HYDRA Golf Course Irrigation Pump System

Big Sky GC (Pemberton, BC) irrigation pump system installed in 1992 was complicated, and most components were obsolete and no longer available. Expensive emergency service calls became short term fixes and were incomplete due to the availability of components. Chris Wallace, Big Sky GC Superintendent wanted to improve his pump's system reliability and reduce the mounting maintenance costs. After a review of the golf course requirements it was determined the Hydra Golf Course Irrigation Pumps System would increase pumped flow capacity by nearly 20 percent to 95 lps (1,500 GPM), utilizing the exiting 75HP motors. The golf course had recently purchased a replacement motor, and a new ABB VFD for the old system, and it was important to use these components keep their investment and to save costs.

Smith Cameron Pump Solutions provided a proposal for a complete new skid package and proposed using the two existing electric motors and new VFD, The skid was designed to fit in the existing pump house without any modications required in the wet well, pump house or discharge piping system.In fact, the total dimensions of the HYDRA package was significantly smaller and improved access within the pump house and servicability of the pumps and controls.    

July 2009, the old system was removed and the new Hydra Irrigation Pump System was installed in one day. Testing/calibration and operator training followed on the second day. The operator training was simplified by the straight forward simplicity of the control HMI screen. Operation is easily understood, and the operator can change operating limits and understand the flow trends simply through the graphics on the touch-screen.

The HYDRA Irrigation Pump System operated without interruption for the balance of the irrigation season.