Helping the Stamford Water Pollution Control Authority with disaster resiliency upgrades at the Dyke Lane Pump Station

Dyke Lane Pump Station – Tier 1 Improvements

Increasingly severe hurricanes along the eastern coastlines of the United States are a grim reality of climate change. When storm season rolls around, the City of Stamford can be vulnerable, so addressing safety, reliability, and operational concerns of aging stormwater facilities is key for municipal water authorities in the City. Constructed in the early 1960s, the Dyke Lane Pump Station (DLPS) needed a current assessment. The DPLS is a stormwater pump station owned and operated by the Stamford Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA)—it’s part of the hurricane barrier system for the coastal community.

During storms, the DLPS allows the hurricane barrier to move water from Harbor Point and the city’s South End to the Long Island Sound. It’s crucial that the system is resilient and reliable. We performed an overall condition assessment of the pump station to provide recommendations for resiliency improvements, with a focus on the station’s electrical inefficiency, given the older age of the pumps, motors, and electrical equipment. Then we provided a preliminary design report outlining various electrical, mechanical, and structural improvements with two levels of recommendations. Tier 1 improvements would fortify the electrical system and create an NFPA 820 compliant operating area, while non-urgent tier 2 concerns could be addressed later as budgets allow.

With a more resilient, reliable pump station in the works, the community will rest a little easier during stormy weather.