Case Study 01.2016

A Modern Gorman-Rupp
Solution for Lima’s Aging
Lift Station Problem
Gorman-Rupp overcomes rehabilitation obstacles inproviding flexibility and cost-efficiency for the City of
Lima’s below-ground sanitary lift stations
An urban oasis nestled in the heart of
Ohio’s rich farmland, the City of Limais also the county seat of Allen County
with a sewer-service population ofapproximately 48,000.
The Problem:
In March of 2013, the city’s Long Term Control
Plan (LTCP) initiated an EPA-approved, 24-year,$150 million project to replace or rehabilitate
the municipality’s wastewater treatment plant
operations, including lift stations.

Early below-groundpump stations
were constructedof either steel orfiberglass with
only the manhole/entrance hatch
exposed.

Many of the existing Lima collection system pumpstations consisted of below-ground steel dry wells
installed in the 1970’s with direct and/or flex-coupledhorizontal and vertically mounted pumps, with electricmotors. These dry pit pumps required considerable
maintenance, were difficult to disassemble andaccess when clogs occurred and over time, had
become inadequate for keeping up with the city’s
increasing sanitary sewer and combined storm waterrequirements. These stations also serviced over 251
miles of sewer lines, 20 combined sewer overflow(CSO) sites and 32 sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) sites.

the existing below ground steel cans were in relatively
good condition, due to cathodic protection andprotective coatings, it was determined that the stations
would be rehabilitated with all new pumps, motors,
valves and piping components instead.

The City of Lima and its contract engineering firm, URS
Corporation (Columbus, Ohio), had determined early
on in the planning phase that replacing all 24 of the31 stations were not financially feasible. Since most ofWith the goal of freeing up space within the belowground dry well structures, the decision was madeto locate new pump control panels above-ground in
weathertight enclosures.

© 2016 Gorman-Rupp Pumps

1The Solution:
Lima’s Utilities Department had Gorman-Rupp
pumps installed at some of their stations for many
years and had found that they were extremely reliable
and virtually trouble free. Hence, they assisted inalerting the local representative for Gorman-Rupp,
Mr. Randy Keefe of The Craun-Liebing Company(Cleveland, Ohio), of this forthcoming project. After
reviewing the proposed hydraulic requirements forthe various stations, Mr. Keefe was able to recommend
Gorman-Rupp pumps that met the flow rate and headrequirements for all of the potential station retrofit
sites. The Gorman-Rupp solution would have to also
address any potential installation challenges, fit within
the available space, allow for ease of maintenance andmeet the available budget.
The plan presented to the engineer was to upgrade theLima collection system stations with a Gorman-Rupp
package consisting of v-belt driven Super T Series®
and Ultra V Series® self-priming pumps. The pumpassemblies were to be manufactured, built and tested
at Gorman-Rupp’s plant in Mansfield, Ohio. This design
would allow for the pump and base to be disassembled
above-grade in as few pieces as possible and lowered
into the station can for re-assembly and installation.
A key objective throughout the project was the abilityto fit the pumps and bases through the 36” diameter
entrance tubes of the below-ground cans. EnterGorman-Rupp Engineering and an innovative “bolttogether” pump-over-motor (POM) vertical v-belt basedesign. This design would allow for the pump andbase to be disassembled above-grade by the installing
contractor, in as few pieces as possible and lowered
into the station can for re-assembly and installation.
Once installed, the POM bases allowed for a smaller
vertical footprint (see photo) to facilitate superior
working area for the operators.

Product Package/Station
Specifications:
Beyond the synergistic POM pump/base package, Mr.
Keefe along with Gorman-Rupp’s Engineered Systems
Group saw several design benefits that would add longterm value to the City of Lima, including:
Full Diameter Impellers:
Gorman-Rupp’s standard v-belt and sheave couplingarrangement between a standard off-the-shelf 1750
RPM motor and the pump impeller shaft, allowing full
diameter impellers to be used in all pumps.

The pump-over-motor v-belt configuration
provided a smaller overall footprint making
it easier to place, assemble and install thepackages while increasing the work area forstation operators and maintenance personnel.

