Baylor University is a cornerstone of higher education in Central Texas. The sprawling campus covers 1.5 square miles in Waco. Baylor alumni include Pulitzer Prize winners, CEOs, and politicians. Sports have always been a favorite, and the Baylor Bears are among the top players in the Big 12 Conference. Texans take football very seriously!

Baylor’s state-of-the-art McLane Stadium, completed in 2014, is a $250 million investment built right on the majestic Brazos River. The stadium is the largest project in Central Texas history and has the potential to dramatically transform the city with new hotels, restaurants, and retail that will provide entertainment for fans on game days. This economic growth engine is expected to create 6,000 new jobs in its first year.

With so much at stake, the designers needed a highly reliable and robust flood protection system for the facility. Three 75-horsepower pumps protect the stadium from torrential rain and the flood-prone Brazos River by pumping out water that could otherwise severely damage the stadium. The pumps operate independently of each other and are on-demand. If one or more pumps are shut down, water can back up through the pumps and damage them. The pumps that are on-duty also have to work harder, which increases energy consumption.

Another problem for Baylor was that when the river rose above the spillway and backflowed in the pipeline, the field could be severely damaged and unplayable, disrupting the playing season and requiring expensive repairs. The nearby track and field stadium was also vulnerable to flooding when the river was at its highest level.