Grundfos: A breakdown is not an option in Budapest

May 19, 2016 17:00 JST

Source: Grundfos

Denmark, May 19, 2016 - (ACN Newswire) - The citizens of the Hungarian capital rely on the Budapest Canalization Works for removing sewage and preventing floods. The company expects top performances from themselves and their partners.

In August 2015, Hungary experienced the heaviest rainfall ever recorded. Water was pouring down in huge measures. In the capital city, Budapest, more than 80 millimetres came down in just one hour.

"During one day, we had more break downs in our system, than we normally do in two years. More than 50. The pumps, however, were all operating fine," says Gyorgy Palko.

He is the Managing Director for Budapest Canalization Works, and he has played a pivotal part in finding the right partners to work with - in the case of the pumps, it was Grundfos.

The two companies have entered a close collaboration equipping Budapest Canalization Works with a wide range of pumps, including large KPL propeller pumps and a series of other water, wastewater and dosing pumps and a service deal as well.

"We do not simply want to buy a pump. We want to buy a solution. We want durable, reliable products and access to knowledgeable people who can keep them running. This, we've got through our cooperation with Grundfos," adds Gyorgy Palko.

The biggest in town

One of the places, where the pumps and service agreement are put to work is at the pumping station in the Ferencvaros area in central Budapest. Klincsek Kalman is managing the station, and for him, breakdowns are unacceptable and preparing for worst-case scenario comes naturally.

"If our pumps break down, it can result in flooding. It could ruin people's homes, create traffic jams and paralyze the city. Therefore, we are concerned about using durable equipment with a long lifetime. We need to know that things work," he says.

The station is the oldest and largest in the city, and roughly 500,000 Budapestians rely on it for removing their sewage and for handling rain water and preventing flooding. This makes it a very important spot in the Budapest Canalization Works network. The city of Budapest and Veolia jointly own the company, and it serves the more than 1.7 million people living in Budapest.

"The people depend on us, and they don't want to hear about us. They want us to do our job without issues. This corresponds to what we expect from our partners," says Gyorgy Palko.

A great partnership

The well-oiled partnership with the Hungarian wastewater experts is held at a very high value at Grundfos. The company's Hungarian subsidiary has worked tirelessly in establishing the great connection and is seeing multiple advantages from the collaboration.

"They set the bar high and demand the highest commitment and quality from their partners. By being close to them through our service agreement and other business partnerships, we get to know their needs as they evolve and we get an even better chance of fulfilling them now and in the future," says Eva Pasztor, SECA Area Water Utility Manager at Grundfos.

The service contract runs for two years with a possibility of extending it and involves value-added renovation, ad-hoc repair and troubleshooting.

About Grundfos

Grundfos is a leading pump manufacturer with an annual production of more than 16 million pump units. It offers a full range of modular, energy-efficient and intelligent products and services for applications within buildings, industries and water. Grundfos has more than 80 companies in 55 countries. For more information, please visit www.grundfos.com

Further information:
Frank B. Winther
Senior Communication Manager, Grundfos Group Communications
M: +45 21 99 62 40
E: fwinther@grundfos.com

Additional photos:
Budapest_web http://hugin.info/152821/R/2013609/746264.jpg
ferencvaros_web http://hugin.info/152821/R/2013609/746265.jpg

Source: Grundfos
Sectors: Water, Design Process, Engineering