Institute of Water Magazine - Winter Edition 2013

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WINTER2013 ISSUE180

IN THIS ISSUE: Online CPD Chartered Scientist Leakage AMP6 Preview INSTITUTE OF WATER JOURNAL


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CONTENTS

Introduction I was delighted to be asked if I’d like to write the introduction to this journal, particularly given the recent launch of online CPD and the focus the Institute of Water has given this exciting new approach. Firstly who am I …..? I am the HR Manager for Portsmouth Water approaching 30 years service and a very committed supporter of the Institute of Water. I sit on the South East Area Committee as the Area Forum Repetitive as well as on the National Membership Standards Committee. I am also the CPD Champion for the Institute. Development has always been important to me personally (my first job was opening the post for 6 months) and now through my job where I am able to encourage and influence others in order to help them reach their full potential. Personally there is nothing more depressing than being at work and seeing someone not fulfilling their potential. But equally, to know you have helped someone further their career and have self fulfilment at work is for me one of the most rewarding experiences you can have in the workplace.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development define CPD as: “Helping the individual maintain ‘engagement’ so the organisation and individual have a greater chance to mutually grow” Hopefully the above statement will resonate with everyone. Putting it simply, it means that CPD, if done positively and proactively, will benefit everyone. This fits perfectly with the Institute’s aims and hopefully you will understand why CPD is fundamental to the success of the Institute and everything on offer. For example, people join to gain greater knowledge of the water industry and to meet other people to share expertise; all key components of good CPD.

The Institute has been proactively promoting the virtues of CPD for many years which include sampling of members on an annual basis, a high profile CPD award at the President’s Dinner, literature and

Just recently I attended a CPD workshop run by the Science Council. It was very apparent that our approach to CPD differs to other organisations as they do not seem as committed to promoting CPD as we are. We see CPD as one of the key reasons for our existence and as a result plenty of resources are put into this area. I am very pleased that our enthusiasm and dedication to this area will continue going forward and a lot of this has to be attributed to our Chief Executive, Lynn Cooper who passionately believes in CPD and sees it as critical to the success of the Institute. This takes me on to the exciting bit of our on-line CPD facility. Many of you will now be aware the Institute has recently added the facility to record your CPD through a secure platform on our website. Our online approach mirrors our CPD principles with the facility allowing you to set your goals (either short, long term or both). You can also record your activities, attach evidence and then evaluate what has been learned and how you intend to put this into practice. It is a facility that should cater for all our members’ needs from those seeking professional registration to those simply wishing to enhance what they are doing in their career now.

So, what should CPD mean for you? The most important thing is that it is not elitist; by this I mean it is not just for those striving for professional registration. CPD is for everyone wishing to enhance their career.

I am sure all of our Members are aware the Institute of Water is a licensing body for Engineers, Environmentalists and now Scientists, and a requirement of our licence agreement (which gives us the ability to award chartered status in these areas) depends on us having a proactive approach to CPD.

guidance on how to carry out effective CPD, and now online CPD. The Institute has certainly been doing its bit and what is also very pleasing is it appears that we can certainly hold our heads up high when looking across the room at other organisations.

It is very simple to use and I would encourage all members to use this facility and from just 5 minutes a week you will be able to build up an effective CPD record and hopefully utlise this to enhance your professional career. I wish to portray my thanks to those involved in producing what I think is an excellent resource available to all members and only adds to the many benefits which should see more people in the industry join the Institute of Water. Please take some time to read this journal and in good CPD tradition, I hope you can reflect on some of the things you read and use them to help you in your career. I hope this helps you start to think about your objectives going forward and more importantly how you are going to achieve them and of course enter them on your online CPD record. Spending just 5 minutes a week on your Personnel Development could end up being the best 5 minutes of your career.

