Lismore is pumping again after flood

"THIS is the first time we have seen them sustain significant damage during a flood. It just goes to show how unusual and powerful the March flood was.”

ABOVE: The first pump at Browns Creek was removed and transported to Brisbane on September 16. Picture: Terra Sword

LISMORE City Council is half way through their repairs to the Browns Creek pumps, after the first fully refurbished pump was installed over the weekend.

One by one the pumps are being transported to a specialised engineering factory for testing and only then will council know the extent of the damage.

The council's Local Emergency Management Officer Scott Turner said the second pump will now be removed for repairs and is expected to be completed by the end of October.

"These are significant pieces of machinery designed to withstand and operate during times of flood, and this is the first time we have seen them sustain significant damage during a flood. It just goes to show how unusual and powerful the March flood was.”

One pump was left completely out of action and the other only partially operational following the March flood.

The council was forced to call on Fire & Rescue NSW to transport a pump up from Sydney during the minor flooding over the June long-weekend.

Each Browns Creek pump is 12 metres long, weighs around seven tonnes and can extract more than 10 million litres of flood-water per hour - the equivalent of around four Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Manager of Civic Services Darren Patch said the repair costs for both pumps are still within councils original quote of $150,000.

"Nothing out of the ordinary, repairs to the propeller which was damaged by flood debris and the shaft going from the propeller up to the motor, which was bent,” Mr Patch said.

"They will all be 100% operational once completed, and we will have piece of mind, ready for the next major event whenever that is likely to be.”

The Browns Creek pumps were last refurbished in 2007.