As the old adage from the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu says, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Or to paraphrase, a single flush of the toilet! Get ready to witness a journey into the sewage system, guided by Inspector Pumphead.  

Many people don’t want to picture what happens after they flush the toilet, which is perfectly understandable. It’s gross! But the expulsion of wastewater is one of the most important functions that underpins indoor plumbing systems. Understanding how a sewage pumping system works, can give you a greater appreciation of how water moves in and out of your house. This knowledge can also help you make better purchasing decisions in the future.

With Inspector Pumphead, you have the perfect figure to guide you through the darkness. In this adventure, the brave Inspector will take you through a sewage system. Goulds sewage pumps are some of the finest on the market and the Inspector has a lot of experience with that brand. Don’t worry we’ve left out the gross parts. Check out the video:

Not every home needs a sewage pump

First, you should understand when you would need a sewage pump. If you are connected to city sewer (as opposed to a septic tank system), your water flows to either a storm sewer or a sanitary sewer. As the names suggest, the storm sewer is where rainwater runoff is exported, while the sanitary sewer takes care of your wastewater.

If a home or building is at grade (ground level), then the wastewater travels by gravity to the sanitary sewer. If the city sewer line is located above your home sewer line or you have a basement toilet, you need to install a sewage pump. The sewage works to push or “eject” the sewage up towards the city line (you will sometimes see sewage pumps referred to as sewage ejectors).

Journey down through the sewage system

In the first part of the video, Inspector Pumphead flushes himself down the toilet. Using the mixture of science and mysticism he learned while studying at Carnegie Mellon, he is able to shrink himself and scuba through the pipes.

The piping is one of the most important parts of your system. Sewage pipes in modern homes typically use PVC plastic, which is tough, corrosion-resistant and relatively simple to install. Older homes often use cast iron sewage piping, which is rugged but susceptible to rusting over time. Just something to keep in mind when thinking about your sewage needs.

The pipes eventually deposit the sewage, and Pumphead, into the sewage tank or basin. The basin is important because it contains the sewage pump and acts as the depository for the sewage.  The water also has the effect of keeping the pump motor cool.

How does a sewage pump export your wastewater?

Once the wastewater is in the basin, it gets sucked up through the inlet at the bottom of the sewage pump. In the video, the homeowner has chosen a Goulds sewage pump. Powered by the pump’s impeller, the water. along with Inspector Pumphead, moves through the pump and out of the discharge outlet through more piping, which eventually leads to the city sewer line. Depending on where the basin is located, you might need extra piping, elbows, etc. to connect to the city sewer line.

Where does sewage wastewater go?

Have you ever wondered what happens to your wastewater after it leaves your house? Wastewater moves to a water treatment plant where it is aerated, filtered and disinfected to remove waste particles and other microorganisms. In a very thorough and complicated process, wastewater becomes clean “reclaimed water.” The reclaimed water is free to be reintroduced to the ecosystem, often used as groundwater, irrigation water or as a cooling agent.

If you find the idea of your wastewater going back into the environment gross, just know that most states have regulations against using reclaimed water in potable systems (washing, drinking, swimming) where humans will have contact with the water. Still, reclaimed water is generally safe to touch.

Lucky for us, Inspector Pumphead is able to use his extensive knowledge to escape the system before the water reaches the treatment plant. That’s how dedicated Inspector Pumphead is to helping you understand more about pumps and water systems – he’ll risk getting sent through a filtration system for you!

Do you have any ideas for future adventures you’d like to see starring Inspector Pumphead? Let us know in the comments and we can see if he is up to the challenge!

PumpProducts.com sales specialists are standing by to help you find the right pump or part, as well as to provide price quotes, stocking availability and shipping information. Call our toll free number 1-800-429-0800 to speak to an expert today.