Thanks to their effectiveness (and growing awareness), water pumps are becoming far more common in flood mitigation schemes. Traditionally, flood defences tended to focus on walls, gates, or barriers. Pumps were often overlooked, which meant that any seepage, groundwater, or even rain falling inside the protected area would simply build up on the “dry” side of the defences.
Water pumps play a crucial role in preventing this. They remove water from the dry area and move it back to the “wet” side, helping to keep internal levels low. In perimeter schemes, this can stop water from ever reaching a depth that allows it to enter a property. In Property Flood Resilience schemes, pumps help ensure that any water that does get in remains shallow, reducing the extent of damage.
Pumps are also invaluable for clearing low spots where water tends to collect, shifting it to a suitable discharge point, whether that’s a drain, ditch, or another safe outlet.
There are plenty of pump choices on the market, and several factors worth considering, including:
· Budget
· Flow rate (how quickly you need to move the water)
· Manual vs automatic operation
· The distance the water needs to be pumped, and whether it’s uphill or around bends
· Whether the pump will be deployed as needed or permanently installed
· How low the pump needs to remove the water to
More broadly, you may also want to think about the overall flood risk, how the property is constructed, existing drainage, storage space for equipment, how easily you can carry or deploy the pump, and the amount of warning time you’d typically get before a flood.
I’ve split this guide into manual and automatic options, with three choices in each category to suit a range of budgets.
Whether the SPP2-4 water pumps are being used in domestic or industrial applications, they are excellent value for money and superb quality. This pump is ideal for dealing with small floods.
Head: 6m
Flow rate: 70 litres/min
Head: 11m
Flow rate: 170 litres/min
The Evak Residox 400 water pump is fully submersible, available in 110V or 230V and is designed to pump very low levels of water (down to just 1mm).
Head: 11m
Flow rate: 250 litres/min
It is an automatic submersible pump that is compact and ideal for use in narrow sumps or for draining basements. Shallow water level control is easy with the miniature float switch. The protected mechanism is housed carefully inside the chamber away from any obstructions.
Head: 7.5m
Flow rate: 130 litres/min
The EGO 500 SELS is set up from the factory to:
The on level is adjustable down to 15mm, and off level to a few mm. Note: the pump runs for a short while after the water level has dropped below the off level, enabling low level pumping down to a mm. However, to help prevent it running dry, the off level should be set no lower than 3–5mm.
Head: 7.5m
Flow rate: 170 litres/min
During flood events, the Iguazu 635 offers a major advantage over portable puddle pumps, it’s installed below ground and operates automatically, switching on and off as needed. This makes it a hugely popular, stress-free flood protection solution. One customer experienced this first-hand: while they were on holiday in Australia, their Iguazu pump automatically activated during flooding and successfully kept their property dry.
Head: 6.5m
Flow rate: 166 litres/min
Choosing the right pump comes down to understanding your flood risk, how your property behaves in heavy rain, and how quickly you need to move water when levels start to rise. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all option, which is why it’s worth taking a moment to think through the space you have, the level you need to pump down to, and how much warning you typically get.
Whether you go for a simple manual pump or a fully automatic setup, the goal is the same: keeping water levels under control and reducing the impact on your home. The products above give a solid range of choices at different price points, and each plays a part in helping you stay ahead of flooding rather than reacting to it afterwards.
Written by Simon Crowther
Sewage pumps are used when gravity drainage is not viable. In most situations wastewater is designed and piped to flow downhill on its own, to the nearest manhole, which in turn flows downhill to the main sewer. However, if the...
Thanks to their effectiveness (and growing awareness), water pumps are becoming far more common in flood mitigation schemes.
For applications requiring serious water-moving capability, the APP HD-15 is a standout solution.
