Innovative pumping solution saves energy, expense and space for Großostheim, Germany

The charming Bavarian town of Großostheim, less than an hour southeast of Frankfurt, is home to picturesque streets filled with half-timbered houses and an outdoor market that dates back centuries. For many years Großostheim has partnered with Xylem to transport drinking water to the community with Lowara booster systems.

Even after more than 20 years of reliable service, the existing Lowara booster set was still going strong. But the municipality decided it was time for an upgrade, hoping to boost energy efficiency and overall performance with a more modern solution. A key challenge was space limitations. The municipality needed a design that was compact and allowed easy access for maintenance. Großostheim also wanted to keep costs down by reusing as much of the existing piping as possible.

“The customer was keen to maintain their existing piping while optimizing efficiency. We knew we had the perfect solution for them," said Werner Becker, Service Sales Leader, Xylem.

Compact, efficient and intelligent pumping solution

To bring the upgrade to life, Xylem worked with the municipality to install a state-of-the-art booster set equipped with e-SV hydrovar® X pumps. These advanced, multipurpose products come with a built-in variable speed drive – making them as smart as they are reliable.  The new setup is all about efficiency: it helps cut energy use, lowers long-term operating costs, and keeps things running smoothly. In fact, it’s one of the most efficient multistage pump solutions on the market today.

This next generation pumping solution offers numerous advantages:

• Intelligence – With advanced algorithms and control functions, it fine-tunes performance while keeping operating costs in check.
  
  
• Efficiency – Delivers significant reduction in energy consumption.
  
  
• Space-saving design – The compact setup requires a significantly smaller footprint without sacrificing performance.
  
  
• Performance – Improves hydraulic performance to increase flow rates and speed.

In addition, Xylem worked closely with the municipality to tailor the system design so it could keep using its existing piping, helping the customer avoid expensive modifications.

Solving daily operational challenges while mitigating failure risk

With the new hydrovar® X booster set in place, Großostheim is solving two major problems. First, they needed a reliable way to fill an elevated tank located 3 km away. This daily task is complicated by gentle elevation changes that require flow adjustments without pressure surges. The new system handles this seamlessly.

Second, the municipality faced frequent maintenance demands. This upgrade simplifies routine system checks performed several times a year to manage water supply and pressure and to backstop operations in the event of an elevated tank failure.

Operational and economic benefits

“We are very satisfied with the new booster – it is just over half the size of the old one and much easier to maintain,” said Manfred Petermann, Water Manager, Markt Großostheim.

In the past, it took three to four hours to replace a mechanical seal. With e-SV hydrovar® X, the repair time has been cut to 30 minutes or less. The compact dimensions of the new booster sets give the municipality employees more space to use a crane, further easing service operations.

Peterman added: “We increased the flow rate from 180 m³/h to 230 m³/h while maintaining the same power consumption. This means we have a 50 m³/h higher flow rate at no additional cost.”

The successful implementation of the e-SV hydrovar® X booster set in Großostheim demonstrates the long-term operational and economic benefits of state-of-the-art pumping technology. While the municipality of Großostheim is centuries-old, its forward-thinking water operators are helping to set the pace for pumping innovation.

Watch the video below to learn more about the benefits of state-of-the art pumping technology.