Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment's Rockhampton branch were engaged by the Queensland State Government's Department of Environment and Heritage Protection to deliver an efficient solar pumping system at the disused Mount Chalmers Gold Mine (located 15km North-East of Rockhampton, QLD).

As part of this sites ongoing rehabilitation process the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection needed an efficient solar pumping system to recirculate contaminated mine water collected from a sump, back into the main pit, thereby eliminating any contaminated mine water runoff from site. The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection has been managing the key environmental issues at the Mount Chalmers Gold mine since the former operators Affinis Pty Ltd was placed into liquidation in December 2014. EHP is also supported by other government agencies including the Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation (DSITI) who are providing scientific advice on technical aspects of site management. The primary ongoing focus is to prevent any discharge of contaminated water from the site.

With limited mains power available to the site the use of solar power was a perfect fit for this pumping application. Solar powered pump solutions are always improving, none more so than Grundfos Solar Water Solutions. During initial site inspections the pumps required operating duty was calculated to be 13L/sec @ 18.5m Total Head. To meet these high flow requirements a Grundfos Solar Inverter (RSI) was selected to power the Grundfos R Series Submersible Pump [SP46-3 5.5kw 415V] that the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection already had onsite. The Grundfos R Series SP46-3 is a Stainless Steel pump capable of handling the low pH, slightly acidic mine water (measuring between 2 & 3 pH) needing to be pumped.

Utilising a combination of Grundfos Solar Water Solution products (inverter / pump / solar panels) appealed to the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection as it meant Dowdens could supply a system that not only costs less to install and maintain, but importantly can pump a larger volume of water under solar power. Put quite simply the ability to run large 415V pumps capable of greater pump duties is making the decision to 'go green' and install solar powered systems more attractive in the current climate, for miners and farmers alike.

Dowdens Pumping - Rockhampton initially visited site to establish location of the solar arrays and calculate pump duty. Once known the following components were sourced and prepared for installation: 36 x 270 Watt Grundfos Solar Modules, 2 x 18 SolarTerrace Module Fixed Array Frames, 7.5 kW Grundfos RSI Inverter & Sine Wave Filter and 200m of 110mm PN10 Poly Pipe. The Grundfos SP46-3 5.5kw Pump was attached to a specialised float that sits on the surface of the sump (pictured below). Pump starts & stops via a level float switch mounted on 4m pole that can be swivelled over to the sump's bank should any maintenance be required.

Local contractors were then engaged to complete the site earthworks and trenching needed for all electrical conduits. Once the solar array support posts were cemented in place, Dowdens Pumping - Rockhampton assembled the SolarTerrace Array Frames and mounted the 36 modules (2 x 18 Modules) ready for the electrical components to be installed.

Electrical contractors RILEC Electrical (accredited electrical/solar contractors) completed the electrical fit-out. As part of these works Dowdens Pumping - Rockhampton delivered the Grundfos Solar Inverter Sinewave Filter & String Connection Box (pictured below) to the RILEC workshop so it could be mounted in a powdered coated, lockable enclosure with sufficient ventilation to ensure the inverter remains cool during the day. RILEC then brought the control box to site, mounted it and completed all wiring to meet electrical standards and the site specifications. All commissioning of this system was undertaken by Dowdens Pumping - Rockhampton.

Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment's Rockhampton branches design philosophy for this project was: Cost Effectiveness - Innovation - Ease of Installation - Simple & Reliable 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.

Mount Chalmers Gold Mine ~ Solar Pumping System - Key Components:

• 36 x 270 Grundfos Watt Solar Modules
• Grundfos R Series Submersible Pump [SP46-3 5.5kw 415V]
• 7.5 kW Grundfos RSI Inverter & Sine Wave Filter

• 2 x 18 SolarTerrace Module Fixed Array Frames
• Specialised Float to suspend the Grundfos Submersible Pump on the sump's surface
• 200m of 110mm PN10 Poly Pipe

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!

Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment's Rockhampton branch were engaged by local beef cattle graziers Lance and Colleen Sypher (located in Alpha, QLD) to deliver a unique surface mounted Solar Array and Pump Float to supply onsite dam water to both their residence and the property's many cattle watering troughs.

Lance and Colleen Sypher approached Dowdens Rockhampton seeking a design for a solar pumping system with the ability to float on their dam, eliminating the need for any power cables or pump modules to be placed on the bank as is the case with traditional dam solar pumping systems. Having the unit completely isolated (floating) on the surface of the dam would remove the potential for the pumping unit sustaining damage from cattle walking along the edge of the dam. Cattle are known to cause damage to solar pump modules (in particular the associated power cables) that are situated on the edge of dams.

The innovative solar pumping unit design that Dowdens developed needed to meet a required flow rate (during the summer months on average the pumps required duty is 25,000 L/day @ 10m total head). Part of this new design incorporated the solar arrays being installed level with the dams surface, the main advantage of this design feature means the pumps power supply is not affected if the floating pontoon swings or floats across the dam. Having the solar arrays set at an angle, as is found on most traditional solar pumping units, would mean the pontoon would need be to be anchored to the floor of the dam (to avoid any rotation away from direct sun), thereby substantially increasing the overall cost of this project. Angled arrays would have also increased the potential for the arrays to catch any high winds, potentially flipping the unit over into the dam.

Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment's Rockhampton branch specialises in the design, manufacture and installation of innovative customised Solar Pumping systems for the commercial, agriculture and mining sectors of Central Queensland and the greater Capricorn Coast regions.

The final design incorporated a Mono Pumps 600 Watt SUN-RAY SRX Solar Pump due to it's highly efficient, self-priming helical rotor pump. The pontoon has been designed in a way that it can accommodate a wide range of solar pumping units, making it customisable for whatever site requirements are presented. Dowdens believe this is the first time any pump shop has mounted both the solar arrays and pump unit on a float for this application. Having the solar pump operating independently saves the customer spending time and money travelling to and from the dam each day to switch on the pump.

The entire solar pump float system was designed, manufactured, installed and commissioned on time and within budget. 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.

Dowdens Pumping Rockhampton's Unique Solar Pump Float - Key Components:

• Mono Pumps 600 Watt SUN-RAY SRX Solar Pump
• 2x solar arrays horizontally mounted to customised pump float

• Custom in-house design undertaken by Dowdens Project Engineering Department
• Custom in-house fabrication undertaken by Dowdens Pumping Industrial Workshops

Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment [Mackay] have delivered a Height Adjustable Hard Hose Boom Irrigator to a local Victoria Plains, QLD Sugarcane Farm. Farmer Ian Stevenson operates a number of sugarcane farms in and around Victoria Plains, QLD. Due to lack of rainfall during the 2015/16 growing season, and a desire to lower his overall irrigation costs Ian decided to purchase a MONSOON 125mm x 540m Hard Hose Irrigator, combined with a RAPTOR 47/55 Folding Boom to better facilitate irrigation of his cane.

Wanting to purchase his new irrigator from a dependable Australian business Ian contacted Monsoon Irrigators, who in turn engaged the Dowdens Mackay Agricultural Sales Team - one of the most experienced Ag sales teams in Australia, with over 125 years of combined irrigation system design and operational experience between them. As a company that has built its foundation on the servicing and development of agricultural pumping systems, Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment have the experience to engineer a solution to suit any agricultural application.

Brett Hayes from the Dowdens Mackay Agricultural Sales Team had several phone conversations with Ian to begin the investigation and design process for the most appropriate system. Brett then met with Ian in the Dowdens Mackay branch to present the irrigator and irrigation plan that was best suited to Ian's 800 acre property parcel under cane. Ian's experience over many years of irrigation on his property helped both parties recognise the MONSOON Irrigator Dowdens proposed was a perfect match.

Taking into consideration the terrain, the farms location (near the coastline - a high wind region), existing pump capabilities and source water availability (30psi gravity fed via the Eton Water Supply Scheme) and with Dowdens being Authorised Monsoon Irrigator Distributors Brett suggested the MONSOON 125mm x 540m Hard Hose Irrigator & RAPTOR 47/55 Folding Boom.

The Stevenson's farm is located in Victoria Plains near Kinchant Dam, meaning their mains water comes via the Eton Water Supply Scheme. Kinchant Dam, situated near Mt Kinchant, 6kms southeast of Mirani, is the only major storage in the Eton Water Supply Scheme. It was constructed to capture runoff water from the small portion of the catchment of Sandy Creek and water pumped from the Pioneer River. Three water harvesting pump stations are located at Mirani Weir below the confluence of Cattle Creek and the Pioneer River, and divert water into an 8km diversion channel into Kinchant Dam.

As this storage dam is predominately used for the irrigation of sugar cane, water from Kinchant Dam is reticulated through open channels and pipelines to the customers by gravity and relift pumping systems. The channel supply system distributes water from Kinchant Dam through 35kms of open earth channels to the various sections of the scheme including gravity fed channels supplying water to Victoria Plains farmers to the east.

30psi inlet pressure and 20psi pressure at the boom (with an average flow of 12L/sec), meant that when Dowdens Mackay Agricultural Sales Team were designing Stevenson Farming's new low pressure irrigation system they did not need to include an electric or diesel booster pump set. This resulted in drastically reduced operating costs for Stevenson Farming as the irrigator can be operated by one man, 24/7 without the need to supply power or fuel to any booster pumps.

The MONSOON Hard Hose Irrigator & RAPTOR Folding Boom is an extremely efficient and reliable low pressure irrigation system that when installed and operated correctly saves farmers water, energy, time and money - whilst increasing overall farm crop yields. Operating off a low pressure gravity fed line of 20psi (at the boom) meant the MONSOON 125mm x 540m Hard Hose Irrigator combined with a RAPTOR 47/55 Folding Boom was perfectly suited for this Victoria Plains farm.

