In situations of extreme water nuisance, flooding or impending water shortages, additional pumping capacity may be essential. For this purpose, the Departmental Crisis Centre of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (DCC-IenW) has mobile emergency pumps that can be deployed quickly in large-scale water incidents.
These High Capacity Pumps are designed to move large volumes of water in a short period of time. They can be used to pump water away or to supply additional water where needed, for example during flooding, heavy rainfall or periods of drought. The pumps are intended for large-scale incidents and are not meant for small local situations.
The emergency pumps can be deployed both nationally and internationally in emergency situations such as flooding, water nuisance or situations involving water shortages.
Large-scale pumping capacity
The DCC-IenW manages a fleet of mobile emergency pumps that provide significant additional pumping capacity during water incidents. These pumps are specifically designed for rapid deployment and high performance, enabling large quantities of water to be moved quickly when needed.
They can be used in situations such as:
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flooding or severe water nuisance after extreme rainfall
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(impending) floods
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failure of pumping stations or other water management infrastructure
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redistributing water during drought or water shortages
Deployment in the Netherlands and abroad
The emergency pumps are certified within the European civil protection system. This means they can be deployed not only in the Netherlands but also internationally when countries request assistance through the European emergency response mechanism.
The pumps have been used several times in practice, for example in situations where additional pumping capacity was required to maintain water levels or to relieve pressure on existing pumping infrastructure. In 2024 the Netherlands deployed four emergency pumps and an expert team to northern France to assist in managing severe flooding after periods of extreme rainfall.
Team of specialists
A dedicated team of specialists manages and maintains the emergency pumps and coordinates their deployment. When a request for assistance is received, the team first assesses the situation and advises on the most effective use of the pumping capacity.
Requesting deployment
Requests for the deployment of emergency pumps can be submitted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the on-call officer of the DCC-IenW.
Depending on the situation, deployment may take place:
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within the Netherlands in support of national crisis response
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internationally through European civil protection mechanisms.