80% of the city is surrounded by levee and floodwall which acts as perimeter protection against the rising river and creek during a flood. During an event the perimeter protection, while protecting the city from the rising river and creek, now begins to act like a giant bowl collecting rain water internally. Without a natural mechanism to move the collected rain water out of the city, pumps stations must be constructed to accomplish the task.

 

Pump stations are situated throughout the system at strategic locations to pump the collected rain water out against the head of both the Susquehanna River and Shamokin Creek.

 

Capacities range from as little as 3,000 gpm to 121,000 gpm. An example of pumping capacity at the Spring Run station; if the pumps were connected to the Sunbury Community Center swimming pool, it could pump it dry in just 2 minutes!

 

The pumping scheme consists of 6 high capacity pump stations (2 to 3 pumps each) to manage internal stormwater flows. Of the 6 stations, 3 are combination stormwater/sanitary sewage pumping stations and 3 strictly manage stormwater flows. The stormwater stations are located at the east end of Shikellamy Ave, 50 feet North of the Veterans Memorial Bridge and along the wall at the North Front Street underpass. Along the concrete floodwall, combination sanitary/stormwater stations are located at Church Street, and Reagan Street and along the landside toe of the earthen levee near South Tenth Street. Pumps installed in all stations, except the Underpass pumping station, are vertical mixed-flow propeller type pumps.