Home Smart 100 2011 Flovac Deployable Sewerage System (SMART 100)

Flovac Deployable Sewerage System (SMART 100)

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Flovac Deployable Sewerage System

This innovation initially came to life when…

This innovation came to life when one of our senior engineers was asked to look at a way to handle wastewater handling in temporary camps. A potential client, the British Ministry of Defence, was having problems with the extreme weather conditions in Afghanistan affecting their pump systems and regulatory changes meant that they could not leave their sewage at the site of their camps. We have had 25 years of experience using vacuum technology for sewage networks in Australia and so managed to come up with a way to containerise the system and handle the conditions.

WHAT & HOW

The purpose of this innovation is to…

In temporary camps, whether emergency, mining, concerts or military, sewage needs to transported from the ablution blocks, kitchen areas and rooms to an area to be treated. Putting pipes in the ground can take time, be expensive or damage the environment.

It does this by…

A deployable vacuum system operates with three components. A containerised vacuum pump station that is built to withstand extereme transport and climate is placed next to a containerised treatment plant where sewage can be re-used in the camp. Collection points are placed around the camp, above ground to collect the sewage and all pipework is laid above the ground.

PURPOSE & BENEFITS

This innovation improves on what came before because…

In an emergency refugee camp, the risk of contamination from raw sewage going into the into the drinking water or attracting disease-carrying mosquitos is very high. This solution is low-cost and easy to transport, allowing for all sewage to be safely collected and treated.

Its various benefits to the customer/end-user include…

All components of the system are deployed to site in containers and laid on the ground easily. Power is only required at the pump station which is in the same area as the other camp utilities. No sewage overflows occur.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

In the past, this problem was solved by…

Historically, sewage at temporary camps went into holes in the ground; either the sewage stayed there or it was pumped out by trucks and taken to another location. In recent times pumps were also used on some sites to transport the sewage to treatment. This involved construction of pipe in the ground and overflow risks.

Its predecessors/competitors include…

Digging pipes into the ground to take away sewage is time-consuming and expensive and does damage to the local area. One of the hardest things is when the camp is ready to move to another location.

TARGET MARKET

It is made for…

Towns and cities have long-term infrastructure hidden underground, water, telecommunications, sewerage pipes and stormwater. In temporary camps this is not often possible, with cost, time and ease of removal to a new location.

Although our first projects have been for military camps in Afghanistan, our main target is for emergency relief camps where reducing the risk of disease and protecting drinking water is paramount.

We also see deployable sewerage systems being used in mining camps, refugee camps, workers camps and in one-off large events like music festivals or religious festivals.

DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY

It is available for sale through…

Our company now has 23 licensees around the world and is looking to expand into other countries. Mainly, though, people contact us through our web page or word of mouth.

Our marketing strategy is to…

We are targeting international mining companies, international aid agencies and major engineering firms. We plan to write and place some strategic articles in international magazines. We also plan to work with companies that supply equipment already to camps in particular sewage treatment and water treatment plants.

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