Pump for Less
Pump Station Bypass, Sewer Bypass Pumping and River Diverting
Do you have a 100 MGD or larger transfer or bypass pumping project? MWI can save you up to 40%
At MWI Pumps, we’ve been manufacturing and inventing high-volume water pump solutions since 1926. We know your time is money and we have a way for you to save on both. No catch, we are just doing more with less by providing highly efficient, large volume versatile water pumps that can save you time, stress and money on your next job as temporary or permanent solutions.
How we do it
MWI offers a full array of water pumps for these types of projects including Hydraflo™ submersible pumps, mobile pumps for quick maneuverability and the compact Hydraflo™ H3NC High-Head, Non-Clog Bypass Pump which can handle solids up to 6″ and 40% less energy usage. While other pump companies routinely use upwards of 15 smaller pumps for a typical large bypass project, MWI can pump more than that with just 1 or 2 pumps. Our rental capacity allows us to pump the entire Potomac River, although no one has asked us to do that yet. In fact, we can easily move over 142 MGD with a single portable pump – which can be installed in one day. Your cost savings are clear:
- Fewer pumps to maintain means reduced manpower is needed
- 40% less pipes and fittings to rent
- Save up to 40% on your fuel costs
- Easily pass solids 200% larger (up to 6″)
- Complete your project in less time
- Full sewage treatment plant bypass with 100% redundancy by using only four H3NC 24” pumps
- Flows up to 90’ TDH and 18000 GPM / 25 MGD per pump
- 50% less space than traditional systems (H3NC)
- 24/7 rental service & maintenance package included

Pump Station Bypass with the H3NC vs. Traditional Centrifugal Pumps
A typical WWTP bypass needs 8 pumps (at 55000 GPM each) to handle the flow with only 25% redundancy. Our 24” H3NC system uses 40% less energy* with only 4 pumps, can handle 200% larger solids up to 6”, uses 50% less space, and has a flow of 25 MGD with 100% redundancy. Be prepared for your next outage or planned maintenance with reliable and efficient pump rentals.
WWTP managers are looking for a less-stressful, full-volume backup when an outage occurs or during routine maintenance. With planning and the right tech, you can stay one step ahead, avoid emergencies and save money. The Hydraflo™ H3NC High-Head, Non-Clog Bypass Pump is the choice for WWTP pump operators who want to save time and money during outages. We’ve got your back(up).
River Diversion with MWI Hydraflo™ vs. End-Suction Pumps
When moving massive amounts of water, such as a river diversion, axial and mixed flow pumps including Hydraflo™ are simply more efficient and capable of handling low to medium heads than any other pump type.
When diverting that much water, flooding and overflow is extremely possible so safety is key. If using end suction, self-priming pumps, you’d need to keep them as close to the water as possible which can expose them to potential water damage if the river rises faster than the pumps can handle. Meanwhile MWI Hydraflo™ submersible pumps will not be damaged during water level rise, and their drive units can be elevated or placed far away from the potential danger zone keeping them safe, secure and pumping.

Large & Deep Manhole with H3NC vs. End Suction Pumps

End suction pumps cannot lift over 28′ in optimal conditions. Additionally, even at a shorter distance such as 15′, there will be massive decreases in suction performance and efficiency, potentially as low as 40% vs. the submersible H3NC that can easily lift 40′ out of a manhole while being compact enough to place 2-3 units for easy large sewer bypass jobs.
*Compared to skid, end suction centrifugal pumps at max. lift and 55,000GPM
It’s not difficult to measure the difference a efficient, large capacity, submersible pump makes.
Imagine if you can manage to save just one gallon per hour and the off road diesel fuel costs about $3.00 per gallon, based on 24hour operation you would save.
$72 per day, $ 7044 per week or $2232 per month
Here is how to save:
Pump Efficiency: More efficient pumps require less power to do the same job. The following horsepower equation describes how the horsepower (hp) required is determined by the water flowrate, head and pump efficiency.
The total efficiency is a combination of the pump, drive system, and engine efficiency as a percentage.
For example, you need to pump 10,000 gpm at a head pressure of 20 feet for a period of one month. Lets see whether or not it would make a difference using a trash pump or an axial flow propeller pump with a higher pump efficiency, Assume the trash pump set up has a total efficiency of 50% and the mixed flow solids handling pump has a total efficiency of 75%.
Trash Pump:
Mixed Flow Solids Handling Pump:
As you can see, if the conditions allow use of an axial flow pump, you can do the job with less power which means less fuel consumption.
As you can see, if the conditions allow use of an axial flow pump, you can do the job with less power which means less fuel consumption.
Fuel Consumption:
Lets see how much fuel and how much money we would save over the course of the month long job.
Assuming the diesel engine’s fuel consumption is 0.342 lbs/hp-hr and weighs 7.1 lbs/gallon this is 0.048 gal/hp-hr
- Trash Pump: Fuel consumption (gal/hr) = (0.048 gal/hp-hr)(101hp) = 4.85 gal/hr
- Mixed Flow Solids Handling Pump: Fuel consumption (gal/hr) = (0.048 gal/hp-hr)(67hp) = 3.22 gal/hr
The fuel consumption difference is 4.85 – 3.22 = 1.63 gal/hr
Over the course of the month there is 30 days x 24 hrs/day = 720 hours, therefore you save: (720 hrs) (1.63 gal/hr) = 1,174 gal
This is a cost savings of ($3.00/gal)(1174 gal) = $3521/month
This helps to illustrate that the rental costs of competing pump systems is MINIMAL compared to the operational cost considerations.
Literature
Applications
- Pump station bypass
- Sewer bypass
- River diverting
- Storm water drainage
- Emergency pumping with backup diesel engine in the event of power loss
- Flood control
- Dewatering
- Industrial
- Municipal
- Construction
- Agricultural irrigation
- Moving large volumes of water
