Key features to consider and integrate into municipal lift stations for optimal performance, reliability, and longevity

1. Key Lift Station Design Features
Brian Gongol
DJ Gongol & Associates, Inc.
November 18, 2021
IAMU Water/Wastewater Operators Training Workshop
Altoona, Iowa

2. What goes into a good lift station?
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Safety

Maintenance

Monitoring

Environment

Scalability

Life-cycle costs

Aesthetics

Features and options

3. Safety

4. Falls

5. Electrocution

6. Hazardous gases

7. Slipping and tripping

8. Rotating parts

9. Access control

10. Running potable water

11. Lone-operator capacity

12. Maintenance

13. Retrieval mechanisms

14. Partial vs. full-unit retrieval and repair

15. Tools required

16. Field adjustments

17. Maintenance in shop vs. in field

18. Vehicular access

19. Time required to unclog

20. Wearing parts

21. Storage space

22. Monitoring

23. Surge suppression

24. Pump temperature alarms

25. Motor temperature monitoring

26. Seal failure alarms

27. Oil level monitoring

28. Voltage monitoring

29. Remote alarms

30. Drive-by alarms (lights, horns)

31. Communications (POTS, cellular, data)

32. Environment

33. Protection from elements

34. Heating

35. Ventilation

36. Moisture management

37. Insulation

38. Watertightness

39. Scalability

40. Motor sizing

41. VFDs

42. Soft starters

43. Two-speed motors

44. V-belts

45. Force main sizing

46. Wetwell sizing

47. Wetwell sizing

48. Wetwell sizing

49. Life-cycle costs

50. Initial capital cost

51. Maintenance cost

52. Repair labor cost

53. Expected service life

54. Aesthetics

55. Attractive nuisance

56. Property values

57. Noise control

58. Residential camouflage

59. Discouraging vandalism, theft, terrorism

60. Better conditions enable better work

61. Features and options

62. Gauges

63. Bypass connections

64. Wetwell mixing or aeration

65. Generators

66. Engine backup

67. Summary

Safety

Maintenance

Monitoring

Environment

Scalability

Life-cycle costs

Aesthetics

Features and options

68. Questions?
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Thank you for your time
and attention!

This presentation will be
posted at
gongol.net/presentations
for access after the
conference

Brian Gongol
DJ Gongol & Associates

brian@gongol.net

515-223-4144

@djgongol on LinkedIn,
Facebook, and Twitter

69. Credits

All photographs are the original work of the author and
are not to be duplicated without express written
permission