Suburban Water Systems’ Plant 413 pump station is a critical facility serving residents in Unincorporated Los Angeles County (Whittier) and the City of La Mirada. This plant boosts well water from Plant 224 through a transmission pipeline (D-line has no customer services tapped) into higher elevation pressure zones for drinking, domestic, irrigation, and firefighting.
The pump station and electrical equipment were originally installed in 1961. Inspections by our Operations and Maintenance Teams and electrical consultants have revealed that the aging electrical equipment had deteriorated and replacement was needed.
Suburban has recently installed replacement electrical equipment to ensure the pump station is a reliable and resilient source of water supply. The new electrical panels have thicker walls to protect them better and maximize the life of the internal components. A Manual Transfer Switch (MTS) was installed so operators can safely power the plant with a diesel generator in case of an extended power outage when utility electricity is unavailable. Extended outages occur when fallen branches from windstorms damage powerlines, vehicles hit utility poles, and during Public Safety Power Shutdown (PSPS) events that de-energize power lines to prevent wildfires.
The pumps at this plant must run around the clock to meet customer demand and maintain pressure because this area does not have elevated storage tanks to provide a gravity supply. Variable Speed Drives (VSD’s) were installed to control the speed of the motor and pump to match production to demand while maintaining the desired pressure efficiently. A canopy was built to shelter operators and equipment from harsh weather conditions.
Generations of Suburban customers will benefit from this investment, and it’s part of our ongoing commitment to providing high-quality water service to the community.
Figure : New electrical panels with canopy
