Xylem’s Flygt electric pump for sewer bypass solution saves costs and increases efficiency
City rents Flygt electric pump as a more sustainable alternative.
When the city of Columbia, Tennessee, was upgrading a pump station, it needed a reliable pump for a long-term, temporary sewer bypass project. The city decided to use an electric-drive pump, instead of a diesel pump, to improve pumping efficiency and reduce operating costs. By using the Flygt N 3312 electric pump provided by Xylem Rental Solutions, the temporary bypass system ran for eight months without clogging while saving nearly $124,000.
Located 45 miles south of Nashville, the city of Columbia, Tennessee, has a population of approximately 36,000 people. As part of its wastewater system, the city maintains 317 miles of gravity-enforced main sewer lines, 25 pump stations and a 14 million gallons per day (MGD) wastewater treatment plant.
In recent years, Columbia has engaged in sewer rehabilitation projects to help reduce or eliminate system overflows, including renovating and replacing several existing pump stations. Among the pump stations slated to undergo scheduled upgrades sometime in 2020 was the Santa Fe Pike pump station.
But before those repairs could begin, the station experienced a major pump failure during the spring of 2020 that led to sewage overflows, spurring the city of Columbia to engage Xylem Rental Solutions for emergency pump rental. Xylem’s local Nashville branch quickly dispatched a Godwin HL250 diesel pump for an emergency sewer bypass system.
Selecting an electric-drive pump for a temporary bypass
Once the initial crisis was under control, the city of Columbia decided to move ahead with the $1.2 million planned upgrades for the Santa Fe Pike facility. City officials hired W&O Construction as the contractor on the project.
To maintain treatment operations while the upgrades were completed, W&O Construction needed to set up a temporary sewer bypass system. Because rehabbing the pump station would take several months to complete, the Columbia Wastewater Department made the decision to switch to electric-drive pumps to improve pumping efficiency and reduce operating costs.
“For temporary bypass projects that last longer than three months, electric bypass pumps are a cost-effective option as they do not rely on expensive diesel fuel,” says Bill Beasley, Regional Sales Manager, Xylem.
The Xylem local team worked with the customer to identify the needs of their local electrical setup. To ensure the Columbia Wastewater Department had the right electric pump and equipment for its temporary bypass system, Xylem’s Nashville branch tapped the experience and expertise of its national Xylem Rental Solutions base to identify the best solution within its expansive rental fleet.
A cost-effective and environmentally friendly rental alternative
Working with Ken Albaugh, Director of Sales, Rental and Equipment Sales, Xylem, the Nashville team looked to Xylem’s Flygt pump line.
“It took Ken about 90 seconds to go through the Flygt options and identify a 3000 series Flygt pump with priming,” says Beasley. “When utilities need to repair pump stations or upgrade plants, Flygt 3000 Series submersible pumps are a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly rental alternative. They provide a quiet, efficient and easy-to-install bypass solution for many applications.”
Xylem offers a wide horsepower range of its versatile Flygt 3000 electric submersible pumps – from 2 to 470 horsepower – that can handle flow rates up to 16,000 GPM with heads up to 400 feet. The broad parameters of the Flygt 3000 series enabled Xylem to select the proper pump for this application.
In particular, the Flygt 3000 Series pumps feature patented N-technology with innovative self-cleaning impellers, which are designed to prevent clogs and build ups. Made with robust, hard iron impellers that are corrosion and abrasion resistant, they also offer a long life span.
Delivering a custom-engineered pump and priming system
The Xylem team quickly identified the Flygt N 3312 submersible pump as the best model to meet the flow and head characteristics for the bypass. To accommodate the dimensions of the sewer manhole, the Xylem team employed an innovative horizontal, dry pump installation.
The Flygt N 3312 pump was delivered to Xylem’s dewatering fabrication center in Carterville, Illinois, where a crew built stands for both the pump and priming system within one working day. By the end of the weekend, the custom-engineered pump and priming system were delivered to the temporary bypass site in Columbia, Tennessee, where the rental solution operated continuously for the duration of the bypass.
“We took the technology of the Godwin priming system and married it to the Flygt pump performance,” Beasley explained.
Running continuously for eight months without clogging
With the Flygt N 3312 electric pump serving as the primary pump and the Godwin HL250 diesel pump still onsite as the backup pump, the temporary bypass system has been running continuously for eight months with no issues and no clogging.
Additionally, the use of an electric bypass pump over a conventional diesel-powered pump has improved pump efficiency and reduced costs, resulting in savings of nearly $124,000 to-date.
“It’s great to see how our electric pumps are helping utilities increase efficiency and operate more sustainably,” says Beasley. “We’re proud to support the city of Columbia in providing more cost-effective, environmentally friendly services to its customers.”
About Xylem Rental Solutions
Xylem Rental Solutions has deep professional expertise, a broad product fleet, advanced engineering processes and facilities, and the latest technologies to solve temporary bypass challenges. Xylem’s technological authority enables it to customize and optimize its rental solutions to help customers solve complex water problems.
Learn more about how Xylem is helping our customers advance sustainability:
Xylem Sustainability Report