The Source June 2012

incorporating Changing Times

news for thames water people

June 2012

inside this issue 5 Natalie puts focus on customer satisfaction 7 Search starts for private pumping stations 10 Tributes paid to legendary Lee 16 Labs learn lessons from Mogden 20 Lessening leakage in the Thames Valley

Funds begin to bring benefits in Bangladesh p12-14

2 | june 2012

incorporating Changing Times

news for thames water people

June 2012

inside this issue 5

Natalie puts focus on customer satisfaction Search starts for private pumping stations 10 Tributes paid to legendary Lee 16 Labs learn lessons from Mogden 20 Lessening leakage in the Thames Valley 7

Funds begin to bring benefits in Bangladesh p12-14

Chief Executive Martin Baggs was one of a five-strong team who visited the four communities in Bangladesh who are benefitting from our WaterAid fundraising.

Trial scheme is set to boost streetwork safety

Have you got news or views you’d like to share in The Source?

We are playing a leading role in trialling a new system that aims to lessen the likelihood of streetworks accidents.

Are there issues you’d like to see more, or less, of in the magazine?

Whatever your views, please let us know.

Streetworks in our region are set to become safer, with a new system that ensures companies doing work have a simple online ‘one stop shop’ to access records of all buried utilities.

Please write to the Editor at Stuart.White@ thameswater.co.uk, or drop him a line at 2nd Floor East, Clearwater Court, Vastern Road, Reading, RG1 8DB

Thames Water, representing UKWIR, is one of the sponsors of the project and is part of a customer advisory group with the other major stakeholders.

A six-month trial, in which users submit the details of planned work via a new website, began in April within the M25.

The initiative comes from the National Underground Asset Group (NUAG), an organisation aiming to enable all information on buried pipes, cables and other assets to be shared in a consistent way, on demand.

Where’s Wenlock?

There are just a handful of readers who have so far successfully spotted Wenlock’s hiding places in each issue since October.

Well done if you saw him hiding on pages 4, 10 and 22 of our February issue.

If you’ve received an email since the last issue saying you’re still in the running, let us know where he is in this issue by emailing editor Stuart.White@thameswater.co.uk.

The names of everyone who has spotted his hiding place in every issue will go into a hat, and the first name pulled out will win two tickets to London 2012. The winner’s name will be announced in the weekly e-brief on Friday 15 June.

The SOURCE | www.thameswater.co.uk

The intention is that the scheme – known as the NUAG London Trial – will eventually be rolled out nationwide. It aims to reduce accidental damage to buried pipes and cables, as well as lessening delays and disruption, and building co-ordination between the organisations taking part.

Other organisations taking part in the trial include National Grid Gas and UK Power Networks.

Team Leader Andrew Hewett is managing how our Technical Information team provides the necessary data.

He said: “There have been 569 cases of people working for us accidentally hitting other services in the last year, so this will hopefully make things much safer.

“The M25 area was chosen as the ‘acid test’ for the trial. It was felt that, if it was possible to make this work within the London area, it should

be possible to provide the same service across England and Wales.”

Andrew has been engaging with business areas including Capital Delivery and Developer Services to understand who could potentially use the new system and set them up on it.

He said: “We expect that the joint ventures who work for us with the London area, including Optimise, MGJV and Cappagh Browne, to be the biggest users and a number of training sessions have been arranged to take place during April and May. “It’s intended that the system will both speed up the process and make it simpler, as the requestor only needs to access one website to seek information from many different suppliers.”

Andrew said we and our contractors currently used our own online tool, GETMaps, to plan streetworks, but this did not include companies like BT and Virgin.

He added: “The concept has been discussed for some years, but this is the first time anything has got off the ground.

“We don’t yet know how much extra workload it will create in terms of us supplying maps of our water mains and sewers. We’ll be continually assessing the impact during the trial to understand what resources are required.”

The new system will not cover other processes, such as applying to local authorities for permits.

Anyone wanting further information can contact Andrew on extension 89220.

London 2012

june 2012 | 3

Olympian feat replaces ageing mains in successful race against time Work to strengthen two large mains running close to the main site of London 2012 was completed in the nick of time, writes Andrew Boyd.

When London 2012 gets under way this summer, many staff will still be breathing sighs of relief after successfully completing their own race to replace two huge mains that run through the Olympic Park.

The two 42-inch mains are among our biggest and oldest, dating from 1889, and between them supply 280,000 people in north-east London.

Thierry Droulez, Olympic Resilience Manager, said: “We had a bad burst on one of the mains in March 2010, which flooded some of the park. The Olympic Delivery Authority decided the risk of another leak was too great and requested that we replace both mains prior to the Games.”

Each of the mains, which supply areas like Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham and Stratford, needed a 900-metre section replacing.

Thierry (pictured) said: “I’ve been involved with many projects but never had to do anything like this before.

“After a lot of careful assessment, we decided to go for a ‘lift and lay’ option, which involved cutting out a section and putting in the new pipe straight away.

“We usually don’t follow this method for this type of large-scale project and instead keep supplies running using a rider, for example, which would be less risky. But that would have taken too long because the ODA had given us a very challenging completion deadline.

“The work had minimal customer impact.”

“The six months in which we had to do the work was very short for this type of activity, and we also faced work restrictions as a result of operating on the already-congested Olympic Park.

“There was a big risk of low pressures and customers going without water if anything went wrong and with so many customers potentially impacted there could have been a major impact on our Service Incentive Mechanism (SIM) scoring.”

For the six-month duration of the project, Thierry and the team shut down both supplies and instead supported the areas fed from the mains by infusing from other supply zones.

They also used a main built to carry supplies from our new Gateway plant at Beckton.

Thierry said: “If we had had any major bursts locally, it would probably have caused a major water supply issue to Finsbury and Woodford Zones. Fortunately, the work had minimal customer impact – we only received few customer complaints and there were no issues with water quality. We were very relieved.”

Damian Crawford, Senior Network Optimisation Manager, said: “The successful delivery by the project team to such tight timescales was down to good old-fashioned teamwork between Capital Delivery, Asset Management and Field Services. If the Olympics goes as well as the project went, we are in for a great festival of sport this summer.” www.thameswater.co.uk | The SOURCE

4 | june 2012

Jack’s Lee Valley reservoir race A night of frenzied activity to boost levels in our Lee Valley reservoirs earned Jack Pearce an Employee Recognition Scheme nomination.

When much-needed rainfall arrived after a long dry spell last winter, Jack Pearce knew it was vital to capture as much as possible in our Lee Valley reservoirs.

So the recently-appointed Reservoir Attendant stayed up all night, ensuring equipment was working properly and that we maximised storage in the 15 reservoirs he looks after.

North-East London Production Manager Dave Cash saw for himself how shattered Jack was the next day – and nominated him for an Employee Recognition Award for his reliability.

He said: “Jack was on standby that evening, just before Christmas – but he wouldn’t normally have expected to go to these extremes.

Exhausted “We’d reached about 50 per cent storage in the reservoirs and, with the risk of going into a drought, we had to capture as much of the water as possible. This was particularly true for the William Girling Reservoir, which was so low that it was preventing us running Chingford treatment works.”

Jack was called out as a result of the deluge.

Dave explained that, as it was the first rain for some time, the automatic weed grab at the inlet to Chingford South Raw Water Pumping Station was becoming clogged by a large amount of weed flowing down the river.

The inlet is the main feed to William Girling, so it was vital the grab was kept working – otherwise, the pumps would be starved of water and would have had to be stopped, preventing us capturing the water as it flowed past.

Dave said: “Jack spent much of the night keeping the weed grab clear to maximise the amount of water we could take.

“The heavy rain meant the other reservoirs were approaching capacity, so Jack also had to drive round the valley pretty much all night to alter the inlet and outlet valves, making sure we didn’t breach the top water levels.

Had we done so, the reservoirs could become structurally unsafe and we could potentially have been prosecuted.

“I saw Jack the next morning and he was physically shattered. He was so exhausted that he could barely talk, and was soaked through to the skin.”

The SOURCE | www.thameswater.co.uk

As a result of Jack’s actions, and those of the rest of the team, reservoir storage in the Lee Valley rose from 49 per cent in mid-November to 75 per cent by Christmas.

Responsibility Dave said: “He could have just concentrated on operating the valves at the reservoirs, but he knew how important it was to abstract as much water as possible.”

Another reason for Dave’s nomination was Jack’s willingness to cover for a colleague who had broken his arm and therefore couldn’t work his planned Christmas Day shift.

“Jack made himself available to come in to balance the reservoirs and carry out the statutory walks around them that are required every 48 hours. He helped us out of a potential problem and gave up Christmas Day with his family. Ironically, Jack’s dad Alf, who also works for Thames, was called out to deal with a flooding issue on the same day.

“Since he joined us last May, Jack has been a real asset to the team. His work ethic is second to none. His enthusiasm for the job is fantastic and we couldn’t be happier with his attitude and the way he has conducted himself.”

