Dewatering Your Construction Site

For safe operation of your construction equipment, you may need to clear away excess water first. This can easily be done through a process called dewatering. We've created the following guide to help you understand this process and determine how to implement it at your work site. For all your heavy equipment needs, visit RECO Equipment. We proudly serve those in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.

Understanding Dewatering

This process involves clearing away the groundwater or surface water that accumulates at a construction site, usually through pumping or evaporation. As workers use their construction equipment to create trenches or excavations, water tends to build up in these dips and holes. This can also happen in places where there isn't enough slope or high water table. Usually, dewatering happens before the excavation construction equipment gets brought in to help ensure the groundwater table level is lowered.

It's important to clear away water from the site for two reasons. First, it can pose a safety threat to those working and those operating the heavy equipment. Second, it can cause unnecessary delays in the project. If you don't follow the right steps, problems such as erosion can occur.

Dewatering Methods

The easiest approach is to carry water away from the work area to a discharge point. This is done through drainage channels. Other common methods are to use water pumping, siphoning, or employ large construction equipment machinery buckets to scoop up the water and transport it elsewhere.

If you need to lower the groundwater table level in the excavation area, you may want to use dewatering pumps. When the groundwater level is beneath the excavation level, you may be able to get away with only using trash pumps.

If your excavation area is below the groundwater table level or you have a large amount of groundwater, you will need a different approach. You'll want to look into a more aggressive approach that relies on powerful specialized pump systems. Some examples include submersible pumps and wellpoint systems. Whatever approach you use, make sure it clears away the water enough so you can safely operate your heavy equipment at the work site.

Precautions

You'll want to keep a few things in mind as you undergo this process to help avoid issues, such as causing erosion to the worksite. Spend some time researching the best location to dump your water. Make sure the land can handle all that excess water without it causing issues. Depending on where you are dumping, you may need to apply for and acquire a permit. Look into local regulations to see if you need to go down that route and apply for them early. You don't want that process slowing down your project!

Don't attempt to dewater when there is a heavy rainfall as you'll end up needing to do a lot of work without making much progress. Don't pump the water directly into slopes. Don't dump water that is mixed with oil, grease, or chemicals. Instead, you'll want to ensure safe dumping which can often be done with an oil/water separator. With the right preparation and approach, the process is pretty simple.

We hope you found this guide helpful! For all your heavy equipment needs, visit RECO Equipment. We offer a range of construction equipment for all budgets and projects. If you only need the heavy equipment for a short-term project, consider our rental inventory! It's an easy and cost-effective way to get the machinery you need for those one-off projects. Our friendly staff is happy to help you with whatever you need, so stop by today! We proudly serve those in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. Stop by and visit today!