From £72,000 a year in tankering to intelligent wastewater management
The Challenge
Repeated blockages, escalating costs and operational risks.
At a Category C men’s training and resettlement prison in England, an ageing sewage pump station was creating significant operational challenges.
A substantial build-up of waste within the system meant vacuum tankers were required every week to clean and empty the pit, costing approximately £6,000 per month – £72,000 annually.
With one pump excessively worn and close to failure, the prison also faced the growing risk of pipework damage, sewage overflow and further disruption.
The consequences extended well beyond maintenance costs. The affected pump station served a wing housing prisoners with challenging behaviours, where any system failure could result in the closure of the exercise area, potentially increasing tensions and risks to prison staff.
With the system unable to operate reliably and automatically, staff were also required to spend valuable time monitoring its performance.
The prison needed more than another repair. It needed a reliable, long-term solution that would address the causes of repeated blockages, reduce maintenance costs and protect the safe running of the establishment.
The Solution
Intelligent wastewater management with Velocity Sentinam
Dura Pump recommended a complete upgrade of the existing sewage pump station using our Velocity Sentinam intelligent wastewater management system, designed to prevent blockages, minimise downtime and provide greater operational certainty.
Installation in a live prison environment
Working within a secure, operational prison required careful planning to minimise disruption and maintain safety.
Dura Pump allocated a qualified three-person confined space team to undertake the installation. The existing pit was emptied and cleaned using a vacuum tanker, with wastewater levels carefully managed while the pumping equipment was isolated.
The team removed the ageing pumps and associated equipment before installing the new Velocity Sentinam system, pipework, controls and electrical connections.
Following installation, comprehensive testing and commissioning were specified to verify pump operation, level controls, alarm functionality and remote monitoring.
The Outcome
Reducing risk, costs and operational disruption.
The Velocity Sentinam upgrade is designed to transform the prison’s approach to wastewater management, moving from reactive intervention towards intelligent, proactive control.
Key benefits include:
- Significant cost-saving potential: Reducing reliance on weekly tankering, previously costing approximately £72,000 per year.
- Fewer blockages and breakdowns: Intelligent controls and chopper pumps designed to tackle recurring wastewater issues.
- Improved operational resilience: Reducing the likelihood of sewage overflows and disruption to prison activities.
- Greater staff safety: Lowering the risk of pump station failures that could lead to exercise area closures and increased tensions.
- Reduced manual intervention: Remote monitoring and automated controls minimising the need for constant staff supervision.
- Long-term value: Reduced reactive maintenance, improved equipment reliability and the potential for significant whole-life savings.
For prisons and other critical environments, wastewater management is about far more than keeping pumps running. It’s about protecting people, maintaining essential services and avoiding disruption that can have serious operational consequences.
With Velocity Sentinam, Dura Pump provides an intelligent approach to wastewater management, helping critical buildings move away from repeated failures and costly reactive maintenance towards greater reliability, visibility and control.
Delivering certainty for critical buildings
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Delivering Certainty for Critical Buildings
Whatever the challenge, talk to our team about keeping your critical pump systems reliable, efficient and ready when you need them.
