Cost of Frequent Lift Station Pump-Outs vs. Cost of Chemical Treatment
Lift station pump-outs are a necessity—a costly necessity. Over time, frequent pump-outs can become a burden to your facility, so you’re exploring chemical lift station treatment to lower the frequency of these pump-outs. But with the cost of the chemicals, will you really be saving money or just reducing the disruption of pump-outs?
At State Chemical, we manufacture and distribute chemical and biological solutions for various applications, including lift station maintenance. When it comes to this kind of equipment, upkeep can be pricey, and this takes a toll on your facility over time.
To help you determine whether chemical lift station treatment will save you money, we will explain what pump-outs and chemical maintenance involve, the cost of lift station pumping, and the cost of chemical maintenance. After reading, you’ll know the true cost of both methods, and which is best for your budget.
What is Lift Station Pumping?
To start, it’s important to understand that lift station pumping is required regardless of whether you chemically treat your lift station. The difference is that if you forego chemical maintenance, you will need to pump out more frequently (usually every few months).
Lift station pump-outs involve using specialized equipment to clean out the gunk from a lift station wet well. Typically, a professional service will complete this service and properly dispose of the collected sludge for you.
This process reduces the risk of fats, oils, and greases (FOGs) passing into your drain lines, system overflows, system malfunctions (e.g., inaccurate float readings), odors, and other problems. If this maintenance is not completed, your FOG level will get too high, which will affect system functionality.
What is Chemical Lift Station Treatment?
Chemical lift station treatment involves regularly dispensing a chemical or biological product into your wet well to break down FOGs. This prevents issues like FOGs in the drain lines, overflows, malfunctions, and odors—plus, it usually reduces the necessity of frequent pump-outs.
There are many different forms of chemical lift station treatment, and each product works slightly differently. But generally, chemical lift station treatment breaks down FOGs in your wet well so that they can easily pass through the system with the water. This way, they don’t congeal at the top of the wet well nor do they fill up the pit so that water cannot properly pass through.
Additionally, chemical products help to remove FOGs congealed to floats and wet well walls. This ensures proper functionality and prevents odor problems.
Cost of Lift Station Pumping
The cost of a lift station pump-out can vary based on factors including wet well size, ease of accessibility, and severity of buildup.
Generally, you can expect this expense to be $1,000–$3,500 for each pumping. If you pump out two to four times per year, this will be $2,000–$14,000+ per year—and this will be a higher price if you pump out more frequently.
Cost of Chemical Lift Station Treatment
On the flip side, the cost of chemical lift station treatment varies greatly based on the amount of treatment required. Many other companies do not publicly disclose their prices, and it would be unethical for us to do so. Instead, we will use State Chemical’s prices for reference.
At State Chemical, chemical lift station treatment costs between $3,000–$7,000 per year. This, again, can vary greatly depending on the amount of treatment required.
Additionally, keep in mind that with chemical treatment, you will still need to pump out your lift station every few years. Assuming you pump it out every two years, you’ll spend an average of $500–$1,750 per year on pump-outs.
Chemicals and less frequent pump-outs considered, with chemical treatment, you’ll be spending roughly $3,500–$8,750 per year. This means that depending on your situation, chemical lift station maintenance may or may not be a cost savings compared to solely pumping out the system.
For example, if you currently pump out three times a year, you could be spending up to $10,500 per year, meaning that chemical treatment will be significantly more economical.
Meanwhile, if you only pump out twice a year and use a low-cost pumping service, you’re only spending $4,000 a year, and chemical maintenance would likely be a similar price or more costly.
The potential pricing is extremely variable based on your situation.
Learn How State Chemical’s Line Bac’R Can Treat Your Lift Station
The costs associated with frequent lift station pump-outs can add up. However, with chemical maintenance, you could have a cleaner lift station with lower yearly expenses depending on your situation. Now that you know how chemical treatment could save you money in the long run, watch the video below to learn how State Chemical’s Line Bac’R can treat your lift station.