Water Industry Journal 4

Water WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

INDUSTRY JOURNAL

September 2017

Optimism amid the challenges facing water companies

Wastewater Technology and Treatment | Water and Wastewater Monitoring and Analysis Flow and Level Measurement | Pipeline Technology | Clean Water Networks

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Wij

The Civils and Utilities specialists

KEEPING THE COUNTRY CONNECTED At Burdens our purpose is clear. To keep the country connected.

By using our expert knowledge and national reach we supply the essential infrastructure products and services that keep our communities functioning.

We understand the importance of keeping projects on schedule. And that means getting the right materials, to the right place, at the right time‌ Every time.

Connect with us to see how we can help you on 0344 292 7090. www.burdens.co.uk

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

WELCOME z

Welcome

Time for the water industry to feel the love Welcome to the latest edition of the Water Industry Journal, which is published during a time of great challenge for the industry.

Actually, it’s always a time of challenge for the industry. Indeed, few industries face as many challenges as the water sector and, as this edition of the magazine shows, many millions of pounds are being invested into improving the service.

From upgrading pipes to refurbishing ageing pumping stations, from sharpening environmental performance to improving customer service, the water sector is upping its game all the time.

John Dean

Editor in chief

Supporting the approach is a wealth of technical innovation. Water companies are investing heavily in new technologies, everything from new ways of treating sewage to the adoption of renewable energy sources.

Backing the work are many private companies whose technical creativity is constantly bringing forth new products and services.

Their innovative approach to the job in hand is inspiring.

All of this work is necessary because water companies are dealing with a raw material that is precious, that is fundamental to life, and one that is likely to come under severe pressure as the climate changes.

It is an awesome responsibility and one that the public expects water companies to carry out to the best of their ability.

After all, the image of polluted rivers, clogged with detritus pouring into their waters from heavy industry, are well within living memory. An awful lot of good work to clean up a waterway can be ruined by one image used prominently in the media and showing dead fish floating on the surface. In an age where social media allows stories to go viral in seconds, the pressure on water companies to get it right has never been greater.

Does competition confuse the issue by placing too much pressure on budgets? The industry is opening up like never before and water

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companies are competing for customers in a way that they never had to in years gone by.

That presents great opportunities but with it comes temptation. Do they cut costs in order to become leaner and more competitive, is it right to do so and does the environment feel the effect?

Thankfully, the stories told on the pages of this magazine suggest that our water utilities are resisting the temptation to put profit before responsibility and that millions of pounds are still being invested in improving a service that we all take for granted.

Perhaps that’s part of the problem. We all turn on the tap and expect clean water to appear without thinking much, or at all, about how much work went into producing it and how much it has cost Most of us do not consider the problems that water companies face in replacing ageing pipes and upgrading buildings, or the challenges of avoiding pollution incidents in a world where climate change can cause flash flooding that overwhelms waterways.

Or indeed the part we can play in using water wisely.

Our interview with Dr Pete Fox, Director of Water, Land and Biodiversity for the Environment Agency, emphasises the point.

The agency expects the industry to take its responsibility seriously and will take action if it does not, but Dr Fox also wants to see greater public appreciation of the work that the industry does.

Yes, there will always be mistakes, cases of human error or technical glitches which cause things to go wrong, and, yes, we expect to see those responsible held to account but perhaps the time has come for a greater public acknowledgement of the immense strides the industry is making.

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

CONTENTS z

Contents

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News

16-17 Big Interview 18-27 Wastewater Technology and Treatment 30-41 Flow and Level Measurement 46-55 Clean Water Networks 60-63 Pipeline Technology 64-75 Water and Wastewater Monitoring and Analysis

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Editor

John Dean john.dean@distinctivepublishing.co.uk

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Design

Distinctive Publishing, Unit 6b, Floor B, Milburn House, Dean Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 1LE Tel: 0845 884 2385 www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk

Contributors

John Dean & Francis Griss john.dean@distinctivepublishing.co.uk

Advertising

Distinctive Publishing, Unit 6b, Floor B, Milburn House, Dean Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 1LE Tel: 0845 884 2385 www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk

Distinctive Publishing or Water Industry Journal cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies that may occur, individual products or services advertised or late entries. No part of this publication may be reproduced or scanned without prior written permission of the publishers and Water Industry Journal.

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z NEWS

Thames Water's new 12,000 PSI jet vac tanker, operated by Lanes Utilities

Jet vac tanker takes on construction waste

Thames Water has a new high-powered weapon to tackle cowboy builders who allow concrete and other building materials to block sewers.

The new high-pressure jetting and vacuumation tanker is operating across London and the Thames Valley, including Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, and parts of Surrey, Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire.

It has the additional water jetting power needed to blast concrete from the inside of a sewer, preventing the need for a costly and time-consuming excavation to replace a blocked pipe.

The £430,000 JHL jet vac tanker, which is more than four times more powerful than a standard machine, is supporting the work of Lanes Utilities, part of Lanes Group plc, the wastewater network maintenance partner for Thames Water.

Thames Water says it has become increasingly concerned about the number of instances in which concrete, and other difficult-to-remove materials, cause sewer blockages that can disrupt services.

In February, it had to begin a major civil engineering project to remove a 10-metre section of main sewer under Hanover Park, Peckham, South London, which was found to be filled with concrete.

Other construction materials, such as mortar, grout and mastic can get into drains and sewers. Once solidified, they create snagging points for other materials wrongly disposed of down drains, such as wet pipes and sanitary products.

The problem may only be discovered during periods of heavy rainfall, when the restricted flow in the sewer results in localised flooding, something Thames Water is tackling with its Bin it - don't block it campaign.

Lanes Utilities Director Andy Brierley said: “In some cases, builders accidentally pour concrete and other materials down drains and sewers, but in others it appears to be a deliberate act to avoid the need to dispose of it legitimately.

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“By their very nature, these blockages can be devastating for whole communities.

One moment a large sewer can be flowing freely, the next it can be completely blocked, or flooding, inconveniencing thousands of wastewater customers.”

The high-pressure unit is operated by wastewater engineers Chris Costin and Dan Merry. Chris said: “This is a very effective piece of kit. We can now cut large chunks of concrete and other material from inside pipes, and remove pretty much all traces of the blockage to reduce the risk of snagging and further blockages.

"If the sewer is blocked along its length, there may be no option but to excavate and replace it but for a lot of our most serious blockage problems, we've now stepped up several levels in our capability to deal with them.”

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

NEWS z

National honour for water company

Radar sensor £460* Low-cost radar sensor for water level measurement

Anglian Water was named ‘Responsible Business of the Year’ at the Business in the Community Responsible Business Awards ceremony.

One sensor, all round capability - Reliable level control for water and sewage treatment facilities, pumping stations and rain overflow basins. Level sensing for sludge processing and AD units. Open channel flow measurement, open water and flood level monitoring.

Responsible Business of the Year is one of the UK’s highest accolades for a business and recognises companies that put social and environmental concerns at the heart of their strategy.

VEGAPULS WL S 61 ▪ Measuring range up to 8 m

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Peter Simpson, Anglian Water’s Chief Executive, said: “This award, which has been won previously by M&S, Fujitsu, Veolia and many other great, forward-thinking companies, is a wonderful endorsement of our employees, suppliers, and customers that have been part of our sustainability journey and made Love Every Drop a reality by putting water at the heart of a new way of living.

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“Key to this is our approach in looking beyond our business, going much further than is expected of us.

Further information: www.vega.com/wls61

“Through innovation and collaboration, we’ve delivered a total transformation of our business with leading performance in reducing leakage, reducing our carbon footprint and energy usage, supporting education and careers in science, engineering and technology, and by supporting communities like Wisbech. As a result, we’re making great strides improving the region around us, too.”

Call +44 1444 870055

The Awards Gala took place at the Royal Albert Hall and the awards were presented by broadcasters Jeremy Vine and Emily Maitlis.

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z NEWS

(L-R) Ryan Scate Heyn Engineering, Dean Campbell NI Water, Kevin Denvir and Gerry Kelly of Heyn Engineering

NI Water awards £3.25 million water contract

NI Water awarded a new £3.25 million contract to local firm Heyn Engineering. Heyn, of Duncrue, for the supply and maintenance of safety and maintenance equipment over the next six years.

Dean Campbell Category Manager, NI Water Operational Procurement team, said that Heyn will maintain, test and certify more than 20,000 items of lifting and fall arrest equipment such as cranes and hoists.

contractors can safely get access to underground services and tanks to help us continue to deliver high quality water and wastewater services, as well as meeting our statutory requirements.”

Heyn will also supply replacement equipment, which is essential for the company to maintain its network of pumping stations, treatment plants and reservoirs throughout Northern Ireland.

Kevin Denvir, Director of Engineering at Heyn, said: “The contract has created additional jobs and improved job security amongst our engineering division. Being selected on a contract of strategic importance by such a high-profile organisation such as NI Water, has also helped to raise the profile of Heyn Engineering in the industry.”

Dean said: “Health and safety is a key priority for NI Water and this essential service supplied by Heyn will ensure that staff and

South West Water switches to Colilert®-18 for all compliance testing IDEXX, the global leader in rapid microbiological testing for water, has announced that South West Water has selected the Colilert-18 method to detect the presence of E. coli and coliforms in its drinking water.

The switch to Colilert-18 from the traditional agar plate method followed a six-month comparison study between the two. The study concluded that Colilert-18 was faster, more accurate and met the goals of the laboratory and operational scientists.

South West Water supplies a customer base of 1.7 million people throughout Cornwall and Devon and in small areas of Dorset and Somerset, and welcomes more than 7.0 million visitors during the peak summer tourism months.

Accurate and timely microbiological analysis is essential in delivering their goal of

supplying good, safe drinking water that has the trust of their consumers.

South West Water is the latest major UK utility to adopt the Colilert-18 test, which is also used extensively by Thames Water, South East Water and Essex & Suffolk Water.

Providing confirmed results in 18 hours compared to the 48 hours it takes to run agar based tests and requiring no confirmation steps, Colilert-18 was made the ISO 93082 standard for the enumeration of E. coli and coliform bacteria in all types of water in 2012 and was added to the European Drinking Water Directive in 2015, where it is now included as one of only two reference methods for coliform and E. coli detection.

Claire Coppin, South West Water’s Laboratory Manager, said: “Switching to the Coliert-18 test enables us to get water quality results

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in half the time compared to the agar tests that we ran previously. It is quick and simple to use and our studies showed it to be more accurate.”

Andrew Headland, Senior Business Manager for IDEXX EMEA, said, “Colilert-18 has again demonstrated real value to a water operations team, providing accurate, rapid and cost effective results which facilitate confident decision-making. The value of a long shelf life also means that South West Water will only need to order two to three batches per year compared to two to three batches per week for the agar based test.”

Colilert-18 consists of a reagent powder, which is added to a standard 100ml water sample and then incubated for 18 hours in the case of presence/absence determination.

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

NEWS z

Project reduces abstraction Thames Water and Action for the River Kennet (ARK) celebrated the completion of a £30 million project to reduce abstraction, at an event in Mildenhall, Wiltshire.

Representatives from organisations including the Angling Trust and the Environment Agency were present to formally mark the commissioning of Thames Water’s new Axford pipeline, running 17 kilometres from the company’s Blunsdon reservoir north of Swindon, to Whitefield reservoir to the southeast of the town.

habitats and ARK has campaigned for more than 20 years to reduce the amount of water exported from these rivers.

“The pipeline is very welcome and we congratulate Thames Water and the Environment Agency for making it possible.

We look forward to working with them to ensure a sustainable future for our rivers.”

The move will mean less water being abstracted by the water company, protecting the River Og and the River Kennet downstream of Marlborough during periods of dry weather.

Thames Water’s CEO, Steve Robertson, said: “While we’re celebrating the end of this project, I want to be clear that this is the start of our journey, not the end.

“The work ARK is doing to bring key water issues to life is truly inspiring – especially among the younger generation. In campaigning on this issue in particular over

The pipeline, which saw engineers cross both the Great Western mainline and the M4, will see Ogbourne water treatment works replaced with a booster station, with another station constructed at Whitefield reservoir. Swindon’s water supply will now be supported by both Blunsdon and Farmoor reservoirs, via the pipeline. the past 20 years, they’ve changed the way that we as a company think.”

ARK Director, Charlotte Hitchmough, said: “Chalk streams are unique and important

As part of the event, Steve Robertson was joined by schoolchildren from Ramsbury Primary School and ARK Chairman Richard Clarke, to release baby eels, known as elvers, into the river.

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z NEWS

Flood prevention scheme is completed The final part of Morpeth’s £27million flood alleviation scheme is complete.

A glimpse into the future

Severn Trent took schoolchildren into a virtual reality to inspire young people into becoming the next generation of engineers.

The company took part in the Big Bang Fair 2017 at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry and took some of its newest technology along to engage with the youngsters.

Dr Shahad Al-Janabi, from Severn Trent, said: “We always grasp the opportunity to inspire the next generation of engineers and on this occasion we were able to take along some of our apprentices and graduates to give the students a real taste of what it’s like to work for Severn Trent.“

Severn Trent was recently named in the firstever Social Mobility Employer Index which ranks Britain’s top employers on the actions they are taking to ensure everyone has the opportunity to find a job and to be promoted, regardless of their background.

The company has 125 apprentices and 65 graduates working across the business, having been brought in over the past two years and intends to add 62 apprentices and 38 graduates for 2017/18.

Campaign highlights reservoir dangers A third of people in the North West admitted they would consider swimming in a reservoir to cool down, research from United Utilities has revealed.

The water company, which owns 180 reservoirs across the region, conducted the research ahead of the peak summer season, when risk takers are most likely to take the plunge.

With latest statistics revealing 300 people in the UK lost their lives in 2016 due to accidental drowning, United Utilities launched a campaign to highlight the risks to teens and their parents.

Matt Upton, United Utilities' Water Catchment Manager, said: “While teenagers are the most likely to put themselves in harm’s way, we’ve seen adults and even parents with young children taking the plunge, not realising just how much danger they are in.”

Reservoirs, with their sudden drops, hidden machinery, unpredictable currents and

freezing water can be fatal for those who ignore the warning signs.

United Utilities’ research revealed: • 33% of the North West would consider swimming in a reservoir to cool down in hot weather.

• Teenagers can be easily swayed by peer pressure. Almost half of North West teenagers say they have taken risks they now regret. 7% said they would take the plunge in a reservoir if others were doing it.

• 10 % of those surveyed admitted that they, or their friends, had tried 'tombstoning' - jumping into the water from a high platform such as bridge or cliff.

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Work to construct Cotting Burn dam was the last piece of work on the multi-million pound joint Environment Agency and Northumberland County Council flood scheme.

Cotting Burn dam has been renamed The Hargreaves Dam in memory of Northumbria Regional Flood and Coastal Committee Chairman Jon Hargreaves, who died in October last year.

The dam works alongside other flood protection measures to reduce flood risk to about 1,000 properties in Morpeth.

To reduce the risk of flooding from the River Wansbeck, in-town defences were completed first, followed by the large upstream storage area at Mitford, which has already operated to protect the community. This year, tree poles were installed into the river near to Lowford Bridge to prevent large debris from reaching the town centre.

The construction of the new dam and storage area, which reduces the risk of flooding from the Cotting Burn, was finished in May and it is now operational.

Separate work by Northumberland County Council to address surface water flooding at several locations in the town is under way and scheduled for completion

by March 2018 at a cost of £1m. This is being financed through a Government grant from the Environment Agency and county council funding.

The Environment Agency’s Alan Cadas, Operations Manager in the North East, said: “The Morpeth flood scheme is the biggest in the North East and boasts one of the largest flood storage areas the Environment Agency has ever built.”

Northumberland County Council contributed £12 million, making it one of the first schemes of this scale to be jointly delivered by partners.

Councillor Glen Sanderson, Northumberland County Council’s Cabinet member for Environment and Local Services, said: “This was a great example of agencies working together on a hugely ambitious engineering project and the fact it has already been used more than proves its worth.”

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

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Contract will deliver increased green energy

Welsh Water has reached a milestone in its drive to cut carbon emissions by ensuring that its sites across Wales and Herefordshire are now powered by green energy.

The not-for-profit utility company already generates its own energy from renewable sources but a new contract with DONG Energy will ensure that the energy Welsh Water uses from the grid will also be guaranteed green.

The company already generates 20% of its own energy needs through wind, hydro, solar and advance anaerobic digestion – with the aim to increase this to 30% by 2019.

Welsh Water’s announcement about becoming a green-only energy user came as the company signed a £250 million loan facility with the European Investment Bank. The money will help finance the company’s capital expenditure programme and its plans to further develop renewable energy generation at its sites.

Steve Wilson, Welsh Water’s Managing Director of Wastewater Services, said: “We’ve

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significantly increased the amount of energy we generate at our sites over the past few years by embracing technologies such as solar panels, hydro turbines, anaerobic digestion and our first wind generation sites in the past 12 months. By incorporating these sources with the green energy we now receive from DONG, we really are able to make a meaningful contribution to protecting our environment from the effects of climate change.”

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

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Helping pumping stations keep up with technology Pumping station with a place in history An iconic Thames Water pumping station on the Isle of Dogs has been declared a Grade II* listed building by Historic England.

The site on Stewart Street was given listed status due to its unique design

by British architect John Outram.

It’s the first listing to come out of Historic England’s Post-Modernism project with other modern buildings set to follow in its path. © Historic England One of the biggest priorities for water companies is maintaining supplies to their customers and that means that pumping stations have to produce optimum performance every minute of the day.

The big challenge presented by pumping stations is the need to make sure that often ageing buildings are using up to date technology.

That is why many water companies are investing millions of pounds in improvements, both to replace ageing equipment and install the latest in technology.

A good example is the £250,000 project to improve the resilience of Godalming’s water supply, which has recently been completed by Thames Water.

Work to upgrade the Frith water booster station, which helps pump 22 litres of drinking water a second to 15,000 properties, began in September and was successfully finished this summer.

Old and inefficient pumps were replaced with new ones at the Sandy Lane site, while a new and less noisy back-up generator was installed so the machinery can continue operating as normal if the main power source fails.

According to the company, the improvements mean that water supplies are much less likely to be interrupted due to pump failures or power cuts, and also that Thames Water’s engineers can drain the nearby Priorsfield Tower reservoir to inspect its condition without local water supplies being affected.

Work on the 135-year-old reservoir, which has to be inspected every ten years, is set to begin this autumn.

Thames Water project manager Steve Doell said: “The upgrade was £250,000 well spent as the water supply to 15,000 properties is much more reliable because of it.

“We know how frustrating is it for our customers when they’re without water so it’s down to us to make sure we do all we can to reduce the risk of problems and keep the water flowing. By making our equipment less noisy we hope we’re being a better neighbour to people living nearby too.

“This project is a great example of how investment in some of our smaller sites can still make a big difference by improving the essential service we provide.”

Many sewage pumping stations are being upgraded and there are many companies carrying out work, much of it driven by the need to reduce disruption to their customers.

For instance, Severn Trent has completed work to upgrade a sewage pumping station in Milford, Derbyshire.

The work, which took place on equipment near to the A6, forms part of a £500,000 investment to upgrade two pumping stations in the area.

Graham Robinson, from Severn Trent, said: “The work we’ve been doing is really important as the pumping stations help us take waste water away from customers’ homes.

“The completion of this phase means we’ll have to carry out far fewer maintenance checks and will cause much less disruption for customers and motorists in the area in future.”

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The storm water pumping station has been in operation since it was first designed by Outram and built in the late 1980s. It becomes active during periods of heavy or prolonged rain when the main sewer network fills up and pumps excess water directly to the River Thames to prevent flooding.

Site manager Gerry Sullivan said: “The building has always attracted attention from passers-by and certainly doesn’t look like the average pumping station but it was still a surprise when Historic England got in touch to say they were interested in making it a listed building.

“Its new-found fame won’t change it, though, and it will continue to play an important role in managing storm water and reducing the risk of flooding on the Isle of Dogs for many years to come.”

Roger Bowdler, Historic England’s Director of Listing, said: “John Outram’s pumping station was one of the most exciting buildings of the 1980s.

“Outram exulted in the panache and exuberance of Classicism, and gave this utterly functional structure an exterior which is unforgettable. It is vital that we keep the List up to date: it’s really exciting that we are starting to see the very best of PostModern buildings find their place among England’s finest works of architecture.”

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z NEWS

Festival produces groundbreaking ideas Northumbrian Water’s NWG Innovation Festival brought 1,000 people, including delegates from around the world, to the North East to explore new ideas for the industry.

Some of the world’s biggest names in business took part in the event over five days at Newcastle Racecourse, including IBM, Microsoft, Ordnance Survey, BT, CGI Group and Reece Innovation.

has outlined the areas we believe the water industry should put its focus on – puts a lot of emphasis on innovation and so this is the sort of event that I think we probably want to see more of in the future.

Themes investigated included flooding, leakage, infrastructure, green cities and mobile working, and the hundreds of ideas submitted were streamlined to produce 18 projects that can be developed.

“There is definitely something about collaboration that is really important to doing innovation well. My limited experience of these sorts of processes in other sectors is that the really good innovative ideas come out when you get people from very different backgrounds and frames of reference coming together and trying to take a fresh look at how to solve long-standing problems.”

Carl Pheasey, Director of Strategy and Policy at water industry regulator Ofwat, said: “I think the idea is fantastic and it’s very timely, because the launch of PR19 – where Ofwat

Heidi Mottram, Chief Executive of Northumbrian Water, said: “The amount of time you spend tackling problems over the course of the year adds up to a lot of working hours. The NWG Innovation Festival has enabled us to achieve that in five days.

