Pumps are a crucial part of the oil and gas, clean and wastewater, and many other heavy industries. However, pumps don’t always have to be industrial related and can even offer a bit of fun if you know where to look. In a recent article, Anchor Pumps described the top 3 water rides in the world and the secrets behind their waste water pump systems.

It got us to thinking about the importance of pumps in our fun lives. For example, our family recently took a trip to the world renowned Hersey Park in Pennsylvania, which features 14 unique water attractions. A great example is the East Coast Waterworks that is composed of seven slides, almost 600 built-in water toys, and two crawl tunnels. The pool contains more than 54,000 gallons of cool water, making this a wonder in the amount of pumps and coordination it must take to maintain this single attraction among many others.

And don’t forget what Hershey is most famous for: chocolate. After a careful sorting and roasting process that turns the beans into non-alcoholic “liquor,” pumps are used to send the liquid chocolate into hydraulic presses to extract chocolate butter and leave solids, both of which are used for various purposes. Pumps are also used when blending milk, sugar, and chocolate and sending the ingredients to the appropriate areas.

Here are some other water park and water-fun innovations we are excited about:

• Six Flags Over Georgia outside of Atlanta is conducting the largest expansion in its 46 year history with the introduction of a massive, tropically-themed water park inside the theme park. Hurricane Harbor will include an 800,000 gallon wave pool, the world’s first water slide that blends both a swirling-bowl feature and a tornado-wave feature into one slide, a multi-slide tower, an interactive children’s area, and much more. Source: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/63104-six-flags-new-thrilling-exciting-rides-water-attractions-2014
• The World’s Largest Swimming Pool – In the San Alfonso del Mar resort in Chile, a quick dip goes on for more than three fifths of a mile – or the same as 20 Olympic-size swimming pools. The enormous man-made lagoon is set halfway up the country’s Pacific coast, in the city of Algarrobo and holds 66 million gallons of crystal clear seawater that needs constant pumping. Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2147443/Worlds-biggest-pool-holds-66-million-gallons.html
• The World’s Largest Aquarium – The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta is the largest aquarium in the world housing more than 100,000 sea creatures. It is the only institution outside of Asia to house whale sharks in its gigantic 6.3 million gallon tank in the Ocean Voyager exhibit. Source: http://www.touropia.com/largest-aquariums-in-the-world/
• The World’s Largest Water Pump – It may be thought to be needed for one of the above, but the world’s largest pump is a safeguard against rising floodwater in New Orleans. With a price tag of $500 million for the entire installation, the impeller alone on this giant flood pump took over four years to build. A particularly attractive feature is its automatic sweepers that keep the intake strainer clean of debris. This amazing pump also boasts a speed of 150,000 gallons per second. Source: http://reefbuilders.com/2011/05/11/wolds-largest-water-pump-moves-150000-gallons/

So what kinds of pumps are used in water parks and similar attractions? KSB, an Empowering Pumps Sponsor, has pump technology and expertise that allow water parks of all kinds to build and maintain rides that are safe and reliable. Since the pumps face extreme demands, they are specially designed for continuous operation, to circulate and lift water, as well as to generate waves, currents, and fountains. To learn more about KSB pumps and leisure park applications, visit here.