Submersible Wastewater Pump Association creates new membership category for non-manufacturers

HIGHLAND PARK, IL, June 25, 2003 -- The Submersible Wastewater Pump Association (SWPA) has created a new membership category for non-manufacturers.

Since its inception in 1976, the Association has been an organization of manufacturers of submersible wastewater pumps for municipal and industrial applications and manufacturers of component parts and accessories for these pumps and submersible sewage pumping systems.

"Recent action taken by SWPA 's Board of Directors has changed the association's bylaws and created a new, non-manufacturer category" according to SWPA 's Executive Director Chuck Stolberg. "With that change, Non-manufacturing firms which provide services, related to Industry Products and/or who provide services to users of industry products are now eligible for Associate Membership."

For membership purposes, SWP A defines Industry Products as: submersible wastewater pumps that can efficiently handle solids.

"By creating this new membership category , the association is inviting distributor organizations, rep organizations, systems packagers, service stations, consulting engineering firms, publishers and others business providing services to submersible wastewater pump lift station users to join and become actively involved in the only trade association devoted exclusively to submersible wastewater pumps for municipal and industrial applications," he continued. "These are critically important players in the present and future of our industry .They have much to offer the association, its manufacturer members and the industry."

The community of interest and influence associated with submersible wastewater pumps and submersible sewage lift stations is much larger than the manufacturers of the pumps and component parts and accessories, according to Stolberg.

To continue to be successful in today's rapidly changing business environment, associations like SWPA need broad-based input to make sound decisions and to ensure that its programs and services meet not only its members' expectations but also market expectations, he added.

To assist in promoting the interests of the submersible wastewater pump industry, Associate Members will be invited to serve on SWPA's committees, subcommittees and working groups where their knowledge, expertise and input will be vital in creating balanced technical publications, standards, system component guidelines and training and educational programs to further the industry .

Their participation in these programs and activities is expected to broaden the perspective of the association to the full submersible wastewater pump industry supply chain, including end-users; to broaden the community of interest and influence associated with submersible wastewater pumps; and to bring new resources and experience to the association that is not necessarily available within the current membership.

"These industry professionals have both technical and marketing expertise that will be a valuable resource to the association on numerous subjects, topics and issues that will enhance, improve and expand SWPA's efforts," said Stolberg.

"And, most importantly, they will help SWPA achieve a better balance of interest, which means that SWPA will have within its membership producers, users and representatives from groups of general interest. This is of particular importance as SWPA considers developing additional standards, industry guidelines for lift station components and technical publications in accordance with its strategic initiatives to expand its publishing and educational activities and promote the 'systems approach' when designing, operating and maintaining a submersible wastewater lift station."

By publishing and promoting this "systems approach" information, he explained, SWPA expects to help consulting engineers, specifiers, users and others gain a better understanding of the pump, valves, control panels, drives, basins, mechanical seals and other components and how they interact for optimum performance, minimum maintenance and long life.

This focus on the systems approach will encourage and promote better submersible pump system design though more comprehensive understanding of the impact of each component on each other component and on the total system. The association's efforts in this area will help consulting engineers, specifiers, users and others identify and understand what they must know about the total system to select the proper components for a given design.

Developing written test standards, performance and design guidelines for each component of a lift station and presenting educational training programs about each component will be an integral part of these efforts.

This approach encourages looking at the end-use requirements to determine if the pump and system components are efficiently sized and configured to meet the end use-requirements; screening the system to help optimize improvement opportunities; calculating life cycle costing for maximum energy efficiency; and looking for symptoms that could lead to inefficiencies.

SWPA' s first step toward creating these standards and guidelines was the development and publication of a "Standardized Presentation Format for Pump and Motor Characteristics" (copies are available from the association free of charge on a request basis).

SWPA's Test Standards Subcommittee worked for more than three years to develop American National Standard for Submersible Pump Tests (ANSI/HI 11.6-2001), based principally on the ANSI/HI Centrifugal Pump Test Standard.

The Submersible Pump Test Standard represents a "first" SWPA/HI standards collaboration between the two organizations.

The 46-page "Submersible Pump Tests Standard" applies to the testing of centrifugal submersible wastewater pumps that are driven by induction motors. For additional information on the Standard, including ordering information, visit www.pumps.org.

The second part of this SWPA/HI collaboration is the development of a condensed version of the Submersible Wastewater Pump (SWPA) Handbook.

The SWPA Handbook, in its 3rd Edition, presents fundamentals, addresses some of the more sophisticated aspects of submersible pump systems and their components and how to establish the operating and maintenance procedures necessary to ensure long, satisfactory and economic station life.

The Hydraulic Institute (HI) standards have not adequately addressed submersible pumps. Recognizing this, HI has formed a Working Group for the development of a Tutorial/Guideline as an introduction to the design and proper application of submersible pumps. This Tutorial/Guideline could eventually be published as an ANSI/HI standard. Most of the members of this Working Group are also members of SWPA.

SWPA has developed its own Working Group to work with HI's Working Group. To aid in the speedy and correct development of this ANSI/HI standard, both groups are using the SWPA Handbook as the basis of the development of the new document.

The condensed version of the SWPA Handbook is expected to be about 30-pages and will focus on typical submersible pump applications, design features, variable speed pumping, and controls.

All industry professionals are invited to contact SWPA to learn how they can participate in the development of these standards and guidelines.

SWPA's members are the industry's leaders: Pump manufacturer members produce submersible wastewater pumps for municipal and industrial applications that can efficiently handle solids. It is estimated that SWPA's member companies ship more than 80 percent of those products in the United States.

Component Manufacturer members are manufacturers of component parts and accessory products for lift stations. They supply access covers, alternators, basins, cords/cables, control panels, electric motors, guide -rail systems, lift station accessories, phase converters, phase monitors, seals, valves, variable frequency drives and other components and parts to pump manufacturers and the aftermarket.

For more information about the association and its programs and activities, visit the SWPA Web Site at www.swpa.org.