Water & Wastewater Treatment

8 WWT PUMP AND VALVE SUPPLEMENT 2019 Case Study I n any location, a rapid response to integrity issues with the sewer network is vital to safeguard public health and prevent secondary issues, such as pollution and flooding. In urban areas with high population density, a rapid response is even more critical, because the sewer network is in constant use. Consequently, when there was a burst in the sewer main outside a busy shopping centre in the East London suburb of Beckton, the water company responsible for the local network was quick to commission a contracted partner, Morrison Utility Services, to carry out the repairs. Ground water threat While the sewer main was in need of repair due to its age, the level of resilience that had been built into the system provided sufficient capacity to prevent any overflow risk in the short term. Two parallel mains were in place to pump sewage from a wet well to Beckton's outpour sewer, so the contractor was able to close the valve on the compromised sewer and divert the flow to the parallel sewer alone. This parallel main was able to provide sufficient capacity while the repairs were carried out. However, as there was a possibility of further bursts on either of the two parallel mains, it was vital for the repairs to be carried out as soon as possible to overcome the vulnerability of a single main operating in isolation. Theoretically, though it involved the challenges of working on a busy high street, the project appeared to be quite straightforward. However, as soon as the Morrison Utility Services team began to excavate to reach the damaged main, it was clear that the amount of groundwa- ter in the location was going to create logistical and health and safety chal- lenges. Reaching the damaged sewer main involved excavating to a depth of four metres; far enough below ground that underground rivers would flood the work area beyond the pumping capacity of the contractor's in-house pump assets. With anticipated flow rates perilously above what the company could manage with its own equipment, Morrison Utility Services contacted Sykes Pumps to advise on a robust solution and supply the required equipment. Overpump solution Leveraging its national depot network, Sykes Pumps was able to send a member of the team to site immediately and carry out a full survey of the site requirements and challenges. The site survey included A rapid repair Sykes Pumps played a vital role in ensuring the safety of workers when called upon to pump groundwater from the site of a sewer repair project in East London. Sykes Pumps provided an overpumping solution for the Beckton sewer main repair project.

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