Answering Your Pump Station Design Questions

Advantages of Pre-Packaged Pump Stations

What Are the Advantages of a Pre-Packaged Pump Station?

Knowing the key site conditions, a pre-packaged pump station offers optimal solutions. Excel simplifies parameter entry, leveraging experiences from countless successful pump station designs, constructions, and maintenances. Our in-house design team, engineering support, project management professionals, and comprehensive manufacturing, assembly, and factory testing capabilities ensure a hassle-free pre-packaged station experience.

How Long Does It Take to Get a Quote for a Pump Station?

We respond within 24-48 hours upon receiving a pump station request to collect project-specific data and identify any unique project requirements. Typically, our proposal response time for budgetary and bidding projects is within one week.

What Information Is Required to Size a Pump/Pump Station?

For pump and pump station sizing and proposal, we generally need a site plan with elevations, flow rates (average daily, peak, and emergency storage), hydraulic force main profile details, and electrical service information.

Can EFG Provide Buoyancy and Structural Calculations from a Certified Professional Engineer?

Yes, third-party engineering calculations can be provided for any wet well type (HDPE, Fiberglass, Concrete). Ideally, these should be discussed early in the design or pre-construction phase for a comprehensive approach, but they can be provided anytime during the process.

How Long Does a Submittal Package Take?

Typically, a submittal package takes 3-4 weeks. An additional two weeks may be added if third-party engineering calculations or nonstandard electrical or generator needs are required. The advantage of an Excel Pre-Packaged Pump Station is a fully complete submittal package encompassing all pump station components for a single review, streamlining the process.

Can You Size a Pump Station for Our Project?

Yes, using a certified wet well sizing calculator, we ensure you get the exact pump station for your needs. Our process is detailed in our blog on How to Design a Submersible Wastewater Pump Station.

Are CAD Drawings Available?

Yes, our design files are created in SolidWorks as 3D models to scale and can be exported to various common formats, including AutoCAD, eViewer, Revit, and more.

What Are the Benefits of Modeling in 3D?

Using SolidWorks for pump station design ensures that digital drawings align with what's manufactured by our production team, ensuring everyone is on the same page. The video below illustrates how information is transferred from the sales team to the design team and then to the production team.

Determining the Right Pump & Pump Station

How Do You Determine Which Pump Is Best Suited for a Specific Job Application?

Pumps serve various applications, from sanitary wastewater to stormwater and potable drinking water. The starting point is identifying the fluid to be pumped. Other crucial factors include gallons per minute (GPM), total dynamic head (TDH), and static head. If you lack detailed information, contact us, and we can provide typical application insights and verify the correct pump selection. For existing pump replacements, upgrade options may be available.

What Are the Key Deciding Factors When Choosing a Particular Pump Type for a Pump Station?

The design flow rate, force main size, wet well design, electrical service, and solids content in the pumped media are critical factors when selecting a pump for a pump station.

What Is the Difference Between a Pump Station, Lift Station, and Booster Station? Are They Interchangeable?

Pump stations and lift stations, which require a wet well to collect wastewater or stormwater, are commonly interchangeable. Other terms like sump pump station and ejector pump are also interchangeable with lift station. However, booster pump stations specifically serve potable water distribution systems with low water pressure or filling water towers and are not interchangeable with pump or lift stations.

How Many Pump Stations Can One Control Panel Handle?

Depending on the application, one master pump station can control up to five stations from a central point, including the master and 2-4 slave pump station control panels. While possible, it can be cost-prohibitive and complex; typically, each pump station has its own control panel.

Does "Wet Well" Mean There Is Always Water in the Bottom of Pump Station?

Yes, submersible pumps require minimum submergence to operate efficiently and avoid airlock. A transducer with a float backup control system ensures this minimum submergence is maintained.

What Are the Best Applications for HDPE vs. Concrete vs. Fiberglass as My Wet Well Choice?

HDPE and Fiberglass wet wells arrive prefabricated, tested, and ready to install. Fiberglass, with a 40-year design life, is resistant to H2S. HDPE offers a 100-year design life, inert to H2S corrosion, and requires no additional coatings. Both are suitable for sanitary wastewater applications, with HDPE being double-walled for Leachate applications. Concrete, while most common, has a shorter design life and requires more maintenance.

Pump Station Structures & Environments

Does Every Pump Need a Fiberglass or Concrete Wet Well Structure? What Do These Structures Do?

Yes, all sanitary or stormwater pump stations require a wet well to collect water and prevent backups or sewer overflows. The wet well provides storage and working volume, ensuring pumps do not run constantly, which could cause premature failure.

Does Soil Type/Environmental Conditions/Location Ever Play a Part in Determining Which Wet Well Basin Material Type?

Groundwater infiltration and levels impact wet well type selection. Soil conditions, especially in contaminated areas, favor HDPE or Fiberglass wet wells due to corrosion resistance without exterior coatings. Concrete structures underground need sealing and maintenance against leaks, whereas monolithic HDPE or fiberglass structures are preferable in groundwater applications. Client or engineer preference is also crucial in this decision.

What's the Benefit of the Aluminum NoVault™ Compared to Similar Fiberglass Above-Grade Enclosure Designs?

The NoVault aluminum enclosure, made from structural tube and sheeting to ASTM 3003 standards, includes a structural floor or base plate design to prevent water intrusion. It is robust, durable, insulated, and resistant to UV damage and extreme weather. Piping and controls are brought to eye level for easy accessibility by the operator.