Ohio River Bypass Keeps Drinking Water Flowing in Henderson, KY

Courtesy: KM Specialty Pumps & Systems, Inc. - Thompson Pump Keeps Drinking Water Flowing During Ohio River Bypass

The Henderson, Kentucky Drinking Water Treatment Plant faced a potentially critical situation when a high-service turbine pump, responsible for drawing water from the pump station to the water towers throughout the city, malfunctioned.

CHALLENGE

Henderson Water Utility (HWU) needed continuous water flow from the high-service pump station to the water towers, ensuring the drinking water supply remained uninterrupted. Teams determined that a bypass would be necessary to repair the turbine pump, and the bypass pump needed to handle the high flow and head conditions and be capable of pumping five to six million gallons of drinking water daily.

SOLUTION

HWU contacted KM Specialty Pumps & Systems, Inc., a Thompson Pump distributor. The KM Specialty team determined that Thompson Pump and Manufacturing Company’s 18JSVJ pump would be perfect for handling the temporary water transfer. This 18-inch centrifugal pump has a maximum head of 195 feet, a maximum capacity of 8,800 gallons per minute and three-inch solids handling, making it reliable, durable, highly efficient and economical with lower fuel costs.

RESULTS

With the temporary bypass in place, HWU was able to mitigate the impact of the turbine pump going down and maintain an uninterrupted supply of clean drinking water to the community over the six-month project.