This December sees the anniversary of the floods which devastated a Yorkshire community. The town of Tadcaster suffered its largest floods on record where the bridge over the river Wharfe collapsed dividing the town in two, with many homes and businesses damaged in the overwhelming floods. But this winter the townspeople are determined to be better prepared and proactively fight back against the elements with an order of specialist water pumps from Morris Site Machinery.
Tadcaster selected us having undertaken extensive research into products robust and durable enough to take on the task. Many a discussion took place with the local Fire Service, Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency before plumping for the leading Hilta C100 pump from Morris Site Machinery. It helped massively when our company representative came on the scene to clarify Tadcaster’s requirements and come up with a price that the flood group could comfortably afford due to the amazing donations they had received.
Background
Over the past five years Tadcaster has suffered with constant surface water flooding. The floods and subsequent water damage have cost local businesses and residents hundreds of thousands of pounds, with direct costs in the form of business closures during repairs, lost incomes, property repairs and insurance premiums, as well as the wider impact of road closures and limited access to the town.
The Tadcaster Flood Action Group was created to help fight against this major recurring issue and to ensure emergency contingency plans were in place. After the floods of 2015 the Flood Action Group received generous donations from The Masons, Heineken and local businesses. This provided the opportunity to investigate the pumps market and supply the group with flood pumps which could be used anywhere in the town on a reactive or proactive basis where the flooding occurred.
Requirements
Tadcaster Flood Action Group needed a robust and reliable product that could be easily towed, set up and put into use in the case of an emergency and pump the flood water.
The Hilta range from Morris Site Machinery supplies submersible, centrifugal and diaphragm pumps. The entire unit on the Hilta C100 has a road towable trailer and two wheel site chassis options for easier manoeuvrability along with its compact design making it easier to transport.
Solution
After rigorous testing of our pumps, Tadcaster Flood Action Group ordered two Hilta C100 pumps to tackle the flooding hot spots on both sides of the River Wharfe.
To test the products the group used a deep flowing beck with plenty of depth for the soil filter. Once the hoses were in place and rolled out they ensured that they were pumping back into the water supply 100m away to keep the beck full. Thanks to the Hilta’s C100 pump’s strong centre of balance, hitching and un-hitching was effortless and once located for pumping the testing was straightforward and only two minutes later the pump was lifting water at an impressive outflow rate.
An added benefit is that the C100 pumps can be used in residential and built-up areas due to its diesel powered 4″ super silent automatic vacuum priming pump which generates very little noise. The air cooled diesel engine allows better fuel efficiency whilst the 4” pump offers high solids handling capacity.
After the exercise, Tadcaster undertook the cleaning procedure for the pump which is required after every use or every 4-6 weeks. This is an easy process and prevents the build-up of silt and fragments inside the pump.
Richard Rafferty, Senior Coordinator of Tadcaster Flood Action Group, said: “We were more than happy with the Hilta C100 pumps and would happily recommend Morris Site Machinery for their products, their value for money and their customer service which is second to none.”
Chris Morris, CEO of Morris Site Machinery, said: “As emergency planning moves higher up the agenda, it comes as no surprise that demand within the pump rental sector is increasing. We pride ourselves in working in close collaboration with our customers in contingency planning and providing the right products for the job.
“Our market leading Hilta pumps have been manufactured in the UK for over 40 years and are a key product in our power portfolio. They are recognised for their robustness and reliability, supported by the personal and efficient service we aim to provide for all our customers.”