“There is a lot of hard work still to be done in delivering these ideas but we are convinced that the spirit of collaboration and innovation will continue long after the festival has closed, because these are important issues that deserve the continued focus of all involved.”

“There is a lot of hard work still to be done in delivering these ideas but we are convinced that the spirit of collaboration and innovation will continue long after the festival has closed.”

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

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‘Preparing for the Future’: How do we upgrade our infrastructure for the 21st Century?

‘Keep It Flowing’: What do we know about leakage from water pipes and how can we fix it?

• Greater sharing of information between businesses, to ensure that services can be delivered in a way that better suits customers, with a particular focus upon those members of the public who are vulnerable and need additional support.

• A tool that allows water companies to focus their efforts on areas where the biggest impact on leakage reduction can be made.

Led by headline sponsor Reece Innovation

• Sensor mapping technology that improves knowledge of the various service infrastructure, such as gas, electricity and water, that lies beneath the ground.

• The introduction of a system where communities can tell companies, such as those that deliver services, what is important to them.

• The introduction of shared infrastructure corridors, allowing different businesses to use the same pipes for their services, improving information sharing and reducing the impact upon the public of maintenance.

• The use of technology such as fibre optics to improve the data available on utilities networks, particularly focusing on pipes and cables beneath the ground, to allow companies to identify problems more quickly.

‘Tomorrow’s World’: What will living and working look like in 2030?

Led by headline sponsor CGI

• A ‘life assistant’ that filters through the increasing volumes of information, from such areas as e-mail and social media, to prioritise what is delivered to users and when.

• A personalised artificial intelligence device to learn about the environments and schedules that best suit the wearer, helping them to adapt their working practices accordingly.

Led by NWG.

• A system that will allow water companies to more closely monitor their network of pipes, highlighting deterioration and areas of risk before leaks happen.

• The use of mobile apps that allow members of the public to report leaks with greater accuracy, using geospatial technology.

• More collaboration with experts outside of the sector, using the power of data to deliver a better customer service.

‘Rain, Hail or Shine’: How can we reduce flooding?

Led by headline sponsor IBM

• Members of the public who would work closely with relevant agencies and help to keep communities informed, to help reduce flood risk and enable people to be better supported when they are affected.

• The creation of an agency that links directly with customers to give and receive bespoke information on flooding, helping to reduce flood risk.

• A collaborative approach to reducing the surface water that runs from the landscape into water courses.

• A system that utilises artificial intelligence technology to deliver bespoke flood information to users, so they are better informed about how to respond when problems occur.

‘How Green is Your City?’: What can businesses do to improve the environment in the North East?

Led by headline sponsor Ordnance Survey • Installing special ‘moss trees’, which absorb pollution, into towns and cities.

The trees would also help to reduce surface water that might enter sewers and contribute towards flooding. This idea will be entered into Ordnance Survey’s Geovation Challenge in October, alongside hundreds of other ideas from around the world, where it will compete for funding that will help it to realise its potential.

• A text message and app system that will alert people to opportunities to car share, work from home or an alternative location, and advise on time, money and carbon savings.

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‘21st Century Reach’: How can we optimise a mobile workforce for a complex network business?

Led by headline sponsor BT

• Creating a single, integrated system, that brings together all of the information necessary for a particular job, from details of the work, the tools needed, recordings of the initial call from the customer, previous jobs at that location, and even training videos.

Optimism

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z BIG INTERVIEW

amid the challenges facing water companies

These are challenging times for the water industry. Ageing infrastructure, pollution, flooding, drought, they all test the industry on a daily basis. However, progress is being made and one of the people acknowledging the work that has been done is senior Environment Agency official Dr Pete Fox, left, who has praised the progress that the industry is making in tackling the problems.

Dr Fox, Director of Water, Land and Biodiversity, said that, although much remains to be done, and billions of pounds of investment is still required, the water industry is making genuine progress The Agency has a wide range of responsibilities, one of which is to prevent pollution damaging water courses, and Dr Fox said that, despite several recent high profile prosecutions for pollution incidents, not all of them concerning water companies, the overall picture was optimistic.

He said: “The water companies are making great progress, although there have been some prosecutions and those times when something goes wrong is a frustration to the water companies and ourselves alike.

“Such incidents may be caused by human error or a technical problem and when they happen we work with the water companies to see what went wrong and how we can avoid it happening again.”

The overall effect, he says, is that UK rivers are cleaner than ever before, with the resultant return of fish life, although Dr Fox thinks there is a long way to go on the Water Framework Directive (WFD) before it can be said that there is no need to target improvement.

He said: “We have seen great improvements in the past twenty years, including in rivers that were considered biologically dead, but I do not think we are anywhere near the point where we can say that the job is done.

“The UK Water Industry Research has estimated that the cost of implementing

the WFD could be £27 billion in the UK alone between 2010 and 2030.”

rising too high is when the toilets overflow or when sewage enters their properties.

However, pollution is not the thing that most concerns him, as it might have done twenty years ago at a time when the UK was considered ‘the Dirty Man of Europe’.

“The water companies’ plans that they are drawing up for the years to come include upgrading ageing infrastructure so that does not happen as well as putting in place other measures.

Now, Dr Fox thinks that the biggest challenge is the effect that climate change will have on water supplies, either through excessive rainfall that causes catastrophic flooding or lengthy dry spells leading to drought.

A Water UK report published last year underlined the concerns when it said that there is a ‘significant and growing risk of severe drought impacts arising from climate change, population growth and environmental drivers.’

It predicted that hotter temperatures will drive up demand for water, as well as increasing evaporation during spring and summer, adding: ‘While water resources in some areas are resilient to climate change, others are expected to experience a significant impact on water availability. For example, a dry climate could treble the risk of experiencing a severe drought in the East of England.’

Dr Fox said: “I think climate change will be the biggest challenge to the water industry in the years to come. We have seen a succession of wet winters and wet summers which has resulted in flooding.

“As a result, we are seeing water companies taking a range of measures, for instance, to stop sewage overflowing. Very often, the first sign that people have that rivers levels are

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“Drought will be another challenge. Because we have had wet winters and summers in recent years, we have not really had many droughts but there have been times, particularly in the south of England, when there have been concerns.

“What we are seeing is water companies carrying out work to ensure the resilience of their water supplies. Their focus is increasingly on the extreme weather that we can expect to experience.”

Complicating the picture is the opening up of the industry to competition with all the increased pressure that can bring on budgets.

Dr Fox said: “It is too early to say what effect increased competition will have. There could be some benefits but undoubtedly there will be some tensions and we need to keep an eye out for any perverse outcomes. We will not be sure what effect it will have for some time.”

Overall, though, he is optimistic. He said: “Water companies pay a pivotal role and sometimes I think that the public take them for granted.

“They turn on the tap and water comes out but I think the time has come for water companies to receive more appreciation of what they do.”

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

BIG INTERVIEW z

I think climate change will be the biggest challenge to the water industry in the years to come. We have seen a succession of wet winters and wet summers which has resulted in flooding. As a result, we are seeing water companies taking a range of measures, for instance, to stop sewage overflowing.

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z WASTEWATER TECHNOLOGY AND TREATMENT

Final product that comes from the struvite plant

The Future of Wastewater Treatment – how do we change?

By Nick Mills Head of Wastewater Innovation at Thames Water

Why change?

Our industry needs to do something different as traditional solutions will not solve some the problems now facing the industry. Thames Water is facing significant population growth which will put strain on existing assets particularly the larger urban treatment sites with no space for expansion. By the time you add the possibility of additional and tighter quality requirements the drivers for doing something different are very apparent.

Traditionally intensification of processes require additional energy or chemicals

and a net increase in OpEx which is not an option if we want an environmentally and economically sustainable business that our customers can afford. However, we as an industry have a large and valuable asset base which we can’t replace overnight and even if we technically could we are unlikely to able to afford to, so whatever we do needs to optimise and build on what we already have.

That’s quite a wish list!

So the wish list for future treatment is:

Thames Water have pioneered the adoption of Thermal Hydrolysis starting back in 1998 at Chertsey, Surrey. 20 years on we have multiple THP sites and 50% of all of Thames Water’s sludge is treated with the technology which intensifies anaerobic digestion, enhanced performance and reduces OpEx. Thames and others and now deploying 2nd generation THP at sites like Long Reach in East London

1. Needs to fit on existing sites with minimal, if any, land 2. Needs to utilise existing legacy assets 3. Be built with minimal CapEx whilst reducing OpEx 4. Improve effluent quality

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Luckily, there are innovative solutions out there and many are well developed and have been implemented at full scale. We are in a very exciting period as innovative solutions are now technically and economically feasible and there is more in the pipeline.

Who are the pioneers?

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

WASTEWATER TECHNOLOGY AND TREATMENT z

THP at Long Reach sewage works and collaboratively developing 3rd generation.

Thames Water have also installed Europe’s first struvite recovery plant and the UKs first biomethane plant.

not drive suppliers and contractors to be innovative. We must have a much more open conversation about risk as making mistakes is ok but not trying is irresponsible.

DC Water, Washington DC USA are commissioning a huge anammox liquor treatment plant the largest in the world, treating a population equivalent of 4 million people. The processes utilises smarter bugs for ammonia removal requiring less energy and foot print than conventional activated sludge.

As the head of an Innovation department I would say this but we need to increase our investment in research and development.

Again the utilities should drive this, research

by Manchester University showed that R&D led by utilities had greater success – which does make sense as the utilities are the end client, they will purchase successful products if it works and solves a problem. In fact I believe collaborative projects involving a utility and a technology company work even better.

Waterboard de Dommel, Netherlands have upgraded their plant in Amersfoort with Thermal Hydrolysis, struvite recovery and anammox liquor treatment all at once a bold and brave move which should be respected.

In Brazil they have implemented mainstream anaerobic wastewater treatment for a large site treating a population equivalent of 1 million people. The process doesn’t require aeration and produces a methane rich biogas suitable for power generation. A step change the next challenge will be working out how to get the same bugs to work in our climate something the industry is pushing for and working with experts at Cranfield University.

Paranoia surrounding Intellectual Property prevents collaboration and often prevents some technologies \ solutions being considered. This is an age old problem which you trace back the first ever patents. It is has been argued that even Stevenson spent more

What is stopping it happen and what needs to change?

We are very risk adverse and ‘set in our ways’ as an industry we have broadly utilised the same process technology for over 100 years.

We even had a party to celebrate the 100th birthday of the activated sludge process, developed in the UK. I for one marked this as a very sad day! For a long time there has not been the drivers to develop and adopt new processes but as this article has hopefully explained we are living in a very different world now and we must change. We do have some cultural issues to address risk aversion and I believe the utilities must take the lead.

The need for process guarantees on new processes should be debated as this does

Struvite recovery plant in Slough

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time defending his patent for Rocket Steam engine than developing the technology as a result he sold very few for the 10year life of the patent, once the patent had expired and competition had access he was compelled to innovate to keep up and sales and the business took off.

Conclusion

The pioneering companies mentioned above have had success because they have taken calculated risks, they have the support or a champion within the company and maybe even have a few mavericks who can ride through the inevitable challenges new ideas receive. Recent trends have shown that the industry is changing and innovation is now getting embedded at scale. It is a really exciting time to be working in wastewater treatment.

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z WASTEWATER TECHNOLOGY AND TREATMENT

Water treatment is at the heart of green dairies

Dairy operations – involving the processing and packaging of up to one billion litres of milk a year – are energy and water intensive procedures, producing hundreds of cubic metres of high strength wastewater every day.

The UK’s largest dairy company has made a commitment to reducing its environmental impact and becoming a pioneer in sustainable development, working towards the world’s first zero carbon dairy facility. Plans for a £150 million dairy offered the perfect opportunity to find innovative solutions to energy and water requirements, helping to reduce the net carbon dioxide contribution from power supplied to the plant. The dairy’s facility management company brought Veolia Water Technologies (Veolia) on-board to help develop a wastewater treatment solution in line with the company’s ambitious plans.

A zero carbon operation is a challenging target; producing one litre of milk requires the equivalent volume of water, it generates vast amounts of low and high strength wastewater and solid waste, and has considerable power demands. Veolia’s solution needed to consider all of these factors, as well as ensuring that all effluent discharge adhered to specifications set by the local water authority.

The top priority was to look at recycling and reusing water to reduce environmental and financial costs, starting with cleaning low strength and grey water via a reverse osmosis plant and returning recovered water to the dairy for clean-in-place (CIP) before being reused. Treating medium and high strength wastewater from milk production, however, is a more complicated process, and Veolia tackled the project by designing, supplying and commissioning a waste to energy facility in three phases.

The project would make use of Veolia’s technology in a staged process to produce

effluent suitable for sewer discharge, while generating biogas and fertiliser as by-products and saving on waste disposal costs. The biogas would then be used as on-site fuel at the plant’s Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system or as a heat energy supply to the milk production process, while the nutrient-rich biomass would be harvested and used as a substitute for land fertiliser by local famers.

The first phase saw a Memthane® anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) installed, offering cost-effective treatment of high strength wastewater within a small 75 square metre footprint. The patented, cutting-edge technology was developed by Biothane – part of the Veolia group – and is central to the wastewater treatment. The reactor sits within a system of components, including an equalisation tank, ultrafiltration membrane banks and polishing units, and significantly reduces operation costs compared to conventional technologies. In this case, the design was built to handle 500 cubic metres of wastewater every day, containing 5.5 tonnes of chemical oxygen demand (COD) – a measure of the oxygen required to decompose organic matter and oxidise the inorganic chemicals in water. The effluent is effectively free from suspended solids thanks to the small pore size of the ultrafiltration membranes, and meets stringent regulated consent limits for sewer discharge.

The treatment system was monitored during the first year of phase one operation, and the collated data revealed information about the wastewater characteristics and increased volume demands that was used to inform

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the second phase. As a result, the system was upgraded to handle a daily capacity of 800 cubic metres of wastewater, containing 8.7 tonnes of COD, and aerobic stages – reliant upon Veolia’s ANITA™ Mox and Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) technology – were added at the end of the process to reduce levels of ammonia and phosphate in the sewer discharge. In addition, a second reactor was installed to ensure milk production continuity in the event of a reactor failure, and offer resilience and robustness.

The final phase turned the focus on the company’s solid waste digestion plant, which generates energy from treating out-of-date returns from its extensive customer base.

Veolia developed the interface between the digestion plant and Memthane reactor to transport biogas and water to the plant, where the water aids in the digestion process and the biogas is returned to the grid as gas or electricity.

Since its completion in 2015, the dairy plant has shown that a combination of good planning and advanced process technologies can go a long way towards achieving the zero carbon goal.

Veolia’s wastewater treatment solution has reduced COD in wastewater by more than 99 per cent, and produced between 0.6 and 0.7 normal cubic metres of biogas per kilogram of COD removed. The design has enabled the dairy to successfully manage varying volumes and strengths of wastewater, as well as reduce its reliance on external power, all while supporting the development of new products.

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z WASTEWATER TECHNOLOGY AND TREATMENT

1

3

5 1

Aerial view of the Munchengladbach WWTP with the long sludge pipe between the digester and pipeline marked

2

The original 250mm diameter pipe has been reduced by 70mm by the MAP deposits inside the pipe, thereby reducing plant throughput

3

The two MAP reactor vessels with the grit washer and struvite receiving skip

4 15mm thick deposits were encountered in

2

4

5

the centrifuge drums causing vibrations and excessive wear Daily struvite production 1-1.5 TPD

Phosphate recovery at Munchengladbach Neuwerk WWTP

The Munchengladbach Waste Water Treatment Plant treats a population equivalent of 850,000. The facility, which has a tight phosphate discharge consent, includes an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant which is located a considerable distance from the onsite sludge centre.

In 2005 significant problems with crystal deposit formations were encountered in the pipeline between the digesters and the sludge centre as well as associated valves and equipment including the centrifuge drums. The crystal deposits were identified as Magnesium – Ammonium – Phosphate (MAP), with the chemical formula NH4MgPO4•6H2O, also known as Struvite. MAP is normally produced in a high pH, high conductivity and temperature environment where magnesium, aluminium and phosphate are present in a 1:1:1 mole ratio. Therefore, WWTP’s with AD and low P consents are particularly prone to MAP formation. The presence of MAP at Munchengladbach WWTP caused considerable operational issues for the plant including, but not limited to: • Reduction in sludge treatment capacity • Problems operating valves • Significant vibration issues with the centrifuges • Considerable wear of plant and equipment Significant maintenance time and costs were incurred in trying to minimise the effects of the MAP deposits including physical removal with a hammer and chisel as well as intensive acid cleaning. This was not a sustainable long term solution.

A MAP inhibitor was then dosed into the system which proved effective at prevention but operational costs were high.

In September 2005, a pilot trial commenced using the Struvex process, which is based on a patent owned by Berlin Water. This process consists of a large vessel with an internal reactor section into which air and magnesium chloride (MgCl2) are dosed to raise the pH value to 8.1. The digested sludge is fed into the tank where the process causes the MAP crystals to form and then precipitate, whilst reducing the phosphate load in the sludge from 450 mg/L down to 40 mg/L. The pilot plant treated 25 m3/h and was located in an existing concrete storage tank into which EPDM diffusers were installed and fed by a rotary piston compressor. Magnesium chloride was dosed from a 40 m3 double walled storage tank. The original Struvex trial ran up until May 2006 and was then extended pending installation of the full facility. The trial proved very successful in eliminating MAP formation and encrustation of plant and equipment.

During the pilot trial, there was a 2.3% point improvement in dewatering of the sludge which was a considerable additional operational and financial benefit to the client.

Annual sludge operation and disposal costs for the Bio-P plant on its own were running

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at EUR 3.15m, with the addition of the dosed MAP inhibitor costs rose to EUR 3.2m. Annual costs for the Bio-P plant with the Struvex MAP precipitation plant are EUR 2.6m providing an annual saving of EUR 600K. Following the successful trial and the additional economic benefits a full scale Struvex plant has now been installed at the facility. Due to lack of space the system had to be split into a two reactor process located in the sludge centre, with a total of 7-8 hours’ retention time in the Struvex reactors. The process diagram is detailed in Fig 6.

The MAP (Struvite) is separated out and cleaned in a grit washer before being fed into a waste skip. The daily struvite output at Munchengladbach from the Struvex process ranges between 1 and 1.5 tonnes per day. The Struvite is removed from site by lorry and sold as a fertilizer.

CSO Technik are the exclusive UK suppliers/ installers of the Struvex process in the UK and Republic of Ireland for P.C.S - Pollution Control Service GmbH. For further information please contact Thom Gornall or Colin Froud or visit www.csotechnik.com.

STRUVEX ÂŽ PHOSPHATE RECOVERY SYSTEM

Operational Sites in: Berlin, Amsterdam & many other locations

Eliminates struvite and other crystalline deposits from plant & equipment Improved dewatering Reduced sludge disposal costs Improves total phosphate discharge from works Recovery of struvite for use as a fertiliser Reduced operational and maintenance costs

The StruvexÂŽ reactor provides a highly efficient method for promoting the growth, settlement and removal of struvite (MAP) and other crystalline deposits from digested sludge. Prevents clogging and damage to plant and equipment.

CSO Technik are working with P.C.S (Pollution Control Service GmbH) as the exclusive distributors in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Contact Thom Gornall or Colin Froud for further information.

01732 700011 | www.csotechnik.com | sales@csotechnik.com

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z WASTEWATER TECHNOLOGY AND TREATMENT

How Asset Refurbishment can save water companies thousands of pounds and keep them compliant Tim Farley

Utility Resilience Advisor – Water & Gas, Adler & Allan Resilience and Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) are becoming increasingly popular areas of investment for utilities. Given Ofwat’s advocacy of a Totex driven approach to expenditure, the water industry is beginning to recognise the importance of planning ahead to ensure they can tackle risks such as climate change, population density growth, and ageing infrastructure.

This ‘refurbish rather than replace’ approach is undoubtedly a great step forward for water companies, freeing up valuable resources and cash that could be put to better use in meeting customer outcomes, all while extending the life of critical assets and infrastructure.

What makes PPM a critical part of effective resilience is its ability to prevent issues from growing exponentially behind the scenes before culminating in the form of burst pipes, pollution incidents, or sustained periods of asset downtime. For water companies where success in AMP6 is intrinsically linked to serviceability, it has never been more important to ensure that each link of the chain is as at least as strong as the chain itself.

In light of OFWAT’S approach to PR19 which calls out the need for Water Companies to address ‘Asset Health’, water organisations need to consider just how expensive the cost of doing nothing really is. After all, the costs of an avoidable replacement or civils remediation will almost always exceed that of a resilience solution such as the spray lining of settlement tanks with Adalline® 400, which is guaranteed to extend the life of assets by decades.

Adler & Allan’s work with Thames Water is a testament to this recently undertaking the refurbishment of Sludge Digester 1 at Oxford Sewage Treatment Works. The Digester is a critical asset used to process waste and produce energy on site and a critical feature of the work undertaken was to minimise disruption to process whilst extending the life of the asset by a further ten years.

The roof of the Digester had become badly worn over its current life cycle and there was evidence of surface cracking that if untreated could have potentially compromised the containment of methane produced as part of the digestion process.

The Solution

Adler & Allan’s solution was to coat the roof area and surrounds with their specialist polyurea Adalline® 400 lining to provide robust and resilient refurbishment. Adalline® 400 is a high tensile, high elongation, high build, fast-set elastomer. It is specifically formulated to provide a tenacious bond to surfaces, providing a cost effective, flexible, tough, resilient monolithic membrane with water and chemical resistance. Adalline® 400 is an excellent choice of elastomer to topcoat structures for protection, primary containment and extension of asset life.

