In order to quantitatively study the relationship between the performance of a pump and the related hydraulic phenomena in a pump intake of a model pump station, a model test was carried out in the present paper. The results show that when the dimensionless water level (water level/diameter of the pipeline: W/d) WL*≥5.46, the influence of the water level on the performance of the pump can be ignored, and the operation of the pump is stable. When WL*=5.15, the performance of the pump decreases deeply, the dimensionless flow rate (actual flow rate/reference flow rate under standard working condition) Q* can be as low as 0.79, and the pump becomes noisy. Finally, when WL *<5.15, although the impeller is still rotating and the input power is unchanged, the pump no longer pumps water.