Lift Stations contain pumps, valves, and electrical equipment necessary to pump water or wastewater from a low elevation to a high elevation. For example, a sewage lift station is used to pump sewage or wastewater up from a low-lying neighborhood to a collection system of pipes. Lift stations are also used in a variety of industrial settings, including mining and water management and treatment. Wastewater systems typically use gravity to transport waste from homes and businesses to provide water treatment at a central facility. For cities that have many changes in elevation, municipalities must use lift stations to pump the wastewater to a higher elevation.
Lift stations are designed to handle a specific flow of water from rainfall, and many contain multiple pumps to manage a large drainage capacity, usually measured in gallons per minute. A sewer lift station is frequently used by municipalities to control the sewage treatment across several areas or neighborhoods. A sewer lift station pumps the effluent to a collection area, ensuring that waste from lower elevation areas is processed.Lift stations for wastewater or storm water applications work in a similar way.
A wastewater lift station typically comprises a concrete or a fiberglass wetwell that is fitted with several submersible pumps. Lift station design also include incorporating level-sensing probes, valves and pressure sensors, and may also include a stand-by generator. Large storm water treatment facilities may have generator back-up for a pump station to ensure the proper drainage of water during a storm or power outage. Lift stations must function in harsh and corrosive environments and are typically made of precast concrete or fiberglass with the pumps and valves accessible through a hatch for cleaning and maintenance.
