Received an order from the Osaka Prefecture Northern Basin Sewerage Office to Renovate Takatsuki Sewage Treatment Center No. 8 Rainwater Pump Equipment, Yodo River Right Bank Basin Sewerage [Orders Received in July 2024]

We have received an order from the Osaka Prefecture Northern Basin Sewerage Office to renovate the No. 8, 9, and 10 rainwater pump equipment, following the renovation of the No. 7 rainwater pump equipment at the Takatsuki Sewage Treatment Center.

Basin sewerage is a type of sewerage project in which sewage from two or more municipalities is collected and treated at a single facility and is managed by the prefecture. The Osaka Prefecture has three basin sewerage offices located in the northern, eastern, and southern regions, with the Takatsuki Sewage Treatment Center managed by the Northern Basin Sewerage Office.

The center is located approximately 1 km west of Hirakata Ohashi Bridge and covers a vast site of 320,000 m² (roughly eight times the size of Koshien Baseball ). The rooftop of its treatment plant is home to the lush Takatsuki Skyland, and there are lawn plaza, sports field, walking trails, tennis courts, and other facilities, making it a place of recreation and relaxation for Osaka citizens.

Thirteen rainwater pumps are installed at the center for forced drainage of rainwater, with a maximum capacity of approximately 5,200 tons per minute. The No. 8, 9, and 10 rainwater pumps have been in operation for over 30 years since they were first put into service and have deteriorated over time, and some engine components are no longer in production. To ensure that functionality can be quickly restored in the event of a malfunction, this project will upgrade the engines and reducers.

Additionally, in Osaka Prefecture’s basin sewerage projects, efforts are being made to enhance the reliability of facility operation by installing backup equipment in preparation for the increasing frequency of heavy rains and rising precipitation in recent years. By increasing the drainage capacity of rainwater pumps, the projects ensure that the pumping stations can maintain sufficient drainage capacity even if some pumps become not operational. For example, in a pumping station with five pumps, each capable of draining 1 m³ per second (5 m³ per second for the entire station), upgrading each pump’s capacity to 1.25 m³ per second would allow the station to maintain a total drainage capacity of 5 m³ per second with only four pumps in operation, meaning that the original drainage capacity can be maintained even if one pump is undergoing maintenance. This renovation is also being carried out as part of the plan to enhance system reliability with backup equipment, and the pumps will be overhauled, modified, and reused to increase drainage capacity.

The renovation and renewal of the pump equipment is expected to improve the reliability and functionality of the entire facility and contribute to creating a safe and secure environment for people living in the basin.