Case Story Interview: Winning the Wet Well FOG Fight with the AP500
How lift station wet well mixing helped save the day against fats, oil and grease.
The following is an interview with Billy Harp, Public Works Director for Berryville, Arkansas.
this Case Story Interview in PDF format.
about the GridBee® AP500 Air-Powered Wet Well Mixing System.
Can you tell us a little bit about you, your organization and your water system?
My name is Billy Harp and I am the Public Works Director for the City of Berryville, Arkansas. I have worked for the City of Berryville for almost 24 years and was promoted to the Director’s position in 2017. I worked mostly on the water side of the Public Works Department until 2017 but I had some knowledge of problems with our lift stations as well.
What were your initial tactics for controlling FOG (Fats, Oils, and Grease) in your lift stations?
One of my first priorities as Director was researching ways of controlling FOG in the City’s lift stations. We were using a kerosene-based degreaser and it just was not getting the job it done. I switched to an enzyme and bacterial additive, and it did work better, but to use it properly was time consuming and could get pricey over time.
How did you hear about Ixom Watercare lift station solutions?
I was at a District Meeting and heard someone say something about using an aerator for FOG control. I got online and that’s how I found Ixom Watercare and information on the Medora product line, including the AP500 lift station aerator. I talked to one of your sales representatives who recommended the AP500 for my needs. The rest is history!
Can you summarize your results using the GridBee® AP500 Wet Well Mixer?
The AP500 works. Our first AP500 installation was in a lift station that supports a subdivision here in Berryville. As you can see in the before photo, the grease build-up in the lift station well was bad. I put the AP500 in the well as is to see how well it would work. I put a timer on the AP500 and ran it for approximately four hours at night, split up into two 2-hour intervals. I am planning on adjusting the timer to run the AP500 for just two hours per night. Thank you to everyone on the Ixom Watercare team. The AP500 is a great product!
