DrainTalent technology in three World Cup venues

DrainTalent’s vacuum drainage technology is proving its worth on football’s grandest stage this summer, contributing to high-performance playing surfaces at three of the 16 host stadiums spanning the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Forty-eight nations are competing across a wide variety of venues and climates in all three host countries. With an expanded fixture schedule and the ever-present risk of severe weather, keeping surfaces in peak condition is no small task, and it is one where DrainTalent’s technology is playing a central part.

Arno Harmsen, Co-Founder of DrainTalent and CEO at TurfTalents, said: “Seeing DrainTalent perform across three World Cup venues is a proud moment — both personally as co-inventor and as part of TurfTalents, where connecting the right technology to the right project is at the heart of everything we do.”

The Dutch pitch technology specialist has deployed its innovative vacuum drainage system at three venues: Guadalajara, Seattle and Vancouver. DrainTalent’s rapid water extraction in storm conditions is fundamental to keeping matches on schedule, and its real-time dashboard gives grounds managers precise control over rootzone moisture levels, supporting the healthy grass growth that top-level football demands. The system is also connected to an on-site weather station, enabling automated drainage responses based on live rainfall.

Alongside its drainage performance, what made DrainTalent a particularly strong fit for this tournament is its ability to work within the tight physical and logistical constraints of stadium retrofits. In Guadalajara, the system was installed on a concrete floor with a construction height of just 30 cm. In Seattle, it was set directly on top of an existing artificial pitch. Its closed-system design, featuring an impermeable layer and a profile of only 30–40 cm, allowed it to succeed where conventional approaches would have fallen short. Vancouver’s venue saw the most rapid turnaround of all, with DrainTalent’s equipment in place within five days and total construction completed in two weeks.

Beyond water extraction, DrainTalent offers a subsurface irrigation function, delivering water directly to the rootzone from below. This promotes deeper root development, improves water-use efficiency and helps maintain lower surface moisture levels that reduce disease pressure. While the three World Cup venues opted for their existing sprinkler setups, the functionality is available within the same system for clubs and groundskeepers looking to bring irrigation and drainage management under one platform.

DrainTalent has been one piece of a larger puzzle at each venue, with its technology integrated alongside other specialist systems. Together, they form a comprehensive toolkit in the hands of grounds teams who work tirelessly to keep pitches performing through a punishing tournament schedule.

Source: This article was originally published on TurfBusiness.