How to Comply with Eel Protection Regulations

Eel screens and Eel screening may be required if you are pumping and screening raw water. You may be affected by the current Eel Regulations designed to help the recovery of populations of European Eels. The relevant legislation in the UK is ‘The Eels (England and Wales) Regulations 2009 Statutory Instrument No. 3344’, and ‘The EU Water Framework Directive – integrated river basin management for Europe‘.

The installation of low intake velocity eel screens ahead of pumping equipment may be a condition of your water abstraction licence in England and Wales.

In the USA the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has put in place measures to protect aquatic wildlife – in particular the measures outlined in the Clean Water Act Section 316(b). These regulations are similar to the European Eel Regulations in that they stipulate intake velocities and mesh size sat water intakes. The relevant US legislation is the EPA’s ‘CWA 316(b) Cooling Water Intake Structures‘.

A face only a mother could love......

Does this affect me?

The Eel Regulations affect all industry sectors abstracting, diverting or discharging into raw water, and may apply to you if:

you abstract more than 20 m3 in any 24-hour period
you have equipment (pumps, screens filters etc) that may obstruct Eels
or if you are installing or altering equipment that may obstruct Eels

The most stringent regulations set an intake velocity at the intake screen of mono more than 0.1 metres per second. The intake speed for EPA 316(b) is slightly faster – 0.5 feet per second (0.15 metres a second) – both well within the capability of Rotorflush self-cleaning intake screens.

The Eel Regulations require companies in the UK and the EU who abstract and use raw water to ensure that their activity enables at least 40% eel “escapement”. This is a requirement that came into force in 2015.

Companies can meet this and other requirements by implementing measures that reduce the harm to eels and elvers from pumping equipment and intake and outfall screens. Ensuring that this figure is met may require specialist input by conservationists such as Pisces Conservation.

Eel regulations compliant heat pump installation at bridge

Eel Regulation Compliant Filter Pump being installed for a Heat Pump Application

Rotorflush Filters and the Environment Agency

The Environment Agency (EA) has noted that Rotorflush filters can make an important contribution to Eel recovery, particularly for seasonal or temporary pumping applications. In early trials of proprietary eel screens, Rotorflush equipment, met the trial criteria and out-performed the other participants. Section 4.5.1 of the EA “Screening at intakes and outfalls: measures to protect eel” says:

“Few manufacturers offer self-cleaning strainers that are appropriate to temporary works. One of the few available is the Rotorflush RF Series of self-cleaning inlet screens for surface-mounted pumps.”

The design of our filters gives them a low intake velocity and a high open area, enabling compliance with current Eel regulations when pumping and abstracting raw water.

Rotorflush Eel Screens ready to be installed

Want to know more?

Pisces Conservation are an excellent Hampshire based specialist environmental consultancy with an impressive track record working within the power industry.

They have a website dedicated to understanding the current Eel Regulations. Pisces also offers software and training, and are an invaluable environmental resource for industry.