Dave added: “The training the team have provided has also been important in allowing Jack to stand on his own feet in the job, with a lot of responsibility on his shoulders.”

Dave has also made a separate award nomination for the whole of the Lee Valley Abstraction team, recognising their commitment in maintaining the New River all year round and the courteous way they deal with questions from the public.

He noted how team members had spent evenings at home recording abstraction data and emailing it to the Water Resources team so it could be recorded centrally.

june 2012 | 5

“I want to do right thing for customers” We need to get the basics right in our urgent mission to improve our customer satisfaction score, says Customer Service Director Natalie Beckerman.

Customer Service Director Natalie Beckerman has called for urgent action to significantly improve our customer satisfaction score.

She told managers across Thames that she wanted to ensure we did what was right for customers, after our rating fell to the lowest of the 21 water companies in the three months to April.

The score for the fourth quarter of 2011/12 was compiled under Ofwat’s Service Incentive Mechanism, in which customers’ satisfaction ratings form a key part.

Natalie highlighted the need for changes by summoning managers to a half-day session at Reading’s Madejski Stadium. She asked everyone to make a personal pledge about how they would improve things, as well as sharing ideas with colleagues.

Natalie told those attending: “We have focused on the right measures, but forgotten that there is someone behind these. Behind everything we do there is a customer. We have a number of measures that are about hitting the target but not resolving the problem.”

As an example, she said we had ten days to respond to a complaint, but simply writing back often left the problem unresolved.

She said: “I just want to do the basics right and what’s right for our customers. They are asking for really simple things. We want to be up there with the best. If we do the right thing, SIM performance will follow.”

Natalie revealed some ambitious targets for this year, including reducing written complaints by 28 per cent, unwanted calls by 15 per cent and abandoned calls by 22 per cent.

She was supported by Chief Executive Martin Baggs, who said: “Every time we mess up is another opportunity for us to appear on Watchdog or for someone to get in touch with their local paper or TV station.”

And Strategy and Regulation Director Nick Fincham said slavishly keeping to regulatory measures was often not the complete answer.

He said: “In lots of circumstances it can lead us to do the wrong thing. It may seem like heresy, but I’m telling you: ‘Don’t just focus on regulatory targets.’

“We have got to get our act together right the way across the business. We just have to do the right thing for customers – it’s as simple as that.”

Members of our Executive team revealed work they were already leading to help improve customers’ satisfaction. Among these: • Asset Management Director Bob Collington said he was helping clear backlogs in Developer Services and eliminating ‘own goals’ during planned supply outages, such as work overrunning.

• Capital Delivery Director Lawrence Gosden said his team was pulling forward as many customer-focused programmes as possible and aiming for no complaints on planned work.

• Operations Director Nick Harris said his team was making changes to our customerside leakage policy, which had led to many complaints in the past, and aiming to improve our performance on meter installations.

Our ten aspirational customer promises are: 1. We get it right first time, e.g. 100 per cent accurate bills.

2. We make clear commitments, keep promises and always tell you what we are going to do. We keep you informed, tell you what we’ve done and check you are happy.

3. We recognise our services are vital to your everyday life so we put your needs ahead of ours, never interrupt service and never leave you without essential water.

4. We will be transparent about all aspects of our performance – good and not so good.

5. You should never have to call us more than once with the same issue, wait more than 24 hours for a response, or talk to more than one person.

6. We fix appointments and let you contact and interact with us in the way and at the time that suits you.

7. Our people will be knowledgeable and skilled.

8. We give information and incentivise you to use less water, keep bills as low as possible and give you the best deal.

9. We will be a good neighbour within communities and the environment.

10. W e know your issues before you do and anticipate and fix them where we can and as soon as we can. www.thameswater.co.uk | The SOURCE

6 | june 2012

Water Watchers team are asking staff to turn detective

Super sleuths could boost our revenue, help with leakage targeting and earn themselves money as part of our Water Watchers scheme.

A team from Customer Service are asking eagle-eyed staff around Thames to tell them about potential unbilled water usage, where they believe our services may be being used but not billed for accurately.

Clockwise from bottom left: Gina Beale, Sharon Stratford, Di Caswell, Mary Hollingshead, Clare Newport

As well as losing us revenue, the unbilled supplies are included in our company leakage figure, so the effect is doubly bad for the business.

Photo courtesy of Kate Northcott

That’s why the team are highlighting a new appeal for information, and trebling the amount of money we pay colleagues and contractors whose tip-offs lead to bills. They have also set up a new form on our portal and a new texting facility, to make it even easier for people to report their suspicions.

Investigate The team, based at Walnut Court in Swindon, is made up of Gina Beale, Diane Caswell, Sharon Stratford and Claire Newport. The team is supported by Sales and Billing process advisor Mary Hollingshead and her manager Claire McKay. Mary Hollingshead, Sales and Billing Process Advisor, said: “We want all Thames Water employees and contract staff to be aware and care.

“We rely entirely on employees and contractors tipping us off, using their experience and knowledge during their daily work to highlight properties they believe aren’t being billed. It’s a great example of different parts of the business working together to help the company succeed.

“It enables us to bill our customers fairly, while improving our leakage targeting – that’s because in some cases water we thought was leakage is in fact shown to be usage, so we can instead focus on finding leaks in other parts of our network.”

Staff who report a lead that generates a bill will receive £30 − up from the previous £10 – paid directly into their salary. They will also be entered into a quarterly prize draw, where the winner will receive £250 in high street shopping vouchers.

Last year alone, tip-offs led to us setting up an extra 927 household and 134 commercial accounts, resulting in new bills of over £1m.

That included a gym in Hounslow with a bill value of nearly £22,000 and 14 cottages The SOURCE | www.thameswater.co.uk

near Cirencester that were on a shared supply with a total bill worth over £8,500.

properties that have been built as a result of gardens being sold off.

Customer Service Agent Gina Beale said: “We really appreciate all the help and support people around the business have given us to date, and we’re confident there are many more cases out there.

Vital “Each case can take a long time to fully investigate, so the more information they can provide – if possible, with supporting photos – the easier it should be for us to verify whether or not our services are being paid for.”

In the case of commercial properties, when expansion has taken place on an existing site and new supplies are laid we tend to find connections have been made where no application has either been submitted or paid for with developer services.

Colleagues should report: • Missing meters and supplies • Converted or refurbished properties • Unmetered irrigation supplies • Supplies bypassing the meter feed Customer Service Agent Diane Caswell said: “A lot of unbilled homes are converted properties – for example, former office blocks that have been turned into flats – or new

To date, the team have received leads from a wide range of people and business areas, including Property Searches, Water Regulations, Developer Services, Field Auditors, Network Engineering and NSTs. Our contractors also play a vital role, meter readers and sales max investigators (part of Vennsys), also contribute to the success of Water Watchers.

If you have a lead to report to Water Watchers, please complete the new form on the portal or text 07797 800 808.

Alternatively, you can continue to use the existing routes by emailing waterwatchers@ thameswater.co.uk or call 0845 301 0200.

june 2012 | 7

The changes are part of the private sewers legislation which has seen us increase our sewer network by 60 per cent. Inset: The team are (from left) Justin Camis, Dagmara Janicka, Helen Boulton and Phil Hicks.

Justin and team start four-year private pumping station preparations The race is on to find as much information as possible about a potential 5,000 private pumping stations we will be running from 2016.

A recently-formed team are getting to grips with a huge increase in the number of private pumping stations that will come under our ownership in four years’ time.

condition. We will establish whether urgent upgrade work is needed to bring them up to a minimum acceptable standard before the transfer deadline.”

They need to find as much information as possible about sewage pumping stations that are currently privately owned but which will be ours to maintain from 1 October 2016.

The four-strong team will also be looking at a range of associated issues, including: • Ensuring the sites meet health and safety standards, such as those around electrical safety.

• Preparing realistic costs for our business plan as part of the 2014 Price Review.

• Drawing up a suitable maintenance strategy that also includes site-specific issues such as special access arrangements.

The total could rise from the 2,500 we now run to up to around 7,500. The changes are part of the same legislation that last October increased our sewer network by 60 per cent, with the transfer of sections that were previously privately owned.

Specialist Network Manager Justin Camis, who heads the Private Pumping Stations Team, said: “The biggest uncertainty is the number of eligible pumping stations that will transfer. We therefore need to urgently establish a robust process for identifying, locating and assessing them.

“Once located, we will need to get the pumping stations inspected to assess their

The adoption process will also include associated rising mains, and the team will need to identify whether these are in ‘high consequence locations’, such as beneath railways or major roads.

Justin said: “At the moment we are depending on customers to tell us about these pumping stations. We’ve introduced a number of initiatives to encourage the owners of these sites to tell us about them.

“For example, we have an online form on our website, through which we’ve already been told about 600 locations.

“We have also been talking to contractors who maintain these private pumping stations, and will need to liaise with local authorities, housing associations and management companies, who may know about them.”

Developer Services have told the team about 200 more included in their records, and a further 200 have been highlighted from previous survey work.

