Best Submersible Pumps for Dirty Water and Drainage
Written for the person standing in a flooded pit holding a hardware store pump that just stopped.
The best submersible pump for dirty water is the REEFE RVC260 vortex pump at $790. It moves up to 280 litres a minute, lifts to 10.5 metres and passes 30mm soft solids, so leaves, silt and muck go straight through it instead of jamming the impeller.
That covers most dirty water jobs on 240V. Clean water drainage, puddles, long pipe runs and real flooding each want a different submersible pump, and the wrong one blocks, cooks or leaves 90mm of water on the floor. Here is the pick for each job, with real specs and real prices.
Short on time? See the REEFE RVC260 or browse every submersible sump and sewage pump we sell.
The shortlist at a glance
Each pick below is a live Waternex submersible pump chosen for one job, and solids handling is the column that decides most of them.
| Pick | Best for | Max flow | Max head | Solids | Float | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REEFE RVC260 | Best overall dirty water pump | 280 L/min | 10.5m | 30mm | Adjustable | $790 |
| Hyjet HV180-1A | Cheapest dirty water pump | 133 L/min | Not published | Vortex | Yes | $308 |
| REEFE RVE230 | Lightest, easy to carry | 242 L/min | 8.4m | 30mm | Adjustable | $657 |
| REEFE RPP160M | Puddles, down to 2mm | 160 L/min | 9m | 2mm | Manual | $625 |
| REEFE RHV180 | Long pipe runs, high lift | 180 L/min | 20m | 8mm | Adjustable stop | $827 |
| Hyjet DB100-1A | Flooding on 240V | 600 L/min | 11m | Double channel | Yes | $1,413 |
| REEFE RDP550 | Site dewatering, 415V | 26.6 L/sec | 29m | 35mm | Manual | $6,649 |
Prices current as of November 2026, AUD including GST. Maximum head and maximum flow are the two ends of the pump curve, so a pump never delivers both at once.
Best dirty water pump overall: REEFE RVC260
The REEFE RVC260 is the best dirty water pump for most jobs because it pairs 30mm soft solids handling with up to 280 L/min on a normal 240V supply, for $790.
Rated duty is 140 L/min at 5.6 metres of head, and maximum head is 10.5 metres. Motor output is 0.58kW at 3.3A, so it runs happily off a standard circuit. The motor casing is stainless, the float is adjustable, it weighs 8kg, and 10 metres of H07RN-F cable comes fitted. The outlet is 32mm. REEFE backs it with a 2 year warranty.
The vortex impeller is the reason it wins. A vortex impeller sits recessed up out of the flow and spins the water, so most of the dirt never touches it. That costs some efficiency and it is worth paying. On water carrying silt and leaves, a pump that is slightly less efficient and still running beats one that is blocked.
Who it does not suit: anyone pumping raw sewage. The RVC260 handles stormwater, greywater and sump work, not toilet waste.
Cheapest dirty water pump worth buying: Hyjet HV180-1A
The Hyjet HV180-1A is the cheapest submersible dirty water pump we would put in a pit, at $308 for a cast iron vortex pump with a float switch.
It is a 180W, 240V pump rated to 133 L/min, made in Italy. Cast iron at this price is the point. It suits a courtyard pit, a laundry sump or a garage that takes a bit of water in heavy rain. It will not keep up with a driveway catching a street's worth of runoff, so do not ask it to.
Best portable dirty water pump: REEFE RVE230
The REEFE RVE230 is the best submersible pump to carry around, because it weighs 5kg and still passes 30mm soft solids at up to 242 L/min, for $657.
Rated duty is 120 L/min at 6 metres and maximum head is 8.4 metres, with 0.65kW of output at 2.9A. The body and base are corrosion proof technopolymer, which is where the weight saving comes from. It comes with a multi hosetail for 25mm or 32mm hose and 10 metres of cable, so it goes from the shed to the job and back without a mate. Installed permanently, it needs a pit at least 400mm square. Trade off: technopolymer will not shrug off rough treatment the way cast iron does.
Best drainage pump for puddles and flat floors: REEFE RPP160M
The REEFE RPP160M is the best drainage pump for getting a floor nearly dry, because it pumps water down to 2mm for $625.
Puddle pumps like this one are built for the last few centimetres that an ordinary submersible pump leaves behind. Output is 0.25kW at 1.7A, flow reaches 160 L/min, head reaches 9 metres, and the grade 304 stainless body and impeller resist corrosion. The water cooled double casing lets it run while only partly submerged, which most submersible pumps should never do.
Here is the catch nobody mentions. The float version does not go that low. The automatic RPP160A ($670) stops at 90mm because the float has to drop to switch it off. So buy manual if you will stand over it, and automatic if it lives in a pit. Narrow pit? The RPP160VF ($760) has a vertical float that needs no room to swing.
Who it does not suit: dirty water. Solids handling is 2mm, so this is a clean water drainage pump. Feed it mud and it will clog. For clean water on a tighter budget, the Hyjet HDS25 is a stainless 150 L/min automatic drainage pump for $379.
Best submersible pump for long pipe runs: REEFE RHV180
The REEFE RHV180 is the best submersible pump for a high lift or a long run of pipe, because twin cast iron impellers take it to 20 metres of head, for $827.
