Case Study 01.2015

After Forty Years of
Dependable Service, It’s
Time to Switch Out Pumps
Proven Quality, Reliability of Gorman-Rupp Pumps Keyto Longevity of Lift Station Installations in the City ofFairhope, Alabama
Ensuring Continuity of Service to
Not many lift station pumps are stillResidents
pumping after over forty years of nonDan McCrory, a 20-year veteran of the City ofstop use. Not many lift station pumps
Fairhope’s Water and Sewer Department, and its
last over forty years and still pumpcurrent Superintendent, is responsible for maintaining
the smooth functioning of water delivery and waste
reliably. But in the City of Fairhope,water removal. He oversees a staff of four employees
Alabama, several of the lift stations
whose main responsibilities are to maintain andservice all 65 of the city’s lift stations.
outfitted with Gorman-Rupp pumps
have been doing just that—pumping
reliably since they were installed in 1974.
Situated on the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay, insouthwestern Baldwin County, the City of Fairhope
is home to over 17,000 people. The growing
community relies on its Public Utilities Department
for quality and consistency of service.
The demands of a thriving residential population
and a revitalized downtown, as well as a surge incommercial development on the Eastern Shore, puts
the city’s Water and Sewer Department throughits paces daily. Fairhope’s Water Department is thelargest supplier of water in Baldwin County, serving
an estimated 40,000 people and pumping an averageof 4.6 million gallons of water a day from ten wells.
The Water and Sewer Department maintains 65 liftstations and a wastewater treatment facility which
services the area.

© 2015 Gorman-Rupp Pumps

Old versus new. One of the old pumps from theoriginal station was still pumping reliably after
forty years of service. The entire station wascompletely retrofitted in just under five hours.

1

Of those lift stations, sixty have self-priming pumps
and five have submersible pumps; the majority of thelift stations utilize Gorman-Rupp pumps.
Super T Series® self-priming pumps from Gorman-Rupp
do the bulk of the work in the Fairhope waste water
system—specifically the 4” and 6” models. Versatile andeasy to service and maintain, Super T Series® pumps
are designed particularly for industrial and sewage
applications. A variety of pump sizes, impeller trims

Like any growing area, the City of Fairhope suffers theoccasional breakdown of wastewater removal. Most
major clogging issues are caused by new sewage, solid
debris such as nonwoven wipes and hygiene productsthat makes its way into the sewage system. Thoughbilled as “disposable” and “biodegradable,” this solid
debris does not break down swiftly or sufficiently oncein the sewer system, causing accumulated buildup thatcan clog the sewer system and disrupt pumps.
The department maintains a rigorous routine
maintenance and service schedule for all its liftstations and equipment to guarantee any disruptionsof service are kept to a minimum.

Proven Product Quality andDependability
When Gorman-Rupp pumps were installed in
Fairhope’s lift stations years ago, few might haveanticipated that they would be functioning forty years
in the future. McCrory is of the opinion that it is simply
what one can expect from a Gorman-Rupp pump. And
it is this reason that sustains his loyalty to the brand.

In 2013, the City of Fairhope beganconstruction upgrades to their wastewater
treatment plant. Based on their successwith T Series® and Super T Series® products,
a majority of pumps installed throughout
the facility were Gorman-Rupp self-priming
centrifugals, including these four 12” 10
Series nitrate recycle pumps.
and speed variations can be combined to meet thespecified requirements of any system, be it a residential
sub-division or large waste water system.
As superintendent of the department, McCrory
makes the purchasing decisions for new equipment
for Fairhope. It is his job to source and recommendequipment that will provide reliable service for theutilities’ customers and provide ease of maintenancefor his staff.

2What differentiates Gorman-Rupp pumps, parts andsupport from its competitors—ease of maintenance,
factory and distributor support, product quality,
warranty coverage and parts availability—are thereasons McCrory chooses Gorman-Rupp.
“Those are all good reasons for owning a Gorman-Rupp,”
explains McCrory. “If you’re looking for the most bangfor your buck, if you’re looking for longevity, ease ofmaintenance, quality, warranty…those are all factors inmaking the decision for going with Gorman-Rupp.”

The Intangibles—Factory Training,Distributor Support, Employee Safety
And it is not simply the nuts and bolts of the productsthat are purchasing influencers; there are intangibles
that also factor into the purchasing decision.
According to McCrory, factory training at theGorman-Rupp facility has been invaluable:“…training on equipment that you use, you cannot
put a value on that.”© 2014 ©
The2015
Gorman-Rupp
Gorman-RuppCompanyPumps

When researching equipment and the effort required
to maintain it, McCrory puts employee safety as a highpriority. Ease of maintenance is important, but knowingthat his employees are protected by built-in safeguards
is a primary influencer.
Fairhope has depended on quality pumps from
Gorman-Rupp for years, not only because thepumps have proven to be reliable products, butalso due to the quality of service the city receives
from its Gorman-Rupp distributor, Jim House &Associates. McCrory says the support received fromits representative from Jim House, Stenson Biggs, isexceptional. He is responsive, offering solutions andoptions when trouble arises. Additionally, having
Stenson down the road at their Fairhope satellite
office is extremely convenient.
Knowing Gorman-Rupp pumps and replacement
parts are readily available from the distributor adds
yet another facet to the service aspect. On the rareoccasion the distributor does not have the requiredpart in stock, a call to Gorman-Rupp gets the spare partshipped, usually within 24 hours of order placement.

Looking Toward the Future
The City of Fairhope anticipates tremendous growth in
the next five to ten years.
After a period of dormancy, development is returning
to the area, increasing the demands placed on thewater and sewer department. Additional lift stations
will be required to serve the new development.
According to Fairhope’s development and building
ordinances, contractors for sub-divisions areresponsible for installing pumps and lift stations toserve their sub-division.
Purchasing a complete lift station from Gorman-Rupp
makes installation a turnkey operation for the contractor,
and it assures the city’s Water and Sewer Department
the pump station has been tested at the factory and willmeet the requirements set by the city’s engineers.

In working with Stenson Biggs (left) and Jim
House & Associates, the City of Fairhope andDan McCrory (right) plan to continue installing
Gorman-Rupp pumps and ReliaSource® liftstations as the city continues to grow.
As the City of Fairhope continues to thrive, thedependence on its public utilities will continue togrow. The city’s Water and Sewer Department will beready to handle the challenge, knowing that theirlift stations are equipped with durable, long-lasting
pumps from Gorman-Rupp.

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. Pumps include self-priming
centrifugal, standard centrifugal, submersible, trash,priming-assisted and rotary gear pumps. In addition,
The Gorman-Rupp Company manufactures a completeline of packaged lift stations and booster stations, which
include pumps, motors, controls, piping, accessories andenclosures. The company 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 ©
The2015
Gorman-Rupp
Gorman-Rupp
CompanyPumps