Case Study: Sykes Pumps Keeps a Construction Site Reservoir Under Control

Date: 7 October 2026
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Moving water on a live construction site from A to B sounds easy. The real job is everything around the pump hire for building and construction: changing water levels, storage, access, noise, site logistics and a construction programme that can’t stop while you sort it out.

When a UK construction site needed to keep an on-site reservoir at a manageable level, and a controlled way to take that water off site, the site team called Sykes Pumps. Our engineers designed and installed a staged temporary pumping system built around a Super Wispaset 100 Super Silenced Pump and temporary water storage tanks.

Andrews Sykes crane lorry delivering a Sykes super silenced pump and bunded fuel tank to a construction site for temporary pumping

Controlling An On-Site Reservoir During Construction

The on-site reservoir needed controlled, ongoing pumping to stop the water level rising beyond what the site could work with. A one-off drawdown wouldn’t do it: the level had to stay manageable for the length of the works.

Pumping was only half the job. The water also needed a controlled route away from the reservoir, with somewhere to hold it between pumping and final removal from site.

So the priority wasn’t simply a pump with enough capacity. The site needed a reliable arrangement that:

  • kept the reservoir at a workable level
  • gave the pumped water a controlled route into storage
  • let collection and removal fit around the wider site logistics

Why site logistics mattered as much as pump capacity

On a live site, water removal competes with everything else: deliveries, plant movements, access routes and the build programme. Collection doesn’t always happen when it suits the pump.

If pumping and removal are tied together, a delayed collection can mean the pump has to stop, and the reservoir level starts climbing again. The design had to break that link.

Super Wispaset 100 super silenced pump with suction and discharge hoses, transferring reservoir water to temporary storage on a construction site

A Staged Temporary Pumping System

Our Sykes Pumps specialists designed and installed a staged pumping arrangement around the site’s requirements, separating reservoir-level control from final water removal.

The system worked in four stages:

  1. Reservoir: water drawn through a suction hose at a controlled rate to hold a workable level.
  2. Super Wispaset 100: the super silenced pump transferred the water through the discharge hose.
  3. Temporary storage tanks: discharged water was held in tanks, creating a buffer between pumping and collection.
  4. Off-site removal: stored water was collected and removed as site logistics allowed.

Because the tanks sat between the two stages, the reservoir could be pumped on one schedule and the stored water collected on another. Neither had to wait for the other.

Why the Super Wispaset 100?

The Super Wispaset 100 Super Silenced Pump is a 4-inch diesel pump. It suits long-running water transfer where noise, spill risk and supervision time all matter.

Its super silenced design makes the model suitable for applications where noise needs to be considered.

Super Wispaset 100 super silenced pump with Stage V engine, used for low-noise water transfer on construction sites

The Super Wispaset 100 also offers several features designed for demanding temporary pumping applications:

  • Automatic priming and re-priming: designed to support reliable operation where water levels may fluctuate.
  • Long running time: its 158-litre integral fuel tank provides up to 24 hours’ running between refuelling, depending on operating conditions.
  • Low-noise, bunded design: operating at 58–65 dBA at 7 metres, its super silenced and fully bunded construction can be beneficial where noise and spill containment need to be considered.

Greater Control Over Water And Site Logistics

The system maintained the reservoir at a reasonable, controllable level, while pumped water was transferred into temporary tanks and removed from site.

For the client, this meant greater control over three things at once: the reservoir level, temporary storage and onward water removal. Rather than becoming another constraint on the project, water management became a managed part of the site’s routine.

Download Case Study

Download Case Study: Sykes Pumps Delivers Controlled Reservoir Pumping and Water Removal on a UK Construction Site

Need To Keep Water Under Control On Your Site?

Whether you need to hold a water level, transfer water into storage or move it off site, our Sykes Pumps specialists can design a temporary pumping system around your industry, site and requirements.

Call 0800 211 611 or enquire online to discuss your project.

FAQs

What type of pump is suitable for construction site water removal?

The right pump depends on factors including the liquid being moved, required flow and head, transfer distance, solids content, available space and site access. For that reason, pump selection should be based on the actual pumping duty rather than simply choosing the largest available unit.

What is a super silenced pump?

A super silenced pump runs more quietly than a conventional open pump set, which makes it a good fit wherever noise is a concern. Our Sykes range works on construction sites, civil engineering projects, site dewatering and over-pumping.

What is the difference between pump hire and a temporary pumping system?

Hiring a pump provides the equipment, while a complete temporary pumping system considers the wider duty, including pump selection, suction and discharge arrangements, water levels, temporary storage and site logistics.

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