Fish Friendly Pumps
Pumping water should not cost fish their lives. Aquatic Control Engineering supplies, installs and maintains the full range of fish friendly pumps — fish-friendly centrifugal (rotodynamic) pumps, Archimedean screw pumps and low-speed axial and mixed-flow units — for internal drainage boards, water companies, the Environment Agency, local authorities and principal contractors. Because we are not tied to a single pump type, we specify the one that genuinely suits your head, flow, site footprint and environmental obligations. From feasibility and CFD modelling through to supply, installation, commissioning and lifetime support, we deliver the complete fish friendly pumping solution.
Every Fish Friendly Pump Type, One Supplier
Fish-friendly centrifugal, Archimedean screw, axial and mixed-flow — we supply them all, from Pentair Fairbanks Nijhuis and Fishflow Innovations. Instead of forcing your scheme to fit one product, we select the pump that delivers the required duty and the required fish survival at the lowest whole-life cost.
Independently Proven Fish Survival
Fish friendly is a claim worth testing. Our fish-friendly centrifugal pumps have been independently tested to pass 100% of eels and over 97% of fish unharmed, while Archimedean screw pumps remove strike points and turbulence altogether.
Refurbishment & Retrofit
Much of the UK’s pumping infrastructure was built long before fish passage was a requirement. We upgrade existing stations rather than rebuild them, within the existing chamber wherever possible.
About Fish Friendly Pumps
A fish friendly pump moves water without harming what is in it. Conventional impellers strike, shear and pressure-shock fish and eels as they pass; fish-friendly designs remove those mechanisms — rounded leading edges, wide clearances, lower rotational speeds and, in screw pumps, no pinch points at all. The duty is usually low-head and high-volume, often at short notice and frequently through screened but debris-laden water, so selection matters. We use 3D modelling and CFD analysis to prove both the duty and the fish passage before anything is ordered.
We work with Fishflow Innovations, the Netherlands-based specialists in fish passage and conservation technology, and with Pentair Fairbanks Nijhuis, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of land drainage pumps — who together developed the fish friendly centrifugal range now proven in the field.
Our Fish Friendly Pump Options
01
Fish-Friendly Centrifugal Pumps
Pentair Fairbanks Nijhuis rotodynamic pumps with a smooth, rounded impeller leading edge and wide clearances. Independently tested at 100% eel and over 97% fish survival. Vertical or horizontal, wet-well or dry-well, with flows to 180,000 m³/h. The high-capacity choice where footprint is tight and heads reach up to around 8 m.
02
Archimedean Screw Pumps
Fishflow Innovations enclosed-tube screw pumps for gentle, low-head, high-flow transfer. The tubular drum removes leakage and slip, the profiled leading edge removes strike points, and a reverse facility lets aquatic life escape. Silt, weed and vegetation pass without blockage — ideal for drainage boards, wetlands and habitat schemes.
03
Low-Speed Axial & Mixed-Flow Pumps
Where head and flow vary widely across the season, or where a compact, robust installation is the priority, axial and mixed-flow units from the Pentair range give high volumetric output at very low heads. Run at reduced speed on a variable-speed drive, with generous blade clearances, they add a further fish-friendly option for larger transfer duties.
04
Complete Fish Friendly Pumping Stations
Pumps are only part of the answer — fish have to be screened, guided and passed safely as well. We design and build the whole station: weedscreens and screen cleaners, fish and eel screens, penstocks and flap valves, non-return valves, pipework, control panels, telemetry and standby provision, installed and commissioned by our own site teams.
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Technical Specifications (Typical)
- Pump types — fish-friendly centrifugal (rotodynamic), Archimedean screw, low-speed axial and mixed-flow
- Installation — vertical or horizontal; wet-well or dry-well; open or enclosed screw
- Flow rates — from around 100 l/s to 180,000 m³/h, depending on type and diameter
- Head range — approximately 0.5–8 m, typical of flood defence, land drainage and habitat duties
- Materials — steel, stainless steel and composite options to suit water quality and exposure
- Drives — fixed or variable speed, with VSD compatibility for efficiency and fish passage
- Fluid compatibility — fresh water, surface water, brackish water and screened wastewater
- Fish passage — independently tested at 100% eel and over 97% fish survival
- Ancillaries — weedscreens, screen cleaners, fish and eel screens, penstocks, flap and non-return valves, controls and telemetry
- Bespoke — larger and non-standard units engineered to project requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
It comes down to head, flow, the water you are pumping and the structure you already have. As a rule of thumb, Archimedean screw pumps suit low heads with high flows and debris-laden or silty water in an open channel arrangement; fish-friendly centrifugal, axial and mixed-flow pumps suit higher capacities, deeper sumps and tighter footprints. We assess the site, model the options and recommend the arrangement that gives the best whole-life value — not simply the pump we would prefer to sell.
Independently tested, not simply marketed. Our fish-friendly centrifugal pumps use a specially shaped impeller with smooth leading edges and wide clearances, independently tested to pass 100% of eels and over 97% of fish unharmed. Archimedean screw pumps achieve the same outcome by design, with no pinch points and a leading edge shaped to reduce splash, turbulence and direct strikes. Both are proven in protected sites and regulated watercourses.
Yes — station refurbishment is a large part of what we do. We survey the existing structure, model the hydraulics, and replace pumps, drives, screens, penstocks, valves and control systems within the existing civils wherever it is practical. Variable-speed drives are often added at the same time, cutting energy use and noise and improving fish passage further. The result is a modern, compliant, fish-friendly station at a fraction of the cost of a new build.
Throughout. Our team offers full technical support including CFD analysis, 3D modelling and decades of pumping station experience to optimise selection, layout and installation. We install and commission with our own site teams, and support the asset afterwards with planned maintenance, servicing and spares — so the station keeps performing, and keeps passing fish safely, year after year.
Related Projects
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More About Fish Friendly Pumps
- Independently tested. Fish and eel survival proven by independent testing rather than claimed — 100% of eels and over 97% of fish pass through unharmed. Testing of this kind has been mandatory on every pump installation in the Netherlands, and the reports are available to support your scheme.
- Environmental compliance. Built to satisfy Environment Agency and Natural England requirements, with test data available to support consents and permits on protected sites and regulated watercourses.
- Debris and silt tolerance. Screw pumps pass silt, weed and suspended matter without blockage; screening, screen cleaners and non-return valves protect the whole station.
- Energy efficiency. Variable-speed drives hold efficiency at reduced speeds, cutting running costs, noise and wear while improving fish passage.
- Whole-life support. UK-based design, supply, installation, commissioning and maintenance from one team, with spares and servicing for the life of the asset.
We work with Fishflow Innovations, the Netherlands-based specialists in fish passage and conservation technology, whose range includes fish friendly screw pumps and turbines, strobe light fish deterrents and the FFI siphon fish pass. We also work with Pentair Fairbanks Nijhuis, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of land drainage pumps, who developed the fish friendly centrifugal range alongside FFI and ACE. Contact us for the independent fish protection reports on any pump in the range.
