From sewer bypass to sewer pumping station takeover

A failing pump means work stagnation, which costs time and therefore money. Eekels Pumps, a family business that is part of RECO and has been the specialist in pump rental for 100 years, understands that in the GWW it's all about continuity in projects.

"This is why we offer a reliable pump solution tailored to every project in the GWW," says Mark Verweij, Project Manager at Eekels Pumps. "We are brand-independent, really focus on rental and combine this with technical advice and additional services such as service and maintenance," André van der Tuin, Pump Specialist at Eekels Pumps adds. Eekels has an enormously varied range of more than 1,000 quality pumps for pumping groundwater, surface water and sewage water. Supplemented by a complete package of pipes, hoses, pipe bridges and fittings. 

From small to large and from A to Z

From a small pump in case of flooding to a serious installation for large infrastructural water works such as pumping a large body of water from a canal. But also when a main sewer has to be pumped over or a sewage pumping station with the associated infrastructure has to be completely replaced, Eekels is the right partner. Verweij: "Our strength lies particularly in the pumping of polluted water. Many contractors, water boards or government agencies know that it can be quite a challenge to set up a properly functioning pumping installation. Thanks to the years of experience and up-to-date technical knowledge of our specialists, we offer a suitable solution for every possible situation. Together with the contractor we look at what we can do to pump the water from A to B and we make hydraulic calculations so that the required capacity can be achieved. We also have in-house draughtsmen who can visualize situations, when necessary for permit applications, for example. With our own transport fleet (trucks with crane), we can load and unload efficiently and also help with the installation of the installation and the assembly of the pipes. That little bit extra just makes all the difference. Especially in projects with long distances or when things get complicated, we are in our strength. But we're also in the right place for emergencies."

24/7 emergency service

"In case of emergencies, we respond quickly. Our mechanics and our own service vehicles are on standby 24/7 and respond at lightning speed to reports from the pumping plants or when we are called in the event of flooding, for example," says Van der Tuin. "From our various branches, we have national coverage and for foreign projects we can assist someone on site by phone."

Vlissingen sewer bypass

Verweij cites a great example where all of Eekel's disciplines are involved: The sewer bypass in Vlissingen. "We laid a 1.4-kilometer inner-city pipeline route there. Over a length of 500m, the piping was placed at height with pipe bridge constructions to limit inconvenience in the streets of the residential area. Along the piping are 3 small sewage pumping stations that process the sewage from the neighborhood and we placed temporary pumping units here with sound attenuating enclosures to prevent noise pollution. There are 2 generators installed: one for power supply and the other as automatic backup. Of course, all installations are equipped with fault detectors linked to our 24/7 emergency service."

"Like our pumps, we do not stand still."

Van der Tuin notes an increasing demand for pumps with higher pressures, as well as for energy-efficient and user-friendly pumps. "We continuously invest in new pumps and associated controls, because we also see a growing need for this among contractors. The addition of more and more electronics allows remote monitoring of where the machine is, the number of running hours and whether maintenance is needed." Since May 2020, Eekels has moved to a new location in Ridderkerk. "There we have a large outdoor area and larger indoor storage for our large range of pumps. We have also made logistical improvements here so that we can load, unload and transport smarter and faster. We don't stand still, just like our pumps!" concludes Verweij.