Institute of Water Magazine - Spring Edition 2012 by Institute of Water

SPRING2012 ISSUE173

IN THIS ISSUE: 2012 Conference Preview Innovation Thames Water's Olympic Preparations INSTITUTE OF WATER JOURNAL

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CONTENTS

Introduction In the year that London hosts the largest sporting event on the planet, we are taking the National Conference and Exhibition to the heart of the capital for the first time in the Institute’s history. The two days of presentations, discussion and networking will be held at the prestigious Royal Society, close to Buckingham Palace. For the President's Dinner, National Innovation Awards and Business Skills Awards we move to the Bazalgette-designed Crossness Pumping Station courtesy of our lead sponsor Thames Water. One of only two Grade 1 Listed industrial buildings in London the restored Pumping Station features some of the most spectacular ornamental Victorian cast ironwork found in the world today. Welcome to this first issue for 2012, and to a year that promises to be packed with change and opportunity. In this edition, we cover all of the much-loved features, whilst bringing you reports on the progress of the Institute, announcements on the latest initiatives and stimulating thought pieces. We are totally committed to building the Institute that you have told us you want to see. We hope you will see clear evidence of our work as you read on. The Institute’s year started with the appointment of specialist business support company MBRSS, as our first Professional Development Partner. Their relevant skills and wealth of experience will add greatly to our effectiveness. This partnership is focussed on developing talented individuals in the sector, and building the Institute’s highly successful mentoring programme. Jason Johnson from MBRSS gives us his first thoughts on page 16. Also in this issue is a report on the first ever ‘Rising Stars’ event, developed in collaboration with our Media Partner, Utility Week. Eight talented UK industry ‘youngsters’ joined a mentored table at the prestigious Utility Industry Achievement Awards at the Grosvenor Hotel in London. The ‘Rising Stars’ events will expand throughout 2012, involving government, regulators and the regulated, as the Institute delivers its commitment to nurture careers and bring about unique development opportunities.

You will see in the pages that follow, just how much the National Innovation Awards have developed. The Institute is taking a leading role in encouraging the sector to value and promote innovation, and we continue to build one of the best UK platforms for recognising success. Thanks to the incredible work of Maureen Taylor and the Area Committees, we will have all eight Institute areas providing entries. Northumbrian Water is backing the National Awards, and Professor Martin Cave will lead the presentations. Even with this London setting, the focus of the whole two day National Conference and Exhibition is about the UK sector. We are creating an event that offers you something extremely memorable, but in a way that is affordable, totally work-focused, high value for money and inclusive. Among the other notable features you will see in this issue is a fascinating article by Nick Sumption of Thames Water, on how his company have managed the huge infrastructure challenges that the 2012 Olympics presents; and we look ahead to the 2012 Institute of Water Drilling and Tapping Competition which provides a stage to show exactly why we should be proud to work in this industry. Enjoy your Journal and I look forward to hearing your views throughout the year.

Nick Ellins

President, Institute of Water

Features 16 18-19 22-23

Professional Development

24-26 30-33 54-55

Conference Preview

Meet our Rising Stars

Thames Water's Olympic Preparations

Innovation

Financing Asset Management Plans

Regulars

4-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 71-79

News in Brief Members Update Engineering News Environment News SocEnv News Area News

Next Issue Conference Review Multi-utilities Focus: Scotland

Institute of Water HQ: 4 Carlton Court, Team Valley, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE11 0AZ Website: www.instituteofwater.org.uk President: Nick Ellins Chairperson: Helen Edwards Chief Executive: Lynn Cooper Editorial, Marketing & Events Manager: Lyndsey Gilmartin Tel: 0191 422 0088 Fax: 0191 422 0087 Email: lyndsey@instituteofwater.org.uk Advertising: Martin Jamieson Tel: 0845 884 2339 Email: martin.jamieson@distinctivepublishing.co.uk Designed and produced by: Distinctive Publishing Tel: 0845 884 2385 Email: production@distinctivepublishing.co.uk

The Institute of Water is the only professional body solely concerned with the UK water industry. We can support and develop your career whoever you are and whatever you do. We do this by providing a unique learning, developing and networking framework. For details on how to join visit www.instituteofwater.org.uk today.

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New water research project TRUST starts work The European research project Transitions to the Urban Water Services of Tomorrow, short TRUST, will develop tools, technologies, management options and guidelines to enable water utilities to face the challenges of the future, such as climate change, population growth and migration, increasing urbanisation and ageing infrastructure. In order to achieve those goals, 30 partners in eleven European countries will develop models and methods over the course of four years that will explain and explore the impact of different measures under real conditions. The project will focus on the sustainability of the water services and how it may be improved with tools such as water demand management, alternative water sources, waste water and stormwater management and waterenergy nexus. Left to right: Richard Bienfait, Mr Ramesh Joshi and Graham Callaghan

Water campaign saves companies £400,000 Four water companies saved an estimated £400,000 in reduced admin costs and increased efficiencies when they added 40,000 new Direct Debit payers following a campaign to encourage customers to switch to automated payments. The campaign, which centred around a £5000 prize draw incentive for one lucky customer, was created by Bacs, the organisation behind Direct Debit - and Veolia Water, Welsh Water, Northumbrian Water and Essex and Suffolk Water joined forces with the company to encourage their customers to pay by Direct Debit. Graham Callaghan, Bacs’ utilities market sector manager, said: “This is part of Bacs’ ongoing commitment to help billers encourage customers to switch to Direct Debit, and realise the cost benefits as a result. Direct Debit is efficient, reliable and also provides end customers with

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peace of mind because of the money-back guarantee. “Previous experience has shown that a prize draw works well as an incentive for people to consider changing the way they pay - in this instance we’re thrilled to have been able to hand this prize over so close to Christmas.” Ramesh Joshi, who has been a Veolia Water customer since 1997 and has always paid by Direct Debit, was the lucky winner of the £5,000 prize. Richard Bienfait,Veolia Water’s managing director, said: “Direct Debit is more convenient and efficient for us so we were pleased to be part of the collective campaign aimed at increasing the amount of customers paying by this method. And obviously it was great to see one of our customers win the prize, especially Mr Joshi who is a real advocate of Direct Debit.”

The results will be implemented and tested in nine participating pilot cities or regions, grouped in green cities, water scarcity regions and urban/peri-urban metropolitan areas. As a result there will be a course of action for more sustainable and green urban water cycle systems. TRUST is an integrated project, funded by the European Commission. More information at www.trust-i.net Researchers from the Cranfield Water Science Institute are contributing to the project.

NEWSINBRIEF

Defra launches consultation to tackle unpaid water bills The burden of bad debt in the water industry, and its impact on everyone’s water bills, is to be tackled through a new consultation launched by Environment Minister, Richard Benyon. Every year the failure of some customers to pay their water bills adds an average of £15 to every other customer’s bill, which the Government is determined to see reduced. Water Minister Richard Benyon said: “I want to tackle the problem of bad debt in the water industry as people not paying their bills cost those that do £15 a year. It is just not right that responsible people have to pick up the bills of those who are not paying.

The majority of water debtors are tenants in rented properties and, unlike for electricity and gas bills, there is currently no requirement on the owners of the building to provide information on the identity of the occupier to the water company. With the aim to lower bills, the Government is launching a consultation in England which will consider two options;

The Government, as part of the Water White Paper, recently announced measures to enable water companies to introduce new social tariffs for people struggling to pay their bills. Responding to the announcement a spokesman from Water UK said: “We agree with the Environment Minister, Richard Benyon MP, that it is just not right that responsible people have to pick up the bills of those who are not paying.

“However, mindful of the burden that regulation may impose, I want to explore whether we can take action through a voluntary approach.

1) the introduction of a regulatory measure, which would make landlords liable for the water charges in their tenants’ properties if they fail to supply details of their tenants to the water company, or

“We will consider the consultation responses before making a final decision but we must find a way to fill the information gap which is at the heart of this problem.”

2) a voluntary alternative which would ask landlords and other holders of data on occupancy to share this information with the water company.

That’s why the government should implement as soon as possible a requirement for landlords to provide information to water companies on who is liable for charges.

The level of outstanding revenue from domestic water customers in the UK was over £1.6 billion in 2010-11. The industry had to write off approximately £328 million of household debt in 2010-11 which leads to higher bills for those that do pay.

The level of bad debt in the water industry is approximately three times higher than that of the energy sector, despite water and sewerage bills being around a third of the cost of average energy bills.

The water industry will make it straightforward for landlords to provide information to water companies by setting up an easy to use website, but the alternative voluntary approach proposed by the government just won’t work.”

The problem is that water companies don’t have the right information on who is liable for charges, particularly for rented properties where occupancy changes frequently. This makes it harder for companies to tackle the debt problem.

Northumbrian Water goes Tokenless®with SecurEnvoy Northumbrian Water Limited (NWL) is using a revolutionary approach to the age-old problem of providing secure access to corporate systems without the need for tokens or smartcards. After reviewing the marketplace, NWL has selected SecurAccess, to provide tokenless® two factor authentication for its remote workforce and contractors. This industry standard solution from SecurEnvoy - the global leader of two-factor authentication, will replace its original hardware token system, offering the utility increased flexibility while reducing costs. NWL joins the ranks of other large utility companies who have also deployed tokenless® two factor authentication from SecurEnvoy including Scottish Water, OFGEM, Fairfield Energy

and GSH Energy – all of whom have found using SMS technology for two factor authentication a cost-efficient and user friendly alternative to traditional two factor authentication solutions. As you’d expect with a utility organisation, NWL has a diverse workforce including third parties such as consultants and contractors. For these remote workers it is paramount that they have secure, timely access to the corporate network. By utilising SMS technology, SecurAccess turns any mobile phone into an authentication token removing the need for physical tokens thus reducing their impact on the environment – both in terms of production and deployment. Anthony Smith, IS Security Co-Coordinator at NWL, explains, “As part of our remote access

program we were looking for a replacement to our previous token system. We wanted something that could offer flexibility, a reduction in costs and introduce efficiencies –while continuing to maintain a high level of security. With SecurEnvoy we found it. Tokenless® two-factor authentication means we can switch on users in seconds rather than relying on postal systems to deliver physical tokens, often arriving days later. A further inconvenience was trying to get tokens returned by contractors when projects ended. Each one costs money so it gets expensive if they’re just written off. We felt it was time for a change.” That the majority of our users prefer the SMS tokens is an added bonus making the whole program effortless.”

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COMPANY MEMBERS Company membership is available to those companies within the water / waste water industry who are manufacturers, suppliers, contractors and consultants. We would like to welcome KSI Services and Speedy. You can read a little bit about these companies below. We look forward to seeing their representatives at local events and the National Conference.

Exceeding the Expectations of the Water Industry: Speedy sector-focused expertise. Our Utility Sector Manager and your dedicated Key Account Manager draw on expertise from a team of regional sales managers and technical experts across the country, and together they provide responsive and fully integrated customer support with faultless project management.

Service Performance and Management Reporting Mogden Sewage Treatment Works There’s no doubt that the UK water industry faces some major challenges going forward. Issues like climate change, ageing infrastructure, increasing flooding, rising prices, summer shortages and the need for greater sustainability are all playing their part in the need for additional investment and continued innovation.

Producing detailed monthly management reports helps us keep track of our customers’ accounts and stay on top of service delivery. Reports cover most-hired products and customer query rates along with exchanges and revenue. They also show performance against your pre-agreed criteria for the ‘perfect service’.

We understand these issues because we’ve been part of the answer for many years. Today, we’re working with supply chains to provide everything from innovative equipment for a safer working environment through to professional training for a more qualified and productive workforce. Our water team are leading the way by supporting all the major Water Framework Directive providers. By rationalising the provision of equipment and services, we’re delivering a truly comprehensive approach. This helps guarantee consistency and integration in everything from ordering processes and equipment quality right through to pricing. It also facilitates the management reporting that helps you to monitor our service and us to maintain exemplary standards.

We constantly monitor our depot network performance to make sure we’re delivering on our promises. We use internal and external measures to check everything from equipment quality, availability and efficiency, credits and outstanding collections right through to customer satisfaction and experience.

In fact, more than ever, our major partners in the water industry rely on us for intelligent thinking and practical solutions to some very specific challenges. Ultimately, it’s these solutions that are helping address the demand for a thoroughly modern, carefully managed and affordable water system.

Dedicated Sector Teams When you’re working in a particular sector you need partners who know that sector inside out, and that’s why we structure our teams to provide

Measuring, analysing and reporting on our performance is something we take seriously, it’s how we demonstrate the success of our services and improve them even further.

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Products and Services Speedy can provide quality, innovative equipment, specifically for the utilities industry from small tools through to operated plant. Utilising our national depot network we can provide fast, efficient delivery throughout the UK. We also provide a range of services including specialist industry training, asset management and test, inspection and repair. For more information on Speedy and our product and services visit www.speedyservices.com, email customer.services@speedyservice.com

KSI Services

KSI Services Ltd is based in Kent and provides high quality Instrumentation and Electrical Services to the Process Industries, Energy Companies, Waste Sector and Water Industry. The company has built its reputation by delivering on time whilst ensuring that Health and Safety Standards are never compromised. With the growing emphasis on safety and environmental issues, the company ensures that these issues are properly resourced. Safety Standards are regularly reviewed by external consultants and work is only commenced once risk assessments and method statements are in place. Our Engineers and Supervisors have the IOSH qualification and all Technicians have Safety Passports as mandatory. As a member of the ECA (Electrical Contractors Association), our work is periodically assessed for technical competence thus guaranteeing a high standard of work with all projects underwritten by ECA insurance. The company has proven experience in delivering Instrumentation and Automation Projects from creating the Functional Design Specification (FDS), selection and supply of hardware, developing the software code through to the successful commissioning of the plant. KSI have recently been involved in projects involving the Environment Agency to ensure that Effluent Treatment Plants have instruments with MCerts and that the installation ensures that calibration is easily verified. On the Electrical side, the range of services includes Periodic Appliance Testing, supplying MCC’s and all cabling installation. KSI are also able to supply and install PLC based systems such as Siemens, Group Schneider and Rockwell. KSI Services Ltd are available to cover locations throughout the UK and overseas on a 24/7 basis. Please contact us to find out more information or arrange a meeting with one of our Engineers to see how KSI Services Ltd can benefit your company. ‘Whether it be a case of providing skilled labour for a short outage or delivering a complete control package, No project is too large or too small’. Tel: 01233 640111 E-mail: info@ksiservices.co.uk www.ksi-services.co.uk

MEMBERSUPDATE

Direct Debit Why not make it easier to renew your membership by signing up to pay by direct debit? This removes the need each year to send a cheque, ring to pay by card or pay by bank transfer or PayPal and means you won’t be chased for forgetting to pay. Direct debit also gives you the option to spread the cost over nine months if you elect to pay in three quarterly instalments. If you would like to sign up for direct debit, ring HQ to ask for a mandate or download one from the ‘Membership’ section of our website.

CASH REWARDS FOR RECRUITING MEMBERS To encourage Institute of Water members to sign up friends and colleagues so they too can enjoy the benefits that the Institute offers, cash rewards of £75, £50 and £25 are given out four times each year. Winners of the Spring prizes are:

Twitter

£75 Ceris Van De Vyver for introducing Richard Jones, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water

The Institute of Water is now on Twitter! Join us to find out the latest news and event developments within the Institute and the industry. To access our page you will need to sign up as a Twitter user and follow us via this link www.twitter.com/ instwater or by linking from our home page.

£50 Simon Bennett for introducing Ian Parish, Daniel Contractors

Don’t miss your chance to win! Each time you recruit a new member they will enter your name onto the membership application form which asks which member introduced them to the Institute of Water. These contact names are recorded and four times during the year, three names will be chosen at random to receive £75, £50 and £25. The more new members you introduce the more times your name will be entered in the quarterly draw. Winners’ names are printed quarterly in this Journal.

£25 Kathy Auld for introducing Lidia Niemczuk, Scottish Water

60 SECOND INTERVIEW Each issue we feature a 60 second interview with a well known figure from the Water Industry. For this issue we interviewed Institute of Water National Chair Helen Edwards. Helen’s current role is Optimal Planning and Performance Manager within the Production Business Unit at Yorkshire Water. Managing a team of specialists, she is responsible for the optimisation of water production assets across the county, both through remote interventions and on-site process optimisation. Helen has been an active member of the Institute for 14 years, serving on the Northern Area Committee for 10 years and as an Area Representative for 6. The best part of my job is the variety. Typically I could be involved in looking at ways to manage water resources to prevent hosepipe restrictions; contributing to contingency plans; investigating ways to operate our water treatment supply network in the most efficient way; assessing the performance of water treatment works or supporting and developing members of my team.

My failsafe way to de-stress is to spend time with friends, having a chat and a glass of wine.

I joined the Institute of Water because I wanted to know more about the industry and build a network of contacts.

My favourite film is The Day of the Jackal (the original!).

I am National Chair because I want to do my bit to ensure that the Institute is in a strong position to face the future and can continue to support people in the water industry. If I could be anyone for a day (this is a tricky one, as there are lots of people I admire for a number of different reasons) I’d have to say someone who could join Michael Palin, David Attenborough, Victoria Wood; Professor Brian Cox; Len Goodman and Judi Dench for a weekend away.

I do my bit for the planet by walking or using public transport if it’s practical. I make a conscious choice to buy locally grown seasonal produce as often as I can to reduce food miles, although they haven’t started to grow bananas in Yorkshire yet.

The best advice I have ever been given is to work hard, but make the most of your leisure time too. My favourite holiday destination is always the last place I visited! So it’s Japan at the moment. For a holiday in the UK you can’t beat the Northumbrian or Cornish coast. My favourite part of last year’s Conference was being so involved, although it was nerve racking to chair a session.

I am most looking forward to this year’s Conference because as always there is such a great programme of high profile speakers and the chance to catch up with old friends at social events. However I am particularly interested in the venue of the President's Dinner: Bazalgette's Byzantine Cathedral. I believe the biggest challenge for the water industry is energy. Ever higher effluent standards are being imposed on waste water treatment works, but energy intensive processes are needed to achieve the required quality. Energy prices are expected to continue to increase and carbon reduction commitments will also have a financial impact on the industry. The overall environmental impact needs to be considered, is it better to make relatively small changes to the aquatic environment or to generate less electricity?

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Engineering Technician - professional recognition through the Institute of Water There are currently around 239,000 Registered Engineers: 179,500 CEng, 33,750 IEng and just 14,000 EngTech. It is estimated that tens of thousands of practising technicians hold the relevant standards of competence to be eligible for EngTech but many are possibly unaware of this. We have simplified our application process to enable the assessment to be undertaken remotely, based on a paper submission endorsed by a qualified engineer. Even those who have no qualifications are unlikely to need to attend an interview.

Read the profiles below of some of the first members to go through the new process and consider whether there are people in your organisation who may be eligible.

Daniel Boyce Daniel joined Bristol Water five years ago as a Network Apprentice. Dan has Engineering NVQs at levels 2 and 3, a BTEC National Certificate in Civil Engineering and an HNC in Water Operations with Management. He also holds a City & Guilds Certificate in the Maintenance of Pressure Reducing and Sustaining Control Valves and is now employed as a PRV/Technical Assistant. Dan said: “The EngTech registration has enabled me to collate qualifications, skills & experience to establish recognition and competence level not only within my organisation but in the industry as a whole.” Frank van der Kleij, South West Area Chair and Deputy Director of Network at Bristol Water, has worked with Dan since he started five year ago. Frank said: “Dan has successfully completed a Network Apprenticeship programme in Bristol Water and has used these qualifications and his experience to successfully pursue the opportunity of registration through the Institute of Water. A prime example how professional registration complements the career of a young professional like Dan: congratulations.”

Christopher Bond and David Gardener Christopher Bond and David Gardener both work for Northumbrian Water (NWL), Chris as a Project Management Technician, David as a Technical Support Adviser. Chris has worked for NWL for 8 years and David joined them last year after working for Amec for 8 years as a Civil Engineering Technician. Both Chris and David attained BTEC Level 3 in Civil Engineering in 2005 then Level 5 - HNC - in 2007. They decided to seek professional recognition by applying for Registration as Engineering Technicians at similar times last year. Both applications were supported by Sean Barry, a Project Manager who has worked with Christopher for seven years and known David for two. Sean said: “I am very pleased to see Chris and David’s successful registration as Engineering Technicians with the Institute of Water. This is an excellent achievement and proves the knowledge, understanding and competence they have within their chosen fields. They have taken a firm step up the professional ladder and I am confident they will continue to demonstrate a commitment to these professional high standards.”

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ENGINEERINGNEWS Alison Edwards Alison is a Water Resources Planner with Welsh Water. Alison has 22 years’ experience in the water industry and has an HNC in Civil and Construction Engineering. Alison also has a BSc (Hons) in Water Resources. Alison decided to apply for Registration as an Engineering Technician, in order to give professional recognition of her academic qualifications and experience. Alison said: “I was so pleased when it was confirmed that I had achieved EngTech recognition. It was very important for me to establish my level of knowledge and understanding through the formal process of registration. Now that I have been through the process for EngTech it will allow me a clearer understanding on how to tackle the next step in my career aspirations of recognition as an Incorporated Engineer.”

Jonathan Springett Jonathan has a background in electrical and electronic engineering and has worked in the water industry for 10 years. Jonathan holds several City & Guilds Certificates and applied for EngTech Registration to mark his competence and his commitment to ongoing learning and development. Jonathan hopes to return to college or university for studies in water engineering or the environment and also believes in sharing knowledge and experience to help others develop in their career.

Not forgetting...Incorporated Engineer Jonathon Kelly, IEng MIWater, Mechanical Engineer, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water Jonathon has previously managed a diverse portfolio of capital projects including civil, mechanical, electrical and process engineering, across Welsh Water assets within the South

Wales Area. This included projects on both waste water and clean potable water. Jonathon joined Welsh Water on a four-year mechanical craft apprenticeship straight from school in 1991. He attained an HNC in Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering and qualified as a fully-indentured Mechanical craftsman. Now, with over 20 years’ experience and a BSc in Mechanical &

Manufacturing Engineering, Jonathon has reinforced his role in the Welsh Water Capital Delivery team. He believes his I Eng status was instrumental in securing a promotion to a Mechanical Engineer role within the Capital Maintenance Department design team with the ultimate aspiration of attaining Chartered Mechanical Engineer status in the near future.

