ENGINEERINGNET.EU -- Danish Pump manufacturer Grundfos and Vitens, the largest drinking water supplier in the Netherlands, have signed a strategic partnership agreement to investigate energy saving potential in well fields and pumping stations in The Netherlands.
The Dutch drinking water supplier aims to reduce its energy consumption by 20% by 2020. The agreement to apply Grundfos audits to 110 well fields and 90 pumping stations is the company's next step towards this goal.
Kees Hagen, Teammanager E&I PA, Vitens: "We are embarking on a long-term program of measurement and analysis with the purpose of reducing energy consumption for well field and distribution pumps."
The measurements will be done by service staff from Grundfos in the Netherlands and technicians from Vitens.
Vitens is the largest drinking water supplier in The Netherlands, extracting and distributing 350 million m³ of water per year to 5.4 million customers along 47,500 km of distribution network.
BACKGROUND
As part of the agreement, two types of audits will be carried out: Well Field Energy Audits (WFEA) and Pump Audits.
The Well Field Energy Audit (WFEA) is a practical tool for optimising groundwater intake at the well field, with a documented savings potential from reduced energy consumption WFEA takes many operating issues into account, such as varying water quality from well to well, water drawdown, and requirements for peak demand situations.
The Pump Audit measures actual pump performance at the water treatment and distribution plant. A Pump Audit checks the overall efficiency of the pumps and proposes changes that could improve efficiency. Recommendations cover the type, size and number of pumps, the viability of frequency control, suitable motor protection, and also small changes in the operating process to optimise the pumping system.
PHOTO:
Doeke Schippers of Vitens and Rogier Verwer,Segment Manager Water Utility at Grundfos.
