What is a Dewatering Pump?
Dewatering pumps come in a variety of different types including piston and submersible pumps. Some dewatering pumps rely on centrifugal forces to remove unwanted water from a site. They’re especially useful for the construction and mining industries where they are used in mines, tunnels and buildings to pump away excess water. To ensure that the dewatering process is as efficient and effective as possible, a reliable pump with the ability to get rid of water from deep inside the ground is a requisite.
Routinely used by the mining and construction industries
Due to their ability to remove water from soil, dewatering pumps are often utilised by the mining and construction industries to get rid of surface water or groundwater. They may also be used to lower the water table. By lowering the level of groundwater, workers are able to work safely and more efficiently.
For example, on sites where construction is taking place, it’s often necessary to remove water from the site before drilling and digging can take place to create foundations, etc. Dewatering is also an essential process to safeguard miners and a mine dewatering pump needs to be particularly robust as it will remain in operation throughout the mining operation.
Which Pump Should You Use?
This very much depends on what you need to pump. If the pump needs to deal with water containing abrasive substances, it must be able to filter out larger pieces so that they don’t enter the mechanisms of the pump. For removing water containing solids, a dewatering pump that’s designed to remove sludge is the preferable option. But ultimately, the correct choice of pump will be determined by several factors, including what kind of groundwater is present and its depth while also taking into consideration the geology of the surrounding area. For example, whether it is a rural or urban area and where the water can be safely discharged.
As already mentioned, dewatering pumps come in a variety of options, including the submersible pump which can be either fully or partially submerged into the fluid that requires pumping. This kind of pump requires very little space and is designed to push the fluid up into a pipe where it is discharged onto the surface. At Remko, we offer portable dewatering pumps that are constructed to give maximum durability and versatility together with exceptional abrasion resistance. Designed with a corrosion-resistant stainless steel outer cover and a water-cooled motor for maximum operating times and efficiency, they’re suitable for use on civil construction sites, concrete plants, underground tunnels and car parks and within mines and quarries.
A pump that relies on centrifugal forces needs to be positioned on the surface rather than within the fluid and relies on an inlet hose (or suction pipe) to bring the water to the surface and into the outlet pipe. The discharged water is then transferred to a pond or dewatering tank which is usually located well away from where the pump is operating.
Other options include automatically self-priming positive displacement pumps (well-pointing piston pumps) that are designed to handle water, air or a combination of both without the need for a separate primer. Well-pointing involves drilling several individual wells at regular distances around the construction site. The wells will vary in depth to suit the excavations and will house a suction header pipe to connect it to an automatic self-priming pump located on the surface.
Need an Advice for Your project?
If you do need any advice on what pump is most suitable for your application, get in touch with the team here at Remko. We’re experts in everything to do with pumps and can deliver practical pumping solutions that really work for all sectors of the mining and construction industries.