Grit and other solid materials are a costly component of both process water and wastewater, clogging systems, reducing efficiencies and causing abrasion damage and wear that lead to increased cleaning, maintenance and repair.

Grit (and sand) removal is often found in the headworks of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Grit removal can also be used to remove sand from river water intakes prior to processing for potable water, use in industrial applications to remove fine abrasives, as well as being used to remove grit entrained in sludge.

Conventional grit removal equipment is designed based on the mistaken assumption that all grit particles are perfect spheres of silica sand greater than 212 microns in diameter and with a specific gravity of 2.65.

In reality, wastewater grit is constituted not only of irregularly shaped silica sand, but also of other materials with different specific gravities such asphalt, limestone and concrete, as well as eggshells, coffee grounds, seeds, bone fragments and other organic food waste particles of all sizes.