A pumping project can appear simple on paper. Water is introduced at one point and is required to move to another. In real life the distance between these two points can be affected by changing flow rates, elevation differences as well as solids, pressure requirements storage capacity, control and electrical equipment, maintenance access and restrictions at the site.
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For Romtec Utilities, designing a pump station begins by defining those operating conditions rather than selecting equipment from a standard catalog. Then, preliminary designs and budgetary details can be formulated according to what the requirements of the project are.
Begin by asking the simple question: What are we moving?
The answer immediately changes the technology.
Domestic sewage can contain solids and experience significant variations in the daily flow. The wastewater lift station is required whenever gravity conveyance does not or does not work. Engineers must take into account the following factors: expected inflow the condition of the pump, its peak, capability, wet well behavior discharge requirements and how equipment is operated and maintained.
Industrial water has its own challenges. Fluids that are caustic or oily or that have high temperatures or pressures could be needed by a processing or manufacturing facility. Romtec Utilities designs industrial systems for applications ranging from food processing and power generation to data centers pharmaceutical waste, oil and gas facilities.
Rainfall may create a completely different operating pattern
Stormwater systems are often inactive for prolonged periods of time and then suddenly face the possibility of a huge volume in a storm.
A stormwater liftstation connected to an detention basin must work, for example, in conjunction with the bigger drainage plan of the site. The basin is filled with runoff and storage in temporary mode controls the immediate volume and the pumping system then moves the collected water towards an authorized discharge point.
Romtec Utilities provided this solution for the creation of a Norco business park in California. A pumping system was required to empty the detention basin and then discharge it into the stormwater network. The station was planned to work as part of a development’s drainage system rather than an individual piece of equipment.
Package Does Not Mean “Off the shelf”
An erroneous belief is that a system of pumping packages is merely a predetermined set of components.
For engineered infrastructure, packaging could mean coordinating all the major pieces into one particular project-specific system. Pumps, meters and controls as well as structures and other equipment, are able to be picked in accordance with the requirements of the project.
This approach is particularly useful when a new system must connect to existing infrastructure. Industrial plants and existing municipal facilities are not able to provide unlimited space or even clean installation conditions. The equipment may have to be built around existing structures, piping systems electric system, as well as operating schedules.
The real consequences of capacity Planning
The cost of undersizing increases as the facility expands.
Romtec Utilities supplied a sewer lift station in Portland International Airport for the PDX Next extension. The new station is designed to increase the capacity of peak flow of the existing system as airport facilities expand.
This is a great illustration of a fundamental engineering principle: Design specifications must not be limited to what a facility can be able to handle during the typical afternoon. Engineers must also be aware of the impact of the times of peak demand.
The work isn’t done when the equipment arrives
Calculations and drawings will eventually become an operating system. Coordination of installation, starting, testing documentation, as well as operator comprehension all play a role in long-term performance.
What happens following the installation of a pumping system determines the quality of the system. When flow rates increase or a major storm occurs, or equipment requires maintenance, the decisions made during preliminary design become very visible.
Romtec Utilities brings these two decisions together to create a complete pumping solution for a specific project. It can help turn equipment into infrastructure made specifically for the environment that it will be used.