Site essentials

Excavation dewatering pump

On the left, the pump set at the bottom of the excavation discharges the water through a hose, the bottom is almost dry and the mini-excavator resumes work. On the right, without a pump, the excavation is full of muddy water and the mini-excavator waits at the edge. Computer-generated image. — **Left:** the pump set at the bottom of the excavation discharges the water through a hose, the bottom is almost dry and the mini-excavator resumes work. **Right:** without a pump, the excavation is full of muddy water and the mini-excavator waits at the edge. Computer-generated image.

A pump set in the excavation or at its edge.
It removes rainwater or groundwater,
and the digging resumes on a dry bottom.

Other names for this product: site pump, excavation pump, sump pump, immersed pump, submersible pump, engine-driven pump, dirty water pump.

The essentials

Family: Site essentials
Power source: Electric for the submersible pump, engine-driven for the surface pump
Water pumped: Clear, or carrying mud, sand and gravel depending on the model
Carrier machine: None, it is set in the excavation or at its edge

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01 Use

What it is for

**Left:** the pump set at the bottom of the excavation discharges the water through a hose, the bottom is almost dry and the mini-excavator resumes work.
**Right:** without a pump, the excavation is full of muddy water and the mini-excavator waits at the edge.
What sets it apart:
it draws the water from where it collects and discharges it outside the excavation, without waiting for the ground to absorb it.
Computer-generated image.

A dewatering pump empties an excavation or trench flooded by rainwater, runoff or groundwater.
It draws the water at the low point and discharges it, through a hose, outside the work area:
the bottom becomes workable again, and the excavator can once more see what it is digging.

The submersible pump, electric, is set directly in the water, at the bottom of the excavation.
The surface pump, often engine-driven, stays at the edge and draws through a hose dipped in the water:
it needs no power on site, but the height from which it can draw remains limited.

Clear water and water carrying mud, sand or gravel are not pumped with the same model.
A pump designed for clear water quickly clogs in a muddy excavation.

A pump does not hold the walls. Water weakens the walls of an excavation:
the pump removes the water, it does not hold back the soil, and shoring remains necessary where it is planned.
The useful flow depends on the model, the height to overcome and the length of the hose, not on a generic figure.

02 What we check with you

On which machine?

A dewatering pump does not fit on any machine: it is placed in the excavation or at its edge.

What the tool does

It removes water from the excavation, clear or laden with mud, sand and gravel depending on the model.
The volume and inflow of water, the flow, the discharge head and the gravel handling: we calculate them with you for your site.

What is needed on the hydraulic side

The submersible pump runs on electricity, the surface pump on a combustion engine.
The power supply available on site: we calculate it with you for your site.

Your study sets the exact value for your machine.

Don't have these figures?
A photo of the machine is enough to start.

03 Your study

Have your site checked.

Describe the excavation, the water filling it and the place where it can be discharged.
State whether the site has power.

What we need to answer you

The excavation Its length, its width and its depth, or a photo.
The water Clear or muddy, rain or groundwater, coming back or not after pumping.
Discharge Where the water can go, and the distance to it.
Power Power available on site, or not.
The duration A one-off emptying or continuous pumping during the works.

Without these details, the study still begins: we will ask you for them.

Send my photos

or describe your need

Book an appointment with the specialist

Or call 01 84 16 55 49 · our lines are open 7 days a week, from 7h to 22h.

Written study within 3 working days, once the file is complete.

04 Choice

What determines the choice

01 — The water to pump Clear, muddy, carrying sand or gravel:
the pump impeller and the solids handling are chosen with it.
02 — Submersible or surface Depending on the depth of the excavation and access to it:
the submersible pump works at the bottom, in the water, the surface pump stays at the edge and draws through a hose.
03 — Electric or engine-driven Depending on the power available on site:
the electric pump needs a connection, the engine-driven pump carries its own fuel.
04 — The hose and the discharge The length of the hose and the height to overcome up to the discharge point:
the more they increase, the more the useful flow drops.

05 Check

What is checked before ordering

The useful flow It is checked against the actual height and length on site, not against a figure read on its own.
Solids handling A pump that only accepts gravel smaller than that in the excavation clogs.
Power supply The power of an electric pump is checked against the connection available on site.
The discharge point Where the pumped water goes is checked before pumping, with the network operator or the landowner.

In the same family