Lift Stations

Lift stations are an essential component to municipal water and wastewater systems. Without them, many urban centers throughout the world would simply not exist. So keeping them in operation and performing properly is absolutely vital.

Lift stations that aren’t performing properly could spell disaster, especially if an overflow occurs. In addition to the unsanitary conditions and property damage an overflow creates, there is a hefty fine imposed by the EPA (think tens of thousands of dollars per day). Therefore, monitoring the water level in the station is critical. Level sensors can be used to trip alarms or turn on/off pumps automatically if an alarm condition exists.

There are a variety of instruments available to use for lift station level monitoring...

In April we introduced our newest wastewater submersible pressure transducer, the Series PT-510W. The Series PT-510W is an OEM-ready submersible transducer, with a maximum depth of 46 feet. Made of 18-8 stainless steel, with 1.7” H x 3.6”Ø protective cage around the transducer, the Series PT-510W is perfect for accurate and reliable level measurements in lift stations.

Among the most common methods for pump control in lift stations is the use of multiple cable suspended float switches. While this method may appear to be the least expensive, it also involves the most risk and hassle.

One of the biggest unforeseen costs with multiple individual floats is maintenance. Many lift station techs plan on replacing one float switch per year due to the lack of quality of these less expensive units. In addition, having several cable suspended float switches in the same well will often result in tangled floats.

In the last blog post in our series on sensors in lift stations, we discussed the benefits and challenges of using a submersible pressure transducer for continuous level measurement. As a reminder, continuous level measurement provides large economic benefits in energy savings when using pumps with variable speed motors.

Ultrasonic sensors are another common pick for continuous level measurement in lift stations. They function by sending pulses of high frequency sound waves. When the sound waves bounce off...

Continuous measurement in a lift station can come from a variety of sensors including ultrasonic, radar, level probes, and submersible pressure transducers. Each sensor technology has pros and cons. Today’s post will focus on the benefits and challenges of using a submersible pressure transducer.

A pressure measurement at the bottom of a tank can be used to determine liquid. Submersible pressure sensors are specifically designed for these types of measurements. When a submersible pressure sensor is used in a lift station, it must be robust enough to deal with the turbulence and debris that is often present. For this...

Sensors play a key role in pump control for Lift stations. Without good working sensors, lift stations can overflow, pumps can be ruined, and power can be wasted. Over the next few weeks we will be providing a series of posts that cover the various types of sensors that can be used for duplex and simplex pump control, override sensors to provide back-up pump control, and some of the benefits of continuous level measurement vs. point level sensing.