Water & Wastewater › Wastewater Systems
Wastewater Pump Control
How the pumps are actually commanded.
Written guides in this section
Full references, procedures, and diagnostic guides published under Wastewater Pump Control.
Constant Speed Pump Control
On and off pumping with constant speed pumps: why it remains the right answer at most lift stations, the level bands and the wet well volume that set the cycle, starts per hour and motor limits, and the cases where variable speed is worth its cost.
8 min readUpdated Sep 5, 2026
VFD Pump Control in Wastewater
The control modes for a variable speed wastewater pump: level control, flow pacing, fixed speed with soft start, and drawdown modes, plus the wastewater-specific rules: minimum speed, ragging at low speed, force main velocity, and the periodic full-speed run.
10 min readUpdated Sep 5, 2026
Wet Well Level PID Control
Holding a wet well level with a variable speed pump instead of bang-bang control: the loop structure, the minimum speed floor, the stop and restart logic at low inflow, tuning for a slow integrating process, and where level PID is the wrong idea.
11 min readUpdated Sep 5, 2026
Station Flow Control
Controlling the flow a lift station sends downstream: why a station would limit or match its flow, the plant hydraulic limit, the force main capacity, equalization, and wet weather, and the alarms.
8 min readUpdated Sep 5, 2026
Pump Sequencing Strategies
The strategies for sequencing wastewater pumps: level bands with alternation, lead and lag and standby with runtime balancing, a drive lead with constant speed lag, pump-down against steady-flow operation, and how each strategy fails and recovers.
9 min readUpdated Sep 5, 2026
Topics in this area
Constant Speed
Constant Speed — practical reference notes for controls engineers, integrators, and technicians working with wastewater pump control.
VFD Pump Control
VFD Pump Control — practical reference notes for controls engineers, integrators, and technicians working with wastewater pump control.
Level PID
Holding a wet well level with a variable speed pump instead of bang-bang control.
Station Flow Control
Station Flow Control — practical reference notes for controls engineers, integrators, and technicians working with wastewater pump control.
Pump Sequencing Strategies
Pump Sequencing Strategies — practical reference notes for controls engineers, integrators, and technicians working with wastewater pump control.
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