Struvite Removal from a 14″ Steel Pipe

Location: Northern California

Obstruction Type: Struvite
Pipe type: 14-inch steel
Year: 2018
Region: Northern California

This client needed struvite buildup removed from the inside of a 14-inch steel inlet pipe to a wastewater digester tank. Struvite is a phosphate mineral that commonly grows on the inside of pipes in wastewater treatment plants. As the struvite builds up, it reduces the capacity of the pipe and stresses the pumps that are used to transport the effluent throughout the plant.

This project presented a unique challenge. To clear this blockage, we needed to drop into the pipe and make a 90-degree sweep into the horizontal portion of the pipe. PSM built a special system specifically for removing the struvite from this pipe, along with a specialized centering system that allowed our robotic system to hang inside the vertical pipe.