What is a Lift Station?

Lift stations are facilities that help in the process of moving wastewater from lower to higher elevations. Typically, wastewater is moved around through gravity and works its way down to enter into a lift station.  Once the wastewater reaches a low point, it is brought into a lift station which pumps the wastewater back up to a higher elevation.  Pumping the wastewater to a higher elevation allows gravity to once again, pull the wastewater through the piping system.

There are many different components to a lift station and each serves an important purpose.  One of the most important parts of the lift station is the pump that does the lifting.  Submersible wastewater pumps draw in the wastewater and push it out through a series of discharge pipes. To activate these pumps, float switches are put into place.  These float switches kick on the corresponding pump when the water reaches a certain level. 

In larger size tanks, a guide rail is used to place the pump in the right position.  The pump is attached to a guide plate which lowers the pump down into the wet well.  When the pump reaches the bottom of the basin, it meets with the discharge piping and allows the wastewater to exit without spilling. The importance of these guide rails is to allow easy install and removal of the pumps for maintenance.   

The process may seem overwhelming, but once you have a basic idea of the process you will find that it is quite simple.  This is a system that helps move wastewater all across our nation and allows cleanliness in our everyday lives.