A volute for a pump comprising: a volute wall (V wall); a pump inlet (i) for receiving a fluid being pumped; a pump discharge (o) for providing the fluid being pumped; and a casing vane (CV I) configured on the volute wall (V wall) and forming double volutes in the volute (V I) and the upper cutwater (C 2) defining an upper cutwater throat area and an end of passage for the upper cutwater (C 2), and also configured with a lower cutwater (C 1) closest to the pump discharge (o) defining a lower cutwater throat and a corresponding end of passage for the lower cutwater (C 1); the upper cutwater throat area being dimensioned to be greater than and not equal to the lower cutwater throat area so that the upper cutwater throat area and the lower cutwater throat area provide substantially equal flow velocity at both the upper cutwater (C 2) and the lower cutwater (C 1) in response to an angular sweep of the fluid being pumped; and the end of passage for the upper cutwater (C 2) being dimensioned with an upper cutwater passage area that is greater than and not equal to a corresponding lower cutwater passage area of the corresponding end of passage for the lower cutwater (C 1) so that upper and lower cutwater passage areas (3', 4') at the pump discharge are balanced as a function of differing rates of flow of the fluid being pumped therein and so that the fluid being pumped from associated ends of the upper and lower cutwater passage areas (3', 4') meets at the pump discharge with a substantially equal velocity, characterized in, that the upper cutwater (C 2) and the lower cutwater (C 1) are radially displaced at an angle α that is in a range of between about 108° and about 110°. a volute wall (V wall); a pump inlet (i) for receiving a fluid being pumped; a pump discharge (o) for providing the fluid being pumped; and a casing vane (CV I) configured on the volute wall (V wall) and forming double volutes in the volute (V I) and the upper cutwater (C 2) defining an upper cutwater throat area and an end of passage for the upper cutwater (C 2), and also configured with a lower cutwater (C 1) closest to the pump discharge (o) defining a lower cutwater throat and a corresponding end of passage for the lower cutwater (C 1); the upper cutwater throat area being dimensioned to be greater than and not equal to the lower cutwater throat area so that the upper cutwater throat area and the lower cutwater throat area provide substantially equal flow velocity at both the upper cutwater (C 2) and the lower cutwater (C 1) in response to an angular sweep of the fluid being pumped; and the end of passage for the upper cutwater (C 2) being dimensioned with an upper cutwater passage area that is greater than and not equal to a corresponding lower cutwater passage area of the corresponding end of passage for the lower cutwater (C 1) so that upper and lower cutwater passage areas (3', 4') at the pump discharge are balanced as a function of differing rates of flow of the fluid being pumped therein and so that the fluid being pumped from associated ends of the upper and lower cutwater passage areas (3', 4') meets at the pump discharge with a substantially equal velocity, characterized in, that the upper cutwater (C 2) and the lower cutwater (C 1) are radially displaced at an angle α that is in a range of between about 108° and about 110°.