MechChem Africa September-October 2023

⎪ Water, wastewater and pumping solutions ⎪

The right pump for your dewatering application Industry specialist for IPR, Steve du Toit, gives some practical guidance about choosing the right pump for a dewatering.

pumped will be a factor to consider. Also, the project may have certain system pressure and preferred flow requirements. “Pumping uphill will require you to understand the static discharge head, which is the height of the source of the fluid you are pumping to the height of its destination,” says du Toit. “Formulas will allow you to determine what pump you need based on the elevation, the lift needed, and the distance the fluid must travel.” Every pump has its own performance curve, which describes how much volume over time a pump moves under a given pressure rating. The volume that can be pumped over time is measured in litres per second or cubic metres per hour – and shows the pump’s duty point or operating pump point. Du Toit highlights that professional help is close at hand with IPR, where experienced professionals can advise on all aspects of dewatering pump selection and on operating procedures and maintenance to get the most from the selected solution. www.pumprental.co.za

quarrying or mining site: sludge, construction materials and other insoluble materials must often be pumped along with the fluid.” “It is also essential to understand the pH level in the fluid, as this indicates how acidic the liquid is,” he explains. “The further the fluid deviates from the neutral – which is seven on the pH scale of zero to 14 – the more chemical impact the fluid will have on the pump’s internal components.” Du Toit notes that the pump must be resis tant to fluids with high acidic or base charac teristics. Other important questions to ask are about the site itself. Is it readily accessible, for example, and is there electric power available? “Most dewatering pumps are trailer-mount ed or skid-mounted,” he says. “A trailer-mounted pump system is easy to transport but may take up additional space on the jobsite. Also, if there is not a power source nearby, you will require a diesel-powered solution as an electric pump will not suit your needs.” If there is elevation to deal with, fluid may have to be pumped uphill. The distance to be

C hoosing suitable tools for a dewater ing project starts with asking the right questions, according to Steve du Toit, product manager at dewatering pump specialist IPR, recently appointed master dealer in Southern Africa for Atlas Copco dewatering pumps. Du Toit argues that a good first question when planning a dewatering project should relate to the nature of the fluid to be pumped. “You need to know the weight of the fluid, so the pump has enough power to draw the liquid through,” he says. “In many cases, we find different fluid types on the same construction, Choosing pumps for dewatering starts with asking the right questions.

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