22 June 2017
 Categories: Construction & Contractors, Blog

Managing storm water and rain runoff involves a lot of different elements, but gravity is often at the heart of it. If you have to deal with storm water drainage in an area where gravity is not helping you, it may be time to consider a pump station. When talking with pump station contractors about your needs, here are several of the elements you need to consider.

1. Where Is the Water Coming From?

If you're dealing with a low lying area, you have to deal with the rain that falls in that area, but you also need to manage the stormwater that flows in from other areas. If the storm water is coming from a field where pesticides are used or from a commercial parking lot which may have oil, sealants or other pollutants on it, you need a pumping station that can handle that. Even if the water is just coming from a gravel road, it may have solid debris such as small rocks and dirt in it.

The pumps in the pumping station need to be able to handle these types of pollutants and debris. Talk with your contractor about what he or she recommends.

2. Are the Rain Levels Consistent?

There tends to be a lot of different water levels when you're dealing with storm water drainage. During the rainy season, you may have a deluge of water that requires a lot of pumps to move. So that you are adequately prepared, you may need extra pumps, generators in case power fails during the storm and an alarm that alerts you if the pumps fail.

However, all of that equipment can be overkill when there's just a light sprinkling of rain. To that end, your pumping station may also need smaller equipment for handling little trickles of water. In many cases, large pumps don't necessarily "notice" small bits of water, and it can just end up sitting in the system and potentially leading to trouble. This water is often called "nuisance water" so remember to talk with your contractor for ideas.

3. Do You Want to Use a Detention Pond?

The above examples concern cases where the pumping station actively pumps out the storm water as it reaches your area. However, that is not the only option. If you like, you can set up a detention pond. Basically, the water falls or flows into the pond.

Then, it sits there until it is pumped out. This setup doesn't require as many pumps as the above example, but you may have to deal with the issues associated with sitting water such as attracting bugs or pond scum.

To learn more about setting up a pumping station for rainwater management, contact an expert.