Cannonvale was amongst the hardest hit regions during Cyclone Debbie, so it was no surprise to Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment's Proserpine Branch to hear Queensland Health had been advised they couldn't be guaranteed potable water supply to their Whitsunday Community Health Centre located in Cannonvale immediately after Cyclone Debbie.
Luckily Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment's Head Office in Mackay had a portable Ultrafiltration Treatment System available, capable of supplying up to 70,000 litres of potable water per day. Queensland Health and the Whitsunday Community Health Centre in Cannonvale instructed Dowdens Pumping to supply/install the unit immediately on a temporary 'Hire' agreement in-case all mains water supply was lost.
There were two water sources available at the time - the mains water supply or bore water from the Proserpine Hospital. Queensland Health instructed Dowdens to connect the UF Treatment System to the bore water supply, in an effort to remain as self-sufficient as possible post-Cyclone Debbie.
Dowdens Pumping have previously completed numerous bore water filtration systems treating bore water with our own brand of PURION Iron Removal Filters, so this emergency UF Treatment System was quick and easy to install. PURION Iron Removal Filters pre-treat the bore water before running it through the Ultrafiltration System which then doses the filtrate with liquid chlorine to further disinfect.
Once treated Dowdens Pumping manually transported numerous loads of the potable water from the Proserpine Hospital (where the UF System was installed) directly to the Whitsunday Community Health Centre in Cannonvale, where it was stored in a potable water grade storage tank. The treated water was then used to supply the medical centre. The entire supply/installation and commissioning was successfully completed on Saturday 1st of April - only 4 days after Cyclone Debbie had hit.
If you are ever in need of potable water during a storm or emergency contact Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment. Dowdens only require access to a reasonable source of water (bore, dam, creek) and power (generator or mains power) and we can guarantee same day potable water supply, in any situation!
Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment's Rockhampton branch were engaged by local beef cattle graziers Kurrajong Pastoral (located near Springsure, QLD) to deliver a GRUNDFOS RSI Invertor Solar Pumping System at the Crystal Plains property to supplying onsite bore water to the property's many beef cattle watering troughs. Crystal Plains is a 3,018ha (7,458 acre) Springsure buffel grass property located 52km south of Emerald and 22km north of Springsure. The property comprises 10 dams, three bores, 14 grazing paddocks, plus several holding paddocks and water squares.
Dowdens Pumping - Rockhampton began the design of this solar pumping system with a site visit to record the height / depths of bores and to meet with the customers and garner their exact requirements for this system. Although not required for this particular bore inspection, Dowdens can offer our customers affordable Borehole and Drain inspection services using a range of Wireline Cameras. Our Wireline Cameras can operate up to a depth of 100m and deliver our customers high-resolution video and images straight to laptop / USB.
Once the proposal had been accepted, the Dowdens Industrial Workshop began sourcing the 18 x 270 Watt Solar Modules that were to be attached to 3 x 6 Module Fixed Post Array Frames. As an Authorised Grundfos Distributor Dowdens Pumping - Rockhampton were able to confidently recommend a Grundfos RSI Inverter together with the efficient SP7-17 415V Submersible Pump to be mounted and installed on this solar pumping system. The system pumps directly from a bore to an elevated position on Crystal Plains where the customer is then able to gravity feed from their established tank farm to the greater majority of his property. On average the pump transfers 50,000L/day.
"We have been working with Mitch Williams and the team from Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment's Rockhampton Branch for a number of years and have always been happy with their service and back up support. We highly recommend Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment's Rockhampton Branch and Mitch Williams for all their help with sourcing what we have needed for efficient stock watering systems & solar pumping applications. But it's not just the products, Dowdens have also installed & commissioned all these pumping systems for us. Cheers."
Vicki Dmitrieff
Owner - Kurrajong Pastoral
The existing pump that Dowdens replaced was an old line shaft MONO pump that was operated by Diesel engine. The installation of the new Grundfos solar system lowered ongoing maintenance and operation costs considerably as the clients no longer had to replace the column due to the accumulation of rust. To ensure this wouldn't happen again Dowdens utilised stainless steel and poly pipe in the construction.
Operating costs were lowered via the system utilising a Grundfos Invertor with Sine Wave Filter Isolation Switch together with a tank level pressure switch - meaning the pump would start and stop automatically, only when needed. This automatic operation eliminated the need for the client to regularly drive to the bore to start and stop the pump. This increased pumping efficiency also saved on the overall cost of diesel to refuel the pump. The Grundfos Invertor with Sine Wave Filter Isolation Switch, together with the Grundfos SP7-17 415V Submersible Borehole Pump were pre-wired on a custom-fabricated steel mounting frame to enable easy 'plug & play' installation. Dowdens supplied 5km of poly pipe for both the tank fill line and the gravity feed lines.
Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment's Rockhampton branches design philosophy for this project was: Cost Effectiveness - Innovation - Ease of Installation - Simple & Effective Pump Operation - System Reliability & Reduced Ongoing Maintenance. The entire Grundfos RSI Solar Pumping System was designed, manufactured, installed and commissioned on time and within budget.
Kurrajong Pastoral's Crystal Plains Solar Pumping System - Key Components:
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As an Australian owned company that began life in 1973 selling and servicing agricultural pumps, Dowdens has grown to employ over 160 staff situated across 4 branches in Mackay, Proserpine, Rockhampton and Brisbane permitting us to confidently service customers throughout Queensland, nationally and internationally. From project inception through to final commissioning - the team at Dowdens has the ability to deliver complete specialised long-term engineered solutions that are practical and innovative, ensuring our clients benefit from greater productivity and reduced downtime.
With dedicated departments of industry trained engineers, draftsmen, project managers, sales staff and tradespeople including fitters, mechanics, polywelders, machinists, plumbers, electricians and boiler makers - Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment offer an unmatched range of world-class engineering solutions for any type of water management project. We truly are Queensland's premier one-stop-shop for solar pumping and water treatment systems!
Grundfos has long been regarded for their high quality and reliable pumps. The Grundfos SCALA2 takes design innovation, comfort and simplicity to the next level and is set to be a game changer in domestic boosting. The NEW Grundfos SCALA2 is a robust, fully integrated, self-priming pump suitable for use from both above and below ground water sources. The compact system features a pump, motor, tank, sensor, drive and non-return valve in one compact unit that is quick and easy to install.
The SCALA2 is an energy efficient pump featuring an integrated speed controller that ensures constant water pressure regardless of variations in demand or inlet pressure. For those living in areas of poor power supply or those that are sometime affected by power outages, the SCALA2 can also be run on a generator, due to its ability to be able to handle varying voltages.
The variable speed controller also matches the power consumption with the required water output, which also helps to conserve energy and reduce your energy bills. To protect the pump and help ensure a long life, the SCALA2 includes a range of protective features. Dry run protection automatically stops operation when the water source runs out, to help prevent damage, and the anti-cycling feature detects any unnatural cycling and alerts the user via the protection indicator on the control panel.
Another unique benefit of the SCALA2 is its quiet operation, thanks to the permanent magnet motor and water cooling technology. The high efficiency motor is significantly quieter than traditional speed-controlled motors and the SCALA2 is cooled by the water it pumps, eliminating the need for a noisy fan. This makes the SCALA2 one of the quietest domestic boosting pumps currently available on the market.
For ease of selection, the SCALA2 suits most domestic pressure boosting applications and is capable of supplying water for small single level homes up to larger multi-storey homes.
Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment have successfully designed, installed and commissioned a specialised Ultraviolet filtration system for the Queensland Health Mackay Renal Unit.
Project Requirements: The original system operated by pumping town water to individual filtering stations where the water would pass through a 5 micron, 1 micron and carbon filter on its way to the dialysis machine (which has an internal reverse osmosis filter).
The issue Dowdens faced was the original system filters were only lasting between 5 - 15 hours, and by this stage they were black and needed to be replaced!
After reviewing detailed water test results, Dowdens designed a compact, reliable system where the existing pump was upgraded, a water softening unit was added to remove iron, calcium and manganese. Large cartridge filters were also installed to pre-filter the water before it entered a dedicated UV steriliser.
Using the above system the Mackay Renal Unit now only needs to replace the systems filters every 7 to 10 days - saving thousands of dollars in ongoing system maintenance costs!
Key Plant Features:
Here are two videos taken from the latest series of 'Irrigation Efficiency' Case Studies produced by the Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment Agriculture Department.
The first video illustrates the remarkable energy and water use savings that have resulted from a Valley Polyline Pivot installation at Tony Bugeja's local Mackay Sugar Cane Farm located in Homebush, QLD.
The second video illustrates the considerable energy and water use savings that have resulted from a Variable Speed Drive Irrisys irrigation system working in conjunction with a Valley Centre Pivot and Davey pump on John Fox's 300ha Sugar Cane Farm located in Wagoora, QLD.
Click to view more videos from the Dowdens Group YouTube Channel!
