If you draw circles around the lift station on a civil map it is simple to envision it as a piece self-contained equipment.
The water comes in from somewhere, runs through the station before it flows to a new location. The station also relies on electricity, controls access to sites structural elements, as well as connections to infrastructure.
One thing that is helpful to project teams trying for the most effective lift station designer is to look at the interfaces or just what happens within the station.
Image credit: romtecutilities.com
From the Wet Well
Take a new residential development as an illustration. Wastewater moves through the system of collection to the lift station. The station’s capacity is determined by the incoming flow and elevation of the site.
As soon as the wastewater enters an un-dampened well then a new set of decisions in engineering is made. Pipes and pumps, valves and controls, the structural elements, and possibly additional components must be appropriate for the purpose.
Romtec Utilities designs wastewater systems for municipal, commercial, industrial, and other sites as well as applications for development.
This project-specific approach is crucial because changing what happens upstream can alter what the pumping facility has to do.
Keep an eye on the water beyond the Pumps
The engineering problem doesn’t stop even after the liquid exits the wetwell. The pumping system must be able to push the liquid in line with the hydraulic requirements of the downstream systems. The flow requirements and head conditions thus influence the pump selection as well as station design.
That connection is particularly important when evaluating the best wastewater designers. The specifications of a pump are impressive, but their performance must be logical within the whole hydraulic system.
Romtec Utilities is able to design all the elements of the pumping plant, such as the structure and the mechanical, electronic and the communication as a unit. This makes it easier to coordinate the equipment for the project.
Stormwater has its own network of Connections
Stormwater infrastructure is different. The runoff could enter an infrastructure system for collection through well-developed surfaces, and then travel to treatment, detention or drainage infrastructure. The station serves as a link in the larger stormwater strategy where pumping is necessary.
When companies are searching for the most efficient stormwater system designers to consider, they must take into account the site’s conditions, flow rates requirements for head and head, as well as environmental considerations together.
Romtec Utilities supplies customized stormwater pumping systems for residential, commercial industrial, municipal and projects, rather than relying on one system for every application.
Coordination Extends Above Ground Too
Not all interfaces involve pipe. Electrical service is necessary for equipment support. Control and communication systems should be adapted to the requirements of the project. Contractors must have plans and documentation. For startup, installation and subsequent services, access to physical space could be required.
This could be a challenging project that has multiple participants and different disciplines, therefore a clear system document is essential. Romtec Utilities provides complete plan sets, as well as project documentation and supports its systems through starting, testing and commissioning.
See Beyond the Station Boundary
A lift station could be engineered correctly as an individual facility and remain part of a poorly coordinated project if its external connections haven’t received enough attention.
A better design perspective follows the water. Where does it originate? What conditions should it fulfill before it can reach the station? What can it do once there? What happens when it’s gone? What infrastructure supports the entire process?
The answers to these questions change the concept of lift stations from a basic equipment exercise into a complex infrastructure project.