Most drainage pumps run out of puff around 10 metres. The RHV180 is rated at 130 L/min at 10 metres, which is roughly where the others stop altogether. Maximum flow is 180 L/min, and a stainless particle screen keeps its 8mm solids rating honest. It is IP68, comes with 10 metres of cable and carries a dual mechanical seal in an oil chamber. It suits greywater, wastewater transfer and dirty water going up a slope to a tank or a distant drain.
Best submersible pump for flooding: Hyjet DB100-1A
The Hyjet DB100-1A is the submersible pump for serious water, moving up to 600 L/min through a 50mm discharge on 240V, for $1,413.
It is a 1350W cast iron double channel pump, made in Italy, with a float switch fitted and a maximum head of 11 metres. Double channel impellers push dirty water and solids through two wide passages, so it keeps going where a drainage pump chokes. It suits flooded basements, plant rooms, large stormwater pits and construction site dewatering. The manual DB100-1 ($1,232) is the same pump with no float, for use with a separate controller.
Need more than 240V can give? The REEFE RDP550 is a 5.5kW, 415V drainage pump that moves 26.6 litres a second, lifts to 29 metres and passes 35mm solids through an 80mm outlet, for $6,649. It weighs 80kg, so it is a site pump. Nobody is carrying it down the stairs.
How to choose a submersible pump
The right submersible pump comes down to what is in the water, then how high it has to go, then how much arrives.
Match the impeller to the water
Impeller type is the first decision because it sets what the pump can swallow.
| What is in the water | Pump type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Clean rainwater, pool water | Drainage or puddle pump | RPP160M, HDS25 |
| Silt, leaves, grit, greywater | Vortex pump | RVC260, RVE230 |
| Heavy dirty water, big volumes | Double channel pump | DB100-1A |
| Raw sewage, toilet waste | Cutter or grinder pump | REEFE RCE90, Aline SABRE |
A dirty water pump is not a sewage pump, and this is the expensive mistake. Toilet waste needs a cutter pump such as the REEFE RCE90 ($1,302), usually inside a proper station. Our grinder pump vs drainage pump guide covers the difference.
Work out the real lift
Total head is the vertical lift plus friction in the pipe, and a pump delivers far less water near its maximum head. The REEFE RPP160M shows it: 160 L/min at the top of the brochure, 93 L/min at 6 metres of head. Pick a pump whose rated duty point covers your lift, and read the rated figure, not the headline one. Skinny hose costs you too, so use the full outlet size.
Decide on a float
A float switch makes a submersible pump automatic, and it is the part that fails first in a tight pit. A tethered float needs room to swing. In a small pit it catches the wall and the pump either never starts or runs dry. Use a vertical float or a bigger pit. Our stormwater pit sizing guide covers how much volume you need.
What about Davey, Grundfos and Tsurumi
Davey, Grundfos and Tsurumi all make good submersible pumps, and they are the names people search first.
We do not stock them. If you already have a favourite, compare it on the same three numbers: solids handling, rated duty point and float type. For a typical dirty water job on 240V, the RVC260 and the Italian made Hyjet pumps do the work in stainless and cast iron at a sharp price. The badge matters less than matching the impeller to the water.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best submersible pump for dirty water in Australia?
The best submersible pump for dirty water in Australia for most jobs is the REEFE RVC260 at $790, a 240V vortex pump that moves up to 280 L/min, lifts to 10.5 metres and passes 30mm soft solids. For a tight budget the Hyjet HV180-1A costs $308, and for flooding the Hyjet DB100-1A moves up to 600 L/min.
What is the difference between a drainage pump and a dirty water pump?
A drainage pump is built for fairly clean water and small particles, while a dirty water pump has a vortex or channel impeller that passes larger soft solids. The REEFE RPP160M drainage pump handles 2mm solids, and the REEFE RVC260 dirty water pump handles 30mm.
Can a submersible pump run dry?
No, most submersible pumps should not run dry, because the surrounding water cools the motor and the seals. A float switch stops the pump before that happens. Water cooled double case pumps such as the REEFE RPP160M can run partly submerged, but they still need water moving through them.
Can a dirty water pump pump sewage?
No, a dirty water pump should not be used for raw sewage, because toilet waste blocks vortex and drainage impellers. Sewage needs a cutter or grinder pump, normally inside a sewer pump station installed by a licensed plumber.
How much does a submersible dirty water pump cost in Australia?
A submersible dirty water pump in Australia costs from about $308 to $830 for domestic jobs and around $1,400 for a 600 L/min flood pump, as of November 2026. Three phase site dewatering pumps such as the REEFE RDP550 cost about $6,650.
Still not sure which submersible pump fits? Ask us
Tell us what is in the water, how high it has to go, how far it has to travel and what power you have, and we will match the pump.
Shop all submersible sump and sewage pumps →
Pumping out of a permanent house pit? See the best sump pumps in Australia. Pumping from a bore? Read the best submersible bore pumps or the submersible bore pump range.
This guide is general information for Australian property owners and is not a substitute for advice on your specific site. Electrical work must be done by a licensed electrician and stormwater or sewer connections by a licensed plumber. Confirm final sizing with us before you buy.