The DuPage Water Commission, DuPage County, Ill., has operated its pumping station since its installation in 1991 without pump breakdowns or interruptions. The Commission has been especially pleased with maintenance of the pumps.
"We've had no maintenance problems with the pumps in the nine years that we have had them in operation. We took all the manufacturer's recommendations for preventive maintenance, and have done monthly, semi-annual and annual inspections. We opened two pumps and fully inspected the impellers and all other internal parts. We found no wear at all in either pump," said Terry McGhee, DuPage Superintendent.
The DuPage Water Commission, a unit of local government existing and operating under the State of Illinois Water Commission Act of 1985, is responsible for the financing, construction, acquisition and operation of a water supply system to serve approximately 700,000 residents in DuPage County, Ill.
DuPage County covers approximately 332 square miles of a large metropolitan area. The main pumping station currently supplies 85 mgd of water to 25 municipalities, one federal institution and one public utility with six service areas.
The DuPage Water Commission uses Lake Michigan as its water source and maintains over 150 miles of transmission and feeder mains ranging in size from 72 inches to 24 inches in diameter. While the terrain of the commission's service area is fairly flat, the elevation from the pumping station to the farthest distribution point increases just over 126 feet.
When the pumping station was designed, Patterson Pump Company met the commission's requirements for the specifications by being an American manufacturer, providing the head and flow stipulations, and having the necessary pumping experience.
The competitive bid for the nine-pump package included, four 30 x 24 MAA horizontal pumps and three 30 x 24 MAA vertical pumps, each offering 20,835 gpm and 250 feet TDH at 900 rpm; and two 20 x 18 MABS horizontal pumps, each offering 19,417 gpm and 250 feet TDH at 1250 rpm.
The station has the capacity for an average daily demand of 185 mgd, although demand currently averages 85 mgd.
"This allows us to serve our present-day customers efficiently, and gives us assurance that we will meet growth requirements well into the future," said McGhee.
Population is expected to grow fastest in the western part of the county. The nine pumps currently in place were designed to meet demand up to 2020, and there is the capability to add a tenth pump in the future, as needed.
"Since the new pumping station was designed around the Patterson pumps, installation was not a concern for the contractor. Construction was completed in April 1991 and the station went into partial service in November of that year," said McGhee. "The Patterson pumps have met every aspect of the job they were designed to perform, and it appears they will continue to perform into the future."
