Biological pipeline maintenance products are rapidly becoming more common in the market. The use of chemicals is being aggressively restricted through political decisions, and tightening future ESG requirements are pushing companies to seek more eco-friendly solutions for wastewater management and for reducing waste-related problems. SmartPipe has been at the forefront for years in developing biological maintenance and treatment products for wastewater systems. The microbial products we manufacture keep pipelines on ships and in buildings fully functional in a cost-effective way, as a modern alternative to traditional chemicals—both in Finland and internationally.
In this article, we share more about the solution we’ve developed for our biological pipeline maintenance product (BioTroop BL-20), which we believe will revolutionize the care of wastewater systems—especially in very low-oxygen conditions.
When the flow in a pipe slows down, the oxygen runs out.
Wastewater systems require continuous or regular maintenance. Organic waste buildup in pipes and tanks and reduced or stopped water flow quickly cause problems that are traditionally expensive and slow to resolve. These problems include unpleasant odors, buildup, blockages, and corrosion.
Many manufacturers of microbial maintenance products promise better results with live microbes and justify their effectiveness with high CFU figures (Colony Forming Units), which indicate a large microbial count. In practice, a high microbe count alone doesn’t tell you whether the product will work in the problem area. What really determines performance is the environment the microbes are introduced into. If the conditions in the target system don’t support the microbes’ biological processes, even high counts can easily end up being just numbers.
When water and waste are left standing, the oxygen available in the system is quickly consumed and an anaerobic, low-oxygen environment forms. Under these conditions, harmful microbes begin to dominate, and the consequences are familiar in many sites:
- Odor issues: hydrogen sulfide and ammonia cause strong odors.
- Corrosion: hydrogen sulfide can turn into sulfuric acid and corrode structures.
- Sludge and grease buildup: decomposition slows down and deposits grow → blockages.
- Gases: methane formation increases.
The progression is often the same: first you notice odors, then drainage starts to slow down, and in the worst cases you end up with blockages or system damage.
SmartPipe’s microbes work in the opposite way and reduce the problems mentioned above.
Why doesn’t aeration solve everything in pipelines?
The most traditional way to support microbial activity is to increase the oxygen level in the environment (aeration). In pipeline systems, however, this is often difficult in practice. In large buildings, pipe runs are long and the load varies significantly. On ships, systems are tight on space and structurally complex. In the very environments where problems are most likely to occur, adding oxygen to the system is often the most challenging as well.
SmartPipe’s solution doesn’t increase the size of the microbial population – it improves the conditions in the treatment environment.
SmartPipe has been developing a solution for a long time to enhance the biological performance of BioTroop products. The approach is not based solely on increasing the number of microbes, but on enabling the bacteria to work more efficiently in low-oxygen conditions—always without harmful chemicals.
SmartPipe’s biological treatment products already serve as a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to traditional chemicals. However, through continuous product development, we’ve found that our products could perform even better—and, importantly for customers, even more cost-effectively.
We have developed a biostimulant to be added to our biological products, based on a blend of salts that contain oxygen and nitrogen. The purpose of the biostimulant is to support microbial activity when conditions are unfavorable for them.
With a microbial solution enhanced by a biostimulant, odor control becomes more effective, the formation of harmful gases is reduced, and the buildup of sludge and grease slows down—or, at best, can stop even in very low-oxygen conditions. This makes SmartPipe’s products even more competitive and reliable in the rapidly growing market of wastewater system maintenance solutions.
SmartPipe’s biostimulant will be included going forward in the BioTroop BL-20 treatment product, and in the future also in other biological products in the BioTroop range.
What are the benefits for the user?
The added effectiveness of a biostimulant-enhanced microbial solution is noticeable immediately: persistent pipeline odors subside faster (in days rather than weeks), microbial activity becomes more consistent, and problems are resolved more reliably. From the end user’s perspective, the benefits are clear:
- fewer surprises and disruptions
- more predictable maintenance and operation
- less product needed for prevention and problem-solving → a direct impact on maintenance costs
What should you take away from this?
Biological treatment of waste and pipelines isn’t only about the number of microbes. Often the most decisive factor is the conditions the microbes operate in—especially oxygen. That’s why you shouldn’t focus solely on CFU figures. A more important question to ask a supplier is what in the product ensures that the bacteria can function in a low-oxygen environment—where the real problems actually arise.
