Pump stations are used when there are no natural or gravitational means of transferring waste and water from a development to the mains sewer. The sump is a collection chamber which holds the liquid, as well as the pumps and internal pipework.

There are two types of pump station that you might need – firstly you might need a foul water/sewage pump station if you have:

• Basement utility Room
• Basement En-Suite
• Extensions, Campsites
• Schools and Offices, Restaurant, Hospitals, Industrial Estates or Hotels

You might need a Surface Water Pump Stations for applications such as:

• Drive Way
• Patio
• Small Car Park
• Pool Backwash

The secondary pump is used as standby or assist basis. The pumps are controlled via the water level in the tank using float switches or an ultrasonic level control.

Standby Pump: a backup, in the event of the duty pump failing.

Assist: each pump is sized for 50% of the estimated flow rate required.

This is not recommended. There is a high risk of flooding when combining both the stormwater station with foul facilities; especially during the event of a storm. This is another reason behind the strong recommendation to have dual stations installed for both stormwater and foul water.

The risks involved are surcharging of the foul system, potential back-flow into the cavity drain system, and unpleasant smells.

The foul non-return valve will prevent smells coming back from the discharge pipe however, the foul waste in the pump station will still allow the gases to escape behind the cavity membrane system.

If a foul pump station was to fail, then appropriate action can be taken to stop the use of facilities that discharge into this sump. However, if a ground water pump station was to continue to discharge into this combined sump, the outcome would essentially be a flood.