Two massive mobile pumps capable of discharging flood water at a lightening-quick rate of more than three million litres an hour have been given their first run out by Environment Agency field officers.

The Dutch-designed state-of-the-art machines, weighing nearly half a ton (506 kilograms) each, were tested at Curry Moor Pumping Station, near Taunton, following several days of heavy rain across the Somerset region.

John Rowlands, of the Environment Agency’s Asset System Management Team, South West Region, said: "We have an important role to play in reducing the likelihood of flooding and these huge pumps, part of a consignment of four delivered to us in September, can be transported anywhere in the country at short notice to alleviate flood risk. 

"They are incredibly powerful and can be used to lower water levels quickly and divert water to allow temporary works in and around rivers. They will be another effective arm to our business of protecting homes, lives and businesses from flooding."

During the trial, the new equipment was used to pump flood water back into the River Tone. Under natural conditions, flood water drains back into waterways once river levels drop. But ancient embankments block this process at Curry Moor, so pumps are used to drain the 560-hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest. The protected wetland can store up to 10-million cubic metres of flood water for up to two weeks before rare flora and fauna starts to suffer from being completely submerged.

The mobile pumps, which cost £70,000 each, were transported by lorry from their base at Bradney Depot, near Bridgewater, to the pumping station where they were used to support the facility’s permanent equipment, which includes two marine diesel-driven centrifugal pumps and an electric archemedean screw.

An engineering team from the pumps’ manufacturers, Netherlands-based Pasman, trained Environment Agency staff to set up the equipment and check for leaks. Finally, after a short period of gentle pumping at around 500 revolutions per minute (rpm), the pumps were run at a steady 1200-1500 rpm with occasional bursts up to their maximum 1800 rpm.  During these periods, flow gauging showed that each pump was discharging water at a rate of one metric tonne per second. Their 6.6 litre engines are also energy and fuel efficient - using 30 litres of diesel, and producing 149 kilowatts, per hour. 

Over a five-day period the new machinery pumped out the equivalent of an Olympic-size swimming pool every 60 minutes, cutting pumping time at Curry Moor in half. 

John Rowlands added: "Although based in Somerset, the pumps can be deployed to other regions when required. This is the first time the Environment Agency has invested in this sort of pump technology and we believe they will prove to be a tremendous asset, helping to reduce the need for new pumping stations to be built - which can cost millions of pounds - and reinforcing flood risk management methods where most needed."