Pumping stations are buildings designed to hold pumps and equipment for pumping fluids from one place to another.
They are necessary for any number of infrastructure systems that many people take for granted, such as removal of sewage.
In countries with canal systems, pumping stations are also frequent. Because of the way the system of canal locks work, water is lost from the upper part of a canal each time a vessel passes through. Also, most lock gates are not watertight, so some water leaks from the higher levels of the canal to those lower down.
Obviously, the water has to be replaced or eventually the upper levels of the canal would not hold enough water to be navigable, and usually this is done with a pumping station. An excellent example of a canal pumping station is the Claverton Pumping Station on the Kennet and Avon Canal. This pumps water from the nearby River Avon to the canal using pumps driven by the power of the river itself.
List of pumping stations
