CASE STUDY: Innovative Sled Pump for New Northern Ontario Golf Course
BACKGROUND:
The client was developing a golf course in Northern Ontario… right on the Precambrian shield. Back in the 1990’s, there was no reliable water pumping solution for golf courses that were situated in areas with shallow soils and solid bedrock.
CHALLENGES:
The golf course was to be built in an area that had very shallow soils with solid rock below. This meant that it was virtually impossible to excavate a wet well for a vertical turbine pump solution that was typically used for golf courses. Variable water levels in irrigation ponds made aboveground pump stations un-usable at low water marks (during summer drought conditions). The course owners were concerned about cost, accessibility, and reliability of their water pumping needs. A viable solution needed to be found in order to make the economics of the golf course feasible.
SOLUTION:
We looked at all the limitations of the terrain, and developed an innovative, automated, submersible pump station that solved all the problems of the environment. Our pump station could be installed at the bottom of an irrigation pond. That meant that it could irrigate the course during prolonged periods of drought. The design incorporated stainless steel (non rusting) components, large intake screens that met DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans) requirements, and ground fault protection for safety. The pump station was designed so that it could easily be lifted out of the water for periodic servicing.
RESULTS:
Our new sled pump meant that the golf course could be built within budget. Not only did it save money in the initial construction costs, but it also reduced daily operating expenses (labour, electricity, and maintenance costs) when compared to conventional solutions… but most importantly, it provided a reliable means to irrigate and pump water during periods of drought.
