Wilo Pumps Provide Whipsnade’s Penguins with Best Solution

As Whipsnade is a conservation charity, the environmental aspects of the project were equally as important as the effectiveness of the pumps, and this new system conserves energy, reduces waste, recycles water and has helped to create an entire new ecosystem.

'It's a very unusual project' says Simon Whitehead, Project Engineer at Alpheus Environmental, 'and certainly one that has me enthused! The challenge was creating a solution that would satisfy everyone involved - the Environmental Agency, the Park and its visitors and, of course, the penguins!"

The pumps supplied were the Wilo-Drain TP 40 S models as part of a packaged pump and tank solution. Specially designed to displace waste water and raw sewage, the TP 40 S model is ideal for pressurised waste disposal in situations where gravity disposal ceases to be cost effective, for example high underground water levels or insufficient ground gradients.

These waste water pumps successfully remove the waste water and remnants from the elevated penguin enclosure and transport it away for treatment before it is reused within the park. The brand new drainage system effectively links the penguin enclosure and seal pool, and also provides a constant supply of running water to the moat around the new chimpanzee enclosure.

In addition, the system is linked to a reed bed waste water treatment system, designed to optimise the microbiological, chemical and physical processes naturally occurring in the artificially created wetland. This not only reduces the amount of machinery required, as it uses biological treatment to break down the waste, but also encourages the growth of an entire ecosystem in the area.

This installation, completed in time for the beginning of the Park's busy season, is the first stage in a three phase programme that has been jointly developed by Whipsnade and Alpheus Environmental Ltd. Due to the success of the first stage, plans are under way to begin the second phase later this year.

"We approached the Environment Agency because we knew our current drainage system was unsatisfactory." Says Ian Gordon, Projects and Contracts Manager at Whipsnade. "We wanted a solution that was environmentally friendly as well as effective, and Wilo have certainly exceed our expectations. We are thrilled with these results, there couldn't have been a better solution."