Justin said: “We are therefore currently aware of about 1,000 private pumping stations, which is only 20 per cent of a possible extra 5,000 that we may need to adopt.”

Anyone who knows about a private pumping station in our region can email the team via private.pumpingstations@thameswater.co.uk,.

Alternatively, please complete the form in the ‘Got a problem?’ section of our website, under Blockages & Sewer Flooding / ‘Transfer of private sewers’. www.thameswater.co.uk | The SOURCE

8 | june 2012

Photo courtesy of Rory Broughal

Among the runners were,from left,Steve Wroblewski, Keith Gardner, Margriet Drew, Helen Main, Humphrey the Camel (Martin Brockington and Geoff Clark), Ant Tyler (standing behind Humphrey), Alison Bell and Andre Galley, plus (front row) Natalie Slater and Andy Gingell.

Below: Margriet, Humphrey and Andy. Opposite page, from top: Helen Main; Ant doing his sponsored ironing; Margriet, Martin, Geoff and Andy; and Natalie displaying her medal.

Marathon mission runs up record £22,000-plus total for WaterAid

Our WaterAid runners smashed their fundraising target at the London Marathon, bringing in more than ever before, writes Stuart White.

It was full steam ahead for the “incredible” Thames Water team, who together raised more than £22,000 for WaterAid by completing the 2012 Virgin London Marathon.

Ant Tyler hailed the efforts of his 12-strong team as they pounded the streets in the capital to “absolutely smash” their fundraising target of £20,000 at Britain’s premier road race on 22 April.

Technical Scheduling Manager Ant, who is based at our Spencer House labs in Reading, organised the Thames team for the main event for the fourth year on the spin and was proud of their extreme efforts in completing the iconic 26.2-mile course.

He said: “It was an incredible effort to raise so much money for WaterAid. Not one of the team lost sight of how privileged they were to take part in such a fantastic event – the best marathon in the world – and every one of them completed the distance for the benefit of the charity.”

The SOURCE | www.thameswater.co.uk

Staff were invited to apply for one of the London Marathon places by the start of December before a selection committee allocated the prized race numbers to the final 12. Each runner had a personal target of £1,000, with the team set a grand target of £20,000.

The runners began fundraising weeks before, and included Helen Main hosting a bingo night, Margriet Drew organising a pancake race and Ant himself carrying out

a day of ironing. The whole team also hit Reading town centre in fancy dress to boos the coffers by collecting cash for WaterAid. “Levels of fitness are part of the selection process but the most important aspect is raising money for WaterAid,” said Ant, who turns 45 this month.

“There were a whole range of activities and events in the build-up to the marathon and by the time all the money is collected we should be up to £23,000. The commitment from the team was first class.”

Martin Brockington and ex-Thames man Geoff Clark, who now works as a contractor, completed the race dressed as Humphrey the Camel.

Ant also praised Alison Bell, who was an additional member of the team not running in London but who raised more than £2,000 by competing in the Reading Half Marathon.

Photo courtesy Adam Butt

june 2012 | 9

Birthday bash celebrates success of our WaterAid partnership Thames marathon runners: Duncan Smith 3hrs 8m Stuart Smith 3hrs 45m Ant Tyler 3hrs 51m Natalie Slater 3hrs 55m Andy Gingell 3hrs 57m Steve Wroblewski 3hrs 58m Keith Gardner 4hrs 0m Margriet Drew 4hrs 11m Helen Main 4hrs 32m Andre Galley 4hrs 42m Martin Brockington and Geoff Clark (Humphrey the Camel) 4hrs 59m

Staff got together to wish many happy returns to our principal charity.

We celebrated the 30th anniversary of our relationship with our principal charity, WaterAid, in a special event at Reading’s Madejski Stadium.

WaterAid Chief Executive Barbara Frost (pictured) and several of her fellow directors were among the guests attending, along with our own Chief Executive Martin Baggs and other Thames champions of the charity’s work.

Guests thanked the many staff and contractors who, in the last year alone, have raised £597,261 towards our four-year target of £2m for WaterAid – almost £100,000 more than our initial £500,000 target.

And they also highlighted the generosity of our customers, who – via the appeal included in bills – have donated almost £23m over the last three decades.

The event featured a number of speeches, including inspirational words from Head of Communications and Brand Jayne Farrin and Capital Delivery Director Lawrence Gosden, who have both visited the communities we are helping in Bangladesh.

PR14 PMO team member Tom Ray, who is also our Event Representative for WaterAid, spoke about the fundraising planned over the next year.

He said: “We have 14 events that will be taking place in the next 12 months. They will also be more accessible, because we are spreading them more evenly across our region.”

Commenting on the birthday celebrations, Tom said:

“Martin Baggs set the tone by saying it was an event to reflect on our achievements, and to congratulate and thank the people who took part. He also emphasised where the money goes.

“In his speech, Lawrence revealed that 1,900 staff and contractors had been involved in events over the previous year.”

The evening included a host of special awards, including Mark Wickstead, our WaterAid Representative, who received a long-term service award for the support he has given since 1995.

Debbie Smith, Simone Rast, Gary Knights and the 5-20 Team all won awards for raising exceptional amounts for WaterAid, while a further six staff each received one for their hard work organising events: Danielle Sweeney, Alice Cowie, Paul Aust, Michele Slade, Anty Tyler and Helen Harrold. Nic ClayMichael also received an ‘outstanding contribution’ award for organising the annual Raft Race.

Look out for more details of the following events over the coming months: May: Thames OlympiAid event June: Cycle Ride; Clay Pigeon Shoot July: Raft Race September: 5-20 Challenge; Sky Dive October: Five-a-side Football Tournament December: Big Fat Cheesy Quiz practice January 2013: Annual Pantomime in Swindon; Big Fat Cheesy Quiz heats February: Chilli Growing Competition March: Big Fat Cheesy Quiz final April: Reading Half-Marathon; London Marathon www.thameswater.co.uk | The SOURCE

10 | june 2012

News in Brief Greenway provides venue for 10km race A high-profile 10km race was run along the top of the Northern Outfall Sewer in east London, with help from Thames Water.

The annual Newham Classic 10k is normally held near the Olympic Park, but preparations for London 2012 meant that this year organisers had to changed its venue.

The event, held on Sunday 15 April, instead followed the Greenway for much of its length. The footpath and cycleway runs from Wick Lane to Beckton, and provided more than 3km of the route.

Andy Williams, Property Manager for Capital Projects, said: “The Tessa Sanderson Foundation and Academy, who organise the event, approached the Property team to ask if they could use the Greenway.

“We were very supportive and happy to assist with the event, which started and finished in West Ham Park. We liaised with Field Services Manager Mike Gunn, whose Trunk Sewers team made sure access was provided and that the gates were open.

“The race mixes casual amateur runners with international runners at a more serious level, and about 2,000 people were due to have taken part. By all accounts it was a successful event.”

Lottery winners are announced KS Marriott won March’s WaterAid lottery and receives £800. The runners-up, who each win £25, were Natalie Graham, J Bartlett, Phil Bailey, Ian Savage, Alfred Taylor, Jason Beasley, EO Ruddom, Stephanie Baker, Melissa Varcoe, Beth Reeves, PJ Bartlett, Simon Whitcher, Sam Oare and Lisa Hill.

Helen Chapman was the winner in February’s draw. The runnersup were BE Connelly (twice), DM Clark (twice), Fiona Bartlett-White (twice), CFJ Ward, David Hughes, BD Rodriguez, T Hockett, Simone Rast, G Davies, Shirley Williams and Rob Nockolds.

The SOURCE | www.thameswater.co.uk

Legendary Lee knew local supply system inside out Tributes have been paid to an NST renowned for his in-depth understanding of the water mains in his area.

Former colleagues have spoken of their admiration for a long-serving Network Services Technician who was known for his encyclopaedic knowledge of our supply network.

Lee Norman, who died suddenly of a heart attack in December, had retired after 43 years working for Thames Water, most recently as an NST covering the West End. Lee’s funeral was held at York Crematorium just before Christmas.

Full-Time Trade Union Representative Alan Yorston said: “I had the privilege of working with Lee from 1976 until I left Operations in 2003. In all that time I never met anyone more passionate or knowledgeable about his job.

“Lee had a fantastic mind for detail. I used to test his knowledge by drawing a schematic diagram of the valve configuration of a junction with all the details, such as street names, removed. Not only would he invariably identify the junction, but he would also correct any mistakes I had made in the drawing.

“Lee’s knowledge of the network in his area was so comprehensive that he was able to describe the layout of the mains, including their diameters, all cross-connections, broken valves and temporarily shut sections for any important carriageway in the area.

“Not only would he invariably identify the junction, but he would also correct any mistakes I had made in the drawing.”

“I once watched him describe the layout of the mains in Marylebone Road, down to the finest detail, without resorting to a drawing, to help two leakage technicians and their managers who had brought the wrong set of plans to a leakage investigation.

