Lift Stations for HOAs and Property Managers: What to Know
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- Lift Stations for HOAs and Property Managers: What to Know
832-789-5357
If your property has a lift station, you probably inherited it, and it is easy to forget until the alarm sounds. This guide covers what boards and managers should know about their stations, and where Brown Aerobic can help. Call 832-789-5357.
Does my property have a lift station?
A lift station is needed when wastewater cannot drain to the sewer or septic system by gravity alone. Look for a green or gray lid or a small fenced area, a control panel on a post or wall, and a light and horn. Many communities have one without anyone currently on staff or on the board knowing where it is. Your plat, utility records or the original builder may know.
What should you know about your station?
- Where it is, and how to get to it
- Whether it has one pump or two. A duplex system has a backup, and a single pump does not
- Where the breaker is
- Who is told when the alarm triggers, and whether that number is current
- When it was last pumped, inspected and tested
- Where the flow goes after the station, which is usually through a force main
What are the warning signs?
- The alarm light or horn is on, or has been silenced and ignored
- Pumps run constantly or cycle rapidly
- Water stands unusually high in the chamber
- Sewage odor near the station or the lowest drains
- Slow drains or backups at the lowest units or buildings
What can residents and tenants do to protect it?
Most lift station problems start in the building. Wipes, including the ones labeled flushable, paper towels, feminine products, grease and cooking oil do not belong in the drain. A short notice to residents, repeated once or twice a year, costs far less than a clogged pump.
What records should we keep?
A simple log is enough: dates of visits, what was found, what was repaired and when the alarm was last tested. A maintenance contract gives you that record without anyone having to keep it.
What should we ask a lift station contractor?
- What is included in a visit, and what is extra?
- Do you test the alarm every time?
- Will we get a written record of each visit?
- Do you repair pumps, floats and panels, or only pump out the chamber?
- Who do we call between visits?
Brown Aerobic handles pumping and cleaning, pump repair and alarm, float and panel repair. See our apartments and HOA services page for more.
Where do we start?
Call 832-789-5357 or request a quote online. Estimates are free, and Se habla español. Tell us how many stations you have, where they are and what you know about them. We will arrange a visit, look at the equipment and talk through a plan.
Common questions
- Who is responsible for a lift station?
That depends on who owns it and where it sits. Many serve a single property or community and are owned by the HOA, the property owner or the builder. Check your plat, deed restrictions and utility records, and ask the builder or the utility if it is unclear.
- How do we find out where our lift station is?
Start with the plat, utility records or the original builder. Look for a lid and a control panel with a light and horn. If you still cannot find it, call us and we can help work it out.
- Is it safe for staff to open the lift station?
No. Wet wells are confined spaces that can hold harmful gases. Staff should leave the chamber closed and call a contractor.
- Do you work with property management companies?
Yes. We handle lift stations for HOAs, apartments, shopping centers, offices, churches, schools and other commercial properties across seven counties.
Ready to get started?
Call 832-789-5357, request a quote, or book online. Se habla español.
