Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Natural Resources
NR 800 - Environmental Protection - Water Supply
Chapter NR 811 - Requirements For The Operation And Design Of Community Water Systems
Subchapter IV - Pumping Stations, Pumphouses, and Water Treatment Plant Buildings
Section NR 811.28 - Additional requirements

Universal Citation: WI Admin Code ยง NR 811.28

Current through August 26, 2024

(1) SUCTION OR WET WELLS. Suction or wet wells, including installations where the pumps are installed on top of a reservoir, but excluding remote booster pumping installations shall:

(a) Meet the applicable reservoir construction requirements of subch. IX.

(b) Have all below grade metal pump cans, if installed, exposed in a basement or vault.

(c) Have 2 pumping compartments or other means to allow the suction well to be taken out of service for inspection, maintenance, or repair.

(2) SUCTION LIFT. Suction lift shall be allowed only for distances of less than 15 feet and where provision is made for priming the pumps. Suction lift may not be permitted if buried piping carries the finished water.

(3) PRIMING. Prime water may not be of lesser sanitary quality than that of the water being pumped. Means shall be provided to prevent backflow. When an air-operated ejector is used, the screened intake shall draw clean air from a point at least 10 feet above the ground or other source of contamination, unless the air is filtered by apparatus approved by the department. Vacuum priming may be used.

(4) AUTOMATIC AND REMOTE CONTROLLED STATIONS. All automatic stations shall be provided with automatic signaling equipment which will report pump on-off operation and the status of other important functions, such as intrusion alarms, to the main station. Pressure monitoring shall be included if a separate pressure zone is established. All remote controlled stations shall be electrically operated and controlled and shall be provided with reliable signaling equipment.

Note: See subch. XI for booster pumping facilities in the distribution system.

(5) APPURTENANCES.

(a) Valves. Pumps shall be adequately valved to permit satisfactory operation, maintenance and repair of the equipment. If foot valves are provided, they shall have a net valve area of at least 2.5 times the area of the suction pipe and shall be screened. Each pump shall have an automatically closing valve or check valve on the discharge side between the pump and shutoff valve. Devices such as motor controls, slow opening and closing check valves, or surge relief valves shall be installed where necessary to minimize pressure surges or water hammer.

(b) Piping. Piping shall be designed to minimize friction losses and shall be protected against pressure surges or water hammer. Piping shall be supported, restrained, and buttressed as necessary. Where applicable, each pump shall have an individual suction line or manifolded lines that ensure similar hydraulic and operation conditions. Discharge piping exposed in buildings shall be ductile iron, copper, steel, stainless steel, or galvanized pipe. For other-than-municipal water systems, piping downstream of the control valve is subject to requirements under ch. SPS 383. The use of minimum schedule 80 PVC pipe meeting the requirements of SPS Table 384.30-7 is acceptable when the water to be carried in the piping can be documented as being aggressive to metal pipe or when necessary to be compatible with water treatment equipment and processes provided that the piping is properly restrained. All piping shall be certified to ANSI/NSF standard 61 dated March 15, 2022, which is incorporated by reference.

Note: A copy of ANSI/NSF standard 61 dated March 15, 2022 is available for inspection at the Legislative Reference Bureau and may be obtained for personal use from NSF International, https://www.nsf.org/.

(c) Gauges and meters. Each pump shall have a standard pressure gauge on its discharge line and have a compound pressure gauge on its suction line if suction pressures are expected to be encountered. Where suction or discharge headers are utilized, only one gauge is required on each header. In addition, the station shall have indicating, totalizing, and recording metering of the total water pumped.

(d) Water seals. Water seals may not be supplied with water of a lesser sanitary quality than that of the water being pumped. Where pumps are sealed with potable water and are pumping water of lesser sanitary quality, the water supply to the seal shall:
1. Be provided with a department of safety and professional services approved reduced principle backflow preventer or a break tank open to atmospheric pressure.

2. Where a break tank is provided, have an air gap, at least 6 inches or 2 pipe diameters, whichever is greater, between the feeder line and the spill line of the tank.

(6) PAINTING OF PIPING. In order to facilitate identification of piping in waterworks, pumping stations, pumphouses and, water treatment plants, it is recommended that the following color schemes be utilized for purposes of standardization:

(a) Water Lines Color
Raw Olive Green
Settled or Clarified Aqua
Finished or Potable Dark Blue
(b) Chemical Lines Color
Alum Orange
Ammonia White
Carbon Slurry Black
Caustic Soda Yellow with Green band
Chlorine -Gas and Solution Yellow
Chlorine Dioxide Yellow with Violet Band
Fluoride Light Blue with Red Band
Lime Slurry Light Green
Ozone Yellow with Orange Band
Phosphate Compounds Light Green with Red Band
Polymers or Coagulant Aids Orange with Green Band
Potassium Permanganate Violet
Soda Ash Light Green with Orange Band
Sulfuric Acid Yellow with Red Band
Sulfur Dioxide Lt. Green with Yellow Band
(c) Waste Lines Color
Backwash Waste Light Brown
Sludge Dark Brown
Sewer - Sanitary or Other Dark Gray
(d) Other Lines Color
Compressed Air Dark Green
Gas Red
Other Lines Light Gray
(e) For liquids or gases not listed above, a unique color scheme and labeling shall be used. In situations where 2 colors do not have sufficient contrast to easily differentiate between them, a 6 inch band of a contrasting color shall be painted on one pipe at approximately 30 inch intervals. The name of the liquid or gas should also be painted on the pipe. Arrows may be painted on the piping indicating the direction of flow.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Wisconsin may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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