Even though you use it every day, chances are you have never heard of a lift station. Taking the time to learn about it will make you appreciate the utilities in your home and office even better. Here is everything you need to know about a lift station especially if you plan to work there.
Introduction
Simply
put, a lift station is a sewage pump, or a poop pump, as some people lightly call it. All
it does is pump the water from the sewage lines to the waste treatment plant.
Even though it is something you hardly pay attention to, without it, your home
would not get rid of all the waste you and your family produce.
Lift
stations were created to replace more sewer lines and bigger sewer pipes that
cost a lot to construct. With the lift station, you get smaller pipes that move
on the ground, and the waste gets pumped whenever there is an elevation. That
way, the waste management cost is significantly reduced.
The
Mechanics of A Lift Station
The
lift station works in a really simple way. When the waste leaves your home, it
travels along the pipes to the waste management area. These pipes are put in
the ground, so gravity can help push the waste to the station. Some areas come
with elevation, which means the waste needs to travel uphill. Since that cannot
happen naturally, the lift station pumps come in. The pumps are put in areas
with elevations, and what they do is pump the waste upwards so the flow can be
uninterrupted.
Before
the waste is pumped, it has to be monitored to register the sewage and toxic
levels. Often the waste stays at these stations for a while before it gets to a
level where it can be pumped. These areas need to be monitored to ensure that
no harmful odors are escaping and the pump pressure is enough to handle the
capacity of the waste.
Parts
That Make Up A Lift Station
For
the lift well to work efficiently, several parts make it up. These are the
parts that the authorities will look at if there is an issue with the pump.
●
Wet
well or receiving well
●
Pump
and compressors
●
Valves
●
Electric
motors
●
Power
supply system
●
Equipment
control
●
Odor
control and ventilation
Whenever
one monitors the station, these are all parts they need to ensure working.
How
To Know the Lift Pump Station Is Working
If
you have never manned a station before, there will be many things you will have
to learn to observe. Here are some of the areas you will look at to ensure your
lift pump station is working:
●
The
pump needs to match the capacity of the tanks
●
The
station should be functioning without any interruptions
●
There
should be no excess odors getting to the outside
If
the pump is working efficiently, then you will not notice any of the issues
addressed above
Reasons
Why You Need To Carry Out Regular Lift Station Maintenance
One
of the things many people ignore when it comes to the lift station is
maintenance checks. Without regular checks, there is a chance of the system not
working like it is meant to be and brings a myriad of issues. There are now lift station
monitoring devices that are used to ensure that everything at the
station is working perfectly. They come equipped with alarms that will go off
if there is a snag in the entire system. It is easy for you to tell if anything
needs your attention with these monitors.
Ensuring
you carry out regular checks on the station will keep you on top of everything.
It will also ensure that you do not have any issues with the authorities. The
plants are subject to random checks, and the maintenance records will be looked
at. Failed checks lead to penalties which are something you should avoid at all
times,
Final Thoughts
Lift
stations are there to ensure that waste management happens efficiently. The
pointers and tips above will guide you if you are in charge of one. Ensure that
everything runs smoothly as any hiccups will mean danger to the people
connected to the sewer system.
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