Purmer-North steam pumping station
In 1877, this water pumping station on Purmerdijk 5 was built, although plans were already emerging in 1870-1871 due to the wet winter that year. The plans were postponed and picked up again in 1876 and executed here on the north dyke of the Purmer.
It was a suitable spot because of the soil here, which contained a lot of sand and little clay. Contractor Blankevoort from Monnickendam built the pumping station and the residence for the engine driver; the residence was demolished several years ago. The steam engine and four boilers were supplied by the Hannover Machinebau company in Germany. When the pumping station was put into operation, it provided drainage of the Purmer with three mill passes until about 1904 when it was decided to demolish the mills and a new, double steam plant was installed in the pumping station. In 1972, an electric motor replaced the steam engine. In 2012, the pumping station was renovated. The plant was replaced by screw pumps with concrete pump housing, driven by new electric motors. Behind the pumping station is a wide ditch that the pumping station uses, see the picture at the bottom of the screen.