...And Chartered Engineer Gordon Johnston CEng MIWater, Civil Engineer, URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited “I have been involved in water projects most of my working life so it seemed logical to become part of an organisation solely concerned with the UK water industry. Soon after joining the Institute I found out about the opportunity to become registered through the Institute and so I decided to apply for registration as a Chartered Engineer. With 10 years of experience I felt that becoming chartered was the next step to enhancing my career status by gaining a professional

qualification that is both recognised and respected internationally. Chartered status would also create the potential for enhanced job opportunities and higher earnings, not to mention the prestige that accompanies it. My journey to chartership began in 2000 when I graduated with a BEng (Hons) from The Queen’s University of Belfast. I joined Ferguson McIlveen, a multi-disciplinary design consultancy based in Belfast, as a graduate civil engineer where I predominantly worked on projects related to either water supply or wastewater treatment. I began my employment on the site of the new £10m River Derg Water Treatment Works for

Northern Ireland Water. Since then I have worked on projects for various other water providers across the UK, including Thames Water and Scottish Water. As a chartered member of the Institute I plan to continually develop as an engineer by increasing my knowledge and learning more about the water industry by attending professional meetings and networking with other experts within the Institute. I have gained in confidence since becoming chartered and this has made me keen to take on more challenging roles with greater responsibilities. I would highly recommend this route to chartership for anyone working within the water industry with an urge to take the next step.”

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The case for building a canal from around the Scottish borders to the South of England David Weight has 40 years experience in the construction industry, including a position as an architectural technician before becoming a chartered Quantity Surveyor. A keen member of Friends of the Earth, David’s natural interest in energy led to a wider interest in energy and environmental issues. He is now Senior Consultant with the Sustainability group within Management Consulting, at Davis Langdon, an AECOM company.

By David Weight

can remain high enough to serve surrounding areas without the use of pumps. The canal would need to be fed from existing and new reservoirs, and could deploy sluice gates and weirs to spur off those rivers most prone to flooding downstream, so giving some flood relief.

MRICS, Senior Consultant: Davis Langdon, an AECOM Company In the UK, we need to increase our production of renewable energy, become more food independent, and improve our transport links in as sustainable a way as possible.

The route could be studded with reservoir lakes, which could be a major boost for the leisure and tourism industry10.

This article considers a large canal running south from the Northern Pennines or Southern Uplands of Scotland. The canal would co-exist with High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) lines though these would extend further, starting on the northwest coast of Scotland and supplying renewable electricity to the Midlands or even the south of England.

Renewable energy, and communications The west of Scotland has some of the richest reserves of renewable energy in Europe, with: n the strongest winds n the largest waves, and

Transportation Summit Pound Rochdale

Transportation by canal is a particularly low carbon form of transport1, attracting waterside industries and leisure business. They are particularly well suited to transportation of bulk raw materials, such as aggregates or timber. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has set a target for biomass energy which will need at least 50m tonnes of biomass per year by 20202&3. Most of this is bound to be timber. The intention is to source only sustainably sourced wood, but this will prove difficult. Currently, there is a sizeable list of planned power stations to be built at Britain’s ports which have identified virgin wood as the intended source of fuel4. Ambitious plans for afforestation are underway, particularly in Scotland and the north, and a canal link to inland power stations around areas like Leeds and Nottingham could be a significant boost for home-grown biomass5. If just 10 per cent of DECC’s target of 50mT/annum were to be supplied via canals, using barges of say, 400Tonne payload, this would require 12,500 trips, meaning approximately 50 trips per day - so plenty of demand.

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Water supply The demand for irrigation far exceeds the sustainable supply6&7. Furthermore, in 2008, only 60% of our food was home-grown. Improved irrigation would enable us to reduce imports of fruits and vegetables, enabling the UK to become more food independent while reducing its carbon emissions. In 2011, the dry late winter and spring caused losses of about £400m being mainly wheat and barley8. It follows that irrigation would not only alleviate such losses in future, but enable more crops, like fruit and vegetables to be grown in the UK9. The canal could run only as far south as the River Trent, since there are further links from there down to Essex. However, the use of such links requires pumping. It would be better if the canal

n with the north, the best areas for tidal stream energy. As we use more renewable energy, the problem of dealing with its intermittency grows. We need complementary supplies which can respond quickly. Nuclear is very unresponsive, and coal is sluggish. Certain types of gas power stations can have a very fast response, but ideally we want readily dispatchable renewable or, at least, low carbon energy. This can be solved by either trading through a very wide grid, storage, or a combination of both. Without storage, a lot of renewable energy has been and will be wasted11. Ideally, the main reservoirs which feed the canal would use pumped hydro energy generation and storage, using two reservoirs, one at high level and one at low. This is a particularly efficient form of energy storage, with the fastest response and roundtrip (up and down) efficiency of 70-85%. Fortunately, energy demand tends to be highest in the winter months, when reservoir levels tend to be highest. The most efficient way of transporting electricity over long distances is through the use of HVDC cables. The efficiency loss per unit of distance can be as low as 3 per cent loss per 1,000 kilometres12.

ENVIRONMENTNEWS A EUMENA-WIDE HVDC SUPERGRID References A Eumena-wide HVDC Supergrid 1. Ecoinvent. Available at: www.ecoinvent.ch/ [accessed 26/07/11] 2. Williamson, L, (2011) “Why is the UK backing biomass power?” Guardian Environment Blog, Thursday 5th May 2011 www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2011/ may/05/biomass-powercostly-climate-solution 3. Makewoodwork website (2011), “Why is the UK backing biomass power?” Thursday 5th May 2011 www.makewoodwork.co.uk/DDT_Show_ Entry_1F_news_feed.asp?GalleryName=Latest_ News&EntryID=1074&ImageSeqNo=1 4. Global justice ecology website, “Biofuels: A Burning Problem: Why Eucalyptus and Genetically Engineered Tree Plantations will Destroy Native Forests & Worsen Global Warming “, The Corporate Climate Coup, at: www.globaljusticeecology.org/ files/biofuelsppt-web2.pdf 5. Forestry Forum Steering Group Meeting 1st July 2003, “Policy Priorities – Afforestation”. www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/Policycontext.pdf/$FILE/ Policycontext.Pdf 6. Knox, J.W., and Weatherhead,E.K. (2003)S, See: “Irrigation in England and Wales – The key issues”. www.meif.org/uk/document/download/ irrigation_keyissues.doc 7. Environment Agency, (2007), “Areas of water stress: final Classification”, Ref code GEHO1207BNOC-E-E. publications.environment-agency.gov.uk/PDF/ GEHO1207BNOC-E-E.pdf

www.trec-uk.org.uk

8. Mason, R., and Gray, R. (2011), “UK farming in crisis as drought hits crop yields”, The Daily Telegraph, 5th June 2011. www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/ retailandconsumer/8556817/UKfarming-in-crisisas-drought-hits-cropyields.html

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While it usually costs more to lay cable underground, there would be significant savings if laid in the canal. Furthermore, the cooling effect of the water will improve the cable’s transmission efficiency. Broadband fibre optic communication cables could be routed under the canal towpaths, something which has already happened. A large data centre can use as much energy as a small city. They should be sited in cooler areas like Scotland, to reduce cooling loads, and where they can be powered by renewable energy such as wind or hydro power13&14. The ability to bury cables in the canals and under towpaths means that one would halve the planning enquiries and eliminate objections to pylons. Furthermore, cables could be made more secure against metal theft, an increasing problem as metals such as copper become depleted and costs increase. They would not have to be installed when the canal is built, but secure access points and draw wires could be included so that the power and comms wires can be pulled through later.

time, we will need 50 per cent more energy, and 30 per cent more fresh water”15. Currently, we import a lot of food, energy crops and use up embodied water abroad for this. Everything we can produce here will reduce the damage done abroad, while making our own supplies more secure. The scheme could be funded by a targeted version of quantitative easing (QE), so saving bank fees and “leakage” of funds. The economic multiplier effect would be quite high, because a lot of the work would be quite low-tech, requiring a large amount of local labour and plants. Alternatively, it may be possible to fund the canal, simply by capturing a reasonable part of the unearned uplift in land/location rental values, ideally using a development partnership framework10.

10. Chris Cook (economist, and Senior Research Fellow at UCL researcher) E-mail to David Weight, of 27th October 2011. 11. Reuters (2011), “RCS – ITM Power PLC - Call for Energy Storage for Stranded Wind Energy” Reuters, RNS Number: 8163F, 3rd May 2011. uk.reuters.com/article/2011/05/03/ idUS144188+03-May-2011+RNS20110503 12. Desertec (2009) “Getting the energy to where it is needed” www.desertec-uk.org.uk/csp/transport 13. Bard, Fenton, Source, 2011 “Colocation – read the small print… | london collocation” cloudcomputingadvice.co.uk/?p=314 14. BBC News Technology 27th October 2011. “Facebook sets up data centre in Lapland, Sweden” www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15477194 15. Sample, I. (2009), “World faces ‘perfect storm’ of problems by 2030, chief scientist to warn”, Guardian, 18th March 2009. www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/mar/18/ perfect-stormjohn-beddington-energy-foodclimate

Conclusion In 2009, the government’s chief scientist, Sir John Beddington, warned of a perfect storm of problems by 2030. He said, “Our food reserves are at a 50-year low, but by 2030 we need to be producing 50 per cent more food. At the same

9. Birch, J. (2007), “Water Resources”, East of England Rural Forum, November 2007. www.eerf.org.uk/Documents/Position-pa pers/071128percent20Waterpercent20Res ources percent20Position per cent20Paper percent20Draft.pdf

Kielder Water

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Latest Registrants Phillippa Pearson, and was lucky enough to spend 8 weeks doing fieldwork in the High Arctic! I spent a further 3 years researching for my PhD undertaking fieldwork in a range of different environments including the USA, South Africa, UK and across the Mediterranean. My long term goal was always to work in the Water Industry and I was fortunate to get a place on the Severn Trent Water Graduate Development Programme which gave me a great introduction to the industry. I joined the Water Industry in 2003 after completing my PhD, originally working for Severn Trent Water, before moving to Dwr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW) in 2006 where I am now the Catchment Water Quality Risk Manager. I have taken an interest in the environment for as long as I can remember. I thoroughly enjoyed completing my Geography degree

The introduction of Drinking Water Safety Plans (DWSP) gave me an opportunity to really bring my environmental experience into the Water Industry context. Having set up the DWSP Team for DCWW, my role has now evolved to focus primarily on the “catchment” element of DWSPs. As Catchment Water Quality Risk Manager I have established a new team to deliver DCWWs AMP5 Catchment Investigations Programme. Data collection and increasing

Ashley Moule,

Irrespective of job title I have always considered myself an environmental engineer. My role is to protect the environment from the effects of human activity and also to protect humans from the adverse effect of environmental factors such as flooding. My projects involve constructing, repairing and/ or upgrading wastewater assets for DCWW. Ultimately, my role involves creating synergy between human and environmental activity, so that our resources are protected for use by future generations.

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CEnv, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water

knowledge on DCWW catchments are elements of the work we do, as is developing good relationships with all stakeholders within our catchments who have the potential to influence raw water quality. In 2010 I decided to commence the process to become a Chartered Environmentalist. I felt achieving this status would provide a professional endorsement of my personal desire to improve environmental issues and would recognise my professional knowledge, experience and commitment to the environment I have shown throughout my career. The experience was very rewarding and I would encourage others to consider undertaking the process. I really enjoyed the professional review process, talking about the environment and its place in our industry with like minded people! I hope in future I will be able to be able to support some of my colleagues through the process.

CEnv, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water

I have always worked in the water industry and have a degree in Civil Engineering and Environmental Management. I realised early on in my career the importance of Environmental Management and always kept this in mind when planning my future. Chartered Environmentalists are unique, as they come from all sorts of professions, but share the common aim of delivering environmental excellence within their chosen field. I firmly believe that every person has an environmental responsibility similar to that of Health and Safety.

the very best out of members who show a commitment to personal development.

My professional review interview lasted over two hours and covered just about everything imaginable from Sustainable Development Strategies to oil spills in the Niger Delta to the Big Society proposed by a Government promising to be the greenest ever. I enjoyed giving my take on the many environmental issues we are faced with and debating the merits of certain ideas and solutions. The setting felt quite relaxed, and I actually forgot that it was an interview. For me this defines the Institute of Water, as they manage to get

Becoming a CEnv is by no means the end for me, but the catalyst for me to set myself some new long term goals. As I proceed along this journey I will continue to encourage those who may only consider themselves engineers, to broaden their horizons and consider becoming a Chartered Environmentalist, as it is their decisions that will have an impact upon our future generations’ environment. If any members would like to discuss this further, I will gladly share my experience of the process. Please feel free to contact me at ashley.moule@dwrcymru.com

Going through this process can take some time but it is very worthwhile. CEnv is the highest level of professional qualification available to environmental practitioners. I find it reassuring to know that joining the group of 6000+ Chartered Environmentalists is no easy feat, but one that is only bestowed upon those who are truly committed to improving our environment. I am very proud of this achievement.

SOCENVNEWS Lorraine Gillan, CEnv, Northern Ireland Water Lorraine works in Environmental Regulation as Drinking Water Regulation Officer for Northern Ireland Water. She joined NI Water in 1997 as a Waste Water Quality Sampling Officer, having graduated with a BSc in Geography and an MSc

SocEnv Christmas Reception 2011 Our licence to award CEnv is granted by the Society for the Environment, where we are represented at Board level by Vice President Environment Tim Boldero and Chief Executive Lynn Cooper. Tim and Lynn were joined by President Nick Ellins and Patron Pamela Taylor at the annual SocEnv Christmas Reception in December, where they heard from Dr Peter Bonfield, Chief Executive of Building Research Establishment and key sustainability advisor to the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA). For the past five years Dr Bonfield has been on part-time secondment to the ODA helping create the sustainable development strategy for the Olympics and support its delivery. He has led for ODA on construction products, playing a key role in ensuring that the significant quantities of materials required to construct the games are sustainably procured, delivered and perform as required. Dr Bonfield explained to a captivated audience how environmental considerations have been at the heart of the development of the project, to help make this Olympics the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;first sustainable Olympic and Paralympic Gamesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and to illustrate how the future delivery of sustainable buildings and communities can be achieved. As the most high-profile event in the world, the 2012 Games will provide an opportunity to prove that incorporating sustainability into business strategy is not only entirely viable; it can also can bring economic and social benefits, cementing the concept of the three pillars of sustainability.

in Applied Environmental Science. She went on to become an Assistant Scientific Officer; spent two years with the NI Environment Agency as an Enforcement Officer in the Hazardous Waste Department, returning to NI Water in 2005 as Lab Information Systems Manager. She spent five years in that role where she led and implemented several projects including the remote set-up of the urban waste sampling

machines, before moving to her current role in 2010. Lorraine became pregnant soon after submitting her Initial Application for Registration as a Chartered Environmentalist but proceeded nonetheless: quite an achievement. She gave birth to a daughter, Grace, soon after her Professional Review last October and is currently on Maternity Leave.

New Assessors for Northern Ireland Registration of Environmentalists and Engineers is an important benefit of membership with the Institute of Water. In order to offer this service to members it is necessary to have suitably trained Assessors to conduct Professional Review Interviews. By Sandy Squires, Assessor Co-ordinator A training workshop was held on 21 November 2011, when Lynn Cooper and I travelled to Belfast to meet with potential Assessors. We had a very good day, discussing the procedures that need to be followed to successfully carry out Professional Review Interviews for CEnv, CEng or IEng, using recent applications as case-studies. As a result, we are delighted to welcome new Assessors for Northern Ireland Area: Cecil McCool, Natasha McMonagle and Gillian Williamson for CEnv, Jane Chambers and Roisin Conner for CEnv and CEng and Raymond Nicell for CEng. We hold workshops with existing Assessors in various parts of the country from time to time, to ensure that the review process is carried out in a consistent manner as required by the Engineering Council and the Society for the Environment. Similar training workshops will be held throughout the country during 2012.

For more information about applying to become a Chartered Environmentalist through the Institute of Water please visit the website today. Full advice and support is given throughout the process.

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IWEXPREVIEW

The International Water and Effluent Exhibition (IWEX) highlights a new wave of innovation at the 2012 show Global warming remains a hot topic for academics and politicians alike but at ground level the battle is ongoing to embrace a smarter way of using water. There are exciting innovations across the industry and the place to go for the very latest news is the International Water and Effluent Exhibition (IWEX) 2012, which is at the NEC Birmingham, from 22– 24 May 2012. IWEX is the UK’s leading water industry event with its unrivalled combination of showcasing those bright ideas and offering a rich seminar programme with up-to-the-minute insights and advice. The 2012 event will once again bring together exhibitors representing the whole spectrum of invention, from small business to larger product and service providers, all with the common aim of developing better ways to be more efficient. It will build on a fine track record of success, with IWEX celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2011. That show saw everything from water conservation to leak detection and metering technology to water treatment technology on the shopping list of key players from across the water and effluent industry, making it a great occasion for exhibitors. Clive Mottram was an IWEX 2011 visitor and said: “IWEX provided an excellent forum for a wide range of water industry stakeholders to showcase their products and expertise. The exhibition hall positively buzzed with networking and discussions around water sector issues. I look forward to attending again in future.” IWEX offers free admission to visitors and has

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seen a 15 per cent increase in their number over the last two years, as people look for the kind of expertise they know they will find at the show.

Who will be there? It’s an enviable track record of success and has already seen a wide range of exhibitors sign up for IWEX 2012, with a mix of well-known industry names and rising stars. The impressive line-up includes West Midlandsbased steel specialists Steelway; pipe, valve and fitting experts R2M from Lancashire; and many more with a similar UK or global reach, including Tecnolog, Draeger Safety UK, KSB, Hydra Valve, WEG Electric Motors UK, Busch, Casting Services Group, MSE Hiller, SAER and Aerzen Machines Ltd. That’s just a small selection of those who have already signed up and there will be further announcements in the weeks ahead, as exhibitors seize the opportunity to show their latest products to the well-connected audience IWEX attracts.

Seminar programme In 2011 the accompanying seminar programme was also a notable success. It featured 50 leading water industry speakers and more than 600 delegates attended the sessions across the three days, with flood management and legislation proving the most popular topic. The 2012 programme promises a similarly engaging schedule, with companies already

involved including Black & Veatch, Saudi Aramco, Anglian Water, Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies, Jacobs and Isle Utilities, ensuring once again there will be a broad spread of opinion and advice on offer. Just some of the topics that will be covered in the seminar programme will include catchment area management, sustainable water management, water treatment, sewers/FOG and innovation in treatment technologies.

Institute of Water Drilling and Tapping Championships A major highlight of IWEX 2012 will be the 24th Institute of Water National Drilling and Tapping Championship. This hotly-contested event sees the water companies’ top teams line up to drill and tap a 150mm diameter ductile iron main under pressure and connect a service tap. It’s a race against the clock, with reigning champions Team Sembcorp Bournemouth Water Peter Haslock and Danny Hunt – defending their title. Last year, they beat off stiff competition with a time of 2mins 32secs. IWEX will be held in Halls 3 and 3a at the NEC from 22 – 24 May 2012. For up-to-date exhibitor news, seminar programmes, information on how to exhibit or how to register for free attendance, visit www.iwex.co.uk or call +44 (0)20 8651 7120.

FEATURE:DRILLING AND TAPPING

World Water Cup and Dutch National Competitions: Aquatech Amsterdam, November 2011 By Graham Mills, UK Drilling and Tapping Judge The World Water Cup Drilling and Tapping Competition was held at Aquatech in Amsterdam during the Dutch National Competition in November. National Champions from the USA, Holland and the UK took part in the competition which requires all teams to complete in each of the three National tapping methods with their best times from two runs from each method being aggregated to decide the winner.

Representing the UK were the 2010 national champions, the Balfour Beatty team of Lee Maddocks and Jason Barrett together with Anglian Water’s Anthony Clark, Jeff Ray and coach Malcolm Holmes. The American method was the first to be run, and with the American champions getting a number of penalties the UK and Dutch teams took advantage to put themselves in a strong position going forward to the Dutch tapping method. Although the UK team did well in the Dutch method, recording a clean run, they were unable to record a faster time than the Dutch.

The UK method was next up and it was Balfour Beatty’s Lee Maddocks and Jason Barrett who recorded the fastest time with a penalty free run. Despite having two clean runs the UK team were just short of the Dutch aggregate time but came a very creditable second in the World Water Cup. Two UK teams completed in the Dutch championships; Anglian Water’s Jeff Ray and Anthony Clark together with coach Jason Barrett from Balfour Beatty; and Sembcorp Bournemouth Water’s Danny Hunt, Pete Haslock and coach Barrie Light. The Bournemouth team proved to be a successful combination coming second in the competition.

Balfour's/Anglian Water's Jason, Lee and Anthony completing in the American Method

Anglian Water's Jeff and Anthony during the Dutch method

Sembcorp Bournemouth Water's Danny, Pete and coach Barrie during their run in the Dutch competition

Applications are now open for the 24th Institute of Water National Drilling and Tapping Competition. This will take place at IWEX 2012 which is being held at the Birmingham NEC, from 22-24 May. Please visit the Institute of Water website for full details and advice on submitting a team at www.institutofwater.org.uk

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

2012 – a year of change We’re excited at the prospects for 2012. Everywhere you look, journalists, industry experts and even hard-nosed economists are identifying trends and signs that the world in which we live is changing dramatically. These changes, they tell us, are at a fundamental level; how we think, how we engage in our communities, our expectations and our principles. By Jason Johnson, CEO, MBRSS Limited

MBRSS has partnered with the Institute of Water to become their official Development Partner for 2012. This forward thinking partnership brings together a shared vision which focusses on the development of the talent which resides within the Water sector and actively encourages engagement at all levels to ensure positive growth in our industry continues. MBRSS and the Institute embrace the prospect of change which we will encounter in 2012 and will utilise our respective strengths to ensure the support required to sustain the development of our talent is not only available, but also tailored to maximise the benefits of the Institute's members, those associated with it and beyond. In this series, MBRSS will provide you with an insight into the world of professional recruitment for the utility sector which will empower, challenge and inform you; equipping you with the tools your organisation need to recruit more effectively and the personal skills to help you achieve your true potential. Our executive development partner Simon Phillips says, “All progress requires change, but not all change means progress.” As recruitment specialists, we help our clients through the most significant changes in their careers and it is vital, both for

the individual and the new company they are joining, that change means progress.

