Pike River Lift Station
2023 Engineering Excellence Best of State
Entering Firm: Foth Infrastructure & Environment
Client: Village of Mt. Pleasant
Mt. Pleasant is a rapidly growing community and benefitted immensely from being chosen as the site of a major new manufacturing plant. The rapid influx of people and buildings threatened to overwhelm the village’s existing infrastructure.
Meeting Community Needs
Foth served as the engineering consultant for all new wastewater facilities. The wastewater plan covered 20 square miles of land right in the middle of the community and its new development. A major part of the plan was the Pike River lift station. The station was designed to handle 40 million gallons per day with the flexibility to expand to 75 million gallons. It features an innovative trench-style wet well that conditions the water to enter the station’s pumps, reducing stress. The system is also self-cleaning which relives a major maintenance burden.
Creating Efficiencies
Merging the new Pike River Lift Station with the village’s existing lift station saved money. The old station was aging and the cost of running two stations at the same time would be prohibitive. The new station utilizes new technology to be more efficient and provides a blueprint for future expansion.
Awards judge Cathy Wunderlich said “We’re impressed by the creation and testing of a small scale, physical wetwell model to evaluate modifications and provide a unique, highly functional wetwell design. This project is a great example of using real-time data to modify and enhance design, providing long-term cost savings and countless benefits for community. This project eliminated the need to construct and maintain duplicate infrastructure, ultimately saving the Village over $50 million in future infrastructure costs. Many great accomplishments!”
Designing for the Future
The village’s new lift station was completed on an accelerated schedule to meet the needs of the new plant. This innovative piece of infrastructure will grow along with the vibrant village.