Norfolk Broads Drainage Improvement Works
The Brief
When the Upper Thurne Integrated Drainage Improvements Project came to tender — a programme to replace 11 of the 14 pumping stations across the catchment, managed by the Water Management Alliance on behalf of the Broads IDB — ACE put forward a solution that addressed the limitations of traditional approaches head-on. Most of the existing stations were built in the 1950s, some on foundations dating to the 19th century, with canister pumps throughout. The original specification called for more of the same. But canister pumps carry inherent design penalties that matter in a catchment like this.
The Solution
ACE proposed the Pentair VDX mixed flow suspended bowl pump with permanent magnet motors – a fundamentally different approach to the challenge. The VDX1-450 achieves design flow of 375 l/sec and can
operate across the full range from 555 l/sec down to 150l/sec without throttling or efficiency loss. ACE produces blade strike models in accordance with NEN 8775. With eels present throughout the Broads system, compliance was non-negotiable. The VDX impeller geometry, combined with PM motor speed control, allows the pump to handle the full flow range whilst maintaining safe passage.
ACE also supplied the Rotating Landustrie Cleaner — a hydraulic rotating arm capable of handling a 500kg debris payload, designed to keep intake screens clear without the visual bulk of a traditional gantry.
The Result
Over 6,300 hectares of land, and 708 properties are now protected against flooding with modern, long-lasting and innovative solutions which are also fish and eel safe with minimal noise pollution.
Achievements
01
11 out of 14 stations replaced in one of the most ambitious IDB infrastructure upgrades in a generation.
02
6,300 hectares of land and 708 properties protected against flooding within the UK’s most complex and ecologically sensitive drainage systems.
03
150l/s – 555l/s through the VDX1-450 pump which operates without throttling eliminating the energy waste seen with canister pumps.
04
Specific blade modelling meets NEN 8775 requirements, providing a fully fish friendly system, compliant with Eel Regulations 2009.
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