Strong in fish-friendly pumps

Bosman Water Management has been strong in water displacement for over ninety years. Since 1929, the family business has been active in polder drainage, developing and manufacturing pumps for polder pumping stations of all shapes and sizes. Since the introduction of the European Water Framework Directive, Bosman has focused heavily on the development of fish-friendly pumps. And not without success. Their performance has even been scientifically substantiated. Since 2012, dozens of Vision type pumps have been delivered and installed in pumping stations in the Netherlands and Great Britain.

"The European Water Framework Directive requires water boards to organize free fish migration within river basins," states Leo Kranenburg of Bosman Water Management. "Pumping stations are obstacles in this. Certainly the older pump types are not always fish-friendly. In cooperation with the Technical University of Eindhoven, a literature study was conducted on the occurrence of damage to fish in pump pumping stations. These results were included in the development of our fish-friendly pumps of the Vision type. Initially available with a concrete volute housing, but later also in a metal variant. The latter so that a fish-friendly pump can also be installed during renovations."

Independent field tests have shown that the Vision pumps pass 100% of fish and eel unharmed.

So what makes the Vision pumps so fish-friendly? Kranenburg: "The fact that we use a screw-centrifugal impeller with only one vane whose design is also optimized for the lowest possible hit rate. In addition, the pumps run at low speed and the fish do not encounter any other obstacles in the pump. During the development of the pump, Eindhoven University of Technology developed a mathematical model to predict the probability of fish damage based on the pump design and pumping conditions. The calculation model was later tested in practice and found to give a reliable prediction. In this way, we can already provide guarantees regarding fish safety during the quotation phase. Independent field tests showed that the Vision pumps pass 100% of fish and eel unharmed. Since then, we have installed many dozens of pumps mainly at water boards in the Netherlands and Great Britain."

Bosman is currently working for GMB on the 'Adaptation of Water Management Waalwijk' project of the Brabantse Delta Water Board in order to keep the water in the polder at the right level better. It involves the delivery of seven fish-friendly Vision pumps, two in a concrete casing and five in a metal casing. This has to do with the construction of the pumping stations. GMB had an engineering firm compare various pump manufacturers, looking at fish safety, installation depth, energy consumption and purchase cost. On all components, our Vision pumps came out on top," says Kranenburg proudly.