Some background research Over the past three years we have conducted a significant amount of research into the challenges leaders in the Water industry saw as they looked ahead; and more specifically what they considered to be the utopian alternative to the existing models that had left them jaded and cynical. We also talked to our target candidates about the specific issues and frustrations they faced. This research painted a damning indictment on the recruitment industry which left clients feeling under-valued and tired of the transactional nature of the recruitment process. Hiring managers have been left with an unacceptable risk profile which was supposed to be negated by the use of a professional recruiter. Candidates complained of poor transparency and the clear lack of interest in the cultural, mind-set, and genuine consideration of their future which left them feeling like numbers on a sales sheet.

A radically different approach

the principle of developing lifelong relationships with both our candidates and our industry partners. A critical component of this approach is our commitment to the lifelong learning of our candidates. The technical skills and experience of personnel is a prerequisite which often is taken for granted; the real differentiators in the careers of successful people have more to do with their mind-set and people skills. This is why we have teamed up with Simon Phillips of Simesco, to put all of our placed candidates through the Institute of Leadership and Management approved on-line development programme, ‘Join The Greats’. The programme draws on Simesco’s award-winning work with clients as diverse as Lloyds TSB, the NHS and even our own United Utilities. We encourage you to follow this series and the development programmes devised by MBRSS and the Institute over the coming year, opening your minds to a new way of thinking which embraces positive change and seeks to develop the most important asset in any organisation, people. Jason Johnson, CEO, MBRSS Limited jjohnson@mbrss.co.uk

MBRSS’ UtilityPro recruitment and executive placement service has a radically different approach. We have formulated a service based on

In the next issue: Whole Life Experience – Why personal development is a key differentiator in the recruitment process and what you can do to give yourself the advantage.

"All progress requires change, but not all change means progress" Simon Phillips , Executive Development Partner

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SMALL PRICES – LARGE BENEFITS Remember when boundary boxes first came out? It was suggested that they would have a 25 year life... Well, we are now into ‘overtime’ with various water companies finding boundary boxes an increased maintenance item, which when considering the cost of excavating in the Highway (Traffic Management Act and potentially future costly legislation such as Lane Rental) Street Works are not going to get any cheaper. However - help is at hand with NRv2 from Groundbreaker Systems! Since it is mainly the check valve in the ancient boundary box which has failed (leading to potential contamination issues), it is entirely possible to replace (or upgrade) failing boundary boxes cost effectively. Use NRv2 as a supplementary (or primary) check valve and the potential cost of digging up the highway disappears. NRv2 can be installed in conjunction with a water meter replacement or upgrade programme, and provides all the security required by a water undertaker in providing whole site protection against backflow. To quote Simon Bennett of Bristol Water – “This product provides an efficient and cost effective solution to replacing existing stop tap faulty non return valves and for avoiding potentially serious water quality issues’’.

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Water Industry

Rising Stars As part of the Institute’s ongoing work to nurture rising talent in the sector we have teamed up with utility magazine Utility Week to celebrate and reward eight young members who have shown both the potential and appetite to progress in the water industry. Our eight Rising Stars attended the Utility Industry Achievement Awards Dinner in London in December accompanied by Roger Harrington (Managing Director, Sembcorp Bournemouth Water) and Peter Simpson (Managing Director, Anglian Water). In this issue we tell you why the youngsters have been selected; what they thought of this opportunity to network with the industry’s high achievers and what message they have for the water industry.

Ashley Moule

Cigolene Nguyen

Tim Wagstaff

Asset Engineer, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water

Risk and Value Appraiser, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water

Demand Planning Project Manager, Essex & Suffolk Water

Cigolene has an MSc in Global Risk and Crisis Management and is clearly prepared to take risks and opportunities to further her career. Although her background is risk management, Cigolene gave a presentation on Climate Change at our 2009 Conference. Although relatively new to the sector, Cigolene wasn’t afraid to tackle an unfamiliar subject on a big stage: just the sort of attitude we expect from a Rising Star.

Tim became a member at the start of his water industry career. He attended our Conference the next year and quickly realised the benefits of membership, in particular, meeting people at all levels and from all corners of the water sector. Tim is now Membership Secretary in Eastern Area and is keen to introduce new starters in his company to membership to set their careers off on the right path; ‘Rising Stars’ should give Tim the opportunity to progress his own career.

Ashley joined the Institute shortly after he moved to DCWW and quickly joined our Welsh Area Committee. He is passionate about professional development and is keen to do all he can to promote Professional Registration. Having just attained Chartered Environmentalist status there can be no doubt that Ashley is a Rising Star and the programme should enable him to demonstrate leadership in sustainable management of the environment to the extent that other members will follow his lead and seek registration. Ashley’s message for the industry: Regularly invest in new talent, whilst continually developing those within. Lead by example in terms of implementing sustainable change. Have a vision that doesn’t only focus on ‘quick fixes,’ to meet a short term KPI, but one that is realistic of the challenges ahead. Ashley on the evening: The event provided an excellent opportunity to network and to gain an insight into how different utilities companies operate including the factors that motivate them. The importance placed upon delivering excellent customer service, by all the utilities represented at the awards was very apparent.

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Cigolene’s message for the industry: Never lose sight that we are delivering a vital service to our customers. Cigolene on the evening: Thank you for this opportunity. I found that all of these really successful yet approachable people that I met had one thing in common: they do not solely rely on what they know but always search for new ideas. Some have had international careers then came back to the UK to share their foreign experiences, others commended the Institute’s networking opportunities and all were inspiring and ready to share this experience.

Tim’s message for the industry: Greater innovation is essential and will benefit customers and shareholders alike. Tim on the evening: I had a great time networking and socialising with like-minded professionals. The event enabled us to have frank and open discussions about our current roles; the Institute and the future of the water industry. I was able to ask career related questions of two Managing Directors which has helped me to understand what is required to succeed in this industry. Thank you for this opportunity.

FEATURE:MEET OUR RISING STARS Kathryn Ayres Operations Strategy and Performance Manager, United Utilities Kath came to our attention when she attained Registration as a Chartered Environmentalist at the end of 2010. From the beginning of her water industry career Kath was interested in gaining Chartered status and planned her roles and activities on developing the required areas of learning, even if these were outside her comfort zone. This included joining our Northern Area Committee last year. Kath has the ability to plan and the determination to succeed which she can now apply to furthering her career with the help of the Rising Star initiative. Kath’s message for the industry: We would all do so much better if we worked more closely together and shared best practice. Kath on the evening: The Awards Dinner was a fantastic experience at a superb venue. The event provided a real sense of belonging to a varied and dynamic industry and I also made some fantastic contacts.

Craig Murray

From top right clockwise: Ashley Moule, Niall Darrant, Peter Simpson, Kathryn Ayres, Paul Holton, Tim Wagstaff, Lucy Johnson, Roger Harrington, Craig Murray, Cigolene Nguyen.

Project Manager, Scottish Water Horizons Craig gave a presentation full of pride and passion at our 2011 Conference. He had the ability to present some serious technical data in a language people could understand, so it is no surprise he has been able to engage and challenge ‘veteran engineers’ at Scottish Water Horizons. We need more people with this talent. Craig’s message for the industry: We need to focus on sustainable development and doing ‘the right thing’ for future generations. For example, whole life cost models need to be recreated to include quantitative measures of sustainability such as ‘natural capital’, to give greater precedent to environmental protection. Craig on the evening: I thought the event was a great way to celebrate the achievements of the Utility Industry. It gave me an appreciation as to just how many people are working in the sector and that the Water Industry is just one part of a very complex machine.

Lucy Johnson Product Manager, Primayer Lucy spoke at our 2011 Conference where she won the hearts and minds of delegates and fellow speakers when she spoke for anyone with aspirations to succeed in the water industry without a University Degree. Lucy was so good she was snapped up by one of the suppliers who attended the Conference. Lucy’s message for the industry: It’s shocking how the public are clueless about their water footprint. More needs to be done to educate people into having a conscience about wasting water like they have about recycling or leaving lights on.

Lucy on the evening: I really enjoyed attending the Awards Dinner. It was a good opportunity to meet a variety of colleagues, from fellow Rising Stars to industry leaders. Attending made me realise how important building new relationships is to my current role. It’s important to listen to the experiences of others so that we can develop our technology to address current and future water industry needs.

Paul Holton Leakage Detection Manager (East), South East Water Paul has realised the many career opportunities offered by the water industry. From his first position as Assistant Hydrogeologist / Analyst all the way to Leakage Detection Manager. Paul joined the South East Area Committee just over one year ago, giving him the chance to practise his skills in a different arena. This initiative will enable Paul to learn new skills and apply them at a higher level than he would normally expect to experience. Paul’s message for the industry: Be positive! Be positive about what we have already achieved, be positive about everything we are trying to achieve at the moment, and be positive about what we want to achieve in the future regardless of what we have to prepare for. There is too much negativity around at times. Paul on the evening: What a fantastic night and one that I will never forget! All of the Rising Stars got on brilliantly. I think we were somehow all galvanised by our strong links to the Institute and what that means. Highlights for me included talking to Roger and Peter about what career choices they had made to get them to where they are today. I was thrilled that Pamela Taylor took an interest and

wanted to learn more about me; and I recall a very enthusiastic discussion with Nick Ellins about both of our hopes and aspirations for the future of the Institute. The future looks bright but there is still much work still to be done.

Niall Darrant Mechanical Design Engineer, Black and Veatch Ltd Niall was a Young Speaker at our 2008 Conference shortly after he joined Black & Veatch. That same year he took over the role of Scottish Area Treasurer, having served on the Committee for two years. Niall’s recent move from Aberdeen to Redhill will surely provide opportunities for further progression. Niall’s message for the industry: Continue your investment in young talent and provide the platform for professionals to develop and stay within the industry. Niall on the evening: It was an honour and a privilege to attend this event and to meet a fantastic group of people, with the common goal of pushing the boundaries. I was very fortunate to be sat beside Peter Simpson and I enjoyed an interesting discussion with him regarding professional development; carbon footprint and company culture. I also discovered that he enjoys a nip of the same whisky as me!

Roger Harrington Roger Harrington on the evening: This was a great initiative from my point of view. A chance for our Rising Stars to meet and network with other people in the industry and establish some contacts for the future. I was pleased to be able to help facilitate this in some way and what’s more it was a great event at one of London’s top venues.

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HWM

Hong Kong Water Network Protected by PermaNet SMS Leak Detector Network

Hong Kong was the first city in Asia to take advantage of the advanced leak detection capabilities of the Permalog noise loggers, with an initial deployment back in 1999. The loggers are placed on water pipes where they listen for the sound made by leaks, log the data and then transmit it for further analysis. This enables water companies to identify leak areas quickly and efficiently; saving time, money and water by enabling a rapid, accuratelytargeted response to repair the issue.

:DWHU WUHDWPHQW ZRUNV VDYHV ĂŤ D \HDU ZLWK $%% GULYHV

Leixlip Water Treatment Works, together with John Conboy, one of the 50 ABB Energy Appraisal Team members, investigated the workâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pumps energy use. By installing four ABB variable-speed drives a saving of 3,179,904 kWhrs was made totalling ĂŤ508,784 per year with a payback of less than one year. To find out how, watch the video: www.abb.co.uk/energy

In Hong Kong, the Water Supplies Department (WSD) is in charge of maintaining the 7800km of underground water pipes in the city, and has a 15-year rehabilitation program costing billions of HK dollars to repair, upgrade and modernise the network. Their target is to reduce burst incidents from 2500/year in 2010 to 1000/year by 2015, and to decrease the leakage rate from 25% to 15%. Out of the 1100 cross-road pipes, around half are very old, and at increased risk of damage and disrepair. When a pipe in the busy Wanchai district burst recently, the Hong Kong government identified a further 600 sites around the city where very old pipes run under busy streets, and deployed a new batch of Permalog+ noise loggers to watch for, identify and locate any leaks in these areas. Permalog technology is made and developed in the United Kingdom by Halma Water Management (HWM-Water Ltd), and the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distributor in Hong Kong is Allied Power Technology Ltd. Allied Power has supplied over 800 sets of Permalog+ units with SMS repeaters to the region, and also has a contract with the local government to analyse the data gathered from the system. When deployed with SMS repeaters, the Permalog+ devices can function together as a nodal network, with all data being automatically transmitted back to a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;home stationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in this case Allied Powerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offices. Every morning, the company receives the leakage data for each of the install sites, and makes recommendations to the WSD based on this information. The combination of the automated leakage data transmission for general leakage alerts, and in-depth on-site analysis with Aqualog, means that leaks can be quickly identified and problems repaired before they cause major disruption or damage to Hong Kong and its residents.

,:2BKDOIB/HL[OLSBY LQGG

instituteofwater.org.uk 21

Thames Water’s Olympic Preparations Nick Sumption was Thames Water's Head of Programme for its involvement with the London 2012 Olympics until summer 2011. He has occupied a number of senior roles for the company and is currently heading its programme that transferred over 40,000km network of privately-owned sewers to Thames Water on 1 October 2011. By Nick Sumption, Thames Water

Preparations are racing ahead for the vital role Thames Water will play in supporting London 2012 – not only at the Olympic Park but also further afield for all the Olympic Games venues. The eyes of 4 billion people will be focused on Stratford, and work is continuing to make sure the Games can rely on the very best water and sewerage services. At the same time, we are working hard to minimise the event’s inevitable impact on our access to local mains and sewers.

“We have a project team of around a dozen on site, and they are liaising with about 50 contractors, effectively carrying out quality assurance. It’s a very complicated logistical exercise. We also have a responsibility to ensure that the water infrastructure complies fully with all Water Regulations.”

We are the Official Water Utility Services Provider of the Games, providing all water utility and wastewater services at London 2012 venues, and ensuring clean, reliable tap water and sanitation to the Games.

However, excellent relationships, combined with a high degree of co-operation between us and the ODA, have ensured that all work has been completed to programme whilst not damaging our assets.

At Thames Water, we have always had a strong connection with the site of the Olympic Park, as two of our trunk mains and the Northern Outfall Sewer – which carries much of north London’s wastewater – run through the area.

Since mid-2009, when we won the bid to supply London 2012 with water and wastewater services, new water assets have been installed under ‘self-lay’ agreements. We have overseen and checked the work of the ODA’s contractors.

Our major involvement with the Games began in late 2007, when the Olympic delivery Authority (ODA) had gained access to the Olympic Park after land assembly was completed. We began diverting below-ground pipework to make way for some of the venues, and supervising the new supplies that had to be installed.

Danny said: “One of the biggest pieces of work has been the installation of three mini ring mains – a total of 12,000 kilometres of pipework – which will supply all of the venues. We are making sure it will meet the needs not only of the Games but of customers using the site in 20 years’ time. These ‘legacy’ plans are still being developed, but are likely to include 30,000 houses, a university and the existing Westfield shopping centre.”

Given the strategic nature of our key assets serving tens of thousands of customers across London, it was critical to ensure that adequate measures were put in place to protect them. Much of the work being undertaken by contractors to construct the Olympic Park and other Olympic venues was in close proximity to our existing assets, including water pipes and sewers. In many cases these had to be diverted to make space for the various structures, bridges and highways, but in others simply formed part of the construction site. The site is surrounded by rivers, railways and major utility services, which new carriageways needed to run either above or below. In one instance, an existing road into the Park had to be sunk deeper to allow additional headroom for vehicles to pass under a bridge to access the Olympic Park. We oversaw a two-year project to ensure the work had no impact on the Northern Outfall Sewer, which runs above the bridge. Principal Project Manager Danny Leamon, in charge of overseeing all Games-related activity, said: “One of the main challenges is the sheer scale of the work, combined with the unmoveable completion deadlines.

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Supplies for the Olympic Park are around 90 per cent complete. We are working with the suppliers of the temporary infrastructure, including marquees and fast food outlets. To help reduce water usage on site, we have also overseen the building of an innovative ‘black water’ treatment plant, which will turn sewage into nondrinkable water for irrigating lawns and gardens at the Games. The £7m plant was opened by Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman and is the biggest treatment plant of its type in Britain. Water from the plant, which is jointly funded by Thames Water and the ODA, will also be used for flushing toilets at the Games venues. Taking water from the nearby Northern Outfall Sewer, it will produce a volume equivalent to more than 80,000 toilet flushes a day. The Old Ford plant produces 570,000 litres a day of recycled water, which is pumped into the Olympic Park’s network of pipes specifically for recycled water − separate from the pipes supplying drinking-quality water to taps.

FEATURE:THE OLYMPICS 2012 1

Marie Raffin and Chris James, of Thames Water’s Innovation Team inside the Old Ford plant.

The Old Ford – How it Works

It will save the Olympic Park up to 83 Olympic-size swimming pools worth of drinking water every year, helping the ODA far exceed its 40% water efficiency target, and helping London 2012 meet its pledge to be the most sustainable Games possible. Once commissioned, the new facility will be handed over to us to run for the next seven years. Together with other water-saving measures by the ODA, it is expected to deliver a 58% reduction in the use of tap water at the Olympic Park. The Park is served by a new purpose-built sewerage system, through which the site’s wastewater is pumped into the Northern Outfall Sewer via a new £30m pumping station. This was built by the ODA, with Thames Water consulting on the design and overseeing construction prior to adopting it in October 2011. Able to pump at up to 1,000 litres per second, Pudding Mill Lane Pumping Station has been recognised as one of London’s best new buildings, winning the ‘service building’ prize at the 2011 New London Architecture awards. Another critical activity was the replacement of two huge trunk mains running through the Park. This challenging project was successfully completed in October, and we would like to record its thanks to the ODA for its excellent support.

From left, Ruari Maybank, the ODA's utilities project sponsor, Thames Water commercial director Piers Clark, Environment Secretary Caroline Spleman and Thames Water external Affairs and sustainability director Richard Aylard

The Old Ford Plant

These will include an Olympic Road Network, for use by athletes, officials and media. Access to this will be limited, with a complete embargo on all planned work from June 2012 until mid-September, in addition to the ‘no go’ areas in place around the various London venues, live sites and national houses where teams are based. Danny Leamon said: “The key focus at the moment is assessing everything we do, to understand what risks there are to us as a result of the Games, then putting plans in place to mitigate these risks. These will range from installing new connections to fixing fire hydrants, as well as covering major issues like leakage. We are currently formulating our plan to address this.” Danny and his team are talking to local and national government about the potential impact. They are also deciding whether the planned work we would otherwise do during the event is best carried out before it or afterwards. Danny added: “London 2012 is the ultimate deadline. The date can’t be put back, and as we move towards it we have to make sure we organise and coordinate all the contractors at the right time on the right day, while managing finances and health and safety. It’s a massive job.”

We also face many challenges relating to London 2012 elsewhere in the capital.

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'2012-Changing the Industry for a Sustainable Legacy' 17 - 18 May. The Royal Society, London. Sponsored by Thames Water

Implications and Outcomes of Spelman’s White Paper Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman says that we must act now to make the changes needed to keep our rivers flowing and our water supplies reliable and affordable. The White Paper about Water describes a vision for future water management in which the water sector is resilient, in which water companies are more efficient and customer focused, and in which water is valued as the precious and finite resource it is. It sets out a number of changes all designed to lead to a more robust and prepared water industry, which promotes innovation and growth in the economy at the same time as we protect the environment, but what implications will these changes bring? What new demands will they place on the industry’s workforce during these tough economic times? The Institute is bringing together key people from across the sector to answer these very questions; to discuss the real implications of these changes and to give their views on whether the changes ahead will result in a sustainable legacy for future generations. The Conference has been put together to hear the views from the water sector (Martin Baggs, Thames Water and Heidi Mottram, Northumbrian Water), Ofwat (Marian Spain) and the Environment Agency (Paul Leinster, Chief Executive) on the many changes described and what the implications/ outcomes of those changes are likely to be. Richard Flint (Yorkshire Water), Yve Buckland (CCWater) and Paul Mullord (British Water) will be discussing ways that the challenges can be met. Sonia Phippard from Defra will consider new approaches for a sustainable water future and delegates will also hear from Peter Simpson about Anglian

Water’s ‘learning to love every drop’ campaign, the objectives for which are to become increasingly important over the months ahead. Finally a session specifically considering ‘innovating to maintain a world class sector’ will be headed up by Professor Martin Cave, the author of the Government recent review into competition and innovation in water markets. Full conference places available for £400+VAT (day rate £250+VAT). E-mail clare@instituteofwater.org.uk or call 0191 422 0088 to book your place today.

Speaking about the Conference Nick Ellins, President of the Institute of Water said: "The Water White Paper clearly provides a complex challenge, posing some difficult questions that need to be answered. The Institute of Water Conference will bring together key experts to discuss the challenges ahead for the whole of the UK industry and what the likely implications will be. If you want to hear from the very best people in this sector; understand the issues the industry is facing and ask the questions that you want answered then you should attend the Institute of Water Conference.”

