HRSD’s Pump Station service area had become a source of sanitary sewer overflows due to aging equipment and insufficient capacity. This recurring problem drove the need for a new 11,500–gallon-per-minute replacement pump station. Located in downtown Hampton’s highly visible waterfront, the new site’s challenges included flood concerns, architectural blending, limited property area, and a compressed design and construction schedule. Our team completed design in six months to stay on schedule for a consent order deadline for station operation.

The Hampton River waterfront’s 100-year flood elevation is 3 feet above site grade, and a local ordinance required a 3-foot freeboard above the flood elevation. Therefore, the finished floor elevation is 6 feet above existing grade. 

To blend into the mixed-use area, the team developed multiple architectural concepts, ultimately selecting an option that matched a nearby seafood marketplace. Architectural elements, including a porch, integrated the grade change into the foundation appearance. Cedar siding, windows and brick accents further integrated the structure into the historical neighborhood. 

A solids handling trench-type wet well limited the pump station footprint. Large air scrubbers were concealed behind a screen wall. Bypass pump connections to the wet well and discharge lines were placed in manholes in the access drive. 

A work plan determined activities for meeting the six-month design schedule. A series of workshops provided discussion and feedback, shortening the design period. An unplanned value engineering study was incorporated without delaying the design submittal dates. To expedite permitting, the team finalized the site plan at the 90 percent design stage.

Completed on time and on budget, the new station allows HRSD to comply with the consent order, provides downtown Hampton the infrastructure to grow and thrive, and offers a unique new design standard for future pump stations. A jubilant opening celebration included state and local representatives, media, project owners and stakeholders and the community.