To enable works, Adler & Allan liaised closely with Thames Water operations and subcontractor parties to establish safe working access. This involved the provision of scaffolding to access the work site which was within a controlled area and the installation of bypass pipework to minimise pressure within the digester during preparation and coating.

Once safe access had been established, work was undertaken in four stages.

1. The roof and surrounds of the digester were shot blasted to remove contaminants and prepare the surface for coating.

2. Cracks and visible defects were then repaired using conventional civils techniques.

3. Once the areas had been satisfactorily repaired, they were treated with a Stainguard primer to maximise adhesion, with existing assets sealed using a Rallithane jointing compound to soften profiles.

4. Finally, a 2mm coating of Adalline® 400 polyurea coating was applied across the treated area. Subsequent to coating, all surface areas were validated using a dielectric testing method to provide a 100% fully warrantied containment solution.

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The Outcome

The protective lining has extended the life of the digester by a minimum of 10 years at a fraction of the cost of replacement or a traditional civils remediation that would have necessitated lengthy operational downtime. The quick setting properties of Adalline® 400 allowed the work to take place with minimal operational disruption and a full return to service was achieved within 24 hours. Ongoing co-operation and liaison throughout the three week project period ensured that all deliverables were met safely, efficiently and on time.

“The project has been highly successful and A&A have undertaken a very professional cost effective job.” Thames Water Project Engineer If you’d like to find out more about Adler & Allan’s work within the water industry please visit their dedicated Asset Resilience website http://assetresilience.adlerandallan.co.uk

About Adler & Allan

Adler & Allan is the UK’s leading supplier of environmental and technical services, successfully protecting the UK’s critical infrastructure for over 30 years. With global coverage, class-leading capabilities, and a range of innovative technologies, they are relied upon to deliver critical compliance, flood protection, fuel, emergency response, and resilience solutions to the Utilities sector worldwide.

Built on leading technology and decades of industry experience, Adler & Allan’s services are specifically designed to help water companies meet the unique challenges of the industry and deliver and outperform against ODIs to secure maximum AMP7 funding.

ARE YOUR ASSETS WINTER READY AND RESILIENT TO SEASONAL FLOODING?

Solutions that extend Asset life Through innovative Totex contracting Adler & Allan oer water companies Flood Mitigation, Asset Refurbishment, and Environmental Protection solutions that extend asset life and ensure delivery of customer outcomes.

To assure your assets are ready for winter, contact us today to find out more about our solutions.

Call us on 0800 592 827 or email resilience@adlerandallan.co.uk Visit our website http://assetresilience.adlerandallan.co.uk/water/

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z WASTEWATER TECHNOLOGY AND TREATMENT

Eliquo Hydrok introduce the LysoTherm® system to the UK LysoTherm® is a patented system for the thermal disintegration of organic sludge, especially sewage sludge. It is specially designed to enable the efficient, cost-effective and safe disintegration of sludge.

LysoTherm® is a thermal process, without the use of steam, to enhance anaerobic digestion of organic sludge which has added advantages over many of the alternative solutions available in the UK. The system offers the capability of increase gas yield and the dry matter content in the digested, dewatered sludge which leads to increased digestion capacity, also to an increased potential to recover phosphorus as a magnesiumphosphate from the sludge.

Combine this with the LysoTherm® process’ ability to decrease organic residues in digested sludge, reduce polymer consumption used in the dewatering process, reduce digestion time and the amount of sludge to be disposed of whilst reducing foaming and viscosity within the digester, all helping to lead to the elimination of pathogenic bacteria.

How the LysoTherm® system works The LysoTherm® system is flexible and versatile. In addition to the thermal disintegration of excess sludge (primary disintegration), it can also be used for the conditioning of digested sludge (secondary disintegration).

The Eliquo Water Group have successfully installed the LysoTherm® system in several European locations and now the system is available in the UK through Eliquo Hydrok.

Discussions with several UK Water Companies about the LysoTherm® system, with test sites planned for the near future, have begun.

• Sludge is fed via the sludge pump (feeding pump,1) into a multistage heat exchanger system. The feed is a continuous process.

• Pre-heating takes place in the first stage of the heat exchanger system (2), then the sludge is heated up to reaction temperature within the tube reactor (3) • The proper disintegration process takes place at the pre-determined reaction temperature in the disintegration reactor (4) where the sludge usually remains for 30 - 60 minutes. After the disintegration is completed, the sludge is cooled down in the cooling stage (5) to the temperature

required for entering the digestion tower; alternatively, it can be mixed with cold primary sludge in order to be cooled down to digestion temperature.

• The system is heated via two heating circuits: the thermal oil circuit (6) to create the necessary process heat in the pipe reactor. The process heat is typically recovered from the exhaust gases of the CHPs. The regenerative circuit (7), using water as heat transfer medium makes the heat recovered from the disintegrated sludge in the cooling stage available for preheating.

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To discuss LysoTherm® contact Lewis O’Brien, Technical Director, 01726 861900 lewis.obrien@eliquohydrok.co.uk

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

WASTEWATER TECHNOLOGY AND TREATMENT z

Energy-efficient electric Selwood pumps launched for water industry A new energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly pump has been launched by Selwood to provide solutions for a range of water industry applications.

Selwood’s specialists have developed and launched a new Super Silent electric drive addition to their renowned S range of solids handling pumps.

The S150 pump, available with an environmentally-friendly 30KW IE3 electric motor, has been introduced in response to a recognised need among customers for an energy-efficient, sound-attenuated and loweremission pump.

As well as being developed for large infrastructure schemes in the UK, the S150 electric is ideally suited for applications in the water and wastewater industry and major clients in the sector are now renting the pump.

In developing the pump design, Selwood already had the benefit of its S150 Seltorque pump being the global leader in water and wastewater, sewage and sewer bypass, and over pumping operations around the world.

The company’s specialists were tasked with designing and manufacturing a model that had the same proven pumping capability, together with exceptional energy-efficiency and low-emission features.

Air flow and canopy cooling were the main technical challenges to overcome and Selwood invested in new production and testing equipment, as well as employing more electricians, in developing the S150 electric.

Working in partnership with key suppliers, the S150 Seltorque 30kW Super Silent pump has been developed with the following features: • Capable of the same superb performance as Selwood’s 1800rpm diesel-powered model, providing 100mm solids handling.

• 310m3/h capacity • 27m total head

• Variable speed drive to ensure the perfect balance between efficiency and performance depending on the application.

in response to customer feedback, and our expanding S range is a prime example of the benefits of this approach.

“The addition of new products and variations, including this electric version of the S150, builds on our commitment to ensuring that our specialists can find the perfect pump for any water industry application.

“We have seen very positive feedback to the S150 electric, with major clients in the water and wastewater sector renting now they know the units are readily available.

Drainer “D” range, which are renowned for their versatility and performance and are ideally suited to dewatering across a wide range of applications.

Offering high-volume, high-efficiency fluid transfer, the “D” pumps are perfect for use with water (clean with fine or larger solids) and screened sewage. Electric Super Silent units of D200, with a capacity of 600m3/h, total head of 37.5m and 55mm solids handling, will also be available later this year.

“It all adds up to a very exciting period for Selwood as the company invests further in electric units this year, next year and beyond.”

All pumps come with Selwood’s commitment to outstanding customer service. Offering 24/7 365 days-a-year service, backed by one of the country’s largest fleets of quality pump products, Selwood is unique in its position as the leading pump rental solutions provider and a manufacturer of quality contractors pumps for sale worldwide.

A total of 50 of the high-specification pumps have been supplied to Selwood’s rental fleet, which covers a comprehensive network of branches across the UK. The company is also offering them through its sales operation.

Selwood, which has a manufacturing pedigree spanning more than 60 years, has already begun developing electric versions of other pumps, including the S200 which has a capacity of 560m3/h and will be available later this year housed in Selwood’s market-leading Super Silent canopies.

Renowned for outstanding expertise, Selwood’s clients include Anglian Water, the Canal & River Trust, Wessex Water, Welsh Water and United Utilities. With the largest dedicated network of pump rental branches across the UK, Selwood is proud to deliver bespoke installation and site surveys.

Chris Garrett, Selwood CEO, said: “We are constantly revising and improving our range

Specialists are also developing an electric model of the company’s industry-leading

For more information, visit www.selwoodpumps.com

• Suitable for multiple uses including water and wastewater, sewage and sewer bypass and over pumping.

The market-leading Super Silent canopy makes the S150 pump one of the quietest models available, ideal for complex applications where noise attenuation is a priority.

“We have also seen significant interest on the sales side, with units sold into Germany and France.

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Malpas Service Reservoir Adding years to the useful life of a century old asset Service reservoirs play a key, if sometimes unsung, role in the supply of clean water within the UK. While most are far less visible and well known than the open reservoirs and other sources they serve, they balance supply and peak demand and ensure that customers’ taps never run dry. The refurbishment of one such service reservoir dating back over a century has given it an additional 30-year lease of life at a fraction of the cost of building a new one.

But undertaking the contract was not without its technical challenges. This article sets out the work undertaken earlier this year by Stonbury on behalf of United Utilities at Malpas Service Reservoir, Cheshire.

Scope of works - Internal & External • Removal of flume from centre of tank • Grit blasting to walls and surfaces • Cleaning of Staffordshire blue engineering bricks • Preparation work to floors, before complete overbanding towards floor centre (spider-web effect) • Mesh fixture to all wall surfaces • Concrete spray over the mesh creating a new wall surface • Installation of scaffolding and safety netting to roof internal (for safe external works) • Refurbishment of roof vents

Project background - In common with a large number of service reservoirs, Malpas Service Reservoir, owned and operated by United Utilities, dates back many years. The 20.5ML balancing reservoir was built in 1913 close to the village which gave it its name and lies close to the southern border of Cheshire, a few miles from the border with Wales.

Then, as now, it formed an important ‘staging post’ for water flowing from Lake Vyrnwy in North Wales into the North West. Lake Vyrnwy was constructed in the 1880s with a capacity of 59.7GL, originally to supply water to Liverpool via a 68-mile aqueduct constructed by Liverpool Corporation. Other pipelines were subsequently added, and the water from Lake Vyrnwy now forms part of a network of sources supplying a much wider area.

Today, the Malpas Reservoir helps service a population across a wide area of Cheshire. And while originally it was built as an open tank for clean water storage, after regulations changed, the circular tank was enclosed with a steel-clad roof.

Malpas Service Reservoir adding years to the useful life of a century old asset. Having served its purpose well for over a hundred years, time has now taken its toll on Malpas. Recent investigations discovered water ingress to the tank and the existing brickwork walls were found to be in a poor state. Stonbury, specialist contractors to the water industry, were commissioned to undertake a comprehensive internal refurbishment together with some external repairs.

The project came with a number of challenges – not least carrying out work on the roof internal, where roof vents were allowing in

rainwater. This required erecting scaffolding and an extensive area of safety netting. External access to the roof also posed safety risks as the roof had a low load bearing capacity.

two days behind schedule at one point, requiring weekend working to regain time. Work on the grating was completed in week 7 to cover the outlet channel.

In addition, the contract came with a tight deadline of just 12 weeks because of the need to get the reservoir back into use to meet the higher customer demand of water in late spring. The client specified a very high quality surface internal finish, ensuring that the reservoir will enjoy the maximum service length after completion. This raised the contract value to in excess of ÂŁ500,000, but the higher specification has given the service reservoir an expected 30 years of additional life; against an estimated new build cost of ÂŁ5m.

During week 9 of the contract, a separate team erected scaffolding and fixed safety netting to the internal roof, providing safe internal access to the vents. During this week, steel fabrication contractors also came on site to install a series of channel covers inside the reservoir. Because the metal roof would not safely withstand the weight of people working on it, scaffolding was erected in several places over the top, together with a series of safety lines to provide safe external access to the vents. With the roof vents fixed in place, a Davit Arm and an SS ladder were introduced; and these, together with the scaffolding, provided safe access for the internal steel surfaces in the roof to be coated.

Stonbury assigned a team of 15 full time personnel to the project, including specialist contractors for the steel fabrication and construction of new stainless steel stairs within the reservoir. Work commenced in November 2016 and was completed in early April 2017.

Project progress - The project commenced with overbanding to the floor joints, applying the longer lengths first while keeping the joints clean ready for the welding. Ultimately, some 3804 metres of overbanding were required to cover the 3849m2 of flooring creating a spider web effect in the circular-shaped reservoir.

Priority was given to completing the joints near the flume first, so it could be fixed back into position. At the same time, another team commenced grit blasting the walls to prepare them for resurfacing, as well as cleaning the other surfaces; including the steelwork within the reservoir. Work started first on the walls at the lower section, allowing regular checks on the profile to ascertain if the amount being removed was adequate and even.

A team of specialist engineers then undertook a detailed survey of the roof vents (which had been allowing in rain water) and the grating to the floor channel to determine the scope of work required, while the blasting grit was removed from the reservoir floor by another team.

By week 6 of the project, the overbanding to the floor of the reservoir had been successfully completed, and the internal surface of the reservoir walls, comprising Staffordshire blue engineering bricks, had been sufficiently prepared for mesh to be fixed to the walls across 24 bays and a total area of 1200m2. Fixing the mesh, which ultimately took a total of 15 days, created a suitable surface for the concrete spray to be applied. In total, 55,000 litres of concrete spray were applied to the perimeter walls. Timber screed rails were then fixed into place and spraying of the reservoir walls began in week 5, once the mesh had been applied in the first few bays.

To stay in line with the contract schedule, a target of completing the spraying of one bay a day was set, while mesh fixing continued on the remaining bays. Progress was slowed somewhat with numerous spray pump breakdowns, putting the concrete spraying

With the concrete spraying nearing completion, work then commenced on the perimeter walls overbanding, applying some 120m of overbanding to seal the joints between the 24 bays.

In the final week, all plant and equipment were removed, final tests conducted to ensure the water tightness of the overbanding and the site cleared and cleaned ready for inspection. A new handrail was installed on the top landing area and bracing applied to the newly installed access ladder. The final inspection was conducted by the client and the project was deemed completed and handed over.

Conclusion - Stonbury, one of the largest contractors in this sector of the water industry, typically undertakes around 450 refurbishment projects of this nature every year, making the process fairly standard for Stonbury and their supply partners. The ageing nature of our water supply infrastructure, and the cost of replacing it, means that retaining the structures that can be refurbished should represent a very worthwhile investment where it is technically feasible and financially viable. Moreover, there is a wealth of knowledge within the sector on the best techniques and materials to use, and considerable experience gained over the years on tackling projects of this nature to anticipate likely problems after work commences and factor these into contract tenders.

The Malpas Service Reservoir offered some interesting challenges, not least the issue of safely accessing the metal roof (internally and externally) in order to repair the vents and coat the internal surface. Because of the high specification, particularly on the finish of perimeter walls, it could undoubtedly have been delivered at a lower cost with a lower specification, but this would have impacted upon the future duration of the reservoir.

Stonbury have a legacy of structures within the UK water industry designed and built by our predecessors to last a very long time indeed. With foresight, ingenuity and the application of modern refurbishment techniques, many of these structures can be retained and used for some time to come.

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Significant investment by Irish Water to protect rivers and coastal waters Irish Water is investing millions of euros in a programme to improve flow monitoring and performance sampling equipment in wastewater treatment plants across Ireland.

The national flow monitoring and sampling programme will see €10m invested across 400 wastewater treatment plants of varying sizes, in order to comply with EPA licence requirements.

Irish Water says that the work will collect build flow and load data which will help the company put together its strategies for upgrading, maintaining and improving plant efficiency as well as ensuring that it can identify early where investment is required to meet future demands.

The investment will allow the company to make wastewater flow and load data available on a consistent basis for the first time.

When the programme is completed, plant operators and engineers will have the data and tools to enable them to better manage the treatment processes, measure performance and react quicker to any sudden changes such as a storm event, says Irish Water.

The programme involves the installation of flow measurement devices, storm event recorders and sampling equipment, ensuring compliance with EPA Wastewater Discharge

Authorisations with respect to monitoring and sampling requirements.

As part of the programme, €2.7m million has been invested in sampling equipment in wastewater treatment plants across the North and West region.

There are three separate contracts under way in the region. The first has been completed and represented an investment of €1.7 million in Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Monaghan and Sligo.

A second contract worth €500,000 is under way in parts of in Cavan, Galway, Monaghan and Roscommon and a third, also costing €500,000, is taking place in Donegal and Mayo.

Irish Water is also spending €935,000 in flow monitoring and performance sampling equipment in wastewater treatment plants across the East and Midlands Under the East and Midlands Flow Monitoring and Sampling programme, flow measurement devices, storm event recorders and sampling equipment will be installed in 56 wastewater treatment plants.

John McElwaine, Irish Water’s Capital Programmes Regional Lead, said: “Protecting Ireland’s waterways and coastal areas is a key priority for Irish Water. Currently we collect wastewater from more than 1,000 separate communities connected to the wastewater network and treat around 1.6 billion litres of wastewater daily before safely discharging it back into our rivers, harbours and coastal areas.

“This project will allow us to monitor and improve the quality of this discharge, thereby protecting our coasts and waterways.

“It will also allow us to determine the capacity requirements of our treatment plants to facilitate the growth of new communities and businesses. Overall it offers significant benefits for public health, the environment and economic development.”

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Protecting Ireland’s waterways and coastal areas is a key priority for Irish Water. Currently we collect wastewater from more than 1,000 separate communities connected to the wastewater network and treat around 1.6 billion litres of wastewater daily before safely discharging it back into our rivers, harbours and coastal areas.

John McElwaine Irish Water’s Capital Programmes Regional Lead

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REMOTE LOW POWER MONITORING FOR PARTIALLY FILLED PIPES AND OPEN CHANNEL FLOW MEASUREMENT

Level

Flow

Velocity

• Low power consumption

• Low power consumption

• Loop powered

• Loop powered

• ATEX approved (Ex ia)

• ATEX approved (Ex ia)

• Lightweight, compact design

• Lightweight, compact design

• Non-contacting

• Non-contacting

• Cost-effective

• Cost-effective

• Maintenance-free

• Maintenance-free

• Easy installation

• Patent pending

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• Combine both products together for low power consumption, loop powered VxA measurement

Malvern, WR14 1JJ, UK T: +44 (0) 1684 891371 E: info@pulsar-pm.com

www.pulsar-pm.com

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Level and flow measurement in EDM. How CSO Monitoring is providing new tools for catchment planning Event Duration Measurement (EDM) in Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) applications has, rightly, become a significant focus for our water operators.

Management of pollution under flood conditions is a significant challenge and, with ever more demanding monitoring regimes, thousands of CSO monitoring installations have been implemented and thousands more planned, involving data logging and level measurement to record spill events.

Looking beyond CSO, there are good reasons to monitor flow throughout the waste water network to identify problem areas and inform maintenance regimes. The latest generation of more cost effective and reliable instruments are making ever more sophisticated catchment planning and water infrastructure response possible by lowering the cost of adding more data points to the network.

With many CSO in relatively remote places, new instrumentation has been developed specifically for the application that combines accuracy and reliability with ultra-low power consumption. Devices such as Pulsar’s dBi non-contacting ultrasonic level transducers have found a real niche in this application, with 75% of all dBi sales world-wide now going into CSO measurement for CSO and EDM schemes. Further development has led to a ‘companion’ instrument, Pulsar’s MicroFlow-i, a low power non-contacting microwave unit that sits above a channel and uses a novel spread spectrum analysis approach to measure the flow velocity. Velocity can be

integrated with the level measurement to derive a flow rate using a relatively simple velocity x area calculation, although the two measurements don’t necessarily need to be used in this way. Changing velocity of flow, even without a spill event, will indicate changing network conditions and allow action to be taken or the data to be gathered. In many cases it is sufficient to know, reliably, that liquid is flowing within normal upper and lower boundaries. We can therefore measure the velocity of the flow to monitor a normal condition – for example within a channel where an excessive, or restricted flow velocity may indicate a process issue further upstream.

It’s always worth repeating that the functions and features of any instrument don’t matter in the slightest if the core measurement isn’t reliable. There is no point in having a seamless telemetry signal and direct integration into a wider set of network analytics if you can’t rely on the core measurement being stable and reliable. Pulsar’s dBi is a self-contained non-contacting ultrasonic level measurement transducer with up to 15m measurement range that features the same DATEM echo processing algorithm that has been proven and refined across tens of thousands of applications worldwide, the vast majority of which have been in demanding water/waste water projects. Pulsar have the most accurate MCERTS approved

open channel flow measurement system in their FlowCERT controller. To continue to use the Pulsar dBi as an example, power usage is minimised in a battery-powered remote site by ‘waking up’ the transducer periodically – typically every 2 minutes. The dBi has been designed to have a very short wake-up cycle so makes a measurement, delivers the reading, and then goes back to sleep. It can be set up to wake more often and take more readings if an event, as determined by limits set in programming, is occurring – i.e. if the level is high or rising quickly.

For velocity measurement, Pulsar’s MicroFlow represents a new generation of low cost microwave devices that are compact and deliver repeatable, reliable velocity measurement. Traditionally, flow velocity has been measured using contacting devices, typically turbines or Doppler immersion probes. These have been highly successful but occasionally problematic, obviously potentially prone to fouling and, particularly the Doppler sensor, reliant on various conditions within the flow. Pulsar’s MicroFlow uses a compact transducer, which is positioned above the flow

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FLOW AND LEVEL MEASUREMENT z

“The latest generation of more cost effective and reliable instruments are making ever more sophisticated catchment planning and water infrastructure response possible by lowering the cost of adding more data points to the network.� and makes a non-contacting measurement of flow velocity. A simple bracket can be used to mount the transducer at the optimum angle, so they are easy to install, maintenance free and installation usually causes no interruption to the process.

type applications in remote locations, Pulsar have developed an ultra-low power version, MicroFlow-i. Communicating through HART or a 4-20mA signal, MicroFlow-i allows the same wake-up profile as the dBi, perfect for CSO measurement.

