Columbia College
upgrades domestic water systems
Many domestic water supply systems
in Chicago’s high-rises are as old as the buildings themselves.
Most of these systems were state-of-the-art during their
installations decades ago but buildings evolve over time adding
water demands beyond their original specifications, which
results in inefficient operation, higher maintenance and
operating costs and the potential for a system shutdown.
When the original domestic water supply system at Chicago’s
Columbia College began to show its age owners opted
to replace the 1929 technology with a state of the
art system for two campus buildings at 600 South
Michigan Avenue and 33 East Congress.
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600 S. Michigan Before |
600 S. Michigan After |
With more than
120
academic programs and nearly 11,000
students, Columbia College Chicago is the largest and most
diverse private arts and media college in the nation. The
college offers an
unparalleled array of cou
rses with
exceptional technological resources in
the heart of
one of
America's greatest cities.
The building at 33 E Congress needed
to replace the domestic water booster system and wooden gravity
tanks located on the top floor that filled off an antiquated
level controller. This practice was common in the day but outdated
technology by today’s standard.
Working alongside the plumbing contractor Bobby
DeGuiseppe of Great Lakes Plumbing, Metropolitan Industries,
Inc. of Romeoville, IL supplied a new duplex, 5-HP
energy-efficient variable speed booster system. In order to
remove the wooden tank, DeGuiseppe re-piped the up-feed and
down-feed risers and installed bladder tanks that serve to
maintain pressure during low flow periods allowing the system to
turn off and save additional energy.
The new system is set to deliver 20psi to the top floor of
constant pressure. Using bladder tanks combined with variable
speed drives on the booster system saves thousands of dollars a
year on energy costs and adds life to the system because it does
not run at a constant speed but rather a constant pressure,
while varying pump speeds.
The building at 600 S Michigan required a domestic water
booster system as well and replacement of a wooden gravity tank
on the top floor. The booster system however was fabricated and
assembled onsite in place. The pump and mechanical room had
limited access and this was the only option. Once again
DeGuiseppe eliminated the gravity tank and took the up-feed
risers and crossed them with down-feed risers. The system
utilizes three 20HP, stainless steel, multi-staged booster pumps
with variable speed drives and controller to maintain a maximum
flow rate of 380 gallons per minute. It allows for redundancy
while maintaining a constant discharge pressure of 140 psi. Two
119 gallon bladder tanks took the place of the wooden gravity
tank. After a one time shut down, all connections were made and
the system was placed online.
Both systems, now in operation for just about a year, maintain
consistent pressure throughout the building. Running a system at
variable speeds reduces energy costs and saves money. Over
approximately a decade, the system will pay for itself entirely
on energy savings alone.