Key MONSOON Hard Hose Irrigator & RAPTOR Folding Boom features listed below:

• Monsoon Hard Hose Irrigators are constructed from High grade Aluminium and Galvanised steel which resists corrosion in the harsh Australian climate, with a unique steering system allows boom tracking to lay of P.E Hose
• Monsoon irrigators low operating costs can be up to 50% more cost efficient than conventional traveling gun irrigators
• Designed to give uniform precipitation at low pressure - making them ideal for use in & around the Victoria Plains region (being a part of the Eton Water Supply Scheme)
• Irrigators are a one person operation and are fully transportable within minutes

• RAPTOR 'open-close' operation is facilitated by the particular foldable structure made of by galvanized steel. Very little time is required & installation is carried out by just one person
• OPEN the RAPTOR boom can be loaded onto irrigator for small movements & CLOSED the boom can be loaded onto irrigator for transportation (pictured below)
• Hydraulic version has the ability to vary the working height from 1 to 3m above the ground
• Each nozzle is mounted on a ball valve for closing as required

For well over 40 years Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment have been selling & servicing irrigation products throughout Central & Northern Queensland - designing each and every system to improve farming efficiencies, reduce downtime and increase the longevity of pumps / irrigators. CONTACT US today and let us help improve your farms productivity while lowering your overall irrigation operating costs!

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:

• BERMAD WW720 PN35 Heavy Body Control & Relief Valves
• Hardy Spicer Hydraulic Hoses & Fittings

• Custom in-house design & drafting by Dowdens Mackay Projects Engineering team
• Custom in-house fabrication of all steel pipework

Peabody Energy Australia have engaged Dowdens Pumping & Water Treatment's [Mackay] Engineering Department & Fabrication Workshop to deliver a Specialised Pontoon Pumping System for use at their Moorvale Coal Mine, located 156 kilometres South West of Mackay, QLD. This project presented a number of challenges for the Dowdens Mackay engineering and fabrication staff, including but not limited to an extremely tight delivery timeline of only 8 weeks!

Peabody Energy's Moorvale Mine is an open-cut coal mine that produces low-volatile pulverized coal injection (PCI) coal, coking coal and thermal coal for export markets. The Moorvale Coal Mine is particularly challenging for its operators due to the coal seam being quite narrow with a number of fault lines. This requires excavators often having to work in confined areas. The three piles that make up the Moorvale coal seams are mined independently of each other.

Dowdens Specialised Pontoon Pumping System was needed to provide Peabody Energy more reliable access to good quality Raw Water from an on-site dam. This raw dam water was then to be pumped directly to the onsite Coal Handling & Preparation Plant (CHPP). The existing supply water was limited and of poor quality. Dowdens new pontoon pumping system allowed for an increased volume of water to be pumped from a dam containing higher quality raw water. Subsequently the Specialised Pontoon Pumping System that Dowdens supplied has helped facilitate an improvement in the CHPP's daily operations.

This project required both Dowdens Engineering Dept. & Fabrication Teams to deliver an innovative solution not previously attempted in-house. It was the first time Dowdens had manufactured 12m length gangways or a pontoon with a total weight of over 6 tonne. The total pontoon weight includes all steel work, flooring, pumps, piping etc. and is displaced using HDPE (high density polyethylene) Floats. The longest gangway Dowdens had supplied previously measured 8m in length, with the largest pontoon previously fabricated weighing in at 4.5 tonnes.

The new system meant Dowdens existing in-house designs had to be modified / improved with new floats being selected in order to safely carry the increased platform weight. Additional weight saving measures were implemented by Dowdens Engineers such as the use of light weight / high strength aluminium mesh flooring.

The timeline to design this pontoon pumping solution, manufacture the components and have them delivered to site was extremely tight. Engineering - Concept Design - Drawings & In-House Fabrication of the unique Pontoon Pumping System was completed & delivered to Moorvale Mine within their specified 8 week time frame!

No other pumping / manufacturing / engineering firm in Queensland are able to deliver such an all-encompassing product solution within the above mentioned time-frame.

Dowdens design philosophy for this project was: Fast Turnaround - Cost Effectiveness - Ease of Installation - Simple Plant Operation - Plant Reliability & Reduced Maintenance.

Key Project Features:

• 2 x 12m long gangways - with one being suspended and one floating on the dams surface
• Gangways Design, Fabrication, Fitout & Supply included all necessary concrete mooring blocks, lights, cables & trays
• 6m x 3.3m floating pontoon - weighing over 6 tonnes
• Pontoons Design, Fabrication, Fitout & Supply included lights, suction and discharge pipework, priming system, cables & trays

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.

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:

• Grundfos SEV & SE1 Pumps - Dowdens are Authorised GRUNDFOS Dealers
• Grundfos CU362 Waste Water Controllers
• Grundfos Remote Management (GRM) Systems

• Custom fabricated 'light lift' aluminium lids with integrated safety grates (pictured below)
• Stainless Steel Pump Rails & 800kg Rated Lifting Chains
• Backflow Prevention Devices on Wash Down Taps