On paper, it might seem straightforward: water is pumped into a different location. In reality the distance between these two points may be subject to shifting flow rates, elevation differences, solids, pressure requirements, storage capacity, and electrical equipment, maintenance access and even site restrictions.
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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. Preliminary designs and budgetary information can then be developed around what the project will actually require.
Ask yourself: Where do we go?
The technology changes instantly.
There are significant variations in the flow rate of household sewage. If gravity conveyance fails or isn’t sufficient or not sufficient, a wastewater lift facility is needed to move the wastewater. Engineers should therefore take into consideration the expected inflow and maximum conditions, pumping capacities as well as wet-well behaviour and discharge requirements, as well as how equipment will be maintained and operated.
There are a variety of challenges that arise with industrial water. The water used in a manufacturing or processing facility might need to be caustic, oily, or heated with high temperatures or pressure. Romtec Utilities designs systems for industrial applications that range from food processing to power generation, databases, pharmaceutical waste facilities and gasoline and oil-based facilities.
Rainfall can create a totally distinct operating cycle
Stormwater systems can be inactive for extended periods but then suddenly they have to deal with massive volumes in the course of a major storm.
A stormwater lift station that is connected with a detention basin, for instance, has to work with the site’s larger drainage plan. The runoff is absorbed into the basin. Storage temporarily regulates the volume instantly. The pumping system transfers the water to a designated outlet.
Romtec Utilities provided this solution for the development of the Norco business park in California. The development needed a pumping station to empty a detention facility into the public stormwater drainage network. The station was therefore required to be engineered as part of the drainage infrastructure, rather than being treated as a stand-alone piece of equipment.
“Package Does Not Signify “Off the Shelf”
Many believe that a system for pumping packages is merely a predetermined collection of parts.
In the case of engineered infrastructure, packaging may also refer to coordinating the most important pieces of equipment into a specific project. Meters, pumps, valves as well as controls, communications structural elements, and other equipment can be arranged according to the necessary duty requirements.
This method is especially beneficial when a new system needs to be connected to existing infrastructure. Industrial plants and existing municipal facilities rarely offer unlimited space or clean installation conditions. There may be a need to alter equipment to accommodate existing structures, piping electrical systems, schedules and schedules.
Capacity planning is a real issue
The cost of undersizing is higher when the facility grows.
At Portland International Airport, Romtec Utilities provided the sewer interceptor station for the PDX Next expansion. The new station is designed to increase the capacity at peak flows of the existing system as airport facilities expand.
It demonstrates a key engineering principal: design specifications shouldn’t just be what a building can handle on a normal afternoon. Engineers need to be aware of what happens when demand rises.
The Job isn’t Complete When the Equipment Arrives
Calculations and drawings will eventually become an operating system. Installation coordination, startup testing documentation, and operator comprehension all play a role in long-term performance.
After a few years, the efficiency of engineered pumping system is assessed. When flow rates increase when a major storm hits or the equipment needs to be maintained the choices made during preliminary design become very visible.
For Romtec Utilities, integrating those options into a project-specific pumping strategy helps transform individual pieces of equipment into infrastructure designed for the conditions it’s likely to encounter.