Above: A quadraplex variable speed Annapolis Road Booster Pump Skid.
Sea Ranch, California, at the north end of Sonoma County is a community of private homes situated in a remote area designed with careful attention to the natural landscape. Although beautiful, this remote location adds challenges in monitoring and operating the community’s water and sewer services.
While isolated, Sea Ranch has grown over the years allowing an expansion of the Sea Ranch community, which led the Sea Ranch Water Company to turn to Brown and Caldwell, civil engineers, in creating a new waterline expansion to accommodate the increased residential demand on the water utilities.
The new waterline expansion consisted of new water transmission pipelines, new pressure reducing valves with vaults, a new hydropneumatic booster pump station and two new booster pump stations and associated appurtenances.
As the rest of the nation follows California’s desire to reduce lead in drinking water, the federal Reduction of lead in Drinking Water Act is expected to take affect in January 2014. This act has requires that the booster skids, installed, have to be lead free in order to prevent the leakage of lead into the pipes and therefore into the water.
In addition to the reduction of lead, the new pipes have been designed to last longer by utilizing stainless steel.
Above: Control system for Tank 8 Booster system
“The stainless steel piping, pump impellers and related low lead appurtenances are the perfect choice even in the most demanding potable water applications.” said Metropolitan national sales manager Mike Tierney, “not only do they comply with the low lead mandates but they can also offer a substantially longer service life when compared to other materials.”
Above: Back side of the Tank 8 System
The new pipeline expansion has also allowed the water company to focus on implementing the latest pump system designed to conserve energy. The use of valves and variable speed are two techniques that are used in supplying water to homes. With the use of variable speed pump control the pressure reducing valve is completely eliminated and less energy is used. This technique has had a positive effect on the Sea Ranch community who has an immense interest in preserving the environment. Allowing the community to reduce energy consumption when possible has put the residents at ease knowing this new installation holds to the community’s standards.
The tank 8 booster above will help service water to the houses in Sea Ranch that are up hill.
Metropolitan Industries, Inc. built the pump systems to be operated at variable speed allowing the pumping equipment to exactly match the demand at any given time. This is a major advancement in technology in terms of efficiency because the water pumps can be precisely controlled with no wasted energy.
There were two pump packages supplied as part of the pipeline project. Each pump control system incorporated an operator Interface terminal designed to allow adjustments of either system at either location. This unique, totally interconnected design, can be a real time saver for operating personnel during commissioning and troubleshooting.
For more information contact Mike Tierney at (815)886-9200 or mtierney@metropolitanind.com.