“He was a friend and colleague for 24 years, through thick and thin, and I doubt we will see his like again.”

Leakage Analyst Ali Ravji said: “I had the pleasure of working in the Planning and Despatch team in north-west London during Lee’s last few years with the company. When Lee entered the office it felt like being in school again because he seemed to have the presence of a head teacher!

“I had to make sure I was sitting up straight and daren’t make eye contact, knowing that Lee would certainly make a comment of some sort.

My heartfelt condolences to the Norman family on your loss, and may Lee rest in peace.”

NST James St Jean said: “Lee taught me so much when I joined Thames. He never suffered fools lightly – in fact, he didn’t stand them at all – but he was honest, funny, diligent and someone I sought to emulate as an NST. “He was the best field-based NST I have ever met. I could go on for hours about the times we had and what he showed me. I took Lee’s area of W1 when he retired which most hated working.

“Me and Adam Norman, his son, once spent a whole day trying to shut a main. We ended up shutting back nearly half a mile, affecting multiple properties. At the end of the day, Adam called his dad, who told him about a valve that wasn’t on the plan but that he knew instantly.”

As a result of Lee’s advice, James and Adam were able to go out the next day and quickly rectify the problem.

James said: “This was after Lee had retired four years earlier! In fact, I’d been honoured to be asked to make a speech at his retirement party.

He was my legend.”

june 2012 | 11

Customer commendations show flooding team are FLIPping great Staff fitting flood relief devices on our behalf have been praised for their hard work and helpfulness, writes Heather Lewis-Jones.

Staff working on a project to reduce sewer flooding have achieved an impressive 22 written customer commendations since the project began in November 2010.

The FLIP team, under the watchful eye of Senior Contract Manager Mark Cooper, have been racking up commendations over the last 18 months, with customers remarking on their courtesy, helpfulness and charm.

FLIPs − ‘flooding local improvement projects’ − are small, self-contained pumping units designed to protect homes from the risk of sewer flooding.

They work by pumping sewage and rainwater from private drains in a customer’s property to the main sewer in the road and contain a non-return valve which prevents sewage from entering the property. They can do this even if the sewer becomes completely full during heavy rainfall.

The 81-strong MGJV team, including 21 support staff and 60 construction engineers, are protecting around 50 properties every month and aim to install enough devices to protect 634 properties by the end of May.

• “The workers were very efficient, polite and quick working. Thank you to all of them for all their hard work.”

Capital Delivery Director Lawrence Gosden said: “We want to exceed our customers’ expectations at every stage of the process and are working hard to achieve this across the programme.

• “I wanted to highlight the team’s diligence, can-do attitude, impeccable manners and considerateness in undertaking the works.

Congratulations on having them as part of your outfit.”

“The team deliver an exceptional level of customer service. Going into someone’s home to carry out work is never easy, so it’s great to see such positive feedback. This is a record to be truly proud of and I want to thank everyone involved. Well done.”

• “Work was carried out efficiently by helpful workmen who were at all times polite and informative. It was a pleasure to have the team with us and we are delighted by the finished result. After so many years of being prone to sewer surcharges, it is a relief to now be protected.”

Among their comments, customers wrote: • “I just want to say how quick, neat and helpful your crew were … We really have been very impressed with everyone we

have met on this project.”

• “This has been done with the utmost precision and efficiency and all of your employees have been polite, kind and hard working.”

Weed like your help to root out plant This summer our Biodiversity team are planning sessions aimed at ridding some of our sites of an invasive plant species, Himalayan balsam.

Claudia Innes (front left) with a team of volunteers who helped pull Himalayan balsam at Shalford Water Treatment Works last year.

The plant, a relative of the busy Lizzie, grows rapidly and spreads quickly, smothering other vegetation as it goes. Each plant can produce up to 800 seeds, which remain viable for two years.

Biodiversity Strategy Manager Claudia Innes said: “Himalayan balsam is an invasive species originating from India. It grows up to ten feet tall and out-competes all other plants in the area.

“The plant throws out seeds from its pods, which can travel up to seven metres. They can also be transported down watercourses and set seed downstream.

“Himalayan balsam is a huge problem when it gets onto our treatment works, because it thrives in damp environments and kills off all other plant species in the area.

“The plant is a problem across our region and is found on lots of our sites, usually growing

close to water. Large areas of it can cause river banks to erode, and the biodiversity of the area suffers.”

Do you think you have Himalayan

balsam on your site – or would you like to form a team to help remove it? If so, contact the team, who can arrange a fun pulling session. Contact Cathy Purse or Claudia Innes. www.thameswater.co.uk | The SOURCE

12 | june 2012 Martin, Duncan, Janet, Adam and Jayne visited the four towns we are helping through our four-year fundraising efforts.

Five go to Bangladesh to view first-year progress on aid mission A fact-finding visit to Bangladesh highlighted the big changes our WaterAid fundraising is already making for the four communities we are helping.

The funds from our four-year project to help communities in Bangladesh are being well spent – but there is still a desperate need for more help.

That was the verdict of the five-strong team who recently visited the communities for whom we are raising money – Shakhipur, Fulbaria, Paikgacha and Kalaroa, which has been chosen as the fourth town.

Led by Chief Executive Martin Baggs, they saw how WaterAid is investing the cash to provide water, sanitation and hygiene education.

For Head of Communications and Brand Jayne Farrin, it was a return trip, but it was the first time for Martin, HR Director Janet Burr, Head of Production Duncan Smith and Adam Fuller, Commercial Development Coordinator.

They all wanted to see how the communities had been using money we have raised as part of our four-year effort to collect £2m – half for Bangladesh and the remainder for WaterAid’s other international work.

Here are some of the blogs they posted, starting The SOURCE | www.thameswater.co.uk

with Jayne’s first impressions when they arrived in Shakhipur, after a 30-hour journey.

were truly grateful for the help of WaterAid and Thames Water.

Jayne Ten months ago we saw the squalid toilet that 380 children were forced to use. Today, what a difference. Four clean, working toilets − two for girls, two for boys − had been constructed, and the students and teachers spoke passionately about the improvement they had made to the lives of the children.

Girls have their privacy and will no longer miss school every month. And the business of going to the loo − something we all take for granted − is an altogether more dignified experience.

Martin The two communities we visited today just showed how much can be achieved with a relatively small amount of money but with a huge amount of effort, the key being ownership and pride from the local people.

In the last year they have built a new well, giving them a water supply which is clean and lasts all year. The last one was contaminated and frequently ran dry.

They have a new wastewater treatment plant, which I found the biggest surprise of all. It serves about 300 people and was designed from a text book by a young engineer called Babul, from BASA, WaterAid’s delivery partner.

It is no different to a small plant we would see in the UK, even complete with a reed bed and tertiary lagoon.

The next day, the team went to the RakibNagar slum, which had also been visited in the first trip.

Janet The president of the community, Tabil, showed us the fresh running water that had been installed and he was tearful as he explained that now life was so much better simply because the water was clean and free from disease − things we just take for granted every day of our lives.

It was extremely moving to see how these people

Martin and the team went the next day to two very different slums in Fulbaria.

Janet It was heart warming to see the difference we

june 2012 | 13

have made in both of these very different villages.

The community projects are owned and managed by a community committee run by the women in the village and we have seen some of the most incredible, inspirational young ladies.

These young women are driving the changes and are getting buy-in from the whole community, whilst also educating the younger and older generations.

I left these villages feeling we had made real progress and, although there is a still lot more to do, change was happening.

Jayne This morning we visited two slums that we came to last year. In both cases it is the teenage girls that led the planning with the local NGOs to bring clean water and sanitation to their communities.

I was particularly pleased to meet Manwara, the woman who epitomised for me last year the struggle women in particular have going about their day to day lives.

She used to have to walk two miles to collect water and two miles back, carrying her urn. Three times a day. She used to have the indignity of using the scrub land on the fringe of their tiny community as a toilet, along with the members of the other 45 households.

Now thanks to WaterAid and our funds she can walk less than ten metres to the newly-installed tube well and hand pump to collect clean water.

It takes five minutes from start to finish. She now can use the latrines built specially to give women privacy from the men.

Adam Today we visited a community which is yet to receive any financial support, Jorbaria Gope Para.

It is within the town of Fulbaria and is made up of 74 households. They have no safe drinking water and only ten per cent of the households have access to hygienic toilets.

The villagers are forced to collect water from the local mosque and many use the surrounding woodland as a toilet.

We saw people bathing in the same lake which acted as an outlet for one of the many unsafe toilets on site. The water from this lake also serves for cooking and washing clothes, and even the village cows occasionally have a bath here.

We left the village with the commitment that help is on its way and WaterAid will take the plans to the next phase to ensure the necessary work is completed.

Day four saw the team travel south to Khulna.

Duncan Today we visited the Pachtala Colony in Khulna - a five-storey tower block complex housing 720 families.

