Reducing Lift Station Overflows by Continuous Improvement

Abstract In 2012, Walmart struggled with lift station maintenance issues stemming from contract issues with lift station contractors. The root cause was a contract that didn’t enforce appropriate behavior and no method for verifying contractor performance to scope. With a dispersed network of lift stations in over 550 locations across multiple states, managing the contractors was difficult. Combine contract difficulties with limited asset information and an inability to see the network directly, the program needed immediate improvement.Starting with bidding out a new contract, the lift station program took on a process of continual improvement that would include: a longer, performance based contract, a contractor quality control program, development of asset information, and the development of a system to track regular maintenance, out of scope repairs, regulatory interactions, and asset life cycles. These items combine to develop a continuous improvement loop that will drive improvement for years to come.