Lift Station questions

I am looking at putting an offer in on a park that has a duel pump lift station that is about 15 years old. How long do these last and what are the costs of the most likely repairs to expect?

I also think I will need to install a backup generator to provide electricity to the lift station if the park experiences a black out. Anyone have any experience of the ball park costs to budget for a backup generator?

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I won’t speak to the life expectancy but I image you’re fine with a 15 year old system. You will want to have a very detailed inspection performed though to check out the following:

  1. Capacity (how many hours/days of capacity do you have if it becomes inoperable
  2. Alarm light/buzzer working?
  3. Condition of the pumps
  4. Condition of the tank

This inspection can run $1,000 or more depending on what you have and you should also request the inspector put together a recommended preventative maintenance schedule.

You should also plan to install a generator ($10,000-$15,000 parts+labor) and an autodialer.

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@PhillipMerrill would likely have some good insight.

As far a life expectancy pump failure is the main ongoing issue. With most waste water pumps I generally think a life of 3 to 5 years is about all your going to get. Lift station pumps get a lot of abuse with grit, grease, and solids dont expect supper long life on the pumps. As far as capital costs $2,000 to $6000 per pump (can give you better numbers if you knew pump hp). Have some spare floats and control relays on hand as well maybe $300. $Generator propane or natural gas $15,000 to $20,000. Dont go small on the generator nothing worse than an undersized generator. I would install a phone dialer to call out in the event of power loss or high level alarm maybe $1000 for a auto dialer and electrician to wire in. Definitely get an inspection from an electrician, and maybe a plumber.

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