On paper, the idea of a pumping project might appear straightforward. Water needs to be pumped from one location to another. In reality there are a variety of variables which can influence the distance between two locations, including elevation and flow rate, solids, pressure, storage capacity, and access for maintenance.
Romtec Utilities begin the development of an pumping station by delineating these operating conditions, rather than choosing equipment from the catalog. Preliminary designs and budgetary information can then be developed around the requirements of the project.
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Let’s start with one question How are We Moving?
The answer immediately changes the engineering.
The flow of domestic sewage can be subject to significant variations throughout the day. The wastewater lift station is required when gravity conveyance cannot or is not working. Engineers should therefore take into consideration the expected inflow and peak conditions, pumping capacities as well as wet-well behaviour and discharge specifications, and how the equipment will be maintained and operated.
Industrial water is a subject that presents a range of difficulties. Fluids that are oily, caustic or have high temperatures or pressures may be required by a manufacturing or processing facility. Romtec Utilities designs industrial systems for applications ranging from food processing and power generation to data centers as well as pharmaceutical waste and oil and gas facilities.
Rainfall has a completely distinct Operating Cycle
Stormwater systems are often inactive for prolonged periods of time but then suddenly they face a large volume during a storm.
A stormwater lift station associated with a detention basin, for instance, has to work alongside the drainage strategy. As the water flows into the basin temporary storage is responsible for the volume immediately and a pumping system then moves the water collected towards an approved discharge point.
Romtec Utilities supplied this type of service for a commercial park located in Norco, California. The pumping equipment was needed to drain the detention basin and discharge it into the stormwater network. The station was designed to work as a component of a drainage system in a development rather than as an independent piece of equipment.
“Package” Doesn’t Denote “Off the Shelf”
A common misconception is that a package pumping system is simply a predetermined collection of components.
For engineered infrastructure, packaging could also mean coordinating the major pieces into one particular project-specific system. Pumps, meters and controls and the structural elements and other equipment can be selected depending on the conditions of use.
This method is especially beneficial when a new system needs to connect to existing infrastructure. The industrial plants and the existing municipal facilities don’t always provide a lot of space for installation, or even clean conditions. It is possible to adjust equipment around existing structures, piping or electrical systems as well as schedules.
The Real Consequences of Capacity Planning
The cost of undersizing is higher when the facility is expanded.
In Portland International Airport, Romtec Utilities provided the sewer interceptor station to support the PDX Next expansion. The station was built to provide double the peak flow capacity of the existing system as the airport’s facilities grew.
This highlights a fundamental aspect of engineering: design conditions should not only reflect what an installation handles during a typical afternoon. Engineers must also be aware of the impact of the times of peak demand.
The job isn’t done until the Equipment is delivered
At time, drawings and calculations have to become an operational system. The coordination of installations and the documentation are important to long-term success.
In the years following construction, the efficiency of engineered pumping system is assessed. The decisions made in the initial design are obvious as flows rise as major storms hit or when maintenance is needed.
For Romtec Utilities, integrating these decision-making processes into a total project-specific pumping system helps transform each piece of equipment into infrastructure designed to handle the conditions they’ll be confronted with.