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Chartered Scientist Rising Stars 2014 Leakage AMP6 Preview Online CPD Waste Water

Regulars

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News in Brief Members Update Science News Engineering News SocEnv News WaterAid Area News

Ian Limb

HR Manager Portsmouth Water i.limb@portsmouthwater.co.uk

Institute of Water HQ: 4 Carlton Court, Team Valley, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE11 0AZ Website: www.instituteofwater.org.uk President: Chris Loughlin Chairperson: Richard Barton Chief Executive: Lynn Cooper Editorial, Marketing & Communications Manager: Dan Barton Tel: 0191 422 0088 Fax: 0191 422 0087 Email: dan@instituteofwater.org.uk Advertising: Martin Jamieson Tel: 0845 884 2333 Email: martin.jamieson@distinctivegroup.co.uk Designed and produced by: Distinctive Publishing Tel: 0845 884 2385 Email: pete.thompson@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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GPS Pipe Puts Thames Water Scheme en Route to Completion has now completed installation of the pipeline with the entire scheme due to be handed over to Thames Water by the end of the year.

More than 19km of GPS PE Pipe’s blue polyethylene pipe has been successfully installed in West Berkshire as part of Optimise’s £10 million project for Thames Water to reduce groundwater abstraction at Speen water treatment works. The network improvement project aims to support the environmental condition of the River Kennet and reduce groundwater abstraction by an average of 4.5m litres per day, thanks to the installation of a new pipeline between Tilehurst and Cold Ash Service Reservoir, near Newbury, via Thames Water’s existing water booster station in Bradfield. The project began on site in January and Optimise

The pipeline follows the route of the M4 motorway and involved directional drilling under the main carriageway, along with another major road, three crossings of the River Kennet and several minor roads and tracks. GPS supplied SDR11 and SDR17 355mm pipe to address variations in water pressure along the route, which ranges from 4 bar to 11-12 bar after the pumping station. The SDR11 pipe was used for directional drilling where additional pipe strength is required for this type of installation. GPS also supplied bespoke transition pieces to accommodate multiple changes in pipe wall thickness and SlimFlange adaptors for connections to metal gate valves. The use of SlimFlanges meant that 300mm valves were used as opposed to 355mm had standard stub flanges been used. This afforded considerable cost savings for the overall project. Lengths of pipe were butt-fused together in order to create the 19.2km pipeline, maximising the welded length whilst minimising mechanical joints. Once operational, the new pipeline will provide an additional potable water supply route for Newbury to safeguard continuity of supply.

Welsh Water opens £10m water testing lab Welsh Water has opened a £10.4 million water testing laboratory in Newport Glaslyn, to “ensure the highest possible quality” of drinking water for its customers.

Daily tests at the laboratory are used to verify the quality of drinking water supplied by the company to 1.4 million homes and businesses across Wales and Herefordshire. According to Welsh Water, the bacteriological tests confirm the safety of the water supply and that the processes at its 66 Water Treatment Works are effective.

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Following months of anticipation, October 2013 sees the official launch of WaterSafe, the UK’s first ever all industry national plumbing assurance scheme set to re-focus standards within the UK plumbing sector. Constituting the first plumbing body of its kind, WaterSafe is a brand new dedicated online search facility and assurance scheme designed to provide recognition for competent plumbers, as well as protect consumers seeking water supply plumbing work and contribute to the safety of drinking water supplies for homes and businesses. The pioneering scheme brings together the seven existing Approved Contractors’ Schemes operating in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and is also supported by all of the water companies and key plumbing bodies in the UK. Recognised plumbers employed by an approved business on the WaterSafe register will need to have successfully completed at least an NVQ Level 2 in Mechanical Engineering Services (plumbing) (6089), as a minimum and hold a water industry recognised Water Fittings Regulations qualification to ensure they are competent and have the relevant knowledge. The official launch event took place on Tuesday 8th October at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Westminster where key stakeholders within the water and plumbing industry congregated to receive a series of presentations on the WaterSafe launch. It included speeches from acclaimed supporters including Richard Benyon MP, Minister for the Natural Environment and Fisheries and Andy Foster, operations and policy director at The Trading Standards Institute. Kevin Wellman, chief executive officer for the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) and board member for WaterSafe says: “Following months of planning and investment, we are hugely excited to launch WaterSafe.

The company carries out approximately 750,000 wide-ranging analyses of drinking water samples every year to ensure the highest possible quality for its three million customers. Previously, this work was contracted out to external companies but is now being carried out at Welsh Water‘s in-house laboratories at Newport and at Bretton in the north of Wales.

