Designing Commercial Sewage Lift Stations Part 2: How to Design A Basin

By Chris Edmondson

 Section 712 of the International Plumbing Code (IPC), Section 712, places a burden on the shoulders of engineers.  You have to design the sewage pit or basin that collects the sewage and houses the pump(s).  To do that properly, you need to address the following questions:

 How big should the basin be? According to Section 712.3.2, “The sump pit shall be no less than 18

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Designing Commercial Sewage Lift Stations Part 1: How To Determine Flow Rate

By Chris Edmondson

Sometimes codes just aren’t very helpful.  Take Section 712.4.2 of the International Plumbing Code (IPC) and its insight into the selecting flow capacity for a sewage and ejector pumps:

712.4.2 Capacity. A sewage pump or sewage ejector shall have the capacity and head for the application requirements.

(Thanks, IPC….)

Clearly, having the proper flow is necessary to efficiently discharge wastewater from a commercial plumbing system – but how do you determine the flow rate for the sewage system so you can properly size the pump? 

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