For the patrons of one ski resort in this country, there is some frustration related to the need for convenient water sources.  A boil notice was issued some time ago, and still it stands, despite reports that the faulty water pump has been replaced.  It is said that the boil notice will remain in place for another several days.

The pump failed and without a backup in place to take over the duty of pushing water, those visiting the resort, condo owners, and local businesses were forced to rely on the water carted in by the local fire department.

In this case, where the only pump failed, it is clear that there was a need for a backup system.  However, if the resources needed to have a backup pump installed are not present, there are other options. It appears that preventative maintenance was not being performed on a regular basis to avoid catastrophic failure. There are many simple and affordable tools on the market that can be used to avoid instances like this.

One very simple and economic tool is a pressure transmitter. The NOSHOK 100 series current output pressure transmitter could have been installed on the supply and return piping.  This pressure transmitter, in conjunction with a simple relay, could have determined that the differential pressure was not being maintained properly and would have automatically shut the pump down or sent an alert to the maintenance team.  This would have allowed time for the issue to be corrected before damage was done to the piping system and the pump was destroyed.

With such a tool in place, it would also be possible to switch from one pump to another.  The backup could have continued the work of the first.  An alert would have brought maintenance crews in to correct the problem, but the local residents and visitors would not have suffered ill effects of the malfunction.