Design Guidance Document
Electrical Details for Pump Installations
August 2013
This document provides guidelines for Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Chairs and
Members on the level of electrical detail needed for pump installations. This does not cover
other design details related to water supply systems, such as water sources, storage, system
layout, pump selection, pump enclosures, or water quality. This does not identify how to develop
specific electrical calculations.
1. For projects where electrical work will be designed and installed by the chapter
If the electrical work is being provided by the chapter, the design and installation should be
in compliance with the National Electrical Code (NEC, NFPA 70-2011) or the International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and based on electrical codes in country with
consideration of material resources that are available in country. The following table
includes features to include in the chapter’s design.
Design
Aspect
Pump Flow
Required Design
Consideration


Required
Document(s)
Further
Optional
Design (if
skills available
in the Chapter)
Water flow
schematic with
tanks and valves
noted
Overflow and
drainage
Water flow
schematic
with valves
noted
Process and
Instrumentation
Diagram (P&ID)
with meters, line
sizes, interlocks
Pump Control

Pump On/Off
Control methods,
e.g., level(s), timed
operation, manual
Control
Schematic
Diagram
Panel wiring
diagram; O&M
descriptions
Pump Power

Full load and locked
rotor current
Renewable power
source (e.g., PV
solar, wind, water
ram pump)
Pump Mfr.
Nameplate
Information;
Single Line
Diagram
Three Line
Diagram
Conductor type &
size, insulation
type, conduit size,
voltage drop.
Conductor and
motor protection
(breakers/ fuses/
relays)
Grounding of pump
Single Line
Diagram;
Breaker
Panel
Schedule;
Voltage drop
calculations

Pump Wiring



1
Backup power
supply
Lockout/Tagout
procedure
Pump house
electrical wiring
for lights,
receptacles.
Design Guidance Document
Electrical Details for Pump Installations
August 2013
and power source
Electrical Site
Plan
Plan with basic
system layout
(water lines and
electrical lines)
Electrical site
plan w/
conduit &
wire sizes
Qualifications
of Installer
Anyone working on
the installation
must be qualified
Note
electrical
experience in
resume
Health and
Safety
Considerations
All health and
safety protocols
specific to an
electrical
installation must be
clearly addressed
in the team’s
Health and Safety
Plan (HASP)
Trench
sections,
conduit details
Installation
Aspect
2. For projects where the electrical work will be designed and installed by
others/local electrician
The chapter needs to conduct due diligence evaluations on the person or group proposed
to conduct the work. If the chapter has an idea that they will not do electrical work on the
project, an ideal situation would be to evaluate one or more local electricians or pump
installers during the assessment trip. The chapter will need to determine installer quality by
asking questions which may include:
 Does the proposed designer/installer carry out this type of work on a regular basis?
 Is the proposed scope of design clearly within the expertise of the designer/installer?
 How long has the installer been working locally?
 Have others found them to be reliable and trustworthy? Can the installer provide them
references?
 Will they construct the pump and electrical supply to meet local electrical/plumbing code
requirements?
 Has the chapter or NGO looked at any of their other installations and found them to be
good?
The chapter will need to summarize the qualifications of the proposed installer in their 525.
The chapter also needs to demonstrate that they have an idea of what to request from and
what is being proposed by the local electrician. As a minimum, the chapter would need to
document the following in their 525.
 Where the pump power is coming from;
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Design Guidance Document
Electrical Details for Pump Installations
August 2013
 How reliable that source is, versus pumped storage capacity, versus demand;
 Confirmation of the planned operation and control of the pump, gravity storage or
pressurized tank design information versus expected demand.
 Plan for control pump on/off cycle; and
 Method to verify that the pump is running.
Material cutsheets and wiring diagrams should not be required for TAC review for work by
in-country electricians. Details could be requested from the installer to assist in
maintenance efforts if local people are qualified to work on the system.
In cases where the chapter is responsible for the design but will be hiring a local electrician to
do the actual installation, a combination of the above-listed requirements will be expected.
TAC reviews are intended to assist the chapter to develop a better project and hopefully provide
better solutions. In addition, EWB-USA projects are intended to be a learning opportunity for the
chapter members. With this in mind, if the TACs can provide assistance beyond review of the
minimum requirements, the TAC will provide this additional feedback without holding up the
overall approval process.
REFERENCES:
NEC wire sizes - http://www.csgnetwork.com/voltagedropcalc.html
http://www.calculator.net/voltage-drop-calculator.html
http://www.nooutage.com/vdrop.htm with wire size ampacity chart.
http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm
Metric wire sizes - http://www.winsite.com/voltage/voltage+drop+calculator+metric/ - Metric wire
sizes and ampacity.
Both - http://electrical-engineering-portal.com/download-center/electrical-software/voltage-dropcalculator-vdc
http://www.scribd.com/doc/35662243/Cross-Reference-AWG-to-Metric-Size-With-Ampacity-ofInsulated-Conductors - good reference in one page.
Also http://www.conseroinc.com/pdfs/prysmian/tables/ampacity_chart.pdf
Android, iPhone, iPad apps - http://www.southwire.com/support/voltage-drop-calculator.htm
Remember that metric (IEC) breakers have a different size series than NEC breakers, we don't
have 16, 32 and 63 etc. amp breakers like they do. Overseas (eastern hemisphere especially)
aluminum wiring is much more common than stateside. In India, we have hear that copper
wiring was "un-Indian" since copper wasn't mined and refined in India but aluminum was.
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