Repairs to a live sewage pump station

Upgrading an operational public utility treatment plant presents numerous challenges to the team concerned. This case study examines a component of such an upgrade to show the pitfalls that can be encountered when work is undertaken in a sewage pump station which was required to remain operational during the plant upgrade.

This information is presented as an example of lessons learned when an apparently easily rectified vibration problem proved to be a symptom of much larger, and previously unrecognised, problems with this installation.

As a basis for the discussion the causes and effects of this vibration in a 2-duty, 1-standby pump configuration where the use of an existing layout designed for smaller pumps played a part, along with some work methodologies which exacerbated the problems are examined, and how these problems may be avoided in the future is discussed. The issues arising from this pump station being critical to the operation of the Waste Water Treatment Plant during the execution of the remedial works and how these issues were resolved is also commented on.