Most wastewater systems operate silently in the background and residents rarely consider the infrastructure that keeps cities functioning every day. This changes quickly if equipment breaks down or a system can’t meet demand. Across many communities, wastewater lift station upgrades are becoming an important part of long-term infrastructure planning.
Many lift stations have been in use for decades with regular maintenance. The operating conditions are different today. Utilities are upgrading these essential facilities before problems become more difficult and expensive to address due to population increase, changing weather patterns and greater performance demands.
Wastewater collection systems are subject to loads that many older facilities were not built to withstand. As towns grow, infrastructure must develop to meet new needs.
Existing collection networks are receiving more waste water from new neighbourhoods, commercial projects and industrial facilities.
Lift stations that worked well within their design limits in the past may now operate longer each day or manage greater flow volumes during peak periods. Continuous operation puts further burden on pumps, motors, valves and electrical equipment.
Upgrades can be planned before capacity becomes a concern to municipalities allowing improved system performance without waiting for severe operational problems to occur.
The constant usage of mechanical equipment will naturally wear it down.
Also even well maintained pumps and electrics grow less reliable as the years go by as parts age. It is increasingly difficult to get new parts for many types of older equipment, and repairs are taking longer and costing more.
Modernisation initiatives enable towns to upgrade ageing equipment on a timetable of planned maintenance, as opposed to emergency repairs after unforeseen failures stop wastewater collection.
Today’s lift stations do more than simply lift wastewater from one area to another. More sophisticated monitoring and automation provides operators more insight into system performance, and allows maintenance teams to intervene before tiny problems become big ones.
Modern control systems are constantly collecting information on equipment performance.
Operators can view crucial operating conditions such as: