Water booster pump stations are placed in a distribution system that is fed by high-service pumps or gravity fed from an elevated tank. As illustrated in Image 1, the booster pump station serves the purpose of providing target pressure to one or multiple pressure zones in the distribution system that the high-service pumps or elevated gravity feed cannot support.
In a water booster pump station, there are several pump applications that may be needed. These include high flow, low flow, jockey booster pumps, chemical feed pumps, water sampling pumps and drain pump applications. All of these applications have different purposes and considerations, and as a result, various types, designs and sizes of pumps will be used. Most of the pumps will be rotodynamic pump types that support the distribution of potable water at the variable flow conditions required of the distributor system. However, the chemical feed pumps will often be positive displacement types to inject precise volumes into the system.
To learn more about water booster pump station applications and the pump types used, refer to the Hydraulic Institute (HI)’s Pump Application Guideline for Water Booster Pumping Stations.