Dowdens Pumping and Water Treatment have successfully designed, manufactured and commissioned a self-contained Solar Emergency Eye Wash and Safety Shower. The safety station incorporates both safety shower and eye wash facilities, which are supplied from a water tank via a solar powered Grundfos pump.
This unit was designed and manufactured to comply with Australian Standards AS4775-2007.
Dowdens supplied the portable Solar Eye Wash and Safety Shower station to Downer EDI Mining Blasting Services for use at the Rio Tinto Coal Mount Thorley open cut coal mines (located 15km South West of Singleton in the Hunter Valley region of NSW).
Project's Supply Scope:
Dowdens Pumping and Water Treatment are proud to announce that global pump manufacturing giant PSG Dover has awarded them the sole Queensland and Northern Territory importation and distribution rights for their Wilden Double Diaphragm pumps, Griswold & System One Centrifugal pumps, and Abaque Peristaltic pumps and products for the manufacturing, industrial and mining markets.
"Wilden is proud to officially add Dowdens Pumping and Water Treatment as its authorised distributor in Queensland and the Northern Territory, Australia. Dowdens is a true expert in the region and provides exceptional solutions to its customers. We are looking forward to a long-term partnership with Dowdens for many years to come!"
For many years now Dowdens Pumping and Water Treatment have been popular suppliers and repair agents of Wilden pumps to the manufacturing, industrial and mining markets here in Queensland, and now in partnership with Wilden, System One, Griswold and Abaque Dowdens have the ability to deliver complete and specialised long-term engineered solutions that are practical and innovative, ensuring clients benefit from greater productivity and reduced downtime.
"The current market has dictated that mines in Queensland need to dramatically reduce the cost of production to stay viable. Our range of PSG pumping solutions is enabling businesses to increase their levels of efficiency when it comes to dewatering, processing and fluid transfer."
"The Dowdens and PSG partnership is a positive move for the industry. The PSG products, coupled with the superior level of engineering expertise at Dowdens allows us to provide innovative, efficient and quality solutions to all areas of industry and mining, which in turn will allow businesses to reduce their cost of production. The PSG products are market leaders in coal/hard rock, oil/gas, water/wastewater, hygienic, chemical, military, paints/coatings and transport industries and Dowdens Pumping and Water Treatment are proud to be associated with them."
David Dowden
Sales Manager from Dowdens Pumping and Water Treatment
Recently Wilden announced that its revolutionary Pro-Flo SHIFT range of air-operated double-diaphragm (AODD) pumps had been recognised as a 2013 Breakthrough Product of the Year from Processing Magazine. This award acknowledges products, technologies and service solutions that made significant contributions in the process industry within the last year and are expected to have an impact for years to come.
The new Wilden Pro-Flo SHIFT represents a significant breakthrough in energy efficiency within the AODD pump category. Due to its revolutionary design, the patent-pending Pro-Flo SHIFT Air Distribution System (ADS) allows Wilden AODD pumps to achieve up to a 60% savings in air consumption over all competitive AODD pump technologies, while providing more product yield per standard cubic foot per minute.
While the Wilden Pro-Flo SHIFT range dramatically improves energy efficiency, it also costs 50% less than electronically actuated ADS, is submersible, and features plug-and-play operation. The entire Wilden range now feature heavily on the new mobile friendly Dowdens website www.dowdens.com.au/pumping.asp, giving customers access to a large database of Wilden, Griswold, System One and Abaque pumping solutions, in a streamlined and easy to navigate format.
Dowdens Pumping and Water Treatment, in partnership with Wilden, System One, Griswold and Abaque have the ability to deliver complete and specialised long-term engineered solutions that are practical and innovative, ensuring clients benefit from greater productivity and reduced downtime.
Please contact us should you wish to speak with our in-house Wilden representatives and find out how we can help your company attain significant savings now and into the future.
Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment's Proserpine branch provide a range of products and services to island resorts throughout the Whitsundays and Northern Queensland; supplying and servicing everything from pool pumps to major sewage treatment / pumping stations and irrigation systems. We pride ourselves on being able to provide a large range of products across all facets of resort infrastructure.
Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment's Proserpine branch regularly service customers across local off shore resorts, as well as working extensively with mainland tourist attractions and resorts for both sales and servicing. With extensive knowledge and experience in this area we are confident that our team of experts can provide solutions to clients problems. Dowdens Pumping carries a large range of spare parts and our service team are proud to provide comprehensive and professional after-sales service.
