A wet well robot for 72 ageing pump stations — reducing confined-space H2S risk, deployed through narrow basement openings, shredding tangled waste with a cutter brush.
Project Overview
A Singapore client commissioned a robot to clean sediment from the wet wells of ageing sewage pump stations.
Background & Requirement
Confined-space accidents involving hydrogen sulfide occur worldwide. The client wanted to minimize man-entry into wet wells where toxic gas concentrates, to protect workers.
Site Conditions & Challenges
The pump stations date back decades: narrow wet wells clogged with tangled waste (snack wrappers, gloves, socks); the robot could only be lowered from basement level 2 through a hatch right against the wall, too narrow for any ordinary crane. There were 72 stations of varying conditions, some deeper than what we observed on site.
Our Solution
A full 316 stainless steel robot with a 40m-head slurry pump; an intake grid with cutter and roller brush to shred tangled waste; plus a custom compact manual hoist designed for on-site deployment through narrow openings.
Results & Value
The robot performs tilted operations in tight spaces with stable slurry extraction. Workers no longer enter the wet wells at all, dramatically reducing safety risk.