This place was the most shocking thing I’ve seen in my life. The buildings were mere shells without glass in the windows, lights or any other ancillaries. Each floor had a dozen single-room homes with rough sheets hung up acting as a door. A family of up to eight are living in each of these single rooms of no more than nine square metres. www.thameswater.co.uk | The SOURCE

14 | june 2012

Quite simply, you couldn’t have made it more squalid, more demeaning, more inhumane if you’d tried − and they cook in the same room!

But the last of the eight blocks has had the WaterAid makeover. The building has been rerendered, the cooking areas moved, the toilets plumbed into down pipes and a small sewage works constructed.

The building was still grim by anyone’s standards, but the rates of diarrhoea, dysentery and skin diseases such as scabies are now lower than in the other buildings.

With our help, WaterAid will support the municipality to convert each of the other seven blocks over time.

Janet When we were leaving a lady followed me down the street talking in Bangla. I had no interpreter yet I could understand exactly what she was saying to me. She had three children and two had already died from diarrhoea as a result of the poor living conditions.

They were feeding and washing themselves in filthy conditions and with water that was contaminated with raw sewage. This wasn’t just about pride and dignity but about life itself.

She clung to me and begged me to help her - it was heart-wrenching to say the least.

On the fifth day of the trip, Martin headed back to the UK, and reflected on his experiences.

Martin I have met some amazingly inspirational people and have seen some fantastic achievements.

Equally, some of the places I have visited are almost beyond comprehension.

Each day has brought another layer of depth and understanding whilst also consolidating the realisation of the enormity that WaterAid faces.

There were several reasons for my visit and one of the main ones was recognising our responsibility to all the fundraisers, customers, contractors and suppliers that work with Thames Water helping to support WaterAid to ensure that all the hard work and money raised is making a difference.

We need to continue to provide all the support we can to build on the great work over the last 30 years − there is still a huge task ahead.

Meanwhile, the four remaining team members travelled to Paikgacha.

Jayne In this part of the country the problem is not about shortages of water but about the quality of the water, as it is contaminated with saline and iron.

Out of the 84 households in Christian Para, only 20 could afford one nine-litre bottle of safe drinking water per day for their family. The other families must walk to collect their water, but it is contaminated with iron, which causes skin disease, tooth decay and constipation.

I left knowing that help is on the way and there is a plan to get a pipe system to transport safe drinking water to all in this very poor community.

The SOURCE | www.thameswater.co.uk

On their final full day, the team visited what will be the fourth town Thames Water is heping – Kalaroa.

Duncan Kalaroa is not a hopeless town. They simply need an opportunity to tilt the scales in their favour against the overwhelming weight of social, physical and environmental challenges they face.

Our visit was littered with examples of a town fighting to survive. We saw an overwhelmed and under-equipped hospital, a school forced to send children to the local mosque to use the toilet and communities bathing in the same river in to which they discharge their wastewater.

As always, we met inspirational people, and with a newly-elected mayor, and our commitment of support over the next 12 months, there is hope.

Jayne Wherever you turn there are problems to solve and people needing help.

Kalaroa can only be described as the forgotten town. It has very little government or NGO support.

Problems are extreme. Apart from poverty and poor sanitation, the key issue is lack of safe drinking water, as most sources are contaminated with arsenic and iron.

At the end of their trip, the team reflected on

what they had seen and the huge amount of help still needed.

Janet The trip has been a real emotional journey for me; it has been frightening, shocking, sickening and sad but also full of inspiration, fun, joy and above all hope. I’m proud that I now have the experience to be able to share with others.

I can tell you that we have made a difference to real lives and we are saving lives every day, but we still have lots to do.

One thing is for sure – I will never take basic water supply, sanitation and hygiene for granted again.

Adam I’ve always been an advocate of WaterAid but if there were any doubts in my mind about where our money goes these have been answered.

I don’t think I can say enough about how awful some of the conditions we’ve seen have been and I know, even without the photos, that there are images which will stay with me forever.

This said, for all the bad, in equal measure there has been so much joy and happiness. The people we’ve met from within the communities, and from WaterAid and their partners, have shown me how much can be achieved.

It’s true that they can’t do this on their own but we have seen how, with our help, they can be inspired to go on and accomplish so much more.

june 2012 | 15

Nature reserves’ new loos are far from bog standard New eco-friendly loos have now been installed at our nature reserves in west and south-east London.

Our nature reserves at Crossness Sewage Works and Kempton Water Treatment Works now have composting toilets for use by site visitors and school groups.

The units – two at Crossness and one at the west London site – are our first composting toilets. They are located in secure metal buildings which are more vandal-proof than the timber-building option.

Museum set for Lottery boost

Karen Sutton, Crossness Nature Reserve Manager, said: “It’s great to finally be able to offer basic welfare facilities to visitors, which is a prohibitive factor for education visits particularly.

Kew Bridge Steam Museum is to receive a £1.8m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a planned restoration project that will turn it into London’s museum of water.

“Previously, at Crossness, school visits had to be arranged in a block period for a limited time so that Portaloos could be hired. It wasn’t cost-effective to hire them in for every individual school that wanted to visit throughout the year, so all visits were squeezed into a few weeks.

“This was not only limiting for the school timetable, but took a huge chunk of my time at a very busy period for site work. It was also rather embarrassing to be located right beside a sewage treatment works and yet not be able to offer basic toilet facilities.”

Karen (pictured below) said all the problems had been solved by the new water-less composting toilet system.

She said: “It’s an educational tool in its own right by demonstrating recycling and sustainability.

The two new eco-friendly toilets at Crossness

“There’s no flushing – you just put a handful of soak (wood shavings) down the toilet after number twos, and there’s a urine separation plate leading to a soak-away for the ladies and a dedicated urinal for the boys. Hand washing is provided by a wall-mounted anti-bacterial gel dispenser.

“So these new facilities should hopefully result in increased visitors, the ability to run more school visits, and some composting material for use on site!”

It aims to turn the visitor attraction into London’s museum of water, with improvements including new facilities, extra display material and water-based interactive exhibits.

The museum, which features a range of working pumping stations, attracts more than 15,000 visitors a year.

Oliver Pearcey, Chairman of the Kew Bridge Engines Trust, said: “This will allow us to transform the museum for visitors.

“We are grateful to everybody who has helped us get to this point, especially our partners Thames Water. We will now be putting every effort into raising the remaining £186,000 funding so that work can start.”

Helen Newman, our Head of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, said: “We are delighted that our partnership with the museum, and the support that it has given, has enabled Project Aquarius to secure this level of Lottery funding.

We look forward to working with the Museum on this exciting project.”

The Trust was established 37 years ago to restore the buildings and engines of Kew Bridge Pumping Station and open the site to the public. The museum currently opens six days a week, with the pumping engines operating most weekends. www.thameswater.co.uk | The SOURCE

16 | june 2012

Labs learn LPO lessons from Mogden A back-to-basics approach has enhanced performance at several major sites, including Mogden Sewage Treatment Works and our Reading laboratories.

Zak Espi-Castillo and Amanda Smith (inset right) have helped pioneer the LPO project at Mogden.

A wide-ranging project which is boosting efficiency at our operational sites is now starting to improve things at our laboratories – an area of the business it was never intended to cover.

Laboratory Quality Manager Kim Lowe was so impressed by the changes she saw the Lean Plant Optimisation (LPO) programme making at Mogden Sewage Treatment Works that she has begun implementing it back at Spencer House in Reading.

Mogden was one of two pilot sites chosen last year for the launch of LPO, which focuses on the principles of ‘lean’ management pioneered in the motor industry and since extended to many other areas of business.

Kim and Mark Handcock, Head of Labs and Sampling, went there to see the new approaches in action. Their trip included a visit to the eastern screenhouse, one of the most important areas of the site, where they were impressed by the changes made.

side of the works, and ten on the east. During heavy rain, they can be bombarded by up to 790m litres of sewage.

Process Manager Zak Espi-Castillo said: “The screens are the first line of defence for any sewage works. In Mogden’s case, they prevent objects larger than 6mm entering the treatment process.

“The screens are the first line of defence for any sewage works.”

“This can range from nappies to plumbers’ drain rods, which may have accidentally entered the sewerage network and end up at the works. We’ve even seen complete tree trunks and, in the past, even a cow’s head!”

The number of restaurants and food manufacturers in Heathrow and the surrounding areas can cause problems with fat.

LPO takes a structured, consistent approach to problem solving, tackling the root cause of difficulties and preventing wastage.

Mogden’s screens were among the first areas of the site tackled.

Zak said: “The screens are the part of a works placed under regular high loading and are often prone to failure. At Mogden, this was regularly the case, due to heavy accumulations of fat blinding the screen elements.

The site has 14 screens – four on the west

“We organised a meeting with the

The SOURCE | www.thameswater.co.uk

manufacturer of the screens. We discussed how, due to the width of the screen, the metal elements were prone to flexing when impacted with heavy objects. This flexing could dislodge the elements and cause complete failure of the screen.

“The solution was to install a reinforcement bar across the length of the element, this would reduce flexibility and strengthen the screen structure as a whole.”

