Description

Intralox developed Hydrolox™ screens to address worldwide fish protection issues and reduce maintenance costs associated with traditional screening technology. The screens were initially developed to address U.S. regulations:
• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service guidelines
• Section 316(b) of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Water Act
and subsequently successfully applied to address the United Kingdoms 2009 Eel regulations.

Screen owners have always been concerned that operation and maintenance costs will increase with the use of fish protection screens. Hydrolox screens, however, are designed to reverse that fear by lowering operation and maintenance costs even if required to rotate when their water abstraction pumps are running, which for many operators is 24/7.

Hydrolox traveling water screens are made from engineered polymer modules assembled in an interlocked, brick-layed pattern with full-length hinge rods—an inherently strong design. These
modular components offer a rare combination of being lightweight and strong, and allow for fast, on-site maintenance, eliminating the need to replace the entire screen. All polymer components are molded in-house, and Intralox maintains an extensive inventory to meet both normal and emergency delivery needs.

Coupled with an innovative frame design, Hydrolox screen systems deliver significant, measurable advantages over conventional chain-and-basket steel screens. Hydrolox traveling water screens have no side chains, no submerged moving parts, and are designed to remain in the water year-round, with no need for cranes or divers in most cases.

Featuring a mesh top design, Series 1800 Vertical Traveling Screens can be manufactured to order in virtually any width or length and can be installed at a variety of angles to facilitate debris removal. They have proven especially beneficial in overcoming common screening challenges for facilities in irrigation districts, fish hatcheries, and drinking water extraction sites.

PUTTING OUR SCREENS TO THE TEST: UK
At the Brantham Pumping Station, engineers with Essex & Suffolk Water (ESW) were facing a problem. The Eels (England and Wales) Regulations 2009 required that all such intake structures adequately protect the life stage of eels at their abstraction points. Theirs didn’t. The aging, rotating steel band water screen technology they had been using not only contributed to fish entrapment; it required significant, regular maintenance. ESW needed a cost-effective solution that would meet the EA’s regulations to protect the juvenile eels (elvers) present in the river. After visiting several sites in the U.K. where newer technologies were installed, they chose a Hydrolox traveling water screen.

The new screen is easier to access, requires less maintenance, and offers a lower total cost of ownership than competing technologies. Most importantly, with a 2-mm mesh positive exclusion Hydrolox screen located directly at the river intake, eels and other fish near the Brantham Pumping Station are protected.

“The Hydrolox team provided a robust, well-performing solution to meet the requirements of The Eels (England and Wales) regulations 2009.” —Kevin Packard, Essex & Suffolk Water Project Acceptance Engineer

For more information on Hydrolox solutions visit our website www.hydrolox.com. To contact a Hydrolox specialist for further information, email us at info@hydrolox.com.

Contact Information

Deirdre Zoeters-Murphy
Email: deirdre.zoeters@intralox.com