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After more than 20 years of service, one of our biggest and busiest sewer pumps at the Beach Road Pumping Station is out for a refurb.
Most people never spare a thought to the infrastructure that looks after our wastewater, so to give you an idea of just how mighty this pump is, it is:
- 1.8 metres tall (taller than your average person!)
- Weights 1.7 tonnes
- 170kw of power.
While it’s being rebuilt, its partner pump is doing all the hard work to keep things flowing smoothly.
The refurbishment includes:
- Replacing cables
- Cleaning the motor windings and rotor
- Skimming and balancing the impeller
- Sandblasting the water jacket
- New bearings and seals
- A fresh coat of paint before being put back to work.
This rebuild takes about six weeks. Given its age (and working conditions!) the pump is in surprisingly good shape – a testament to solid engineering and regular maintenance.
So next time you flush, spare a thought for the underground giants like this one quietly keeping Kaiapoi running.