One of the main changes made was to install hot water jetting units in both screening areas, to melt the fat away on a regular basis. Standard Operating Procedures were also revised to ensure daily inspections of the screens.

In addition, the team at Mogden realised the importance of having a clean and tidy work environment. They organised a refurbishment of the screenhouse, removing rubbish, repairing and painting windows and doors, and getting the roof fully refurbished.

Among other improvements, they installed new washwater filters to reduce blockages in the screen spray bars.

Team Manager Amanda Smith said: “The screenhouse was a pretty awful place to work.

Now it is clean, and the screens themselves are

june 2012 | 17

performing better, which has had a knock-on effect on both the treatment process and the morale of the team.”

Team Leader David Hanlon

Zak said: “The amount of time Operators spend unblocking the screen brushes has been greatly reduced, and we no longer need the tanker we were hiring on average once a week do this.

And every screen is currently available in the east screenhouse, for the first time in a number of years.

“Other sites may benefit from reviewing their SOPs and looking into new improved cleaning systems, as well as other ideas the local teams might have.”

Logical That’s exactly what has happened at our laboratories, where Kim – supported by other managers – has begun introducing LPO principles as part of her Foundation Leadership Programme.

One of these is using the ‘five S’ approach – sort, straighten, sanitise, standardise, sustain – to carry out a clear-up of the work environment.

The closure of our London Millharbour labs in 2008 had helped cause the problem, after wastewater chemistry was shoehorned into one room in Reading.

The approach has been led by Microbiology Technical Manager Stephen Bullock, who said: “We generate two million test results per year, and have to be extremely organised and logical to deliver that.

“But there were areas where there was lots of clutter and people didn’t have the space to carry out the analysis – some of which involved potentially hazardous substances. It wasn’t good for health and safety, or for morale.

“We identified a number of areas where this was occurring. Everyone, from analyst level up, has been involved in tackling it. For example,

analysts put green stickers on all the kit needed and red for items that weren’t. We’ve begun to clear this clutter from the lab and actually put the kit we need where we need it, in the appropriate amount of space.”

“Issues would be discussed in arrears, but now we have real-time management.”

Another important LPO principle is holding ‘daily huddles’ – 15-minute team briefings at the start of the day to review performance issues and discuss the day ahead.

Each of the four analytical sections at Spencer House – microbiology, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry and metals – have been holding their own huddles since February.

All staff had the opportunity to decide the nine headings that are included on the three-by-three board that forms the centre of discussions. Examples include key performance indicators (KPIs) and health and safety issues.

Among their daily huddles, staff now look at: • When test results are due • Which staff are available for audits • Visitors who may be working in the building • Accidents and near-misses Team Leader David Hanlon, who holds huddles in the Microbiology laboratory, said: “Previously, issues like KPIs would be discussed in arrears, but now we have real-time management. We decide what we’ll do in the immediate term, which means we are better meeting our customers’ needs.

Conversations “Previously I’d walk around and speak individually to each team member, which could mean different versions of the truth. Now everyone gets the same information, and has the chance to comment – for example, on staffing levels.

“We can share performance and react in a timely way, as when analysts report that equipment isn’t working so that we can resolve it quickly rather than it being left.

“We might also take samples at night – for instance, after a burst main – so the analyst on the standby shift can write the test results on the board rather than maybe leaving them on one person’s desk.”

Mark Handcock has visited a range of huddles and been impressed by what he’s seen. He said: “It’s great that we now meet every day and discuss what’s going on. It’s hard to walk away without wondering why we haven’t always done this.

“We are having in-the-moment, here-and-now conversations that add a lot of value. This is now beginning to feel like business as usual.”

Cryptosporidium Analysts Judith Hodge (left) and Jane Pietruszewski (right)

Kim agrees: “It’s still new, but now it’s our way of working. It’s a culture, not a project.” www.thameswater.co.uk | The SOURCE

18 | june 2012

Six sites get set to welcome schools

Staff volunteering - shown here by a team who helped at last year’s Reading RESCUE litter pick - is just one part of our corporate responsibility work.

Six of our sites will soon be welcoming school pupils to new education facilities, where we can teach them about how we treat water and waste.

New classrooms and safe new tour routes are part of our Ten for Ten series of community projects, covering our sewage works at Slough, Didcot, Maple Lodge, Hogsmill and Rye Meads, plus Walthamstow Reservoirs.

Two modular classrooms have been delivered to Slough and Didcot, and part of the admin building at Hogsmill has been converted into a classroom. The other sites are due to have their accommodation delivered this year.

As well as treatment processes, the school visits will educate children on issues including water efficiency and the need to avoid ‘sewer abuse’.

The classrooms will host visits by students of all ages, but mainly Key Stage 2 (ages nine to 11). At the sewage works, they will also get a tour of the treatment process from start to finish, and will watch a video showing how we treat water, to help reinforce what they have learnt in the classroom.

Each site will be capable of welcoming a class of about 30 children plus ten adults.

Rosemary Waugh, Community Investment Manager, said: “We are keen to ensure the students, their teachers and parents understand what we do, and learn about the issues we face. The students’ learning experience will be linked to both the National Curriculum and our key business messages.

“Believe it or not, children are fascinated by poo, and schools are keen to visit.

“We’ve spoken to a number of other water companies who run similar facilities, and learnt a lot from them.

For example, we’ve developed videos explaining the treatment processes, as it can get noisy on site when talking to 30 children above the sound of the equipment.”

The SOURCE | www.thameswater.co.uk

Platinum plaudits for our best-ever CR result

An independent review has given us our best-ever score for corporate responsibility, writes Pavan Badesha.

An independent assessment of how we manage our impact on society has received its highestever score.

Business in the Community (BITC), who rate our corporate responsibility activities every year, have scored them at 98 per cent, which sees us retain our top ‘Platinum’ rating.

The BITC Corporate Responsibility Index is the UK’s leading voluntary benchmark of corporate responsibility.

It assesses how well we have performed on a wide range of issues, including reducing leakage, generating renewable energy, promoting health and safety, volunteering and putting together our community investment strategy.

Helen Newman, our Head of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, said: “It is a well deserved result, due to a fantastic team effort.

It’s also a huge improvement from our last score of 95.2 per cent − we got the maximum score across 98 per cent of the submission.

“Achieving Platinum means that we are well on our journey to becoming a sustainable business.

“Companies rated Platinum are defined as those that continuously assess the impact that their business can have on the environment and their communities. They can demonstrate three to four years of performance improvements across their key impact areas: environment,

community, workplace and marketplace.

“They communicate their responsibilities in the public domain, and report on the issues that matter most to their stakeholders.

“We know it’s not easy to find the time to write up our success stories, but thanks to the efforts put in by a lot of people across the business, we were able to present our evidence convincingly − and even successfully challenged and improved BITC’s methodology.”

Stephen Howard, BITC’s Chief Executive, said: “I congratulate Thames Water on achieving Platinum. The CR Index has helped to highlight clearly those best practice examples that bring to life in a powerful way what integrated responsible practice really looks like.”

Helen added: “As with any good benchmark, the work continues at BITC to raise the standards. We will have to demonstrate continuous improvement in order to maintain our excellent position.

“We know where we need to focus our efforts, and will be relying again on the fantastic support from around the business.”

Anyone wanting to see the Index feedback report should contact Sustainability Advisor Pavan Badesha. We are also due to feature in a ‘Responsible Business’ supplement in 30 May’s Financial Times.

june 2012 | 19

Volunteers help gain customer insight Volunteer research panels have given us valuable insight into our customer communication plans.

Independent research is helping us make sure we include customers’ priorities in our plans, thanks to two panels of volunteers.

We have our own panel of about 2,000 customers, made up of a cross-section of the people we serve, who have agreed to take part in online or face-to-face research.

And we have an employee panel of around 400 staff who also give valuable feedback on issues relevant to customers. Both groups have been running for a year.

Among the recent studies, 461 customers took part in a survey gauging their awareness of drought issues in the run-up to our announcement of restrictions. The results of a focus group with panel members helped us design our advertising campaign and our public notice about the Temporary Use Ban. A second will be held in May, when panellists will tell us, a few weeks into the campaign, how much they know about the drought, and give their views on the next wave of drought communications.

Victor Freeney, Head of Stakeholder Engagement, said: “The research helped us assess what sort of publicity about the

drought would be needed, and what the key messages should be.”

Earlier research had sought customer panellists’ views on our communications plans for the Thames Tunnel (see page 18). Focus groups were held in Reading and London to seek views on proposed letters and leaflets.

“The studies are providing invaluable information.”

A separate study of 500 customers asked, if they had the opportunity, whether they would consider changing their water company.

Twenty per cent said they would definitely think about it, while only nine per cent were sure they would not.

As mentioned in the ‘Drought Special’ issue of The Source, members of our employee panel have helped test some of our waterefficiency products, including shower timers and toilet cistern devices. They were asked a range of questions, including how easy the devices were to install and use, and whether they saved a significant amount of water.

