

Apersistent problem of discolouration of water supply in the third tallest hotel in the world – the Emirates Towers in Dubai – has been resolved, thanks to the installation of a new cold water and drinking water pumping system from Lowara.
DSSR/Mitchell partnership, a leading M&E consultant whose services was sought to resolve the problem, discovered that the discolouration, which affected both the towers – the 305 m 400-room hotel and the adjacent 350 m office block – was caused by the galvanic action between the pump sets and the system pipe work.
Working with the consultants associated with the project, Allan Aqua-Systems Limited, a specialist UK pump set designer and manufacturer, provided a solution calling for completely new bespoke pumping systems with all wetted components in 316 stainless steel, including separate, dedicated pump sets to serve the high level draw-off points.
The company selected Lowara high efficiency vertical multi-stage units.
Says Ian Burke of Allan Aqua-Systems: “Lowara was the only manufacturer to provide DPS units with large enough capacity in 316 stainless steel to satisfy the overall flow rate requirement of the biggest set.”
“An important criterion for us in choosing the vertical multistage pumps was quietness and efficiency, following which we selected a supplier who was able to supply all the pumps on the sets, without mixing and matching of pumps from different suppliers, which had a sound reputation, reliability, and representation in the geographical area.”
“Today, six pump sets power the cold water and drinking water service – four three-pump and two four-pump sets. In addition, four booster sets are assigned to the hotel and two for the office block – all in low-level plant rooms.
“DPS units serve the very high pressure systems and SVS units serve the lower pressure systems. One pump in each of the booster sets operates on a continuously running lead pump basis to meet the normal off-peak demand. The support pumps are sequenced in and out according to system demand under pressure switch and timer control. While the sets serving high level outlets operate at 28 bar of head, as a precaution all equipment were tested at up to 50 bar,” he says.
The 56-storey, 400-room Emirates Towers Hotel has 400 cu m of water storage. The hotel block includes a 10-level lower atrium and 31-level upper atrium, five panoramic lifts, eight other lifts, a swimming pool, health club, an 880–seat capacity auditorium and restaurant.
UAE-based Emirates Trading Agency was the contractor for the hotel block.
Also at 54 floors, the office building has 47 floors of rented space based on a triangular layout with an average floor area of 810 sq m on each level and a floor-to-ceiling height of 2.85 m. The UAE-based Aster Limited was the contractor for the office block.
Linking the two towers is a retail plaza – the Emirates Towers Shopping Boulevard – featuring spacious walkways linked by sky-lit courtyards, exclusive shops, theme restaurants and coffee shops.
Founded in 1968 and based in Montecchio Maggiore, near Vicenza in Italy, Lowara has been serving customers and users of hydraulic pumps in various sectors for more than 30 years.