When sewage threatened to escape into the environment, Northumbrian Water acted quickly to reduce the pressure within sewerage pipes with the help of variable speed drives hired from Slater Drive Systems (SDS). Northumbrian Water was having difficulties with the rising main, which pumps sewage from Brown's Point, at Cullercoats, North Tyneside to Howdon Sewage Treatment Works at the mouth of the Tyne.
Some of the sewerage pipes were cracking due to excessive pressure.
Martin Elliot, Northumbrian Water's Maintenance Manager for Tyneside, said: "The old pipes were corroded and powerful pressure surges equivalent to 28-35 metres head, caused by the sudden stopping and starting of pumps, was putting them under extra strain.
We needed to find a solution to prevent any further sewage leaks".
The capital investment improvement programme, which would see the pipes replaced, was several months away. It could not be brought forward as the works involved temporarily closing the Tyneside Metro light rail system, so Northumbrian Water asked SDS to help.
The ABB Drives Alliance Partner already supplied maintenance services for ABB drives used by the company.
Within a few days, working jointly with Northumbrian Water, SDS installed two 250kW ABB drives at the pumping station.
Elliot says: "The drives allowed us to ramp the speeds of the pumps up and down, avoiding the hydraulic shock loads that we suspected to be the cause of the problems to the pipes. Installing the drives virtually eliminated the leaks. The drives gave us peace of mind".
Available nationwide, the SDS hire drive service can provide a drive at whatever time of day or night a customer needs it.
Drives are preprogrammed to suit the customer's application, so when they arrive on site they need only be connected to the supply to start working.
Same day delivery compares with a typical four-week lead time for a purchased drive.
The hire stock comprises some 260 ABB drives, ranging from 3 to 800kW.
SDS can also offer soft starts and motors for hire, with large motors up to 3.5MW being available.
Minimum hire period for all drives is two weeks.
All hire stock is thoroughly inspected and tested on return before being offered for hire again.
Contact Mr. Peter Stelling, the Hire Division Manager for further details.