The company says Webb’s Hole Pumping Station is unique in so far that each stage of the design process has been carefully considered with regard to its impact on the safety of eels and fish. The brand new station has been constructed with every element of the pumping station design, from the outfall to the pipework, evolved to mitigate any damage to the eels and fish that are present in the river. It is claimed that Webb’s Hole Pumping Station is the first in the country to fully embrace the Eel Regulations of 2009.
Stakeholder savings
A new pumping station was required at Webb’s Hole in order to lift flows from the upstream side of the sluice to the downstream/tidal side when the River Great Ouse is in flood. The pumping station, along with additional upgrades to the watercourse, will provide mitigation for the discharge of treated effluent from up to 10,000 dwellings in Cambourne and Northstowe which necessitate an expansion of the water recycling centre at Utton’s Drove.
Webb’s Hole Pumping Station.
Bedford Pumps worked closely with design consultants and project managers Peter Brett Associates, contractor J Breheny, and delivery partner JJ Gallagher, from design to implementation. Bedford Pumps says the innovative and efficient project design, and the strong team partnerships that have been formed over several similar projects, delivered £3m capital savings on the initial stakeholders’ framework estimates. The final design contained the following characteristics: long radius bends on the pipeline; low velocity/low loss; submerged discharge; fish-friendly siphon breaker valves with unique paddle arm meeting ‘streamlined’ requirement; sub bell-mouth flow splitters and of course fish-friendly pumps.
Bedford Pumps manufactured, installed and commissioned two DAF (Fish Friendly Direct Drive Axial Flow) pumps for Webb’s Hole. The pumps, one duty and one assist, have been installed in a vertical suspended position with a 45 degree angle discharge. Each are powered by 30 kW 6 pole electric motors through a gearbox with an external PTO facility, which offers the ability to drive the pump by tractor in the event of a power failure. Each pumpset will discharge 534 l/s at 5.6m head.
No direct mortality
Bedford Pumps fish-friendly pumps have proven credentials awarded from independent research consultants in the field of water management, VisAdvies BV, following extensive and stringent trials. The tests prove conclusively that Bedford Pumps’ range of submersible and direct drive pumps are fish and eel friendly with no direct mortality observed from exposure to the pump. Copies of the official report which state that Bedford Pumps have manufactured the ‘best fish friendly pump on the market’ are available on request.
Bedford Pumps’ fish-friendly pumps cover from 400 to 9,000 l/s at 2m to 14m head. Fish-friendly pumpsets are available as submersible, mixed flow or direct drive variants.
