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Floods in Pas-de-Calais: how do mega-pumps work?
Floods in Pas-de-Calais: how do mega-pumps work? – (France 2)
Mega-pumps are loaned by European countries after the floods in Pas-de-Calais. Journalist Nicolas Chateauneuf explains how they work, Thursday January 4, on the 20 Heures set.
After the floods in Pas-de-Calais, the water is evacuated using pumps. Mega-pumps should come into action on Friday January 5. France has pumps capable of pumping 5,400 cubic meters of water per hour, or two Olympic swimming pools. Ten large pumps have been installed in the North, but the Netherlands is sending four additional pumps which arrive on Thursday January 4. Slovakia and the Czech Republic are lending two pumps each.
Water is discharged into the sea or into canals
The total pumping capacity will be increased to 61,000 cubic meters per hour, which corresponds to an Olympic swimming pool emptied every 25 seconds. Once the water has been pumped, the overflow can be discharged towards the sea, as is the case in Dunkirk (North). “Elsewhere, these powerful pumps have sucked up the water that stagnates on flat land to transfer it into canals which will evacuate it towards the sea”indicates Nicolas Chateauneuf, present on the 20 Heures set, Thursday January 4.
