KSB pumps will be brought into action today at Dresden's Semper Opera but also in the basements of many private homes in the disaster area on the river Elbe.

In order to help local relief workers cope with the crisis, the Frankenthal-based pump manufacturer decided yesterday to send in its own service teams and service partners to help pump out basements and buildings. In addition, a hotline was set up, so that relief workers can order pumps from KSB's rental service. During the early morning hours wires started buzzing with one call for help chasing another.

"We should point out, though, that our pumps will not come into their own until after the river stops rising“, said the company's service coordinator for eastern Germany. "Not until the floods subside does the real work begin and can we start helping the people in the flood areas gain dry ground again.“

This isn't the first time KSB is put to the test as a relief organization: some five years ago, when the dams of the river Oder broke, the company proved its worth in a crisis by immediately supplying pumps and services.