The City of Great Bend has 20 lift stations, used to “stair-step” wastewater through the sewers to the treatment plant, all of which date back to the 1970s.

Although most need some renovations, a few need much more attention, Assistant Public Works Director Jason Cauley told the City Council Monday night. He sought and received the go-ahead to rehabilitate the two needing the most work, those at Eisenhower and McCormick streets.

There are flooded suction pumps housed inside the 12 x 10-foot brick buildings. As such, the buildings present issues and safety concerns as the dry and wet wells are very deep and any repairs, including minor ones, must be done with a confined space entry, he said.

The city received two bids for vacuum prime pumps. The low bid was $226,782 from Davis Structure and Development Corporation of Springfield, Mo. The buildings will be razed, and the lift stations will be done as they are elsewhere in the city with a “doghouse” style of enclosure.

“We will upgrade to Smith and Loveless vacuum prime pumps, thus increasing the ability to safely service the lift stations while also maintaining continuity,” Cauley said. 

“We started with the most expensive ones,” Cauley said. The lion’s share of the expense comes from razing the structures, but none of the refitting process with new piping and electronic controls is cheap.

Eventually, Utilities Superintendent Reuben Martin said they will have all of the stations using the same pumps. This standardization will make repairs easier, less expensive and safer.

As is, there is a chance the stations could fail, causing wastewater to back up, Martin said.

Money for the project comes from funds the Public Works Department has set aside over the years, Cauley said.