Case Study 106

Gorman-Rupp Provides
Savings, Efficiency toPennsylvania Township
Bypass operation allows municipality to fix problems
while maintaining services

Hampden Township, located in idyllic
southeastern Pennsylvania near
Mechanicsburg, is home to more than
25,000 residents. The township is a
desirable location for many because ofgood schools and strong communityservices. To maintain the township’s
strong value, municipal leaders pay
particular attention to structural
maintenance issues while keeping awatchful eye on fiscal responsibility.
The township’s wastewater treatment facility is a modern
plant fed by suburban transfer stations throughout thearea. Pump station No. 8 is a wet well/dry well lift station
outfitted with three dry pit submersible pumps. The siteis also one of the busiest stations, pumping upwards of
2,500 gallons of sewage per minute. By February 2005,
the constant wear and tear on the station’s continuallyworking pumps necessitated replacement.
“Due to the frequency and high cost of constantly
repairing the dry pit submersible pumps, we decided
to replace them with more dependable and efficientGorman-Rupp T Series pumps,” said Tom Fealtman,Township Collection System Foreman. He had good© 2007-2017 Gorman-Rupp Pumps

Three 10” Gorman-Rupp Super T Series® pumps
being assembled to replace the old dry pit
submersible pumps.
reason; the old pumps were costing the township$15,000 every four-to-five years for repairs and wereusing excessive amounts of electricity to complete tasks.

1Many municipalities only consider the initial purchaseprice and installation cost of wastewater pumping
equipment. There are many other factors to beconsidered when deciding on the type of equipment toserve a wastewater pumping station. When considering
the options, the township and partners took into
consideration the total cost of owning wastewater
pumps, which include:• Initial cost
• Installed cost
• Operating and maintenance costs• Reliability and the opportunity to standardize• Ability to obtain spare parts quickly• Capability to unclog the pump easily
Gannett Fleming consulting engineers, an international
consulting firm, was selected to present solutions to
the township’s challenges. The engineering teams
developed a blueprint of how to bring more efficiencyto the station, specifying Gorman-Rupp pumps to meetthe challenge. General contractor, Pumping Solutions,chose Keystone Power & Pump, Dillsburg, PA, toprovide rental pumps for a temporary bypass solution.
Envirep, Inc., based near Harrisburg, PA, was chosen toimplement the final solution for the station.

Serving The Public Comes FirstThe principal problem with taking down pumps (in thisscenario) is that the community’s wastewater doesn’tstop for the maintenance process. Having a solutionthat continues township services during the renovation
was critical.
To maintain services while repairs took place, the teaminstalled three Gorman-Rupp above ground pumps –two 6” and one 4” priming-assisted models to handle
the sewage flow as the eight-inch pumps were being
replaced. These pumps bypassed the pump station andforwarded, at peak, more than 5.2 million gallons ofwaste per day to a treatment facility three miles away.
“One pump will do the job,” says Scott Webb, Presidentof Keystone. “If needed, the second and third pumps
can be used to handle excessive wastewater during astorm or a time of high usage.”
All three electric pumps operate on a float system,
meaning that if the primary pump’s float reaches
a certain level due to heavy rain or in the event ofa mechanical failure, an alternate pump kicks on.
Although each pump is capable of pumping 2,500
gallons per minute (GPM), the main pipeline outof the station is a 16-inch line that transfers 2,500
GPM. Therefore, at peak times, when two pumps areoperating, each is driving 1,250 GPM.
Another bottom line benefit for township taxpayers is
realized by utilizing electric pumps, which require lessmanpower to maintain than diesel devices. Electric
pumps are also quieter, an important factor due to thepumps being situated above ground and not far fromresidential areas.

Maintenance Issues, Price &Availability

Easy access to electric allowed for three motordriven priming-assisted pumps to be installed
for bypass operation during the upgrade. Thiseliminated the need for refueling engine-driven
pumps and reduced noise pollution.

2

An efficient and reliable pumping system is dependent
on the precise matching of the pumps, motors andcontrols. The design, engineering and manufacturing of
the system must work together to ensure that the systemmeets requirements and performs reliably year after year.
“The competitor’s pumps were expensive to maintain,”said Fealtman. “Last year we needed a new impeller©©
2014
2007-2017
The Gorman-Rupp
Gorman-Rupp
CompanyPumps

on one pump and the price was $5,000, and we had
to wait for that part. In the past, we have continually
had to assume the overhead ourselves by keeping aspare on hand. But with the Gorman-Rupp pumps, theimpeller is only $1,000 and if we need it, G-R can get it
to us within hours – not days.”“In today’s economy, customers need to focus on what
they do best,” said Dwight Swan, Envirep’s, Water andWastewater Equipment Sales Manager. Having to invest
resources in inventory and storing it for future needs
is not a good use of Hampden Township taxpayer’s
money. A more efficient, permanent solution for thetownship was to use a better quality pump. The pumps
they had been using needed overhauled every four tofive years at a large investment. Too many times during
the year, the seals would fall out, and the impellers
were getting beat up.”
The frequent impeller problems can be traced to dry
pit submersible pumps being close coupled to themotor. If, for some reason, the pump impeller wasabruptly stopped by a solid in the wastewater, damage
to the impeller, shaft and/or motor was common. Byutilizing v-belt driven T Series pumps, the v-belt drive
is forgiving and damage to impeller, shaft and motor
became rare when a wastewater solid would abruptly
stop the pump impeller.
Water transmission and sewage handling requiredependable systems to serve the public. As
municipalities are becoming more cognizant of that
fact, a great reliance on products and partnerships
must be delivered on multiple levels. A company’scommitment to advanced technology, availability andquality is going to continue to be valuable and soughtafter resources for communities.

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
3

©©
2014
2007-2017
The Gorman-Rupp
Gorman-RuppCompanyPumps