Nationwide coverage 
Fast delivery 
24-hour service 
Worldwide locations Seeking a bespoke solution to assist the construction of a major new water supply, a well-known contractor based in Cumbria contacted Sykes Pumps for a high capacity dewatering operation.
As the project involved the construction of a twin 30km pipeline to enable unaided flow between a reservoir and a new water treatment centre, the client sought an effective and reliable pump hire arrangement that could be managed by their site team.
Jonathan King said: “The client contacted us with the idea of creating wells along the route of their excavation where we could locate pumps to dewater below the excavation depth. It was an unusual proposal but the proximity of natural water courses and seasonal rain levels in Cumbria meant that dewatering the area was a significant challenge.
“Our role was to develop the customer’s idea into a viable solution and install the equipment to provide reliable dewatering infrastructure that could be managed by the client’s team on site.”
Six wells were dug, each to a depth of six metres, with a P701 electric submersible pump designated to each well. Providing flow rates of up to nine litres per second, these units can operate at heads of 16 metres and offer a robust solution in scenarios where constant use is required. A further nine 3” SP30 submersibles were deployed nearby, ensuring the presence of water was removed to allow the installation of pipework.
We also supplied ten Super Wispaset diesel pumps which were situated on the opposite side of the excavation area to that of the submersible units.
Explaining the decision to use diesel units in this manner, Jonathan King said: “In this area of the site, the power connections to electrical submersible pumps would have needed to run across the dig area, so, for safety reasons, we opted for diesel pumps here. These were supplied as bunded pumps to avoid any risk of fuel spillage and we provided toolbox talks for the client’s site teams to ensure that operatives were familiar with safe and efficient operating requirements for all the equipment installed.”
A Sykes engineer revisited site on a fortnightly basis to assess the performance of our pumps and ensure they continue to perform as expected. Guaranteeing a four-hour response time throughout the project’s duration, we afforded the client maximum peace of mind and designed a flexible pump hire arrangement that allows seamless movement to new locations as and when required.