Industry Unites To Make The UK WaterSafe

Chris Jones, Welsh Water’s chief executive, said: “The Newport facility is our main testing centre in Wales and plays a vital role in ensuring that we continue to provide the best possible water quality at the tap and protect public health – which is our highest priority. We also hope that the environmental innovations installed at Glaslyn, including solar panels and our RainScape scheme will show other companies and organisations how these types of schemes can provide major environmental benefits.”

“Until now, the plumbing industry has not had the presence of a scheme that encompasses all of the Approved Contractors’ Schemes in the UK. As such, it has been very difficult for consumers to make an informed choice when sourcing a credible plumber, struggling to distinguish from the plethora of trade associations, accreditation bodies and trust marks.


NEWSINBRIEF

South West Water Recruits 22 New Apprentices South West Water has recruited the next generation of water industry professionals in an expansion of its successful apprenticeship programme. Twenty-two apprentices will join water and sewerage operations across the region and the cohort includes the company’s first two female apprentices. The chosen trainees will work within its Drinking Water and Waste Water Services, along with Operation Support Services. The apprentices will work alongside a nominated mentor whilst studying for a level three qualification from a training provider. There are now 46 apprentices at South West Water who make up around 4% of its workforce South West Water’s Operations Director Dr Stephen Bird said: “I am delighted to welcome our new apprentices. Sharing knowledge and expertise with the next generation of water industry professionals is critical for a successful workforce of the future which is ready to meet the challenges of our 25-year vision.

Dr Stephen Bird with some of the new apprentices “We have had an exceptional response with over 580 applications from young people across the region. We have selected the top candidates who we are confident that will live up to the high standards set by our current apprentices. We are

also pleased to welcome our first female apprentices to the programme and hope their appointment will encourage other young women to pursue a practical career in the water industry.”

Sir David Rowlands appointed Water UK’s first independent chair Water UK has appointed former Whitehall Permanent Secretary Sir David Rowlands as its first independent chair. Sir David takes over from Peter Simpson, Managing Director of Anglian Water, who announced in April that he would be stepping down to focus more fully on the forthcoming price review. Commenting on Sir David’s appointment, Peter Simpson said: “This is a hugely significant moment for Water UK and the industry. In attracting someone of Sir David’s calibre and senior experience in both Whitehall and industry, we are redefining our leadership position. With our focus

“At the request of Water Minister Richard Benyon, I will continue to serve on the Government’s High Level Group on market reform, and take the opportunity to renew my commitment to making a success of the introduction of retail competition. Sir David Rowlands increasingly on driving standards of customer service, investing in essential infrastructure and helping to shape industry and regulatory reform, David will bring a fresh and challenging perspective to our work. I look forward to supporting David in every way I can, and look forward to remaining a member of Water UK’s Board.

“Looking back over the past two years, I have been particularly proud of the way the industry has collaborated and stepped up to the challenge of managing the severe drought, and in the way we worked with Ofwat to reframe successfully the licence arrangements that will allow a smooth transition to PR14, the next regulatory period.

Northumbrian Water Pledges £1bn Services Investment

Heidi Mottram

Northumbrian Water has pledged to invest an estimated £1 billion in services to its customers in the North East between 2015 to 2020 in advance of the regulator Ofwat’s PR14 price review. The company is “in the process of refreshing its business plan”, based on the priorities of its 2.7 million customers across Tyneside, Wearside and Teesside and a commitment to improving service and efficiency. Heidi Mottram, chief executive of Northumbrian Water, said: “This is a major commitment to further improve the infrastructure of water supply

and sewerage services in the North East, and it will have a significant knock-on effect in terms of our regional economy.

Northumbrian Water indicated that its detailed business plan will be published in December following consultation with its customers.

“We have been consulting with our customers and stakeholders all over the region and discussing our findings with a group called the Water Forum. This independent group is made up of a wide range of representatives who scrutinise and challenge our plans. We have developed proposals for the future through this process, and we now want to check that we have reflected our customers’ views correctly.”

The water company said that it had identified some key areas where investment will be made including: improving 270 miles of sewers to reduce the risk of flooding; cleaning 1,500 miles of water pipes; replacing 200 miles of water mains to prevent supply interruptions; Improving 12 sewage treatment works to raise the quality of water returned to rivers and improving sewerage systems to protect bathing waters from potential pollution.

