From Diesel Dependence to Smarter, More Reliable Dewatering
PROJECT OVERVIEW
How Atlantic Pumps helped Ibstock transform water management at Leicester Quarry
At Leicester Quarry, reliable water management is essential to keeping Ibstock’s brick manufacturing sites supplied with clay.
With access to lower clay seams critical to ongoing production, Ibstock needed a dewatering system it could rely on. Following the loss of its permanent infrastructure, the quarry had become heavily dependent on diesel pumps, increasing costs, maintenance requirements and environmental pressures.
Ibstock wanted more than replacement equipment. It needed a long-term solution that would improve reliability, reduce diesel dependency and provide greater control over water management.
Following a competitive tender, Atlantic Pumps was selected to design and deliver a fully engineered, turnkey dewatering solution tailored to the quarry’s specific requirements.
Challenge
As quarry operations moved to deeper levels, managing water became increasingly challenging.
Unreliable pumping equipment meant Ibstock’s team was spending valuable time responding to maintenance issues instead of concentrating on productivity and continuous improvement.
The loss of permanent infrastructure had also increased reliance on diesel-powered pumps, bringing additional fuel costs alongside operational and environmental challenges.
The requirement was clear: Ibstock needed a robust dewatering system that could deliver reliable performance while making water management more efficient and sustainable.
Atlantic Pumps took the time to understand the quarry’s processes, site conditions and specific operational challenges before developing a solution designed around the needs of the site.
Solution
The result was a complete, engineered dewatering system comprising two heavy-duty pumps, each capable of pumping 100 litres per second.
Water collected at the bottom of the quarry is pumped through Ibstock’s EnviroHub monitoring system, which measures water quality and provides greater visibility over what is being discharged.
From there, water passes through a pipeline to settling lagoons before being discharged offsite.
This integrated approach means the system does more than simply move water. It provides Ibstock with greater control, visibility and confidence across the entire dewatering process.
The solution was also designed with future resilience in mind. Mounted on a pontoon, the pump can remain operational during periods of increased flooding, helping the quarry adapt to changing environmental conditions.
“What really differentiated Atlantic was that flexibility to tailor the solution to our specific requirements. They worked with us collaboratively throughout the whole process.” Alistair Kuhnbaum, Lead Buyer, Ibstock
Results
The new dewatering system has delivered measurable improvements across the quarry
- Reduced downtime
- Lower maintenance requirements
- Reduced diesel dependency
- Improved efficiency and reliability
- Greater operational safety
- Significant cost reductions
- 228 tonnes of carbon emissions reduced over the year
The project also supports Ibstock’s wider ambition to reduce diesel use and electrify processes across its manufacturing estate, contributing to its broader carbon-reduction targets.
For Atlantic Pumps, the project demonstrates the value of treating dewatering as an engineered solution rather than simply supplying pumping equipment.
For Ibstock, it represents a more reliable, efficient and future-ready approach to managing water at Leicester Quarry.
“The system delivered exactly what we were looking for in terms of performance and reliability, and they’ve delivered a solution that genuinely adds value to our operation.” – Daniel Springthorpe, Quarry Manager, Ibstock
From diesel dependence to smelated Information to watch the video of this case study.arter water management — the Leicester Quarry project shows what’s possible when engineering, collaboration and reliability come together.
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The system delivered exactly what we were looking for in terms of performance and reliability, and they’ve delivered a solution that genuinely adds value to our operation.
Daniel Springthorpe, Quarry Manager, Ibstock
