Pump systems: 3 common errors and their solutions

Pumping water is one of the most expensive cost centers for local authorities. Nevertheless, savings can be made fairly easily by avoiding a few common errors. One of the most important considerations is to ensure that pumps are correctly sized and properly maintained. Followed closely by using accurate and objective data as the basis for decision-making. 

1. Beware of pump oversizing
2. Carry out maintenance whenever and wherever it is needed
3. The benefits of collecting data

Whether at the stage of groundwater abstraction, surface water abstraction or customer supply, pump systems are infrastructures of critical importance to the public water supply service. They are also among the most expensive, and local authorities are sometimes unsure of how to make the right decisions about pump sizing, operation, maintenance and/or replacement. 

Beware of pump oversizing

“Who can do more can do less” said Aristotle. But when it comes to pump systems, the old adage should not necessarily be taken literally. Oversizing a pump prevents it from dealing efficiently with all flow rates and pressures. Every pump is designed to work within in a specific range. Outside this range, there are very real risks of premature wear and tear, not to mention excessive energy consumption.

It is also important to remember that changes in local authority water demand can have the effect of requiring pumps to operate outside their ideal operating range. Where this is the case, the same issues of excessive electricity consumption and premature wear and tear apply. To avoid these problems, Saur Group experts recommend regular diagnostic analysis of pump systems as the most effective way of testing their performance and maintaining them at the right level performance, both technically and economically. These analyses can be conducted using the Riventa solution.

Carry out maintenance whenever and wherever it is needed

The other classic mistake local authorities make is to believe that pump maintenance and/or replacement should be scheduled according to the age of the pump or its total number of operating hours. Studies have shown that pump working life can be as long as 18 - or even 25 - years. Beyond that, it becomes less efficient and begins to consume more energy. Conversely, replacing a pump that is still performing well may be an unnecessarily expensive option.

Pump system maintenance and replacement should be based on accurate and objective performance data. The Saur Group Riventa solution provides precisely this service by installing sensors on individual pumps to test their efficiency. A recent audit of one customer's twenty pumps determined that 40% of them were performing at a level where there would be no benefit gained by replacing them. This finding resulted in a substantial saving, since the customer was looking at a bill of at least $20,000 to replace each of the remaining pumps.

The benefits of collecting data

More generally, overlooking the importance of data for supporting decision-making is always a mistake. In terms of pump system performance, making purely observation-based decisions is not to be recommended. Saur Group and its British startup partner Riventa understand better than most that collecting robust, reliable and accurate data on a regular basis delivers many benefits.

Information about how pumps are used and operated can help to optimize an entire water network, with no need for high levels of capital expenditure. The data collected by the Riventa solution gives operators and local authorities a much clearer understanding of their systems, and indicate simple changes to settings that require little investment, but can boost production, at the same time as reducing costs.

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