Lightning protection for water treatment plants

Are you in control of your water/wastewater industry operations?

Water is the source of all life on Earth.

According to the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, there are more than 16,000 water and wastewater treatment plants in the U.S. alone that bring potable water and sanitary sewage treatment to roughly 80 percent of the country’s population.

This critical infrastructure and the systems that make them tick rely on safe electrical distribution and consistent power quality to clean and process the water supply. Without proper protection, water treatment plants and wastewater treatment plants could drown in damage and disruptions caused by transient voltage events.

Not only could a lightning strike or transient surge dismantle your company or utility’s operational reliability and processing duties, but these electrical threats also pose a risk to your energy efficiency. Every aspect of your water production and wastewater processing sites is vulnerable to these internal and external power quality disruptions, including wellheads and central processing plants.

You have invested ample time and money into making sure your water and wastewater treatment systems run efficiently and your organization consistently meets the population’s freshwater demands. Don’t let your hard work get undone in the blink of an eye – work with DEHN.

As an international leader in transient voltage solutions, we understand the intricacies of your facilities and offer grounding systems and lightning and surge protection systems that address every threat to your sensitive electric water processing and water production components.

Request an assessment from DEHN today.

Lightning and water: A costly and dangerous combination

Everyone knows that electricity and water don’t mix. It’s why you’re not supposed to swim during thunderstorms or bathe near plugged-in electronics.

When it comes to your water/wastewater treatment site, grounding systems and transient voltage protection are critical to ensure the disruption-free function of your processing systems and corresponding electrical equipment.

About 80% of transient voltage stems from the daily electrical noise of your own internal systems. That includes harmonics, voltage sags or swells, and small surges from your equipment, such as a compressor with variable frequency drives or a high-power nonlinear electronic switching load from a computer or power controller. The other 20% of threats are more unpredictable as they occur from external sources, such as lightning strikes or other severe weather, power line accidents, or network issues like grid switching.

Any type of transient voltage can destroy your power resilience, leading to power loss or extensive system damage that impacts your ability to provide fresh, safe drinking water to the public, as well as maintain safety within your own facilities. 

Damaged pumps at your drinking water utility can inhibit local firefighting efforts and shut down nearby health facilities and restaurants. Also, pressure loss caused by system damage or a power outage can lead to harmful contaminants entering the drinking water distribution system.

With the risks of expensive or irreparable damage and outage-related downtime around every corner, it’s important to take a multi-tiered approach to maintaining power quality. Lightning protection systems for water production and wastewater treatment industry entities should be incorporated into a site’s construction and include an intermeshed grounding system.

At DEHN, we have the experience and knowledge necessary to protect your water production and wastewater facilities. Our process includes education on transient voltage threats as well as tailored protective system development and implementation that ensures comprehensive coverage of some of the country’s most important infrastructure.

Contact DEHN today to schedule your risk assessment

Holistic protection for electric aspects of water treatment plants

A water treatment plant is not a stagnant site - it's a living, breathing system made up of complex equipment that works together to complete a singular process. If even one tiny component is thrown out of whack or taken out of the equation by a transient voltage event, the whole system could crumble.

With more than 100 years of experience, DEHN has proven solutions to help you protect the sensitive electronic equipment within your water/wastewater treatment site. Our transient voltage solutions extend to the following aspects within the water treatment plant industry:

  • Central Processing Plants
  • Wellheads

Contact us today for a risk assessment that helps you make informed decisions about your water and wastewater company.

Request an assessment with DEHN today

Central processing plant protection from DEHN

The components that make up your central processing plants found within the water treatment and wastewater industry are at risk, and without implementing proper preventive measures, threats are out of your control.

Take back the reigns and remain an informed decision-maker within your operation - request an assessment from DEHN today.

We can help identify the specific threats facing your entire central processing facilities (CPFs). Our solutions address all manner of grounding and transient voltage threats. We can minimize the risk of overvoltage of your external supply lines from direct or indirect lightning strikes.

Additionally, we can help you reduce the risk of surge-related damage to bar screens or grit chambers to ensure unwanted debris doesn't flow through your plant's systems and cause even more damage to your expensive equipment.

Contact DEHN today to learn more

Proactive protection for wellheads

A wellhead is the most visible part of a water well, and arguably one of the most important components as it helps hold and protect the electrical wires and equipment that power the well pump.

Transient voltage events, such as internal power surges, can breach this protective PVC area and wreak havoc on the sensitive electronic equipment inside, bringing your entire water well to a halt. If even a small piece like a casing string is damaged or rendered inoperable, pumping stations’ water wells and connected systems can be compromised.

As the topmost piece of a water well, wellheads are also more exposed to external transient voltage such as lightning strikes. Luckily, DEHN has the appropriate solutions for these vulnerable, compact components of your water/wastewater treatment operation.

Request an assessment today to start your partnership with our team

Products for water/wastewater treatment

Just as bar screens protect your plant and your customers at the inlet from debris in the water supply, DEHN's solutions prevent damage from common and imminent electrical events.

From grounding systems that redirect lightning energy from your electrical equipment to powerful and versatile surge arresters, a tailored lightning protection system, and other types of surge protection devices, we have proven products to address your specific protection needs.

Our solutions for water and wastewater treatment industry applications are always compliant with industry standards, including NFPA 780. Our solutions include:

  • DEHNguard
  • DEHNpatch
  • DEHNgate
  • DEHNpipe

Reduce the risk of lightning damage or other transient voltage threats to your wastewater and water treatment plants.

Contact DEHN today to request an assessment

908300 

DEHNguard modular

The multipole DEHNguard MU surge arrester, open-type 1 SPD as per ANSI/UL 1449, consisting of the base part and plug-in protection modules.

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929121 

DEHNpatch Class E

Universal arrester for Industrial Ethernet, Power over Ethernet (IEEE 802.3 compliant up to PoE++ / 4PPoE) and similar applications in structured cabling systems according to class E up to 250 MHz.

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929043 

DEHNgate

Lightning current arrester with BNC connection and replaceable gas discharge tube. Remote supply possible.

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929962 

DEHNpipe Ex

Flameproof surge arrester with a low-capacitance protective circuit for protecting measuring circuits and bus systems in potentially explosive atmospheres. Insulation strength > 500 V to earth.

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Know the risk with a risk assessment from DEHN

Lightning and surge events are real, and they'll happen sooner rather than later. So, don't wait until it's too late. Choose DEHN for proactive protection from all manner of power quality disruptions.

Our tailored wastewater and water treatment plant solutions are comprehensive, helping you meet contractual obligations and provide safe, drinkable water to citizens across the U.S. Request an assessment from DEHN today to experience the power of our unmatched expertise and experience by your side.

Request your risk assessment