Project Overview
RVA completed the St. Thomas Line Pumping Station project for the Town of Paradise. The new station replaced Lift Station 10, which conveys approximately 40% of the Town’s sanitary flow. Following repeated equipment failures, including a catastrophic breakdown in 2019, the existing infrastructure no longer met operational, safety, or future growth requirements. RVA was retained to provide professional engineering services from planning through construction, supporting the Town in implementing a reliable wastewater solution.
RVA completed conceptual and detailed design, hydraulic analysis, and infrastructure planning to confirm system capacity, redundancy, long-term performance, contract administration, and field observation. The project included diverting raw sewage from the existing Lift Station 10 to the new St. Thomas Line Pumping Station, bypassing a section of forcemain that had experienced recurring failures over the previous decade and eliminating a known operational risk. To further improve system resilience, air release and vacuum valves were added along the existing forcemain, while surge protection and air release valves were incorporated into the new lift station to mitigate pressure transients, reduce pipe failure risk, and enhance operational safety.
RVA worked closely with municipal staff, regulators, contractors, and stakeholders to deliver a cost-effective and reliable solution with minimal community disruption. The project incorporates modern design approaches, including Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) pumping, advanced process controls, and strategically located air/vacuum release valves within the existing forcemain access chambers, enhancing system stability, reducing mechanical stress, and improving overall performance beyond conventional designs.
By addressing a history of service disruptions and environmental incidents, the project ensures consistent and safe wastewater service across all neighbourhoods. This upgrade is particularly critical during emergencies, when infrastructure failures can disproportionately affect vulnerable populations.
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