SEQ’s City of Aura, a significant development on the Sunshine Coast, had a severe water movement problem. The project’s primary civil contractor needed to dewater a high-efficiency sediment (HES) basin and shift that water about 400 metres to the existing and dormant stormwater infrastructure. This had to be done while also meeting strict environmental discharge standards.
To make things even trickier, the project’s timeline spanned the wet season, meaning any system had to handle sudden influxes of rain.
Enter Pinnacle Hire, bringing a 300-millimetre High Flow pump to the job.
Smart solutions, seamless execution
The pump, capable of shifting about 300 litres per second (L/sec) with a total dynamic head (TDH) of about 25 metres, was designed to do more than move water. It had brains to match its brawn. The automated system ensured that only water meeting the site’s discharge criteria was pumped, maintaining environmental standards.
With an intelligent pump controller, the system communicated directly with the customer’s water quality monitoring setup. This meant the pump only ran when the water met pre-set environmental standards—no guesswork, no manual intervention. Automation reduced the need for constant manual monitoring, allowing the customer to allocate resources more effectively.
Why metrology matters
When it comes to managing water quality, precision is everything. That’s where metrology—the science of measurement—steps in. Accurate monitoring of flow rates, pressure, and water quality parameters ensures that environmental compliance isn’t just an afterthought; it’s built into the system.
By integrating metrology with automated controls, Pinnacle Hire’s solution ensured that every litre pumped met the right criteria, eliminating waste and risk.
Built for big demands
Dewatering at this scale isn’t just about shifting water—it’s about staying ahead of the elements. With a high flow capacity of 300 L/sec, the system could handle significant wet season rain events efficiently.
When heavy rains threatened to overwhelm the site, the system’s ability to move five million litres in five hours provided critical flexibility, ensuring the development stayed on schedule.
Pumping forward
The City of Aura case study proves that smart, automated pumping isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity in modern civil construction. Pinnacle Hire’s high-flow system has delivered on every front, from compliance to efficiency.
And with water management challenges only getting more complex, the real question is: how far can automation and intelligent pumping take us next?
