Sioux Falls Water Reclamation – Main Lift Station Replacement

The Sioux Falls Main Pump Station (MPS) project replaced the existing Brandon Road Pump Station, which was approximately 40 years old and would have required updates to increase flow and improve maintenance access, functionality, standby power, and safety. The MPS is a critical infrastructure facility that serves 90% of Sioux Falls. Replacement and expansion of the facility increase the Sioux Falls wastewater collection system capacity in conjunction with improvements to the outfall sewer, force mains, and Water Reclamation Facility.

The Sioux Falls Main Pump Station project consisted of the design, bidding, and construction of the wastewater pump station that pumps 90% of Sioux Falls wastewater to the Water Reclamation Facility. The preliminary design included site evaluation of the existing City property and adjacent sites for relocation of the pump station, considering constructability, staging area, flood plain, property cost, traffic impacts, and existing utilities.

The MPS has a peak design capacity of 65 mgd, and the capability to add a pump to increase the flow to 90 mgd. Screening facilities include two mechanical screens, a bypass channel, and a channel for a future screen to be added to increase flow capacity.

Four dry-pit pumps are located in the pump room, sized for an individual peak flow of 15,000 gpm at 128’ TDH, and use 600 hp motors controlled by variable frequency drives. Space for a fifth pump is provided to increase flow in the future. The pump room includes maintenance provisions for servicing pumps, including a bridge crane and an open mezzanine to allow access to the piping header.

Innovative design included improved pump hydraulics, HDPE liner in the wet wells, main-tie-main switchgear with automatic throw-over controls, and a force main surge analysis conducted to protect the piping system from high and low-pressure conditions with the addition of surge tanks and surge relief valves. The design also included structural, architectural, mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation design. The construction of the Sioux Falls Main Pump Station took nearly 2.5 years. Construction complexity and challenges included site flooding, pandemic-related labor delays, supply chain issues, hot and cold-weather concrete, and mass concrete.

The Main Pump Station is the largest wastewater pump station in South Dakota and provides additional sewer capacity to accommodate future development in Sioux Falls. The capacity, ability for future expansion, and longevity of design choices will serve Sioux Falls for many years to come.