Calumet: First and Forever
Chapter 3: Draining the South Area
Calumet Sewage Pumping Station
Photo 3.2.1. September 16, 1918, looking west. The east opening of the section 7 sewer stood waiting under 125th Place, 250-feet east of Michigan Avenue The outfall sewer into which a new pumping station will discharge was already completed as construction began on the Calumet Sewage Pumping Station. (MWRD photo 6640)
Photo 3.2.2. October 19, 1918. Looking south, a dragline continues to excavate the pumping station foundation and steel reinforcing bars have been laid for the pump suction chamber floor. Concrete is being placed for the floor via the inclined chute at left. (MWRD photo 6696)
Photo 3.2.3. February 6, 1919. Looking northwest over the pumping station substructure, the west wall of the wet weather discharge chamber is in place. At right, formwork is being built for the pump room floor. Wet weather pumps will be located on the west side of the pump room floor. (MWRD photo 6886)
Photo 3.2.4. February 6, 1919. Looking northeast, formwork for the pump room floor is in center and the dry weather discharge conduit is at right. Dry weather pumps will be located on the east side of the pump room floor. Dry weather flow will be directed eastward to the Calumet Plant for treatment. (MWRD photo 6887)
Photo 3.2.5. April 18, 1919. The four-bay screen chamber is taking shape on the north side of the pumping station. Looking south, the pump room floor is behind the upper level of the screen chamber and the invert of the screen chamber is slightly above the invert of the pump suction chamber. (MWRD photo 6997)
Photo 3.2.6. May 16, 1919. One month later, the screen chamber has been built out with the curved west wall to connect with the influent sewer. This design will prove short-sighted later when it is found that sediment deposition occurs upstream of the screens. (MWRD photo 7079)
Photo 3.2.7. June 13, 1919. Another month later, the screen chamber is being connected to the influent sewer, an extension of the section 6 sewer. The right sewer connection is for the section 9 intercepting sewer. The left sewer connection was built as a contingency. It will be bulkheaded. (MWRD photo 7137)
Photo 3.2.8. June 26, 1919. A load of backfill is dumped at left while looking northeast over the influent sewer and screen chamber. Reinforcing bars have been placed for the roof of the screen chamber. (MWRD photo 7150)
Photo 3.2.9. May 16, 1919. Meanwhile, at the south end of the station the wet weather discharge conduit invert, at left, and the dry weather discharge conduit have been built out. Both of these conduits discharge to the Little Calumet River. Both dry and wet weather discharge chambers have additional outlets prior to these conduits. (MWRD photo 7081)
Photo 3.2.10. May 16, 1919. Looking north, the two portals viewed are for the wet weather discharge to the river. Behind the portals is the wet weather discharge gate chamber, which, by manipulation of gates, can discharge flow to the river or the Calumet-Sag Channel via the section 7 sewer. The portal for the section 7 sewer is on the left side of the gate chamber. (MWRD photo 7082.1)
Photo 3.2.11. August 3, 1919. From the top of the section 7 outfall sewer looking northeast toward the pumping station, the outfall sewer is being extended toward the wet weather discharge gate chamber. The outfall sewer jogs north from 125th Place to the southwest corner of the pumping station. (MWRD photo 7188)
Photo 3.2.12. August 3, 1919. Inside the wet weather discharge chamber looking south, flow will enter from overhead through pump discharge bells suspended from the ceiling. Flow will discharge trough portals at the south end of the chamber. (MWRD photo 7192)
Photo 3.2.13. February 26, 1920. Eight-foot square sluice gates have been installed on the south and west portals at the south end of the wet weather discharge chamber. The south portals discharge to the Little Calumet River via the section 8 outfall sewer and the west portals discharge to the Calumet-Sag Channel via the section 7 outfall sewer. (MWRD photo 7452)
Photo 3.2.14. May 29, 1919. Besides steel reinforcing bars, the pump room floor contains conduits and pipes for electrical and mechanical controls. Large openings in the floor will be left for the pump suction and discharge piping. It may be another month after this photo was taken until concrete is placed. (MWRD photo 7091)
Photo 3.2.15. August 3, 1919, looking north. The stiff-leg derrick will be used to lift and position structural steel framing and a gantry crane. The gantry crane will travel the full length of the room and be used to position large electrical and mechanical equipment. (MWRD photo 7190)
Photo 3.2.16. September 8, 1919, looking north. Bricklayers and masons are building the masonry walls, using dark red face brick and cast white stone trim on the exterior and a glossy enamel face brick on the interior. (MWRD photo 7238)
Photo 3.2.17. October 3, 1919. Riveted composite columns and roof trusses are the main components of the structural steel building superstructure. Ironworkers are erecting the beams to support the gantry crane. (MWRD photo 7303)
Photo 3.2.18. November 3, 1919. With winter coming, the priority is to complete the building envelope. The exterior masonry is only completed for the first story. However, weather permitting, construction of the pumping station will continue. (MWRD photo 7330)
Photo 3.2.19. February 26, 1920. The exterior is complete and electrical and mechanical work is underway inside. It will be two-and-a-half years before the pumping station will be placed in service. (MWRD photo 7453)
Photo 3.2.20. November 17, 1920. Installation of the three dry weather pumps is complete. These pumps discharge through the station east wall and down into the dry weather discharge chamber, (MWRD photo 7910)
Photo 3.2.21. November 17, 1920. Installation of the three wet weather pumps is still underway. These pumps discharge through the station west wall and down into the wet weather discharge chamber. Each pump is driven by an electrical motor on a common horizontal shaft. (MWRD photo 7911)
Photo 3.2.22. February 9, 1921. The pump room interior from the south entrance. Beneath the pump room floor is the wet well from which the pumps draw when running. Before starting a pump, the water must be drawn up into the pump volute and impeller by creating a vacuum using a vacuum pump drawing through the small pipe on top of each pump. (MWRD photo 8023)
Photo 3.2.23. November 18, 1921. Coarse screens at the inlet to the pumping station protect the pumps from large objects that could damage the internal moving parts of the pumps. Looking south, the bars are spaced about three inches apart. Initially cleaned manually using long rakes, mechanical rakes were eventually installed. (MWRD photo 7921)
Photo 3.2.24. November 18, 1921. A man is standing under the wet weather pump discharge bells looking south in the discharge chamber. The large flaring bells diminish the exit velocity of pumped wet weather flow resulting in less turbulence to hinder flow out of the gates in the background. (MWRD photo 7920)
Photo 3.2.25. March 10, 1921. Appearing like a twin, the Calumet Power Plant sits east of the Calumet Sewage Pumping Station. However, the former is not as large as the latter. Both pumping station and power plant will sit idle until operations begin in August 1922. (MWRD photo 8060)