More than a decade ago, Sfinks festival in Belgium decided it needed a more effective and environmentally-friendly system to manage wastewater generated during the event. Crucially, the system needed to handle intense demand from 40,000 revellers over three days, without breaking down.
The solution was seven Tsurumi sewage pumps connected to a network of evacuation pipes to transport wastewater from the site to several specially created collection pits. From there, the waste was delivered to a local sewage plant. The same solution has been used at the festival since 2001.
Sfinks is an annual festival for world art, dance, music and food held in Boechout, northern Belgium. Started in 1975, the festival transforms a 132,000 m2 area into a major event with stages, huge tents, a market, camping areas, restaurants and bars.
"Organising a global festival is stressful enough without worrying about the problems of handling sewage and wastewater," says Christian Van Hissenhoven at Marine Motors & Pumps n.v., Tsurumi's Belgian distributor. "Tsurumi pumps are designed to handle even the most demanding of jobs. Once in place, they need little attention and ensure visitors can enjoy the show in comfort."
As a forward thinking festival, Sfinks is highly conscious of its environmental footprint – both in terms of energy use and waste. Among its 1,000 volunteers are a dedicated environmental team – dubbed "the green guerilla" – who ensure the event's environmental impact is kept to a minimum. As a result, all waste is recycled and wastewater collected.
The seven Tsurumi pumps used at the event are rented from Marine Motors & Pumps n.v., which also supervises their installation. The pumps' motor sizes range up to 2.2 kW and they can transport waste at a rate of up to 1,800 litres per minute. The seven pumps include:
- A selection of three-phase sewage pumps (B-, BZ- and U-series) with motor sizes from 0.75 to 2.2 kW and capacities of up to 1,800 litres per minute.
- Cutter pumps capable of transporting liquid contaminated with solid matter over long distances.
Reliability was a major factor in selecting pumps for the festival. Tsurumi's pumps have a reputation for strength. Their reliability is down to several innovations unique to the company. These include a watertight box that ensures no water ingress at the cable entry; a dry-running capability that means the pump does not need a constant flow of water to remain cool; a double-mechanical seal inside the oil bath to significantly reduce wear; and an inhouse developed oil lifter that reduces erosion on the double-mechanical seal.
