Problem:
After Hurricane Ike struck in 2008, Galveston, Texas faced major infrastructure repairs, including rebuilding damaged sections of its historic 17-foot seawall. Downtown flooding left six feet of standing water, and reconstruction crews worked in a city only a few feet above sea level. One of the most difficult challenges was keeping water out of the work zones using cofferdams.
The construction team relied on dewatering pumps to protect worksites, but their existing pumps frequently failed. Problems included:
- Clogging from silt and sand
- Corrosion from saltwater & abrasive solids
- Frequent downtime from 24/7 operating cycles wearing out motors
- Frequent relocation between job sites
- High cost of ownership due to constant breakdowns
To keep projects on schedule, they needed portable, durable pumps capable of handling abrasive solids while operating continuously in harsh, salty environments.
SOLUTION:
After extensive research and field testing, the team replaced their failing pumps with BJM Pumps® LWA® Series lightweight, hard-metal dewatering agitator pumps.
The LWA Series is engineered for abrasive environments and features:
- Built-in agitators to mix settled solids with water, maintaining sump volume and discharge flow
- Abrasion resistance from chrome iron impellers & wear plates, plus hardened ductile iron volutes and agitators
- Lightweight, portable construction for fast relocation between sites
- Power options up to 10 HP, with flows of 475 GPM and heads of 117 ft
The team tested several LWA units across multiple projects and found them exceptionally reliable. Their outstanding performance and long service life led to the purchase of 25 pumps for ongoing seawall and infrastructure work—delivering dependable dewatering in even the
toughest coastal conditions.