A multi-stage pump featuring first and second stages, each stage having an impeller arranged on a rotor of the pump, each impeller having a hub-side and an eye-side, and each impeller configured to pump a liquid through the pump that applies an axial thrust load caused by a pressure difference in an axial direction from the hub-side to the eye-side of each impeller; and a first and second stage pump casing, each casing configured to form a casing enclosure to contain components of the first stage and the second stage, including each impeller, and configured with one or more pump casing openings formed therein and passing thru the pump casing to leak at least some liquid being pumped from inside to outside the casing enclosure to reduce substantially the axial thrust load caused by the pressure difference in the axial direction from the hub-side to the eye-side of each impeller.