On paper, a pumping plan could appear simple enough: water needs to be pumped from one area to another. However there are numerous factors which can influence the distance between two points which include elevation as well as flow rate, solids, pressure, storage capacity, and access for maintenance.
Romtec Utilities’ way of design a pumping station is to first establish the operating conditions. This is followed by selecting equipment. Initial designs and budgetary requirements can be developed based on what is required by the project.
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Begin by asking the simple question: How are we moving?
The answer changes immediately the technology.
There are significant variations in the flow rate of household sewage. The wastewater lift station is required in the event that gravity conveyance fails or will not function. Engineers must therefore consider expected inflow, peak conditions as well as pumping capacity, wet-well behavior, discharge requirements, as well as how the facility is operated and maintained.
Different challenges are presented by industrial water. The water used in a manufacturing or processing plant may require caustic or oily, or heated at high temperatures or pressure. Romtec Utilities designs systems for industrial applications ranging from food processing and power generation to databases, pharmaceutical waste, gasoline and oil facilities.
Rainfall is a completely different operating cycle
Stormwater systems may spend long periods handling little activities, only to face huge volumes during a storm.
For instance, a stormwater lift station that is associated with a basin of detention is required to be in line with the overall drainage plan of the site. The runoff is absorbed into the basin. Temporary storage is used to regulate the volume immediately. The pumping system transfers the water to an outlet that is approved.
Romtec Utilities supplied this type of solution to a business park development located in Norco, California. The project required a pumping system to drain a detention basin into the stormwater network of the public. 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.
The term “package” doesn’t necessarily mean off-the-shelf
A common misconception is that a package pumping system is simply a predetermined collection of components.
Packaging is a method to integrate the main components into a project-specific system. Pumps, meters and controls, as well as structures and other equipment can be selected according to the duty conditions.
This method is particularly useful when the new system needs to be linked with an existing infrastructure. Municipal and industrial plants facilities usually do not provide a lot of area or pristine installation conditions. It may be necessary to adjust equipment around existing structures, piping or electrical systems as well as schedules.
The Real Consequences of Capacity Planning
The cost of undersizing increases as the size of the facility increases.
Romtec Utilities supplied a sewer lift station in Portland International Airport for the PDX Next extension. The new station is planned to double the capacity for peak-flow of the existing system, as airport facilities grow.
This example illustrates a key engineering concept: Design conditions shouldn’t be restricted to what a facility can be able to handle during an average afternoon. Engineers also need to understand what happens during high demand.
The Work isn’t Complete until the Equipment Shows Up
Eventually, drawings and calculations have to become an operating system. The coordination of installations and the documentation are vital to long-term success.
After a few years, the success of an engineered pumping system can be determined. The decisions made during beginning of the design are obvious whenever equipment needs maintenance and flows increase, or a storm hits.
Romtec Utilities incorporates these options into a pumping solution that is tailored to a project. This helps transform individual equipment into an infrastructure designed to withstand the challenges they be confronted with.