The project proposes the installation of 16 pumping stations (7 electric and 9 wind driven pumps) located within the identified polders. The selection of electric versus wind driven pump solutions was derived based on size and characteristics of the land protected within the polder.
The pumps will augment the existing gravity drainage system that formed part of the original drainage scheme by pumping water from existing drainages channels on the defended side of the embankment into the river side, regardless of the water level or head differential in the river. The pumps will operate periodically, during the grazing period (March-October), when gravity discharge requires supplementation such as during periods of high rainfall or tidal inundation The project endeavors to return the drainage scheme to the original standard, in line with the OPW’s statutory requirements, while ensuring that the proposed preferred option is environmentally acceptable, is technically achievable and offers a robust practical solution to the main issues currently experienced.