Atlas-SSI Protects Aquatic Life 

Across the United States, people use more than 300 billion gallons of water every day. Before we can treat and use this water, utilities and other industries collect it from lakes and rivers with intakes. Screens that are part of these intakes remove plastics and debris, but screens can cause harm to fish and other aquatic life.  

Section 316 (b) of the Clean Water Act requires the Environmental Protection Agency to issue regulations on the design and operation of intake structures to minimize adverse impacts. 

>> Watch: 316 (b) Explainer 

XPV Water Partners portfolio company Atlas-SSI is North America’s leader in water screening solutions and services. As part of a company-wide commitment to responsible stewardship, Atlas-SSI develops solutions that offer protection for aquatic life and comply with Section 316 (b). Recently, the company completed a study to measure their impact. We spoke with CEO Paul Lewis to learn more. 

Why did you commission this study, and what did you learn? 

We’ve been installing screens that comply with 316 (b) since 2007. We know that our solutions meet the requirements, but we also wanted to better understand how effective they’ve been in protecting biodiversity. In 2023, we commissioned the report to learn how many fish and other aquatic species our solutions have helped protect across our customer base. The results tell us that Atlas-SSI’s screens are helping save an estimated 21 million fish annually. As our business continues to grow, we’re actively working on ways to make that number even higher. 

How will Atlas-SSI’s growth help achieve even greater protection for aquatic life? 

For our team, strategic growth includes continuing to improve our solutions and how they operate. For one example, we’ve worked with many of our customers to slow the flow of water through the intake. A slower flow means fish can more easily swim away. As part of building the business, we recently acquired ABASCO, a prominent provider of containment barriers and services. We’re tapping into their expertise and will work together to develop a solution that prevents fish from entering the area around the intake entirely. The ABASCO team also brings extensive experience in addressing environmental challenges resulting from increased pollution and weather events. 

How is Atlas-SSI contributing to a sustainable water future? 

Our solutions support industrial, municipal, and commercial customers as they manage the screening process, build infrastructure resilience, and keep plastics and debris out of the water we use. At the same time, we’re helping maintain the biodiversity that is critical for healthy waters and ecosystems. These goals are connected. Through intelligent design and operations, we believe it’s possible to achieve both at the same time.