A pumping project can appear simple on paper. Water enters at one location and must be pumped to another. In reality, the distance between the two locations could be affected by elevation differences, solids and pressure requirements and storage capacity, control, electrical equipment, site restrictions and changes in flows.
For Romtec Utilities the process of designing a pump station begins by setting the operating conditions, rather than selecting equipment from a catalog. The requirements for the project could be used to come up with initial designs and budgetary figures.
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Start With One Question What’s the Next Step?
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The flow of household sewage is subjected to significant fluctuations throughout the day. A wastewater lift station must move that wastewater reliably when gravity conveyance is unavailable or insufficient. Engineers must therefore consider the anticipated inflow and maximum conditions, pumping capacities 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. The fluids used in a manufacturing or processing plant may require caustic, oily, or heated to high temperature or pressure. Romtec Utilities designs industrial systems to support a variety of applications, from food processing and power generation to data centers, pharmaceutical waste, and oil and gas plants.
Rainfall creates a completely different Operating Cycle
Stormwater systems can be inactive for long periods of time and then suddenly be required to manage large amounts during a major storm.
A stormwater liftstation that is connected to an detention basin must in particular, function as part of the larger drainage plan for the site. The runoff enters the detention basin, where the temporary storage is responsible for immediately the volume and the pumping system transports the water collected to an approved discharge point.
Romtec Utilities offered this type of solution to the Norco, California business park. The pumping system was needed to empty the detention reservoir and discharge it into the stormwater network. The station was to be planned as a component of the drainage infrastructure designed for the development, rather than as a separate piece equipment.
“Package Does Not Signify “Off the Shelf”
An erroneous belief is that a package pumping system is merely a predetermined array of parts.
In the instance of an engineered infrastructure packaging may mean that all major components are linked into a system. Meters, pumps, valves control, communications, structural elements, as well as other equipment can be selected around the specific duty requirements.
This method is especially beneficial in situations where a new system has to be connected to existing infrastructure. Industrial facilities and municipal facilities don’t always offer a large amount of space to install or maintain in good condition. Equipment could need to be fitted around existing piping, structures electric systems, as well as operational schedules.
The Real Consequences of Capacity Planning
If facilities are growing and expand, undersizing is a major expense.
Romtec Utilities supplied a sewer lift station in Portland International Airport for the PDX Next extension. The new station had be constructed to provide twice the peak flow capacity as the airport expanded.
This example illustrates a key engineering principal: Design conditions should not be limited to what a facility can manage on the typical afternoon. Engineers should also be aware of the impact of demand spikes.
The job isn’t finished until the Equipment Arrives
At some point, calculations and drawings will eventually become a functioning system. Documentation and coordination of installation are important to long-term success.
A properly engineered pumping system is ultimately determined by the results that take place years after the construction. The decisions made in the initial design are evident when equipment needs maintenance, flows increase or storms strike.
Romtec Utilities blends these choices to create a complete pumping solution for a specific project. It assists in turning equipment into infrastructure that is made specifically for the environment that it will be employed.