Blog Posts
Engineering Your Success: Infrastructure Planning Essentials for Residential Developers
Infrastructure planning is the hidden engine behind every successful subdivision. From roads and drainage to water lines and open space, this guide walks developers through the essentials—and rules of thumb—for designing smarter, more cost-effective residential communities.
Before You Build: Why Environmental Hazard Inspections Can Save Your Land Project
Before investing in land development, a proper environmental hazards inspection is critical. Learn how Phase One and Two site assessments can protect your project from costly contamination risks and ensure regulatory approval.
The Hidden Headaches of Sewer Utility Design: Gravity, Lift Station, or Grinder Pump?
When gravity just won't work — because your site is flat, low-lying, or slopes away from the main — a lift station becomes more than a backup plan. It’s often the only way to make your system viable.
But a well-designed lift station can also be a strategic unlock — allowing you to build where others can’t, avoid deep excavation, and maintain full control of your infrastructure.
How a Lift Station Works
A lift station is a pumping system that transfers wastewater from low areas to higher ground — where it can rejoin a gravity sewer system or treatment plant.
Here’s an easy 4-step process for how lift stations work:
Step 1: Wastewater flows into an underground tank called a wet well.
Step 2: Once the wet well fills to a set level, sensors trigger one or more pumps.
Step 3: The wastewater is pushed uphill through a force main (a pressurized pipe).
Step 4: Once it reaches the gravity line, it resumes its normal flow downhill.