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FEATURE:CONFERENCE PREVIEW

STREAM: The Industrial Doctorate Centre for the Water Sector Showcase of leading edge research The UK water sector is entering a period of profound change, requiring evidence-based responses to a host of emerging global, national and regional challenges. In response to these challenges, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), awarded funding for a collaborative Industrial Doctoral Centre (IDC) for the Water Sector (STREAM), one of 44 such Centres supported across the UK. The stream programme is delivered by a consortium of five collaborating universities, coordinated by Cranfield University and including Imperial College London, the Universities of Sheffield, Exeter and Newcastle. This multidisciplinary Centre brings together diverse areas of expertise to train engineers and scientists with the skills, knowledge and confidence to tackle today's water sector challenges such as climate change, increasing populations, energy efficiency and pollution control. Each Engineering Doctorate (EngD) student on the programme (called Research Engineers) undertakes challenging and original research at PhD level and in parallel undertakes advanced training in technical skills and competencies as well as transferable skills such as project management, innovation management, and team working. The STREAM IDC has teamed up with the Institute of Water to showcase some of the leading edge research undertaken by these Research Engineers in an exclusive poster session to be held at the Conference on Friday 18 May. As a preview for this event, two of the presenting research engineers introduce their innovative research and explain the specific industry challenges which they hope to overcome. For more information on how to become involved in sponsoring a Research Engineer for a research project, visit: www.stream-idc.net/sponsors.php

The following companies are exhibiting at the Conference this year. Full introductory information and a map of the exhibition will be provided in delegate packs. Utility Design; Cardonald College; Northumbrian Water; Primayer; Lovibond Tintometer; MBRSS; Panton Mcleod; Thames Water; Agbar Environment; 4 Delivery; Talis (Atlantic Plastics); The Foundation for Water Research; Groundbreaker Systems; Mitsubishi Electric; GPS UK; Caprari Pumps and Speedy Services.

Rachel Whitton

Kate Ellis

Research Engineer, Cranfield University, Anglian Water, Scottish Water and Severn Trent Water

Research Engineer, University of Sheffield and Severn Trent Water

Rachel Whitton holds a BSc in Marine Biology and is undertaking a STREAM project at Cranfield University entitled, ‘Algae reactors for wastewater treatment’, sponsored by the utilities, Anglian Water, Scottish Water and Severn Trent Water. This research topic presented an opportunity to combine her interests from undergraduate study with those developed during her Master’s degree obtained on the Water Programme at Cranfield University. This research aims to determine the viability of using microalgae as a tertiary wastewater treatment process for nutrient polishing. To date, the majority of research has been conducted in tropical or sub-tropical climates with species not abundant in the UK or alternatively, based on cultures not suitable to freshwater. The outcomes of this project will identify the most suitable species for UK conditions in addition to undertaking developmental work on reactor design for algal growth, and finally, determining the most appropriate end-use for harvested algae based on economic and environmental assessment.

Kate Ellis obtained an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and worked as a Wastewater Analyst before undertaking further training at postgraduate level in Water and Wastewater Technology. Following on from these studies, Kate applied for the STREAM research project, “Towards zero bacteriological failures in distribution systems” with the University of Sheffield and Severn Trent Water (STW). Kate’s research to date has provided a realistic cost for investigating bacteriological non-compliance within STW. Her present work is utilising routine and molecular microbiology to study different sampling protocols at a service reservoir. The outcomes will ensure more representative bacteriological monitoring and therefore improved compliance for STW and will advance the application of molecular tools for routine analyses.

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FEATURE:CONFERENCE PREVIEW

Sponsored by URS Scott Wilson

Institute of Water National President’s Dinner 2012 Friday 18 May Thames Water’s Crossness Pumping Station

Celebrating Industry Innovation and Excellence Presentation of Awards: Institute of Water National Innovation Award Institute of Water President’s Cup Institute of Water Allen Bolton Award Energy & Utility Skills Business Skills Awards for the Water Industry

Book your place or table now – places £100 + VAT Call Clare on 0191 422 0088 E-mail: clare@instituteofwater.org.uk Coaches to depart from outside of the Royal Society at 6.10pm

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atg UV Technology have launched their new range of high specification medium pressure SW waste water systems for use on low UVT applications such as effluent disinfection and advanced oxidation. The SW range contains 24 high specification UV systems ranging from compact, single lamp, 4 inch bodied systems to 18 lamp, 30 inch systems (as shown on right). Lamp power combinations include: 2.5, 3.5, 5.0, 5.8, 7.3 kW versions.

is now being used to ensure water is free from harmful organisms. Applications for re-use include irrigation, reclaimed waste water for Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR), grey water re-use, process water discharge and re-use, storm water treatment and recently the re-use of waste water for potable drinking water applications. How does UV work? UV light between 250nm and 270nm is absorbed by the DNA in all living matter, or RNA in the case of a virus. The light causes cross bonds within the DNA structure to vibrate to the point of rupture. The UV light breaks the cross bonds in the DNA, and forms dimers. Once these bonds are broken, normal cell function quickly ceases. Replication, assimilation of food and respiration are all permanently interrupted, resulting in non viability of the organism.

The SW range, designed and manufactured in Wigan, Greater Manchester by atg UV Technology utilizes many key features such as 316L SS construction, UV monitoring, variable power switching, temperature probes, drain ports, air vents, access hatches, Modbus/Profibus and a robust automatic quartz cleaning system that utilizes embedded pulse technology for a more reliable and effective cleaning solution. As footprint is normally a key factor, due to limited space within pipe galleries, the ultra compact design allows for both vertical and horizontal installation directly into the pipe work. Furthermore, service and maintenance is made easy with ‘twist and lock’ UV lamps and a unique ‘sliding rail’ is built into the larger system flanges, allowing for fast and easy access to both the wiper system and quartz. SW UV systems come complete with either micro processor SPECTRA Control systems, or an upgraded PLC control system. Both options feature; fully automatic start-up and shut-down, multiple lamp monitoring, process interlocks, HMI touch screen interfaces, Modbus/Profibus communication and onboard data logging. The use of Ultra Violet (UV) light has now become standard practice in most municipal waste water treatment processes. Effluent is now starting to be recognised as a valuable resource, not an unwanted by product. Many waste water facilities are being renamed as water reclamation facilities, and whether the waste water is being discharged into a river, being used to irrigate crops, or injected into an aquifer for later recovery, Ultraviolet light

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Lamp technology is based around either Amalgam or Medium Pressure lamps. Both lamp types are used by atg UV Technology, and each type has speciﬁc strengths and weaknesses. Model performance is predicted using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to accurately gauge performance. The Future: All the water that will ever be is, right now. (National Geographic) The world is quickly running out of drinking water. Critically the drivers are accelerating; population growth, a warming climate, drought, urban sprawl, waste and excess. According to the World Bank, water usage has increased by 600% since 1900, as the world’s population has increased by 200%. Water demand doubles every 21 years. The world’s population is forecast to increase again by 50% to 9 billion people, causing 80 countries to face shortages of water by 2050. Agricultural use of water accounts for more than 70% of treated water use, and rising standards of living (meat, not grain in diets) will accelerate this trend. Therefore it is logical to use reclaimed waste water (“re-use”) for applications such as crop irrigation, and the application of UV ensures that the water is free from pathogens such as e-coli and legionella. The era of cheap water is now drawing to a close, and price increases are inevitable to fund the repair or rehabilitation of aged infrastructure. Increasingly water conservation will become the norm, and waste water, once seen as a nuisance to be discarded will be seen as a valuable resource. A non-chemical disinfection process such as UV will play a key role as the planet realizes how valuable clean water actually is.

For further information please call atg UV on tel: 01942 216161

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Some initiatives to look out for

By Dr Ian Walker, Innovation Director, WRc

Innovation is, apparently, the answer to all our problems. Attend any meeting or high level Conference addressing the issues of today (Water Framework Directive, carbon reduction, water efficiency, etc) and you are guaranteed to be told that innovation is needed. It might seem that this is a new insight and that innovation is not happening in the water sector, but I take exception to this and this issue of the Instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Journal proves that innovation is very much happening. However, I do welcome initiatives that aim to encourage and support more innovation and there seems to be a growing number of these. In this brief article I highlight some established and emerging initiatives that I think are worth keeping an eye on.

UKWRIF (not to be confused with UKWIR) Sir John Beddington (Government Chief Scientific

instituteofwater.org.uk

Adviser) places high priority on water research and innovation. He chairs a UK Water Research and Innovation Partnership (UKWRIP) composed of private, public and third sector organisations set up in 2009 to address urgent and important water challenges. The UKWRIP has developed a UK Water Research and Innovation Framework (UKWRIF) which was launched by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Water and published in November 2011. It â&#x20AC;&#x153;sets out a strategic approach to the highly diverse and interrelated challenges, by highlighting key priorities, and mechanisms to ensure better coherence and co-ordination of different public funding schemes for water research and innovationâ&#x20AC;?. Whilst it does not directly promise more money

it does aim to achieve better co-ordination in how money is targeted. Priorities identified in the UKWRIF include value of water, resilience of water infrastructure, water-related natural hazards, integrated water resource management, and water security in low and middle income countries. More specific areas where they say progress is needed are the evidence base for water abstraction regimes (as in the White Paper on Water), water footprinting, mapping the dynamics of water resources with respect to upcoming environmental change and sharing hydrological data internationally. www.bis.gov.uk/assets/bispartners/goscience/ docs/t/11-1416-taking-responsibility-forwater-summary.pdf

FEATURE:INNOVATION The Water Innovation Network (WIN) This has the appearance of a UKWRIF at a local level, local being the East of England. It aims to link the supply chain and innovators directly into Anglian Water’s business needs and it is run by the UK Centre for Economic and Environmental Development (UK CEED) with funding from the East of England Development Agency. As with any network, WIN holds events, but the web site also gives access to Anglian Water’s research needs through the “Innovation Portal” where companies can submit innovations for consideration. www.waterinnovation.net

European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs) At a European level, the Europe 2020 Flagship Initiative for an Innovation Union has proposed the concept of European Innovation Partnerships (EIPs). DG Environment, in close cooperation with DG Research and Innovation and other DG's, is developing a proposal for a candidate European Innovation Partnership on Water. The objective of an EIP is to accelerate breakthrough innovations to solve challenges relevant to Europe but particularly where there is also a large market potential for EU business. The operational heart of the EIP for water will be the “Innovation Sites”, covering three linked topics: urban, rural and industrial water management. Whist the IP on water is still at the candidate stage it is expected that it will begin to establish itself mid-2012 and to direct funding to the Innovation Sites within a further 12 months. Although there may not be an increase in funds, those on offer will be targeted at business and manufacturers.

ec.europa.eu/environment/water/ innovationpartnership

Technology Strategy Board (TSB) Funding for innovation should become available from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) in 2012. Although a case for an innovation platform on water could not be justified, because the sector is already active and has an open route to the global market,they have announced plans for a substantial competition for water. The theme is improved water efficiency but interpretation will allow a relatively broad spectrum of innovations to be considered. The TSB have indicated that the competition should open around March 2012, and applications will be invited for concept and demonstration studies. It will be targeted at SMEs and the aim is to assist these companies to develop new technologies and innovative solutions that will help them access the annual global water market, which is expected to grow from £260bn to £400bn to 2016. www.innovateuk.org

Technology Approval Group (TAG) Even closer to market is Isle Consulting's Technology Approval Group (TAG). This was established in 2005 as a novel innovation forum that aims to accelerate the commercialisation and market uptake of new technologies. TAG’sunique and added value approach brings together companies with ideas, financial backing of institutional investors, and the water companies with the problems. To quote: “TAG identifies over 500 novel technologies a year spanning the

water, waste, energy and transport sectors. Each technology is carefully screened and evaluated by the appropriate specialists within Isle, ensuring that each “approved” technology is novel, robust, has a strong unique selling point, addresses key business needs and presents significant cost benefits over and above the competition”. TAG includes the patronage of nine water and wastewater companies in the UK and claims an impressive track record of selecting over 100 technologies to be presented to the end users, 50% of these technologies are now commercial, having benefited from around £50m of external investment. isleutilities.com/tag.php

WRc Portfolio WRc believes that collaboration is a key to success in innovation, and that innovation is not just about shiny new technology. Innovation is about finding a new way to do something better. Its unique Portfolio programme delivers +£1.5million of innovation programmes each year in close collaboration with the water companies with shared problems and who fund the work. WRc is aiming to increase collaboration between those who can undertake work and develop the solutions; they are hosting an Open Innovation Day in April 2012 to further the theme of collaboration. Innovation has to be the answer and for those individuals and companies struggling to achieve a breakthrough more help is becoming available. It may be that despite the gloomy predictions for the rest of the economy, innovation in the water sector is set to grow. Watch these spaces.

"Innovation is always important, but given the challenges of climate change and rising energy costs, it has never been as important for the water sector as it will be over the next decade." Professor Martin Cave speaking at the Institute of Water President's Dinner 2011

Dr Ian Walker is WRc’s Innovation Director. He has been with the company for 26 years and has worked on all aspects of the water cycle, from abstraction and drinking water production through to wastewater treatment and disposal. Ian’s responsibilities include improving the innovation culture and steering the development of WRc’ flagship collaborative Portfolio programme. He is a Chartered Scientist, a member of the Institute of Water and past President of the Institute’s South West Area. Contact him on ian.walker@wrcplc.co.uk or through Linked-in.

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2011 Award Winners - One Year On In May 2011 the first Institute of Water National Innovation Awards were presented at the President’s Dinner in Swansea. We look at the impact that some of these innovations have had upon the industry since then.

TRUE GRIT – The road to reduced landfill (Dwr Cymru Welsh Water Waste Services Department) A year after winning the National Innovation Awards with their True Grit submission the Waste Services Team at Dwr Cymru Welsh Water are still seeing impressive savings as well as exploring a number of further innovations which compliment their original idea. Back in summer 2009, a small team from the Waste Service Department set out to identify a more sustainable and cost effective means of dealing with the 1,600 tonnes of grit produced every year through its sewage treatment processes across Wales. At that time, all grit was being sent to landfill as waste. This led to high costs and was not a sustainable approach to disposing of waste materials from the sewage treatment process. With tough targets being set in Wales for reductions in landfill use and carbon emissions an alternative solution was needed. The team identified that as sewage grit is made up mostly of sand, grit and small stones, it could possibly be used as a base material for soil manufacture. The team approached a local soil manufacturing company Neals Soil Supplies (NSS) and after a period of negotiation on gate fees and liaison with the Environment Agency, a small scale trial using the grits from Cardiff wastewater treatment works as a feedstock in soil manufacturing began. The trial was successful and in April 2010, NSS were awarded a three year contract to take grits from the entire Cardiff and Gwent catchments. In the first four months of the contract being in place a saving of over £20,000 was achieved and as landfill taxes increase the cost comparison becomes more favourable year on year. The team has projected that over the five years of AMP5, the total savings potentially amount to over £300,000. With significant savings being achieved the team was keen to extend the approach to the rest of the business, but investigations found that suitable grit recycling facilities are not available in all areas. Data on transport costs was also gathered to assess the feasibility of transporting small loads to Cardiff from further afield. However, transporting in such a manner was not financially

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Stage 1 - Mixing grit with green waste and composting viable. This has necessitated the team adopting a more flexible area by area approach. In north Wales, the team has been exploring a number of possible routes for grit and screenings from the sewage treatment process. One option being considered is to purchase a piece of equipment that can compost all types of grits. This machine would then be used for Welsh Water grits and then extra revenue could be obtained by charging a gate fee to the local councils for them to use it for their gulley grits. The team has also been looking at other zero waste to landfill options for the grits produced at its wastewater treatment facilities. In west Wales, the team is consulting with a company that currently has contracts in place with local councils to recycle gulley grit taken from roadsides. This recycled material is then used by builders and contractors. They are exploring the possibility of recycling the grit from our sewage treatment processes in a similar way. A year on the business continues to benefit from

the cost efficiencies and reduction in material to landfill made thanks to the True Grit innovation. As well as this colleagues in other areas have been inspired and continue to work to replicate and develop the idea to gain even further savings for the business and achieve a long term sustainable route for all grits and screenings produced.

Turning grit into soil The process of turning grit waste into a soil is achieved in three main stages. Firstly, grit waste is mixed with shredded green waste material and composted. The composting process serves to eliminate any pathogens which might be present in the grit. The composted material is sieved and any oversized material re-shredded. The sieved material is then passed over a magnet which takes out ferrous material which is sold for scrap. Aggregate of various size fractions is mixed with the composted organic material to produce the final product. The ratio is determined by the requirements of the customers whom purchase the soil.

FEATURE:INNOVATION

ELIMBAC – UNIQUE LOW CARBON DISINFECTant (CM Ventures Ltd) Following recognition at the 2011 National Innovation Awards; C M Ventures Ltd went on to win the Process & Systems Award in the Welsh Area Innovation Awards for their unique low carbon disinfectant system which produces ELIMBAC, a highly effective Mixed Oxidant used for the disinfection of wastewater. ELIMBAC is a sporocidal high performance anti-microbial that eliminates and future proofs against all types of pathogens without generating environmentally harmful chemistry. It is created by CMV’s patented technical electrolysis system and is produced, stored and dosed on site. The systems are modular, remotely managed and monitored with 24 hr measurement and application capability and have multi-spectrum on-line instrument measuring chlorine, redox and pH of the final effluent and monitoring the efficacy of ELIMBAC on a ‘real time’ basis. Dosing into final effluent is a calculation of predetermined dosing rate (which is based on correlated log reduction objectives) and the effluent flow rate. Welsh Water became the first to explore ELIMBAC’s capabilities as an energy efficient alternative to UV final effluent treatment. Initial trials were organised and conducted at Welsh Water’s waste treatment plant in Treborth, North Wales. Elimbac produced a consistently superior kill versus performance from the UV system with independent chemical analysis at Environment Agency laboratories revealing no harmful chemical by products. Moreover the trials indicated a potential reduction of 85% in Energy costs, up to 60% reduction in operational costs and an estimated 80% cost savings including civil works -an inherent benefit of ELIMBAC over UV is the scope of the civil structure required to support the disinfection process, in many cases little or no civil modifications to existing structures will be required. In cooperation with Welsh Water and the Environment Agency, CMV installed a pilot ELIMBAC disinfection system in spring 2011 at Welsh Water’s wastewater treatment works in Llanfechell, Anglesey for the disinfection of continuous flow municipal wastewater. The system is a full-scale production unit and a world first for the wastewater industry under the close supervision of the Environment Agency. The

Winners of Institute of Water Welsh Area Process & Systems Innovation Award 2011 EA will set the standards and consents for the operation, which on approval can be rolled out to all UK Water Utility companies. CMV has meanwhile received EU commission verification of the prospective environmental performance capability of ELIMBAC via certification with Tritech ETV (EU approved Group). ETV accreditation further accelerates recognition of ELIMBAC as an innovative energy saving technology and enhances wider international acceptance of ELIMBAC’s technology potential. CMV CEO Geoff Carragher comments, “The UK industry has publicly stated its commitment to a 26-32% emissions reduction by 2020 (against 1990 levels) but the regulatory-driven requirement to install disinfection systems to improve water quality is making this very difficult. Installation of ELIMBAC systems would go a long

way to helping to meet targets. Integration costs and complexity is reduced; existing sites can be easily refitted, whilst for new sites ELIMBAC can be delivered into the final effluent tanks. This offers potentially significant installation, civil and capital cost reductions with up to 90% reduction in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions”. For Welsh Water and the wastewater industry the prospect of implementing Elimbac for final phase effluent treatment in the current investment phase and beyond is highly significant, enabling considerably better use or reuse of allocated resource. The Llanfechell pilot plant is the first stage in a potentially extensive wastewater disinfection programme. In addition to municipal Wastewater disinfection CMV’s ELIMBAC disinfection system could provide low carbon cost effective solutions for water reuse, industrial water treatment and potable water.

Northumbrian Water Limited is sponsoring the 2012 Institute of Water National Innovation Awards. Professor Martin Cave will present the Awards at the President’s Dinner in London on Friday 18 May. The winners will be selected from entrants short-listed as winners of regional awards. For details of regional awards and how to enter please call 0191 422 0088 or visit the Institute of Water’s website: www.instituteofwater.org.uk

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Building Sustainability for the Future Authors: Natalie Gordon, Marketing Director Sean Connolly, Co-Founder & Director

We would also like to thank our two contributors: Alan Harrison, IT Director Kelda Group and Andrew Gardner, General Manager Business Improvement Severn Trent Water

Contact: nataliegordon@egremontgroup.com tel: 020 7298 7878 www.egremontgroup.com

Future Change

Environment agency of 6-9% less rainfall by 2020 and we have a major challenge on our hands.

22 years ago the water industry was privatised. Since that time the sector has invested £90bn and consequently it is vastly different to the water sector pre-privatisation. However, if you were to look back just 10 years, would you really say that your company and the way you work is vastly different?

It is our duty to safeguard the supply that we have before turning to new sources of supply. So we need to find ways to make it easy for our customers to make more use of grey water. According to the Defra white paper, all companies will be expected to show how they will reduce water use per person. We need to collaborate with other parties, such as the Environment Agency and Wildlife Trusts, to protect our water from pollution. The catchment based approach put forward in Defra’s white paper aims to encourage this. Obviously we need to reduce leakage to an economically reasonable level which is often easier said than done, especially as a growing population and propensity of single households will lead to a greater fragmentation of supply points.

In the last 10 years the world we live in has changed at an exponential rate. Think back to 2002: Facebook didn’t exist, nor did YouTube, the iPhone hadn’t been invented and wifi was a thing of the future. If the way you work isn’t hugely different then the way you live surely is. Most commentators would agree that this exponential change is set to continue in the next decade. By 2025, the UN predicts that the global population is going to be 8bn (up 12.5% from today) with up to 67million in the UK alone; one third of us in the UK will be living alone and 25% of us will be over 65; climate change is already leading to more extreme weather events and is expected to lead to 50m climate change refugees by 2020; fuel and energy costs will be three times what they are now; computers will think as fast as we do, and so on. Changing in response to this at the same speed of change we have employed since privatization just won’t cut it. We need to plan now for the future and act fast. Not only that we need to act differently.

