On the Pumps & Systems Podcast, we recently sat down with Micah Audiss from Romtec, who gave us an in-depth primer on package systems in the water and wastewater industry. Below are some of the highlights from that episode.
Q: Starting with the basics, what is a package system?
AUDISS: So, I think to fully grasp what we’re talking about, you kind of have to look at pumping systems historically. You have, traditionally, a civil engineer designing a pumping system. Maybe specifically you have another engineering firm that specializes in the mechanical side and does pumping systems along that regard, but you had some engineer design a system that relies on somebody to piece it together and build it and kind of bid out the pieces and parts and ultimately build a pumping system.
Along the line, somebody thought, “Well, it would be really nice if we could just draw a box around that pump system and just get something off the shelf, put it into that box and solve the problem.” So, historically, you have a lot of these kinds of package systems that are smaller in nature. Everything is single skid mounted or a single offering. It is off the shelf. And there’s still a time and a place for those offerings, and they’re a great fit, but that’s kind of one side of it. So, you have the package systems that fall into that traditional model, where you might get a few add-ons—it’s kind of like when you buy a car. You go to buy a car and they ask you what trim package. You don’t really get to design the whole car, you just get to pick a few options. So, that is kind of what most people think of as the package system.
On the other side is this package that really just refers to everything, inlet to discharge. The inlet pipe, the discharge, what feeds into the pumping system, where it’s pumping out—“package” just means everything relative to the system. So, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re held to using these models, but that’s kind of the two sides.
Q: Why might someone want to use a package system? What are the benefits?
AUDISS: There’s a variety of reasons. Maybe they just don’t even want to deal with a pumping system, so [it’s] the ability to just turn to somebody and say, “Can you do this for me?” Again, buying a pumping system is not like buying a car. You don’t have quite the same amount of joy and nobody likes to spend the money on them, so the easier you can make life, the better. And I would say with both options, it’s really reducing the amount of moving parts, ensuring success. That’s kind of the key thing there.
The historical way, [an] engineer designs it, somebody builds it, you have all these different pieces and parts and entities involved and there’s opportunities for error along the way. And so whether it’s the traditional package system or a custom package system, you get the benefit of everything just being a one-stop shop. You don’t have to worry about all the moving parts. You can simply call and say, “I would like this package system.” So kind of just ease, I would say.
Q: What different types of package systems are there?
AUDISS: When it comes to types, the first thing I think of is water types or industry types. In the world of package systems, you’re going to be able to find package systems for wastewater, for stormwater, for industrial process, for clean water. Almost every package system is going to have some bit of mechanical: pumps, controls, level sensing. So there’s a little bit of a mix between all those different areas—the electrical, mechanical, structural aspects. And when it comes down to it, the different types—again, I think it just focuses on the application first, and then those standards and requirements of the end owner.
When you design a supply system, somebody’s going to own it in the end. Everybody across the U.S. has their own wants, their own preferences, their own requirements, and each one of those systems is going to uniquely fit into that in some way. So when it comes to types, it’s really dependent on those two factors: the application—the water type—and that end owner and what they require out of the system.
To watch the full interview with Micah Audiss, visit the Pumps & Systems YouTube channel.