They are critical in a variety of infrastructure systems, such as water supply, drainage of low-lying land, canals and removal of sewage to processing sites.In canal systems, pumping stations help replenish water lost through lock usage and leakage, ensuring navigability.Similarly, in land drainage, stations pump water to prevent flooding in areas below sea level, a concept pioneered during the Victorian era in places like The Fens in the UK.Wastewater pumping stations, on the other hand, are engineered to handle sewage, with designs that ensure reliability and safety, minimizing environmental impacts from overflows.In Lincolnshire, large areas of wetland at sea level, called The Fens, were turned into rich arable farmland by this method.They are suitable for mechanical building services collection and pumping of liquids like surface water, wastewater or sewage from areas where drainage by gravity is not possible.A package pumping station is an integrated system, built in a housing manufactured from strong, impact-resistant materials such as precast concrete, polyethylene, or glass-reinforced plastic.The development of a packaged pump station system combined all components into a single housing which not only eliminates uneven settling issues, but pre-plumbing and outfitting each unit prior to installation can reduce the cost and time involved with civil work and site labor.Average annual per-capita water consumption, peak hour, and maximum daily can vary greatly due to factors such as climate, income levels, population, and the proportions of residential, commercial, and industrial users.Further, any failure or leakage of the pumps or pipework can discharge sewage directly into the dry well with complete flooding not an uncommon occurrence.To protect the above ground motors from weather, small pump houses are normally built, which also incorporate the electrical switchgear and control electronics.As the motors are sealed and weather is not a concern, no above ground structures are required, excepting a small kiosk to contain the electrical switchgear and control systems.A pumped-storage scheme is a type of power station for storing and producing electricity to supply high peak demands by moving water between reservoirs at different elevations.
Pumping station Van Sasse in Grave, the Netherlands.
New Orleans
, Louisiana: Metairie Pumping Station, also known as Pumping Station 6, building, constructed in 1899, near Metairie Road and the head of the
17th Street Canal
. Now housing 15
Wood Screw Pumps
, it can move over 6 billion US gallons (23,000,000 m
3
) of water a day.
[
citation needed
]
The now flooded C Station at
Abbey Mills
in London. The concrete platforms used to house large motor / pump assemblies that brought sewage up from a deep main drain into several outfall sewers, taking it away from the city centre.