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Vacuum Sewers 101
Rich Naret, P.E.
Overview
From the time the very first public sewer system was
constructed until the 1960’s, a conventional gravity system was the only choice
US engineers had when considering a public sewer collection system. This
changed about 40 years ago when the USEPA challenged the industry to developed
alternative collection by providing special funding for such endeavors. One of
the alternative collection systems is vacuum sewers.
This 4 PDH course is Part I of a three-part series. This
course will focus on the basics of vacuum sewer technology by providing a broad
overview of the technology. Part II focuses on detailed design and installation
guidelines while Part III focuses on the Operation & Maintenance and System
Management aspects related to vacuum sewers.
This course will provide
information that will guide the engineer in the evaluation of vacuum sewer
technology as an alternative to conventional gravity sewers. The course
materials are based on the materials presented
in
the vacuum chapter of the “Water Environment Federation (2007) Alternative Sewer
Systems, 2nd ed.; Manual of Practice No. FD-12”
as published by the Water Environment Federation*. The student will learn how
to determine if vacuum sewers are a viable alternative to conventional gravity
sewers and what advantages they offer. The course will discuss the history of
the technology, the major system components, and the extent of use in the US and
worldwide. Finally, the course will provide guidelines on how to do a
preliminary system layout, including preliminary sizing of the vacuum collection
mains.
The student must take a
multiple-choice quiz consisting of twenty-four (24) questions at the end of this course to earn PDH credits.
*Portions of this
course use material excerpted from Alternative Sewer Systems, 2nd ed.; Manual of
Practice No. FD-12.
Reprinted with permission from Alternative Sewer Systems, 2nd ed.;
Manual of Practice No. FD-12. Copyright © 2008 Water Environment Federation:
Alexandria, Virginia.
Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained
This course teaches the following specific knowledge and
skills:
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The history of Alternative
Collection Systems (ACS)
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The history of vacuum
sewers
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How a vacuum system works
(theory of operation)
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The major system components
& how they are interrelated
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How to determine where
vacuum sewer technology applies
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The advantages of vacuum
sewers (both construction and O&M)
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To what extent the
technology is used in the US & worldwide
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How to do a preliminary
vacuum system layout
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How to estimate the size of the vacuum
mains
Course
Click on the following PDF attachment
and review the document prior to taking a quiz for credit.
Vacuum Sewers 101 (449 KB)
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To obtain PDH credits for this course, you will need to take a quiz for
credit. Click on the link below.
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