Venturi Aeration Venturi Aerator bank-mounted wastewater and lagoon aerator

Surface and submersible aerators are a traditional method of wastewater aeration, but there is now available a bank mounted water aerator — Venturi Aerator.

The Venturi Aeration system is located on the banks of lagoons or outside tanks, not in or on lagoons. Operators can access equipment for maintenance without the need for cranes, boats or floating walkways. This improved safety also comes with a decrease in maintenance costs.

The system can produce up to and exceeding 1.86 kg 0₂ per kWh, depending on the pump selected and whether the pump is on a suction lift. Hydro Innovations, distributor of the Venturi Aerators, uses Gorman-Rupp self-priming centrifugal pumps which can produce hydraulic efficiencies up to 88%.

The aerators have no moving parts, so only the pump requires maintenance. And because pumps are easily accessed, clearance adjustments only take minutes and oil changes are simple, maintenance costs for these systems is claimed to be much lower than any other aeration system.

The systems can be expected to deliver mixing and DO transfer for up to and in many cases exceeding 25 years because of the robustness of the construction and the ease of access to allow operators to keep the equipment in peak condition.

The splasher-type aerators splash/spray water into the air as a function of how they operate. Windy days can cause aerosol size droplets to be carried by the wind and transmit bacteria to unwanted places. An aerator on the other hand can ‘inject’ oxygen saturated water below the surface to eliminate these risks.

An aerator and pump are not inexpensive when compared to some surface aeration systems, but the infrastructure and installation costs are generally much lower. All that is required is a concrete plinth for the pump to be affixed to, and some piping and supports.

The aerator can also be used as a vehicle for transferring pure oxygen into bodies of water. By using oxygen generators or liquid oxygen tankers with vaporisers, the aerators can transport up to four times their usual volumes. This could be ideal for systems effected by seasonal conditions, where units can be used in their usual way during the low periods and then ‘super-charged’.