Measuring velocity using a non-contacting technique is a very complex challenge analytically, and has only really become realistic with the faster processors now available to instrumentation designers. Pulsar use a technique called RSSA (Refracted Spread Spectrum Analysis). In MicroFlow, a pulse is fired at the liquid surface, producing a mass of reflections from the full width of the channel, up to 1.5m width. Multiple sensors can form an array to measure across wider channels.

If this were a level measurement application, we would be looking for a single strong signal.

In this application, the MicroFlow applies the RSSA algorithms to analyse and integrate the received signals, then slices them for real-time analysis and velocity calculation.

MicroFlow can be used as a stand-alone device that delivers velocity data via RS485 Modbus.

In order to address the challenges of EDM

When considering Catchment Management, then the CSO is only part of the story, of course.

The more data points that can be captured, the better. The situations will vary, some will be in open channels but probably more will still be in closed pipes. Pulsar have created another class of flow monitoring equipment that also uses Spread Spectrum Analysis, operating as a clamp-on, non-invasive device that gives reliable, repeatable flow rate indication.

With relatively low cost per installation, this type of measurement can be more generally deployed within a process, so managers can have real clarity of flow profiles within their operations. This is important when considering sophisticated management techniques such as Catchment Planning and Water Infrastructure Response. Data needs to be gathered throughout the system and

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in a variety of situations. CSO most crucially, perhaps, but also throughout the sewer network, where changing flow rates can warn of spills and allow planning for future investment to minimise and mitigate the effect of stormwater pollution. A complete system of measurement devices, tied into relatively simple network telemetry and datalogging tools can now provide realtime visualisation of the network. The catchment approach naturally leads on to an infrastructure response model, but in order to reach that point the system has to be accurately modelled, and in order to get there, we have to know what is happening throughout the network, not just at the pinch points. New processing and new instruments from the leading suppliers is now making that vision a reality. www.pulsar-pm.com

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Katronic flowmeters effective in team approach at airport

When one of Scotland’s busiest airport needed a reliable flow measurement they asked Katronic to provide the instruments. The airport operator was faced with the considerable problem of having a one hundred year old 18 inch water pipe running directly under the runway feeding water to several local towns. Given the location and age of the installation there was concern about the impact of the day to day airport operations on the pipeline, and the possible implications if a failure were to occur.

With up to 8 mega litres of water flowing under the runway each day it was crucial that the operator was able to monitor, measure and act upon any changes to the flow to avoid major incidents. Their first act was to contact Syrinix, a leader in intelligent pipeline solutions to provide a Pipeminder system to provide live data on what was happening in the system. In order to have the complete view of the situation there was a need for flow measurement and Syrinix chose to work with Processplus Ltd to provide and support a package of instrumentation including two Katronic KF100 ultrasonic flowmeters.

Initially engineers from Processplus used a KATflow 200 portable ultrasonic flowmeter

at two locations to survey the piping and gain provisional flow data. They did this preparatory work in order to prove that that technology was suitable for the proposed measurement, and to get an initial baseline reading of the expected flow rates. The compact and practical KATflow 200 was ideal for measuring in the confined conditions under the runway. It was also a testament to the performance of the flowmeter that it was able to produce good measurements in spite of the age and condition of the pipeline.

Once Procesplus had completed the survey, they installed two KATflow 100 clamp-on flowmeters at the key locations. The engineer then connected the Katronic meters to the

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Syrinix Pipeminder with the outputs provided in order for the data to be analysed. This device is programmed to alarm should there be an unexpected or sudden change in the flow rates seen by the Katronic instruments. The Pipeminder is also connected to pressure caps on fire hydrants either side of the airport and will alarm should there be a rapid pressure loss. The information from these combined instruments will allow the user to monitor changes in the pipe condition. Crucially the system will give an advanced warning of any potential pipe burst and provide the customer with peace of mind for the years to come.

Specialists in Ultrasonic Flow Measurement

+44 (0)2476 714 111 • info@katronic.co.uk • katronic.com

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Understanding drainage systems: Hydro International’s perspective Stormwater runoff is regularly managed using some form of flow control and attenuation with the aim of protecting downstream assets and urban areas from flooding during extreme weather events. These flow controls and attenuation structures can be above or below ground, but are often not in close proximity to the managers and teams of personnel who are tasked with maintaining them. In order to prevent potential flood events and pollution incidents when the system is put under stress, operators need to know which assets need maintaining and when. So how do we know what the asset is doing during its operation?

The solution is remote monitoring. As many of the flow controls and attenuation assets are not near mains power, the monitoring solutions should be stand-alone, battery powered, and operated remotely. This allows maintenance teams to optimise working time and not travel unnecessarily to or between assets. Monitoring delivers peace of mind that the asset is performing within design parameters and provides early awareness of developing maintenance or operational needs.

Remote operation of the monitoring solution also allows the user to change monitoring parameters to improve the data’s usefulness.

The type and amount of data needed is as variable as the sites for which monitoring is implemented. For example, only water level measurements may be needed in boreholes, but level and quality data might be required from stormwater treatment devices. The monitoring solutions must be adaptable to different environments and applications so they can collect meaningful data, not designed solely to be only used once in one location.

Hydro International’s solution

Hydro International’s solution is the HydroLogic™ range of stand-alone, remote, battery-powered data loggers. These “smart monitoring” devices work with various sensor inputs, enabling them to collect multiple different types of data. The loggers are built for robust operation within wet weather and extreme environments, such as ATEX rated zones, and link up to a global data management platform so the collected data is easy to access and analyse. The range consists of four core data logger platforms: • Hydro-Logic™ Flexi Logger • Hydro-Logic™ Level Logger • Hydro-Logic™ Flow Logger • Hydro-Logic™ Weather Logger These loggers combine with the Hydro-Logic™ Timeview platform for alerting and data

The Hydro-Logic™ Level Logger monitoring water level in a sewer visualisation, and the AQUARIUS Time-Series database for long-term data warehousing, manipulation and analysis.

The following examples demonstrate how the Hydro-Logic™ Level Logger may be used for monitoring flow controls, geocellular attenuation and combined sewer overflows (CSOs):

Monitoring Flow controls – Hydro-Logic™ Level Logger 100

Monitoring the level of water upstream of flow controls allows users to effectively derive the flow-rate of water being conveyed through their system without the complexity of installing and maintaining a flow sensor, which are often less accurate than level sensors. Knowing the head of water upstream of a precisely manufactured flow control enables the flow-rate to be derived. Combining knowledge of rising water levels and the associated flow rate can provide flood warning and enable impact assessments to be made.

Monitoring attenuation – Hydro-Logic™ Level Logger 100 Monitoring attenuation, such as geocellular tanks, ponds and culverts, is useful for assessing whether the attenuation is being used to its full capacity. This may lead to a potential redesign and optimisation of the sewer system to increase capacity used and react to our changing weather patterns and climate conditions or to provide early warning of potential overtopping. Level monitoring over time can also indicate the loss of capacity from the system caused by the depositing of sediments and other debris. The observed upward trend in the water level can be used

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to inform maintenance teams that work will soon need to be carried out.

Monitoring CSOs – HydroLogic™ Level Logger 300Ex

CSOs have a detrimental effect on the environment and can pose a time-limited health risk. Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) allows event management processes to be initiated (e.g. closing beaches during an incident). Recording, tracking and analysis of this data can demonstrate compliance with licenses or consents, and can also help engineers determine where sewer improvement works will be most effective in meeting increases in sewer flow-rates due to urbanisation and population growth.

Monitoring CSOs is now a legal requirement, with all CSOs needing to be monitored by 2020.

Meeting the challenges of today and tomorrow

Monitoring operational assets provides insight into current and future conditions, and allows operators to maximise maintenance efficiency and improve flood event response times. Hydro International have developed a range of adaptable and robust remote smart monitoring products to help the water industry to plan, act and react. The units are capable of collecting and storing multiple types of different data for use in understanding how the installed and operational systems behave. This allows for sewer optimisation, improved flood mitigation and response, and network improvements to meet changes in population, urbanisation and climate conditions.

Can you respond to floods before they happen?

Floods happen fast, and without accurate insight into upstream conditions responders don’t have time to protect people, homes and businesses. New smart monitoring technologies can provide real-world data of flood indicators – enabling network operators to plan, act and react quickly and effectively.

Challenge convention: visit hydro-int.com/smartmonitoring or search hydro smart monitoring online.

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Sewer Monitoring: a “data only” approach Have you ever thought “What happened to the water I used this morning: what journey did it go on? More importantly: if there was a problem on the way, how would anyone know?

We are still some way from achieving a total real-time monitoring solution, however on the journey to achieve this ‘utopia’, when clients have a sewer monitoring requirement there is a tendency to focus on the technology delivering the data rather than the final output (the data itself) and how this will be utilised.

Focus is generally on the latest equipment available and how its shortcomings (e.g. battery life, sensor performance) impact on the cost. This can lead to an attempt to predict what the next innovation will be and how it will overcome those shortcomings, ultimately adopting this technology as the new panacea.

While technology is clearly important, at IETG we believe that focussing on the ultimate outcome and objective produces the best solution.

To make this step-change in real-time wastewater network monitoring, and move towards a truly collaborative and integrated platform, we do not recommend adopting the latest technology, gadget or software interface as a matter of course – this is only one part of a bigger picture which we believe involves a wider collaborative approach than is currently operated across the supply chain (bringing the sum of the parts together).

IETG has already taken steps to embark on this approach by collaborating with key stakeholders. Our aim is to provide the best project-managed solution and work with those specialists, manufacturers and R&D committees to adapt current technology to best-fit the

challenge and help achieve the vision to move to a coordinated real-time platform.

Further investment in the mobile network and developments in remote telemetry will improve coverage and increase rates of data transfer. Those improvements, supported by advances in extended battery life which are already starting to filter through to the market place, will allow solution providers to offer something closer to real-time data collection even in non-powered locations alongside their traditional data logging services.

Rather than being bound by a one-size-fits-all approach to equipment (“this is our product”), utilising the most appropriate unit for each task should lead to a reduction in the overall cost, enabling wider geographical deployment and a move toward long-term monitoring: providing a ‘Sat Nav’ (visual) perspective of the infrastructure to identify areas of concern. This should encourage customers and providers alike to commit to working with all stakeholders to help resolve technical challenges and deliver ‘affordability’ alongside increased customer service.

The components for this “data only” approach either exist, but need pulling together, or need adapting to address the challenges and achieve the customer’s specific goal, with the incentive of longer term collaborative partnerships and the associated benefits: • A managed (less reactive) response • Efficient focus of resources

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• Increased visibility and understanding of the operating network enabling a proactive response • Improve compliance and ‘predictive ability’ • Affordability & reduced overall operating costs (including reducing fines and legal expenses for non-compliance) • Increased customer satisfaction We believe that the future is about Data Provision and how it is utilised; a “data only” approach, where the responsibility isn’t for installing and maintaining the latest technology, but for providing consistent critical and timely information through the right technology, to enable our clients and delivery partners to make proactive decisions before problems are reported by the customer.

In a world of increasing technological development and higher customer expectations, the challenge we need to address is to solve problems before they cause concern.

So, what did happen to the water you used this morning?

Ian Edwards Managing Director, IETG Limited

IETG Limited – Surveying Services, Monitoring and Data Provision Specialists We are experienced monitoring specialists, operating nationwide and our services include:

Sewer and River Flow Surveys

• Largest fleet of flow monitoring equipment • Specialists in managing complete AMP programmes to small reactive surveys • Equipment specified to meet the needs of each survey • On-time, high quality delivery and data support

Water Quality Sampling and Measurement

• Installation and Maintenance of automatic, refrigerated samplers with remote triggering • Large fleet of YSI Water Quality Sondes: offering continual measurement (including turbidity) with telemetry • Dedicated, specialist teams for sample collection

H2S Monitoring

• Continual monitoring with telemetry, reducing the need for site visits and providing quick access to results

40SEVEN surveying services

• Topographical and Underground Utility, Rail, Energy, and Property surveys (through our sister company, 40SEVEN). Including vehicle-mounted GPR to reduce traffic management needs and survey time.

We provide resources to deliver an holistic solution, from Planning, Project Management, Streetworks Management and Confined Space Entry, and Maintenance services. We also install a wide variety of monitoring equipment, including weather stations, PRVs, and temperature monitors. In fact, whether you are the Client, end user, or product manufacturer looking for a trusted partner, if you have any monitoring or equipment installation or maintenance requirements at all, we can help.

Our Operational teams work nationwide.We are experts in managing large, complex projects and providing high quality monitoring services and data analysis.

We always put our customers first and we never compromise on safety.

If you have an operational or monitoring problem we can probably solve it for you. Please contact our Operations Manager, Steve Wood on 08540 179333 or email him; swood@ietg.co.uk to find out more about our services.

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Flow and Level Measurement Solutions In this steadily growing industry, the once simple task of selecting the right instruments for your needs can be an overwhelming process to the beginner. With a vast array of technologies and applications shouldn’t the knowledge of suppliers and the ability to meet customers total needs be more important than price? And if so how do you find the right products and supplier for your needs?

Know your Flow

The selection of any flowmeter will be dictated by the type of fluid medium being measured, fluids and gases behave differently when flowing due to their viscosity and density. Profiling the flow characteristics will narrow down the selection to a pool of technologies. Furthermore, Fluids can be separated into Newtonian and nonNewtonian types and again this will reduce the selection further.

With gaseous fluids pressure and temperature are critical parameters which must be taken in to consideration when selecting flow instrumentation. A further complication is the units of measurement such as Normal, Standard or Actual. Incorrect selection can often cause confusion and significant errors of measurement. Several other key criteria are the dynamic measured range and the type of environment, is the instrument to be mounted in a Hazardous or Safe Area, materials, chemical compatibility and much more.

Unbiased advice

One of the advantages of working with a specialist distributor is our unbiased approach to your application, as we are not tied to a specific manufacturer we can choose from a wide variety of products and not to the determent of technical support or knowledge. iCenta Controls is an independent company that specialises in the manufacture and supply of flow meters, level sensors and instrumentation to engineering, manufacturing and process industries globally. Since 2002, we’ve built a reputation for knowledgeable service, supplying high quality solutions and representing some of the leading names in flow and level measurement from around the world. We pride ourselves on our product range, customer service and our approach to providing both ‘off the shelf’ and bespoke solutions. Our team of dedicated technical experts provide a consultative approach to delivering products and solutions.

Level Measurement

At iCenta Controls you will find a wide range of level measurement instrumentation suited for use within the water industry and its various applications, such as Hydrostatic, Radar and Vibrating level sensors.

Another choice increasing in popularity is ultrasonic level sensors such as the Echopod range.

The EchoPod Reflective Ultrasonic Level Transmitter is the latest in level technology from Flowline. The product features a proprietary reflective technology™ that delivers reliable level measurement in condensing environments.

Condensation is the most common variable in liquid level applications as it attenuates the acoustic signal of ultrasonic sensors with horizontal transducers, weakening their signal strength and signal to noise ratio by up to 50%, substantially reducing their measurement reliability.

The heart of Flowlines Reflective Technology™ is simple; unlike flat horizontal surfaces, significant water droplets cannot form on the sensor face due to its vertical orientation. The condensation runs off the transducer leaving the sensor performance unaffected. Leaving the unimpeded transmit and receive signals to be directed to and from the liquid off a 45° reflector, delivering reliable level measurement in applications normally requiring more costly sensing technology.

Flow Measurement

Typically the Water industry utilises most types of Flow Meter within its numerous applications, such as Magnetic, Ultrasonic and Turbine Flow Flowlines Reflective Meters. However Technology with increasing pressure for higher levels of accuracy and profitability the Coriolis Mass Flow Meter is proving to be an increasingly popular choice. Eliminating the need to measure and correct for pressure, temp and density fluctuations to determine mass flowrate, Coriolis Meters also typically have a lower overall cost of ownership, albeit the initial purchase prices can be higher.

Icenta are stockists of the ALTImass range of Coriolis Meters, encompassing over 30 years of Coriolis technology development from OVAL corp. Japan and consisting of three main types: 1. TYPE U: high performance / high accuracy model (custody transfer etc.)

2. TYPE S: (single straight tube) easy clean titanium construction, increased on board self-diagnostics

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3. TYPE B: lower accuracy lower cost (0.5%) entry level Coriolis mass meter (The above is a brief overview of some of the technologies that could be applied to the water industry however for a more comprehensive guide to flow Coriolis meters visit the ALTImass range guides and tools section of our new website – www.icenta.co.uk)

Displaying & Recording Your Measurements:

Whether you’re looking for a flow, level or Process instrument, there’s a good chance you’ll need a display. As the UK distributor for Dutch manufacturer Fluidwell, iCenta have a display for every application.

Common inputs include pulsed, Analogue, Resistance, and Fluidwell Display Modbus, in either a field or panel mount design, and a choice of AC, DC, or battery powered options.

Fluidwell displays are designed to go the distance with simplicity of use in mind. They are extremely robust, IP67 rated and quick to operate making them the perfect process companion.

Typical uses include flow rate/ totalisation, batching, flow + temperature correction, ratio, RPM and general process monitoring.

If you are looking for a flow or level instrument, contact iCenta Controls +44 (0)1722 439880 or email sales@icenta.co.uk

iCenta Controls Ltd offers a wide range of products and services for the water and waste water industry: 

Specialist Flow and level instrument suppliers



Dedicated technical support

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Flow Calibration services

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ISO 9001 Visit www.icenta.co.uk for more details.

www.icenta.co.uk

+44 (0) 1722 442 307 sales@icenta.co.uk

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

Water Efficiency Strategy for the UK: what can water companies and regulation do?

A strategic approach to delivering more ambitious water efficiency is needed to help ensure enough water for people, the economy and the environment, now and in the future.

Waterwise is the leading UK authority on water efficiency and well-known in the sector for driving ambitious actions and innovative thinking on water efficiency. The strategy will help all of us aim high on water efficiency.

UK expert body Waterwise has launched its Water Efficiency Strategy for the UK. The strategy sets out an ambitious blueprint for a water-efficient UK - where water is used wisely, every day, everywhere, and this helps to tackle the very real challenges of climate change and environmental degradation we face now and in the future.

By Nicci Russell

Managing Director, Waterwise

So what can water companies and regulation do?

Governments and regulators across the UK have said they want to see more ambitious water efficiency, to meet the needs of people, the economy and the environment in the face of climate change, population growth and new ways of using water. The recent Water UK report also showed that there will be more frequent, longer and more acute droughts in future than had previously been thought – right across the UK.

Water companies

Water companies have stepped up their water efficiency activity with customers in recent years – with hundreds of thousands now receiving a free visit-and-fix to their homes and advice on how to use water efficiently.

Some water companies are developing new approaches such as financially incentivising developers to build water-efficient homes, and offering cash rewards to whole communities which waste less water. But water efficiency activity remains a drop in the ocean in terms of overall water company investment.

We’d like to see water companies engaging with every single one of their customers on water efficiency. This ambition, combined with innovation, is not only a more sustainable and flexible approach – what if a big new desalination plant or reservoir which has taken decades to build ends up being in the wrong place?! – but is almost always the most costeffective approach over the long-term. It’s an urban myth that water-efficient fixtures and fittings for homes cost more than water-wasting ones – they don’t! And these days they’re usually equally whizzy and nice to look at!

Water companies also need to treat water efficiency as a strategic issue and not only one of supply and demand. For England and Wales, Ofwat has made it clear that water efficiency should be on every Board table. Waterwise’s Leadership Group on Water Efficiency and Customer Participation is working with all UK water companies at Chief Customer Officer level to ensure that water efficiency is seen and used as a strategic tool for customer participation, as well as for resilience.

There is also wide variation in the level of water savings achieved in water company retrofitting programmes, in the quality of delivery and in the evaluation and planned use of resulting data. We can learn from the range of approaches and their level of uptake and water savings achieved to improve the impact of water efficiency programmes as they increase in scale.

Ambitious, innovative water efficiency is going to be essential as water companies improve the resilience of their services – and move to being a more customer-led sector.

Come on, Ministers!

Governments shouldn’t be allowing homes to be built, or products to be sold and fitted, which waste water. When we look back in, say, 2050, we really will be kicking ourselves if we carry on as we are now. So our strategy calls on UK governments to use regulation to protect future water supplies for people, the economy and the environment – enforcing only water-efficient homes and products. We’d also like government to refer to the need for ambitious, innovative water efficiency publicly every now and again as a solution to many of the challenges we face – environmental degradation, water scarcity, water and energy bills, reliance on carbon, and others. Come on UK Ministers, where are you on this?!!!! Time to step up! If you need a more urgent political

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imperative than rivers drying up, look to Capetown and Rome, two world cities where politicians are currently involved in decisions about substantial cuts to customer supply….

Smart metering

Metering is a key item in the toolkit we need for greater water efficiency. But only half of homes in England and Wales have a water meter (almost two thirds by 2020) and almost none in Scotland – with everyone else paying a set amount and using as much as they like.

Metering isn’t the be-all and end-all, that is certainly true, and it can’t do anything by itself. I take the view that all of us have feelings about water which we don’t have for other utilities. I don’t have an emotional attachment to the energy I use in my home, or my broadband – I just want them to work. But with water, civilisations have grown up around it, we take holidays around water, we enjoy invigorating showers and cool drinks of water.

