What is a Pump Station?

1. Home
2. Pump Station FAQs
3. What is a Pump Station?

What is a Pump Station?

A pump station also know as a packaged pumping station or pumped system, is an intermediate storage / collecting chamber incorporating pumpsets which transfer either the foul or surface water to a local drain, manhole, or sewer.

A pump station is used where a normal gravity system cannot be, either because there is insufficient gravity fall over a distance (1:40 minimum is recommended) or the common collecting point is lower than the sewer.

Examples of applications using a pump station:

Foul/Sewage water pump stations

• Basement, Utility Room, En-Suite, Extension or Single Property
• Domestic Development Maximum Four Properties
• Small Housing Development, Campsites
• Junior School, Small Industrial Estate, Restaurant or Hotel
• Secondary School, Collage, Hospital, Large Industrial Estate

Surface water pump stations

• Drive Way, Patio, Small Car Park or Pool Back Wash
• Wash Down Area, Large Car Park or Groundwater
• Roof Run Off, Food Prep Wash Down or Attenuation

A pump station can be various forms or configurations either:

Wet well Pumpstation – underground storage chamber accessible via manhole cover incorporating submersible pump(s)
Dry well Pumpstation – A stand-alone storage tank which sits on a concrete base with pumpset(s) located adjacent to the tank

Generally pump stations have one or two pumps operating on:

Duty only,
Duty and standby basis (standby pump is a backup in the event of duty pump failing),
Duty and assist basis (each pump is sized for 50% of the estimated flow rate required).

In all cases the pump(s) are controlled via the water level in the tank using more commonly float switches or ultrasonic level control.

The storage tank or pump chamber is sized to suit the following criteria:

1. Provide a buffer to meet the estimated daily inflow i.e 24 hour foul storage to meet Building Regulations or expected rainfall from serving area.
2. Of sufficient depth to meet item 1, preferably below required invert level (inlet pipe to PS)
3. Minimise stop / starts of pumpset(s) over a 24 hour period.

Pump(s) will be selected to suit the following criteria:

Heavy duty or light duty construction depending of application i.e single domestic use, housing estate, commercial hotel or school etc.

1. Solids handling capacity to suit size of foul / sewage application – Generally the larger the better i.e 50mm, 60mm, 75mm, 100mm soft solids handling, to minimise risk of blockages within pump casing.
2. Flow rate - depending on size of application, water authority consent to pump to their drain / sewer, if a requirement.
3. Estimated pump head – normally in ‘metres head’ – calculated from a combination of static head (invert level to sewer invert) and frictional head or losses in discharge pipework from pumpset(s).
4. Power supply available, 230v 1ph or 415v 3ph.

SPSE Pump Station Range:

• SPSE Economy Pump station Range
• SPSE 1000 Pump station Range
• SPSE 1250 Pump station Range
• SPSE 1500 Pump station Range
• SPSE 1800 Pump station Range
• SPSE 2100 Pump station Range
• SPSE 2500 Pump station Range

SPSE Range | GRP Pumping Stations

GRP Chamber Diameter:             1 metre > 2.9-metres
GRP Chamber Depths:                1 metre > 6.5-metres
Pump Arrangement:                  Single, Twin or Three Pump(s) - Dry Well or Wet Well pumping stations
Pump Operation:                       Duty Only, Duty / Assist, Duty / Standby
GRP Chamber Orientation:           Vertical or Horizontal
Pump Control:                           Control Panel with pear type float controls or Ultra-Sonic’s.
High-Level Alarm / VFC’s:            Standard on all or systems.
Access Covers:                         Various – From Pedestrian A15 > D400 rated.
Pump Manufacturers:                 ABS, Caprari, EMU, ITT, & Wilo typically.

Pump Stations Consisting of:

• GRP Pump Chamber for the most robust, longest lasting maintenance free solution.
• Sewage Pump(s) we only use the highest quality pumps in our sewage pump stations.
• Pipework Pre-assemble galvanised Pipe work (as standard) pre-assembled for fast, easy installation with pedestal(s), Non-return valve(s) and isolation valve(s) fitted as standard.
• Control Panel with integrated high level alarm indication, volt free contact and floatswitches as standard.
• Manhole Cover D400, B125 A15, Double Sealed, Ductile Iron, Cast Iron, or Steel Access Covers and Frames are available.
• Complete pump station delivered direct to site