What’s New? Changes in the Wastewater Industry

Over 50 Years of Evolution for Pump Manufacturers

In 1973, a new home in the United States cost about $32,500. Gasoline averaged around 39 cents per gallon, and the median household income was just under $10,000 a year. It was also the year the Arab oil embargo created energy shortages and long lines at gas stations across the country.

And the world was pulling on bell-bottom jeans and heading to the discos!

That same year, Keen Pump Company began operations, entering an industry that was about to experience enormous change.

More than fifty years later, the world looks very different. Discos have come and gone, and that’s a good thing!  But more importantly, communities are larger, technology is more advanced, and the systems that support daily life have become far more complex.

Few industries have felt those changes more quietly, and perhaps more significantly, than wastewater.

A Different Waste Stream

When wastewater systems were being designed in the early 1970s, the material moving through those pipes was relatively predictable.

Most household waste consisted of organic material and paper products that were specifically designed to break down in water. Disposable wipes didn’t exist. Synthetic cleaning cloths were rare. Plastics and fibers that now find their way into sewer systems were far less common.

The pumps and equipment installed during that era were engineered for those conditions.

But the world changed.

Today’s wastewater systems regularly encounter materials that behave very differently once they enter the system.  Today’s products resist breaking down and create new challenges for operators responsible for keeping pumps and lift stations running.

Growth Changes Everything
The United States population has grown by more than 120 million people since 1973. Communities have expanded outward, new developments have been built, and wastewater infrastructure has had to grow alongside them.

That growth has created longer pumping distances, more complex system layouts, and greater demands on the equipment moving wastewater from homes and businesses to treatment facilities.

At the same time, environmental expectations have increased. The Clean Water Act of 1972 triggered decades of investment in wastewater treatment and environmental protection, shaping the modern standards municipalities work under today.

The Quiet Evolution of Equipment

As the wastewater industry has evolved, so has the equipment supporting it.

Pumps must now handle more challenging materials, higher usage, and the demands of growing communities. They must operate reliably for long periods, often in environments that are difficult to access and expensive to service.

For the professionals who design, distribute, and maintain these systems, practicality matters. Equipment that can adapt to existing infrastructure—rather than forcing entire systems to be rebuilt—has become increasingly valuable as wastewater networks age.

Proactive pump manufacturers, specifically such as Keen Pump, have spent decades responding to these realities by improving durability, compatibility, and serviceability.

The Work Most People Never See

Wastewater infrastructure rarely gets attention unless something goes wrong.

But every day, pumps and lift stations move millions of gallons of wastewater beneath our communities. Homes function. Businesses operate. Cities grow.

And most people never give a second thought to the systems making it possible.

But we do.  Here at Keen Pump, we’re watching closely, and we’re anticipating the inevitable changes ahead.

The world has changed a lot since 1973.  That won’t change tomorrow.  We’re ready for what’s coming next.  We always have been.  And we always will be.