Not to mention swimming pool and paddling pool fun! Engagement with customers in Northern Ireland on water efficiency, where customers neither pay for their water nor are metered, has led to behaviour change.

But meters can really underpin water efficiency programmes – as Southern Water has shown with the 16% savings from its meter rollout to all customers. Smart meters can provide the information to customers which can drive behaviour change – including through gamification (competing, in other words) with neighbours, friends and other family members. Smart meters which can be quickly and frequently read, and can send information almost in real time to customers’ phones, are the way forward. These really should have been linked with the smart energy meter rollout in GB, but that boat has now sailed. In the strategy (and in the Blueprint for Water NGO coalition’s manifesto for PR19, which we’re part of), we say

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that water companies should be increasing the proportion of smart meters in their metering programmes. In truth, no company should be putting a dumb old meter in the ground these days – one that only be physically read by lifting the manhole, a couple of times a year. And we’re calling on the UK government to remove the regulatory barrier to metering all customers in England if a water company isn’t in an area of water stress right now, as designated several years. We need water efficiency to help ease future pressures and not just current ones!

Water Efficiency Strategy for the UK June 2017

Metering with appropriate tariff structures - such as a rising block tariff (where the unit charge rises for progressively higher volumes of water taken by customers), or a seasonally-varying or aridity-indexed tariff (where water costs more per unit when it is less plentiful) - has the potential to be a major 293 - 100% incentive for water efficiency in the future.

C-100 , M-56, The Y-0, K-0 strategy recommends a new round of tariff 293 - 60% trials, linked to smart meters.

C-60, M-33, Y-0, K-0

Economic regulators

Economic regulators across the UK need to C-87, M-95, Y-0, K-0 ensure that their incentives frameworks, and those against which water companies are C-100, M-0, Y-0, held to account for the commitments they’veK-0 agreed with their customers have water efficiency at the core. Targeted, ambitious, C-50, M-0, Y-100, K-0 quantified water efficiency should be an explicit part of regulatory frameworks – , Y-0, C-0, M-100 K-0 such as Ofwat’s PR19 for 2020-2025 - and of company investment plans.

C-25, M-0, Y-0, K-0 Ofwat should ensure that its analysis of C-0, M-0, Y-100 K-0 English and Welsh company business plans, for PR19 reflects its high ambition. For C-0,example, M-50, Y-100,it K-0 needs to build into its regulatory frameworks acceptance of innovation that fails - that’s the nature (the point!) of innovation. Partnerships delivering multiple benefits need to be squared with a regulatory tendency to draw a straight line between what water customers pay for and the direct benefit it leads to. It’s important that Ofwat includes water efficiency expertise in its price review work - to enable it to establish whether plans really are ambitious and innovative. The same is true of the analysis of Water Resource Management Plans.

Water neutrality

The Blueprint for Water NGO coalition has called for a ‘water neutral’ PR19, where companies ensure there is no overall increase in the amount of water abstracted from rivers and groundwater despite increases in population and climate change. Water efficiency will play a major role in this.

Governments national and local should also be routinely using water neutrality as a planning tool – requiring that the water resource needs of a new development (homes or business) are offset by retrofitting and other water efficiency savings in schools, hospitals, business and homes in the local area.

Research and capacitybuilding

The evidence base for water efficiency, developed by Waterwise and the industry, has been used in business plans, Water Resource

Management Plans and the Water UK long term water resources planning framework report. However, there is a need to update figures, drawing on more recent schemes.

This will help understand variation between companies and programmes.

We also need to continue to raise capacity and skills in delivering water efficiency through training and accreditation programmes.

Waterwise’s training programme can do this currently in-person (at a discount as we phase it out over the next few months, so contact us on svickerman@waterwise.org.uk if you’d like to book in), we’re soon moving it online. It trains (and certifies) teams and individuals in water efficiency retrofitting and behavioural advice. This can include call centre staff anyone who speaks to customers.

I’d also highly recommend becoming a Waterwise Supporter – being a Waterwise Supporter is a great way to show you’re taking water efficiency seriously. We can help you to be ambitious and innovative on water efficiency in your own organisations. And it’s the supporter packages that fund our thought

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leadership work – constantly pushing the agenda forward, as we are doing here through our Water Efficiency Strategy for the UK! Contact me at nicci.russell@waterwise.org.uk if you’d like to become a Waterwise Supporter.

Aim high!

There’s lots for all of us to do. This article focusses on how water companies and those with regulation in their gift can aim higher, for the sake of people, the economy and the environment.

It’s down to all of us to take action to drive more water efficiency - governments, regulators, water companies, manufacturers, businesses, workplaces, and all of us in our homes and gardens. It’s totally doable if we work together - and that’s what we’re going to do. We’re aiming high in water efficiency, together.

The Water Efficiency Strategy for the UK is a great opportunity to deliver more ambitious water efficiency in partnership - building on work to date.

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Seeking efficiencies in risk transfer, whilst protecting your business With PR19 fast approaching, now is the time to review your risk transfer programme to ensure the business has an efficient and cost-effective insurance programme in place.

Jonathan Swainbank, of water industry specialists Kingsbridge Risk Solutions, elaborates: Cost efficiencies

Whilst the regulated water industry prepares their business plans for the next 5-year price period, they will be looking at their own internal efficiencies from within their businesses and those in their partner framework and contractor networks. As a business concentrates on the day to day work, one area that can be overlooked is the insurance programme. Two recent increases in Insurance Premium Tax (IPT), demand that insurance premiums paid by firms represent an optimum combination of price and cover.

Are your insurance values up to date?

It is very easy to overlook updating the values of your buildings, contents, plant and machinery sums insured, with some assets being disposed of but left on your insurance schedule. It is advisable to review every six months to ensure deletions, and more importantly, that assets acquired are notified to your insurers. Bear in mind that reinstatement values for buildings need to be frequently reviewed for adequacy, considering building regulations and modern methods.

Insurance Premium Tax (IPT)

IPT is currently at 12%. By reducing your premium spend, you are therefore reducing your tax liability. By retaining more risk within your business, i.e. by increasing your policy excesses, insurers will reduce their premiums accordingly.

It is advisable to review with colleagues the amount of risk the business can retain comfortably whilst not placing the business at risk. Risk optimisation studies help identify the level of risk a business can retain without adversely affecting the financial strength.

Managing your motor vehicle risk With the cost of motor accidents continuing to increase in terms of both personal injury and property damage, driver training, vehicle tracking and on-board cameras are effective tools in managing and reducing the risks the business faces. Whilst staff may complain of ‘big brother’ watching them, these driver aids encourage a competitive spirit in not being a poor driver against their peers whilst contributing to using the vehicle in the most efficient manner, i.e. driving responsibly and

avoiding hard acceleration, high cornering speeds and harsh braking. Insurers are very keen on such risk management initiatives, with premium reductions being available, as well as assistance with funding in certain circumstances.

For those with a high premium spend

As the business grows in terms of turnover, so does the ability to self-insure certain risks faced. Seek opportunities to shift your risk transfer programme to have less reliance on external insurers in areas of low value but high frequency claims by paying premiums to your own captive / cell insurance company.

The term “captive” or “cell” is used to describe the process by which the underwriting profit and investment income from premium and claims reserves are captured for the benefit of the parent.

Most captives/cells are established in a domicile that has appropriate legislation and infrastructure to support a small insurer.

Ensure you have the right cover for your business

The water industry, like others, has unique features that need to be recognised and understood, a ‘one size fits all approach’ is not always suitable.

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For example, those in the industry that are carrying out water quality and testing services need to ensure their Public Liability Policy includes cover for claims arising out of Legionella disease. Similarly, for process contractors’ certain policies will either exclude or restrict pollution coverage.

If your business provides advice or charges a fee for professional services, such as the design of a new process, Professional Indemnity insurance is an absolute must to protect the financial integrity of the company in the event of any advice related claims.

Sufficient policy cover

Finally, should your business trade be severely affected following major damage to the premises or processes, having the correct level of Business Interruption cover in place, with an indemnity period sufficient to allow the business to recover is vitally important.

Between 60 and 70% of businesses that suffer a major fire do not reopen due to inadequacies in their insurance cover and values.

A recent change to the levels of compensation payments injured parties can now receive, introduced by the UK Government, businesses should review the levels of liability insurance they purchase, as in some cases, potential payouts have increased by over 100%.

Bespoke insurance & risk transfer solutions for the water & waste water industry With 20+ years’ experience of providing insurance solutions to the UK Water Industry, including staff that have actually worked in the industry, Kingsbridge are uniquely place to work with you, your business and insurers to provide a tailored risk transfer solution to your individual business.

For more information contact Jonathan Swainbank t: 01386 725900 m: 07790 839480 e: jonathan@kingsbridge.co.uk

www.kibl.co.uk

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Building Smart Water Networks at South West Water

By Martin Doherty

All of these changes align with our vision of achieving a genuinely ‘smart’ network by 2025.

The South West Water network (including Bournemouth Water) comprises:

Most companies in the British water industry have started the journey of creating a ‘smart’ system of management and control over their pipe network. The underground system of pipes and fittings is arguably any water company’s biggest, most complex asset.

Certainly the fact that it is a buried and therefore largely unseen asset and that it is spread over a whole geographic region means that it requires a special approach in terms of monitoring condition and performance. Set against the backdrop of rapid developments in computer processing power, data analytics, cloud based high volume data storage and sensor capability, it is now more realistic to aim to put in place comprehensive real time and predictive monitoring of performance and condition for networks in a similar way to what already exists for above ground assets.

South West Water is now part way through a programme aimed at achieving smart water network management across its business.

• 18,500km of water mains

Head of Service Improvement South West Water

So what are the key reasons for acquiring increased insight into how your network is performing? In order to deliver and maintain high standards of customer service any water utility must be to be able to make rapid operational decisions in order to move from a position of reactive operation (where effectively your network is controlling you) to one of proactive operation (where you are in control of it). Water utilities must be aware of events or emerging situations on the network before a customer tells you about it. This puts you on the front foot for dealing with network events, enabling you to gain time to plan actions and then, if necessary, inform your customers proactively about what’s happening to their service. Ultimately, smart networks are about becoming more effective and efficient in what we do to deliver great service to our customers.

South West Water Activity

At South West Water we’re partly along a path that aims to achieve a level of intelligence that could truly be deemed to be ‘smart’. We’re now simultaneously working on advancements that we’ll make in the current AMP period through to 2020 and also including investment plans in PR19 that will decide what we do in the next AMP period covering 2020 – 2025.

• 275 service reservoirs • 210 pump stations • 2,700 pressure management valves The above assets are supplied from 36 water treatment works.

The current workstreams centre around two main activities:

Supply Interruption Dataloggers

Pressure Management Valve Conditioning Dataloggers Pressure Management Valve Advanced Controllers

• Network sensors and data acquisition points – significantly increasing the number of these installations so we have the data needed for a smarter network.

• Dynamic hydraulic models – moving from ‘static’ models to ones receiving live data feeds and performing continuous, updated simulations throughout the day.

Firstly, regarding data acquisition points, we’re working on a number of different activities that are increasing our insight into network performance: Supply Interruption Dataloggers – installation of 1,800 pressure loggers at pre-determined points across all 880 district metered areas (DMA’s). These are specifically designed to monitor network pressures and send in data at set times through the day but will shift into rapid transmission mode if a preset upper/ lower threshold occurs. The sensitivity around the set thresholds is obviously key; avoiding too many (unwanted) alerts but, at the same time, not missing out on valid, wanted alerts.

These alarm values are derived for every logger by analysis of a body of data received from each logger after installation. The receiving software issues a notification to a set of users as defined by business requirements. The data is also absorbed by other software systems such as the dynamic hydraulic models which use this data in their simulations.

Pressure Management Valve Conditioning Dataloggers - South West Water has some 2,700 Pressure Management Valves (PMV’s) across its water mains network. The maintenance of such a large number of PMV’s is expensive and, using traditional methods of targeting, maintenance is inefficient and poorly focussed as historically it’s based solely

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on timeframe schedules. This practice has three key shortcomings: • Often the PMV is fully operational and does not require servicing so the time spent impacts operational efficiency and costs.

• Any operation on the network carries risk - bursts are often caused by inappropriate or accidental operation of valves leading to pressure surges.

• Time-based maintenance over a large asset base does not necessarily avoid PRV failures.

Failures may still occur before the next planned visit.

In collaboration with i2O and using their specially developed software products we ascertained that the condition of PMVs could be inferred by analysing upstream, downstream and valve control space pressure data. We worked with them to test the hypothesis that operating costs could be significantly reduced and risks minimised by servicing PMV assets on the basis of data inferred condition based on behaviour rather than time.

We’re installing these loggers on our PMV’s; this provides us with additional data points and leverages the data through advanced algorithms to determine the condition of the PMV. This solution automatically generates

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reports and alerts on monitored PMVs highlighting their condition/status. The algorithms identify when a PMV is operating abnormally as well as those that are operating as expected, allowing us to follow a data driven PMV servicing programme. This philosophy delivers considerable OPEX savings, reduces network interventions and allows redirection of resource to other activity.

Pressure Management Valve Advanced Controllers – building on from the above initiative on PMV conditioning dataloggers, we’re installing advanced PMV controllers on hundreds of our PMV’s. South West Water has a challenging topography; our average zonal night pressure (AZNP) is over 52m (one of the highest in the industry) so managing pressure is key to improving service delivery and helping asset life. We’re focusing on optimising performance of those PMV’s where the increase in data acquisition and control delivers the most significant gain in terms of leakage reduction and reduction in repair job numbers (through network calming).

The controllers are able to use fixed outlet, flow modulation, time variance and critical point control; the method chosen is selected as that most appropriate to the individual characteristics of a DMA. The granularity available in the setup table in the software offers the ability to vary pressures delivered

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according to seasonal, diurnal, hourly (or even more frequent) requirements. These settings can be adjusted in the software remotely or via a mobile device without visiting site.

Dynamic Hydraulic Models of the Water Network – the importance of having good hydraulic models of our mains network is now well understood and the benefit to the business on both strategic and day-to-day operational issues is already considerable.

South West Water has recently become the first company globally to adopt Innovyze’s InfoWorks WS Pro & IW Live Pro hydraulic modelling software. This product builds on the long-standing Innovyze WS products for water network model builds.

WS Pro and IW Live now incorporates functionality to connect to live data from telemetry and GPRS data loggers and continually run real-time model simulations throughout the day. This provides us with a contemporary picture of network performance based on continual live data rather than on data from a calibration date many months or years before.

The improved benefits of this functionality are many-fold across operational modelling, forecasting future events, mitigating against the risk of supply interruptions and for identifying changes in the network, both

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scheduled and unscheduled. Being connected to live data, it can also act as an optimisation tool, suggesting changes in which the way the network is operated for teams to implement.

We anticipate using our models to further optimise energy usage and to improve understanding of water quality parameters within the network.

We are also looking at an Innovyze product that further enhances network knowledge across the wider business. This product will deliver real time live modelling to field teams, control room and customer facing staff using browser technology by linking into the IW Live Pro database, illustrating model simulations as they happen. With an internet connection models can be viewed in any browser on multiple devices, including tablets and smart phones. Future developments of this will also provide the ability for operational staff to carry out their own basic model simulations when planning operational changes on the network.

Summary

The onset of the digital revolution is bringing the possibility of comprehensive smart water networks ever closer. It is essential that as an industry we innovate and grasp this opportunity with both hands; this will lead to greater efficiency, improved network performance and enhanced customer service in an ever demanding business environment.

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Realising the value of data David Price, Associate Director at Amec Foster Wheeler, looks at the benefits for companies in taking greater ownership of data.

Population growth and climate change; water stress; stricter environmental regulation; ageing infrastructure and networks; improving customer satisfaction; tackling affordability and maintaining a resilient service are key challenges for water companies. Addressing these challenges requires greater innovation and the acquisition and management of accurate data to support effective, informed decision-making.

Companies have responded by developing novel approaches to engagement across all aspects of the business. Innovation days, pitching of ideas, collaboration with academia, and collaborations with organisations not traditionally associated with the sector.

The goal is to capture the right data at the right level of granularity in order to obtain an understanding and knowledge of asset performance and serviceability. With this, trends can be analysed, reactive responses can be more efficient and pre-emptive interventions implemented.

However, far too often, data are not captured in a format which aligns to corporate systems and thus, the value of the data to a business is diminished. Useful data for one function of a business may be as useful to another and should be available for use. A stand-alone data system can be quickly forgotten about and overlooked. This shortcoming is more significant when multiple unaligned data sources are used to support integrated holistic studies.

Much of the effort in feasibility studies and solution development is absorbed in gathering, cleansing, validating, combining and correlating datasets. These are generally

off-line activities undertaken by external service providers for specific departments and the knowledge gained is often ‘put on a shelf’, not accessible or disseminated to the wider business. Water Networks for example, are dynamic, and as such the operation and condition of the associated assets and characteristics of its users are constantly changing. Even with improvements in the quality and coverage of corporate system monitoring and performance reporting, gaps will remain. For example, local operatives, based on experience, will know the correct response to a loss of supply. This critical local infrastructure insight is frequently not captured in a digital and readily accessible domain.

A key step forward for a business would be to take full ownership of the data gathering, analysis and dissemination processes.

Historically, businesses have adapted their systems to incorporate 3rd party platforms.

The resulting requirement to extract and cross-reference data from various, and often incompatible, data systems can be a timeconsuming and complex process.

The goal must be to have centralised data storage and access structured around the businesses core data systems with these operated as the only source of data. However, this must go hand in hand with improvements in accessibility and of provision of feedback and regular updates. Capturing of good quality, well targeted and well-structured data must be backed up by analysis processes to convert it to systems knowledge. This can be achieved in part using compatible third part technology solutions but this must be supported with the

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knowledge and experience of those operating the assets in a circular process which feeds in to intelligent control systems.

Robust feedback mechanisms with frequent and accessible dissemination of knowledge across all functions of the business are fundamental in maintaining a dynamic, fit for purpose, calibrated corporate data system. Regular multi-function workshops are a mechanism for knowledge facilitation, validation and update. Collaboration is key.

Companies are moving towards wholesystem assessment; performance and impact data from source to tap is combined with operational knowledge and a data-driven, unbiased, quantitative analysis undertaken to understand the root causes of issues and weaknesses in resilience to better target investment. This approach gains buy-in from stakeholders and maximises cost-benefit to customers.

To do this effectively, data analysis processes which can determine relationships and the strength and nature of correlation between different types of data have been developed usually by third parties. The next step is to move these processes into business as usual, fully transparent systems, maintained inhouse, which are not restrictive and can evolve as required. Whether internal processes or third party provided, these must align with the core data storage structure and report directly to the core knowledge management structure.

Combined with improved data capture this will allow on-going quantification of benefit which will help to optimise future investment and asset management decisions.

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Delivering first class water Welsh Water has a network of over 26,500km of water mains suppling 3 million customers in parts of Wales and Hereford with over 800 million litres of drinking water every day.

While most of the infrastructure serves customers well, with some parts of the network are over 100 years old, and a number of areas made up of unlined iron mains, Welsh Water has embarked on a major refurbishment scheme to improve the performance of water mains and provide a more reliable water supply for their customers.

As the only not-for-profit utility company in Britain, it is essential that any investment carried out by Welsh Water brings with it the biggest benefit possible for its customers.

With this in mind the Zonal Study Programme was created to identify and address some of the main issues affecting the performance of their network by identifying worst performing areas, or ‘zones’.

The Zonal Programme is a cycle of continuous improvement centred on a Zonal Study and delivered through a collaborative approach across the clean water, capital and support functions of Welsh Water. It is a risk-based customer led success process that focuses on cost, customer and compliance to deliver the best performance and value for money for customers and the business. The programme of work is targeted against poor performance for key measures of success, specifically customer acceptability.

Analysis of performance data across Welsh Water operating areas over a three year period revealed that 75% of the poor performance of the business could be attributed to 30% of its Water Quality Zones.

A £130 million programme over the current AMP, will invest in many of these zones and ensure over one million customers benefit from improved water quality and reliability of supply.

Using the Zonal Study approach provides geographical packages of work that allows

for efficient scheme planning, procurement, early engagement of capital contractors and proactive customer engagement.

Following capital intervention, a Zonal Care Plan is produced to enable effective asset maintenance and ensure long term optimal performance.

The Zonal Study approach allows Welsh Water to conduct a root cause analysis of systematic issues and prioritise investment. It examines over 1000 files of corporate information, often held in different business systems, ranging from customer contacts to asset information and deterioration factors. Data analysis simplifies the relationship between cause and effect of incidents over time.

Delivery of solutions is conducted in a source to tap approach, working with the flow of the water to enable the best possible results. The techniques used are most suited to reducing the customer impact and cost to the business.

Not all of the capital investment can be delivered at once nor can it all be delivered in the same geographical area. The team determined the delivery programme through a balance of the need for capital investment, the capacity of business functions to support the volume of work and disruption to customers.

Therefore the delivery programme is based on completing 1 large or 2 small zones per operational area per year. Enabling colleagues in Welsh Water’s 6 operational areas to balance reactive and planned work more effectively.

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Business functions are also able to allocate resources to the programmes of work earlier.

Targeting of areas that most impact the service Welsh Water provides, enables the organisation to be more effective with the finances and assets entrusted to it by its customers. This marks a step change from previous approaches.

It is not only Welsh Water as a company that benefit from using the Zonal Study approach, as this process of investment planning also benefits their customers. The method ensures a reduced disruption over the AMP Period as all investment takes place in one year. Previously Welsh Water may have been working throughout the area across multiple years closing roads and disrupting the supply.

