Start of design for renovation of De Drie Delfzijlen pumping station

Water drainage

The De Drie Delfzijlen pumping station discharges excess surface water from the Damsterdiep into the sea. This water is discharged from the Damsterdiep via discharge pipes in the pumping station, as much as possible by gravity. This is only possible if the water level in the Eems is lower than in the Damsterdiep. In addition, the pumping station has three pump units, which together can discharge a maximum of 1,500 m3 of water per minute. The pumps discharge the excess water to the Eems when the water level in the Eems is higher than that in the Damsterdiep.  

Renovation plans

Renovation of the pumping station is necessary to ensure that water can continue to be drained in the future. Various components have reached the end of their technical service life. These must be replaced to keep the pumping station functioning properly. Following preliminary investigations, the water board, Stork bv, and Aveco de Bondt set up a construction team to develop the plans for the pumping station into a final design. The plans focus on replacing the entire electrical installation of the pumping station and replacing the two diesel engines with electric motors. The aim is to complete the electrical installation and the conversion of the first pump in the first half of 2024. The second pump will be converted in the summer of 2025. In addition, major maintenance of the pump impellers is necessary. Superfluous piping and parts will also be removed, and modifications to floors and other building-related facilities are planned. 

Credit

In 2022, the water authority started the exploratory phase for the renovation. During this phase, the scope of the project for realizing a future-proof pumping station was determined. After completing this exploratory phase, the general board of Noorderzijlvest made credit available for the implementation of the project in February 2023.