Tsurumi Pumps Help Replicate Intricate Colombian River System in a Water Feature

Jun, 2016

  • The solids-handling capacity of Tsurumi pumps made them ideal for a project to replicate a native Colombian river system that features aquatic vegetation and local fish species
  • The high price of electricity in Colombia is mitigated by the pumps' minimal electrical consumption
  • Tsurumi pumps keep the water feature running without incident, thanks to patented technology that insulates pump motors from water intrusion

Tsurumi's distributor used ten Tsurumi pumps to complete the construction of an ambitious water feature at the newly built La Primavera Urbana shopping center in the country of Colombia. The water feature replicates a natural river system, weaving through the open-air shopping center and blending into the existing jungle canopy.

The job required pumps that, when combined, could move up to 435,000 gph of solid-laden water while reducing electrical costs and minimizing downtime. To meet these specifications, the St. Charles, Illinois-based company selected a lineup of ten Tsurumi pumps, including three KRS2-8S, four KRS2-A6 submersible dewatering pumps and three 80BP2.75S water feature pumps.

Director of field research and contractor development for the distributor said the water feature was designed to connect people with nature while giving them a great shopping experience.

"We designed environmentally sound wetland filtration systems, and sourced local wildlife and boulders from the surrounding area to make the space as authentic as possible," he explained. "The only mechanical components of the whole feature were the pumps, which needed to run as efficiently as possible while handling high amounts of solid-laden water. In my mind, Tsurumi was the only choice."

The river system at La Primavera Urbana consists of three separate water features that include waterfalls, locally sourced vegetation, rock features and native fish species. Each waterfall cascades down a system of sculpted earth that gradually slopes toward an intake bay that is designed to appear as a natural pond to onlookers. Using a system of strategically placed spray jets, organic debris are moved along the floor of the river system toward a large reservoir where water is filtrated and recirculated.

"I didn't want the maintenance staff to worry about the inevitable collection of solids clogging the pumps," he said. "You've got to be able to move anywhere from 7,500 gph to 10,000 gph per foot of waterfall width to create a natural looking whitewater effect. When you consider the fish waste and aquatic vegetation that are bound to accumulate in the river system during operation, it's crucial to have pumps on hand that easily handle solids."

All Tsurumi pumps are designed to pass the spherical solids found in wastewater or slurry through their impellers without incident - all solids are passed intact, without grinding. The 80BP2.75S boasts a solids-handling capacity of 35 mm in diameter, while the KRS2-A6 and KRS2-8S can handle solids measuring 20 and 30 mm in diameter, respectively. In addition to handling solids, he credited his lineup of Tsurumi pumps with keeping electrical costs at a minimum.

"With large water features that involve wildlife and vegetation, at least one pump needs to be continuously running for filtration purposes," he explained. "Electricity is expensive in Colombia - Tsurumi pumps help us to move the maximum volume of water using the minimum amount of electrical consumption."

Industry-leading pump protection

Tsurumi enables its pumps to not only move water, but to protect the pump's motor while doing so. Patented technology keeps the motor of every Tsurumi pump insulated from water intrusion, ensuring that water features like La Primavera Urbana efficiently run with minimal downtime.

"While other manufacturers might assemble pumps in a way that leaves the mechanical seal exposed to water, Tsurumi uses silicon carbide seals on all of its pumps and insulates that seal in a bath of oil, protecting it from outside moisture," he said. "These pumps create the specific whitewater effect you expect to see from a waterfall and they do it without fail. And by minimizing downtime, we're able to create a more immersive experience that mimics nature in a more convincing way."

The distributor is a leading water feature design and installation company located in St. Charles, Illinois. The company has been designing ecologically responsible, low-maintenance water features since 1993. The water feature at La Primavera Urbana is the latest in a long history of collaborations between the distributor and Tsurumi Pump, as the two companies have worked together for more than 20 years.

"All of my successes have come from the Tsurumi line of pumps," he said. "La Primavera Urbana is no exception. When you consider the solids handling capacity, electrical efficiency and industry-leading engineering of every Tsurumi pump, it's easy to see why they were the obvious choice for this project. We had specific effects in mind that would help us recreate a believable native river system and the only pumps I trusted for the job were made by Tsurumi."

La Primavera Urbana is a shopping center located in Villavicencio, Colombia, 47 miles southeast of the Colombian capital city of Bogota. Construction of the shopping center's water feature began in November of 2015 and finished in May of 2016.

Products

Submersible Construction Dewatering Pumps Model : KRS

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