The lessons learned to minimise disruption through Zonal Study will also benefit any emergency work too.

Using this approach also ensures better customer engagement with the process; with customers being aware of what work is being carried out in their area, the benefit it will bring and how it will impact on them.

The bespoke communications strategy for the Zonal Study programme by Welsh Water acknowledges that a variety of techniques are necessary to communicate with the range of customers they serve. Taking into account the varied demographic areas covered by the zones, the strategy uses a number of different

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communications techniques and tools to reach different customers. These include bespoke animations for online and social media, online targeted advertising, local advertising such as on buses, stakeholder site visits, direct mail, media relations, local school engagement. It also includes the use of dedicated customer information vans and customer engagement officers to visit areas where work is taking place to ensure customers are fully informed.

Consistent branding across working sites within communities also ensure customers see a joined up approach and sites are easily recognised as improvement work to their local drinking water network.

The Zonal Study approach has ensured Welsh Water has an improved understanding of how their network operates and improved both the quality of its hydraulic models and corporate data. This has led to better knowledge transfer and reduced customer disruption through efficiency in design of all scheme types. This is because the models enable the company to test multiple design scenarios to understand the network impact without operating the network.

The success of the Zonal Studies has resulted in Welsh Water completing more hydraulic modelling in 2015/16 than was completed in the previous decade. The total modelled distance is now just under 20,000km; an equivalent distance of half way around the Equator. As part of the studies, over 2500 pressure loggers were deployed during this timeframe and over 1500 developments assessed to support growth throughout the company’s operating area reducing the work required by the Hydraulic Modelling Team by 7 working years. This has also resulted in a better customer service for their in-house Developer Services team, now ranked best in the industry, and allowing early investment in growth schemes.

The studies have identified service reservoirs and water pumping stations for abandonment and have enabled the optimisation, downsizing and rationalisation of trunk main systems across its zones. This will also lead to thousands of pounds worth of potential energy savings through more efficient and effective system operation.

The process has also resulted in improved incident management through the contingency assessment, which allows Welsh Water to understand how they can supply customers during an incident. It has also reduced time required by all stakeholders to generate investment as the study is targeted, provides a detailed root cause analysis and a suite of schemes to satisfy both the Capital delivery process and regulatory targets.

As a company driven by customer led success, the Zonal Study approach puts customer at the heart of its work and ensures the investment by Welsh Water brings with it benefits to the customers and the service the company provides for its customers.

Targeting of areas that most impact the service Welsh Water provides, enables the organisation to be more effective with the finances and assets entrusted to it by its customers. This marks a step change from previous approaches.

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University of Bath develops new cheap, sustainable water treatment devices for developing countries A multi-disciplinary research project at the University of Bath hopes to develop an efficient, portable and low cost continuous treatment system for contaminated drinking water for poor rural communities in developing countries.

The research team want to produce safe, clean drinking water for poor rural communities who don’t have access to a centralised water supply.

way in tackling one of the UN Sustainable goals ‘to ensure access to water and sanitation for all’.

The researchers are using 3D printing to generate rapid prototypes and test them using a unique indoor solar light that can replicate pure sunlight in the lab. This testing will enable a better understanding of the optimal design of this household water treatment (HWT) system to most efficiently produce safe drinking water.

Current water puriFication limitations

650 million people still without water

Despite the success of the Millennium Goal 7C - to halve by 2015 the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation - there are still 650 million people across the world without safe water. This project is leading the

Existing methods for purifying water include boiling, chemical disinfection and filtration, all of which have numerous disadvantages.

Currently, one of the simplest ways to treat microbial contained water is by using what is known as a “SODIS Bottle” (SOlar DISinfection), a simple plastic bottle which deactivates microbes through a combination of heat and UV light from the sun.

One limitation of the SODIS bottle is the lack of current knowledge of the time needed to decontaminate water which can depend on a number of factors. It is also a short term solution due to its limited durability.

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Portable, sustainable and efFicient

This project will build upon the principles of the SODIS bottle to design a simple, portable household water treatment (HWT) system capable of producing clean drinkable water sufficient for a small group of individuals.

The device will have no breakable parts, require no power source and will have greater durability than any other current HWT. The researchers predict that each device will be able to produce up to 35 litres of clean drinking water a day. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends each person needs 50 litres of water per day for basic sanitation (this includes personal hygiene, drinking water, sanitation and domestic use) but in most African rural communities, people only have access to up to 30 litres a day and as little as 5 litres in the most deprived areas.

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Each device is envisaged to be made out of biodegradable plant-based plastic (PLA), weigh approximately 3KG and cost just £5 per unit with over 10,000 units being produced per year, ideally by locally trained workers.

These attributes will make it ideal for supplying water both in rural areas suffering from microbial contaminated water, as well as in crisis situations such as population movements due to war, and during times of natural disasters such as earthquakes and flooding.

Africa in focus

This project will concentrate on Africa as a key beneficiary of the technology. Africa has the lowest uptake of adequate HWT systems and 37 per cent of the world’s population that use an unimproved drinking source live in Sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, Malawi will be used as a case study to test the prototype devices in the field and understand how this technology can be best understood and adopted by the local communities.

Project lead and Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Dr Emma Emanuelsson, said: “The potential to develop a cheap, durable and portable device which can provide those most in need with safe, clean drinking water is an exciting prospect.

“The key strength of this project is its simplicity and the multi-disciplinary approach taken. Our skills and expertise complement each other, combining maths with engineering with social sciences will ensure we develop

CLEAN WATER NETWORKS z

an effective water treatment device that is both useful and accepted in rural African communities.”

Multi-disciplinary approach

The team at Bath will benefit from the skills and expertise of a wide range of academic disciplines. Mathematicians in the Bath Institute for Mathematical Innovation (BIMI) will develop a mathematical model to calculate the time it takes water to travel through the device prototypes; digital design experts in Civil Engineering will develop cutting edge software for designing different treatment device prototypes which can then be easily exported to a 3D printer for fabrication; Chemical Engineers will evaluate the effects of different conditions such as temperature, light intensity and water turbidity; and experts in Social and Policy Sciences will help understand how these devices can best be adopted and used by local communities in rural areas.

This project is in receipt of funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). The researchers recognise the importance of ensuring this technology is successfully adopted by the African communities and are currently seeking funding to take forwards this technology and work with local NGOs such as CCODE (Centre for Community Organisation and Development) to ensure that the watertreatment prototype becomes a communityled innovation.

We can help you reimagine your water R&D

Water Innovation & Research Centre

Through the Water Innovation and Research Centre at the University of Bath our experts work with industry, academia, and other stakeholders to tackle the fundamental issues surrounding sustainable water. Through WISE, our Centre for Doctoral Training in Water Informatics: Science and Engineering, we work with collaborative partners to train the next generation of skilled water scientists and engineers.

To explore a partnership with water research experts and students at the University of Bath for your organisation, contact water-research@bath.ac.uk.

go.bath.ac.uk/water-research

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z CLEAN WATER NETWORKS

Clean water is not a given. It is the result of painstaking cleaning processes. Guided by people.

The cleaning and treatment of fresh water and sewage is associated with hazards just as much as the maintenance of the sewage system itself: The presence of toxic or flammable gases and oxygen deficiencies are potentially risky. If you know the risks, you can control them and provide employees with reliable protection.

The water industry is faced with a range of different confined spaces in which to work: treatment units, tanks, service reservoirs, chemical handling and storage areas, pumping stations, wells, sumps, overflows, boreholes, sewers and manholes. The most frequently occurring hazards are methane, hydrogen sulphide and a lack of oxygen.

The challenge

The water industry bears great responsibility.

It has to deal with limited resources and contributes to the health of billions of people.

Despite all the technological progress, it is still people – employees of the water and sewage industry – who ensure that everything runs smoothly. This includes inspection patrols, cleaning and maintenance work, repairs and dismantling: despite careful risk analysis, there is always the potential of contact with hazardous substances, which can be dangerous or even fatal to health. Employees who work supporting the ongoing cycle of water recovery, cleaning, supply or discharge pipes, as well as reprocessing and disposal of sewage sludge, must be given special protection to enable them to perform their jobs safely. If the risks cannot be permanently diminished via a safe system of work, a protection concept tailored to the specific

activity is required. The concept will focus on the key aspects of gas detection, respiratory protection, personal protection and training.

The risks

There are specific risks to staff and facilities in each stage of the water recovery and treatment process, which in particular include toxic gases, flammable gases and low oxygen levels. Even today, working on water or sewage channels still requires manual visual inspection, fixing faults, maintenance and cleaning. A lack of ventilation combined with biological fermentation processes and chemical reactions encourage the accumulation of methane (CH4) or even hydrogen sulphide (H2S) at critical concentrations. CH4 is extremely flammable and can react explosively. Even at very low concentrations, H2S is extremely toxic to the human body. There is also a range of chemical and biological reactions which can reduce the level of oxygen in breathable air and increase the risk of asphyxiation if workers are inadequately protected. Furthermore, the chlorine used for water disinfection is derived from a highly noxious gas which, even in the smallest quantities, is harmful to the respiratory system.

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The solution

Recognising, analysing and assessing risks are important pre-conditions in order to develop solutions for work in confined spaces, handling hazardous substances, plant safety and emergencies. The plant-specific hazard assessment provides a detailed list of risk factors for certain activities and areas of the plant. To find the right solution for every one of these stages of water purification and waste water handling is challenging. Gas measuring devices with fast responding sensors, personal protective equipment such as respiratory protection with adequate filters and protection classes as well as appropriate escape devices are needed. The right devices at the right time, at the right location can protect employees against upcoming hazards. The goal is to achieve a healthy balance between sufficient protection and minimal physical strain on workers to avoid the consequent restrictions on efficiency. It must also feature a portfolio, which can be utilised economically and dependably throughout its life cycle. If you are faced with the challenge of procuring the best material for you and your employees, you can trust Dräger. Our portfolio has an answer to the most diverse requirements of your working practice.

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

Innovative AVK UK valve and hydrant solutions on Scottish water schemes

AVK UK Limited has been commissioned to supply valves and hydrants on two schemes for end client Scottish Water.

Wilson McPhail

Business Manager (Scotland) AVK The schemes, Gorbals (Corsehouse) Pumping Station for contractor ABV Alliance (Amey, Black & Veatch JV) and Caledonia Water Alliance, (CWA) Morrison Utility Services, AECOM) respectively has a combined value to AVK UK of approximately £1.5m Gorbals (Corsehouse) consists of the construction of a new Pumping Station and tie-ins to three existing service reservoirs at Drumboy, South Moorehouse, Thornlibank and Amlaird Treatment Works and is part of the £120m Ayrshire Improvement Scheme. It began late 2015 with a project completion date of Summer 2017 and has a value to AVK UK Limited of approximately £1.2m.

Over 200 valves on the Gorbals (Corsehouse) scheme have been supplied and include: • Gate Valves (including Gearbox, Electric Actuators and Ancillary Equipment)

• Recoil Check Valves

He explained, " We have been working with the ABV designers over the past several months to select optimum valves including: Flow Control Valves, Recoil Check Valves for pump protection/surge prevention and a number large actuated Gate Valves.

• Flow Control Valves • Air Valves • Ball Valves • Hydrants Sizes range from DN25 up to DN1000mm with pressure ranges from PN16 and PN25.

AVK UK has been working closely with the ABV engineers and the project manager for the scheme from January 2016 (six months) to support and recognise any potential value engineering solutions As a result of this AVK UK provided calculations to change the design from originally specified conventional NRV’s to Recoil Check Valve (reducing a risk of a surge by up to 90%).

This was achieved by utilising support from design engineers from AVK UK Limited’s sister company Glenfield Valves Limited.

Close collaboration between AVK UK Limited's Project Manager for the scheme, Wilson McPhail, and the ABV Project Managers and designers has been key to ensuring that the valves and hydrants are 'fit for purpose' and on site at the right time.

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We have used our Glenfield office (Prestwick), to offer technical support to ABV from our design engineers who have supplied surge calculations, performance curves and other technical documentation including drawings to support our technical offering. This was key to giving ABV the peace of mind to allow them to progress onto the manufacturing and construction phase.

Our Kilmarnock assembly and distribution facility was also used to ensure that initial

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

critical delivery dates on phase one were met by using their stock of DN900 Gate Valves and fitting actuators and gearboxes in just a few weeks which allowed ABV to start some early tie-in work and ensuring they met their initial delivery commitment.”

AVK UK also faced a logistical challenge with there being five different sites for this one scheme, it meant that AVK UK and the ABV team had to ensure all deliveries were suitable for each of the five different sites, this included consideration of vehicle restrictions, site access, offloading facilities and other specific delivery rules for each of the five sites.

AVK UK continue to work closely with ABV having daily contact and site meetings, this service will continue right through to the commissioning stage and until the project is handed over to Scottish Water.

The Amlaird Pipeline is 13-Mile strategic pipeline running from Newton Mearns to the Fenwick/Waterside area for Scottish Water.

The pipeline is being laid by the Caledonia Water Alliance. AVK UK Limited has been commissioned to supply valves for the pipeline and has an approximate value of £320k.

The Construction of the first phase started in early 2016 the £120 million investment by Scottish Water in its drinking water network; this will benefit more than 200,000 people and businesses in much of Ayrshire and parts of East Renfrewshire. The expected completion is Summer 2017.

The route of the first phase section of water main is being constructed mainly through farmland and open moorland. It starts at Waulkmill Glen Reservoir in the north and goes south via Drumboy Hill, close to the M77 and A77 to Amlaird Water Treatment Works near Fenwick with branches to the South Moorhouse and Corsehouse water treatment works.

AVK UK Limited has supplied 69 the following valves on the Amlaird Pipeline and include: • 9 x DN900 Metal Seated Gate Valves, PN16 • 5 x DN900 Metal Seated Gate Valves, PN25 • 5 x DN1000 Metal Seated Gate Valves, PN16 • 50+ Air Valves, Gate Valves and Hydrants

Building work starts on the new Corsehouse Pumping Station The pipeline had a tight delivery program, through working closely with CWA, AVK UK supplied and worked to a delivery schedule with numerous ‘milestone dates’ giving regular updates to both CWA and Scottish Water and successfully managing to deliver the valves early.

AVK UK supported and value engineered design alterations on all valves with the integral bypass arrangement being specially altered for this project to satisfy site-specific requirements. This was accepted after the submittal of GA Drawings to ensure it met with the designers’ expectations and approval. This demonstrated the flexibility and willingness of AVK UK and its designers to offer customer and site-specific solutions.

AVK UK worked closely with the CWA designers over a number of months to carefully select and locate the Air Valves across the 13-mile pipeline route using their unique Air Valve sizing software.

Once each location and size was agreed by both AVK and CWA, a final report was signed and submitted by AVK UK to CWA was also used by alliance designer AECOM as part of their final hydraulic analysis. +44 (0)7515 576658 wimc@avkuk.co.uk

Amlaird Pipeline gets ready for fist connections

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL OCTOBER 2017 WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

Asset Inspection - Achieving Strategic Objectives by Optimising Totex Investment A utility companies’ ability to provide its customers with the level of service they desire is ultimately dependent on how it manages the performance and reliability of its assets.

With the level of service expected by customers ever increasing, their tolerance of failure ever reducing, and levels of funding perpetually constrained, utility companies are under more pressure than ever before to optimise asset investment. As a result, producing effective and defensible investment plans is becoming increasingly fundamental to their overall success.

In order to meet this challenge, a proactive, risk based approach to asset management is required, where having the right, high quality asset information is essential. Over the past 20 years, Panton McLeod has developed a service aimed at providing clients with the

TOTEX INVESTMENT DELIVERY

STRATEGIC DIRECTION

INVESTMENT OPTIMISATION

ASSET PROFILING

information required to manage their assets in the most efficient and effective way. Whilst our service is key to operational maintenance, the information generated is also a vital component of any long term strategic planning framework.

For a strategic planning framework to be successful, it must be capable of providing a clear line of sight between a utilities strategic objectives and each and every investment

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decision. This involves firstly establishing, prioritising and quantifying strategic objectives, which are aligned with drivers such as customer preferences, statutory obligations and regulatory targets. The criticality and integrity of assets can then be profiled and baselined against these objectives. By profiling assets using structured and quantitative asset data, Totex investment plans can be truly optimised.

Effective asset integrity profiling is dependent on having an appropriate inspection and testing capability. This requires a structured assessment of the asset inventory, where all key components of asset integrity are identified and suitable methods of evaluation defined. The result is that a suite of techniques can be specified for each asset, capable of providing a measurable assessment of all aspects of asset risk and performance. Risks can be identified, evaluated and mitigated, resulting in a reduction in reactive works, and significant savings in both capital and operational maintenance. The prioritisation and implementation of these interventions in line with strategic objectives improves overall level of service.

Panton McLeod’s strategic approach combined

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with a range of leading edge techniques and technologies, provides our clients with the level of asset insight necessary to withstand the scrutiny of the modern regulated business environment.

TANKS & VESSELS

If left to run, leaks can cause significant damage to the integrity and ground support of the asset which greatly increases the risk of catastrophic failure. Identifying water egress is extremely challenging due to inaccessibility of the asset and impossible once drained. Our innovative approach uses a combination of techniques to ensure any egress is identified with no interruption to the live operation of the asset. Our ROV dye injection system utilises a potassium permanganate solution (commonly used in water treatment) which is capable of visually locating areas of egress.

The ROV is used to visually screen the asset for areas where egress is likely to occur and then inject small amounts of dye directly onto these areas. The dispersion of the dye enables us to accurately identify points at which fluid is leaving the tank. Leaks can be identified and follow-up interventions can be scoped, planned and costed without any impact on customer service.

Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Inspections Pro-active risk based structural assessment of tanks and vessels is essential in improving certainty of scope and cost related to asset maintenance, and can also significantly reduce the likelihood of failure. Where the cost of draining tanks can be prohibitive, our fleet of advanced ROV’s can be used in a “live” environment to provide full HD surveys of all key integrity components. This information allows anomalies to be identified and appropriate interventions developed without the need for extensive and costly enabling works. Where data is collected over time in a structured, quantitative and consistent way, deterioration can then be modelled and predicted. A minor up-front investment in pro-active inspection and testing results in significant savings over reactive repair and maintenance.

Leakage Assessment - Dye Injection Leakage in tanks and vessels has not only implications in terms of non-revenue water but is also an indication of structural integrity.

Dead Spot Sampling This method of sampling targets specific tank components which may be having a detrimental impact on water quality. It can often be the case that joints, walls or simply the tank layout itself leads to an inadequate flow of water through the tank. Water quality samples can also be taken at various points within the reservoir using the Dead Spot Sampling™ equipment to investigate if chlorine demand varies within the structure.

This can then eliminate risks which may materialise into quality failures at the customers taps. Dead Spot Sampling allows businesses to make proactive investment decisions and also build their knowledge and understanding of their asset base.

“We have worked with the team at Panton McLeod over many years, in addition to their ‘normal’ confined space works we have used their various robotic tools to inspect, sample and clean assets while they remain full, and in supply. As the only provider with the tools to complete the task, and industry specific knowledge to ensure we protect water quality during the works they are our ideal partner” Northumbrian Water

PIPELINE INFRASTRUCTURE Free Swimming and Long Range Pipeline Condition Assessment A key feature of strategic infrastructure assets is that they are necessary in maintaining service to large numbers of customers, but they also have the potential to cause significant damage to their surrounding environment. Gaining the information necessary to effectively manage and maintain buried pressure and gravity assets has challenged the industry for a number of years, with limited information and crude extrapolation often resulting in sub-optimal investment. In response, Panton McLeod are able to undertake detailed integrity assessment of buried pipelines over large distances using MTA Pipe Inspector®. This free-swimming multi-sensor inspection tool enables the video inspection of pipelines together with an integrated acoustic hydrophone, temperature gauge and pressure gauge for use in detecting leaks – down to as small as 5 litres an hour - and evaluating pipeline integrity. The battery powered system permits the collection of video, sound, pressure and temperature information for up to 10 hours. Where required, extended batteries can be installed for longer runs. Unlike tethered systems where inspection lengths are typically limited to less than 1,000 m, Pipe-Inspector is capable of surveying up to 50 km pipeline from a single deployment. By coupling acoustic references with video confirmation MTA Pipe Inspector® identifies anomalies such as gas pockets with increased confidence over traditional methods, enabling clients to accurately identify, mitigate and manage the risks associated with their trunk main assets.

As a business, we are focused on smart, sustainable solutions to water challenges across the UK and Ireland. Providing clients with the information necessary to make the best possible investment decisions is at the heart of everything we do. We are dedicated to supporting our clients in meeting the demands of today, but will continue to address the challenges of the future through a passion for innovation.

For more information about Panton McLeod please make contact via info@pantonmcleod.co.uk or visit www.pantonmcleod.co.uk.

Editorial courtesy of Ross Fisher of Minerva. For more information contact Ross on ross.fisher@minervaiam.com or visit www.minervaiam.com

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z PIPELINE TECHNOLOGY

Superpipe arrives in Blackpool A massive new outfall pipe measuring over 2 miles long arrived off the coast of Blackpool this morning ready to be installed in a huge trench under the sea.

The pipe’s amazing journey started off from a Norwegian fjord in May this year. It was towed in six sections by ship to Lough Foyle in Northern Ireland where it has since been assembled into one long pipe with special concrete collars like giant cable clips.

Filled with air to keep it afloat, the 20,000 tonne pipe left Ireland on Saturday afternoon, pulled across the Irish Sea with an escort of 4 ships.

