16 March 2015

Costain, as part of Thames Water’s flagship AMP6 alliance, eight₂O, is helping simplify the task of providing pumping facilities by developing a series of modular pumping stations.

Traditionally, pumping stations have been ‘bespoke’ items, designed and constructed from scratch to meet each individual project’s requirement. These new pumping stations will come in two sizes of tank with a range of pumps across each size, saving time and money from design through to operation. Project teams will be able to choose the most appropriate size for a particular project from eight₂O’s product catalogue.

The new modular stations have been developed by the eight₂O team, along with Thames Water and suppliers Xylem using a simultaneous engineering approach that brings together designers, constructors, Thames Water Operations and the supply community, capturing the best thinking and innovation from all of the key stakeholders across the Asset life.

The pumping stations, which can move up to 50 litres a second, consist of a plastic shell, with the pumps, pipework and electrical components pre-installed and tested. This allows the complete pumping station to be positioned, in one lift, into a prepared hole in the ground and connected up to the external pipework, explained Sarah McGee, Project Manager for standard products and off-site manufacture. “The whole point of the project is to standardise [this equipment],” she said.

A ‘Mark 2’ version is already being developed that will include rebar integrated into the plastic tank, providing further time savings over the conventional installation process.

The process can save considerable amounts of time when a new pumping station is required to be installed on-site. Typically, the process to install a conventional pumping station takes three to four weeks. Under the new system, this could be cut to two weeks.

The project is a great example of the benefits that come when the expertise of partners from within the eight₂O alliance is pooled, added Sarah.

 

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