Bal-Last is designed to protect the pump installation even in fully saturated soils. The weight of the pump chamber, Bal-Last ring and backfilled soil combine to keep the pump where it is supposed to be. This has been proven on a number of installations.
The image below, came from Trombold Equipment Company (TEPCO) who learned first hand of the benefits of Bal-Last. The cover is barely visible to the left of the house. This spring flood came and left without incident.
Photo; Curtesy of Stephen Garlicki, Trombold Equipment Company
Summer 2018 to 2019 Construction
North End Boulevard, Salisbury, MA is in a prime location for beach access. This premium summer location required special construction techniques. Homes had to be raised above flood level. This unit under construction shows the first-floor level nearly 8 feet above the ground level. Grinder pumps and pressure sewer connections required special consideration for flooding and groundwater conditions.
The grinder pump basins were installed empty. They did not have the weight of the pump nor were they filled with water. The pumps will add another 100+/- Pounds when installed at startup. Startup will occur when the housing unit is ready for occupancy. So this was a real test of the ability of the Bal-Last system to keep these stations securely in the ground.
This builder was looking for the proper solution to meet the Atlantic Ocean floods.
For this installation the grinder pumps were installed in very wet sandy conditions. The image below shows the standing water level was on the surface surrounding the pump access cover.
All controls and alarm panels are located inside on the living level, well away from flood waters. Other severe locations can be found on our page in our Floodplain categories. Check out the Lake Huron project in Newsletters.