Wastewater pump stations are a vital piece of infrastructure in many cities and municipalities. They allow wastewater to be pumped to a higher elevation, so that gravity can do the remainder of the work and transport the wastewater to the wastewater treatment facility (WWTF).

However, when selecting the pump station, the initial cost is not the only thing to take into consideration. The entire life cycle cost must be taken into account, which looks at various factors including: Initial cost (cost to purchase), Installation costs (ground and civil work required to install the station), Energy Costs (which run over the lifespan of the pump station), Operation/Maintenance and repair costs (which are the costs associated with running the equipment, and ensuring it runs smoothly), Decommissioning Cost, as well as a couple others.

The initial and installation costs account for a relatively small fraction of the total cost (approximately 20%), whereas electricity and maintenance costs will take up a significantly higher percentage (approximately 50 - 70%). Therefore the pump station must be chosen in a way to minimize the long term costs of the pump station.

Source: australiantanks.com.au