What this means for Water We need to find innovative ways to tackle four significant challenges in the run up to AMP 6 and AMP 7. The first challenge is safeguarding a sustainable water supply. Water is the new oil. According to the Defra white paper, there could be a growth in water demand of 5% by 2020 and upto 35% by 2050. Add to this predictions by the

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This brings us on to our second key challenge: water infrastructure. The issue here is not just investment to improve and expand ageing assets, but quality of data: do you really understand the condition of your assets? The rate of change around us makes this ever more urgent. The growth of extreme weather events, the growing water demand, the “water stress” caused by an imbalance of supply and demand across the country and dramatically increasing energy costs are all piling the pressure on our infrastructure. Trying to do the same thing faster is not the solution. Investing in quality over asset replacement is also not the answer. The solution needs to be radical or at the very least ingenious and potentially combines ideas of the future with ideas of the past. Perhaps we should be thinking like the Victorians, building more than we need and using gravity not pumps. We could borrow concepts from other industries such as the supermarkets on local sourcing. The equivalent might be smaller scale local treatment for waste water, reviving old technologies like reed beds for example. Technology needs to factor energy efficiency and

effectiveness into asset design right now and we need to consider the whole life cost rather than lowest current cost. Whether we like it or not, water trading appears inevitable requiring water supply zones to be joined up within and between company networks. If our water infrastructure does not look very different in 10 years time then we will have failed in our jobs today. The third area of impact is consumers with more power and ideas. Over the next decade expect to be on the receiving end of higher expectations in terms of responsiveness and quality as well as transparency particularly as Generation Y grows into adulthood. There will be pressure on consumers bearing a higher cost of living and a bi-modal distribution of wealth which means water companies will have to continue to work hard at community engagement, maintain supplies and quality as well as providing flexibility around financial arrangements and customer scheduling. All of this whilst nudging customers to reduce consumption. In this brave new world, the focus will need to shift from the regulator to the consumer. This leads us to the fourth key challenge for water companies today: control, regulation and competition. Business customers will be able to choose their water supplier and new entrants will find it easier to offer “water services”. To retain your current customers and acquire new ones, you will need to understand them as well as you currently understand the flow of water and effluent. Who will be the Lovefilm equivalent to your Blockbusters? And if it were you, what would you do? It is clear that whatever transpires in the coming years water companies (like all other commercial businesses) need to become increasingly nimble to quickly respond to the external changes that emerge. For all of us in this fast changing world these implications can represent difficulties for the unprepared - but for those who are prepared they represent an opportunity.

EGREMONT

So what we can do...

supply and conserve water for today’s and future consumers.

This is about ensuring a sustainable water supply as well as a sustainable business for the future. This means taking a long hard look at your operating model, not one element at a time but as a composite picture where one part influences another. So, ask yourself, do we have the right strategy, core processes, structure and people to deal with the next wave of change that will hit and do all these different elements join up to deliver our vision?

This requires change and there can’t be one water company out there who has not undergone a change programme in recent years. As to how many would say that the change achieved its desired results, it was sustainable and has made a real difference to company performance, we would hazard a guess that it’s not a unanimous vote of confidence. There is no silver bullet to effective change but that shouldn’t put you off. Instead it should make you ask what needs to be different this time.

You will need to start thinking differently with a focus on total expenditure, not just capex, a focus on lifetime cost, not just unit cost, a focus on customers not just product, a focus on innovation not just strong operational performance and a focus on the real future, not just the next AMP. This brings with it implications for collaboration. Internally, you will need to be slick at generating and nurturing ideas and the most innovative ideas generally arise from collaboration across functions, hierarchies and geographies. Externally, you will need to look beyond your geographical and corporate boundaries and collaborate with other organisations and consumers to manage the whole water cycle and

Andrew Gardner at Severn Trent Water believes that the change they have undergone in the last 5 years is enabling STW to respond to current challenges whilst preparing for future challenges. They are focused both externally, driving innovation across the sector through their Changing Course publications, and internally through a major transformation programme called Safer Better Faster which aims to instill a culture of continuous improvement and innovation. Not only that, their carbon reduction programme will result in 30% of the company’s electricity being self-generated by 2015 and their workplace improvement programme, with

the recent relocation to Severn Trent Centre, has reduced costs, improved energy efficiency and provided a better, more collaborative working environment . At Kelda Group, Alan Harrison also firmly believes that a water company needs to contribute externally to the debate on water as well as transforming internal operations. The two go hand-in-hand as one will deliver the other. He believes that there are three types of water company: “a regulated utility who hits their targets, a water company who sells services they have developed or a Guardian of Water who engages with the government and the regulator ensuring the right debate is had to guarantee future generations have the water supply they have the right to expect.” Their vision underlines their commitment to becoming a Guardian of Water: “Taking Responsibility for the Water Environment for Good.” So the message is clear. The world around us in 10 years time will be vastly different to today and that means that we have to act differently and act fast. As Einstein said, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

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Need accurate Pipeline infrastructure advice?

Wouldn’t it be great to know the condition of pipes without interrupting supply? Wouldn’t it be helpful to make renewal/rehabilitate decisions based on thousands of past cases?

Hydrosave gives you both: • A range of non-intrusive, cost-effective measurement and assessment techniques: these allow you to see a complete picture of the state of your mains, on DVD! • The ‘Legion’ Predictive Pipe Condition Assessment Tool: Using over 30,000 pipe sample analyses, we provide an accurate prediction for any given section of metal pipeline.

We offer a complete range of services: • Non-Destructive Inspection (NDT):

Using ultrasonics, pipes can be scanned to provide accurate internal and external corrosion measurements

• Acoustic Condition Assessment Inspection (ACA): With no excavation

necessary, we can calculate pipe wall thickness + a leakage assessment at the same time!

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linings suspected of deterioration + pinpointing connections, hidden or buried apparatus and leakages.

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use in a pre-design feasibility study to determine if a lining is present. In addition, Hydrosave can also conduct Under Pressure Drilling and Soil and Water Analysis.

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this task. Cuts were made both freehand and by utilizing the adjustable pipe clamp where space allowed.

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GPS

Brownfield Sites are no barrier to Contaminant-Free Water David Hill, Technical Manager at PE pipe specialist, GPS, discusses the implications of recent changes to planning policy on drinking water installations and the important role that PE barrier pipe can play in ensuring safe drinking water The introduction of the Water Supply Regulations that followed the privatisation of the water companies in the early 1990s provided the catalyst for wide-ranging upgrades to water mains and service connections that have helped to ensure excellent drinking water quality in the UK. These improvements were aided by the development of PE barrier pipe systems that first came to market in the mid 1990s, enabling contractors to benefit from the ease of installation and durability offered by polyethylene whilst ensuring an effective barrier against contaminants in the soil that could affect water quality. The growth in development of brownfield land since PPG3 (Planning Policy Guidance Note 3 pr the Greenfield Direction) has meant that PE barrier pipes have been vital to the installation of water services for many construction and development programmes, providing an alternative to a ‘dig and dump’ approach to land remediation by effectively protecting water from residual contaminants in treated (or untreated) land. Now, following changes to planning policy outlined in the Government’s ‘Plan for Growth’, the role of PE barrier pipes in protecting drinking water supplies from contaminants is set to become more important than ever, as nationally imposed brownfield targets are abolished and garden ‘grabbing’ ceases to be legitimised as brownfield development. The likely result of these changes is that developers will have to take on more former industrial and commercial land for their schemes to compensate for the loss of garden sites. While nationally imposed brownfield targets are gone, it seems likely that local authorities will continue to drive regeneration by limiting greenfield planning approvals. Despite the fact that contaminated land waste is still eligible for a landfill tax exemption (but only until April

2012), “dig and dump” is neither cost effective nor environmentally acceptable. As a result, researching the land’s former uses and applying this knowledge intelligently to determine the level and location of contaminant testing required will be key to deciding what level of remediation is required and where barrier pipes will be essential. The good news is that PE barrier pipe developments have not stood still since these systems first became available 15 years ago. For example, the GPS Protecta-Line PE barrier pipe system, which complies with the WIS 4-32-19 UK industry standard for both pipe and fittings performance, is now available in sizes up to 355mm. As a result, where the installation calls for larger diameter pipe there is now a choice of PE pipe with an impermeable aluminium layer within the polyethylene or wrapped metal pipes (which were originally developed to prevent contaminants from leaking out of the pipe into soil rather than the other way around!). Of course, PE barrier pipe is not required for all brownfield sites: in many cases, there will not be contaminants in the soil so an ordinary PE pipe will be sufficient. However, land that has had a previous industrial or manufacturing use or is likely to have hydrocarbons in the soil – such as former petrol stations, for example – may require PE barrier pipe, even after remediation, unless the contractor resorts to a “dig and dump” approach. However, the suitability of PE barrier pipe for trenchless installations and the possibility connecting PE barrier pipe and standard PE pipe together in a single installation means that there are varied options available, whatever the site conditions.

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YORKSHIRE WATER

SMART Log Helping Fight Leaks for Yorkshire Water A major project to fight leakage by Yorkshire Water is using HWM’s RadioTech SMART Log wireless datalogging automatic meter reader (AMR) to significantly reduce the time and cost taken to find and fix leaks in the network. The SMART Logs are being installed by Vernon Morris & Co. Ltd. along with its Incertameter ‘bolt-on’ in-line flow meter, enabling Yorkshire Water to split 250 of its existing DMAs* in half for more efficient water management – without the need for constructing any new, expensive metered bypasses. The initial phase includes 350 installations, with more planned to follow as the project rolls out across the network. Dividing a water mains network into DMAs is current water loss prevention best practice. It allows water companies to examine their network in small pieces, narrowing down areas where water is being lost so that leakage teams can then pinpoint the location within that DMA. Obviously, smaller DMAs result in more detailed initial information, and proportionally less time taken to identify the exact position of the leak; in these cases time equals not only money but also water, personnel and the chances of a severe service disruption. SMART Log and Incertameter allow for the easy and very cost-effective creation of more and smaller DMAs, and very rapid collection of data from them. SMART Log’s wireless technology means that data collection teams no longer need access to the meter itself, but instead can download the data via a secure wireless link from up to 100 meters away - even from a moving vehicle. This drastically reduces the time taken for data gathering, which, in addition to the use of smaller DMAs, results in impressive savings. In a series of blind pilot trials conducted last year to compare the before and after effects of the project, results indicated an average saving per leak of roughly 60 hours of detection time and over £1500, even without factoring in the initial saving of £5000+ per sub-metering point created. Leakage inspectors can expect to cover a DMA approximately five times faster than before, and prioritise their leak repair activities much more effectively according to the severity of a leak and its impact on the water supply. Advanced technology not only enables this level of functional efficiency, but has resulted in an impressive battery life for the systems. Batteries last for 5 years with a 5 minute sample rate, meaning that the time and cost savings first made at the installation continue on for half a decade. The SMART Log technology has already seen extended use in Scotland and England over the last few years, both in conjunction with the Incertameter and as a standalone AMR or commercial datalogger, and has consistently proved itself a valuable tool in improving a project’s operational functionality and underlying efficiency. *District Metered Area

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experience competence

reliability

Pipeline Cleaning Pipeline Pigging Pipeline Testing Pipeline Drying Pipe Rehabilitation Pipeline Commissioning Pipeline Decommissioning 42

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Management Services Ltd Redwither Works Redwither Road Wrexham Ind Est, Wrexham LL13 9RD Tel: +44(0)1978 661182 Fax: +44(0)1978 661184 e-mail: info@h-t-c.co.uk Web: www.h-t-c.co.uk

HTC Management SERVICES LTD

HTC provide cost-effective solution to pipeline cleaning Whilst many Large Diameter Trunk Mains (LDTMs) supplying water to treatment works and water distribution systems supplying communities have been in operation for over one hundred years, they have never been properly cleaned. Stringent water quality regulations have meant that billions of pounds have been invested in upgrading of water treatment works since privatisation in 1989. But, however much is spent on upgrading and the building of new water treatment works, if the distribution asset is not improved at the same time, the customer will receive no benefit in improved water quality from source. Traditional cleaning methods employed for cleaning water mains have been limited to flushing and high pressure water-jetting; however there are many negative aspects to these operations: n Limited lengths n Multiple excavations n Asset damage n Disposal of huge quantities of dirty water

excavation, saving time and money as well as reducing disruption to the public highway. The use of different pig types, developed during trials and ongoing works, means that whatever the lining material consists of, we have a solution to suit that will not damage your asset. Over 90km of water distribution mains have been cleaned by HTCMS in partnership with Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions for Yorkshire Water in the last eighteen months using the Pneuclean™ System. We are able to clean individual lengths of LDTMs up to 72" diameter and lengths up to 15km using the Pneuclean™ system of cleaning. Innovative new pig types have been developed and trailed to produce a system that will clean effectively without damaging the internal lining of the pipeline.

n Cost

Pneuclean™ cleaning of LDTMs supplying water from WTW will increase the quality of water received and reduce the effort required using alternative methods, is less disruptive to the environment and reduces risk to damaging the internal lining of the main. The number of excavations is dramatically reduced.

This has again led to reluctance to expend capital investment for the above reasons.

Cleaning of LDTMs supplying WTW will reduce your capital expenditure or increase cleaning

n Time-consuming n Low productivity n Ineffective results

There is now a new, sustainable, cost effective method for manganese removal applying pigging experience and technology HTCMS has learned over the previous 30 years in the oil and gas industry. Whether your assets are LDTMs or water distribution mains, HTCMS have the solution to providing a new, sustainable solution using our Pneuclean™ cleaning system. HTCMS has developed new pigs and new techniques to cost-effectively overcome all the obstacles in the way of capital expenditure and asset improvement. Patented Diverters, combined with the Pneuclean™ pigging system enable highly productive, affordable means to pipeline cleaning and manganese removal. Diverters become an integral part of the asset, meaning that repeat cleaning as part of your asset maintenance programme will obviate the need for future

productivity by 60-70%. One water authority recently spent £1.5m cleaning 9km 36" LDTM. HTC’s last cleaning contract together with BBUSL involved cleaning 7.9km of 24" LDTM for United Utilities at a final cost of £72,000 excluding enabling works. Indicative costs including enabling works are £27.00/m for Pneuclean™ pigging compared to £67.00/m for water jetting. For the above 24" diameter LDTM four excavations were needed over 7.9km for Pneuclean operations as opposed to more than 25 excavations if water jetting was to be used. In total only 110m3 of water was used for cleaning operations that required disposal. No cleaning residue remains in the pipe after Pneuclean operations and, using concentrated chlorinated water slugs, the main is sterilized on the final cleaning run, putting the main immediately back into service on completion of reinstatement and sampling.

Pneuclean™

Flushing

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Water Jetting

Asset Integrity

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FASTFLOW

Water charity trip inspires chief executive A trip to Nepal to oversee a charity water project has left utility services boss Neil Armstrong both humbled and inspired. Staggered by the warmth of the welcome he received in Biratnagar, where his company has invested £68,000 to provide clean water and improve sanitation, Fastflow’s Chief Executive was also left in no doubt that he wanted to do more. “The reception we received when we visited these communities is difficult to put into words and was an extremely humbling experience for me,” he said: “These people have very very little and yet they are a warm, friendly and compassionate. They are constantly smiling and confident, even when facing huge deprivation. Neil took over Washington based Fastflow – a pipeline infrastructure specialist supporting the water and gas industries – in a management buy-in in 2005. The donation to Nepal was made through international water charity WaterAid and was designed to cut alarming mortality rates – particularly among children. The project in Biratnagar – Nepal’s second largest city - involved the creation or rehabilitation of almost 400 wells to bring safe water to 4,000 people. It also created proper sanitation systems for 2,200 people and delivered educational

initiatives designed to reduce disease and illness by maintaining basic hygiene. Neil was joined on the trip by Katie Edwards, from WaterAid’s London office and the pair toured with the organisation’s Nepal representative Ashutosh and programme manager Kabir. They pointed out that the biggest issue is the rate of urbanisation as people migrate from the rural areas in search of work. The services and infrastructure cannot cope with this massive population shift and the result is the creation of slums on the periphery of the cities. When visiting the Fastflow project area they met Lagena, the woman heading up LUMANTI – a not for profit, non government, charitable organisation, dedicated to improving the life of urban poor communities. Neil describes her as: “One of the most remarkable and inspiring women I have ever met. WaterAid is an international charity working to transform lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in some of the world’s poorest communities. Together with its partners it works with local communities, using a mixture of low cost technologies to deliver

A very proud Biratnagar woman shows Neil Armstrong the new latrine in her garden

lasting solutions. It also seeks to influence policy at national and international levels. The charity works in rural and urban areas and has programmes in 26 countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific region.

Berson supplies UV disinfection technology to Ukrainian wastewater treatment plant Berson UV systems disinfect effluent before discharge into Desna River Berson has supplied two of its InLine+ UV disinfection systems to the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in the city of Chernihiv (population 350,000), north-east of Kiev, the Ukrainian capital. The Berson UV systems disinfect effluent prior to its discharge into the Desna River. “Disinfection is necessary to meet Ukrainian bathing water standards and also to prevent effluent with high microbial loads of pathogenic viruses, parasites and bacteria entering the Desna River, which is also the main water supply for many communities downstream, including Kiev,” commented Chernihiv’s waterworks director, Sergey Shkin. “Chemical disinfection with chlorine was not an option as we wanted to avoid unpleasant disinfection by-products such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and Halogenated Acetic Acids (HAAs), which are produced when chlorine reacts with the organic compounds in wastewater. Furthermore, as chlorine is a dangerous gas, additional safety measures are required to comply with rules for its transport and storage and for worker safety

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– these all carry additional costs. These factors, together with the fact that many dangerous bacteria and parasites, such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia, are resistant to chlorine, meant we opted for UV technology instead”, he added. UV disinfection has none of the drawbacks of chlorination – it is completely chemical-free, and produces no unpleasant by-products. It is also simple to operate and maintain. Chernihiv waterworks selected two Berson InLine 16000 systems, operating in parallel mode. Each UV chamber is equipped with 12 automaticallywiped medium pressure Multiwave® UV lamps and can treat effluent at a flow rate of 2000 m3/h (4000 m3/h in total). Because of the InLine design of the closed treatment chambers, they have low headloss and are also very compact with a small overall footprint, allowing them to be installed in a very small building. The incoming effluent is gravity-driven.

up of the Berson systems,” continued Mr Shkin. “This, together with all the other benefits already described, and also because many other Ukrainian drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities have already installed Berson UV units, helped make our decision to choose Berson.

“We were very impressed by the very compact set-

www.bersonuv.com

When it comes to trunk mains cleaning, there are plenty of fish in the sea. But are they all swimming in the right direction? At Fastflow, our innovative European patented system ensures that we are, because it

Quite simply, we aim to Go Further

� Cleans up to 1000m – requiring fewer excavations and pipe interventions � Needs only a single pass, using just a fraction of the water consumed by conventional spray cleaning methods � Is non abrasive – maintaining the integrity of internal linings � Achieves cleaning standards well within DWI values � Combines with our highly efficient, large diameter spray chlorination process, which can deliver further, dramatic time and water savings In addition � The system is tried and tested over 80 kilometres of 300mm – 1,245mm mains � Our end to end service includes design, planning, civils, cleaning and restoration All of which saves time and cost while reducing risk and environmental impact. For further proof that this is no fishy tale, visit

www.fastflow.co.uk call us on +44 (0) 191 415 7744 or come and see us at

Stand D1 in hall 3A at IWEX 24th - 26th May

technology for network management and leakage control

Network Management Local Data Acquisition Data Acquisition via GPRS/SMS Managed Data Facility Flow monitoring Leakage Control Leak Detection Network Leak Location Trunk Main Leak Location Leak Listening

www.primayer.com +44 (0)2392 252228 sales@primayer.com

Victaulic

Victaulic Introduces Duplex/Super Duplex High-Pressure Mechanical Piping System Couplings, fittings and valves for high-pressure, thin-wall Duplex/Super Duplex piping applications up to 400 millimetres (16 inches) Through an exclusive relationship between Victaulic and MTS Valves and Technology, the StrengThin system also features Super Duplex high-pressure plug valves from MTS, eliminating the need for valves to be sent to a fabrication shop to be welded onto pipe spools. All StrengThin couplings also feature the Victaulic proprietary anti-biofouling Grade “EW” gasket.

Victaulic, the world’s leading manufacturer of mechanical pipe joining systems, has launched the StrengThin™ Piping System featuring a proprietary groove profile for unmatched high-pressure performance on thin-wall Duplex and Super Duplex stainless steel pipe. The StrengThin Piping System enables direct pipe-end forming of the new groove profile on Schedule 10S and Schedule 20 Duplex and Super Duplex stainless steel pipe and delivers superior performance over previously required thicker wall Schedule 40S cut-grooved pipe. The StrengThin groove is formed using proprietary end-forming technology, which creates a unique groove profile for superior joint strength. The technology helps reduce plant construction costs by allowing thinner-wall Duplex or Super Duplex stainless steel pipe to be used on high-pressure piping systems. It also saves time by accelerating pipe fabrication and installation, thereby reducing the piping construction schedule and allowing more time for testing, commissioning and plant turnover.

The StrengThin system is offered in 50-400 millimetre (2-16 inch) sizes and is rated up to 8,200 kPa (1,200 psi) with a minimum safety factor of three to one. “The StrengThin system can significantly cut piping installation time for an entire high-pressure piping system, lower costs, improve safety and reduce project risk during the construction of desalination facilities,” explains Stephen Morrison, Global Water Systems Technology Market Director. “It is a groundbreaking product that will have a major impact on the industry.”

For more details, visit www.victaulic.com

HUBER Technology supply stainless steel equipment to treat wastewater. The equipment supplied is suitable for both municipal and industrial applications. The diverse product range contains a wide range of equipment suitable to treat all applications ranging from inlet works to tertiary treatment. The range of products includes: Inlet screens Course screens Storm screens Sludge thickening and dewatering

Units C&D Brunel Park Bumpers Farm Ind. Est. Chippenham Wiltshire SN14 6NQ

Sludge screening

Tel: 01249 765000 Email: hr@huber.co.uk Website: www.HUBER.co.uk

Membrane Filtration Disc Filters All products are customised to suit individual site requirements and specifications and can be supplied complete with control panels.

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STEVE VICK

NEW MINI PIPE HANDLER FROM STEVE VICK GOES ON TRIAL Steve Vick International has added a Mini Pipe Handler to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pipe Handler range. The tool, which is currently being trialled by National Grid and by SGN in Scotland, attaches to a mini excavator enabling small diameter PE pipe, up to 125mm in diameter, to be inserted quickly and safely. The unique â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;J-shapeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; design of the jaw allows the pipe to be side-loaded, eliminating the need for operatives to work in the trench. Pipe manoeuvring and insertion operations are controlled entirely from the safety of the cab. The lightweight tool attaches to a typical 1.5 to 3 tonne hydraulic excavator fitted with 25mm or 30mm bucket pins.The PE is side-loaded into the fixed J-shape lower jaw where it is cradled until the hydraulic upper jaw clamps the pipe. A onestage set up is all that is required for the entire insertion process. Using the hydraulic power of the excavator, the operative inserts the PE into the host pipe by alternatively gripping and pushing the pipe using controls in the cab. Typical insertion speeds of

up to 10 metres per minute are possible. The Mini Handler is suitable for both single or dual fed excavators. A full range of shell inserts is available to accommodate pipe diameters down to 55mm. Shell inserts from Steve Vick Internationalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pushing machine range may also be used in the Mini Pipe Handler.

