MechChem Africa March 2020

Integrated Pump Rental is applying its equipment and experience to ensure optimal use of water resources by implementing effective pond dredging. Farm dam dredging helps optimise water resources

T he agricultural sector, theeconomy’s largest consumer of water, is learn- ingthevalueofeffectiveponddredg- ing. According toLeeVine, managing director of Integrated Pump Rental, the companyhas beenapplying its equipment and experienceintheNorthernCapetohelpfarm- ers ensure optimal use of water resources. “With increasedcompetition for the country’s scarcewater supplies anddrought conditions in some provinces, farmers are looking for ways to conserve and optimise water,” says Vine. “A key aspect of this is preventing their dams from silting up over time”. Too much silt means less storage capacity for a farmer’s water, which can undermine the agricultural operation. It can also lead to sediment finding its way into pipes and pumps, causing costly blockages and equip- ment damage. Vine explains that IntegratedPumpRental has found that a number of farms have chal- lenges with blocked pipes and pump failure as a result of high solids in their water. The company has assisted with solutions using purpose-designed pumps, dredging barges and auxiliary equipment. The rental equipment is easy to use and can be offered with specialised on-site supervision and training. Integrated Pump Rental also manages all the logistics to get the right equipment to the right place time- ously. “Our many years of experience in the mining sector have given us valuable insight into how to solve the challenges farmers are facing,” Vine says. A key aspect of Integrated Pump Rental’s offering is its SlurrySucker dredging unit, which can extract high tonnages and, with

its specially engineered dredge head, cope with high solids, vegetation and sewerage. The solution features fit-for-purpose floats constructed from polyethylene for ultra- violet resistance. This gives them a service life of over 20 years. They are also poly-filled to ensure maximum buoyancy. During the developmental stages, Inte­ grated Pump Rental made use of computa- tional fluid dynamics (CFD) to optimise and validate the design. Customers therefore have the assurance that the performance and engineering integrity of the SlurrySucker are maximised. “The rangeof qualityaccessories enhances the cost efficiency of the dredging process,” says Vine. “Our pump hoses, fittings and purpose-designed hose flotation devices ensure that the job can be completed quickly and effectively.” Two standard units are available. The smaller SlurrySucker Mini is capable of extracting 120 m 3 per hour of slurry/water mixture, equating to 30 to 40 dry tons per hour. Double this extraction volume can be achieved with the SlurrySucker Maxi, which will remove between 70 to 80 dry tons per hour. The SlurrySucker Mini has a 100 mm discharge and the SlurrySucker Maxi has a 150 mm discharge. “Manycustomersfindourrentaloptionthe best way to reduce capital outlay, while oth- ers request a full turnkey solution to address a particular challenge. Through our on-site operational assessments, we help farmers andour other clients troubleshoot anddesign solutions that work,” says Vine. The group also engineers bespoke de- watering solutions that match customers’

Lee Vine, managing director of Integrated Pump Rental.

Too much silt in a dammeans less storage capacity for a farmer’s water.

A dam free from sediment and vegetation allows optimum water storage for farmers. specific needs. These services range from concept generationand technical drawings, to structural simulations and thermal analyses. Bespoke products can then be built, installed and monitored. “With our technical teams on hand 365 days a year, we make sure that we closely support the solutions we provide,” Vine concludes. q

Putting the SlurrySucker to work on a farmer’s water storage dam.

8 ¦ MechChem Africa • March 2020