Lift stations are used in sanitary sewer systems where water is accumulated in wet wells and then pumped to a higher elevation. They are generally designed to operate continuously to keep sewerage from backing up through the system. That means that most lift stations have a backup electrical supply in the event that normal power is disrupted.
Excel Construction Company of Conway, South Carolina installed an underground, custom-made vault for the City of Myrtle Beach to house a backup diesel generator for one of their lift stations. The 20 X 12 X 10 foot vault was constructed in three sections: the floor, the walls and the ceiling. During installation, a factory supplied seal was placed in the key-ways between each section.
Shortly after construction was completed, groundwater began to seep into the vault through the joints. Excel tried to stop the leaks by injecting a foam from a hardware store into the joints. This appeared to solve the problem at first, but soon the leaks reappeared. After several failed attempts, it began to look like they would need to excavate the vault and reinstall the seals.
At that point, Mike Young of Joelson-Taylor Precast of Summerville, South Carolina called Prime Resins for advice. After a visit to the job site, Prime Resins suggested using Prime-Flex 900 LVSF. This is a hydrophilic polyurethane grout that cures to form a flexible seal that bonds to wet concrete. Because the problem needed to be solved quickly, Prime Resins contacted the closest dealer, General Materials in Charleston, to get some material to the job site. That same day, Bo Crouch, one of General Materials' outside salesmen, loaded his car with Prime-Flex 900 LVSF and drove to Myrtle Beach. With the Prime Resins technician and Bo on site, Excel pumped twenty-five gallons of grout and the leaks were stopped.
