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Specialists in Tunnel Water Management

An overview of tunnel dewatering and construction runoff control — managing the water that excavation and weather put into the works. Use it to orient yourself before choosing the right treatment train for your site. It distinguishes the main water streams a tunnel generates — groundwater ingress, construction runoff and washdown — and the treatment each one needs. From here you can follow the links into the detailed guides that size and specify the individual stages for your geology and consent conditions.

Industry Overview

Specialised Solutions for Construction Dewatering

Construction dewatering is essential for creating dry working conditions in excavations, foundations, and underground structures. In urban environments, dewatering operations must handle high water volumes while meeting strict discharge requirements for suspended solids, pH, and potential contaminants. Our integrated dewatering and treatment systems ensure efficient water removal with compliant discharge. Skid-mounted lamella clarification, filtration and pH correction deliver clear, consent-compliant discharge directly on site, however congested the location. Systems are sized for rapid mobilisation so excavation can stay dry and on schedule.

High Volume Pumping

Systems capable of handling flows from 50 to 5,000+ m³/hr with submersible pumps, wellpoint systems, and deep well installations.

Solids Removal

Multi-stage treatment removes suspended solids, sand, and sediment to meet discharge standards and protect receiving waters.

Urban Constraints

Compact, quiet systems engineered for confined urban sites with noise restrictions and limited space availability.

Regulatory Compliance

Continuous monitoring and treatment ensure compliance with discharge permits, protecting against regulatory violations.

Applications

Dewatering Projects We Support

Foundation Excavations

Dewatering for building foundations, basements, and underground structures in urban construction projects.

Deep Shafts

High-head dewatering for vertical shafts, caissons, and deep foundation elements.

Utility Trenches

Pipeline and utility installation dewatering with mobile systems that follow construction progress.

Metro Stations

Large-scale dewatering for underground station construction with long-term operation requirements.

Cut-and-Cover Tunnels

Extensive dewatering systems for open-cut tunnel construction with high water table challenges.

Land Remediation

Dewatering with enhanced treatment for contaminated groundwater at brownfield development sites.

Treatment Process

Multi-Stage Dewatering Treatment

1

Pumping

Submersible pumps and wellpoint systems extract groundwater from excavation areas.

2

Screening

Coarse screens remove debris, rocks, and large particles from pumped water.

3

Sand Separation

Sand traps and hydrocyclones remove sand and coarse sediment.

4

Clarification

LAMELLA clarifiers settle fine solids for high-rate suspended solids removal.

5

Polishing

Filtration and pH adjustment ensure compliant discharge quality.

Recommended Equipment

Products for Construction Dewatering

Wastewater Screens

Coarse and fine screens for debris removal and protection of downstream equipment.

Sand Separators

Hydrocyclones and sand traps for efficient sand and grit removal from dewatering flows.

LAMELLA Clarifiers

High-rate inclined plate settlers for suspended solids removal in compact footprints.

DAF Units

Dissolved air flotation for removal of fine particles and oil/grease when required.

Filtration Systems

Pressure and multimedia filters for final polishing to meet discharge standards.

Containerised Plants

Pre-assembled treatment systems for rapid deployment and easy relocation.

Key Benefits

Why Choose Reynolds & Bauhm

High-capacity systems handling flows from 50 to 5,000+ m³/hr
Compact designs for confined urban construction sites
Quiet operation meeting urban noise restrictions
Continuous monitoring for regulatory compliance documentation
Mobile systems that can be relocated as work progresses
Treated water suitable for discharge or reuse on site
24/7 operation with minimal staffing requirements
Experience on major infrastructure projects worldwide

Related Applications

Explore Other Metro & Tunnelling Solutions

Groundwater Treatment

Treatment of groundwater from tunnelling and excavation for discharge or reuse.

Explore Metro Groundwater

Shaft & Station Construction

Dewatering and treatment for vertical shaft sinking and underground station excavation.

Explore Metro Shafts

TBM Slurry Treatment

Complete slurry treatment systems for tunnel boring machine operations.

Explore Metro Tbm

Mobile Equipment

Containerised and mobile treatment systems for flexible project deployment.

Explore Metro Equipment

Related Pages

Global Standards Reference

Directory of international wastewater treatment regulations and equipment compliance standards Organised by country and region.

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Metro Cut Cover

Water treatment for cut-and-cover construction.

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Metro Environmental

Meet strict environmental discharge requirements for tunnel construction wastewater.

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Metro Equipment

Containerised and mobile water treatment equipment for tunnelling projects.

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Metro Groundwater

Remove contaminants from tunnel groundwater including heavy metals, hydrocarbons and sulphates for safe discharge.

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Metro Shafts

Wastewater treatment for vertical shafts and caissons.

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Need Construction Dewatering Solutions?

Contact our experts to design a system tailored to your project requirements.

Industries We Serve

Our expertise spans multiple industries with sector-specific water treatment solutions.