On paper, a pumping project could appear simple enough: water must be pumped from one place to another. In actuality, the distance between those two points may be subject to changes in flow rates, elevation variations in solids, pressure demands, storage capacity, control electrical equipment, access to maintenance, and restrictions on the site.
Romtec Utilities begins the design of the pumping station by defining these operating conditions, rather than choosing equipment from an inventory. Initial designs and budgetary requirements can be formulated based on the requirements of the needs of the project.
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There could be a significant fluctuation in the flow rate of the domestic sewage. A wastewater lift station must move that wastewater reliably when gravity conveyance is unavailable or insufficient. Engineers therefore need to consider expected inflow, peak conditions, pumping capacity, wet-well behavior, discharge requirements as well as how the facility is operated and maintained.
The difficulties of industrial water differ. Fluids that are caustic, oily or have high temperatures and pressures might be needed by a manufacturing or processing facility. Romtec Utilities creates industrial systems that are used in applications from data centers to installations of oil and gas Food processing, power generation, and pharmaceutical waste.
Rainfall can create a totally different operating pattern
Stormwater systems can be inactive for long periods of time until they suddenly need to deal with massive volumes in the event of a major storm.
A stormwater pump station connected with a detention reservoir, for instance, should work in conjunction with the larger drainage plan. Runoff flows into a basin. The temporary storage controls the volume immediately. A pumping system transports the water that is collected to an approved outlet.
Romtec Utilities offered this type of solution to the Norco, California business park. This project needed a pumping system that would empty a reservoir into the public stormwater network. This station had to be engineered as part of the drainage infrastructure instead of being viewed as a stand-alone piece of equipment.
“Package” Doesn’t Have to mean Off-the-Shelf
There is a widespread misconception that a pumping system used for packages is just a collection of predetermined parts.
For engineered infrastructure, packaging could mean coordinating all the key components into one particular project-specific system. Pumps, valves, meters as well as controls, communications structural elements, and other equipment are able to be selected based on the necessary duty requirements.
That approach becomes especially useful when a brand new system needs to connect to existing infrastructure. Industrial plants and existing municipal facilities typically do not have unlimited space or even clean installation conditions. There may be a need to adjust equipment around existing structures, piping or electrical systems as well as schedules.
Capacity planning has real consequences
The cost of undersizing is higher when the facility is expanded.
Romtec Utilities, a Portland International Airport utility company, has designed and constructed the sewer interceptor station for the PDX Next project. The new station was required to be designed to accommodate twice the capacity for peak flow since the airport had expanded.
This is a key aspect of engineering: specifications for the design should not just be a reflection of what the installation can handle during an average afternoon. Engineers must also be aware of the impact of peak demand.
The work isn’t done until the equipment is delivered.
At the point where drawings and calculations need to evolve into an operational system. Installation coordination with startup and testing, documentation and understanding are all important for long-term performance.
A well-engineered pumping system is ultimately defined by the results that take place years after construction. If the flow increases when a major storm hits or the equipment needs to be maintained the decisions made in preliminary design are evident.
Romtec Utilities combines these decisions into a pumping solution that is tailored to a particular project. This helps transform individual equipment into an infrastructure built to handle the environment they face.