condition of our wastewater tanks is not as obvious. In our business, the first step to understanding a problem is being able to see the problem. Since the water in wastewater tanks is turbid or dark water, it’s impossible to see how much and where material has accumulated. Proprietary and confidential. Do not distribute.© 2021 U.S. Submergent Techologies, LLC. All rights reserved. The solution, provided

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Challenging Structure Cleaned Safely by USST Crew A wastewater treatment facility in Northwest Florida had a structure that was particularly difficult to access and was full of FOG, sand, grit, and rag material. Their influent trough and effluent channel were suffering from a loss of capacity due to build-up. U.S. Submergent Technologies’ (USST) experienced and well-trained crew was called in to remove this stubborn material. “Due to flow issues, our crew worked at night to resolve this challenging situation. The structure was 30-feet tall and once you are up there, the material was 25-feet down. Safety is the single key

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USST Focuses on Problem Areas to Restore Plant Capacity A coastal wastewater treatment plant in North Florida was experiencing a loss of capacity and a decrease in flow due to sand and grit accumulation in their structures. U.S. Submergent Technologies (USST) was called in to assess the situation. Our knowledgeable and experienced team probed the facility and discovered a buildup of sand and grit in the aeration train, effluent channel, and anoxic tank structures. “Due to location, coastal water treatment facilities absorb year-round activity from people doing yard work and going to the beach. When that happens, fine silty sand

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Challenging Confined Space Entry in Anastasia Island Anastasia Island’s Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) was experiencing reduced pumping capacity due to accumulated solids in their influent lift station, a facility with a permitted capacity of 4.95MGD.  Due to the challenging nature of the 35-foot deep structure, Anastasia Island’s wet well hadn’t been cleaned in several years, resulting in the accumulation of a significant amount of material. “The pump station consists of four Gorman-Rupp self-priming solids handling centrifugal pumps,” explained James Overton, P.E., at the St. Johns County Utility Department (SJCUD).  “Due to grit and rags that accumulated, one pump was completely

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