Introduction. The subject of research is water intake structures of natural waters — surface and underground. At present, there is perhaps not a single engineering structure that engineers and scientists would not work on improving its design and technical equipment (in order to increase reliability). Water intake structures in this context are not an exception. The growth of residential area, development of industry, agriculture, state programmes aimed at reducing the degree of negative impact on the environment create prerequisites for construction of new and reconstruction of existing water intakes. Scientific developments of Russian and foreign scientists devoted to the creation of new designs of water intake structures accumulated over the last ten years need to be generalized.

Materials and methods. An analytical review of new scientific papers (periodicals, patents, dissertation research), which describe innovative designs of water intake structures that provide technological and (or) economic effect, has been carried out.

Results. It was found that a greater number of new inventions are aimed at increasing the barrier role of surface water intake structures in relation to suspended, bottom sediments and juvenile fish. The effect of water purification by a water intake structure is usually provided by filtration, sedimentation, and a complex of these processes. The designs of fish protection devices proposed by scientists include both filtering barriers and means of influence on the behavioural reactions of juvenile fish. Scientists are also interested in developing groundwater intake structure design that contributes to increasing flow rate of the structure.

Conclusions. The overview description and analysis of new design solutions of water intake structures are made, recommendations on their application are outlined. The collected data can find practical application in the design of new water intake structures and modernization of the existing facilities.