In a warehouse of the Brabantse Delta Water Board in the polder near Heijningen, people are working with all their might to prepare an enormous pumping installation for transport to Ukraine. Together with another smaller pump, the water board wants to help dry areas that have been flooded by the blown-up dam. “We would like to do our part,” says Jan Berende of the water board.
“The installation was located next to a pumping station near Steenbergen and had become superfluous for us. We have completely overhauled the pump and are now preparing everything for transport. Sometime next week it will go on a truck to Ukraine.”
Especially the large pump can still make a difference in the relief effort. “This pump can pump out 4,700 cubic meters of water per hour, so that’s quite a lot.” This is equivalent to 4.7 million liters of water per hour. The smaller pump has a capacity of 1 million liters of water per hour.
The pumps are being donated at the request of the Ministry of the Interior, which has also written to other water boards.
“It’s good that we can use our knowledge and skills in this way.”
The water board itself does not send people to the Ukraine, but it does send a thick manual with pictures. “Pump experts there know with this data what they have received and what they can do with it.”
Work planner Ron Martens is busy in the background arranging extra hands for the weekend. “We still have to test the diesel generator that drives the pump and we still have to prepare the small pump. But it is already ready for use.”
Dijkgraaf Kees Jan de Vet is proud that the employees immediately started to arrange this as a matter of urgency. “This shows that there are more important things than the issues of the day. It’s good that we can also use our knowledge and skills in this way.”