2This is unlike flex-coupled pumps and motors where
the motor speed is varied either through a variablefrequency drive (VFD), which can be very costly; or, afixed speed motor is used with the impeller trimmedby the manufacturer to meet the application condition
point. In the latter case, each impeller becomes
specifically required for that particular pump and is
not interchangeable with other like pump models in
the collection system – unless they share the same
diameter impeller.
The newly installed Gorman-Rupp pumps wereequipped with full diameter impellers; therefore, eachrotating assembly (including pump shaft, seal and© 2014 ©
The
2016
Gorman-Rupp
Gorman-Rupp
CompanyPumpsimpeller) is interchangeable with each pump of thesame series and size. As a result, fewer spare parts are
required on-site by the municipality for maintenance,
again reducing cost of ownership.
Flexibility of Pump and Motor:
This coupling arrangement also provides the owner/
operator with complete flexibility to change the ratio
between the pump and motor, therefore adjusting thespeed of the impeller can either increase or decrease
the pump’s performance capabilities.
This vital feature provides flexibility of the pump should
the application conditions change with the additionof an apartment building or shopping plaza into theexisting force main. Belts and sheaves are easy tomaintain and readily available at most local hardware
stores. Also, should the motor ever need to be replaced,
Gorman-Rupp uses all NEMA frame type motors thatcan be replaced through any local motor supply house,or the Gorman-Rupp parts and service department.
Standardization:
Standardized design concepts on the Gorman-Rupp
pump series streamlined the Lima collection systemwith common pump models – dramatically reducing
spare parts for routine maintenance and providing
operators and maintenance staff with a familiarityof pump operation. This also makes any potential
troubleshooting consistent regardless of the pump’s
size or operating point – meaning that a larger 10”
Super T Series® pump will operate identically to a muchsmaller 3” pump.

Conclusion:
Within a few weeks of submittal, prototype drawings
and working models were created for proof of concept
and approval for the URS Corporation. Additionally, todemonstrate Gorman-Rupp’s capabilities, an invitation
was extended to the Lima and URS staff to tour thecompany’s 880,000 square-foot manufacturing facility
and Engineered Systems operation in Mansfield, Ohio.

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Fitting the pumps, motors and bases throughthe original 36” entrance tube was key to thesuccess of each station. Each package waslowered into each can piece-by-piece and thenassembled with common hand tools.
During this visit, principals noted the amount of local
Ohio and U.S investment made by the company. AllSuper T Series® pump castings are made with 100% U.S.
steel by foundries located within a 225 mile radius ofthe facility. Furthermore, all machining, manufacturing
and assembly is done in-house on the latest CNC
machines with quality inspections before and after
each operation. For final assurance, each pump is tested
to the customer’s condition point prior to shipping.
Ultimately, the City of Lima and URS members agreed
that Gorman-Rupp was the right company to partnerwith on such an important project – resulting in The
Craun-Liebing Company receiving an order fromPeterson Construction Company (Wapakoneta, Ohio)
for nineteen total pump stations in April 2014. Of thesestations, only six different pump models were used:© 2014 ©
The2016
Gorman-Rupp
Gorman-RuppCompanyPumps• (10) T3A3S-B’s

Gorman-Rupp’s Super T Series pumps are available
in a variety of sizes and multiple drive variations.
Engineered to give you years of trouble-free operation,
low lifecycle costs and minimal maintenance, all backed
by a five-year guarantee.

• (8) T4A3S-B’s• (16) T6A3S-B• (3) T8A3S-B’s• (2) T10A3S-B’s• (2) V6A60-B’s
The Peterson Construction Company team received
the first station for installation in June and completed
the last installation on schedule in November
2014. Ultimately, the combination of full diameter
impellers, pump/motor flexibility, hatch accessibility
and standardization allowed the City of Lima to
update sewer and storm water pump station systems
for continued handling of the most demanding
conditions for years to come.

About the Product:
Gorman-Rupp self-priming pumps are the world’s
leading choice for waste handling applications –spanning a myriad of industries including: steel andpaper mills, mining operations, food processing plants,
power plants, automotive factories, tanneries andwineries. Continuous improvements to head, flow andefficiency are continuously being made, and products
such as the Super T Series® and Ultra V Series® pumpmodels feature many added maintenance benefits toenhance serviceability.

Gorman-Rupp’s Ultra V Series is specifically designed
for handling solids and slurries featuring significantly
higher head capabilities. The self-priming centrifugal
pumps achieve up to 300% increased pressure and 40%
increased flow over traditional self-priming, solidshandling pumps of the same size, while substantially
increasing overall pumping efficiency.

About The Gorman-Rupp Company
The Gorman-Rupp Company is a leading manufacturerof pumps and pumping systems for the municipal,water, wastewater, sewage, industrial, construction,
petroleum and OEM markets. The company’s
Engineered Systems operation also manufactures afull line of water pressure booster stations including
pumps, motors, valves and controls – all housed inweather-proof fiberglass enclosures – meeting about
any municipal water supply need.
Ultimately, Gorman-Rupp prides itself on manufacturing
and delivering the right pump for the job.

GORMAN-RUPP PUMPS | P.O. BOX 1217 | MANSFIELD, OHIO 44901-1217 | USA | 419.755.1011 | GRSALES@GORMANRUPP.COM | GRPUMPS.COM2
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© 2014 ©
The2016
Gorman-Rupp
Gorman-Rupp
CompanyPumps