On paper, the idea of a pumping project could appear simple enough: water must be pumped from one location to the next. In actuality, the distance between these two points can be affected by elevation differences, solids and pressure requirements as well as storage capacity, electrical equipment, restrictions on site as well as changes in flow rates.
For Romtec Utilities the process of designing the pump station starts by delineating the operational conditions rather than choosing the appropriate an item from a catalogue. Preliminary designs and budgetary information are then developed based on what the actual requirements of the project are.
Image credit: romtecutilities.com
Start with a simple question: How are we doing?
The design is instantly changed.
There are significant variations in the rate of flow of household sewage. The wastewater lift station is necessary when gravity conveyance cannot or is not working. Engineers therefore need to consider the anticipated inflow, peak conditions and pumping capacities, wet well behaviour, discharge requirements as well as how the facility will be used and maintained.
Industrial water has its own challenges. Fluids that are caustic, oily or have high temperatures or pressures may be required by a processing or manufacturing facility. Romtec Utilities designs systems for industrial applications ranging from food processing to power generation, data centers, pharmaceutical waste facilities and petroleum and gas facilities.
Rainfall is the cause of a totally different Operating Cycle
Stormwater systems may be off the grid for prolonged periods until they suddenly need to deal with massive volumes during major storms.
For instance, a stormwater lift station with a basin of detention must be compatible with the drainage plan of the site. As the water flows into the basin and storage in temporary mode controls the volume immediately and the pumping system moves the water that is 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 basin and discharge it into the stormwater system. The station was therefore required be constructed as a part of the development’s drainage infrastructure rather than treated as a separate piece of equipment.
“Package Does Not Mean “Off the Shelf”
A common misconception is that a package pumping system is simply a predetermined collection of components.
Packaging can be used to organize the primary components of a particular project. Meters, pumps, valves, controls, communications, structural elements, and more equipment can be selected around the required duty conditions.
It’s especially helpful to connect a new system to an existing infrastructure. In municipal and industrial structures, there’s not any space at all or a perfect environment to install. It could be necessary to alter equipment to accommodate existing structures, piping electrical systems, schedules and schedules.
Capacity planning can have real-world consequences
The cost of undersizing is particularly high when facilities expand.
In Portland International Airport, Romtec Utilities developed and built a sewer interceptor lift station to support the PDX Next expansion. The new station was constructed to double the peak-flow capacity of the prior system, as the airport facilities expanded.
This demonstrates a crucial concept of engineering: design conditions should not only reflect the way an installation operates during an average afternoon. Engineers must also understand the impact of demand spikes.
The work isn’t done until the equipment is delivered.
Drawings and calculations eventually become an operating system. Coordination of installation and documentation are essential to the success of the long term.
What happens after the construction of a pumping device determines its value. The decisions made in the preliminary design are very evident when the flow increases or major storms are triggered or a maintenance plan is necessary.
Romtec Utilities brings these two decisions together to provide a complete pumping solution for a specific project. It assists in transforming equipment into infrastructure that is specially designed to meet the specific conditions for which it is employed.