Why So Many Lift Stations Are Running Inefficiently
Pump and lift station inefficiencies are easy to miss—until you start pulling in the data.
Flow rates appear manageable, operations seem stable, and everything looks fine on paper. But when real-time SCADA data is compared to pump curves, a different picture often emerges: oversized pumps running below optimal efficiency, undersized wet wells driving excessive run cycles, and mounting energy costs that are quietly eating into O&M budgets.
In one example discussed during the roundtable, a single primary pump was costing nearly $100 every 15 minutes—roughly $400–500 per hour—just to run. That’s without factoring in mechanical wear or reduced lifespan from cycling issues.
“The pump wasn’t failing. It was just bleeding money every day,” said Michael Rosh, Solutions Specialist at Autodesk.
The Traditional Redesign Process Is a Roadblock
Even when these inefficiencies are identified, the path to remediation is slow. Redesigning a lift station typically involves:
- Scoping a study
- Issuing an RFP
- Hiring a consulting engineer
- Waiting 6+ months for a concept design
- Spending tens of thousands on preliminary work before any changes are made
This delay often means the issue stays unresolved, or it gets kicked further down the backlog while the utility continues to pay for inefficiency.
“You’re spending thousands in OpEx to avoid spending money on a redesign. But now, that redesign doesn’t have to take six months. It can take a few hours,” said Adam Tank, Co-Founder at Transcend.
Redesigning in Hours: How the New Workflow Works
Modern tools change what’s possible. By combining operational analytics with generative design, utilities can move from problem identification to conceptual redesign in a single day.
Here’s how the process works:
1. Quantify the Problem with SCADA + Analytics
Autodesk’s Info360 software pulls live and historical SCADA data from the lift station: pump runtime, flow rate, pressure, and energy use. Overlaying this with pump curves reveals efficiency loss and actual cost per run cycle. In one example, a pump was consistently performing outside its curve’s optimal range, with efficiency hovering below 70%.
This data can also point to upstream/downstream issues—such as undersized wells or control logic mismatches—that affect performance.
2. Run Conceptual Design Models in Transcend
The flow data, hydraulic head, wet well parameters, and desired duty/standby configurations are entered into the Transcend Design Generator. Within minutes, the software produces a complete conceptual design, including:
- 3D BIM files (.DWG format)
- Isometric and process diagrams
- Mechanical schedules and pipe layouts
- Preliminary design report with assumptions
- OpEx and CapEx comparisons across multiple configurations
Design variables can include:
- Number and type of pumps (e.g., submersible vs dry well)
- Pump vendor selection (e.g., Flygt, Grundfos, Xylem)
- Wet well shape and volume
- Start/stop frequency limits
- Backup power or control requirements
This removes guesswork and enables comparative “optioneering” based on actual performance targets and lifecycle cost tradeoffs.
3. Validate the Design Against System Models
The proposed design can be exported to hydraulic modeling environments to confirm flow behavior, pressure conditions, and system-wide impacts. This allows utilities to identify and mitigate unintended consequences before committing to capital spending.
What You Gain by Right-Sizing Now
Whether the issue is an overbuilt station from a 20-year-old master plan or a station modified too many times without a clean redesign, right-sizing has measurable benefits:
- Reduced energy consumption
Sizing pumps to the actual duty cycle avoids expensive overrun costs.
- Improved mechanical life
Correctly cycling pumps last longer and reduce maintenance load.
- Smarter CapEx alignment
Comparing options side-by-side helps prioritize budget spend where it has the most impact.
- Shorter timeline to execution
Instead of deferring to a future study, teams can generate actionable plans immediately.
“If you have the data, and the tools, why wait six months to make a decision? The value is in acting on what you already know,” said Tank.
Design is No Longer a Bottleneck — It’s a Diagnostic Tool
In this new model, design isn’t something that happens after capital is allocated—it’s what helps you determine whether capital should be allocated at all.
For example, a utility noticing excessive runtimes and energy spikes can quickly generate two redesign options: one with pump replacements only, another with full wet well reconfiguration. Within hours, they can compare both options, review cost implications, and determine feasibility using existing system models.
No meetings. No vendor delays. No placeholder cost estimates.
Ready to See What Your Lift Station Could Look Like?
Request a custom demo of Transcend’s generative engineering platform and explore how your team could re-run designs based on actual flow conditions—no delays, no guesswork.
