SlurrySucker proves success at Gauteng wastewater treatment facility

Developed by pump and dredging expert IPR, the SlurrySucker dredging system recently provided a solution for getting the emergency water dams at a Gauteng wastewater treatment plant back to optimal condition.

The emergency dams had filled with sludge over time, and were presenting an operational risk to the plant.

Dredging the dams with hydraulic excavators was not effective for a number of reasons, and the manual removal of sludge in trucks caused environmental challenges.

The dams are vital sources of additional water for the treatment plant during times when insufficient volumes are flowing into the facility, said IPR Business Development Manager Warren Spann, adding that it was IPR’s new generation SlurrySucker that came to the rescue.

“IPR was contracted to conduct the dredging of these emergency water dams, and we put our new generation SlurrySucker Maxi onto the job,” said Spann. “This powerful dredging system is equipped with three Toyo K30 heavy-duty submersible slurry pumps, and was able to remove 50 dry tonnes per hour.”

The operation was managed through remote controls in the hands of a trained and experienced technician, ensuring optimum safety.