Xylem Water Solutions UK provided pumps to drain the water from the Toddbrook Reservoir in Whaley Bridge recently, saving the wall of the reservoir dam from the risk of collapse.
Xylem worked with SLD Construction and Kier, the main contractor for the Canal and River Trust (CRT), which runs the site. The company deployed five 55 Kw 2250 Flygt submersible dewatering pumps to draw water out of the reservoir at a rate of 250 litres per second. Within a week the water levels had been reduced by more than 10 m and the town's 1,500 residents were able to return to their homes.
In total seven engineers from Xylem worked on site from the beginning of the emergency on 1 August. As well as installing the submersible pumps, the team set up six large diesel pumps and numerous smaller pumps. Then, as the water receded, they extended the cables and moved the pumps further into the reservoir basin. In addition, they provided aeration units and two 150ml diesel pumps with spray bars to help oxygenate the water so the resident fish could survive in the lower level of water.