The construction phase of this project is now complete.

There may still be updates, so the project will remain here. We are still monitoring the project and will reply to any comments. So if you have any questions please feel free to comment or contact us here.

EEL PROTECTION SCHEME

CURRENT WEATHER

5°C

River Chelmer (Langford)

The Eel Regulation Compliance project at the River Chelmer in Langford is for installation of eel friendly screening equipment at our abstraction point on the river. The work is driven by the need for Essex & Suffolk Water to comply with the Eels Regulations (2009) and will improve the biodiversity value in the river Chelmer.

Start Date

January, 2019

Estimated End Date

December, 2019

Contractor

ESW, Integrated Water Services

Further information

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Latest updates

By ESW Project Manager

28 May, 2021 at 4:35PM

All construction works at the River Chelmer Eel Screen have now been completed. As referenced in my previous update, we have installed an interpretation board on the fence along the public footpath that explains the purpose of the screens and I've attached a copy below for information. Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2021.

By ESW Project Manager

26 October, 2020 at 12:47PM

The Chelmer project had some minor associative works in plan before lockdown and in the last couple of months we've been addressing these so you may have seen occasional activity if you've been near the site. There are further works planned for November and some maintenance activities will also be carried out in the coming months. The eel screens have been installed for a year and have been operating well. We’ve been asked lots of questions by interested passers-by so we're in the process of designing some interpretation boards to be placed on the site fencing and at the Museum of Power that will explain more about the purpose of the project and how the screens work. I've included a brief description below for anyone that's interested in how they operate. In normal operation the screens are static, the fine mesh (2mm wide) allows water to pass through to the pumping station at Langford while 'filtering' out any debris and preventing small fish and eels from entering the pipeline. When the screens start to become blocked (e.g. if there is a lot of leaf debris or blanket weed in the river) they enter a cleaning mode where they start to rotate and wash water is sprayed from the inside of the screens outward to remove the debris from the screen. The debris and wash water drop into a trough behind the screens and return to the river downstream. If the river debris is low (as it is at the moment) the cleaning cycle will still operate every few hours to keep everything clear and prevent any build up. The screens will also run more often in the coldest weather to prevent any freezing up, so if you're passing site don't be surprised to hear them running frequently. The screens were inspected by the EA recently and the installation has been accepted, so the eel screens should now be contributing to the wellbeing and biodiversity of this beautiful site!

By ESW Project Manager

25 March, 2020 at 11:57AM

Covid-19 Update: Following the latest government advice, projects are currently under review to ensure that only essential works are carried out. There are currently no physical works being undertaken at this site and although there are some further minor works planned it is likely that these will be delayed. Further updates will be issued when more information is available.

By ESW Project Manager

17 January, 2020 at 4:41PM

The project has entered the final stages, I'm very pleased to report that the 28 day trial was completed successfully and the new screens coped really well with the heavy flooding over the Christmas period. The footpath has been reinstated and was reopened in December. The last few stages of the scheme will include optimisation of the screen running times and a general site tidy up.

By ESW Project Manager

27 November, 2019 at 4:41PM

The screens have been running well since the installation last month, commissioning is nearly done so we're about to enter into the final testing period. The last few civils works are being completed, installing the fencing and making good the footpath ready for the diversion to be lifted, hopefully by mid-December.

By ESW Project Manager

28 October, 2019 at 5:24PM

Excellent progress made last week, the eel screens have been lifted into place so commissioning and testing can now begin!

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