Create a box around a lift station on a civil plan and it’s easy to imagine it as an independent piece of equipment.

The water is actually pumped from somewhere and then delivered to the station. Access, power, control access to the location as well as connections to infrastructure surrounding are all important.

One aspect that could be beneficial to project teams who are trying for the most effective lift station designer is whether they consider the interfaces and not just what happens within the station.

Image credit: romtecutilities.com

Start to go upstream from the Wet Well

Imagine a home development. The waste water flows through the collection system to the lift station. The elevation of the station and the inbound conditions of flow determine how much the station is able to handle.

Once wastewater has reached a wet well then a new set of decisions in engineering is taken. The piping and pumps, the control valves, structural elements, and maybe additional components must be appropriate for the needs of the project.

Romtec Utilities is a wastewater system developer who creates systems to meet the particular needs of each site that is municipal, commercial or industrial.

The approach to the project is crucial because what happens downstream can alter the objectives of the pumping station.

Follow the Water Beyond the Pumps

The engineering challenge doesn’t stop after the liquid is removed from the wetwell. The pumping system needs to move the liquid against the hydraulic conditions in the downstream system. The design and selection of the station are influenced by necessary flow rate and head pressure.

That connection is particularly important when evaluating the best wastewater designers. It’s not sufficient for a pump’s impressive specifications by itself. It must also perform efficiently within the hydraulic system.

Romtec Utilities is able to develop all the components that comprise an entire pumping plant. This includes the structure as well as the mechanical, electrical and communication as a whole. This assists in coordinating the equipment for the project.

Stormwater has its own network of Connections

Stormwater provides a different aspect of the infrastructure puzzle. Runoff can enter a collection system via developed surfaces, and later move through the drainage, treatment, detention or even flood-management infrastructure. Pumping stations are part of a bigger stormwater management plan.

It is crucial for companies seeking the most efficient stormwater engineers to take into account the specific conditions on the site, the flow rates, the head requirements, the environmental considerations and the stormwater plans in general.

Romtec Utilities offers customized stormwater pumps for industrial, residential commercial, municipal and residential projects, rather than with a standard configuration.

Coordination Extends Above Ground Too

Not all interfaces require piping. Electrical services must support the equipment. Control and communication systems need to be designed to meet the requirements of the project. Contractors need appropriate plans and documentation. In the case of installation, startup or subsequent services, access to physical space might be required.

These connections could involve multiple disciplines as well as project participants, making clear system documentation particularly valuable. Romtec Utilities offers complete plans and project documentation. It also supports the systems right from start-up to commissioning and testing.

Explore Beyond the Station Boundary

A lift station may be engineered correctly as an individual facility and remain an uncoordinated project if its connections to the outside weren’t given sufficient attention.

A better perspective of design will follow the water. What is its source? In what conditions does it get to the station? What happens when it’s there? What happens after it has left? What infrastructure will allow the whole process to function?

When you answer these questions, the design of lift stations is something more than just a piece of equipment. It is now a element of infrastructure engineering.