Clarifiers are expensive, to buy or repair, and their downtime can be costly in fines imposed by regulatory agencies and in community ill will. Regular maintenance, an annual inspection of the mechanism and an occasional touchup of the paint or coating system are simple and inexpensive proactive steps that will usually prevent most problems. Three components of all clarifiers require maintenance: the effluent system, the sludge removal system and the drive. The effluent and sludge removal systems require maintenance only occasionally, whereas the drive requires regular maintenance.