How To Cost-Effectively Increase Pumping Station Capacity

Across the U.S., booster stations and pumping stations are feeling the strain of both age and increased demand. As pumping stations edge near full capacity, financial or real estate constraints can make it difficult to expand or retrofit them.

One solution that many water utilities are turning to is early detection of water loss, which consumes precious pumping capacity. Repairing leaks is, theoretically, the easiest way to increase pumping station capacity. But detecting leaks comes with its own costs and challenges. Full-bore magnetic flow meters (mag meters), the standby technology used by many utilities, are expensive and require long straight runs of pipes, which are not always available around pumping stations.

Thankfully, an accurate and cost-effective alternative to full-bore meters exists. Full-profile insertion (FPI) mag meters can be purchased and installed at a fraction of the price of full-bore meters while providing the data needed for early detection of leaks.