Water board tests emergency pumps in practice

As part of a practical test, last March five new Betsy 300 XXL emergency pumps belonging to the Roer and Overmaas water board were strategically positioned for the first time in the Meuse river basin in Limburg. During the day of tests a team from Eekels was present to assist the water authority personnel with the installation and commissioning of the pumps.

Combating flooding

Eekels developed the Betsy 300 XXL especially for the Roer and Overmaas water board on the basis of the globally successful Betsy series. With the addition of the new pumps sets, the water board now has 56 pumps with a total capacity of 30,000 m3 per hour. The new pumps will be used when the water levels are high in the Meuse to pump away the water that seeps through the porous layers of gravel underneath the dikes. ‘After the floods in 1993 and 1995, an extensive plan was drafted for Limburg to combat flooding from the Meuse,’ explains Juus Teensma, regional manager for the Roer and Overmaas water board. ‘One part of the plan is the prevention of flooding due to water seepage. In the past we therefore – partly on the advice of Grontmij – purchased fifty mobile Betsy diesel engine pump sets from Eekels.’

Pump capacity expansion

A very important step in the battle against the water is, according to Teensma, the widening of the Meuse channel and lowering of the levels of the flood plains between Maastricht and Roosteren. ‘Thanks to these steps, the Meuse has more room. In addition, the height of a lot of dikes and banks has been raised, as a result of which the surrounding countryside does not flood so quickly. The downside however is that because of these measures we do expect that the water levels that the Meuse can reach will be higher.’ That is therefore also the reason why the water authority had to increase its pumping capacity. The water board once again chose Eekels water pumps, although this time with a much larger capacity. Teensma: ‘At various locations, two or three pumps with a capacity of about 500 m3/hour are positioned as standard. In consultation with Grontmij we set the minimum capacity for the new pumps as 1,200 m3 per hour so that at these locations one pump is enough. We are consequently operational much faster and moreover we release a number of smaller pumps for flexible deployment at other locations.’

Initial conclusions

On March 9th, the new pumps were positioned, with great interest, entirely in accordance with the contingency plans at the locations close to Itteren, Geulle, Stein, Grevenbicht and Roosteren andwere successfully tested. Teensma concludes: ‘A worthwhile exercise that enables us to dot the i's and cross the t’s so that we are well prepared when it really matters.’

Peak performance at 1,850 rpm.

• Engine power: 90 kW
• Capacity: 1,550 m³/hour
• Maximum suction height: 8.5 mWk
• Maximum discharge head: 29 metres