Physical Modeling to Optimize Chicago's New Calumet Influent Pumping Station

A new 26 m3/s (600 MGD) raw wastewater influent pumping station and screening facility is needed at the Calumet Water Reclamation Plant in Chicago to replace an existing obsolete pumping station. Site constraints limited the ability to design a new pumping station in full compliance with recommended standards. Because of the high station flow and departures from the recommended design guidelines, a physical model study was judged necessary for engineering design of the station to ensure proper operation. Physical hydraulic modeling identified hydraulic issues associated with the proposed design layout, which if uncorrected would have resulted in degraded station performance. The physical model study enabled the development of an optimized design configuration for the station. The optimized design resulted in pump approach flow conditions that will provide proper pump performance, and will also provide operation and maintenance costs savings which, in the long run, will greatly surpass the cost of the physical model study.