WorkDry invests in pump fleet in preparation for extreme events

The Workdry Group, owner of pump rental businesses Selwood, Holland Pump, Vanderkamp and WorkDry, has significantly increased is pump rental fleet worldwide in anticipation of extreme weather associated with El Niño.

The group has added more than 800 pumps to its fleet, bringing the total to 10,500. The investment includes 350 electric submersible pumps, alongside dozens of kilometres of large-diameter pipework and 14 specialist vehicles.

In the UK, where it operates the Selwood, Siltbuster and SelTank businesses, the footprint of its locations has been increased by 20% this year and it has hired an additional 203 new employees, including 153 front line staff.

Selwood pumps being prepared for delivery. (Image: Selwood)

The UK’s Met Office has described the possible effects of El Niño as “unprecedented” over the coming months, with forecasts of wetter and potentially more extreme winter conditions.

Review contingency plans

The company is urging its customers to review their wet weather contingency plans ahead of the stormier winter conditions.

Andrew Daly, managing director of Workdry UK, said the weather predictions gave it the opportunity to assess its readiness and make investments; “not just to increase capacity, but to ensure we have the infrastructure, resources and logistics in place to respond quickly and effectively to our customers’ changing needs.

“While extreme weather events cannot always be predicted, the impact they have on critical infrastructure can be significantly reduced through early planning.

“We’re working closely with customers to understand their individual risks, identify potential vulnerabilities and put contingency measures in place, including the option to reserve equipment in advance to guarantee availability when it is needed.”

Supply chain preparation

Daly added that recovery from an extreme weather event often depended on decisions made in advance; “If ten sites are at risk and five have been planned for, that is five fewer problems to solve in the middle of a storm. That is why preparation and collaboration across the supply chain are so important.”

WorkDry’s UK operation comprises Selwood, which provides pump rentals, and SiltBuster, offering water treatment technology. SelTank supports wastewater resilience by using large storage tanks to manage excess flows during storms.

The private equity-owned group also operates Holland Pump in the US, Vanderkamp in the Netherlands, Workdry Germany and Workdry France.