Two weeks ago, we posted a blog saying that Romtec Utilities designs and manufactures all types of site-specific packaged pump stations, but what does this term really mean? For people who have never worked on a pump station project, this term can appear contradictory and confusing. The reason for this is because Romtec Utilities provides a different offering for pumping systems than most people are familiar with. Romtec Utilities can handle any aspect of a pump station design and provide the structural, mechanical, electrical, and communication components needed in a single package with complete design and construction documentation.

Romtec Utilities makes sure that for owners, contractors, engineers, or developers each pump station we provide is correct from start to finish. A major part of helping our customers get complete and functional pumping systems is by providing on-site services during critical stages of your project. Our on-site services are performed by experienced field technicians who make sure each project is completed quickly and correctly. With a Romtec Utilities pumping system, you get an on-site construction adviser, start-up technician, and system training technician.

The term “packaged pump station” has grown in popularity over the years, and it is not without good reason. Pump stations are sophisticated systems that require extensive engineering, and many people assume “packaged” means an off-the-shelf system engineered as a one-size-fits-all solution. This would indeed make purchasing pumping systems as easy as buying a car, but this approach is flawed and is not what “packaged” actually means. Labeling a system as a package describes a pumping system that is engineered as a single, functional unit and not an assortment of components. Each package is designed for the unique requirements of the specific project.

In this final blog discussing water types and pump station design, we will look at how sources of clean water can carry specific design implications. Clean water is in many respects the easiest water to pump. By definition, clean water is free from grit and solids and has no unusual water chemistry, eliminating a lot of the major concerns for engineering a pump station. However, there can be differences in the design of a pump station to suit some applications better than others.

Industrial water is the center of this week’s discussion on water types. In the previous two entries, wastewater and stormwater were discussed to show how the source of the water flow into the pump station can implicate the design of the system. This is also true with industrial water except that industrial water is not actually a water type. Industrial water is wastewater, stormwater, or clean water from or on an industrial facility. The reason to classify industrial water as a separate water type is to underscore the importance of specifying an industrial application. The major design implications as related to the source of industrial water are based on the industry for which the pumping system is designed.