Romtec Utilities delivered complete lift and booster stations for the Arborwood Development in Kitsap County, Washington, helping support a growing residential area while meeting long-term public ownership standards. The Arborwood project required careful planning, coordination, and technical expertise to design wastewater infrastructure that would serve two large private developments and later transfer to public agencies.

The Arborwood Development is a multi-phase residential project in Kitsap County, Washington, that required carefully coordinated wastewater infrastructure to support two large private developments while meeting long-term public ownership standards. Romtec Utilities provided design and system solution for the South lift station, North lift station, and a critical booster station, each of which will ultimately be conveyed to public agencies following construction and startup.

This project demonstrates Romtec Utilities’ ability to recover challenged designs, manage complex project teams, and deliver reliable pump station systems that meet public utility requirements.

Kitsap County is located in western Washington, across the Puget Sound from Seattle. The county includes a mix of rural communities, growing residential neighborhoods, and environmentally sensitive waterways. As development increases, Kitsap County places strong emphasis on reliable wastewater infrastructure that protects public health and local ecosystems.

Lift and booster stations in this region must meet strict county and utility district standards to ensure long-term performance, safety, and maintainability. Systems intended for future public ownership require standardized controls, dependable redundancy, SCADA compatibility, and equipment configurations that local operations teams can easily maintain over the long term.

Arborwood was originally planned as a single development but was later divided into two roughly equal phases:

• South Arborwood, developed by Pulte
• North Arborwood, developer by Taylor Morrison

Each phase consists of approximately 350 homes and required independent wastewater collection infrastructure. Both lift stations pump to a shared downstream connection point, with the booster station supporting overall site hydraulics and distribution.

Although privately constructed, all systems are intended for eventual public ownership under Kitsap County Public Works and Kitsap Public Utility District.

Romtec Utilities was initially brough into the Arborwood project through Kitsap County Public Works, while a civil engineer and subconsultant were also involved in the development project. Romtec utilities supported early pump sizing and design input; however, it became apparent that coordination challenged and misaligned priorities were jeopardizing the lift station scope.

A major turning point occurred when RPD, acting as a general contractor and installing contractor for the South lift station under Pulte, re-engaged Romtec Utilities directly. Based on previous successful project with Romtec Utilities, RPD identified the risks of having multiple engineers influencing the lift station design and advocated for a restructuring of the team.

As a result, Romtec Utilities assumed full responsibility for lift station design. This reset stabilized the project and allowed the lift station design to proceed efficiently using Romtec Utilities approach to compliance.

The North Arborwood Lift Station serves the Taylor Morrison portion of the development and was designed as a mirror system of the South station. Wastewater from the north phase is pumped to the same downstream location, ensuring operation consistency for the end owner.

Unlike the South lift station, Romtec utilities was engaged earlier in the project lifecycle under a Design Services Order. This allowed Romtec Utilities to work directly under the civil engineer, Core Design, while planning for equipment supply as a separate, future procurement.

The developer required that lift station design and supply be split, with Romtec utilities providing engineering under Core Design and equipment supply intended as direct purchase coordinated later through RPD. The system underwent multiple revisions as the number of homes fluctuated during planning.

The Arborwood Booster Station emerged directly from the South Lift Station effort and was developed using the same core project team. The booster station is a private installation under Pulte, with ultimate ownership to be transferred to Kitsap Public Utility District.

Romtec Utilities designed the booster station as a retrofit system to replace existing equipment while integrating with the already approved site distribution plans. The booster station plays a key role in maintaining system pressure and supporting reliable wastewater conveyance throughout the Arborwood Development.

Romtec Utilities based its designs for the lift and booster stations on Kitsap County standards and maintained direct communication with the county reviewer to help ensure a straightforward review process.

The South Arborwood Lift Station was engineered for reliability, redundancy, and long-term maintainability.

System highlights:

• 6’ ID x 22.75’ deep precast concrete wet well
• Precast 687 valve vault
• Duplex 11 HP Flygt submersible pumps
• Primary controller: CompactLogix
• Primary level sensing: Siemens A1000i pressure transducer
• Secondary level sensing: four NOLTA MS1 floats
• NEMA 3R stainless steel enclosure
• SCADA integration by QCC
• The system was designed for a duty point of 284 GPM at 88.8 feet TDF

The system was designed to meet Kitsap County standards and seamlessly transition from private development to public ownership.

The North lift station was sized to serve 374 homes, including an allowance for future growth, representing an estimated service population of 823 people.

Key system features include:

• 6’ID x 23.9’ deep precast concrete wet well
• Duplex 23 HP Flygt submersible pumps
• Precast valve vault
• Controller : Allen-Bradley CompactLogix
• Primary level sensing: Siemens A1000i pressure transducer
• Secondary level sensing: four NOLTA MS1 floats
• NEMA 3R stainless steel enclosure
• SCADA designed for integration with Kitsap County system
• Backup power: 80kW diesel generator with automatic transfer switch
• The system was designed for a duty point of 259 GPM at approximately 132 feet TDH

This lift station operated under a standard alternating duplex control philosophy, with automatic lag pump engagement during high inflow conditions. Alarm and control setpoint are configured below the influent invert to prevent surcharge.

The Arborwood booster pump station is 30 HP simplex booster retrofit system designed and supplied by Romtec utilities to support the Arborwood Development’s approved distribution network in Kitsap County, Washington. The system replaces existing booster equipment while utilizing an adapter plate to integrate with existing mechanical connections and upgrades controls by replacing reduced-voltage soft starters with a variable frequence drive.

The booster station is designed to deliver up to 689 GPM at an approximate 124 PSI discharge pressure, with a target operating range of 125-120 PSI, and operates automatically based on flow rate and discharge pressure at the station. The system includes a single Goulds end-suction centrifugal pump constructed of standard epoxy-coated ductile or cast-iron materials and is intended to align with previously approved site and distribution plans while preparing the infrastructure for eventual public ownership.

The Arborwood lift and booster station project faced challenges including consultant turnover, design rework, coordination between multiple stakeholders, and evolving department plans.

These issues increased risk to schedule, cost, and long-term system performance. Coordinating multiple project teams while maintaining compliance with Kitsap County standards required effective communication and centralized technical leadership.

Romtec Utilities provided technical leadership, standardized designs, and direct coordination with contractors and public agencies throughout the project.

By consolidating design responsibility and aligning all systems with county standards, Romtec Utilities reduced complexity and delivered reliable lift and booster station systems were designed for long-term reliability, maintainability, and successful transition to public ownership.

All Arborwood systems are designed for public agency acceptance following startup and commissioning. Both Kitsap County Public Works and Kitsap County Public Utility District operate and maintain similar pump stations and have established O&M capabilities.
Key considerations across all three facilities include:

• Alignment with existing agency standards and SCADA systems
• Coordination to ensure O&M personnel are present for startup, testing, and training
• Defined responsibility for interim maintenance prior to formal ownership transfer

The collaborative involvement of developers, contractors, engineers, and public agencies helped ensure successful delivery of each pump system.

The Arborwood Development highlights Romtec Utilities’ ability to deliver dependable lift and booster station systems in complex residential projects. Through strong coordination, proven engineering, and a focus on public ownership requirements, Romtec Utilities helped ensure the long-term success of critical wastewater infrastructure in Kitsap County, Washington.

By overcoming design coordination challenges and delivering standardized, utility-compliant systems, Romtec Utilities provided reliable lift and booster station solutions built to serve the Arborwood community for years to come.