The old adage that “necessity is the mother of invention” many times forces us to delve into our deeper, creative thinking spaces and come up with solutions to meet the demands of the day.

That happened recently for R.C. Worst & Co.’s resident engineer Ray Koberstine, P.E. when a commercial lift station specified by Randy Hahn, P.E. of Hahn Engineering of Spokane Washington presented an expedited delivery timeline. The uniqueness of the request included a
scope to design and build within 21 days. Within the overall design requirements, Koberstine introduced a new tray design to R.C. Worst & Co.’s existing build elements of their lift stations.

The Sportsman Cafe, residing on the north end of Spokane, was affected by the US 395 North Spokane Corridor project known locally as the North-South Freeway. (Go to WADOT website). With construction forcing a different solution to the Sportsman Cafe’s current wastewater collection, Koberstine was tasked with developing a design that met the needs of the project engineer as well as the economic guidelines set by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WADOT) who contributed in funding for the lift station. This project would be considered an overwhelming task for most companies but, not so for Koberstine and R.C. Worst & Co.

“It was a nice package that was very easy to install”, said Randy Hahn of Hahn Engineering. “I have worked with Ray Koberstine on several occasions in the past. The time and design demands placed on us by WADOT specific to this project make it easy for me to select Ray and R.C. Worst & Co. in the future. Additionally, I can see applications for this lift station design going forward.”

The innovative design by Koberstine creates a new standard for grinder pump lift stations in our industry. Using two-3HP Hydromatic grinder pumps and a Hydromatic Novus control panel, the design not only met the unique specifications by Hahn but was received by WADOT personnel on site at installation with rave reviews. This first ever install of R.C. Worst & Co.’s new valve and splice box tray design went smoothly and is anticipated as just the beginning of a long line of product being installed throughout the Inland Northwest as well as other areas of the United States.

As industry demands change and equipment specifications become more complex, the need to respond to change is paramount in whether companies thrive or falter. R.C. Worst & Co. prides itself in creating solutions guided by innovation to meet those demands.