Delivering Big Bypass Needs on a Tight Schedule
Franklin Electric collaborated with City Utilities within Fort Wayne, Indiana, to develop a substantial sewer bypass system, enabling essential upgrades to the city's extensive network of 84-inch sewer pipelines spanning over 2,800 linear feet.
Customer Challenge
Through recent efforts to improve Fort Wayne’s wastewater infrastructure, City Utilities implemented the process of cured in place pipe (CIPP) to extend the life of municipal sewers. The CIPP process is significantly lower in cost than full pipe replacement and yields a longer service life of more than 50 years for the repaired pipes. During these efforts, it was determined that pipes in an older neighborhood on the northside of the city had deteriorated and needed to be lined to avoid collapsing. The project would require some major sewer bypass solutions, however, since it would involve the relining of approximately 2,800 linear feet of 84-inch sewer, along with the construction of four new sanitary structures. In total, the city needed to bypass the sewer that picked up wastewater to avoid basement backups or sewer overflows — and they needed it quickly, since the parameters of the project required work be done by a specific deadline.
The pump bypass packages would also need to not only accommodate the normal 13 to 47 million gallons per day (mgd) of sewage flowing through the pipes, but also handle any “worst case” pumping scenarios — including heavy precipitation. Since the pump packages would be operating in a residential area, noise control was also a concern. The solution required a sound attenuated enclosure rating of 69 dB(A).
The Solution
Working with a major construction company in the area, Franklin Electric designed and built four custom Pioneer Prime 18-inch Sound Attenuated Diesel Pump Packages — each engineered to handle 10,800 gallons per minute. Two of the pump packages were sized to handle the 47 mgd of wastewater that flows through the pipe on a regular basis. The other two pump packages were on-site as standby units – providing backup in worst case scenarios situations. With a sound attenuated enclosure rating of 69 dB(A), the units are also designed to operate quietly, assuring they won’t disturb the residents whose homes are located within 20 to 30 feet of the pumps.
Franklin Electric was able to manufacture and deliver the Pioneer Pump® packages in three months — an unprecedented timeframe for a design of this scale and size. In addition to creating pump packages that met all of the performance parameters, Franklin also engineered the entire solution for the jobsite and application. The complete system is housed in a single shipping container and built on a skid, allowing it to be rolled out for routine maintenance.
The Results
The unit performed as anticipated on the jobsite and operated continuously for over two months while the pipes were repaired. City Utilities found Franklin Electric’s solution vital to maintaining the flow of wastewater in the neighborhood and a large portion of the city for the duration of the project. For the construction company, the skid design was especially beneficial, saving the crew days of downtime when they had to inspect the unit. The construction company also projects they’ll be using these pump packages for the next 15 to 20 years, renting them out for various jobs and applications to see the full return on their investment.
