On paper, it may appear straightforward: the water is pumped into a different location. However there are a variety of variables that can affect the distance between two locations, such as elevation as well as flow rate, solids, pressure, storage capacity, and access to maintenance.

For Romtec Utilities to design a pump station starts with delineating the operational conditions rather than selecting equipment from a standard catalog. Initial designs and budgetary details can be created based on the requirements of the project.

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The first step is to ask How are We Moving?

The design is instantly changed.

The flow of domestic sewage is subject to substantial fluctuations in the course of a day. A wastewater lift station must move that wastewater reliably when gravity conveyance is unavailable or insufficient. Engineers must consider the following: expected inflow, peak condition, pumping capacity, behavior of the wet well discharge requirements and how equipment is operated and maintained.

The difficulties of industrial water differ. A manufacturing or processing facility may require moving high-temperature, caustic or oily, or high-pressure fluids. Romtec Utilities designs industrial systems for applications that range from power generation and food processing to data centers as well as pharmaceutical waste and oil and gas facilities.

Rainfall can trigger a totally distinct operating cycle

Stormwater systems may be able to endure long periods of a lack of activities, only to face huge volumes during a storm.

A stormwater liftstation associated with an detention basin must in particular, function alongside the overall drainage plan for the site. When the basin fills up, temporary storage controls the immediate volume and the pumping system then moves the collected water towards an authorized discharge point.

Romtec Utilities offered this type of solution to the Norco, California business park. The project required a pumping device to discharge a basin of detention into the public stormwater system. The station needed be constructed as a part of the drainage infrastructure instead of being viewed as a stand-alone piece of equipment.

The term “package” does not have to be a reference to a shelf

It is a common misconception that a pumping system for packages is simply a set of components that are predetermined.

For engineering infrastructure, packing could also mean coordinating the key components into one particular project-specific system. Pumps and valves can be chosen based on their use needs.

It is particularly useful to connect a new system with an existing infrastructure. Industrial facilities and well-established municipal facilities are not able to provide unlimited space or completely clean installation conditions. Equipment may need to fit around existing piping, structures, electrical systems, and operating schedules.

The Real Consequences of Capacity Planning

Undersizing becomes particularly costly when facilities expand.

Romtec Utilities supplied a sewer lift station at Portland International Airport for the PDX Next extension. The new station had been designed to have twice the capacity for peak flow because the airport has grown.

This illustrates an important principle of engineering: the specifications for the design should not just reflect the way an installation operates during an average afternoon. Engineers should be aware of what happens at peak demand.

The job is not finished when the equipment arrives

Drawings and calculations will eventually become an operating system. Installation coordination and documentation are essential to the success of the long term.

In the years following construction, the success of an engineered pumping system is assessed. The decisions made in the initial design phase are evident when flows rise when major storms occur or maintenance is required.

Romtec Utilities integrates these choices into a solution for pumping that is tailored to a project. This helps transform individual equipment into a system designed to withstand the challenges they be confronted with.