Solar water pump – Managing dust through recycling

Council operates the Image Flat Quarry and produces locally sourced rock products for commercial use.

Quarries are required to manage dust as a key priority, so the challenge was to seek the most efficient way to do this. Standard dust management generally requires trucks to cart potable water to spray over the internal roads.

It was identified that the stormwater naturally captured in the quarry pit (and that also requires managing), could potentially service this need.

A 4.4kW solar PV system was installed to pump the water 35 metres from the quarry pit to two 20,000L water tanks. From the water tanks the water is then gravity fed to a sprinkler system that sprays over the internal roads.

By installing the solar water pump, quarry staff have provided a simple solution with multiple benefits. They have eliminated the need for a diesel-powered pumping system that requires constant refuelling and maintenance and reducing Council’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Using the stormwater captured on site saves trucking in potable water, providing cost savings and reducing the number of diesel trucks coming on site to suppress the dust.