The Requirement

This site is one of the largest sand and gravel quarry sites in Ireland with an annual output of 1.5 – 2 million tonnes of product.  The extensive 350-acre site comprises of a series of interlinked shallow lakes, streams and groundwater.  Managing the water on site is a complex task as the groundwater and lakes are in continuity with one another. As the extraction area moves around the site careful control of the water is needed.

Our Solution

To install a comprehensive level monitoring system to record the changes in the lakes and groundwater around the site to enable better management of the extraction process.  The site is vast and data collection previously relied on staff to measure and record the data before it could be collated and interpreted. Van Walt’s new system compiles all the data in one place and viewable in a user-friendly interface.

Both groundwater and high accuracy surface water sensors were installed and connected to vanwaltCONNECT allowing remote data access from computer or phone. Highly accurate data was necessary for the surface water measurements as a 1 cm drop on a lake accounts for tens of thousands of litres.

Real time information generated during pump tests will give clear data right from the moment the pump is turned on, showing both water level drops and lake recharge rates. This will ultimately optimise energy management for pumping equipment.  Minor changes in level also affect the cost of extraction and recovery of valuable aggregates.

The Van Walt system allows the customer to monitor pump tests remotely, in real time, to reduce both the need to travel and time spent on the ground.  Data is collected and processed automatically into usable tables and graphs as the tests are carried out.