During our 2011 rural water supply seminar in Morrisvale, West Virginia, we had the chance to see a portable floating pump used to help transfer water at a 4-dump tank operation. The floating pump was not used to power a jet transfer device, the floating pump simply discharged its water into the primary dump tank. A length of 3-inch hose was used as the discharge line from the pump and the discharge end was connected to a hose holder clamped onto the frame of the primary dump tank. We do not know the flow rate achieved, however, according to manufacturer literature, an 8 hp motor on "The Chief" can produce a 250 gpm flow in the 10psi-15psi discharge pressure range. So...we suspect the flow was around the 250 gpm mark at this drill.

Since the dump site pumper had reached its maximum output given the set-up, the use of the floating pump improved water transfer operations without impacting the dump site pumper. Thus, it was an interesting display of fire ground ingenuity. The two main limiting factors were fuel consumption (extra fuel available) and maintaining water in the fourth dump tank. Neither of those factors were an issue at this two-hour drill.