Municipal Lift Station Maintenance Case Study: How a Proactive Program Reduced Emergency Pump Repairs for a Central Ohio Utility

Overview

Municipal wastewater systems depend on lift stations to keep water moving reliably, but many public works teams still manage pump maintenance reactively — responding to failures instead of preventing them. This case study looks at how OTC's Customer Service Agreement (CSA) program helped one Central Ohio municipality move from reactive repairs to a structured, proactive lift station maintenance plan.

• Customer: Municipal wastewater utility (Central Ohio)
• Relationship with OTC: Multi-year partner for pump repair, emergency service, and equipment support

The municipality operates multiple wastewater lift stations and had relied on OTC for years for pump repairs and emergency service. As the system aged, the customer wanted a more proactive approach to maintaining its pumping equipment and reducing the frequency of unplanned failures.

Challenges

Before implementing a Customer Service Agreement, the municipality was almost entirely reactive when it came to lift station maintenance. Equipment was serviced only after something failed, which made it difficult to budget for repairs and increased the risk of unplanned downtime at critical wastewater infrastructure.
Unexpected wastewater pump failures led to emergency service calls, unbudgeted maintenance expenses, and the risk of lift station interruptions. Without a routine inspection schedule, minor issues — like early-stage wear on a mechanical seal or bearing — could go unnoticed until they became major, more costly repairs.
The municipality needed a cost-effective lift station maintenance program that could:
•    Improve equipment reliability across multiple lift stations
•    Reduce the volume and cost of emergency pump repair calls
•    Provide predictable, budget-friendly maintenance costs
•    Give operators better visibility into the true condition of their pumping assets

The OTC Solution

OTC recommended a Customer Service Agreement (CSA) built around scheduled preventative maintenance, routine pump inspections, performance testing, and detailed condition reporting for every lift station in the system.
To deliver the program, OTC's team:
•    Developed a preventative maintenance schedule tailored to the customer's equipment and operational needs
•    Performed routine inspections and preventative maintenance visits at each lift station
•    Recorded operating data and documented equipment condition with photographs
•    Identified worn components and emerging maintenance concerns before they became critical failures
•    Delivered detailed service reports and recommendations after every visit
•    Worked closely with the municipality's maintenance staff to plan repairs and future maintenance work
The CSA gave the customer a structured lift station maintenance program that improved equipment reliability, reduced unexpected breakdowns, and shifted maintenance planning away from emergency response. The detailed inspection reports also gave the municipality's team better visibility into asset condition, helping them prioritize future pump repair and replacement decisions and budget more effectively.

Results

Since implementing the Customer Service Agreement, the municipality has experienced:

• Fewer emergency service calls

• Improved pump and lift station reliability

• Better visibility into equipment condition through documented inspections

• More predictable maintenance planning and budgeting

• Greater confidence that critical wastewater assets are being routinely inspected and maintained

“The Customer Service Agreement has given us confidence that our lift stations are being routinely inspected and maintained. The detailed reports and recommendations help us address issues before they become costly failures, and we've seen fewer unexpected service calls since implementing the program.”

- Customer

Conclusion

This case study shows the value of shifting from reactive repairs to a structured, proactive maintenance program for municipal wastewater infrastructure. When lift station downtime carries real operational and financial risk, a Customer Service Agreement gives municipalities predictable costs, documented equipment condition, and fewer emergency pump repair calls.

For municipalities managing lift stations, water treatment plant maintenance, or other critical pumping infrastructure, equipment failure isn't a matter of if — it's a matter of when. OTC's CSA program is built for exactly this scenario: scheduled inspections, condition-based reporting, and a maintenance partner who understands municipal wastewater operations at scale.

Don't wait for a lift station failure to find out whether your current maintenance approach is working. Establish a Municipal Service Agreement with OTC now, so your team already has a plan when a pump or lift station needs attention.

Need a Proactive Lift Station Maintenance Plan?

Contact OTC today to learn how a Customer Service Agreement can reduce emergency lift station repairs and improve reliability across your municipal wastewater system

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