Your Guide to Dewatering, Powered by BBA Pumps

Dewatering refers to the process of removing unwanted surface water or groundwater from an area to facilitate construction, mining, or other activities. This is essential in preventing water-related disruptions and maintaining operational efficiency. Dewatering is particularly common in construction sites, mining operations, and areas prone to flooding.

Proper dewatering is critical for several reasons:

• Safety: Excess water can create hazardous conditions on construction sites or in mining operations, leading to accidents or unsafe working environments
• Project Efficiency: Managing water effectively helps avoid delays and reduces the risk of costly interruptions to project timelines
• Site Stability: Lowering water levels can prevent soil instability and potential collapses, ensuring a stable foundation for construction

BBA Pumps offers a series of wellpoint pumps and piping systems. Several methods are used to manage and remove water, each suited to different conditions and requirements:

Wellpoint Dewatering:

• Overview: Wellpoint dewatering is an effective method for lowering groundwater levels. This process helps create a stable and dry environment around excavation sites, ensuring optimal operating conditions for construction and other subsurface activities
• Method: Wells are drilled to a predetermined depth, typically in 5 – 6m drawdown stages around the excavation area, and Positive Displacement Pumps, such as the PT Series Pumps, are installed to draw groundwater into a header pipe, lowering the groundwater level

Dewatering in Construction:

• Overview: Dewatering in construction is a critical step in ensuring that excavation sites remain dry and stable, especially in projects where high groundwater levels are present. Pumps used for these tasks play an important role in various construction projects, from tunnels to power plants
• Method: The PT Series Pumps are ideal for lowering the groundwater table, allowing for stable and dry conditions in the excavation area, while the BA Series Pumps are designed to manage and remove any groundwater that accumulates, ensuring robust and reliable performance throughout the project. Both pump series offer diesel-driven options with sound-attenuated canopies, ensuring they operate efficiently and quietly, minimising disruptions to the site

Sewer Bypassing:

• Overview: Sewer bypassing is important during sewer maintenance and construction projects, particularly in urban areas. It involves rerouting wastewater flow around sections of the sewer system that are either damaged or under maintenance
• Method: Mobile Sewage Pumps, such as the BA150KS D285 Sewage Pump, are used to re-route wastewater around the affected sewer lines. These Centrifugal Pumps, equipped with a KS screw channel impeller, offer compact design, sound-attenuated canopies, and noise reduction. They provide the highest flow rates with the lowest fuel consumption, making them both efficient and cost-effective

Flood Control:

• Overview: Flood control dewatering is vital for managing water levels during heavy rainfall or stormwater events to prevent flooding and protect critical infrastructure. Quick and efficient water removal is essential in flood-prone areas where the ability to respond quickly can mitigate severe damage. BBA Pumps’ high-capacity units are specifically designed to handle large volumes of water involved in such scenarios
• Method: For flood control applications, BBA Pumps & Tapflo UK offer a range of dewatering pumps from the BA series. For smaller-scale flood control, pumps ranging from 3” to 12” are ideal, often equipped with an ‘E’ style semi-open impeller for high performance. In major flooding events, larger pumps from 6” to 28” are required to manage the substantial water volumes. The BA700G D810 Dewatering Pump, a 28” pump, stands out as the world’s only off-the-shelf diesel-driven unit available in this size. Its compact design allows it to fit within a 20ft container, optimising both cost and transport efficiency

Tunnelling Dewatering:

• Overview: Tunnelling dewatering is essential for maintaining dry and stable conditions in tunnel construction and repair projects. Given the confined spaces and operational challenges within tunnels, the dewatering process requires compact, robust, and reliable pumps capable of handling high flow rates and significant height differentials
• Method: To manage water removal in tunnelling projects, high flow rate pumps are used in stages to handle large volumes of water and overcome the challenges posed by height differentials. The BA Series Pumps are particularly suited for this purpose, making them ideal for use in tight tunnel spaces where heavy vehicles and machinery are also in operation. These pumps ensure effective water management without compromising on space or efficiency, as demonstrated in projects like the Changuinola Hydroelectric Tunnel, where BBA Pumps handled a capacity of 400 l/s with a height differential of 180 meters over a 4,250-meter tunnel

Selecting the appropriate dewatering equipment is crucial for efficient water management. Key considerations include:

• Water Volume and Distance: Calculate the amount of water to be removed and the distance to the discharge point to determine the pump size and type
• Pump Types: The BA Series from BBA Pumps is ideally suited to dewatering tasks, and includes various diesel and electrically driven pump sets suitable for various applications
• Pump Execution: For mining and construction, wear-resistant pumps with large free passages are essential to handle abrasive materials and prevent damage

BBA Pumps’ Solutions

BBA Pumps’ extensive range of dewatering solutions includes:

• High Volume and High Head Pumps: Ideal for open-pit and underground mining operations
• Specialised Mining Skids and Canopies: Designed for harsh conditions, including low and high-temperature environments
• Customisable Pump Sets: Adaptable for different dewatering needs, including wellpointing, clean water, sewage and trash, construction dewatering, residential environments, and flood control

1. Lowest cost of ownership
2. Unmatched reliability and sustainability
3. Most compact and mobile pumps on the market
4. DriveOn engines with 1,500-hour service intervals reduce maintenance and energy costs
5. Industry-leading 4-year warranty
6. Precision-tested on suction lift with 5% accuracy (industry standard is 15%)
7. Oil-free priming system
8. Lower noise levels compared to competitors
9. Unique pressure relief chamber to prevent water ingress in case of seal failure
10. Special oil chamber for cooling the mechanical seal during dry suction

With over 70 years of experience, BBA Pumps is a trusted name in dewatering technology. Their commitment to innovation and quality ensures that you receive reliable and efficient solutions for your dewatering needs. Whether you’re dealing with construction, mining, or flood control, BBA Pumps offers the expertise and equipment to get the job done right.

Effective dewatering is essential for maintaining safety, efficiency, and site stability across various industries. By leveraging BBA Pumps’ advanced technology and comprehensive range of products, we ensure that your dewatering operations are successful and cost-effective.

For more information on dewatering solutions and how BBA Pumps’ range can assist with your specific needs, contact us today.