For most properties, professional preventative service should be scheduled at least annually. Strata, high-use and higher-risk stations usually need service every six months or more often.
Quick Answer
A practical starting point is annual professional service for a low-use residential pump station and service every six months for a strata or multi-unit station. Quarterly inspections may be appropriate for high-use sites, stormwater stations exposed to heavy sediment or seasonal rainfall, stations with a history of alarms, or properties where a failure would cause major damage.
The correct interval is whichever is most demanding: the system’s maintenance plan, manufacturer instructions, local requirements, site risk or the service frequency established by the qualified person responsible for the system.
Does BC Law Set One Universal Service Interval?
No. British Columbia does not set one inspection frequency for every privately owned sewage, effluent and stormwater pump station. Requirements depend on the type of system and where it is installed.
For onsite sewerage systems covered by BC’s Sewerage System Regulation, the owner must maintain the system according to its maintenance plan and keep maintenance records. The regulation also restricts who may construct or maintain regulated onsite systems. A strata corporation can be the owner for a system serving more than one strata lot.
Municipal sewer and drainage bylaws, permit conditions, equipment manuals and insurance requirements may also apply. For that reason, a generic schedule should never replace the property’s actual documents.
Recommended Maintenance Baseline
- Detached home or low-use residential station: professional service at least once a year.
- Strata or multi-unit residential station: professional service every six months as a baseline.
- High-use, high-consequence or problem station: consider quarterly service.
- Stormwater station: inspect before the wet season and again after major storms or known flooding.
- Any station: arrange immediate service after an alarm, breaker trip, unusual noise, odour, extended run time or overflow.
- Between professional visits, owners or designated strata staff can perform simple visual checks of the external panel, alarm indicator and surrounding area. They should not open or enter the wet well or perform electrical work.
What Should a Professional Pump Station Service Include?
- Test each pump in automatic and manual control modes where safe and appropriate.
- Confirm start, stop, lag and high-level alarm points.
- Check that floats or level sensors are clean, secure and unobstructed.
- Test audible, visual and remote alarm functions.
- Record voltage, amperage and motor performance where applicable.
- Inspect the control panel, contactors, overloads, fuses, wiring and enclosure for heat, moisture, insects or corrosion.
- Confirm check valves and shut-off valves operate correctly and look for backflow.
- Inspect discharge piping, unions, rails, chains and fittings for leakage, corrosion or movement.
- Check the basin, lid, seals, venting and conduits for odour pathways or water intrusion.
- Assess buildup of grease, rags, wipes, sediment or organic material and recommend cleaning when needed.
- Document condition, deficiencies, priorities and budget recommendations.
Should Duplex Pumps Alternate?
Normally, yes. In a properly configured duplex station, the controller typically alternates which pump is the lead pump after each completed cycle. Alternation shares operating hours and helps prevent one pump from doing all the work while the second sits idle.
If the level continues rising, the lag pump should start according to the designed sequence. Some systems use a separate lag and high-level alarm point, while others combine functions. The exact sequence must match the station design and control schematic.
If the same pump always starts first, one pump shows far more run hours, or the lag pump never starts during testing, the alternator, float sequence, controller settings or second pump may need attention.
Why Regular Service Matters
Pump station failures often begin as small, detectable problems: a float that drags, a check valve that leaks back, rising motor amperage, a corroding connection or a control enclosure taking on moisture. Preventative service creates an opportunity to correct these issues before they become an alarm, sewage backup or flooded parkade.
For a strata, service records also support budgeting and continuity. A clear report helps council and the property manager separate immediate repairs from items that can be placed in the operating budget or depreciation planning.
Signs Your Current Service Interval Is Too Long
- Recurring high-level alarms or nuisance alarms.
- Pumps that run continuously, short-cycle or start much more often than before.
- One duplex pump carrying most of the operating hours.
- Frequent breaker or overload trips.
- Persistent odour around the station or panel.
- Visible corrosion, moisture or insects inside the control enclosure.
- Grease, wipes, sediment or debris repeatedly obstructing floats or pumps.
- No current service report, equipment list or emergency contact plan.
Build a maintenance plan around consequence, not only age
A small residential station and a duplex station serving dozens of homes do not carry the same risk. Frequency should reflect occupancy, incoming flow, pump cycles, basin storage, alarm monitoring, storm exposure, access, equipment condition and the damage that could occur during a failure.
Revolution Pump Service Ltd. provides scheduled preventative maintenance, testing, reporting, repairs and 24-hour emergency support for sewage, effluent and stormwater pump stations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. New equipment can still experience float movement, debris, wiring, valve, seal or commissioning issues, and warranty conditions may require documented maintenance.
Test it during each professional service and after control work. A strata may also schedule simple external alarm tests between visits if the manufacturer and service provider approve the procedure
Every six months is a practical baseline for many strata stations, with quarterly service for higher-use or higher-risk sites. The station documents and site conditions control.
