Why Your Pump Station Keeps Blocking (and how to fix it permanently)

Reasons Pump Stations Keep Blocking

One of the biggest causes of pump station blockages is what is being flushed into the system.

Despite widespread awareness, we still see large volumes of:

• Wet wipes (including “flushable” ones)
• Sanitary products
• Paper towels and wipes
• Fats, oils and grease (FOG)
• General non-biodegradable waste.

These materials do not break down like biodegradable waste. Instead, they:

• Tangle around pump impellers (ragging)
• Build up into dense masses
• Restrict flow and reduce pump efficiency
• Trigger high-level alarms and system failures.

Over time, this creates a cycle of – blockage, callout, temporary fix, repeat.

The Hidden Cost of Recurring Blockages

Repeated blockages do not just cause inconvenience; they create serious long-term issues:

• Increased emergency callouts
• Higher maintenance costs
• Premature pump wear and failure
• Site downtime and disruption
• Potential environmental and compliance risks.

The Bigger Picture: It is Not Just What’s Flushed

While fat build up, wet wipes and sanitary items are a major contributor, recurring issues are often made worse by:

• Incorrect pump selection for the application
• Poor wet well design or hydraulics
• Inadequate control systems or level sensing
• Lack of visibility into system performance.

This is why some sites experience constant issues, while others run smoothly, even with similar usage.

Stop Clearing. Start Solving

Fixing a recurring blockage requires a shift from reactive maintenance to proactive diagnosis.

Clearing it will get it running again. Diagnosing will stop it happening again.

Dura Pump specialises in identifying and resolving persistent pump station issues through it’s Velocity Sentinam Solution.

If you are dealing with recurring blockages or alarms, it is time to look beyond the reactive fix. Get in touch today and fix the problem for good.