The pipe’s final installation by water company United Utilities will take place yards off the beach and just across the road from the company’s on-going project at Anchorsholme Park ­– part of an overall £200m investment in further improving Blackpool’s bathing waters.

The supersize outfall pipe, the largest in the UK, will be used during periods of heavy rain to pump storm water away from the sewer network – preventing flooding of properties, and ensuring the water mixes far out into the sea helping to protect bathing waters.

Steve Wong from United Utilities said: “This scheme will continue our work in helping to improve the North West coastline, which is not only fantastic for the environment but will mean even cleaner beaches to be enjoyed by all.

“This builds on more than £600m of wastewater investment along the coast of Blackpool over the last 20 years.”

phenomenal, resulting in cleaner seas, better conditions for marine wildlife and even a coveted Blue Flag.

Since 2015, engineers from United Utilities have had a presence above and below ground at Anchorsholmes Park.

“That work has only been possible through partnership work with United Utilities and other partners and this work is another example of the scale of work that is taking place to continue that improvement.

A new 30 metre deep storm tank, a new pumping station which will have the capacity to pump 14 tonnes of water per second through the massive new outfall pipes are just some of the major engineering activities taking place, which will help protect Blackpool’s Blue Flag beach.

Stephanie Wyatt from LOVEmyBEACH said: “The work taking place here will help improve the quality of the Fylde coasts bathing waters even further. Twenty years ago only 18% of the North West’s bathing waters met minimum standards; in 2016 this figure was 100%. Due to fantastic work from United Utilities, and efforts from across the whole community, we’re now able to enjoy safer, cleaner bathing waters.”

Cllr Fred Jackson, Blackpool Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “The improvement to Blackpool’s bathing water quality over the last five years has been

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“Improving sea water quality isn’t just about giant pipes and new storage tanks though, the public need to do their bit to keep our beaches clean, such as picking up their litter, cleaning up after their dogs, and only putting the rights things down the toilet and drains.”

United Utilities work will be finished in 2019 and a completely revamped Anchorsholme Park will be re-opened in 2020, boasting a new bowling club, a café, outdoor seating area, children’s playground, sports area with tennis courts and a trim trail.

United Utilities is a partner of LOVEmyBEACH, a campaign which brings together various groups, including the Environment Agency and local authorities, including Blackpool Council, to keep the North West’s bathing waters clean.

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PIPELINE TECHNOLOGY z

This scheme will continue our work in helping to improve the North West coastline, which is not only fantastic for the environment but will mean even cleaner beaches to be enjoyed by all.

Steve Wong United Utilities

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z PIPELINE TECHNOLOGY

Lifelong Steel Pipe Corrosion Protection

Serving the UK pipeline industry for over 40 years

Application of protective corrosion systems for lifelong asset protection

Internal/external pipeline repairs can be carried out where necessary

Fully qualified staff can apply wide variety of coatings and linings

Previous projects include prestigious pipeline and water restraining projects installed across the UK

Call 01670 224012 for more information

www.pipelineprotection.co.uk

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z WATER AND WASTEWATER MONITORING AND ANALYSIS

Monitoring leads to successful scheme

The value of good wastewater monitoring and analysis has been illustrated in spectacular fashion through a scheme which has tackled the damage caused by pesticides.

Analysis that revealed worrying pesticide levels led to the creation of Welsh Water’s free and confidential pesticide disposal scheme, which has been hailed a success after it collected more than 1,600kgs of unwanted, unlicensed or out of date pesticides and herbicides from landowners in six areas across Wales. The programme achieved a 100% approval rate from its participants.

The trial scheme, a joint initiative between and environmental regulator Natural Resources Wales, formed part of PestSmart, a Welsh Water campaign which encourages farmers, growers and landowners to consider ‘smarter’ ways of controlling weeds, pests and diseases that do not impact on people, water or wildlife.

Ian Christie, Managing Director of Water Services at Welsh Water, said: “Our routine water monitoring programme has detected

increasing traces of pesticides in areas we have never seen them before.

“While these levels are too low to pose a risk to those drinking the water, they are enough to risk breaching rigorous drinking water standards so we wanted to work with land managers to take action to address this issue together.

“Even the most organised of land managers can find themselves with an out of date or now unlicensed product which can be difficult or expensive to dispose of correctly. To help them, we launched a free ‘no questions asked’ disposal scheme which safely took away unwanted pesticides and herbicides.

“We know that pesticides form an essential and everyday role in the agricultural community. However, if stored, used or disposed of incorrectly, they can have a devastating impact on people, water and

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wildlife. By providing this free and confidential scheme in targeted areas across Wales, we are working with land managers to reduce the risk of pollution and safeguard raw water quality before it reaches our water treatment works.”

The scheme collected pesticides and herbicides including grassland herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, wetting agents, fungicides, disinfectants, growth regulators and sheep dip from 59 locations in the Upper Wye, Towy, Teifi, Pendine, Alaw and Cefni catchments.

Bob Vaughan, NRW’s Sustainable Land Use Manager, said: “Protecting our natural resources of water, soil and air is essential for a sustainable environment.

“Whilst we know that pesticides play an essential and everyday role for farmers and land managers in Wales, they can have a serious impact on our environment unless they are stored, used and disposed of correctly.”

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WATER AND WASTEWATER MONITORING AND ANALYSIS z

Protecting our natural resources of water, soil and air is essential for a sustainable environment. Whilst we know that pesticides play an essential and everyday role for farmers and land managers in Wales, they can have a serious impact on our environment unless they are stored, used and disposed of correctly.

Bob Vaughan, NRW’s Sustainable Land Use Manager

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z WATER AND WASTEWATER MONITORING AND ANALYSIS

Colilert®-18: Confidence, Quality and Efficiency in Water Testing Designed to make water microbiology simple, IDEXX provides easy, rapid and accurate testing methods, along with a full line of water testing supplies, equipment and accessories, allowing users to quickly and efficiently identify contamination in their water.

The need to quickly identify and resolve bacterial contamination in drinking water systems is well understood by water utility companies. Failure to spot problems can be extremely costly, both financially and in terms of reputation. Likewise, dealing with false alarms can waste valuable time and resources.

Colilert-18®, from IDEXX, has been trusted by water utilities worldwide for more than 20 years for the detection of coliforms and E.coli in drinking water, sewage and raw water. Its speed to confirmed results, in just 18 hours, as well as its many advantages over traditional membrane filtration methods, have seen Colilert-18 achieve global regulatory acceptance in over 40 countries, and become the new ISO standard 9308-2:2012. In 2013, over two billion people globally were served by Colilert tests.

In October 2015, Colilert-18 was specified as a

reference method in the European Drinking Water Directive 2015/1787. The amendment to the Directive now states that “EN ISO 9308-2 (Colilert-18) provides all necessary specifications for performing the enumeration of E. coli and total coliform bacteria.” The Directive gave European countries 24 months to transpose the legislation into national laws, meaning this has to be implemented by October 27th, 2017 at the latest.

Using Colilert-18 on a long-term basis delivers precise results rapidly and provides confidence in results for water network operators. Detecting coliforms quickly and accurately reduces the prospect of sporadic contamination events caused by the spread of biofilm through water distribuiton systems. Subsequent remedial activities can be extremely serious, especially if actions such as hyper-chlorination of distribution systems, cleaning up biofilm, draining

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reservoirs and even replacing pipes, are forced upon network operators. So removing uncertainty and doubt from test results ensures the ongoing maintenance of the network, regulatory compliance and the safety of the consumer.

Speed and Efficiency Tests come pre-weighed and pre-packed and there are no media preparation steps, reducing the actual hands-on time to prepare a sample to just one minute. Conclusive and confirmed results are available in 18 hours, allowing any necessary remedial action to be carried out immediately.

Combining the Colilert-18 test with the easyto-use IDEXX Quanti-Tray® system displays results in a series of wells where a yellow colouration shows the presence of coliforms and fluorescence under UV light indicates whether E.coli is present.

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WATER AND WASTEWATER MONITORING AND ANALYSIS z

South West Water Adopts Colilert®-18 in Drive for Greater Accuracy and Certainty

Methodology The science behind the Colilert-18 test is based on a defined bacterial enzyme detection technology which simultaneously detects total coliforms and E. coli. Two nutrient-indicators, ONPG and MUG, are the major sources of carbon in Colilert and can be metabolised by the coliform enzyme ß-galactosidase and the E. coli enzyme ß-glucuronidase, respectively.

After undertaking a trial in 2016 to compare Colilert-18 against the Membrane Lactose Glucuronide Agar (m-LGA) test which it had previously used for all compliance samples, South West Water (SWW) switched to Colilert-18 to test for E. coli and coliform contamination.

As coliforms grow in the Colilert medium, they use ß-galactosidase to metabolise ONPG and change it from colourless to yellow.

E. coli use ß-glucuronidase to metabolise MUG and create fluorescence. Since most non-coliforms do not have these enzymes, they are unable to grow and interfere.

The few non-coliforms that do have these enzymes are selectively suppressed by the specifically formulated matrix of Colilert.

This approach is different from traditional media, which provide a nutrient-rich environment that supports the growth of both target organisms and non-targets.

When non-targets grow and mimic target organisms, false positives occur. Growth of non-targets can also suppress target organisms and give false negatives in traditional media. To suppress non-targets, traditional media often include high levels of salts, detergents, or other selective agents that may inadvertently suppress target organisms and give further false negative results.

Carrying out the test and sample preparation require minimal training and equipment. The test itself consists of a powder which is added to a standard 100ml water sample, and then incubated at 35°C for 18 hours to determine presence or absence. Unlike traditional techniques,

no media preparation is necessary, and the non-toxic reagents come in ready-to-use, unit-dosed packaging. Hands-on operation time is less than one minute, and the test has the potential to be run either within a laboratory environment or on-site, making the test ideal for situations where access to a contract laboratory is restricted, such as oil rigs and cruise ships.

If required, bacterial contamination can also be quantified using the IDEXX QuantiTray. Once the water sample is collected, the pre-dosed powder is added to the sample container, then agitated and poured in to the Quanti-Tray which has 51 wells specifically designed to enumerate bacteria in water samples. The Quanti-Tray is then sealed to create a number of discrete cells where the reaction will take place and then incubated.

All ®/TM marks are owned by IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries.

Accuracy and Confidence Colilert-18 tests significantly reduce both false positive and false negative results and provide operators with results that are accurate, nonsubjective and require no further confirmation steps.

Customers also benefit from IDEXX taking full ownership of the entire test process. If any element of the methodology falters, whether it is the equipment or an abnormal result that cannot be explained, technical support is always available.

Specificity and Sensitivity Colilert-18 supresses the growth of non-target organisms while facilitating the growth of target species, making the test very specific and also highly sensitive. A single viable coliform or E. coli per 100 ml sample can be detected.

Versatility Colilert-18 can be used on all raw water samples, whether from rivers or reservoirs. The accuracy and ease of use becomes apparent when testing raw water which contains a lot of background flora that is supressed using Colilert-18, making interptetation of results much simpler. Furthermore, the test can be used in the production of sludge cake, where it is important to show a sufficient reduction on E. coli from raw sludge before it is released, as it is used as a fertiliser and could enter the food chain.

Quality and Assurance In addition to the IDEXX Water QC laboratory being ISO 17025 accredited, the QC certificate for Colilert-18 is now ISO 11133 compliant, giving users considerable advantages over those that are reliant on other, non-compliant products.

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Uncertainty caused by false positive results had led to delays while confirmation tests were carried out, resulting in time and money being spent undertaking remedial actions which may not have been required.

Regulations state that immediate action must be taken, based on the assumption that the result is positive.

SWW had noted that m-LGA can allow the growth of non-target background organisms which can mask the presence of coliforms on the agar. The water quality department at SWW was particularly concerned about unconfirmed failures, as these colonies led to uncertainty while confirmation steps were undertaken. It was found that after isolating presumptive positives from m-LGA, they had to be confirmed and this typically took two extra days, but with mixed colonies could be as many as four.

It was observed in the trial that Colilert-18 was not just easier to store and handle, it also greatly reduced the risk of contamination between samples. Unlike membrane filtration techniques, Colilert-18 is nonhazardous, and the processing time for SWW’s microbiologists undertaking testing with Colilert-18 was reduced, greatly improving their workflow and efficiency in the laboratory.

During the six month trial, over 10,000 samples were run, and although ultimately, the side-by-side comparison testing showed that m-LGA gave the correct results, it was very time consuming. Data analysis at the end of the six months showed there was no increase in compliance failures.

The trial gave the water quality experts within SWW the confidence to move over to Colilert-18 for their routine testing, and avoid the three-day wait for confirmed results. SWW has now joined Thames Water, South East Water and Essex & Suffolk Water in relying on Colilert-18 to test for E. coli and coliform contamination.

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z WATER AND WASTEWATER MONITORING AND ANALYSIS

Chemcatcher Chemcatcher® is a highly versatile and cost-effective passive sampling device for monitoring a wide variety of pollutants in potable, surface, coastal and marine waters. It is now being used worldwide to help solve a number of water quality issues.

Most monitoring programmes involve the periodic collection of low volume spot samples of water (bottle or grab). Obtaining representative data on the concentration of chemicals present can be challenging using this approach, particularly where levels fluctuate over time and when chemicals are present only at trace, yet toxicologically relevant concentrations. The use of passive samplers can help to overcome this problem as they can be deployed in the water column from days to months.

Chemcatcher® measures time-weighted average (TWA) or equilibrium concentrations of pollutants in water. It may also be used in a forensic mode for the qualitative screening of the presence or absence of substances of concern. Information obtained from the use of the device allows the end-user to gain a better indication of the long-term or appertaining environmental conditions and can therefore assist in improving risk assessments and in guiding any remedial actions.

Chemcatcher® comprises a robust, low-cost reusable three-component water-tight PTFE body that is used together with a specific receiving phase and diffusion-limiting membrane. Two designs are available to accommodate different types of commercially available 47 mm diameter receiving phase disks. The use of commercially available products allows for high reproducibility and the use of standardised preparation and extraction procedures. By altering the combination of the receiving phase and the diffusion limiting membrane used, Chemcatcher® can be deployed for the detection and monitoring of non-polar organic compounds, polar organic compounds, metals, nutrients, organometallic compounds and radionuclides.

BeneFits of Using Chemcatcher®

• Easy to deploy in the field • Cost effective as the PTFE body is reusable • Capable of measuring a wide range of environmental pollutants • Technology validated by world-leading academics • Once calibrated gives time-weighted average concentrations of chemicals • Can detect pollutants present at concentrations below LOD of standard lab equipment

pellets. Large quantities of pellets are used in some agricultural areas at specific times in the year to control infestations in crops. As a consequence, often high concentrations of metaldehyde can be found in surface waters after significant rainfall events. Chemcatcher® can be used to measure metaldehyde in water.

Chemcatcher® for metals Applications include the measurement of cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel and zinc.

Chemcatcher® for nutrients A recent addition to the family of Chemcatcher® devices is the development of a version for monitoring nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate.

Chemcatcher® for organometallic compounds This passive sampler device can be used to measure organotin compounds including: monobutyltin, dibutyltin, tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin.

Who should use Chemcatcher®? Training courses and • Regulatory authorities consultancy • Water utilities

• Research & Universities • Industry discharging effluent e.g. pharmaceutical/Biopharma • Surface water monitoring stations • Water treatment facilities

Types of Chemcatcher available: Chemcatcher® for non-polar organic compounds Recent applications include the measurement of PAHs and PCBs. Performance reference compounds (PRCs) can be used to correct for any variations in environmental conditions (e.g. changes in water temperature and turbulence) during a field deployment. Such variations are then taken into account when estimating the TWA concentration during the exposure period.

Chemcatcher® for polar organic compounds This class includes polar pesticides (e.g. acid herbicides) and emerging pollutants such as pharmaceutical residues and personal care products. Two designs of Chemcatcher® are available to sequester these types of chemicals.

Performance reference compounds (PRCs) cannot be used effectively with this version of Chemcatcher®.

Chemcatcher® for metaldehyde Metaldehyde is a potent molluscicide and is the active ingredient in most formulated slug

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We offer bespoke training courses on how to prepare, assemble and deploy Chemcatcher® passive sampling devices.

We also offer consultancy services including preparation, deployment/retrieval of the Chemcatcher® and other types of passive samplers.

We can provide analysis of the receiving phase disks for a wide variety of pollutants and prepare reports on the findings.

Please contact us to discuss your specific learning and monitoring requirements.

For more information on Chemcatcher® or to purchase Chemcatcher® deployment apparatus and other accessories please contact: T.E Laboratories Ltd. Loughmartin Business Park, Tullow, Co.Carlow Ireland R93 N529 Tel: +353 (0) 59 9152881 E-mail: sales@chemcatcher.ie Website: www.chemcatcher.ie Twitter @chemcatcher www.facebook.com/chemcatcher

A UNIQUE PASSIVE SAMPLING DEVICE USED WORLDWIDE Versatile passive sampler that can be used for sampling of compounds such as MCPA, Nitrate, Phosphate, Personal Care Products, Pharmaceutical’s and PAH’s. Suitable for deployment in Potable, Surface, Costal and Marine waters.

T.E Laboratories Ltd Tel: +353 (0) 59 9152881 E-mail: sales@chemcatcher.ie www.chemcatcher.ie

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z WATER AND WASTEWATER MONITORING AND ANALYSIS

Making it easier to monitor the raw water composition and guarantee drinking water quality – more confidently Swan has been developing and manufacturing process analytical instruments for monitoring water quality since 1991.

Based in Switzerland, Swan sets the standard for the control of many water quality parameters. Precision, reliability and excellence are qualities which make Swan an ideal partner. Every sensor and every instrument has been produced at Swan’s headquarters and each step from the machine part to the final assembly undergoes rigorous and severe quality control procedures so that no instrument leaves the company without final testing under real conditions. Swan’s water quality instrumentation is used to operate and efficiently control the drinking water treatment process from raw water intake, to purification, storage and distribution.

AMI SAC2 ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTS

Now you can guarantee even purer drinking water quality with confidence.

The AMI SAC254 absorbs UV at a wavelength of 254 nm enabling continuous online measurement of natural organic material in drinking water treatment processes.

The monitoring of dissolved organic substances at critical control points provides immediate identification of changes in the raw water composition, lowering the risks of unexpected water pollution and giving greate monitor is robust, reliable, easy to install and simple to operate, al

AMI SAC254

“Making it easier to monitor the raw water composition and guarantee drinking water quality – more confidently”

 Broad measuring range: from 0 up to 200 [m-1] (1/m)  Dynamic measuring method with a robust cell insensitive to fouling  Straight forward instrument set-up for rapid plant integration  Application-oriented customization of data transmitter and event-driven alarm system  Data transmitter supports all common interfaces and communication protocols

UV-Absorption Organics Monitor

Raw Water Intake – early detection for immediate adjustmen

On-Line monitor for continuous measurement of UV absorption at a wavelength of 254 nm to efficiently monitor organic material (DOC, TOC, CSB) in drinking water treatment processes.

Coagulation/Flocculation/Sedimentation – enhanced mo feed and energy consumption

Filtration – monitoring allows insight into the extent of filter satura

UV Disinfection – improved process control by monitoring the e

Storage – continuously measures organic pollutants before distr

TO SEE HOW WE CAN HELP B

01780 755500 or Email

Made in Switzerland

The AMI SAC254 is the perfect instrument for precise and continuous data accumu-

AMI SAC254 – UV- ABSORPTION ORGANICS MONITOR

lation,LEVEL which is essential for valuableTRIDES trend AMI TURBIWELL – LOW AMI – REAGENT FREE analyses. It also provides immediate idenTURBIDITY MONITORING tification of changes in theDISINFECTANTS raw water com-

On-Line monitor for continuous measurement of UV absorption at a wavelength of 254 nm to efficiently monitor organic material (DOC, TOC, CSB) in drinking water treatment processes.

Non-contact Nephelometric system for automatic and continuous measurement of turbidity in potable water, surface water and effluent (ISO 7027).

• Broad measuring range: from 0 up to 200 [m-1] (1/m) • Dynamic measuring method with a robust cell insensitive to fouling • Straight forward instrument set-up for rapid plant integration • Application-oriented customisation of data transmitter and event-driven alarm system • Data transmitter supports all common interfaces and communication protocols The AMI SAC254 is the perfect instrument for precise and continuous data accumulation, which is essential for valuable trend analyses.

It also provides immediate identification of changes in the raw water composition to lower the risks associated with unexpected water pollution, such as pesticides from agriculture, as well as organic trace impurities and industrial solvents.

position to lower the risks associated with unexpected water pollution, as pestiA such monitor with cides from agriculture, as well as organic an solvents. integrated pH trace impurities and industrial

measurement AMI forSAC254 UV-Absorption Organics Monitor Data Sheet Nr.of DenA25451000 automatic calculation free chlorine and changing pH levels.

• Measuring range: 0.01 to 5.00 ppm

www.swan.ch

• Low drift: < 1% during 1 month

• Measuring range:0.000 – 200 FNU

• Fast response time: 90% of change within 60 seconds

• Precision:±0.003 FNU or 1% of the reading

• Maintenance-free selfcleaning 3 electrode system

• Non-contact turbidimeter: optical elements are not in direct contact with the sample – no fouling

• Chlorine Sensor lasts the lifetime of the instrument

• Low water consumption

• Monitoring of sample flow and cleaning efficiency

• Optional sample degasser

• Automatic compensation of sample pH (on-line or off-line)

• Low maintenance and simple verification

• Built-in PID controllers as relays or continuous mA output

• Complete panel mounted system; tested, calibrated and ready for operation.

