Water levels in the docks and canal are constantly managed by us otherwise levels would fluctuate due to lock and dock operation and abstraction.
Increased efficiency
The pumps at Gloucester take on average some 100million litres of water per day from the River Severn to keep the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal open for navigation and ensure correct water levels for ships using the busy port at Sharpness Docks. Their role doesn't end there - the water taken from the river is treated at Purton, to be used by nearly half the 600,000-strong population of Bristol.
The new pumps are more efficient, have a higher level of resilience and have been designed to be easier to maintain, helping their sustainability and giving them a life span of around 20 years. It's expected that the new pumps can cut the electricity bill for the pumping station by around 10 percent. The pump replacement project forms part of wider activities across the Trust reducing energy consumption and reducing CO2 emissions.
The beating heart of the Docks
Nigel Taylor from the Trust explains: “These pumps act like a beating heart in Gloucester Docks for the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal. Though tucked underground and unseen they are controlled by our state-of-the-art waterway management system to continuously manage water levels in the canal.
“We are grateful to the players of People's Postcode Lottery as the existing pumps were reaching the end of their working life, and funding raised by the lottery players has made these new ones possible. At a time when our waterways are busier than ever the pumps really are mechanical and technical heroes – keeping the canal open, ships moving and Bristol's thousands of taps running with water.”
