Continuing to improve the way in which treatment works operate, NOV Mono has launched the Mono Hydra, a fully automated weir cleaning system that prevents moss growth and algae blooms on weirs, providing a far more efficient and trouble free alternative to brush cleaning.
Mark Viner, UK Sales Manager at Mono, commented: "The presence of nitrates and phosphates, combined with sunny weather, can contribute to the overgrowth of moss and algae on sewage treatment works. This can affect discharge water quality and, under certain conditions, become toxic to humans and other organisms.
"If moss and algae continue to grow unchecked, final settlement tanks often become over-full and less efficient. Traditional 'brush and scraper' cleaning systems wear quickly and can soon become ineffective, plus the need for regular brush head replacement and adjustment is costly and time consuming.
"The Mono Hydra provides an easy and efficient solution to this problem. By taking water from the weir pool and blasting it at high pressures against the weir wall and edge, it effectively removes weeds, moss and algae bloom. Continual use of the Hydra can prevent re-growth and keep the weir operating at full capacity."
The Mono Hydra's intelligent control system means that it operates more frequently during summer months, when algae growth is most troublesome, and intermittently during winter months to conserve power and significantly reduce whole life costs and maintenance requirements.
The Mono Hydra operates using a Mono progressing cavity pump, which is well proven and tested in wastewater applications. The pump is extremely hard wearing and resistant to solid ingress. The pump transfers the extracted water through delivery pipework to a water spray head assembly, which is supplied with a guard for protection whilst the water is blasted against the weir wall.
A number of sewage treatment works now benefit from this new weir cleaning system to control moss growth and algae blooms.