If you draw circles around the lift station on the form of a map that is civil, it is easy to imagine it as a piece of self-contained equipment.
The water is actually pumped from a source and then sent to the facility. It also relies on structural components, power, controls and access to the site.
A question that is beneficial to project teams who are trying to identify the best lift station designer is whether they take into account the interfaces, and not just what happens within the station.
Image credit: romtecutilities.com
Begin to move upstream of the Wet Well
Take a residential project that is being built as an illustration. The wastewater moves from the collection system to the lift station. The elevation of the site and the incoming flow conditions help determine what the station is capable of handling.
Once wastewater reaches the wet well, another set of engineering choices are made. Pumps, pipes, valves controls, structural components and possibly other equipment must be adapted to the application.
Romtec Utilities designs wastewater systems for municipal, commercial, and industrial sites, as well as applications for development.
This is due to the fact that the project-specific process can be vital because changes to the flow of water can affect the requirements of the pumping system to do.
Be sure to follow the water past the pumps
The engineering issue doesn’t cease after the liquid has left the well. The pumping systems must be able to push the liquid to meet the hydraulic requirements of downstream systems. Station design and pump selection is therefore influenced by the needed flow and head requirements.
This is particularly important in evaluating the top wastewater design firms. The pump might have impressive specs on its own however, its performance has to be able to function within the entire hydraulic system.
Romtec Utilities can design the mechanical, electrical, structural and communication components of a pumping station in an integrated unit, assisting in coordinating the equipment to meet the conditions established for the project.
Stormwater has its own network of connections
Stormwater is a unique infrastructure puzzle. Runoff from surfaces that are developed may become an infrastructure source for collection and then pass through detention, drainage or flood control. Where pumping is required, the station becomes a single link within the larger stormwater strategy.
For organizations searching for the best stromwater system designers, it is worth examining whether site conditions, flow rates, head requirements, environmental considerations, and the surrounding stormwater plan are evaluated together.
Romtec Utilities provides customized stormwater pumping systems for residential and commercial projects.
Coordination Extends Above Ground Too
Some interfaces do not require piping. Electrical services must be able to support the equipment. Control and communications systems need to be customized to the specific project. Contractors should be able to access the appropriate plans and documents. Installation, startup and service could require physical access.
The documentation for the system is particularly important because these connections could involve multiple disciplines and participants. Romtec Utilities provides complete plan sets, as well as project documentation and also supports its systems with the process of startup, testing and commissioning.
See Beyond the Station Boundary
Even when a lift facility is built correctly, it may still be part of an uncoordinated plan if the external connections are not adequately considered.
Water offers a greater perspective on design. Where is its origin? How does it get to the station? What will happen once it’s there? What happens when it’s gone? What infrastructure enables the entire process?
The answers to these questions transform the design of lift stations from a simple equipment test into a complex infrastructure project.