A fifth of the total surface area of the Netherlands consists of water. Unsurprisingly, there are around 116,000 km of water pipes connecting the country’s vast water network. Here’s how global electric motor manufacturer, WEG worked with industrial pump specialist, Pentair, to upgrade and expand the pumps at water board Brabantse Delta’s sewage water pumping stations and an effluent pumping station in North Brabant.
The wastewater industry plays a critical role in ensuring that water resources remain clean and healthy. The industry relies on reliable and efficient sewage pump equipment to do this. Large industrial pumps are at the heart of the wastewater transport network and are responsible for transporting wastewater from one location to another. This is a critical process as it provides pressure in the pipeline to maintain flow.
It is therefore essential to keep the pumps and other equipment in good working order, so the wastewater system can operate efficiently and effectively. If one pump failed, it would significantly reduce capacity, affecting industry and households alike.
Combating downtime
Brabantse Delta’s wastewater treatment pipeline which runs from Moerdijk industrial estate to the sewage treatment plant in Bath is approximately 60km long — making the pipeline one of the largest wastewater systems in the Netherlands. The water is transported via the main pipe so that it can arrive at purification, where up to 20 million liters of wastewater per hour is purified at the sewage treatment plant.
The existing pumps at three pumping stations along this network were over 50 years old, thus ending their useful working life. These pumps were installed in the early 70s, at around the same time the wastewater systems were pressure pipe constructed.
In addition, the old pumps had to deal with downtime regularly due to clogging caused using non-solvable fibres. The amount of non-solvable fibres that end up in the wastewater system increases every year, so this problem couldn’t be ignored.
Improving efficiency and increasing capacity
As one of the most renowned pump suppliers in the world, Pentair was commissioned by GMB Water Quality & Installations, to replace six old inefficient pumps and add an additional four pumps to boost capacity. In addition to the multi-million contract for the supply of ten Pentair Fairbanks Nijhuis sewage pumps for the renovation and renewal of the wastewater treatment pipeline, the company was also awarded a long-term maintenance contract by the water board.
As the existing pumps were from another brand, the new pumps had to be custom-made to fit into the existing installation. Pentair Fairbanks Nijhuis pumps have a very wide operating range, with the pump capacities of these pumps varying from 2,000 m3 per hour in dry weather to 20,000 m3 in case of rain. In all conditions pump performances are excellent, so drainage capacity is guaranteed at all times.
The company turned to its long-term partner, WEG, to supply the electric motors for the pumps. Sustainability was a key objective of the project, with engineers looking to provide a significant step up in efficiency when compared to the old equipment.
The low voltage motors were from WEG’s W50, MGR and MGW lines. In total, ten motors were supplied for this vast project. WEG motors were chosen due to the excellent standard of performance. However, another reason for this specification was due to the strict efficiency and safety criteria of the industry. The motors offer compact design and high performance, while their robust frames ensure low vibration levels.
“We’ve been working with Pentair since 2002 — the year the WEG Netherlands branch was first established,” explained Martijn Brinks, commercial branch manager at WEG Netherlands. Having established an excellent working relationship with Pentair over many years, we were able to confidently deal with any technical difficulties that arose throughout the project.
“As the wastewater pumping stations and the effluent pumping station were required to stay in operation during renovation, the project was executed in phases. Our motors have been installed since the end of 2021 and the customer has seen significant energy efficiency gains.”
“The project had two major challenges that we had to contend with, explained Edwin Wolterink, project manager at Pentair. “Firstly, the clogging problem in the two wastewater pumping stations and the requested high efficiency to operate the effluent pumping station in the most energy-friendly way.
“In response, the two wastewater pumping stations were equipped with non-clogging impellers, consequently reducing downtime to a minimum. WEG’s energy efficient motors definitely contributed to us being able to deliver the high efficiency systems that was necessary to satisfy this project.”
Thanks to the effective collaboration between Pentair and WEG, the new pumps at Roosendaal, Bergen op Zoom and Bath will operate reliably and efficiently for decades to come.
For more information about WEG’s electric motors and industrial equipment for the water sector, visit the website or contact a specialist today.
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