Avoids the need to enter the trench â&#x20AC;&#x153;The side loading jaw means that the Mini Pipe Handler entirely avoids the need for operatives to work in the trench,â&#x20AC;? says Crock Harrison, Managing Director of Steve Vick International, â&#x20AC;&#x153;which is always a safety issue. And being able to set up the entire insertion operation in one-stage means itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fast too.â&#x20AC;? The J-shaped jaw allows a constant pipe depth to be maintained to aid insertion and needs only 35mm ground clearance, minimising the depth of the trench required. An optional 360Â° swivel head provides the operator with maximum manoeuvrability when positioning and inserting the pipe whilst the clamp design prevents damage

The Mini Pipe Handler inserting 75mm PE pipe, into an existing â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;liveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 4â&#x20AC;? cast iron main to the surface of the PE and minimises slippage in wet weather. At 31kg, the Mini Pipe Handler is lightweight to avoid lifting problems on site. Compared with inserting PE using a sling on the excavator, it offers an efficient, controlled pushing force which can be reversed if necessary. Steve Vick International also produces Pipe Handlers for larger excavators designed to manoeuvre and insert pipes up to 630mm in diameter.

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KSI Services Ltd KSI Services Ltd is based in Kent and provides high quality Instrumentation and Electrical Services to the Process Industries, Energy Companies, Waste Sector and Water Industry. The company has built its reputation by delivering on time whilst ensuring that Health and Safety Standards are never compromised. KSI Services Ltd are available to cover locations throughout the UK and overseas on a 24/7 basis. Please contact us to find out more information or arrange a meeting with one of our Engineers to see how KSI Services Ltd can benefit your company.

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KSI Services Ltd Electrical & Process Control Engineers 18 North Street, Ashford, Kent TN24 8JR T: 01233 640111 | F: 01233 640012 E: info@ksiservices.co.uk | www.ksi-services.co.uk

Fernco Environmental

Ageing Infrastructure – Prevent, Preserve, Protect

Sewage Pumping Station – Major UK Water Company. Pull tests were undertaken which resulted in an average result of 2.9N/mm2. In all tests the point of fracture was within the substrate. A fifty year warranty was provided for the coating.

When presented with a corroded surface, perhaps after long term erosion and widespread infiltration, there are two main alternatives; the replacement of the substrate, or the repair of the substrate. Whether a manhole, chamber, bund or man entry pipe, repair is likely to cause the least disruption and incur the lowest cost. If this method is preferred, the decision making doesn’t stop there – many companies offer ‘the ideal solution’, but there are some fundamental issues to consider when choosing which system to use:

n Can the product be applied in one coat up to a 10mm thickness, improving the strength of the substrate?

n Does the product contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and so is specialised breathing apparatus required?

When reading a magazine article, viewing an advert or discussing with a salesperson, there’s a good chance the system will leave some of these questions unanswered, and when these issues are discovered, along come the costs and complications.

n Is it environmentally safe? n Does the process require the use of a primer coat, which must be left to cure prior to continuing the job resulting in multiple site visits and prolonged downtime? n Will the coating adhere to a damp substrate, and so is a costly drying procedure required? n What about infiltration? What happens if anything up to 200+ litres per second is flowing through any cracks and fractures? n Are there a sufficient number of successful case studies using the product? A reassuring 15+ year history of success as a tried and tested system? n Does the system increase structural strength, as well as providing a durable waterproof and chemical resistant coating? n Has the system been tested and approved by independent approval bodies?

n Will the final coating be quick to apply, 100% waterproof, prevent all liquid infiltration, and be highly chemical resistant?

Ultracoat, the 100% solids structural epoxy coating from Fernco Environmental, is different. With Ultracoat it’s likely that planning and completing a project will be more simple, more efficient, and a longer term solution. The Ultracoat system is ideal for bund lining, rehabilitation of large chambers, man entry tunnels, culverts, manholes and most other substrates and structures. All are completed with one single coat, with no requirement for breathing apparatus due to being VOC and solvent free, no need for any primer, and the efficiency of adhering to a damp substrate.

are both crucially important, and are the most time consuming parts of the process. After cleaning the substrate, use of the supporting Sealguard range of injection resins will bring an immediate halt to water leakage of flow rates of up to 200+ litres per second. The system also fills cracks and voids of 10-15mm, leaving a leak free finish with a 50 year expected life span. So when presented with a rehabilitation or waterproofing project, even with a badly corroded surface in need of renewal, consider the Ultracoat rehabilitation system as the efficient, low disruption, long term, waterproof, chemical resistant, VOC free (the list continues…) success story. The results of using this internationally successful, independently approved system will speak for themselves. www.ultracoatsystem.com Fernco Environmental T: 01226 340 222 E: contact@ferncoenvironmental.com

Ultracoat is also structurally reinforcing; compared to a standard 400mm concrete pipe, the same pipe lined with Ultracoat shows up to a 20% higher structural strength before breaking. Substrate preparation, cleaning and leak sealing

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STONBURY

Dustless blasting offers solution

Stonbury take the opportunity to promote the most sustainable approach to the projects the company undertakes. The removal and subsequent recoating of steel structures involve processes which generates dust and debris which must be controlled to prevent it causing the release of air-borne pollution. These control measures can be both expensive and time consuming. Stonbury’s widespread experience in the preparation of steel structures, for the subsequent application of coating systems, has shown that dustless blasting techniques offer advantages over traditional dry blasting preparation methods. These are especially significant when the works are in or over environmental sensitive areas, such as water courses.

Dustless Blasting – How does it work?

Additionally Stonbury have also began using recycled glass abrasive with its grit blasting plant equipment as a straight replacement for iron silicate resulting in the following benefits:n Better performance because the recycled glass particles are angular cut most coatings which reduces fuel to power plant as the abrasive works faster and also reduces levels of abrasive used. n Reduced environmental impact through reduction in transport emissions from delivery and waste removal of recycled glass.

The Quill Blasting system combines the ease of conventional grit blasting with the effectiveness of ultra high pressure powered water jetting to remove a range of different types of coatings.

n Lower dust emissions compared to traditional iron silicates

1: The blast media is coated in a water jacket by surface tension, which increases the overall speed and mass of the blast material enhancing the force of impact upon the blast surface.

n Disposal of spent recycled glass abrasives have significantly fewer environmental impacts than slag-based abrasives i.e. contain no heavy metals. It’s not classified as hazardous waste and does not contain any trace elements such as manganese, zinc, chromium (111) and lead which requires disposal through specialist waste contractors.

2: The blast media hit the surface; the water jacket continues moving but still holds onto the blast media by surface tension. The water jacket then hits the surface and prevents any grit bounce. 3: The water jacket snaps round the blast media into the crack under the blast surface and hydrostatic pressure blast a large amount of surface coating away. 4: The end result is a profile surface, feathered edges and the most efficient use of blast media and water.

Dustless Blasting - Sustainable Advantages n Significant reduction in the amount of grit used – Up to 50% reduction in use of natural resource

Dustless Blasting - Using Recycled Glass

n Abrasive is less dense and as a result has more abrasive power

n Has no detectable ‘free’ or ‘crystalline’ silica which benefits not only the operatives but also any neighbouring environment by removing the risk of exposure to lung damaging silicosis.

Encapsulation Dustless blasting in conjunction with the use of heat sealed shrink-wrapping of scaffold structures ensures further containment of any blast media. The grit and old coatings are retained within the confines of the working area. Waste materials are removed at regular intervals to prevent build up waste.

Water Based Steel Coatings

n Up to 18m2 blasted per hour – Reduction in the use of fossil fuels to power unit

The use of solvent free coatings offers the final stage of Stonburys sustainable approach to the preparation and refurbishment of steel structures in as much as the:-

n Reduction in operational noise levels of up to 21db compared to conventional grit blasting - Consideration to the effect of noise to the local environment

n Surface to be coated does not have to be free of any flash (gingering) rust of the steel prior to application - Prevents the need to use solvent based blast primers to protect prepared surfaces from flash rusting.

n Reduction in the level of waste produced – Up to 50% of the waste blast media for landfill disposal

n The use of solvent free materials - Prevents the release of potentially harmful solvent vapours to the atmosphere.

n Reduction in the potential to contaminate the local environment with grit blasting dust – Significantly reduced level of dust created

n Reduced risks of contamination of solvent based materials whilst working over watercourse - In the event of spillages within the encapsulation work space the shrink - wrapping is more likely to be susceptible to degradation from solvent attack than from water based products.

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SERVICE RESERVOIRS

WATER TOWERS

WWTW

INSPECTION, CLEANING & CHLORINATING

CORROSION PROTECTION

STONBURY 28 YEARS AS MARKET LEADERS IN THE REFURBISHMENT OF WATER RETAINING STRUCTURES & ASSOCIATED ASSETS SERVICE RESERVOIR & WATER TOWER REFURB - STEEL TANK REFURB - SEWAGE WORKS REFURB SPECIALIST COATINGS - CONCRETE REPAIR - INSPECTION SURVEYS - CLEANING & CHLORINATION CORROSION PROTECTION TO PIPES & PIPE BRIDGES - CIVILS - SECURITY WORKS INC LPC4 ACCESS COVERS DESIGN & INSTALLATION OF ACCESS LADDERS, HANDRAILS & WALKWAYS - EU HYGIENE TRAINING North Office: Unit 4, Phoenix Enterprise Park, Grovehill Road, Beverley, E.Yorkshire, HU17 0JG t 01482 881198 e enquiries@stonbury.co.uk South Office: 187c High Street, Cranfield, Bedfordshire, MK43 0JB t 01234 750924 e enquiries@stonbury.co.uk

www.stonbury.com

Time to link financial and asset performance in the board room!

Network industries are changing, in terms of ownership and regulatory methods and policies. At the same time, organisations are trying to operate as normal; balancing the competing forces of keeping customer bills steady and achieving desired service levels and risk, whilst delivering solid financial performance to the asset owners. John Phillips, Chairman of SEAMS Ltd, argues that there is a need for transparency and better means of support at board level in joining together financial, engineering and asset disciplines. The findings are based on a SEAMS Ltd roundtable event held in London in the last quarter of 2011 involving c-level financial and asset management representatives from energy, transport, and water sectors.

By John Phillips, Chairman of SEAMS Ltd

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FEATURE: Financing Asset Management Plans What makes a good infrastructure business plan? While most companies will have a clear future direction, the biggest challenge in realising this vision is an understanding of where the business is at today. There is a problem bridging the gap between engineering and financial objectives. Engineers typically limit their decision-making on a ‘maximise value-for-money’ basis; the emphasis is on meeting health & safety requirements and regulatory demands. So how does the industry get past this? Leadership is key, as is cross-company communication. The implications of failing to get this right in today’s market are potentially devastating. If the investment plan fails, opex goes up. The options to recover are stark: putting prices up is not politically welcomed, whilst borrowing can lead credit ratings into the death spiral. Companies therefore cannot afford to get the capex model wrong; everyone in the business needs to understand that. Good data and good decision making is essential as without this, it is impossible to understand the risks associated with the assets. Growing numbers of companies are investing in data improvement and capturing more information to help support asset management and planning. But how are companies making the case for data improvement in these financially constrained times? A five year period is far too short for any infrastructure business, yet five year planning has become the norm. Organisations should always be looking at an asset management projection over 20/25 years, or even longer for some assets; and then assess the right level of investment and justifying those interventions over the next five years. To get this right, information must be captured, held at source, at the time of any asset visit or intervention, and people (engineers) must understand why this is being done. With this model, an organisation can build up an intelligent set of information that helps inform those decisions longer term.

What makes a good investor? How can a 25 year investment model work better given the challenges facing network industries today? No one knows the demands or pressures that will be faced in 25 years;

does anyone understand the risk and who is carrying that risk? What happens within a PFI contract when the connection between CAPEX and OPEX is lost? How quickly does the information feedback to shareholders? In some industries (e.g. biomass) problems become apparent very quickly; in others, such as utilities, problems are less visible and do not hit shareholders for a long time. Once again, this reflects the need for the whole business to be involved in CAPEX design and development decisions. But it also demands the investor community is involved in these plans as well. The network industries have an increasingly wide variety of ownership structures and investors as new companies enter the market, from the short term investors to the pension companies.

And while customer engagement has, in the past, been hard to achieve, there is a growing feeling that in the current financial climate the opportunity to drive down household expenditure is compelling. But there is also the problem of service access across distribution networks and ensuring all citizens, wherever they live, have viable access to equal services at equal costs. Who is going to pay for that infrastructure? And, equally important, what is the incentive for an electricity company for example, to encourage its customers to reduce demand? Whilst five years ago the comparative

How involved are these investors in planning? Indeed, do the new generation of investors even care about assets? As long as the dividend is being paid, is there incentive to improve asset performance? Are these organisations merely interested in an equity/dividend stream and funds from operations? What role should the network industries adopt to better engage investors? The problem for the network industries is that the investment horizon of investors is radically different from the optimal investment plan for those delivering infrastructure. So what must companies do to give the new investors a return on investment? There is a need to articulate and quantify the risks being taken by investors and that needs to include insight into the dangers of taking a short-term reward by putting at risk long term service levels. But this is an on-going issue for the industry: if the wrong people are influencing management decisions, then suboptimal decisions will be made.

What makes a good customer? What role does or should the customer play within the network industries when, for many, customer loss is not an issue? Is not the fundamental problem that there is no pain for the management team if decisions are inappropriate and customers walk away? But how do you talk to your customers about energy bills, for example, when distribution costs are only 15-20% of the cost and the wholesale cost is what drives it. How do we get transparency and guidance that is customer led? Even when consulted, customers do not necessarily understand asset management [as a means to a fair price settlement] and what it means for the network performance. There is a massive gap between customer outcomes and asset management plans. One development that could bridge that gap is investment in demand control measures, enabling customers to make intelligent choices about energy consumption as they do about travelling off-peak, for example.

wealth allowed people to pay more for greener products, for example, that model has gone. Who now cares that the industry has carbon reduction targets to meet by 2020? The financial climate has changed the game – and no one else in Europe cares either. In the network industry model, the question perhaps is not about knowing the customer from the point of view of day-to-day business but from a regulator’s point of view to validate a company’s forward plan. How does that company get its customers to buy into the proposals it is making?

Conclusion The regulatory model looks at the short, medium and long terms, yet companies are driven by the short term only; a five year horizon at best. So how can the network industries come up with a framework that will enable investors to understand the long term gain? How can we ensure the 25 year strategy is understood, while giving the short term investor the transparency of risk required to enable short term gains? Pointing the finger at engineers or accountants is irrelevant. It is a question of good leadership, backed up with the data required to understand risks. No-one can lead without the data and a lack of data is an excuse to do nothing. A framework to put the data into, and the ability to accumulate the data at an affordable rate, should lead to better management and better leadership.

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Chemical contamination â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a new approach Water utilities across the world are reporting a rise in the numbers of micropollutants in the water supply. Tony Swierk, UK ozone specialist for WEDECO, a Xylem brand, outlines the scale of the problem and highlights a potential solution. There is growing concern amongst scientists, public health agencies, government officials and the public in general about chemical contaminants in the water supply and this concern is not isolated to any one country or region. Across the world water utilities are reporting a rising trend in micropollutants resulting from industrial processes, intensive agriculture and the provision of medical services to the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population. Once these micropollutants enter the food chain via drinking water, there is a danger of long-term risk to health, or even potentially to human or animal genetic material. In particular, there are four micropollutants which are causing the most concern. Firstly, NDMA (Nitrosodimethylamine) is a highly toxic pollutant and suspected human carcinogen. NDMA is an industrial by-product and is harmful in drinking water at minute concentrations. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more it is difficult to remove from drinking water as it does not readily biodegrade, adsorb or volatilise and, as such, it cannot be removed by activated carbon. Agricultural pesticides are an increasing problem since only a small portion of the applied amount is incorporated by the target species. Pesticide contamination is caused by run-off from agricultural areas and can cause soil pollution. 1.4 Dioxane is a major concern, causing eye and respiratory tract irritation. It is used in solvent applications for the manufacturing sector, in

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fumigants and as an automotive coolant and it is suspected as a cause of damage to the central nervous system, liver and kidney. 1.4 Dioxane can also be found in cosmetic products such as shampoos and deodorants. Contamination is most commonly found in plumes in groundwater and it can be very difficult to remove since it does not bind to soils and is resistant to the naturally occurring biodegradation processes. Finally, residuals from pharmaceuticals can be found in the water supply due to sewage treatment discharge into waterways or the improper disposal of unused products. Endocrine Disrupting Compounds, such as those found in the contraceptive pill are not readily removed during the normal sewage treatment process and can cause serious problems for both humans and animals.

Finding the most effective solution

in the water industry, but in combination, these individual treatment steps can form a process known as AOP which is a powerful combatant to these micropollutants. Typically using a combination of Ozone+H2O2 or UV+H2O2, an AOP system creates hydroxyl radicals which have considerably higher oxidation potential than even ozone alone and react rapidly with most organic compounds. This enhanced reaction leads to improved treatment results, providing superior degradation and faster kinetics (shorter contact times). In the Water Industry, UV is typically used to achieve disinfection log credits, while Ozone is commonly used to reduce organic substances (e.g. taste and odour, THM pre-coursers, colour). But which technology, when combined with H2O2, will deliver the most effective AOP solution?

Traditional treatment trains comprising flocculation, filtration, adsorption and disinfection are often not sufficient to achieve all required treatment results. Meanwhile current legislation describing acceptable discharge limits for these pollutants is encouraging Water Companies and some industries to consider the use of Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP) to combat such emerging contaminants.

Arrival at the preferred solution requires a detailed analysis of the different treatment scenarios available, together with an in depth understanding of all specific site conditions such as water matrix, contaminants, treatment goal, by-product formation, energy consumption, installation cost, footprint and operational issues. It usually takes the combination of two technologies to create the hydroxyl radicals and each individual technology has its benefits and limitations when considering specific applications, water quality, and the contaminant to be treated.

Ozone Oxidation, Hydrogen Peroxide Dosing and UV Disinfection will be familiar to many who work

A safe route for assessing the site specific requirements is the use of pilot trials to obtain a

XYLEM

good data basis for solving a specific treatment problem. These trials should include all different AOP options and allow for the results to be scaled up to the full plant requirement. Logically speaking, contaminants should be treated using the most efficient of the technologies available, but other considerations may define which solution is preferred:

AOP using ozone is a very different technology and modern gas injection systems now allow for effective oxidation with a very short CT value and hence bromate formation can be managed to ensure levels do not exceed the WHO regulation limit of 10ug/l.

Contaminants such as NDMA are highly photosensitive and so the use of UV is very effective in treating this contaminant.

Another aspect of system selection to consider is the disinfection credits which a UV AOP system can deliver with the UV System delivering both the disinfection performance of a standalone UV System and also playing its part in the formation of the OH radicals.

For many years some customers have disregarded the use of Ozone because of the potential for Bromate formation in waters with higher than normal bromide levels. The reason for the bromate formation being the large CT value specified for traditional ozone oxidation systems with big contact tanks.

But again, look at the site specific requirements for the AOP system – in many cases it can be shown that an Ozone + H2O2 + UV system can be more cost effective in terms of both CAPEX and OPEX than a UV + H2O2 system in providing a combination of Advanced Oxidation and Disinfection.

Conclusion As concerns on “emerging contaminants” grow, it is only a matter of time until more and more of these contaminants are regulated. Rather than looking for a specific technology, businesses should focus on selecting a costeffective advanced solution to meet their specific treatment goals. Beside the cost effectiveness of an oxidation or adsorption step of its own, the possible synergistic effects with other treatment steps in a treatment train are important. For producing safe drinking water and to meet potentially more stringent future regulations, it is essential to understand the effects of each of the single treatment steps and to identify the best synergistic effects to attain finally the optimal treatment train.

Across the world water utilities are reporting a rising trend in micropollutants resulting from industrial processes, intensive agriculture and the provision of medical services to the world’s population.

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Tiny things cause great concerns? Think in advance. Think about Xylem.

The tiny things we are talking about are traces of pharmaceuticals pesticides or industrial chemicals in our drinking water sources The Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) using combined technologies like UV, Ozone and Hydrogen Peroxide is the right answer for these persistent micropollutants. In fact, AOP is far more than creating a universal product combining in one various technologies. First and foremost it is combining in one a great deal of expertise and experience. We’ve got both. Focusing on your individual issue, we provide three treatment options: UV & H 2 O2 , Ozone & H2 O2 , and the combined power of all three applications. For sure, one of these pre-engineered WEDECO solutions will be the most efﬁcient supplement for your treatment process. To learn more about WEDECO’s cost-effective Advanced Oxidation Process solutions, contact our Wedeco experts on 0115 940 0111 or visit www.xyleminc.com

QUANTUM CONTROLS

One size fits all with Quantumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Innovative Motor Starter Free trial offer to IOW members The newest development by Quantum Controls is the multi-rated and multifunctional softstart panel, which is available for a free trial and inspection period to Institute of Water Members. The multi function panel, designed and built by Quantum Controls and incorporating an ABB soft start unit allows selections from 15KW down to 1.5KW using one panel unit to cover the full range. The panel is complete with a simple and adjustable motor overload selector option, which allows the operator to set the required KW rating according to the pump motor load by a simple selector switch This means one small manoeuvrable panel fits all for the KW ranges from 15KW down to 1.5KW allowing units to be moved from application to application with the minimum of disruption or modification required. Further more for a small number of panels can be held on standby to cover a large number of sites in the event of a breakdown. The panels are small and light so they can be transported by almost any vehicle to even the most remote of sites, and with an IP65 rating the panels can be used almost anywhere.

