Why Not Syphon The Reservoir?

[Rev. Green]

The high-power pumps can empty the reservoir in four months and consume large amounts of energy. A hundred pipes could empty it quicker and cost little.

[teacake44]

(Why not syphon the reservoir ) I don't think they will get their mouth round the pipe to start the syphon. :)

[Gromit]

The water removed has to go somewhere. There is mo point taking too much out too quickly, as that will cause severe flood damage downstream, which is what they are trying to prevent.
The threat of the dam bursting has now past. The four months is the time it will take to reduce the water level in order to do a full inspection and make effective repairs.
The reservoir has a function, which is to supply the Peak Forest Canal with water. So they don’t want to empty it, they want to reduce it to a safer level.

[Rev. Green]

That's why a helicopter should keep a rope attached to one end of the pipes it dropped into the reservoir to fill them. It would raise the end to people on the dam to temporary block the end, before hauling half the pipe over the spillway. The water pressure would force out the bung and start the syphon - simples!

[Hopkirk]

Rev, how do you know the rest of the spillway is in good condition?
It might be in a bad way underneath the concrete slabs.

Probably the one place you should not pour huge amounts of water is the failing spillway.

[Khandro]

Where's Leonardo da Vinci when you need him most.

[THECORBYLOON]

What diameter would these hundred pipes need to be? Where would they put the ends of the pipes and at what rate would each pipe empty water?

[Gromit]

// Probably the one place you should not pour huge amounts of water is the failing spillway. //

The top of the dam was designed to be able to allow water to over flow so the dam does not get too full. That is what failed. The amount of water over flowing was exceptionally high and the concrete slabs were dislodged.
The method they are employing is to pump the water out from the reservoir on the opposite side of the dam, away from the damage. It is still flowing down the spillway, but not over the top, but about half way down. The excess is going into the River Goyt.

[Gromit]

You can see in this photo the pipes extracting the water at the top, and the pipes going around the dam and coming out halfway up the spillway to let the water flow away.
You can see the water level is now vastly reduced.
They have added more pipes, so the initial 4 months estimate to do repairs is probably now a lot shorter.

https://i2-prod.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/incoming/article16701557.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_AR_050819_dRONE-1JPG.jpg

[THECORBYLOON]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-49247226

[retrocop]

I recall staying in a Leeds hotel about 25 years ago when there was a severe water shortage. There was a fleet of hundreds of tanker trucks doing a 'red-eye express' transferring water from a reservoir, in Wales I believe, to a local empty reservoir. Perhaps Danny or another person from Yorkshire can recall this.

[Khandro]

That could have been longer ago than 25 years Retro, might it have been 1976?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_British_Isles_heat_wave

[retrocop]

Good Afternoon Khandro,
No it was later than the hot summer of August 1976. I was married in August of that year.
I was working in a unit that took me away regularly on over night stays in Leeds,Manchester,and Newcastle from 1985-1997. I reckon it may have been mid 90s. 1995? perhaps

[tamborine]

Why cant all taps be opened to deplete the reservoir - at no water charge

[retrocop]

Khandro
Found a reference. It was 1995.
http://www.trucknetuk.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=157325

[Zacs-Master]

'The answer's simple. Move the problem to the London area, it'll be solved in a week.'

One word: Grenfell.

[Mamyalynne]

They've done an amazing job to get the level down so far so soon.

[The Builder]

To answer Tambo's question.....

Seems like a nice idea. The trouble is that water is not fed directly from reservoir to tap. It may flow under gravity, but only to a treatment plant.

After treating, it's usually pumped to people's homes. The pumps wouldn't be able to cope, and the pressure would be minimal.

Plus the fact that it would take forever.

[ChillDoubt]

TTT - sarcasm is the lowest form of wit.
————
But the highest form of intelligence, or so I was told as a child.....

[tamborine]

Thanx builder but.... during droughts water restrictions are imposed.