Lift Station Clog Prevention | OTC Industrial Technologies

Overview

Municipal and industrial lift stations are often drowning in daily clogs, emergency callouts, and maintenance costs. To tackle the problem, OTC Industrial Technologies launched the Wipe Buster Package, an all-in-one pump-and-control upgrade that pairs higher-torque pumping power with a proprietary anti-clog algorithm built into the control panel.

Early pilots at Washington County’s Cherry Blossom and Devola stations reduced clogs from every day to virtually zero, unlocking safer work conditions and significant labor savings. The success of this dramatic clog reduction improved operations efficiency and was adopted as standard by Toyota and other industrial warehouses.

• Customer: Cherry Blossom Lift Station, Devola Lift Station, and Toyota U.S. Plants
• Relationship with OTC: System development and testing began in 2020

Challenges

Many lift stations can’t compete with modern day challenges of non-dispersible debris such as wipes, diapers, mop heads, Tyvek suits, Kevlar sleeves, and more. This leads to costly and labor-intensive maintenance and even station overflows. In addition, small-horsepower, single-phase motors lack the starting torque to power through modern wastewater debris.

Contributing Factors

• Lack of motor torque available
• Worn cutter components on grinder pumps
• Data interfaced systems and collection
• Water-saving plumbing fixtures create a high concentration of modern trash-to-liquid ratios
• Control panels not optimized for operations in today’s wastewater

Example of a clogged submersible pump

To summarize, clogging caused by wipes, trash, and modern plumbing debris led to tedious, messy maintenance requiring frequent technician visits. The outdated or fragment systems have no smart controls, which led to poor coordination between pump and control systems. These challenges caused costly labor and emergency repairs, and they needed a solution to a modern problem.

Key Sites Affected

Key sites that were most affected by these challenges, each facing its own mix of reliability, performance, and cost pressures:

• Cherry Blossom Lift Station (Washington County):
  • Daily clogs required manual cleanouts due to wipes, debris, non-dispersibles

• Devola Lift Station (Washington County):
  • Experienced operational inefficiencies and clogging
• Toyota U.S. Plants:
  • Faced downtime and rising maintenance and emergency response costs

Solution

OTC created the Wipe Buster Package that replaces piecemeal fixes with a fully engineered upgrade. The three key components of the Wipe Buster Package include:

1. High-Torque Pumping Power: Variable-frequency drives (VFDs) convert existing single-phase supply to three-phase output, boosting starting torque by 30% or more and giving pumps the muscle to clear tough debris.
2. Smart Anti-Clog Controls: A coded algorithm inside the PRIMEX Level-View PLC senses developing blockages and automatically adjusts pump speed, direction, or duty cycle—stopping clogs before they start. Optional built-in SCADA and remote monitoring keep operators informed anywhere, anytime.
3. Custom Basin & Hardware Packages: Pre-engineered fiberglass or concrete wet wells (3 ft – 10 ft diameters, up to 30 ft depths) arrive ready for drop-in installation, complete with matched guide rails, piping, and hatches. OTC’s in-house crews handle every step—so there are no subcontractor gaps.

Did You Know? A 3-phase motor typically produces 30% more starting torque than a single-phase motor of the same horsepower. Modern technology allows us to use variable frequency drives to utilize existing single-phase input power to three phase output to drive pump motors.

Key Innovation

OTC didn’t just pair a bigger pump with smarter controls, it rewrote how lift stations fight clogs. The breakthrough is a coded Anti-Clog Algorithm that turns every start-up into a self-diagnosing, self-correcting event. Instead of waiting for a blockage alarm, the system senses small current spikes and flow irregularities, then auto-adjusts before debris can lock up the impeller.

How it works:

• Real-time torque sensing detects the early drag that signals a developing clog.
• Dynamic speed & direction shifts momentarily reverse or ramp the pump to shred debris before it packs tight.
• Adaptive duty cycling learns each station’s normal load profile, fine-tuning responses over time to cut energy use while safeguarding uptime.
• Cloud-ready telemetry and remote-control streams performance data to SCADA or any web browser, letting operators spot trends and schedule maintenance long before a wrench is needed.

Together, these functions transform the lift station from a reactive asset into a proactive defender—preventing clogs outright, protecting equipment, and keeping crews out of the wet well.

Results

The results speak for themselves at each of the 4 locations needing a solution.

Cherry Blossom Lift Station (Pilot Location)

• Before Upgrade: Daily clogs demanded manual intervention and created hazardous work conditions.
• Retrofit Upgrades: Installed VFDs and control panel to convert single-phase to three-phase and upgraded pumps and controls.
• Initial Results with only phase conversion upgrade: Clog frequency dropped to once every 10 days.
• Post-Algorithm Installation (five weeks later): zero clogs for more than three years since algorithm activation.

Devola Lift Station & Countywide Rollout

Cherry Blossom’s success led to a phased rollout across all 28 Washington County lift stations. By spring 2025, seven stations were completed with two more scheduled with a goal of completing all county retrofit upgrades by the end of 2025. Complete county lift station upgrade project eliminates mismatched pumping equipment, providing spare parts commonality across many stations.

Toyota U.S. Plants

Adopted Wipe Buster Package as the national standard. More than 75 stations now run the package, delivering uniform performance and simplified maintenance across the network.

Why It Works

• Integrated system = no mismatched parts or post-install surprises.
• Local, expert installation ensures accountability and quality.
• Algorithm-driven control = real-time problem prevention, not just monitoring.
• Scalable solution: Works for small municipalities, industrial plants and national corporations alike.
• Cost efficiency: Fewer repairs, less labor, longer-lasting systems.

Conclusion

The Wipe Buster Package innovative design is redefining lift station performance with proven success. With a smart, modern design, combined with integrated technology and expert service from OTC, sites are guaranteed long-term reliability at their lift stations. Unlike old pump designs, the Wipe Buster is designed for operation in today’s environment.

Whether you’re looking to upgrade an aging system or planning a new install, OTC delivers smarter, cleaner, and more efficient lift station solutions.

About OTC Pump Service Capabilities

OTC Industrial Technologies is more than a parts supplier, we’re a turnkey partner that owns every stage of your pumping project, from upfront design support to emergency calls. Our in-house engineers, field technicians, and control specialists work side-by-side, so your equipment, electrical, and automation pieces arrive perfectly matched and ready to run.

What sets us apart:

• Single-source expertise: Pumps, drives, and control panels are specified, built, and tested under one roof—no finger-pointing between vendors.
• Hands-on field crews: Local OTC teams handle installation, start-up, and operator training, eliminating subcontractor risk and keeping timelines tight.
• 24/7 emergency response: Around-the-clock dispatch and stocked service vehicles mean you’re never waiting for parts or personnel when downtime strikes.
• Design / build & analytics: Feasibility studies, treatability testing, energy-cost analysis, and SCADA integration help you justify upgrades and measure ROI.
• Industry-proven reliability: From small municipal lift stations to complex industrial process systems, OTC delivers pumps and controls that run longer, use less energy, and lower life-cycle cost.
• Accessible support resources: Step-by-step manuals and web-based how-to videos available
• Engineered precision: Specification submittals, detailed schematics, and dimensional drawings ensure seamless planning and execution. Retrofits by Experts: Modernize existing systems with current technology, led by experienced OTC professionals.

100% Tailored solutions: Every system is built to match your unique performance, space, and budget requirements. Ready to put our team to work? Connect with OTC today and experience a true turnkey approach to pumping and process solutions.