Create a box for a lift station on a civil plan and it’s easy to think of it as a self-contained piece of equipment.
The water comes in from somewhere, runs through the station and then continues on to another location. The station is also dependent on control systems, power access to the site structural components, and connections to the infrastructure around it.
Image credit: romtecutilities.com
For project teams searching for the best lift station designers, one useful question is whether the engineering considers those interfaces not merely what happens inside the station.
From the Wet Well
Imagine a home development. The wastewater moves from the collection system to the lift station. The capacity of the station is determined by the incoming stream and the elevation of site.
Once the wastewater has reached wet wells and another set of engineering decision-making begins. Pumps and piping, valves and controls, structural elements, and even other components should be suited to the application.
Romtec Utilities is a wastewater system designer who designs systems to meet the particular needs of each location that is industrial, commercial or municipal.
The approach to the project is crucial because what happens upstream could alter the goal of the pumping station.
Follow the Water Beyond the Pumps
The engineering problem isn’t over once the liquid is removed from the well. The pumping system must be capable of pushing the liquid in accordance with the hydraulic requirements of downstream systems. The pump’s configuration and flow requirements are influenced by the flow requirements and required head conditions.
It is crucial to take into consideration this when evaluating most reputable wastewater designers. It’s not enough for a pump to boast impressive specs by itself. It also has to perform in a way that is compatible with the hydraulic system.
Romtec Utilities can design the mechanical, structural, electrical and communication elements of a pumping station into an integrated system, helping in coordinating the equipment to meet the specifications of the particular project.
Stormwater has its own network of connections
Stormwater is a unique infrastructure puzzle. Runoff can enter a collection system from a developed surface and flow through treatment, detention, or even flood-management infrastructure. The station acts as a link in the larger stormwater strategy when pumping is required.
It is essential for businesses searching for the most efficient water designers to think about the location’s conditions, flows, the head requirements, the environmental considerations and the stormwater plans that surround it.
Romtec Utilities supplies customized stormwater pumping systems for commercial, residential industrial, municipal and projects rather than relying on one system for every application.
Coordination Extends Above Ground Too
There are many interfaces that require pipe. Electrical service is required for equipment support. Control and communications systems have to be designed to fit the needs of the project. Contractors require plans and documentation. Access to the physical location may be required for installation, startup and then later for service.
The documentation for the system is particularly useful because connections can include multiple disciplines and participants. Romtec Utilities can provide complete project plans and documentation, and also provide assistance to its systems during startup, testing and commissioning.
Look Beyond the Station Boundary
Even if a lift station is built correctly, it may remain a component of a non-coordinated project when the external connections are not properly dealt with.
The water is a good design guide. Where did it come from? How did it get there? the station? What happens while it is there? What happens when it’s gone? What infrastructure supports the entire process?
If you answer these questions, you transform lift station design from an exercise in equipment to an engineering project for infrastructure.