Recently Dowdens Proserpine were engaged by Fullshare Holdings (owner / operators of the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Port Douglas) to upgrade 5 existing onsite pump stations that had reached the end of their service life. At the projects inception Dowdens Proserpine conducted a thorough audit of the onsite pumping systems - the subsequent detailed report submitted to Fullshare Holdings resulted in Dowdens being awarded the contract to replace the ageing sewage pump stations. Dowdens Proserpine then set about designing a more efficient and reliable sewerage pump system that was to include smaller and more energy efficient Grundfos pumps, resulting in a reduction in the required maintenance and considerably lower overall energy use onsite. Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment are Authorised Grundfos Dealers throughout the Whitsundays / Mackay / Rockhampton regions.
"Fullshare (owners of Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort & Mirage Country Club) recently engaged Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment's Proserpine branch to carry out an on-site audit & submit a report on the condition & performance of our 30 year old sewage pump stations. This audit & subsequent detailed report was thorough & included recommended actions, therefore allowing Fullshare to be fully informed on the condition & improvements required to improve the condition & performance of these important components of our asset. Following a Tender process, we engaged Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment to carry out the recommended upgrade works to the sewage pump stations.
The challenges of the project were met well by Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment under the management & extensive office / site based efforts of Kevin Krog (Dowdens Proserpine branch) & his industrial workshop team. Such challenges faced were a fully operational Resort & Country Club, difficult access to some stations, 30 year old supporting infrastructure & services including power supplies as well as contending with it being the wettest & most humid time of the tropical year. Kevin was also excellent at assisting us to liase with the Douglas Shire Council for these works. We will continue to utilise Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment's expertise & personnel at this property when the need arises & would thoroughly recommend them for these types of works."
Scott Conners
Senior Projects & Assets Manager
Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Port Douglas
Once the design was accepted Dowdens began works that would see 10 new Grundfos sewerage pumps being installed in 5 existing pump stations. The projects scope included supplying and fitting all rails, brackets, lifting chains, concrete pump station lids and non-return valves. Together with the design and installation of Grundfos electronic control panels (Grundfos CU362 Waste Water Controllers) & remote monitoring systems (Grundfos Remote Management [GRM]) which allows for SMS & Email to be sent to relevant site operators alerting them to any faults. The GRM system also allows for system alarms to be reset and pump duties to be modified remotely via any smart-phone or PC. Full product and system descriptions can be viewed below.
The aim of this project was to provide a modern and efficient sewerage pumping system that was energy efficient, reliable, had improved remote monitoring capability and increased level of safety for Dowdens Servicing and onsite technicians. The Dowdens Infield Service Crew began by removing the existing 30-year-old pumps, rails, brackets, lifting chains, heavy concrete lids and control panels. These were replaced with more efficient and reliable Grundfos pumping and monitoring equipment. During installation and commissioning Dowdens had to schedule works to meet the resorts strict operation requirements, ensuring the project proceeded with little to no impact on the resort guests.
The existing concrete lids were damaged and unsafe and needed to be replaced. Dowdens provided 'light lift' aluminium lids with integrated safety grates (pictured below) to minimise the risk of falling into the wet well whilst servicing the pumps. 3 out of the 5 existing control panels were deemed unsafe by Dowdens Electricians and required replacement with new stainless steel panels incorporating the Grundfos CU362 Pump Controllers and Grundfos Variable Frequency Drives on the 2 main pump stations. Dowdens also provided Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Port Douglas with scheduled servicing of the Grundfos SEV & SE1 pumps; Grundfos CU362 Waste Water Controllers; Grundfos Remote Management [GRM] Systems; Dowdens custom built aluminium lids with safety grates; Stainless steel pump rails; 800kg rated lifting chains & the Backflow protection on wash down taps. The entire project was delivered on time and within budget.
Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment design philosophy for this project was: Cost Effectiveness - Current Best Practice - Ease of Installation - Simple & Effective Plant Operation - Pump Station Reliability - Advanced Remote Management Capabilities - Reduced Ongoing Maintenance.
Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort (Port Douglas) - Sewage Pump Stations Key Components:
Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment's Mackay branch were engaged by longstanding customer Anglo American (Moranbah North Coal Mine Site) to deliver an innovative valve system that could help maintain the safe and reliable delivery of general purpose & fire water services to their ever-expanding underground mining operations. With growing demand for reliable water flow & pressures at ever-increasing operating depths, Dowdens decided it was time to design & produce a new generation 35 bar Dual Pressure Control Station, expanding our range of standardised pressure reducing valve stations.
Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment fabricate and fit out a range of standardised pressure reducing valve stations, but this station required a higher pressure rating not available with our standard 'off the shelf' systems that are available in 16 / 25 bar (35 / 40 bar rated systems are built to order). Dowdens have manufactured these products for many years to help our resource industry customers arrest any water pressure spikes and/or surges in pipe systems and to aid these mines operating within and remaining fully complaint with Queensland Government Mine Site Compliance legislation, standards & guidelines.
This new Dual Pressure Control Station has been built to optimise plant reaction speeds, allow for greater operating ranges from between 2 - 35 bar and is manufactured with high-quality, reliable and readily available components. The design needs for the new Dual Pressure Control Station were borne primarily from Dowdens detailed underground observations of hydraulic occurrences within the mines existing water network. Working closely with the mines water infrastructure operators Dowdens were able to engineer, manufacture and deliver a product that increased the reliability of their mine water supply systems and assist with premeditated preventative maintenance routines.
All design, fabrication, installation & commissioning of the 35 bar Pressure Reducing Valve Station was undertaken by Dowdens Mackay's in-house Engineering, Fabrication & Workshop Departments. With a history of successful installations over the past 20 years throughout the Queensland Mining Sector Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment have the ability to expertly design / manufacture / install and commission specialised pumping and water treatment solutions that are built primarily in-house & onsite to our client's specific unique requirements. Dowdens dedicated departments of industry trained engineers, draftsmen, project managers, sales staff and tradespeople including fitters, mechanics, polywelders, machinists, plumbers, electricians and boiler makers enable us to offer an unmatched range of world-class engineering solutions for any type of fluid handling project. We truly are Queensland's premier 'one-stop-shop' for pumping and water treatment systems!
At this projects inception Dowdens visited site to examine and document the specific operating requirements. After initial observations it was concluded that a wider operating range would be required for effective control of both the High and Low Flow demands and a higher adjustment range - meaning the standard Dowdens 25 bar Pressure Reducing Valve Station needed to be modified to suit this application. This higher pressure is not normally encountered with Queensland underground mine water supply systems so unique and customised hydraulic control layouts, pilots & hardware were seamlessly incorporated into the build by the Dowdens Mackay Workshop and Project Engineers.
This projects entire design, manufacture, installation & commissioning process was completed on budget and within a tight timeline of 4 weeks set by the customer.
Anglo American (Moranbah North Coal Mine) 35 bar Pressure Reducing Valve Station - Key Components:
Long-term customers Michelmore Grazing Company have recently purchased seven solar powered pumping systems from the Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment Mackay branch. All the solar systems supplied are used to pump water from onsite bores to poly water storage tanks, to then feed the properties multiple cattle water troughs. Some existing bores were used to replace dated diesel setups / windmills, along with some new bores being added to increase the total number of watering points for the cattle. Michelmore Grazing Co. purchased three Solar Pumping Systems for Fort Cooper Station and another four systems installed at Kainga Station.
This 6 month project saw Dowdens Mackay source, supply, install and commission a number of GRUNDFOS & MONO solar pumps, a MONO 2400 WATT Solar System (all used in conjunction with solar panels / frames) and undertake repairs on an existing Mono Diesel Pump system at Michelmore Grazing Co.'s Fort Cooper and neighbouring Kainga Stations (Nebo, QLD). The repairs carried out on the existing Diesel Driven Mono Helical Rotor Bore Pump involved replacing the rusted head housing with this pump now being used as a back-up for one of the new Solar Pumping Systems.
The high-quality GRUNDFOS & MONO Solar Pumping Systems have already delivered Michelmore Grazing Co. notable cost savings via a reduction in diesel fuel usage and a significant decrease in the need for ongoing diesel motor maintenance. Michelmore Grazing Co. now saves both time and money by not having to undertake laborious daily checks on the diesel pump sets fuel levels.
As a company that has built its foundation from the servicing and development of agricultural pumps and water treatment technology / applications, Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment have the experience to engineer a solution to suit any agricultural application. For over 40 years Dowdens have been providing customers with solutions-based technology - designed to improve efficiency, reduce downtime and increase longevity of products and systems. Dowdens provide affordable and efficient solar pumping solutions to help combat ever increasing electricity prices. From stock watering systems through to large scale broad acre irrigation our dedicated sales, installation and service crews have you covered. All systems are expertly designed to suit any site specifications, utilising a variety of efficient engine and electric pump units.
Key Project System Features:
FORT COOPER SOLAR SYSTEMS
Comet Bore:
Yards Bore:
One Mile Bore:
KAINGA SOLAR SYSTEMS
Bruce's Bore:
Donaldson's Bore:
Cattle Creek Bore:
Walter's Bore:
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