• Fieldbus interface including Profibus DP and Modbus protocols • Complete panel mounted system, tested calibrated and ready for operation.

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

WATER AND WASTEWATER MONITORING AND ANALYSIS z

ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTS

AMI SAC254 Drinking water organics monitoring sensor “Making it easier to monitor the raw water composition

AMI SAC254 –

and guarantee drinking water quality – more confidently”

ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTS

UV-Absorption Organics Monitor

On-Line monitor for continuous Now you can guarantee even purer measurement of UV absorption at a wavelength of 254 nm to drinking water quality with confidence. efficiently monitor organic mateThe AMI SAC254 absorbs UV at rial (DOC, TOC, CSB) in drinking a wavelength of 254 nm enabling water treatment processes. continuous online measurement of  Broad measuring range: natural organic material in drinking from 0 up to 200 [m-1] (1/m) water treatment processes.  Dynamic measuring method with a robust cell insensitive to fouling The monitoring of dissolved organic  Straight forward instrument set-up substances at critical control points for rapid plant integration provides immediate identification of  Application-oriented customization of data transmitter and event-driven changes in the raw water composition, alarm system lowering the risks of unexpected water pollution and giving greater control to the operator.

Thissupports new flexible  Data transmitter all cominterfaces and communication monitor is robust, reliable, easy to install and simple to operate, all you have to domon is plug & play.

r the raw water composition ter quality – more confidently”

protocols

UV-Absorption Organics Monitor

Raw Water Intake – early detection for immediate adjustment

The AMI SAC254 is the perfect instrument

precise andefficiency continuous data accumuCoagulation/Flocculation/Sedimentation – enhanced monitoring forforimproved of chemical lation, which is essential for valuable trend feed and energy consumption analyses. It also provides immediate iden-

tification of changes in the raw water com-

Filtration – monitoring allows insight into the extent of filter saturation whichposition minimises unexpected down times to lower the risks associated with unexpected water pollution, such as pesti-

UV Disinfection – improved process control by monitoring the effectivenesscides andfrom efficiency of as thewell UVasdisinfection agriculture, organic Storage – continuously measures organic pollutants before distribution

trace impurities and industrial solvents.

AMI SAC254 UV-Absorption Organics Monitor Data Sheet Nr. DenA25451000

TO SEE HOW WE CAN HELP BETTER CONTROL YOUR PROCESS, CALL

01780 755500 or Email: sales@swan-analytical.co.uk www.swan.ch

Winning the battle against bracken on the heath Durham Wildlife Trust’s Heart of Durham Project, working in partnership with Northumbrian Water, has improved a natural habitat by reducing invasive bracken.

The organisations manage areas around Derwent Reservoir, including Pow Hill Heath on the south side of the reservoir which is a mid-altitude heath, a scarce habitat.

The site, which is designated as a Local Wildlife Site, supports a range of plants, reptiles, birds, mammals and invertebrates. The diverse heathland plants include heather, bilberry, wavy hair grass, common milkwort, lousewort, stichwort, marsh thistle, harebell, tormentil, cotton grass and speedwell.

However, the inundation of bracken over many years had become a problem, shading out the flora with the mild and wet winters of MI SAC254 recent times creating the perfect conditions for -Absorptionbracken Organics to Monitor thrive. ta Sheet Nr. DenA25451000 Northumbrian Water and the Heart of Durham Project had tried numerous management options, including grazing with Soay sheep, but with limited success so a new approach was required.

This new line of attack has taken the form of a programme of bracken rolling. Using a heavy www.swan.ch metal roller drawn by a horse, the bracken is bruised which significantly weakens the plants.

Chris Wadsworth with his horse Blue rolling the bracken The first annual rolling event took place in 2016 and now the second one has just been completed.

Stuart Pudney, Conservation and Land Manager at Northumbrian Water, said: “The care we take of the land around our reservoirs goes much deeper than simply working to protect the quality of water.

Northumbrian Water places great importance

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upon the protection and enhancement of the environment and partnerships with such organisations as Durham Wildlife Trust, and activity such as the rolling of bracken, all contributes to a more resilient and healthy ecosystem.”

The work was carried out by Chris Wadsworth from the British Horse Loggers Association, supported by Mark Turnbull.

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z WATER AND WASTEWATER MONITORING AND ANALYSIS

Turbidity measurement – The same old problems…No longer

5 main reasons why turbidity measurement is challenging, and how these issues are no longer 5. Calibration and the hazards of Formazin

Turbidity has long been one of the key indicators in determining water quality.

Turbidity can be a complex measurement, especially at the very low levels required in UK drinking water production. Measurement can be affected by: the size, shape and colour of the material scattering the light; the sample colour; and the particle size distribution of the material in the sample; resulting in different instruments giving different results on the same sample.

Turbidity calibration is all based around the response of the instrument to formazin.

Formazin is a polymer which has relatively consistent light scattering properties and is the ONLY primary calibration standard available. Every other standard for a turbidity instrument is a secondary standard which relates back to formazin. Unfortunately, formazin has two major drawbacks: correct preparation of standards is difficult and low level formazin standards are not very stable.

Given that drinking water works are working below 1NTU, then the solutions you would use to calibrate would have to be made up fresh before use.

The common causes of variation in readings between instrumentation are well known but it is worth listing some of them to understand how the new Lovibond® PTV 1000 instrument design sought to overcome each one.

1. Avoiding bubbles

Bubbles are the bane of turbidity measurement.

You don’t have to be able to see the bubbles in order for them to influence turbidity measurement sub 1NTU levels. Because turbidity measurement is carried out by measuring scattered light at 90º to the incident light, at low levels of turbidity, the detector is picking up a very small signal. Any bubbles present, especially micro bubbles, lead to a large amount of noise and the operator’s accusation of “variable results”.

No Longer

To eliminate bubbles from entering the measurement chamber, the new instrument design incorporates an integrated patented bubble trap mechanism, using both horizontal and vertical flow to trap and remove micro bubbles from the instrument prior to measurement.

2. Avoiding the issues of glass measurement cells Any surface that comes between the incident light and the detector is not ideal. Benchtop turbidity measurement is inherently prone to error due to defects on the cell caused by cleaning and use, these cause false positive turbidity results. So why use them in online instrumentation if you don’t need to? Glass cells are prone to scratching and fouling.

Added to this is the issue of condensation, a particular problem when using glass cells. Condensation can also affect online instruments when it builds up around the light source.

No Longer

By submerging the detector into the measurement chamber, the use of glass cells has been avoided. The new instrument also features heated optics to further prevent condensation. This design also eliminates the need to use desiccant, something that is often

No Longer required to minimize condensation in systems with glass measuring cells.

3. Minimising stray light

Stray light is another problem which can be reduced by a well thought-out instrument design.

Essentially, it is the light that is detected by the instrument that isn’t associated with the scattering by the particles in the sample.

Again, very low level turbidity measurement is prone to error due to even the tiniest amounts of light reflected in the sample chamber.

No Longer

The new instrument has been designed to remove stray light. The shape of the measurement chamber combined with advanced optical features captures stray light and prevents it from reflecting inside the measurement chamber. This eliminates false positive results.

4. Keeping it clean

It seems obvious but one of the challenges of turbidity measurement is ensuring the sample chamber is kept clean; any surface in contact with water is prone to picking up any dirt and microbiological fouling.

No Longer

Specially designed wetted parts are used and the measurement chamber design is completely smooth to minimise any places where sediment can build up. Additionally, the measurement chamber is designed to simplify access as making cleaning easy for operators is the key to avoiding contamination issues.

No nooks or crannies.

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By using an LED light source, the instrument offers long and stable performance over time.

In order to verify the optical system, a solid standard has been developed to enable operators to check their system, but the Lovibond® instrument goes one step further and enables easy, accurate and safe calibration on the primary calibration solution for turbidity instrumentation, a stabilized formazin.

Due to the difficulties in preparing Formazin standards and their instability at low concentrations, the experts at Lovibond have developed TCALplus™ standards. The packaging eliminates common interferences, guarantees the accuracy of the diluted formazin and avoids direct exposure to the operator to the polymer. Simply squeeze and manipulate the bag for approximately 1 minute and it is ready to use – no dilution required. Following calibration, the solution can be completely removed from the sample chamber - all contained for proper disposal.

And that’s not all

With over 100 years of skill, knowledge and comprehension of the users’ challenges , the Lovibond® team of experts has not only overcome many of the technical issues associated with turbidity measurement, the team has also designed it with the water treatment works in mind: ensuring only small volumes of sample are required to reduce water consumption; easy servicing; and introducing an optional App-based interface to facilitate servicing, enable verification and downtime tracking, allow meaningful reporting and, thereby, saving overall TOTEX costs.

Written by Tom Lendrem, Sales Engineer for PMA, the distributor of the Lovibond® PTV 1000 in the UK and Elizabeth Wilkinson, Marketing Manager for The Tintometer Ltd.

Lovibond® Water Testing Tintometer® Group

PTV Series of Process Turbidimeters Details Matter. By combining a state-of-the-art user interface with simplified processes, the PTV Series delivers the accurate results that you expect, without the complexity.

Represented in the UK By: The Tintometer Limited water.sales@tintometer.com • Tel: 01980 664800

www.lovibond.com

Process Measurement and Analysis Ltd sales@pma.uk.com • Tel: 01484 843 708

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z WATER AND WASTEWATER MONITORING AND ANALYSIS

Pioneering breakthrough in water quality monitoring

A pioneering breakthrough in water quality monitoring has been launched, and is set to have a profound impact on the way the UK water industry measure and manage water quality.

Analytical Technology’s new MetriNet multiparameter water quality monitor for networks is the latest addition to ATi’s ground-breaking family of water quality monitors. The new state-of-the-art monitor is a brand new approach to smart sensor technology, with amazing capabilities. It is a modular approach to the distributed collection of water quality data and provides a flexible method for delivering information from remote locations.

This leading, cutting-edge range of sensors offer unique benefits that no other monitors can provide. ATi’s range of network monitors, which also includes the NephNet and ChlorNet, are designed for helping water companies improve compliance, reduce complaints and increase their SIM scores by providing better measurement, understanding and management of their water distribution networks.

Revolutionising the Water Industry

Designed specifically for applications in water distribution networks, the MetriNet allows ‘no compromise’ continuous measurement of all the main water quality parameters you need to measure in distribution networks: • Residual chlorine ( free and combined) • Turbidity • pH

• Conductivity

• Dissolved oxygen temperature • and many more!

The MetriNet system utilises all the experience and expertise that ATi has earned over four decades of working closely with water utilities around the world. MetriNet features sensors that have the same accuracy and reproducibility as our well-known and proven Q-Series sensors, combined with ultra-compact, full featured monitors in one small housing unit.

Industry-Leading Smart M-Node Sensors

At the heart of the system are ATi’s new series of smart digital sensors, the industryleading M-Nodes, that come complete with all the communications protocols needed and expected in today's digital age, as well as a good old-fashioned analogue output.

The M-Nodes are connected to the water supply using a purpose designed ‘clickconnect’ flow cell arrangement. Sensors are connected in series to minimise water usage

and can run at pressures up to 6 bar. This means that MetriNet systems can be used in closed bypass arrangement to completely eliminate water loss.

M-Nodes are ultra low-powered and run autonomously for years at a time on small batteries. Alternatively they can be powered from a local plc or telemetry system. Flexibility really is the name of the game with M-Node sensors, they can be connected to any data gathering system.

For those of you looking for a complete solution, M-Nodes can be connected to the MetriNet User Interface (MUI). The MUI connects to up to 8 M-Node sensors and connects to the outside world in via any ‘ftp’ based system. The MUI also has on board data -logging with massive data storage capabilities.

M-Nodes are available for a variety of measurement in water systems. All nodes plug directly into MetriNet systems and are powered directly from the communications bus. Nodes may be added or removed as needed and removal of a node will not affect system measurements.

M-Nodes are complete water quality monitors equivalent in most respects to full function instruments. Electronic assemblies are galvanically isolated from both the power supply and communication link.

MetriNet beneFits

• Ability to measure anywhere means closer to customer. Can foresee potential issues by advising early, which avoids complaints and allows you to take mitigating action • Future-proof in terms of communication so it will be useful for a long time

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• Economics of purchase and install allow massive installation. The data value increase as the number of measuring points increase because they have a better picture of the whole network • Zero and span data stored internally so calibration can be done anywhere

• Internal clock records total run time on the sensor • Calibration timer can alert users when calibration is due • Two alarm set points are available

• Sensor diagnostics report problems in clear message form • 16 character user defined “Tag” name

Conclusion

ATi General Manager, Dr Mike Strahand, believes the launch of the MetriNet is a huge turning point for water companies: “At ATi, we believe that the sensor is where everything starts – using state-of-the-art smart sensors is vital.

“The MetriNet offers a sustainable solution to meet the complex challenges currently facing the water sector. It will ultimately help drive down complaints, increase water companies’ SIM scores and result in pro-active network management to safeguard water quality for customer use.

“The development of the MetriNet has been fantastic opportunity to provide another solution for our customers for ongoing and costly problems.”

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

WATER AND WASTEWATER MONITORING AND ANALYSIS z

Modular, multi-parameter water quality monitors for networks t. 0800 8046 062 www.atiuk.com

MetriNet_120x180_Water Industry Journal.indd 1

17/07/2017 21:35

International collaboration to address the challenge of poor drinking water of Bath’s Water Innovation and Research Centre (WIRC @ Bath), is aiming to address the limited amount of safe drinking water available in the country.

Led by Dr Mirella Di Lorenzo from WIRC @ Bath, the team will include experts from the University of Bath, University of Bristol, and the Mexican NGO Fomento Mexicano para el Desarrollo Sustentable, and will aim to develop affordable solutions for water provision in the poorest areas of Mexico.

Dr Mirella Di Lorenzo People living in Mexico could soon benefit from a new international collaboration to secure clean drinking water in the country.

An international network of water security provision experts, led by the University

The 10-month MAPwater project, funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAeng) will focus on rural community of Llano Grande, close to Mexico City, where access to safe water is a major challenge.

In many rural communities in Mexico, access to safe drinking water is still a luxury, with ground water the main source. However, the extensive and unregulated extraction of ground water to meet the demands of

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a growing population is the main cause of widespread severe soil sinking and cracking.

Lead investigator and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Dr Di Lorenzo said: “This is an exciting opportunity to engage with the research community in Mexico and key local stakeholders, to collaboratively address the challenge of water scarcity and quality in rural areas of Mexico.”

Chairman of Fomento Mexicano, Rodolfo Rueda, said: “Clean and accessible water for all the Mexicans and citizens of other developing countries is an essential part of the world we want to live in. In Fomento Mexicano we strongly believe that supporting the participation of local communities and strengthen synergies between private entities, academy, and public sector will be crucial in order to achieve by 2030, a universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.”

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z NEWS

Severn Trent completes project to prevent flooding Severn Trent’s project to upgrade sewers to reduce the risk of flooding in Hanley town centre is complete.

The company has invested more than £170,000 to install bigger pipes under the streets in the town,.

The project was planned with Stoke-on-Trent City Council, and engineers used laser-guided underground drilling techniques to minimise disruption to the busy shopping area.

Debbie Goodale, who is leading the project for Severn Trent, said: “This has been an essential project for Hanley to provide added protection against sewer flooding during heavy rainfall.

“The previous sewers just weren’t big enough and there was a risk that, during stormy conditions, they wouldn’t be able to cope.

The new sewer pipes are much bigger and provide far greater protection to the shops and businesses in the town centre.

“To make sure we could keep roads open while we completed the work we used special equipment to install the pipes. This involved digging out small tunnels beneath the roads and then threading the pipes through. It meant we were able to keep roads open while we worked and avoided diversions into the town.”

Award for pop-up bar

Bristol Water’s pop-up Water Bar won the Big Bang Award for Innovation at the Utility Week Stars Awards, its third accolade this year.

The bar was also awarded the Community Project of the Year and Outstanding Innovation Awards at the Water Industry Achievement Awards in May. Bristol Water created the Bristol Water Bar in 2016, a pop-up bar that gives people free drinking water at events and festivals across its area.

Customer Services and IT Director Ben Newby said: “Not only does the Water Bar have massive environmental benefits, but it has social and economic benefits as well.

If people can refill for free, they are likely to drink more and stay hydrated. With the bar and stations being free as well it saves loads of money, too.”

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The Water Bar featured at three public events in the summer of 2016: Bristol Pride, Redfest and the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. More than 15,000 people refilled with nearly 12,000 plastic bottles saved from going to landfill at the Balloon Fiesta alone.

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

Z-Tech is growing, and it’s all about the right Z-Techers!

Z-Tech’s growing rapidly and keeping our core values is key to success.

We have done a lot of work over the last few years to push Z-Tech through the traditional ‘glass ceiling’: restructuring, investing in our systems, processes and infrastructure, developing strong foundations while focusing on what makes us great.

What we do and how we do it is why customers tend to love our work – putting it simply, we fix things, we have over 250 likeminded Z-Tech employees (the Z-Techer), who can call on each other to solve any customer problem. We have developed specialist services to support instrumentation installations, such as minor civils works, in order to offer the complete package, doing things better, faster and guaranteed – all to delight our customers.

We can collectively work on any PLC ever made and deploy over 100 Systems Engineers and Instrumentation Technicians to the Water, Power and Rail sectors to help support in-house teams in this specialist shortage areas, holiday or with their most difficult problems.

The recent launch of our refined Purpose and Values offer a clear message of what we do, and what being a Z-Techer is all about. As well as the headline being deliberately memorable, all our Z-Tech employees live by these values, they are what makes us different.

Michael Swinhoe, Z-Tech’s CEO said: “Z-Tech is now in its 17th year and the amount of opportunity to expand is colossal. It’s truly all about the right people and we have recently made further fantastic appointments.

I’m very pleased to launch our revised Purpose and Values – I’m confident they are core to what we stand for and feedback from our many customers is they are exactly why they like working with us!”

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“Z-Tech is now in its 17th year and the amount of opportunity to expand is colossal. It’s truly all about the right people and we have recently made further fantastic appointments.”

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017

z NEWS

Warning follows prosecution Welsh Water is warning people that they could face prosecution if they are caught fly-tipping at any of its sites.

Tunnel crossing begins

Work to build a new sewer pipe beneath the M4 motorway has reached a milestone, with tunnel boring under way at Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve.

Part of the £15 million Frome Valley relief sewer scheme, Wessex Water is tunnelling beneath the motorway from the nature reserve in Bradley Stoke, South Gloucestershire.

The sewer will provide additional capacity for new developments in the area, diverting wastewater flows from South Gloucestershire to Bristol sewage treatment works in Avonmouth.

The first sections of the Frome Valley relief sewer were laid in areas of North Bristol and Yate during the 1980s and 1990s.

Wessex Water is now constructing a 5km long, 1.8m diameter pipe that will run from Iron Acton, north of Frampton Cotterell, then westwards to Bradley Stoke.

Project manager Mike Bryant said: “We are currently sinking other shafts on the job, and we will be mobilising additional tunnel boring machines around the Winterbourne and Iron Acton areas in the coming months.

“Open excavation in rock around Iron Acton is proving to be tough but we are achieving the estimated outputs per day.

“In September we will be crossing the River Frome, which has all been agreed with the Environment Agency and conservation groups.”

Wessex Water is taking care to protect the nature reserve with a temporary footpath in place and access maintained at all times.

Company named as business awards finalist SDS Limited has been shortlisted for the Small to Medium-sized Business of the Year category of the 2017 Lloyds Bank National Business Awards.

service incorporating design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of our water management systems.”

Based in Somerset, SDS is a market leader in drainage systems for sustainable water infrastructure and Managing Director Patrick Cullen said: “Being a finalist for this prestigious award reflects the contribution of all our staff to a winning business team. SDS strives to deliver sector-leading performance in everything we do. Our success is based on outstanding customer relationships, founded on the provision of a turn-key

The finalists were chosen from the hundreds of businesses that entered or were nominated across 18 award categories. They will now prepare for live presentations to an expert judging panel who will decide the overall winners.

This year’s ceremony will take place on Tuesday 14th November at the Grosvenor House, Park Lane, where the winners will be revealed.

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The warning comes after the company successfully prosecuted a man who illegally disposed of rubbish at the car park of one of its reservoirs in south Wales.

The man was found guilty of three offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Merthyr Magistrates’ Court. The offences related to waste which he had been paid to collect from a property in Barry but which was subsequently dumped at Pontsticill Reservoir near Merthyr Tydfil.

He pleaded not guilty, claiming that the waste had been stolen from the yard at his property and disposed of at Pontsticill to discredit him. He was ordered to complete a 12-month Community Order of 150 unpaid hours and to pay costs of £9,000.

Welsh Water’s Managing Director of Water Services Ian Christie said: “I hope this case serves as a warning to anyone thinking that our sites are soft targets for fly-tipping.”

To help combat the issue of illegal fly-tipping, the company has recently teamed up with Fly-Tipping Action Wales to use an app which helps identify fly-tipping hot spots.

Since joining forces, 24 fly-tipping incidents have already been identified on Welsh Water land.

Mr Christie added: “The use of the app is really helping us better understand where our problem areas for fly-tipping are so we know where to focus our activity on tackling it. So, the message to anyone thinking of using our land as a dumping ground is quite simple, don’t do it because we will catch you and take action.”

Securing National Infrastructure

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SELWOOD

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Our pumps, inside their distinctive yellow canopies, are in use in water and wastewater, sewage and sewer bypass and over pumping operations around the world.

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Like all Selwood products, it comes with specialist support and outstanding service. It’s enough to make our competitors green with envy.

023 8025 0137 www.selwood.co.uk

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