Wrangle Pumping Station
The Brief
The original station, built in 1959, had reached the end of its serviceable life. Sheet piles were corroding beyond economic repair, and an accumulated mix of diesel and electric pump units had become chronically unreliable. Following investigation by consulting engineers Stantec, refurbishment was ruled out. Full replacement was the only viable route.
The Solution
At the heart of the new station are two enclosed composite Archimedean screw pumps from Fish Flow Innovations, supplied exclusively in the UK. Debris management was critical. Lincolnshire drains are heavily vegetated in late summer and autumn; weed screens can blind within the hour. ACE supplied the Landustrie R71 automated weed screen cleaner — hydraulically driven, capable of a 500kg debris payload. Flow control is provided by AQUIKO penstocks with AUMA actuators and AQUIKO HDPE non-return valves. A rooftop photovoltaic installation offsets running costs. An EV charging point serves W4IDB operational vehicles. A backup generator ensures grid failure during a tidal window does not become a flood event.
The Result
Site acceptance testing completed in September 2024. Both pumps performed to specification. The weed screen cleaner operated as designed. The eel pass was confirmed functional. The station is designed for a 60–80 year operational life, replacing an asset that had been held together — in the words of the project team — by institutional memory and optimism.
Achievements
01
60-80 year life span due to composite construction which eliminates corrosion and rust.
02
Weed screen cleaner handles up to 500kg of debris continuously.
03
Two enclosed Archimedean screw pumps deliver a combined design capacity of 1.32m³/s.
04
£5.2m of DEFRA funding resulted in a complete station replacement, protecting 117 homes, 26 businesses and grade 1 agricultural land.
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