Pump Station Expansion: Planning Today for Tomorrow’s Flow

On paper, a pumping plan may seem simple: water is required to be pumped from one area to another. In real life, the distance between those two points may be subject to fluctuating flow rates, elevation variations and solids, pressure requirements, storage capacity, controls and electrical equipment, access to maintenance and restrictions at the site.

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Romtec Utilities initiates the design of the pumping station by defining these operating conditions, rather than selecting the equipment from catalogues. Then, preliminary design and budgetary details could be developed based on what the requirements of the project are.

Start by asking a simple question: What direction are we moving?

The answer changes immediately the engineering.

The flow of wastewater in the domestic system is subject to significant variations throughout the day. The wastewater lift station is necessary when gravity conveyance cannot or is not working. Engineers need to consider the following: expected inflow and peak conditions, pumping capability, wet well behavior, discharge requirements and how equipment is operated and maintained.

Many challenges can be encountered by industrial water. Fluids that are caustic or oily or have high temperatures or pressures might be required by a processing or manufacturing facility. Romtec Utilities creates industrial systems that are utilized in applications that range from data centers to oil and gas facilities, food processing power generation, as well as pharmaceutical waste.

Rainfall Creates an Entirely Different Operating Cycle

Stormwater systems can have long periods of time absorbing little activity and then face substantial volume during a storm.

A stormwater lift station associated with a detention basin, for example, must work with the site’s larger drainage strategy. The water that flows into the basin. The temporary storage controls the volume instantly. A pumping system moves the water collected to an outlet that is approved.

Romtec Utilities supplied this type of solution for a company park located in Norco, California. A pumping system was needed to empty the detention reservoir and discharge it into the stormwater system. The station was designed to function as a part of a development’s drainage system rather than as an independent piece of equipment.

“Package” Doesn’t Denote “Off the Shelf”

An erroneous belief is that a pumping system for package pumps is merely a predetermined set of components.

Packaging can be used to integrate the main components of a particular project. Pumps, valves, meters as well as controls, communications structural elements, and more equipment can be selected around the necessary duty requirements.

This strategy is especially useful when the new system needs to be connected to an existing infrastructure. Industrial plants and established municipal facilities typically do not have unlimited space or completely clean installation conditions. It is possible to alter equipment to accommodate existing structures, piping, electrical systems and schedules.

The real effects of capacity Planning

If facilities grow, undersizing is particularly expensive.

Romtec Utilities supplied a sewer lift station located at Portland International Airport for the PDX Next extension. The new station needed be constructed to provide twice the peak flow capacity because the airport has grown.

This illustration illustrates an important engineering concept: Design conditions shouldn’t be restricted to the capacity of a facility. manage on the typical afternoon. Engineers should be aware of the conditions that occur during peak demand.

The Job Isn’t Finished When the Equipment arrives

Then, drawings and calculations must be converted into an operating system. Installation coordination, startup and testing, documentation, and operator understanding are all important to ensure long-term success.

Years after construction, the effectiveness of an engineered pumping system can be determined. The decisions made during preliminary design are very evident when flows rise when major storms occur or when maintenance is needed.

Romtec Utilities combines these decisions into a solution for pumping which is unique to the project. This allows us to transform each piece of equipment into an infrastructure designed for the specific conditions it will face.

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