A pumping project may appear easy on paper. Water flows into one place and needs to reach another. In real life the distance between these two points could be a matter of changing flows, elevation changes, solids, pressure requirements storage capacity, controls and electrical equipment, access to maintenance, and even site restrictions.
Romtec Utilities’ method of developing a pump station is to first determine the operational requirements. This is accomplished prior to selecting the equipment. After that, initial design and budgetary details could be developed based on what the needs of the project.
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Ask yourself: Where are we going?
The engineering changes immediately.
Domestic sewage may contain solids, and can experience a variety of variations in flow. A wastewater lift station must move that wastewater reliably when gravity conveyance is unavailable or insufficient. Engineers should therefore take into consideration the anticipated inflow, peak conditions as well as pumping capacity, wet-well behavior, discharge requirements, and how the equipment will be operated and maintained.
The challenges of industrial water differ. The fluids used in manufacturing or processing plant may require caustic or oily, or heated to high pressure or temperature. Romtec Utilities designs systems for industrial applications ranging from food processing and power generation, data centers, pharmaceutical waste facilities and gasoline and oil facilities.
Rainfall can trigger a totally different operating cycle
Stormwater systems can be inactive for long periods of time and then suddenly confront an enormous volume of water during an event.
A stormwater lift station that is connected with a detention basin for instance, should work in conjunction with the larger drainage strategy. Runoff enters a basin. Temporary storage is used to regulate the amount immediately. A pumping system transports the water that is collected to a designated outlet.
Romtec Utilities supplied this type of solution to a business park located in Norco, California. The project required a pumping device to drain a detention basin into the public stormwater system. The station was planned to function as a part of the drainage system for a particular development, not as an isolated piece of equipment.
“Package” Doesn’t Have to be Off-the-Shelf
Many believe that a system for pumping packages is simply a predetermined collection of parts.
Packaging is a method to coordinate the major elements of a system that is designed for a specific project. Valve and pump components can be selected based on their job needs.
It is especially useful in connecting a brand new system to an existing infrastructure. In municipal and industrial buildings, there’s usually unlimited space available or a completely clean environment for installation. The equipment might need to be adapted around existing structures, piping systems electric system, as well as operating schedules.
Capacity planning is a real issue
In particular, undersizing can be costly as facilities expand.
Romtec Utilities supplied a sewer lift station at Portland International Airport for the PDX Next extension. The station was developed to provide double the peak flow capacity of the existing system as airport facilities expanded.
It illustrates a crucial engineering principle: design conditions should not reflect only the way a facility can handle on a normal afternoon. Engineers must know the conditions that occur during peak demand.
The Work isn’t Done until the Equipment Arrives
Drawings and calculations may eventually turn into an operating system. Installation coordination, startup and testing, documentation and understanding are all vital for long-term performance.
The time between construction and the success of an engineered pumping system is assessed. The decisions made in the initial design are clear when the equipment requires maintenance and flows increase, or the weather strikes.
Romtec Utilities combines these decisions into a pumping system that is specific to the project. This helps transform individual equipment into an infrastructure that is designed to withstand the challenges they encounter.
