WINTER 2026
Whether currency, seasons, or even moon phases, quarters are about change. Chatter too. In addition to making some minor tweaks, we’re moving to Charlie’s Chatter being distributed quarterly, specifically February, May, August, and November.
The debut of our quarterly Chatter format leads with the leader (of course) in double suction pump performance. That’s followed by a new look at sludge dewatering innovation. Then we make the case for improved reliability and efficiency in industrial wastewater applications, before wrapping things up with news and notes.
Top Performer
ITT GOULDS PUMPS is widely recognized as the premier supplier of quality industrial process pumps. With a proud history spanning 175 years of designing and manufacturing the world’s most reliable centrifugal pumping solutions, Goulds Pumps continues to deliver and build upon its legacy as a leader in the process industries.
Solidifying Goulds Pumps’ position as the leader in the industrial double suction market, the 3430 Large Capacity, Single Stage, Double Suction Pump was designed with extensive customer feedback, serving a wide range of industrial, municipal, marine, and power generation applications.
Unmatched Performance
Higher efficiencies and lower NPSH set a new industry standard.
Superior Materials
Ductile Iron casing, 316SS impellers, 316SS shaft sleeves, and Nitronic 60 casing wear rings, just to name a few.
Exceptional Design
One design replaces three legacy products (3409, 3420, 3498), standardizing maintenance activities and maximizing interchangeability.
New i-Frame 360° bearing housing with generous seal area access openings are designed for simple replacement of modern split cartridge seals without removal of the bearing housings.
Versatile casing and shaft design accommodates mechanical seals or packing with just a shaft sleeve change—no machining required.
Cutting Edge
CLEANWATER1 is a leading provider of water and wastewater treatment solutions. One of their latest advancements is SludgeVision™, a technology designed to optimize the sludge dewatering process in wastewater treatment plants, specifically for use with gravity belt press equipment. It combines hardware and software to assist plant operators in controlling the polymer dose required for optimal sludge dewatering.
SludgeVision transforms sludge dewatering from a labor-intensive, trial and error practice into a data-driven, automated process control application.
- Real-time monitoring with a live feed of your belt press being sent directly to the SludgeVision software.
- The software processes and analyzes the visual data to determine the optimal polymer dose needed for effective sludge separation.
- The data is translated into real-time feedback that can be used by operators or integrated into your existing PLC/SCADA systems for automated polymer dosage control.
- The system has a built-in fail-safe (Safe Mode). If the camera feed is lost or communication is interrupted, it automatically reverts to a safe, predefined pump speed to prevent over- or under-dosing.
The SludgeVision Polymer Control System combines a non-invasive, real-time HD camera, a computer-vision engine, and a control system designed for sludge dewatering using belt presses. It continuously monitors sludge dewatering, delivering immediate insights into belt-press performance.
Time Savings
Operators can step away from constant monitoring and focus on other tasks.
Polymer Savings
Maintain optimal dosage and reduce chemical usage, lowering operational costs.
Consistent Performance
Real-time control ensures reliable sludge separation quality, even as sludge composition and belt-press conditions fluctuate.
Tried and True
SULZER INDUSTRIAL PUMPS, also known as the Flow Equipment Division, specializes in specifically-engineered pumping solutions developed through intensive research and development in fluid dynamics and advanced materials. Sulzer pumps are widely recognized as state-of-the-art, renowned for performance reliability, and regarded as efficient solutions. Case in point …
Submersible Centrifugal Pumps
Sulzer’s innovative pumps, impellers and controllers ensure the highest reliability – and energy efficiency. Submersible sewage pumps are ideal for pumping in facilities with wastewater pumping stations. The pumps are equipped with Premium Efficiency IE3 motors as standard and with the ContraBlock family of impellers.
Looking at the overall life cycle costs (LCC) for a pump over a 15-year period, energy costs represent the largest proportion at around 65%, with operation and maintenance accounting for 15%. In the case of wastewater pumps, there is an additional factor that needs to be considered. The pump needs to be designed to minimize the number of blockages that are experienced. Assuming a pump becomes blocked every second month, operational costs to clear the system and expenses for any repairs, consumables and replacement parts, including labor, will represent 15% of the LCC. This can be reduced to less than 5% if the latest design of wastewater impeller is implemented, keeping blockages to a minimum.
Selecting an IE3 motor and an impeller designed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), can significantly reduce LCC, compared to a low efficiency pump (assuming 15 years of operation of a typical 37 kW pump).
A second, and equally important benefit of higher efficiency is greater reliability and a longer operating life. Energy is wasted by motors as heat, and in an enclosed submersible pump application, excess heat can dramatically shorten the life of key components such as wiring, bearings and seals. The improved efficiency of an IE3 motor equates to a lower operating temperature, which translates directly to a longer lifetime for all pump components, reducing the need for maintenance interventions.
Efficient motors are just one part of a holistic approach to pump performance and reliability improvement at Sulzer. Other key components of that approach include the use of advanced CFD to optimize performance and the innovative Contrablock Plus impeller design that resists clogging and allows easy wear compensation. Together, these changes can cut the lifecycle costs of an installation by more than half compared to less sophisticated designs.
Crowley Crew
Meet and get to know a little bit more about a valued member of our team:
Johnny Ramirez – Applications Engineer
Johnny’s responsibilities at CPC include taking application engineering calls from end-use customers and consulting engineers. His other duties include being a technical resource for the Project Management Team, and providing 3D engineered drawings for integrated systems offerings.
Johnny has experience as an electrician apprentice, programming of CNC mills and lathes, and as an engineer drafter. He also had worked perviously at CPC as an intern and part-time employee on a project basis. Johnny holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cal Poly Pomona, having graduated in May of 2025.
Fun Fact: On his off time, Johnny trenches off the coast of southern California to scuba dive.
News Bits
Save the Date!
It’s the return of our popular Pump/Feed/Mix Academy, now known as Crowley College! The single-day workshop for municipal water and wastewater operators and maintenance staff will be available on Tuesday, July 21 and Wednesday July 22 (identical program offered each day). We’ve also got something in the works for consulting engineers, contractors, and industrial operators, that will happen on Thursday, July 23.
As it becomes available, further details and information will be added to the Events page on our website.
New Year, Renewed Spaces
CPC took the whole of the holiday season as an opportunity to spruce up the offices and warehouse. Happy to report that the significant refresh and reorganization throughout the facility turned out great … not only in how it looks and feels, but in helping us to serve you better!
For more information on these, or any of the products and manufacturers we represent, contact the Charles P. Crowley Company by calling 626-856-5656 or by emailing sales@cpcrowley.com.
