On paper, the process may appear simple: the water is pumped to different location. In real life, the distances between these two points could be influenced by elevation changes or the pressure and solids requirements, as well as storage capacity, electrical equipment, site restrictions, and fluctuations in flows.
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Romtec Utilities’ approach to designing a pump station is to first establish the operating conditions. This is followed by selecting the equipment. Then, preliminary designs and budgetary requirements can be formulated based on the requirements of the needs of the project.
Let’s start with one question What are we doing?
The result immediately alters the process of engineering.
The flow of domestic sewage is subject to substantial fluctuations in the course of a day. A wastewater lift station needs to transport the wastewater in a reliable manner whenever gravity conveyance isn’t available or not sufficient. Engineers need to take into account the expected flow, the conditions of peak, pumping capacity, wet-well behaviour, discharge requirements and how the equipment will be used and maintained.
The issues of industrial water are diverse. Fluids that are oily, caustic or have high temperatures and pressures might be needed by a processing or manufacturing facility. Romtec Utilities designs industrial systems to support a variety of applications, from power generation and food processing to data centers, pharmaceutical waste, and oil and gas plants.
Rainfall has a completely distinct Operating Cycle
Stormwater systems can be inactive for long periods of time, only to suddenly have to deal with large volumes during a major storm.
A stormwater lift station associated with a detention basin, for example, must work with the site’s larger drainage strategy. The basin is filled with runoff, temporary storage controls the immediate volume, and the pumping system moves the water collected towards an approved discharge point.
Romtec Utilities supplied this type of solution for a business park development located in Norco, California. A pumping system was required to empty the basin and then discharge it into the stormwater network. The station was intended to function as a part of a drainage system in a development and not as a separate piece of equipment.
The word “package” does not have to mean off-the-shelf
A common misconception is that a system of pumping packages is simply a predetermined collection of components.
For engineered infrastructure, packaging could also mean coordinating the main components into a project-specific system. Controls, pumps and meters along with components for structural construction and equipment, are able to be picked according to the duty conditions.
This is especially beneficial for systems that need to be connected with an existing infrastructure. Municipal and industrial plants facilities are not able to provide unlimited area or pristine installation conditions. It may be necessary to modify equipment in order to fit into existing structures, piping as well as electrical systems and schedules.
Capacity planning has real consequences
If facilities are growing, undersizing is particularly expensive.
At Portland International Airport, Romtec Utilities created and installed an sewer interceptor lift station for the PDX Next expansion. The new station was constructed to provide double the peak flow capacity of the existing system, as the airport facilities expanded.
It illustrates an important engineering principal: design specifications shouldn’t just be what a building handles on an ordinary afternoon. Engineers must also know the impact of demand spikes.
The Work isn’t Complete until the Equipment Arrives
At time, drawings and calculations need to evolve into an operational system. Coordination of installation and documentation are important to long-term success.
A properly designed pumping system is ultimately determined by the results that take place years after construction. The decisions made during initial design are clearly visible when equipment needs maintenance as flows rise or when storms strike.
Romtec Utilities integrates these choices into a solution for pumping which is unique to a specific project. This allows the transformation of individual equipment into an infrastructure that is designed for the conditions they will face.