A pumping project may appear simple on paper. Water flows into one place and must be pumped to another. In practice, the distance between those two points may be subject to changes in flow rates, elevation differences, solids, pressure requirements storage capacity, controls electric equipment, access to maintenance, and site restrictions.
Romtec Utilities begin the development of the pumping station by defining these operating conditions, rather than selecting the equipment from a catalog. The project specifications can be used to create initial designs and budgetary information.
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You should ask yourself: Where do we go?
The result immediately alters the process of engineering.
The flow of wastewater in the domestic system is subject to substantial fluctuations in the course of a day. A wastewater lift station must move that wastewater reliably when gravity conveyance is unavailable or insufficient. Engineers must therefore consider the expected inflow, peak conditions and pumping capacities, wet well behavior, discharge requirements, as well as how the facility will be operated and maintained.
The challenges of industrial water are different. The water used in a manufacturing or processing plant may require caustic or oily, or heated at high pressure or temperature. Romtec Utilities creates industrial systems which are used in various applications ranging from data centers, installations of oil and gas, food processing, power generation, and pharmaceutical waste.
Rainfall creates a completely different operating environment
Stormwater systems are usually inactive for prolonged periods of time and then suddenly face an enormous volume of water during the course of a storm.
A stormwater liftstation that is connected to an egress basin needs to be able to work as part of the larger drainage plan of the area. When the runoff flows into the detention basin, where the temporary storage manages the immediate volume, and the pumping system moves the water collected to an authorized discharge point.
Romtec Utilities offered this type of solution to the Norco, California business park. The plan called for the construction of a pumping station that would empty the detention system of the stormwater drainage system of the public. The station was therefore required to be engineered as part of the development’s drainage infrastructure instead of being viewed as isolated equipment.
“Package Doesn’t Denote “Off the shelf”
A lot of people think that a system for pumping packages is just a predetermined set of components.
In the case of engineering infrastructure packaging can refer to the fact that all of the main components are integrated into one system. Controls, pumps and meters and the structural elements and other equipment can be selected according to the duty conditions.
This method is especially beneficial when a new system must connect to existing infrastructure. In the case of industrial facilities and municipal buildings, there is rarely unlimited space available or a complete clean environment for the installation. The equipment could need to be modified in accordance with existing piping systems, structures, electrical system, and operating schedules.
Capacity Planning Can Have Real Consequences
The cost of undersizing increases as the facility expands.
At Portland International Airport, Romtec Utilities created and installed the sewer interceptor lift station for the PDX Next expansion. The new station was developed to increase the capacity at peak flows of the current system when airport facilities expand.
It demonstrates a key engineering principal: design specifications shouldn’t represent only what a facility is able to handle during a typical afternoon. Engineers need to know the conditions that occur during peak demand.
The job isn’t done until the Equipment Arrives
Drawings and calculations eventually turn into an operating system. Coordination of installation and documentation are crucial to the long-term success of.
The time between construction and the performance of engineered pumping system can be determined. The decisions made during initial design are evident whenever equipment needs maintenance flow increases or an event occurs.
Romtec Utilities combines these decisions to offer a complete pumping solution for a particular project. It helps turn equipment into infrastructure that is specially designed to meet the specific conditions that it will be utilized.