Romtec Utilities designed, built, and supplied a commercial stormwater pump station for the Michaels Mira Mesa retail development in San Diego, California. The system manages stormwater runoff at the site, helps protect the parking lot, storefront access areas, landscaping, and nearby property during rain events. Commercial sites need reliable stormwater systems because even small drainage problems can block access, increase maintenance, and affect long-term site performance.

To meet those site needs, Romtec Utilities provided a compact stormwater lift station designed for the actual pumping conditions. The station pumps up to 5 gallons per minute with 9.1 feet of total dynamic head. Romtec Utilities matched the pump station to the expected flow, available space, and drainage needs.

As a result, this project shows how a properly sized commercial stormwater pump station can support reliable drainage without adding extra complexity. Romtec Utilities aligned the pump system with the retail site, San Diego’s climate, and the installation team’s needs.

The Michaels Mira Mesa project is in the Mira Mesa area of San Diego, California. The pump station sits near the retail center parking lot among landscaped rocks, bushes, and trees. This location allows the system to serve the site while blending into the commercial landscape. Since the system supports a customer-facing retail property, it needed to be positioned without getting in the way of parking, walking areas, or daily business activity.

San Diego’s coastal climate often brings mild weather and seasonal rain. Because of that, commercial stormwater pump systems in this region must be able to move significant amounts of runoff during storms. Romtec Utilities reviewed the local drainage needs, site layout, and pumping requirements before supplying the Michaels Mira Mesa stormwater lift station.

Romtec Utilities supplied a duplex stormwater lift station with:
• Ebara 0.33-horsepower submersible pumps
• an alternator relay controller
• a NEMA 4 steel enclosure.
• a precast wet well with a 4-foot inside diameter and a depth of about 6 feet.
• three NOLTA floats for primary level sensing

A duplex system such as this one uses two pumps. These pumps can alternate during normal operation, which helps balance runtime and improve reliability for the commercial site.

Because the station handles smaller stormwater flows, each part needed to match the project’s hydraulic needs. For that reason, Romtec Utilities sized the system for 5 gallons per minute at 9.1 feet of total dynamic head. This helped the project team avoid extra equipment while still meeting the site’s drainage needs.

The main challenge was providing a commercial stormwater lift station that fit the site’s drainage plan, space limits, and local climate. A retail center in San Diego does not need the same design as a site in an area with frequent heavy rain. Still, the system must start reliably when runoff enters the wet well.

To solve this challenge, Romtec Utilities reviewed the full pumping scenario before supplying the system. The team looked at expected inflow, total dynamic head, available space, electrical needs, controls, and local stormwater conditions. These details affect pump sizing, wet well storage, alarms, backup needs, and long-term operation.

In many cases, commercial sites send stormwater runoff to holding ponds, drains, or approved discharge points. However, gravity drainage cannot always move water where it needs to go. The Michaels Mira Mesa site needed a compact pump station that could move stormwater from the collection point and support the drainage plan without using extra space.

Key commercial stormwater lift station considerations include:
• Expected stormwater flow and local rainfall patterns
• Wet well size, storage needs, and available site footprint
• Pump capacity, horsepower, and total dynamic head
• Level sensing, alarms, controls, and backup requirements
• Nearby drainage infrastructure, discharge location, and maintenance access

Romtec Utilities supplied a complete stormwater pump station solution for the commercial site. The system included all structural, mechanical, electrical, and controls and communication components in one packaged pump system solution. This coordinated package helped the project team simplify purchasing and keep the equipment aligned with the approved design.

Romtec Utilities designs, builds, and supplies stormwater lift stations for commercial developments, retail centers, industrial sites, and municipal projects. The team helps owners, engineers, contractors, and developers choose pump station components that fit the site’s flow, controls, budget, and schedule.

Romtec Utilities prefabricated the packaged pump systems in-house at its Roseburg, Oregon facility. The packaged approach allows for improvements to quality control and reduces field assembly time. It helps the installing contractor work more efficiently because more of the system arrives ready for installation.

For projects like Michaels Mira Mesa, Romtec Utilities can build valve vaults, valve assemblies, control panels, and related system parts before shipment. This single-source approach gives project teams one point of contact for major pump station equipment. It helps reduce delays caused by mismatched parts or unclear responsibilities.

During installation, Romtec Utilities provides an on-site technician to review the system and support the installer. The technician helps confirm that the lift station matches the approved design. After installation, Romtec Utilities sends out a start-up technician and supports the warranty process as the single-source pump station provider. As a result, communication is easier for owners, engineers, and contractors.

Romtec Utilities worked with Brixmor Property Group, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Bergman KPRS, and Taylor Underground on the Michaels Mira Mesa stormwater pump station project.
– Developer: Brixmor Property Group.
– Engineer: Kimley-Horn and Associates
– General Contractor: Bergman KPRS
– Installing Contractor: Taylor Underground

Taylor Underground had previously worked with Romtec Utilities on the installation of the nearby Sprouts Mira Mesa sister system. These project partners understood the site, local development needs, and installation requirements. As a result, the team could move the stormwater pump station project forward efficiently.

The Michaels Mira Mesa project shows how Romtec Utilities approaches commercial stormwater pump station projects with practical design, coordinated equipment, and site-specific engineering. This San Diego retail center needed a compact and dependable stormwater lift station that could manage runoff without making the system too complex. Romtec Utilities delivered a duplex pump station package that matched the project’s hydraulic needs, site limits, and installation requirements.

Overall, commercial and retail center projects in San Diego need stormwater systems that support reliable drainage while fitting tight site layouts, local rainfall patterns, and construction schedules. Romtec Utilities helps owners, engineers, contractors, and developers design stormwater pump stations that match real project conditions. If your commercial development, retail center, or municipal site needs a stormwater pump station, contact Romtec Utilities to start your design.