The complete system of mechanical pumps, rods, and pipes installed in a mine shaft to remove groundwater. In historic operations, this referred to massive steam-driven beam engines and their heavy wooden pump rods that extended down the shaft. The term encompasses all the physical infrastructure required to lift water from the sump to the surface.
Heard on the job
We need the mechanics down at the third level to inspect the pitwork before the spring thaw overwhelms the sump.
Insider tip
Older texts use this term to describe the entire mechanical arrangement in the shaft, whereas current crews might just call it the dewatering system.