On paper, a pumping plan may seem simple: water must be pumped from one location to the next. In reality, the distance between those two points can involve changing flow rates, elevation variations in solids, pressure demands, storage capacity, control electrical equipment, maintenance access, and even site restrictions.

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For Romtec Utilities to design a pump station begins by specifying the operational conditions rather than choosing the appropriate equipment from a catalog. Preliminary designs and budgetary information will be developed in accordance with what the project will actually require.

Let’s start with one question What’s the Next Step?

The technology is changed immediately.

There are significant variations in the rate of flow of domestic sewage. If gravity conveyance fails, or is insufficient or not sufficient, a wastewater lift facility will be required to transfer the wastewater. Engineers must therefore consider the expected inflow and maximum conditions, pumping capacities and wet-well behavior, discharge requirements, as well as the way in which equipment is maintained and operated.

Diverse challenges arise from industrial water. Fluids that are caustic, oily or have high temperatures and pressures may be required by a processing or manufacturing facility. Romtec Utilities designs systems for industrial applications, ranging from food processing and power generation, data centers, pharmaceutical waste facilities and petroleum and gas facilities.

Rainfall is the cause of a totally different Operating Cycle

Stormwater systems can go unnoticed for long periods until they suddenly need to handle 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 runoff enters the detention basin. The temporary storage manages the immediate volume and the pumping system transports the water collected to a discharge point that is approved.

Romtec Utilities offered this type of solution to an Norco, California business park. A pumping system was required to drain the detention basin and then discharge it into the stormwater system. The station was designed to function as a part of the drainage system used by a developer rather than an individual piece of equipment.

“Package” Doesn’t Infer “Off the Shelf”

Many believe that a package-pumping system is merely a predetermined collection of parts.

In the scenario of engineered infrastructures packaging could mean that the entire system of components are linked into a system. Pumps, meters and controls, as well as the structural elements and other equipment can be chosen in accordance with the requirements of the project.

This is especially beneficial in situations where the new system has to be connected with an existing infrastructure. In municipal and industrial buildings, there’s usually any space at all or a perfect environment to install. Equipment may need to fit within existing structures, piping electric systems, as well as operating schedules.

The real effects of capacity Planning

As facilities expand over the years, undersizing can be very costly.

In Portland International Airport, Romtec Utilities created and installed the sewer interceptor station for the PDX Next expansion. The station was built to provide twice the peak-flow capacity of the previous system, as the airport facilities expanded.

This case illustrates a fundamental engineering principle: Design specifications should not be limited to the amount of work a facility is able to manage on a typical afternoon. Engineers need to know the conditions that occur during peak demand.

The job isn’t finished until the equipment arrives.

At some point, drawings and calculations will need to be transformed into an operational system. Coordination of installation and documentation are important to long-term success.

What happens following the installation of a pumping device determines its quality. The choices made during initial design are apparent as flows rise, major storms arrive, or maintenance is required.

Romtec Utilities combines these decisions to offer a complete pumping solution for a particular project. It helps turn equipment into infrastructure made specifically for the environment where it is used.