As standard the units are also complete with the following: n Weather proof enclosure to IP65 rating and complete with mounting stand and lifting eye bolts n Incoming mains isolator n ABB Soft start complete with by-pass function n Multi function overload selector n Mains and motor terminals n Telemetry control terminals n Remote control terminals n Door mounted indication lamps n Door mounted start, stop, reset and E Stop pushbuttons n Door mounted ammeter n Hand / off / auto selector switch n Variable Speed Drive Option 1.5kW - 22kW Units are available for purchase, hire or lease options and Institute of Water members can arrange a free 2 week trial by contacting: Daniel Fitzsimons 07970 884790 or email d.fitzsimons@quantum-controls.co.uk

Quantum Controls were established in 1989 and in 2009 we celebrated 20 years as one of the UK's leading drives and motors specialists, maintained by the company's expansion over that period to offer an extensive range of auto-related products, systems and services. Quantum Controls expertise has been recognised by the worlds leading electrical and automation engineering company, ABB, which has appointed the company as one of only six exclusive UK partners for its motors and drives products. As an engineering house, Quantum Controls has built up a formidable reputation for finding innovative solutions too many engineering challenges. This level of innovation has extended to other areas of the business. In 2000, the company devised hire drive service to meet the needs of companies wanting a temporary drive replacement during a breakdown or wishing to try before buying.

More from: Daniel Fitzsimons Quantum Controls Ltd 6A Dukes Way, Low Prudhoe Industrial Estate Prudhoe, Northumberland NE42 6PQ Tel: 0330 9000 247 Mobile: 07970 884 790 Email: d.fitzsimons@quantum-controls.co.uk Web: www.quantum-controls.co.uk

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WATERCO EUROPE

Waterco Europe industrial filtration

Cruise ship on board desalination plant

Glen Eira - Air Scour Filtration system

Mid production - the impressive Micron XL horizontal filter

Water Treatment plant - Basra, Iraq

Waterco is an Australian public listed company which has been established for over 30 years with a strong global presence in the water treatment industry. A public listed company trading on the Sydney stock exchange (stock code ASX:WAT) Waterco has many branches internationally, in Europe there are divisons in both the UK and continental Europe. Primarily Waterco is a manufacturing company specialising in the production of fibreglass and injection moulded products, namely filtration and pumping systems along with an assortment of associated product lines. Waterco’s success has been driven by its pioneering fibreglass and plastic moulding techniques, as well as its efficient manufacturing processes, enabling the company to deliver high quality products at exceptional value. Recently, Waterco were proud to release to the market the Micron XL commercial filter. At a staggering 4 metres in diameter and 12 metres in length the Micron XL is the world’s largest filament wound fibreglass pressurised filter. Until now filters of this size and design were generally manufactured from steel and lined with a protective cover to prevent corrosion that

required a periodic maintenance program, but with the Micron XL being manufactured from fibreglass totally eliminates the possibility of corrosion and therefore expensive maintenance schedules. The Micron XL is of a horizontal design with an effective filtration area of 38m² and capable of flow rates over 1500m³/hr. The filter comes standard with 20” inlet and outlet flanged connections and a nozzle plate design allows for the benefit of air scouring. This latest innovation is yet another impressive addition to the already extensive and versatile range of commercial filters which are already available in both horizontal and vertical arrangements and up to a pressure rating of 10bar. Waterco has been involved in numerous water treatment projects across the globe over the past 30 years and our products have

been installed on a wide range of applications that includes ammonia removal , groundwater remediation, reverse osmosis, industrial process water treatment, cooling towers and desalination plants, with a number of high profile installations in locations as diverse as ocean liners to Basra, Iraq. “The water treatment industry is a market in which Waterco Europe have gained recognition in the past few years’’ comments Tony Fisher, Managing Director Waterco Europe ‘’The already varied use of our products is indicative of the quality, durability and adaptability Waterco has worked hard to establish within its range.’’ For more information regarding the range of Waterco commercial products please call Waterco on +44 (0) 1795 521 733 or contact info@waterco.eu

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YOUR PUMP

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08450 733835 www.selwood.co.uk

SELWOOD

Pump Hire – with a difference Selwood recognises that the pump hire industry is changing and the need to adapt in order to remain the UK’s number one pump hirer. What differentiates Selwood from its competitors is their ability to adapt, respond and provide bespoke solutions to their customers pumping requirements quickly, safely and efficiently. Selwood now are able to offer a professional, specialist installation service on a national basis backed up with a true 24 hour, 7 days a week service.

GBM

(Galliford Try/Biwater Treatment/Mott McDonald

2011 was a very busy year for Selwood which saw the company carry out over 1000 installations across the UK. Selwood were also officially recognised at Yorkshire Water’s annual awards ceremony as “Best Supplier / Agency” to Yorkshire Water in 2011, something to be extremely proud of.

Examples of typical works undertaken by Selwood now are:

Yorkshire Water GBM was contracted by Thames Water to carry out works at their Camberley STW. The work involved the temporary overpumping of the treatment works to enable the works to be carried out. GBM had received a quotation from a competitive pumping company, but was asked to approach Selwood to provide an alternative quotation. A representative of Selwood went to site to discuss GBM’s requirements and carry out a site survey to determine the correct pumps required and a means of installing all of the required pipework. The discharge flow rate required for the over pumping was 2,700 cubic metres per hour with a static head of 14.5 metres. Selwood proposed using three of their S300 Super Silent pumpsets which could easily fulfil GBM’s requirement. The pumps and pipework were installed and commissioned and the over pumping was able to achieve a discharge flowrate in excess of 360 cubic metres per hour above the required flow rate. GBM and Thames Water were pleased with the success of the over pumping installation provided by Selwood.

Due to the longstanding relationship with Yorkshire Water Selwood were called out to offer a solution to over pump the incoming flow to the works from the Inlet / Storm Pump station to the high level inlet works to facilitate the refurbishment of the existing Archimedean Screw Pumps and replacement gear boxes. The first obstacle to overcome was how the site would remain operational as the pipework route would encroach onto the main site access as well as the site transport route. The solution required the minimum number of pumps and subsequent discharge pipe lines. This problem was compounded by the depth of the chamber and the total generated system head. In addition all the pump starts had to be synchronised at a predetermined level which Selwood configured and operated within a depth of 1m coping with varying flows. Selwood utilised four Flygt NS3301LT pumps, installed in the wet well, controlled by variable speed drives, suspended from temporary RSJ beams. An additional four pumps were configured on the surface as a dry well installation. This allowed Selwood to achieve the maximum flow with minimum quantity of pumps and therefore allowing minimum disruption to the site operationally. The installation was a success.

Selwood can offer tailor made solutions to any pumping applications along with free site surveys to recommend the best and most cost effective and environmentally friendly solution. They are able to utilise their cutting edge hire fleet technology with fully trained technical sales, operational and installations teams, whose qualifications range from NVQ Level 3 supervisor to slinger banksmen and NICEIC approved electricians. All supported by an unrivalled 24 hour call out service. Not to mention being fully accredited at all branch locations across the country to the standards of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and BS OHSAS 18001.

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CONTROL TECHNIQUES: CASE STUDY

INTELLIGENT PUMP CONTROL PROVEN TO GIVE SIGNIFICANT MAINTENANCE AND ENERGY SAVINGS 2

1 Scottish Water recently identified that its Levenhall Sewage Pumping Station, near Edinburgh, had significant issues with pump blockages and was considered the worst site for blockages in its south-east operating area. It was therefore an ideal site to try out the low cost innovative Intelligent Pump Control (IPC) software pre-installed into a Control Techniques Unidrive SP AC drive.

Background: Ragging causes a decrease in pumps’ hydraulic efficiency, increasing power consumption and causing pump blockages – and this is often addressed by over sizing pumps by more than 20%. Variable speed drives (VSDs) can play a substantial role in energy reduction by bringing the pump in line with the consented flow and reducing friction (energy) losses in the system, whilst also reducing component wear and tear. However there is a greater incidence of blockages at wastewater pumping stations using conventional VSDs. Because of this, blockage avoidance through the use of blockage resistant pumps has generally been considered to be more important than energy savings. A number of new approaches to the problem of pump blockage detection and control have been tested and evaluated at Scottish Water, including costly PLC-based solutions, to great success. Scottish Water was impressed by demonstrations of the Control Techniques IPC system preloaded in

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an applications module within a standard Unidrive SP – and chose to test it at their most problematic site, Levenhall Sewage Pumping Station. The IPC system is unique in that it monitors active current to determine variations in torque, which then triggers a reversing cycle to break up rags as they begin to form on the impeller. The active current monitoring allows very small changes in operating torque to be monitored.

The test site: Levenhall SPS is a low-lift station, part of the East Lothian coastal chain of pumping stations. The pumping station has a consented pump forward flow of 675l/s and an average static head of circa 7.2m. The pumping station has four foul pumps rated at 43kW with currents of 35amps/phase at the theoretical pump duty point. Blockages and partial blockages were happening two or three times each week, resulting in pump trips and operational call-outs. Levenhall has an annual power bill of around £28,000 and requires about £15,000 per annum of operational interventions, to deal with ragging, blockages and pump trips, but there are additional hidden costs, such as the knock-on effects due to resources being diverted to deal with its problems. The pilot project initially saw the installation in June 2010 of a single Unidrive SP with IPC on one of the existing pumps (Pump No 1), to investigate if the energy usage and the occurrence of blockages on that pump could be significantly reduced.

The trial: From the outset blockages were eliminated and the average running current and peak operating currents for Pump No 1 were been seen to be significantly reduced by around 15%, this was then repeated on a second pump. However, ragging on the two other pumps continued to be a problem, with rag balls as big as 600-mm diameter being seen. Unidrive SP AC drives with IPC were installed on the remaining two pumps. All pump blockages stopped immediately, the rag balling issues in the wet well declining over the first week of operation with running currents on all drives reducing. 6 Pumping efficiency has been seen to improve by up to 15% - giving energy savings of £4,200 pa with additional Opex savings associated with blockages reducing by over £15,000 per annum. The Levenhall trial proves that pump blockage detection and control is achievable using the Control Techniques IPC system. Regular pump blockages at the station should now become a thing of the past and the pumps should operate more efficiently as a result. For more information visit www.controltechniques.com/water or call 01952 213700

Typical Rag Ball being removed from pump prior to Control Techniques' IPC installation

Ragging of impellers at Levenhall SPS

Lifting of Levenhall Pump

Recorded Peak Currents

Running Currents with VSD installed pump 1

Control Techniques Unidrive SP Drive

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HYDROK

Hydrok redesign the SAF Package Biological Treatment Plant Traditional SAF (Submerged Aerated Filters) have long been accepted as a cost effective biological treatment solution within the UK Water Industry and industrial applications alike. However, they can suffer from two problems – the biological media can be prone to clogging, and they are generally power hungry. In essence, SAF design has remained very much unchanged over the last 20 years or so.

efficiencies compared to traditional block media and coarse aeration.

With this in mind, Hydrok and Atac have taken a fresh look at the design of SAF’s in light of the technology now available within the wastewater treatment industry. The outcome of their review led them to develop and design a new type of Package Treatment Plant called the Hydrok/Atac HY-SAF - a hybrid package SAF that can be used as a permanent or temporary hire solution.

In order to minimise power costs, control software is linked to a highly efficient motor control centre, this ensures effective and accurate blower/air control delivery whilst maintaining the most efficient treatment process conditions. This results in power savings of up to 35%, compared to conventional SAF units, and with no moving parts in the main tank, HY-SAF is simple to operate and low in maintenance.

The Cleartec Biotextil media, unlike traditional block or random packed media, does not retain sludge and dead biomass which can reduce the effective surface area and treatment efficiency. All solids are kept in suspension to be passed on for downstream settlement. As a result, there are no blockages, and no need to de-sludge the SAF cells.

At the heart of HY-SAF are the Hydrok IFAS (Integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge) modules combining highly efficient Aquaconsult AEROSTRIP fine bubble diffusers with well proven IoW Hydrok HY-SAF 26/1/12 Cleartec Biotextil media which1/2pg offers far greater

HY-SAF offers a power efficient, robust, small footprint biological wastewater treatment solution individually designed to achieve the final 4:35 pmconsent Page 1 required. effluent standard

WASTEWATER T REATMENT P ROCESSES :

Hydrok/Atac HY-SAF

Package Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant A new innovation in package treatment plant incorporating the Hydrok IFAS™ (Integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge) system - combining Biotextil Cleartec® media and Aquaconsult AEROSTRIP® fine bubble diffusers - resulting in a hybrid package SAF • Permanent wastewater treatment plants • Mobile emergency response treatment units • Temporary treatment during planned maintenance • To supplement biologically overloaded works • Industrial waste treatment • Hire units available

www.hydrok.co.uk

01726 861900

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sales@hydrok.co.uk

HY-SAF Biomass

With the addition of upstream and downstream settlement, HY-SAF package treatment works are suitable for treating municipal wastewater up to around 3,000 PE (Population Equivalent) and industrial effluents.

Applications n Permanent wastewater treatment plants n Mobile emergency response treatment units n Temporary treatment during planned maintenance n To supplement biologically overloaded works n Green Leachate treatment n Industrial wastewater treatment For further information visit www.hydrok.co.uk or call 01726 861900

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High Efﬁciency Pumping Solutions

WILO (U.K.) LTD Second Avenue Centrum 100 Burton-on-Trent Staffordshire DE14 2WJ T: +44 (0)1283 523000 F: +44 (0)1283 523099 For further information email: utilities@wilo.co.uk

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When it rains it never pours, with Tideflex® Technologies’ unmatched line of backfl solution products. The patented CheckMate® Inline Check Valve is your winning solut for backflow prevention and odor mitigation applications. The legendary Tidefle TF-1 and TF-2 Check Valves eliminate costly backflow from oceans, CSO, SSO, rive stormwater and interceptors. For more than 30 years, Tideflex® Technologies’ uniq elastomer fabric-reinforced designs have provided a proven record of maintenan free performance, cost savings and results no other check valve can match. Call today to learn more.

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Tideflex Technologies

600 North Bell Avenue

Carnegie, PA 15106, U.S.A.

P: 412.279.0044

Valve Sales Limited P.O. Box 90 Abergavenny Monmouthshire NP7 5ZS +44 (0) 1873 85016 www.valvesales.co.u F: 412.279.7878

For more than 30 years, Tideflex® Technologies’ unique elastomer fabric-reinforced designs haveTF-1 provided of maintenance free performance, cost savings  Tideflex Check Valvea proven record  Valve Sales Limited and results no other check valve can match. Call us today to learn more. ®

01630 647200 www.ttpumps.com 68

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P.O. Box 90 Abergavenny Monmouthshire NP7Valve 5ZS Sales Limited +44 (0) 1873 850164 P.O.www.valvesales.co.uk Box 90, Abergavenny

Monmouthshire, NP7 5ZS Tideflex Technologies

600 North Bell Avenue

Carnegie, PA 15106, U.S.A.

412.279.7878 www.tideflex.com T. F:+44 (0) 1873 850164 W. www.valvesales.co.uk

P: 412.279.0044

www.tideflex.c

BUSINESSCARDDIRECTORY Drives & Motors ABBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drives and high efficiency motors are designed to help pumps, fans and compressors, tackle all the challenges presented by the AMP cycle. To discover how to improve your utilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy efficiency and productivity, visit www.abb.co.uk/energy

Manufacturers of Manufacturers of valves valvesand and fittings for water,water gas and fittings for the the water, water,waste gas, waste and fire fighting industries industriesworldwide. worldwide. fire fighting T : +44 (0) 1604 601188 F: +44 (0) 1604 604818

8 Rushmills Northampton NN4 7YB England, UK

ABB Ltd Daresbury Park, Daresbury, Warrington WA4 4BT Tel: 01925 741 111 Email: energy@gb.abb.com Web: www.abb.co.uk/energy

Power and productivity for a better world TM

www.avkuk.co.uk

,:2BDG B B [ PPBHQHUJ\ LQGG

feralco FERALCO (UK) LTD

Ditton Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 0PH, UK T: +44 (0) 151 802 2910 F: +44 (0) 151 802 2999 M: +44 (0) 7760 174973 barry.lilley@feralco.com www.feralco.com

Leaders in pump manufacture, installation, service and repair

Jon Nix Caprari Pumps UK Ltd Bakewell Road Peterborough PE2 6XU T: 01733 371605 F: 01733 371607 E: info.uk@caprari.com

Feralco (UK) Ltd was formed in January 2001 following the merger of the Laporte and Alcan water treatment chemical businesses. Today it has manufacturing facilities in England (Widnes) and Scotland (R&J Garroway in Grangemouth). Rapid growth has seen Feralco Group expand its manufacturing base to become a world leader in high performance aluminium chemicals, blends, dispersions and sols. Supply is backed by a first-class support service including application, handling and process optimisation expertise.

PO BOX 5, Birds Royd Lane, Brighouse, West Yorkshire HD6 3UD www.gavalves.co.uk

GA Valves are manufacturers and distributors of valves to the water & sewage industries. Including gates, checks, air valves & miscellaneous valves. UK distributors and Technical Support of Dorot Flowcontrol valves.

Paul Coleman ACII Kingsbridge Risk Solutions Limited Kingsbridge House, Wargrave Road Twyford, Berkshire RG10 9NY Email: paul.coleman@kibl.co.uk Telephone: 0118 960 2400 Fax: 0118 934 9764 Mobile: 07917 386207 Web: www.kibl.co.uk

Kingsbridge are commercial insurance brokers and we supply insurance and risk management advice for all businesses and professionals involved with water, waste water treatment and environmental risks.

www.zeoclere.com 24 Hour delivery on ABB Watermasters, Aquamasters, Aquaprobes & all spare parts

natural ammonia removal

www.mercomwp.co.uk T: 07766 491143 E: sales@mercomwp.co.uk

Telephone: 01825 790524

2 Golden Valley, Brimscombe, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 2RX

sales@mineralsi.com

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BUSINESSCARDDIRECTORY

6 Albany Business Centre, Wickham Road Fareham, Hampshire PO17 5BD 01329 234 888 sales@pipetech.co.uk www.pipetech.co.uk

The Water Industry’s most comprehensive range of Drilling, Drilling & Tapping and FlowStopping Machines and Pipeline Tooling and Equipment

Telford House, 105 Dalton Avenue, Birchwood Park Warrington, Cheshire WA3 6YF T: 08707 558 811 F: 01925 847 976 W: rpsgroup.com

RPS is an international consultancy providing advice upon:

the management of the environment the exploration and production of energy and other natural resources the health and safety of people the development of land, property and infrastructure

We trade in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Africa, the Middle East, Australia and Asia

ATA’s Utilities, Infrastructure and Civils teams are specialists in sourcing white collar technical and engineering staff to the UK’s water infrastructure. Contact: Phil Crew 01332 861 322 info@ata-recruitment.co.uk

Making the difference in chemical dosing

To find out more contact: Scott McCrae 07748 624874 scott.mccrae@utility-design.co.uk www.utility-design.co.uk SQA approved training centre offering a range of training services:

sera Dosing UK Ltd. Tel: +44 1733 396040 Fax: +44 1733 396050 sales@seradosing.co.uk www.sera-web.co.uk

Water Industry Modern Apprenticeships (Level 2 & 3) SW DOMS National Water Hygiene Utility SHEA (Water & Waste Management) Asbestos Awareness Manual Handling Career Coaching & Development

Tel: 01472 889256 Email: rsc@yara.com Web: www.yara.co.uk

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WELSHAREANEWS

Welsh Area Innovations Awards & President’s Dinner By Carol Cooke

Customer Service & People Award: DCWW Income & Tariffs Team

Process & Systems Award: C M Ventures Ltd

Operations Award: DCWW Pollution Team

Capital Project Delivery Award: Morgan Sindall & Imtech

Chairman’s Award: DCWW Dylan Williams & Graham Hughes

Product Award: Pulsar Process Measurements Ltd

Steve Wilson presentation to Mike Sibley of Fellow membership

November is usually the month for celebrating for Welsh Area and this year was no exception. After a lot of very hard work and organising our Innovations Awards night was underway at the Mercure Holland House hotel in Cardiff.

the premises. Thank goodness it was not raining! Although it was very cold the arrival of the local Fire and Rescue Service soon brought some smiles. Once the problem had been rectified we returned to desserts; coffees and our WaterAid raffle.

The evening started at 6.45pm with a drinks reception in the hotel foyer, and then it was into the main room which looked resplendent with black and white table decorations and red, white and green dragon balloons!

Tim then introduced Nigel Annett (Managing Director, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water) who said a few words and handed out the award trophies to the successful candidates. The awards for 2011 went to the following:

Tim Williams (Head of Asset Strategy & Planning, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water) welcomed us all to this our sixth annual awards ceremony. He explained a little about how 2011 had seen Welsh Water evolve and how the year had also been a very successful year for the Welsh Area as it had hosted a very successful National Conference in Swansea. Tim went on to provide some highlights of what is to come in 2012 including the National Conference to be held 17 -18 May in London. Grace was said before we all sat down to enjoy a fine three course dinner, or at least that was what we thought! Starters went well; the main course was served and then the fun started. The hotel fire alarm sounded, and we were all requested to leave

Customer Service & People Award DCWW Income & Tariffs Team for “Affordability Tariffs” Operations Award DCWW Pollution Team for “Contractor Scheduling Optimisation – Being Frugal using Google” Capital Project Delivery Award Morgan Sindall & Imtech for “Cardiff and Afan Advanced Digestion Project” Product Award Pulsar Process Measurements Ltd for “Quantum2 Intelligent Pump Controller”

7 Process & Systems Award C M Ventures Ltd for “Elimbac Low Carbon Disinfection of Wastewater” Chairman’s Award DCWW Dylan Williams & Graham Hughes for “Mass Communication” Steve Wilson (Head of Wastewater Services, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water) concluded formalities with a special presentation to Mike Sibley. Mike is Managing Director of DT Civils Ltd and has been an active committee member for many years as well as a generous sponsor of the area. To thank Mike for his time, dedication and ongoing contribution to the Institute Mike was awarded Fellow membership. Mike was welcomed onto the stage to accept his award, to loud applause from his friends and colleagues in the audience. A big thank was also extended to everyone for helping to raise £2,378 for WaterAid. The evening finished with local entertainer "Tom Jones." The Winners of this Award, together with other regional finalists will go forward to the Institute of Water's National Innovation Award to be presented by Professor Martin Cave at the President's Dinner on 18 May in London.

