Pump Operations
Overdraw
Overdraw is demanding more water from a source than it can deliver, whether a weak hydrant or a draft. Push past the supply's limit and the line does not just sag — it can lose its water entirely as the pump starves and cavitates.
Every source has a ceiling. On a weak hydrant the residual gauge shows how close you are to it; reach past that point and pressure collapses across all the lines being fed. The pump cannot create water the source does not have.
Recovering means giving the supply back its margin: reduce flow, close a line, or find more water. Recognizing overdraw early — from a cratering residual or a surging pump — is what keeps a marginal supply working.
Where this shows up
Pump Panel
Open the live pump panel