On paper, it may appear simple: the water is then pumped to a different location. However there are numerous factors that can affect the distance between two points including elevation as well as flow rate, solids, pressure, storage capacity, and access for maintenance.
Romtec Utilities begins the design of an pumping station by delineating the operating conditions rather than choosing equipment from an inventory. Initial designs and budgetary details can then be developed around what the project will actually require.
Image credit: romtecutilities.com
Begin by asking the simple question: Where are we moving?
The design is instantly changed.
The flow of wastewater in the domestic system is subject to significant variations throughout the day. A wastewater lift station must transfer the wastewater efficiently when gravity conveyance is unavailable or not sufficient. Engineers should therefore take into consideration the anticipated inflow and the conditions of peak, pumping capacity and wet-well behavior, discharge requirements, as well as how the equipment will be maintained and operated.
Many challenges can be encountered by industrial water. Fluids that are caustic, oily or that have high temperatures or pressures may be needed by a processing or manufacturing facility. Romtec Utilities creates industrial systems that are used in applications from data centers to installations of oil and gas and food processing facilities, power generation, and pharmaceutical waste.
Rainfall may create a completely different operating pattern
Stormwater systems can be inactive for long periods of time and then suddenly face an enormous volume of water during an event.
For instance, a stormwater lift station with a basin of detention must be compatible with the drainage plan for the site. The runoff is absorbed by the basin for detention, and the temporary storage handles the immediate volume and the pumping system moves the water collected to an approved discharge point.
Romtec Utilities offered this type of solution to the Norco, California business park. The development required a pumping station for emptying the detention system of the public stormwater drainage system. The station had to be planned as a component of the drainage infrastructure used for the development, rather than being a separate piece of equipment.
“Package” Doesn’t Infer “Off the shelf”
A common misconception is that a package pumping system is simply a predetermined collection of components.
In the scenario of engineered infrastructures packaging can be a way of ensuring that all the major components are coordinated into one system. Pumps, meters and controls as well as structural elements and other equipment, can be chosen depending on the needs of the.
This approach is especially helpful when the system is required to be connected with an existing infrastructure. In municipal and industrial buildings, there is rarely enough space or a complete clean environment for the installation. Equipment could need to be fitted within existing structures, piping electric systems, as well as operational schedules.
Capacity Planning Has Real Consequences
The price of undersizing goes up when the facility is expanded.
Romtec Utilities supplied a sewer lift station located at Portland International Airport for the PDX Next extension. The station was built to provide twice the peak-flow capacity of the prior system, as the airport facilities expanded.
This demonstrates a crucial aspect of engineering: specifications for the design should not just reflect what an installation handles during an average afternoon. Engineers need to know what happens during peak demand.
The work isn’t done when the equipment arrives
Drawings and calculations may eventually turn into an operating system. Coordination of installation and documentation are vital to long-term success.
What happens after the building of a pumping system determines its value. If the flow increases when a major storm hits or equipment requires repair The decisions made during preliminary design become very visible.
For Romtec Utilities, integrating these options into a project-specific pumping system helps transform individual pieces of equipment into infrastructure specifically designed for the conditions they’ll be confronted with.