Free checklist
Sewage lift station annual maintenance checklist
The annual lift station service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against IPC / UPC plumbing codes, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 5
- Photos required
- 7
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The plumbing service crew on the annual visit, with a hoist and a confined-space permit where entry is authorized.
When in the schedule
Once a year. Pumps are lifted on the guide rails from grade; any entry into the wet well runs under an authorized confined-space permit, not as a routine step.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Pump removal and rails
- 2 photos
Pumps lifted on the guide rails and inspected
Each pump raised on its rail from grade, impeller and seal checked, cutter or vortex clear of rags, reseated tight on the discharge base.
- 1 photo
Guide rails and lifting chains sound
Rails, brackets, chain and shackles checked for corrosion and wear, chain rated and not stretched, so a pump can be pulled without a fight.
Valves
- 2 photos
Check valves service and seat clean
Each check valve opened and inspected, flapper or ball seats fully so the well doesn't backfill, no debris holding it open.
- 1 photo
Isolation valves exercised and hold
Each isolation valve fully stroked, not seized, so either pump can be isolated for service while the other stays in duty.
Wet well
- 1 photo
Wet well cleaned out and floats cleared
Grease cap and settled solids removed, floats and transducer cleaned and re-hung, done from grade or under an authorized entry permit.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Guide rails and lifting chain corroded so a pump can't be pulled cleanly when it fails, turning a routine swap into an emergency.
- Check valve stuck part-open, letting the well backfill each time the pump stops so the pumps short-cycle and burn out early.
- Isolation valves seized, so a single pump can't be isolated for service without shutting the whole station down.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 7 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this sewage lift station annual checklist cover?
- 5 items across 3 sections, covering pump removal and rails, valves, wet well. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The plumbing service crew on the annual visit, with a hoist and a confined-space permit where entry is authorized.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Once a year. Pumps are lifted on the guide rails from grade; any entry into the wet well runs under an authorized confined-space permit, not as a routine step.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 7 of the 5 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a sewage lift station annual inspection?
- Guide rails and lifting chain corroded so a pump can't be pulled cleanly when it fails, turning a routine swap into an emergency. Check valve stuck part-open, letting the well backfill each time the pump stops so the pumps short-cycle and burn out early. Isolation valves seized, so a single pump can't be isolated for service without shutting the whole station down.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
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