Kourarau Dam Dewatering Project

The Project 

The Kourarau Dam, located in the Carterton District, which produces electricity for the equivalent of about 400 homes, had been experiencing operational impact after flooding caused debris and sediment to build up, leading to blockages. 

This accumulation of debris threatened the dam's functionality and required intervention to restore proper water management and prevent further environmental impact. 

The project demanded a comprehensive dewatering solution to enable excavation and cleaning of the debris and sediment build-up. 

The Dewatering Requirement 

The challenging conditions at Kourarau Dam required a robust and reliable pumping solution capable of handling high water levels and debris-laden water. The system needed to operate effectively across changing weather conditions. 

With the dam's infrastructure at stake, the pumping equipment had to perform consistently over an extended period to allow complete sediment removal and system restoration. 

The Solution 

Condor Civil deployed a comprehensive dewatering solution comprising of one 8" Atlas Copco Dewatering Pump and four 6" Atlas Copco Dewatering Pumps. This powerful combination provided the capacity needed to effectively reduce the water level, enabling access to clean around the outlet. 

Over the course of a week and a half, our Atlas Copco pumps delivered exceptional performance, managing water flow with remarkable reliability. The equipment proved its worth by operating seamlessly through varying conditions, including periods of rain that increased the drainage demands. This stress-free operation allowed the cleaning work to proceed. 

The Equipment 

The Atlas Copco Dewatering Pump system consists of a centrifugal pump and a separator, which enables air to be separated from the liquid and be sucked by a vacuum pump – making automatic priming possible. Even with suction heights of several meters, the machine rapidly evacuates that air from the suction pipe and starts to pump. Additionally, thanks to the semi-open impeller, the PAS range is also suitable for pumping liquids with solids in suspension. 

Our team works hard to understand the challenges you face. We go further to ensure the solutions we provide are fit for purpose and will comply with local environmental regulations so you can get on with the task at hand. 

These systems are available New Zealand wide. Contact us to discuss your site requirements. 

Think of Condor as your Environmental Compliance Partner.