Staff were also asked their views about a ‘toilet tablet’ being developed by our Innovation team, which customers could put in their toilet cistern to help reduce blockages by dissolving fat, oil and grease in drains.

Among the questions, they were asked how useful they would find the tablet, and how frequently they would be willing to put a new tablet into the cistern.

Victor commented: “The studies, which are run for us by a company called Community Research, are providing invaluable information. We’d like to thank everyone who has taken part so far, and encourage other staff who’d like to take part to join the panel.”

Employee panel members who have taken part in research activities are automatically entered into a quarterly prize draw for £100 of vouchers.

April’s winner was Document Management Manager Beth Reeves, from our Technical Information team, who chose Amazon vouchers.

Membership of the employee panel is confidential, and feedback is not attributed to individuals. If you would like to join the panel please go to http://thames-water. easypanelsite.net.

Southwark pupils feel the pull of rowing More than 200 Southwark schoolchildren were introduced to the sport of rowing, as our Thames Tunnel kicked off their community investment programme.

Staff joined coaches from partners London Youth Rowing to train pupils from St Michael’s Catholic College, which is situated next to one of the main tunnel sites at Chambers Wharf.

The students were shown basic techniques before being pitted against each other in a series of ‘virtual’ races on indoor rowing machines.

During the session, Senior Project Manager Malcolm Orford (pictured) presented the school with five rowing machines. Teachers from the school will also be trained to deliver future indoor rowing sessions.

Michele Smith, Head of Higher Education and Community Learning, said: “We’re very grateful for the time and energy staff

put into providing such a fantastic day of rowing. With a few exceptions, this was the first opportunity our students have had to row.

“Their response was incredible. Most students

were surprised at being so good at a sport that has, up until this point, been largely inaccessible to them.”

More sessions are planned in four London boroughs. www.thameswater.co.uk | The SOURCE

20 | june 2012

Thames Valley teamwork is key for leakage reductions Working closely with our contractors has been vital to beating our sixth successive leakage target – as in our Western region.

Volunteers help out at Hogsmill

With a Temporary Use Ban in place across our region, finding and fixing leaks is more important than ever. Subject to confirmation, we look to have achieved our 2011/12 leakage target by a significant margin – but the hard work continues.

He said: “The success over the past three years is impressive. Year on year, we have had less leakage available to find in Western region but have managed to locate more, assisting greatly in helping the business drive down overall leakage.

Some of the staff who have expressed an interest in becoming volunteer nature reserve wardens at Hogsmill Sewage Works have attended an onsite induction session.

Much of our leakage activity is traditionally focused in London, where our Victorian Mains Replacement project has brought significant improvements.

“Our leakage team, including analysts, network leakage engineers and detection supervisors, work very closely with PN Daly. For example, local knowledge of the areas on the ground is essential to ensuring that we bring down leakage as one overall team. This includes the combined knowledge of Thames Water and PN Daly staff.

Major improvements are being made at the Kingston site, where the staff could potentially be helping out the new part-time warden, Anna Guzzo.

Hogsmill also as our first designated educational trail around an operational sewage works.

Senior Town Planner David Wilson (pictured), who organised the event with Anna, said: “The volunteers were very impressed with the site, including the Surbiton lagoon and new bird hide. They also saw shelduck, tufted duck and little grebe, amongst other species.”

A few weeks earlier, staff from Town Planning had joined colleagues from Mitie for a team building and volunteering session. Their main tasks involved painting the hide with an animal-friendly wood treatment and collecting litter from parts of the reserve.

David said: “It gave us all a great sense of achievement and was a good way to build relationships between the two teams. The session will set a template for future events and team-builds.”

As well as thanking the volunteers, David said he was grateful to Site Manager Hannah Posner, Health and Safety Advisor Kevin Edwards and John Rapple, of Mitie, who provided the wood treatment and painting materials.

The next volunteering day, on 29 May, will involve pulling up Himilayan balsam, an invasive species, from along the Hogsmill river bank. For more details, please contact David.

The SOURCE | www.thameswater.co.uk

Work is also vitally important in the Thames Valley, though. This includes our large and diverse Western region, which encompasses Oxford, Banbury, Didcot, Swindon, Reading, Newbury, Slough, Wycombe and Aylesbury.

Spencer Whiteley manages leakage for the region, which is covered by contractors PN Daly. He said: “There are some massive rural areas where it’s hard to find leaks. In urban parts of our region, we tend to have District Metered Areas, which make it easier to pinpoint a leak. But in some parts of the Western region, you might have to cover ten times the area trying to find the source.

“In the Western region, where we have a real mix of towns, cities and larger rural areas, this is a very challenging task and requires significant teamwork to make things happen. This has been a genuine example of Thames and our contractors working as ‘one team with one vision’.”

“Local knowledge of the areas is essential.”

“PN Daly have been using waste meters – devices which fell out of common usage a few years ago – and attached loggers to them to break up these larger areas and better target the leaks. They took this on to improve their efficiency in large and complex areas.

“For example, in one zone there are 137,000 metres of main which would normally take us up to three weeks to fully investigate – but with data loggers in 13 different locations, we’ve reduced this to just over a day.”

Spencer has also been impressed by PN Daly’s willingness to dedicate resources to the rural parts of the area, and to promote the wider message on leakage reduction.

He said: “As we entered the winter, they also came up with the idea of putting our leak line telephone number on some of their vehicles. They produced stickers and put them on the vans used by the staff who prove customer-side leaks. It was about actively preparing for the cold weather.”

Spencer said that none of the success in recent times would have been possible without a close working partnership.

Searching for the source of a leak in Ashton Keynes, and (above) PN Daly staff set up loggers.

june 2012 | 21

Savings in the pipeline with new spray lining technique An innovative new way to combat corrosion in distribution mains is helping improve customer service, writes Heather Lewis-Jones.

Capital Delivery is using an innovative spray lining technique to cut pipeline replacement costs.

Before and after

The new process is being used on 200 kilometres of distribution mains within the Thames Valley, helping bring significant benefits to the programme.

This shorter time saves between 40 and 60 per cent of costs, adding up to as much as £6m during this five-year AMP. Lining pipes in this way also prevents internal corrosion, so pipelines that would otherwise continue to deteriorate and create water quality issues will provide satisfactory service for years to come.

Mark Davis, Product Specialist in the Capital Delivery Innovation team, said: “Spray lining is an established method of repairing pipes with water quality issues caused by corrosion and provides a cheaper alternative to replacement.

All spray lining techniques have environmental benefits too, reducing our carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent because of the smaller amounts of material used.

Mark added: “Innovative ideas like these are transforming the way we deliver our construction projects. Challenging our traditional approach not only saves money but is also better for our customers and the environment.”

“Resin is applied to the internal surface, repairing damage inside the pipe. But the conventional epoxy resin used to line pipes can take up to 18 hours to dry, which can cause traffic problems and disrupt supply to our customers during that time.”

Now our contractor Optimise is helping to pioneer a new polyurethane spray lining solution which is touch-dry within one minute.

clearly much better for our customers.”

Mark explained: “The much shorter drying time means that the pipes can be chlorinated and returned to service the same day, which is

In fact, spray lining can cut replacement times by up to 70 per cent when compared with traditional methods in a similar environment.

This spray lining technique is just one of the ideas featured on the new Capital Delivery Innovation Hub. Available to TWEXnet users, these web pages are the ‘hub’ where all great ideas for innovation in our capital programme can be shared in one place.

For access, or to find out more, please contact Richard.Smith@thameswater.co.uk.

Health and safety highlighted at second AMP5 awards Crossness Sewage Works was the venue for our second AMP5 Excellence in Health and Safety Awards, covering 2011/12.

Winners included CH2M HILL, who were awarded initiative of the year for a new common visual standards manual, and PN Daly, who won the innovation award for a new pry bar tool which is used to lift meter covers.

Barhale took the best practice in collaboration prize for their work contributing to the success of the Bond Street Station upgrade, while GBM received the improvement award. Our outgoing Chief Operating Officer, Steve Shine, was also presented with a special individual award for his outstanding contribution to health and safety.

Chief Executive Martin Baggs (centre) with winners and finalists at the awards www.thameswater.co.uk | The SOURCE

22 | june 2012 The team set out, and (right) Sewer Inspector Mitchell Fraser illuminates things.

Staff set foot in rarely-entered sewer Four staff have entered a rarely-visited section of the Northern Outfall Sewer to carry out vital survey work.

Intrepid members of our Trunk Sewers Inspection Team have set foot where no human has explored for more than 30 years.

Field Operations Manager David Dennis and four colleagues have walked the full four-mile length of the Northern Outfall Sewer for a vital inspection – a feat that’s normally impossible.

The work had to be done to check the condition of the sewer, because the route of the Lee Tunnel will be drilled beneath it.

But the Northern Outfall Sewer flows downhill, by gravity, to Beckton Sewage Treatment Works, so a combination of sewage and silt has normally made the most easterly section inaccessible.

