With a project the size of Eco Farms, creating the infrastructure to transport water to the crop is a tall order. Water has to be pumped from the Zambezi river to the farm’s 20 centre pivots, spread over a large area situated between 6 and 11 km from the river.
OUR SOLUTION
The project drew water from the Zambezi river, from where it was carried to a river pump station via a river canal. This canal was trenched along with the pump station site, in order to position the station safely away from the river and protect it against floods. Its large size ensures a low flow speed, allowing river sediment to settle, and providing the pumps with cleaner water.
The unique layout of the pump station features a container with vertical turbine (VT) pumps, installed on top of a concrete structure placed in the middle of the suction pit. These VT pumps ensure that a fluctuating river level does not impact on the prime of the pumps, and completely eliminates the risk of pumps being flooded. Motors and controls were placed 1 m above the flood line to reduce the normal cost of maintenance and priming problems.
The unique layout of the pump station features a container with vertical turbine (VT) pumps, installed on top of a concrete structure placed in the middle of the suction pit. These VT pumps ensure that a fluctuating river level does not impact on the prime of the pumps, and completely eliminates the risk of pumps being flooded. Motors and controls were placed 1 m above the flood line to reduce the normal cost of maintenance and priming problems.
Funding & Assistance Available for Irrigation Programmes
Irrigation Hub is committed to transforming the agricultural sector with every resource available. We liaise with funding partners and stakeholders to assist farmers in West Africa interested in farming and irrigation development.