Selby surface water threats resolved with new weed screen cleaning system
Flood control is at the top of local and national government agendas. Indeed the Environment Minister recently spoke to the House on the subject, citing Selby as a local authority that had successfully completed its flood prevention measures.
At the heart of the scheme is a pumping station adjacent to one of the town’s main car parks, a site highly sensitive to surface water problems during prolonged wet weather.
CW Engineering of King’s Lynn were appointed by the Environment Agency to refurbish and upgrade the existing civil engineering works and install a new computer controlled weed screen cleaning system.
After initial briefing the company produced detailed layouts, structural designs and control programs.
The works commenced with the excavation and replacement of the concrete foundations to enable the weed screen cleaner to be installed. The actual installation required the expertise of CW’s installation team as, having assembled the weed screen cleaner in the car park, it required careful positioning using a crane working in an extremely restricted space to avoid nearby residential property
The maintaining of the weed screen had previously required a team of workers to carry out hand raking. During flood conditions this method was a struggle. The 12m wide screen is now kept clear by seven cleaning stations each served by the 1800mm grab.
The pumping station features 4 individually controlled pumps. The CW weed screen cleaner system is fully automated and permits the pump operator to set his own programs to suit varying conditions. When potential problems were identified during the commissioning period which demanded a full reversal of the cleaning sequence, a comprehensive control philosophy was prepared by CW and passed by the Environment agency prior to implementation.
When any of the 4 pumps start up the weed screen cleaner commences operations following a predetermined delay of 5minutes which is adjustable. If No. 1 or No. 2 pump (or both) start running the weed screen cleaner commences cleaning from cleaning station 1 and will clean all other stations sequentially. When all stations have been cleared the weed screen cleaner parks at station 1.
If No. 3 and/or No. 4 pump start running the weed screen cleaner commences cleaning from cleaning station 7 and will clean all other stations sequentially. The pump which starts first will determine the cleaning sequence, so if pump 1 or 2 starts first the stations are cleaned in the order 1 to 7 but if pump 3 or 4 starts first the stations will be cleaned in the order 7 to 1. If pumps 1 and 4 start together then the lowest number pump will determine the sequence.
The detritus is then consigned to an adjacent dump area for removal.
CW’s skills in electrical disciplines were called upon to meet these specific needs and the system can be updated at any point in the future to meet changing demands. The control panel features state of the art telemetry monitoring the successful operation.
Ultrasonic sensors have been installed front and back within the water channels and if water levels drop to 300mm the cleaning protocol starts automatically avoiding vortexes and ensuring that the pumps work to maximum efficiency.
According to Richard Dye of CW Engineering, every project’s success is based on purpose made solutions backed by specialist knowledge and reliable back up service. “As a relatively small engineering business we have the flexibility to tailor systems to individual locations and needs. We appreciate that customer care is as important as engineering expertise and accreditation when flood control is such a major concern across the country.”
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