Grundfos CMBE Boosting Pumps Solve Water Pressure Problem for Residential Community

Introduction

Over the past 50 years, the rate of residential development around cities has skyrocketed. Often, utility providers are ill-equipped to keep pace with the demands of such high-density residential developments. This was the case at The Retreat at Tiffany Woods – their water supply and pressure was not meeting residential demand. 

Located just five minutes from Kansas City International Airport, The Retreat at Tiffany Woods are high-end apartments consisting of nine, 3-story buildings, each with 7-9 units. The Retreat is the first of many multi-family developments to be constructed in the area, and as the surrounding area became more developed, residents noticed a problem with their water pressure.

Challenge

In Kansas City, Mo., the city is responsible for delivering water pressure of only 20 psi to each residential meter. Water pressure of 20 psi would suffice in an undeveloped area, but as urban development increased around Tiffany Woods, a strain on the water supply progressed, and water pressure began dropping. 

When the residents started complaining, the building manager, Chelsea Blackwood, wanted to ensure everything was up to code. 

“Residents on the top floors were the first to notice, and then as the weeks went by, we were receiving multiple complaints from tenants on all floors," she said. "We did our due diligence and verified the complaints, including making sure the psi was at code. The minimum requirement by the city is very disappointing. You lose a lot of water pressure from the main water line when it’s going to so many different places that are nearby.” Blackwood continued to receive complaints from tenants, describing the situation as “extremely bad.” “Throughout all faucets in the buildings, the water pressure was just a trickle and tenants were complaining all the time. Living in North America, everyone expects to be able to wash their hands, shower, flush the toilet, wash the dishes, and none of these basic tasks were possible,” Blackwood shared.

The Solution and Result

After months of working with the city’s water utility company, Blackwood realized they would not provide the solution she needed. She then took matters into her own hands and reached out to a local mechanical contractor, St. Joseph Plumbing & Heating. St. Joseph Plumbing & Heating suggested Blackwood investigate a boosting pump solution. The recommendation to use a Grundfos pump was easy as St. Joseph’s experience with Grundfos products were consistently reliable. Lead key account manager for the domestic division at Grundfos, Rebecca Henderson, was all too familiar with residential boosting challenges in highly developed areas and knew just the solution – the CMBE 10-54. Each of these nine apartment buildings has a small mechanical room measuring 3 x 5 ft. The Grundfos CMBE 10-54 was selected because of its small footprint. After the installation was complete, this small, but mighty pump was able to boost all nine buildings’ water supply from 20 psi up to 80 psi. 

Blackwood was thrilled with the result as “the entire community saw a huge improvement. It was better than what we previously thought was good water pressure.” She went on to say, “It doesn’t matter what time of day it is, including peak hours for water consumption, there’s no impact on residents. Everyone can comfortably live their lives.”  

Since the installation of the Grundfos CMBE 10-54 pumps in November 2022, residents have been able to continue living their lives in a comfortable and sustainable way. The CMBE’s intelligent pump control means that it automatically adapts to varying inlet pressure and overall water consumption in the home, ensuring no water is wasted and optimal comfort for residents. For building manager Chelsea Blackwood, this means she’s been able to keep her tenants happy and gain savings through steady occupancy.