One of the biggest priorities for water companies is maintaining supplies to their customers and that means that pumping stations have to produce optimum performance every minute of the day.
The big challenge presented by pumping stations is the need to make sure that often ageing buildings are using up to date technology.
That is why many water companies are investing millions of pounds in improvements, both to replace ageing equipment and install the latest in technology.
A good example is the £250,000 project to improve the resilience of Godalming’s water supply, which has recently been completed by Thames Water.
Work to upgrade the Frith water booster station, which helps pump 22 litres of drinking water a second to 15,000 properties, began in September and was successfully finished this summer.
Old and inefficient pumps were replaced with new ones at the Sandy Lane site, while a new and less noisy back-up generator was installed so the machinery can continue operating as normal if the main power source fails.
According to the company, the improvements mean that water supplies are much less likely to be interrupted due to pump failures or power cuts, and also that Thames Water’s engineers can drain the nearby Priorsfield Tower reservoir to inspect its condition without local water supplies being affected. Work on the 135-year-old reservoir, which has to be inspected every ten years, is set to begin this autumn.
Thames Water project manager Steve Doell said: “The upgrade was £250,000 well spent as the water supply to 15,000 properties is much more reliable because of it.
“We know how frustrating is it for our customers when they’re without water so it’s down to us to make sure we do all we can to reduce the risk of problems and keep the water flowing. By making our equipment less noisy we hope we’re being a better neighbour to people living nearby too.
“This project is a great example of how investment in some of our smaller sites can still make a big difference by improving the essential service we provide.”
Many sewage pumping stations are being upgraded and there are many companies carrying out work, much of it driven by the need to reduce disruption to their customers.
For instance, Severn Trent has completed work to upgrade a sewage pumping station in Milford, Derbyshire.
The work, which took place on equipment near to the A6, forms part of a £500,000 investment to upgrade two pumping stations in the area.
Graham Robinson, from Severn Trent, said: “The work we’ve been doing is really important as the pumping stations help us take waste water away from customers’ homes.
“The completion of this phase means we’ll have to carry out far fewer maintenance checks and will cause much less disruption for customers and motorists in the area in future.”
Pumping station with a place in history
An iconic Thames Water pumping station on the Isle of Dogs has been declared a Grade II* listed building by Historic England.
The site on Stewart Street was given listed status due to its unique design by British architect John Outram. It’s the first listing to come out of Historic England’s Post-Modernism project with other modern buildings set to follow in its path.
The storm water pumping station has been in operation since it was first designed by Outram and built in the late 1980s. It becomes active during periods of heavy or prolonged rain when the main sewer network fills up and pumps excess water directly to the River Thames to prevent flooding.
Site manager Gerry Sullivan said: “The building has always attracted attention from passers-by and certainly doesn’t look like the average pumping station but it was still a surprise when Historic England got in touch to say they were interested in making it a listed building.
“Its new-found fame won’t change it, though, and it will continue to play an important role in managing storm water and reducing the risk of flooding on the Isle of Dogs for many years to come.”
Roger Bowdler, Historic England’s Director of Listing, said: “John Outram’s pumping station was one of the most exciting buildings of the 1980s.
“Outram exulted in the panache and exuberance of Classicism, and gave this utterly functional structure an exterior which is unforgettable. It is vital that we keep the List up to date: it’s really exciting that we are starting to see the very best of Post-Modern buildings find their place among England’s finest works of architecture.”