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Keeping Supplies ‘Always On’ Exhibition & Seminar By Sarah Williams

As the water industry strives to deliver excellent customer satisfaction and meet its regulatory targets, a very timely exhibition and seminar, themed around keeping water supplies ‘Always On’ took place at Severn Trent Water’s (STW’s) head office building in Coventry. Through the afternoon in November, visitors were invited to explore an exhibition to see practical examples of the equipment and methods being used by STW to maintain continuous supplies. It was a great opportunity for representatives from 14 different companies and universities, including a large number of office based staff, to get a real understanding of the type of innovative technology being used in field operations. Alex Sharpe (Always On Project Manager, STW) and Tony Hanks (Innovation Manager, Morrison Utility Services) and their teams did an excellent job of getting the equipment into the Severn Trent Centre building – from full sized examples using clear pipes full of water and small balls to demonstrate its flow, to scale models of training rigs, created by the same company who have developed props for the film industry – including a well known James Bond film!

Following the exhibition, visitors were invited to join a seminar opened by David Essex (Water Strategy Manager, STW), who explained the approach taken by the ‘Always On’ programme to implement the improvements needed to help Severn Trent maintain supplies during planned work and restore supplies in the quickest possible time during unplanned interruption events. Alex Sharpe talked in more detail about the specific innovative new technologies being implemented into STW. He also shared its approach to training nearly 800 field staff in Operational Care to reduce the significant amount of bursts caused by pressure fluctuations, found to occur within 7 days of valve operations. Tony Hanks shared the supply chain’s viewpoint on the challenges being faced by the industry and some further technologies already available in the market or currently under development. Our thanks go to all who helped to deliver or attended this excellent event, and to finish, here is a little of the feedback received: ‘I feel like I learnt more in the last hour than I have in the last 4 years’ and ‘The exhibitions were extremely interesting, but it was the knowledge and enthusiasm of the guys demonstrating the kit that really made it worthwhile’.

Papplewick Pumping Station Site Visit By Martin Kane On 22 October, members and their guests enjoyed a memorable day out at Papplewick Pumping Station. This site is regarded as the finest example of Victorian water engineering in the UK and is bidding for world heritage site status. It is a unique and precious site for the water industry. The day started with a tour into a distribution reservoir on site. This was built at the turn of the last century and is a fine example of multiple brick arch construction. The site was hosting a 1940s themed weekend and the atmosphere was really enhanced by many of the visitors who had also joined in by wearing 1940’s dress. After the

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tour we explored the many displays which also had a Second World War theme. The highlight of the day was a visit to the coal fired steam engines and then into the pump hall. The site runs on steam on only four weekends a year and we were privileged to be able to witness the full majesty of the engines and pumps in action. The weather was exceptional for the time of year, the site in perfect condition and it was a great experience to witness our industrial heritage in action. Thanks to Nick Skinner who is taking all Midlands Area event photographs.

MIDLANDSAREANEWS

Motivating teams through change

In October over 80 people attended the Midlands Area’s annual development event at Leicester Water Centre. This year, Jason Ryall along with an excellent team including Nafeesa Ehsan, Cheryl Rowell and Nick Skinner put a huge amount of work into planning and delivering a full day event focussed on how to keep teams motivated through change; a timely delivery in our current climate. Following a chunky bacon sandwich to start, the morning commenced with Tony Wray (Chief Executive, Severn Trent Water) talking about his experiences of change over his long and successful career.

The first session was an interactive team based event where a number of tools and techniques for managing change were introduced and used. The challenge was to absorb the knowledge from this session to use in the practical exercise later in the day. Lunch was a hog roast and this provided a further opportunity to network with colleagues from across the industry, which took place outside in glorious sunshine despite the event taking place in late October! In the afternoon the delegates took part in the “water supply challenge”, a competition where

By Martin Kane

teams had to figure out how to supply an area with water with limited finance and physical resources. They supported each other to maintain motivation whilst changes and challenges were thrown in through the course of the exercise. As usual with Midland Area events, it was competitive and winners did emerge. The day finished with some time for personal reflection on what thoughts the day’s activities had generated, followed by a Question and Answer session with Martin Kane (Customer Relations Director, Severn Trent Water) and Liz Swarbrick (Managing Director, South Staffordshire Water).

“I thought that the ‘Motivation through Change’ event was excellent. It gave me real insight into tools and techniques which can be used whilst going through the change process. I really enjoyed the Water Supply Challenge as it was a great way to promote teamwork. The event was also an excellent networking opportunity and it was great to see everyone so enthusiastic. Jason was very energetic and passionate about the topic. Thank you for a great event.” Selma Selman (Delegate)

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SCOTTISHAREANEWS

Scottish Water’s Capital Programme By Paul Sexton

The Scottish Area hosted a joint presentation on Capital Delivery in November delivered by Gary Nuss (Chief Operating Officer, Scottish Water Solutions) and Mark McEwen (General Manager, Scottish Water’s Capital Investment Delivery Team). Between them they are responsible for delivering the majority of Scottish Water’s £2bn capital programme during the Q&SIIIb investment period which is the equivalent of the AMP5 period in England and Wales. Scottish Water Solutions is a joint venture company set up between Veolia Water, Laing O’Rouke and Jacobs to deliver around a third of Scottish Water’s capital programme, whilst Capital Investment Delivery is Scottish Water’s own in-house delivery organisation which delivers the remainder. Although you might think this would be a compare and contrast presentation on public verses private, it very much highlighted common issues impacting all delivery vehicles and how they were dealing with them. Partnership in delivery was a key theme and this was emphasised by the double act that Gary and Mark performed as they presented the progress on the current programme and challenges facing both organisations in the future. Gary highlighted considerable work done is driving innovation in the Solutions programme, including some excellent examples of ‘productisation’ and standardisation in construction on membrane plants currently being built in fabrication yards normally used for the oil and gas industry in Inverness. Designing plants with the client so that they can be built and commissioned in a workshop environment has huge advantages from a cost, quality and health and safety perspectives. Gary commented that the development of

Gary Nuss

‘productisation’ will mean that more and more of the construction process will actually take place off-site. Mark gave an insightful history on how Scottish water’s capital programme has virtually caught up with the efficiency levels seen in the English and Welsh water companies despite starting roughly a decade later and how they plan to surpass these levels of efficiency within 5 years. This will be achieved though the Frontier Change Programme which looks at implementing a vast range of best practise delivery techniques drawn from water companies all over the UK. Both speakers spoke passionately about the importance of health and safety in construction and how both delivery vehicles have a low accident rate, with Solutions having just passed 1,000,000 hours worked without a reportable accident. There were many questions from the audience, particularly members from the supplier supply chain, who quizzed both speakers on future work profiles and procurement strategies which Gary and Mark responded to positively, stressing their desire to increase the levels of supply chain input to the early stages of project development.

Mark McEwen

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As usual the sandwich and coffee table facilitated further networking after the event including a commitment from the speakers to give a further update on progress next year.

SOUTHEASTAREANEWS

Catchment Management

By Steve Youell

The quality of the estimated 55 billion litres of fresh water that the water industry takes out of the environment each day is heavily influenced by the numerous activities which take place within the catchment. This quality dictates the amount and type of treatment required to ensure it meets the stringent UK water quality standards and this cost is reflected in the customer bill. The South East Area invited members to attend a seminar that showcased the proactive initiatives that were being introduced to help improve water quality in the area through a catchment management approach. The first presentation was by Andrew Fielder (Catchment Sensitive Farming) who outlined the advice and incentives that CSF offers to farmers in priority catchments to help reduce the risk of diffuse pollution such as Whole Farm Appraisals, Infrastructure Audits and Nutrient Management Planning, whilst also encouraging good farming practice. He also discussed the main pollutants and the CSF catchment areas that are found in the South East Area and the team in place that deliver their objectives across these catchments. The second speaker was Jan Hookey (Environment Agency) who outlined the Agency’s view of Catchment Management and the procedures and control measures in place that allows the Agency to manage the different catchments. Alistair Stewart (Project Office, Portsmouth Water) spoke about the Downs & Harbours Clean Water Project which is a combined partnership by Portsmouth Water, Environment Agency and Catchment Sensitive Farming with the aims of protecting and improving groundwater supplies, reducing algal growth in the Portsmouth, Chichester and Langstone harbours and reducing pressures on the ecology of the areas local rivers. Alistair outlined how the project works with the local farmers and land managers to raise awareness of the potential impact of pollutants in the environment and the mitigation methods that they use to control diffuse pollution including nitrates, phosphates and pesticide release.

OFWAT is currently seeking to clarify if catchment management can offer a sustainable low cost alternative to treatment for customers and they have recently released their focus paper ‘From Catchment to Customer – Can Upstream Catchment Management Deliver a Better Deal for Water Customers and the Environment?’ This seminar and the presentations highlighted that through a combination of proactive measures and creating partnerships with the local stakeholders this can be achieved.

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President’s Dinner - It’s Murder By Phill Mills

Death was on the menu at the South West Area President’s Dinner in November. The many Clouseaus and Poirots had turned up to solve a murder most foul, together with our National President Nick Ellins and his wife Kerry and our National Chair Helen Edwards. 1

3 We were of course in reality attending a memorial dinner for Bob Moffat – the founder of Moffat Games Ltd and the creator of the well known strategy game ‘Pinnacle’. He had recently died and his will had stipulated that before anyone found what he had left and to whom, all his friends, family and associates had to be brought together for a special memorial dinner. But Bob Moffat was a true game player and he still had a trick or two up his sleeve for everyone. Six actors set the scene and played out the dinner with us, sharing their history, hopes and fears at our tables and answering our pointed questioning – certainly from Kerry Ellins anyway (Is it like this every time you’re late home, Nick?). Certainly there was much Moffat family jealousies, feuding

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Some of the guests and murder suspects

Area Secretary Mark Hitchmough and Kevin Brook (Primayer)

Ken Beaumont and his wife Shirley take to the dance floor

Phill Mills introducing proceedings

4 and amateur dramatic hysterics. The plot was suitably stirred by playing recorded tapes from the late Bob Moffat, setting out his views on everyone. To cut a long story short the meal ended with a murder. Not the Chair or President fortunately but one of the Moffat family. But who had done the deed and how? That was our task for the night. The table worked as teams – well some did. Others tried to misdirect competing tables with spurious questions and crazy suggestions. Maybe it was the fun company or the few glasses of wine but somehow none of us quite put our finger on the murderer. As to the weapon? Again we failed miserably though one table scored because of

the absurdness of their answer – suggesting something must have been in the (Wessex) water. There followed the obligatory raffle, where Emma Barton ran off with the X-box first prize kindly donated by Primayer. The disco played some hits we were all familiar with and everyone had a great night. The final finale (!) was – for some – a quick trip to the nearby Asda for further wine supplies to see them into the early hours – only to be turned done by the security guard and the licensing laws. Our thanks go to the RNLI College for the excellent venue and dinner, the actors from the Killing Game and the 3-D disco, and of course the SW President Phill “Columbo” Mills, who organised it all.

SOUTHWESTAREANEWS

World Environment Day

By Mandhy Senewiratne

For those that are confused, World Environment Day (WED) is officially 5 June, and has been since 1972 as per the UN mandate. However the mandate also states that “WED activities take place all year round. ”The South West Area held it’s WED around the theme of “Sun, Earth, Fire, Water and Power” on Friday 14 October at the gloriously warm and welcoming Wessex Water headquarters in Bath. The day kicked off with a presentation by Rosemary, the head chef at the Wessex Water staff canteen. As the audience gluttonously munched their way through dozens of butties Rosemary assured us that all products were where possible, local, high welfare (no poorly treated European piggies!), organic, free range, ethically sourced right down to the biodegradable packaging. Julian Dennis, (Director of Compliance, Wessex Water) followed next with his key note speech and paid homage to the ‘Sustainable Five capitals’ which amongst other things have helped Wessex Water reach the enviable top spot on Ofwat’s league tables. Julian cautioned against complacency as climate change; energy; customer service as well as the ever changing technological world challenges every water company. Julian did divulge some of Wessex Water’s secrets such as “Eureka” an initiative whereby £1000 is paid out to good energy saving ideas which employees have suggested; Wessex TV internal TV broadcasts to keep everyone informed of the latest Wessex and water news, and most importantly the top down approach adopted by Wessex: board support to truly champion “Sustainable Development”. Speaking on just that was our ‘earthly’ speaker Doctor Jon Atkinson (Sustainability Associate and all around Sustainability guru, Halcrow) who presented on BREEAM (yes, just like the fish), a rating method for the sustainable construction of all public buildings. His presentation was based on a major study for the now defunct SWRDA (South West Regional Development Authority) on the most sustainable materials for the construction of large offices. In the current carbon obsessed world, the construction industry overlooks water and deems it a negligible and inconsequential material. Is it? Does the amount of embodied (or capex) carbon and water in a buildings construction, affect its future operational carbon carbon and water? From ‘earth’ to ‘fire’ we were enthralled by Sean Angus-Hill (GEnco Recycling Manager) and the clever people at GEnco who have turned 1 million m3 of sludge into 40GWh of power, 8 million m 3 of cooling water, remediating 3500 t of soil (thus diverting it from landfill and saving on landfill costs) as well as 250,000t of fertiliser which has now also become an added earner for Wessex through the sale of fertilizer. Not to mention the coolest VW around, the “Bio Bug” which runs entirely on bio gas- Eureka! (GEnco are a subsidiary of Wessex). Patric Bulmer (Environment Manager, Bristol Water) was next up to talk about power from the sun and photovoltaics (solar panels). But why is a water company looking into solar panels when amongst other things solar panels are expensive, need extraordinary amount of secure flat space, and here in the UK, well it tends to be rather grey? Patric had some answers. Solar radiance is extremely high in the south west of England, and solar panels were affordable (as long as you managed to beat legislation change on 31 July). As for spacewell all those highly secure reservoir sites, with all those acres of flat tank covers, have finally been put to good use, and Bristol Water now enjoys 1.5MW of free electricity. From Bristol we headed to Marlborough to the waters of the River Kennet with Charlotte Hitchmough (Project Manager for Action for the River Kennet) who was recently featured on Panorama. Charlotte educated us on the plight of the Kennet, one of only 2 chalk streams in the UK which is anything but healthy or thriving due to over abstraction by Thames Water, to supply the Borough of Swindon. The river is so over abstracted that innumerable cases of trout death, eutrophication, sludge and silt pollution, the creep of exotic weeds are just some of the detrimental environmental issues faced by the Kennet. Those of

Area Chair Frank Van Der Kleij introduces the day use from Swindon hung our heads in shame and pledged to use less water and join ARK in their mission to reform the Kennet to its previous glory. From river to hydraulic networks, Dave Humphrey of Cla-Val introduced us to the hidden capabilities of a humble control valve. The pressure and power which so frequently accumulates at reservoir inlets is dissipated by the control valve and often this pent up energy causes havoc within district metered areas due to pipe bursts. What if the energy could be harnessed to power the telemetry or the flow meter or controller? Thanks to the ingenious crew at Cla-val this is now possible. Tried and tested at South West Water, the power is utilized as an alternative to mains power and saves the water company over 80% (up to £24,000) in some cases! The event concluded with a prize draw for a ticket to the President's Murder Mystery Dinner won by Nol Vincent; and all of the speakers were treated to a range of organic goodies. Quote of the day was certainly sown in the minds of many as “Sustainability: The ability to continue,” although one delegate was heard to enthusiastically whisper that “It was definitely worth getting out of bed for… and I am not just saying that because I got 2 bacon butties out of it!” See you next year, sometime in June (or October) for WED 2012.

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NORTHERNAREANEWS

Transfer of Private Sewers Seminar The transfer of private sewers to public ownership took place on the first of October 2011. One month later we found out if all of the planning and preparation carried out by Yorkshire Water, United Utilities and Northumbrian Water meant that it was a smooth transfer. In Feb 2007 the Labour Government announced its decision to transfer private sewers and lateral drains to WaSCs. The reason for this was to remove the confusion and burden of ownership and responsibilities of these assets. In December 2008 it was announced that the transfer would happen in 2011. Delays in the regulations being finalised and then laid before parliament meant that the formal sign off did not happen until July 2011 - 3 months before the transfer date. This caused considerable challenges to the businesses. Companies either had to commence mobilisation activities, such as advertising for new recruits, prior to formal sign off or plan to deliver this work in a short timescale. The greatest challenge being the uncertainties: n An industry wide (WRc) model has been used to produce estimates on asset volume,

workload and unit cost for transferred sewers and drains. n Size, length, depth and position of pipes that have transferred is unknown. n There are few or no documented records of the transferred assets. n There are no central records regarding levels and types of activity in operating and maintaining transferred assets. n The condition of the assets is unknown. n Where are these assets located? Access to these assets will pose different problems to the current asset stock. n Plans for the transfer have been based on workload assumptions which may subsequently be proven not appropriate. n Willingness to share information varies – e.g. local authorities, private contractors. All three water companies estimate that their

Technical Visit to the Deep

By Helen Edwards

sewer and lateral drain asset base will increase by 75% and as a consequence expect customer contacts to increase. To cope with all of this additional activity more than 250 new employees have been recruited. Communication to all stake holders has been key to the transfer process. This involves letters and leaflets sent to all customers (6.7m in total), internal communications to employees and liaison with housing associations and councils. In the first month all companies have had similar experiences - the transfer seems to have gone smoothly. Whilst customer contacts have increased, the volume has not been as great as expected. The next challenge will be the transfer of the private pumping stations, which is scheduled to be complete in 2016. This was an interesting evening with a lively question and answer session. Our thanks go to the speakers who took time out to prepare at what was a very busy time them.

Christmas Lunch By Simon Cyhanko On 10 December the Northern Area committee met up with some members for a Christmas meal and drinks at the Pump House Restaurant in Durham.

By Helen Edwards Members battled ice and snow (well those of us travelling through Bradford did) to spend a fascinating afternoon behind the scenes at The Deep in Hull. The Deep is one of the most spectacular aquariums in the world and is home to around 3,500 fish, including sharks and rays. Before going behind the scenes, the group had an hour and a half to look around exhibits at their own speed, enjoying the tropic reef, witnessing divers feeding the sharks and rays and being amused by the clown fish. Fish are often seized by Customs and Excise; they may have been illegally imported or used by smugglers to disguise drugs packages. These fish are often taken in by the Deep and, after a period in quarantine, are included in the exhibits. There is also an unfortunate trend in people being sold inappropriate fish from pet shops in the false belief that their size will be restricted by the size of their tank. After seeing this rescue work that is undertaken, we were shown some of the breeding

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programs that the Deep undertakes for marine conservation. The most fascinating of which was jellyfish. Jellyfish have a phase of their lifecycle when they are a piece of jelly attached to rocks, much like a sea anemone, this then grows an umbrella like protuberance which breaks off and the jellyfish we are familiar with are “born”. The Deep needs to “top up” water levels on a daily basis and the different aquatic environments need different water qualities. Mains water is brought on to site, passed through a reverse osmosis process before salt is added to create the appropriate salinity. Proteins constantly need to be removed, using ozone, otherwise the health of the fish will suffer. The aquarists that work here are multiskilled; they are marine biologists and divers but also carry out routine maintenance and repairs of pumps and equipment. Perhaps this is a model that the water industry could consider? This was a great visit, and everyone agreed that they would make a return visit with friends and family.

The guests arrived shortly after 7pm for pre-meal drinks before being whisked into the private conservatory for dinner. Committee member John McGovern then began his DJ repertoire by starting the Christmas CDs. Following the tasty starters the guests opened the Christmas crackers. Perhaps the best of the prizes was the pocket-sized basketball game that then kept the guests (well at least some of us) entertained for the next 2 hours. Having performed poorly in the basketball, Area President Richard Warneford entertained the guests with the Christmas jokes. A fantastic dinner was then followed by dessert, wine, beer, more Christmas CDs, basketball and jokes before the Northern Area members were finally ‘evicted’ from the Pump House at 1am…well after all other guests had left. Overall a very well attended evening which was enjoyed by all.

NORTHERNIRELANDAREANEWS

QUESTOR PRESENTATION By George Irvine On 26 October Northern Ireland Area had a presentation from Questor, the Research section from Queens University, Belfast. Dr Wilson McGarel head of the section introduced the subject and speaker Ciaran Prunty. Mr Prunty gave a brief history of the Research section and then introduced the variety of projects being undertaken. Fifteen members were present and Keith Hunt, NI Area Vice-Chairman thanked Queens for their interesting presentation. Keith also introduced the NI Area innovation competition and hoped to have some entries from the Universities for the Student section.

Upcoming Institute of Water Events 2012 1 March

Northern Area Evening Seminar: DG3 and the link to SIM Northumbrian Water region 9 March

Midlands Area Dinner Dance Stratford Manor Hotel 30 March

Eastern Area Strategic Direction Forum

Christmas Lunch On Wednesday 14 December the Committee Members met in the Potted Hen Restaurant in the Cathedral Quarter of Belfast for their Christmas Lunch. A very enjoyable afternoon was had by all.

Venue tbc

18 - 20 April

Northern Area Spring Seminar 2012: Delighting the Customer Longhirst Hall, Morpeth 19 - 20 April

Northern Ireland Area Conference: Procurement Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle, Belfast 25 April

South West Area Innovation Day WRc Offices, Swindon 4 May

Eastern Area Technical Visit Anglian Water site tbc 17 - 18 May

Annual Conference and Exhibition: ‘2012 Changing the Industry for a Sustainable Legacy The Royal Society, London 18 May

President’s Dinner and Awards Crossness Pumping Station, London 22 – 24 May

Annual Conference and Exhibition

Sustainabilitylive! 2012 & 24th Drilling & Tapping Championships

‘2012 - Changing the Industry for a Sustainable Legacy’

IWEX, NEC, Birmingham

17 - 18 May The Royal Society, London

Please visit www.instituteofwater.org.uk for up to date details on all events

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