London’s sewage north of the Thames. David and his colleagues had to check it for defects, which could have been worsened by the ground settlement which the tunnelling work beneath could cause.

David said: “The sewer has five barrels, and we needed to remove the wastewater and silt from one so that we could inspect the whole length of it. We had made a number of failed attempts over the preceding months.

“It was quite difficult and dangerous work. Our colleagues from Wick Lane were on the surface as we walked below, to help us out if we needed to make a swift exit.

Work has already begun on the Lee Tunnel, a huge sewer which will run from Abbey Mills to Beckton, collecting sewage which would otherwise overflow into the River Lee following rainfall.

“That became necessary as we walked the nextto-last section, where we encountered high levels of hydrogen sulphide and got stuck in some heavy silt. We had to make a quick escape, and ensured more of the silt had been flushed out before we went down again.”

The Northern Outfall Sewer carries all of

David was accompanied on the inspection,

which was done in separate sections, by Mitchell Fraser, Kieren Brackley, Gary Bell and Shaun Andrews.

The walk was only made possible after six months of preparations, which included using three pumps to divert and clear the route.

David and the team knew that the final section to Beckton was somewhere few people had been before.

He said: “Most of the guys who have worked here 30 years have never been in that section.

“We knew as we were entering the last bit – which started at High Street South in East Ham – that it was a historic occasion. It was a feeling like euphoria to walk it because no one had before, at least for 30 years or so.”

The inspection has now been completed and has verified that there are no significant defects to repair before the tunnelling work passes beneath.

Have we got moos for you at Farmoor Reservoir The first of several Dexter cattle have arrived at Farmoor Reservoir to help manage our grassland nature reserves.

Four of the hardy breed are already munching grass at Pinkhill Nature Reserve, where they eat the rough vegetation, allowing flowers to grow through underneath.

Matt Prior, Conservation, Access and Recreation Manager for the Thames Valley, said: “Having the cattle on the nature reserve means we don’t have to mow the grass. So they not only improve our habitat management for biodiversity but save us time.”

The SOURCE | www.thameswater.co.uk

The cattle, 12 to 18 months old, came from a herd in Bracknell but the breed originates in Ireland. They are being looked after at the Oxfordshire site by a grazier.

Matt said: “They are only waist high, so look really cute, and are also halter-trained, which means we can move them around the site easily.

They are particularly fond of carrots, which they eat out of our hands!”

The cattle will graze a number of reserves at Farmoor, where they will be fenced off from visitors – although they are tame enough to be stroked.

june 2012 | 23

Dersh pitches in with new range of cricket gear Our Technical Information Manager hopes players will be bowled over by his new range of cricket gear.

Technical Information Manager Dersh Patel is hoping he may one day hit the big time with his new range of cricket gear, including bats, pads and gloves.

the new brand of equipment, Dersh has also been procuring new suppliers, who are producing the range of equipment and sports clothing off-shore in India, and investigating marketing options.

He has teamed up with a former county player to create the new range, and hopes it could one day be used at national level by a young Indian player, Prithvi Shaw, who is tipped as the next Sachin Tendulkar.

He has also employed an offshore IT company to develop an online shop at www.kihara.co.uk, which went live at the end of April.

Dersh hit upon the idea after his son went on a cricket tour of India organised by former Hampshire and Berkshire batsman Julian Wood, who runs a cricket academy at Bradfield College, near Reading.

He accompanied his son, 11-year-old Hampshire all-rounder Rahul, on the tour to India. While there, he got talking to Julian about his plans, which include opening another academy in Mumbai.

Dersh, who is based at Clearwater Court in Reading, said: “I suggested to him we should consider marketing our own brand of cricket gear. He liked the idea, and I’ve since designed a range of cricket equipment under our new brand labelled Kihara, named after the first letters of our three sons’ names – Kieran, Hayden and Rahul.”

During the past nine months, as well as designing

Dersh hopes the new range of cricket equipment and clothing will also be used by young batsman Prithvi, who is tipped for success.

He said: “Julian manages Prithvi, who has been picked for the national under-14s team, despite being under 12. If he carries on playing well, he could make the senior national team within the next ten years, using our brand of equipment.”

Dersh also has plenty of interest from the parents of other young players. As well as accompanying Rahul to local academies and county training, he helps coach at Eversley Cricket Club and assists Julian Wood with coaching while in India.

He added: “I think cricket is likely to go through a boom period. There’s more money coming into the game, thanks to the Indian Premier League and Twenty20 cricket.

“I’m really in it for a hobby, and will be happy if we make enough money to cover our costs, but you never know where it could lead.”

Dersh (inset) and his son Rahul batting in a match in Mumbai

Luke McDermott (right) shares a joke on the minibus with a local resident.

Optimise staff win praise from villagers Staff from Optimise who are working for us on a flood relief scheme in Oxfordshire have been making friends and impressing residents with their customer care skills.

The team have received 15 letters of thanks so far from residents in the tiny village of North Hinksey.

The scheme, which also affects Botley and Cumnor Hill, has involved laying a new sewer in a very narrow lane which is the only route in and out of North Hinksey.

Staff have provided a free minibus to transport villagers affected by the road closure and created a car park so they have somewhere to leave their vehicles. They have also kept people up to date with letter drops and regular doorstep visits, as well as posting updates in the local pub and outside their compound.

Optimise Site Manager Richard Ward said: “It’s been the most highprofile customer care operation that I’ve been involved in and it’s been fantastic to see the effort that’s gone into the project by every member of the team.

“Operations Manager Luke McDermott deserves a special mention for knowing virtually every resident by their first names, but everyone has played their part to make sure that what could have been a tricky project has run as smoothly as possible.”

The year-long £7m project is due for completion by September.

The complex scheme, which initially involved looking at more than 80 options, will manage existing flows plus those from a new housing development. www.thameswater.co.uk | The SOURCE

Maxine stands out at Palace

Maxine, a Secretary with our legal partners BLP in Reading’s Clearwater Court, was asked to ensure everyone stood for the playing of God Save the Queen.

Maxine said: “I was sitting in the front row as we waited for Prince Charles to arrive to make the presentation. A Palace official said he’d wink at me when the music was about to start – so I’d then stand up and everyone else would follow suit.

“It was a big responsibility, as there were over 300 people in the room – I was terrified that if I blinked I might miss his wink!”

Maxine (pictured) joined her parents and brother for the presentation to mum Yvette, announced in the New Year Honours List. Her MBE was for services to music and to the community, reflecting the 21 years she has spent leading the Police Service of Northern Ireland Ladies Choir.

Maxine said: “When we were waiting to get in, it was a feeling of pure excitement to know we’d be entering the Palace.

“They had everything running like clockwork. I loved the whole experience, from seeing Prince Charles through to taking photos afterwards with the Yeomen of the Guard. I got emotional as it’s such an achievement for my mum – I’m so proud of her.”

The SOURCE | www.thameswater.co.uk

Photo courtesy of Phil Thomas

All eyes were on Maxine Anderson when she visited Buckingham Palace for the presentation of her mum’s MBE.

David Walters and Dagmara examine a manhole cover at Island Road, Reading.

Hole lot of help from manhole cover study Research by our Innovation team could mean fewer failures for tomorrow’s manhole covers.

Experts in Innovation have been analysing the causes of manhole cover failure, and could play a part in ensuring future models are better designed.

A team at Island Road in Reading have looked at a range of broken covers from across our region, to better inform our buying process and develop an archive for future reference.

Dagmara Janicka, now a member of our Private Pumping Stations Team, worked on the project as Senior Research Scientist.

She said: “There was a serious concern over one particular design, which showed a definite increase in failure rates compared to older designs. In the worst cases, covers failed just six months after being installed.

“A European standard exists, but it doesn’t take into account fitness for purpose or longevity, and there has been no road testing. That means the same cover can be fitted in areas with different traffic volumes.”

Dagmara and her colleagues asked contractors Cappagh, who replace broken covers, to record the location and store them at their Kidlington depot.

She said: “The covers were closely examined, measured and photographed, along with the age and manufacturer. The manhole position also helped establish the reasons for failure.”

They studied a random selection of 61 covers to establish which designs failed most often. As well as Dagmara, the research involved Senior Technical Lead Don Ridgers and consultant Mike Shepherd.

Dagmara said: “This research could potentially lead to improved cover designs with information being fed back to the manufacturers. We’ll communicate the results to the European standard review, to help provide evidence rather than just opinions.

“At Thames, we’ll also use the results in future Framework Agreements, to ensure that the durability of manhole covers is taken into consideration in the procurement process. We want to reduce the likelihood of repeat failures and limit the risk of catastrophic failure.”

We are also taking part in a separate study by WRc (Water Research Centre) to investigate manhole performance and potentially inform future maintenance strategies. A number of trial sites have been set up in our region.

Designed by: Octagon Design and Marketing Ltd, Britannic Chambers, 8a Carlton Road, Worksop, Notts S80 1PH. Tel: 01909 478822

24 | june 2012