Pilastresi pumping station

Total plant capacity: 15000 l/s - 15 mc/s

Head: 5,5 m

Total installed power: 1160 kW

The purpose of the new pumping station is to create a hydraulic head at the main basin where the pumps of the  main pumping station draw water, favouring the correct work of the original pumps, during the Po’s low-water periods.

For this reason, the new pumps have been positioned directly in the river, at a reasonably sufficient depth for draw the water, even in critical periods; thus the raised water is direct to the historic pumping station through an artificial underground channel, parallel at the original one.

At the confluence of the two channels is positioned a mitre lock gate.

The "Pilastresi System", built in the early 1900s, represents an important hydraulic work. It’s main purpose: reclamation of the area south of the river Po and irrigation.

The heart of the system is represented by the original pumping station, which through the maneuvering of a series of sluice gates allows the withdrawal or introduction into the river of the water. This intervention became necessary over time due to the progressive lowering of the levels of the river Po, such as not to allow the correct operation of the original pumps in certain periods.

In a previous lot of works, Misa built another similar pumping station called the Pilastresi Subsidiary pumping station.