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MEMBERSUPDATE

Institute of Water Launches Water Industry Jobs Board The Institute of Water is proud to launch the new ‘Careers in Water’ jobs board. Members can access the jobs board through our website and find all of the best water industry jobs in one place. Our number one goal will always be to develop and enhance the careers of our Members and this new feature will compliment everything else we offer. Visit our jobs board to: • Search for and quickly apply for great, relevant jobs • Set up Job Alerts so you are immediately notified any time a job is posted that matches your skills or interests • Create an anonymous job seeker profile or upload your anonymous CV so employers can find you

Are you looking to hire? If you’re looking to hire, the Institute of Water jobs board will put your job in front of the water professionals you’re looking for. Use coupon code LAUNCH2013 to receive 50% off between now and 31st December 2013!

Use our job board to: • Place your job in front of our highly qualified Members • Search our CV database of qualified candidates • Manage jobs and applicant activity right on our site • Limit applicants only to those who are qualified • Fill your jobs more quickly with great talent Job seeking is always free and Company Members can enjoy significant discounts when posting jobs. Our hope is that this new resource will make a difference for our Members as they navigate their career paths. We’ll aim to send all Members a monthly digest of featured jobs. Search for jobs or post a job today by visiting jobs.instituteofwater.org.uk

• Access job searching tools and tips

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AUTUMN2009 ISSUE NO 164

IN THIS ISSUE: The end of an era – IWO to re-name! Conference Preview

IN THIS ISSUE: THE FUTURE OF THE WATER INDUSTRY INNOVATION IN PIPELINE TECHNOLOGY WATER EFFICIENCY WATER QUALITY

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INSTITUTE OF WATER JOURNAL

Prestigious Journal contract win for Publisher The Institute of Water has announced that Distinctive Publishing have been awarded the contract to produce the prestigious Institute of Water Journal for another three years. Distinctive, based in Newcastle Upon Tyne in the North East of England, has been producing the Journal on behalf of Institute of Water for several years and has helped establish the publication in the market place with its striking page designs. John Neilson from the publisher said: “We have seen the journal grow to more than 100 pages and we would like to thank the IoW, its members and those who have supported the journal and we look forward to their continued support.”

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Dan Barton from the Institute said: “We’re delighted to award the contract for our quarterly Journal to Distinctive Publishing.

Journal possible to keep our Members informed and up to date with the UK water industry.“

“We’ve worked closely with Distinctive over the last six years as they’ve improved and grown our publication into something which stands out as one of the best in the water industry. We’re excited to see that continue.

www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk

“Our Members’ interests are always at the forefront of our thoughts and we’re in no doubt that Distinctive will provide the best


SCIENCE NEWS

Chartered Scientist is here! I am delighted to confirm that our licence to award Chartered Scientist (CSci) status was granted on 3rd September 2013. This gives us the green light to fully support the professional development of the thousands of scientists in our industry, helping to put ‘water science’ firmly on the map. Granting of our licence was the culmination of two years hard work between the Institute of Water, Anglian Water, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland – thanks to everyone who has been involved. It’s easy to apply for CSci through the Institute – the flowchart (below/to the left) shows you how, and all of the necessary paperwork and forms are now on our website. If you have any questions about the process, please give us a call. We’ll be holding a formal launch in the next few months with the Science Council, but already there’s a great deal of interest from a number of water companies who are keen to start to implement CSci with the Institute of Water. If anyone is keen, either on an individual or company basis, to learn more about the benefits of becoming a CSci, then please do get in touch!

What’s happening next? We’re now starting to talk to the Science Council about the opportunity to award Registered Scientist and Registered Science Technician. Once we have these important registrations under our belt, we really will have something to offer clear professional development opportunities for every scientist in the industry!

The first Chartered Scientists. Scientists within the Regional Quality team at Anglian Water have now started their journey towards becoming CSci with the Institute of Water. Several members of the team are now finalising their professional review reports, ready for their assessment. There is a great deal of enthusiasm within the team towards Chartership. Kara Sadler, Strategy Scientist, said “To me, becoming a Chartered Scientist shows to my employer and the industry that I am a competent and experienced individual. It will enable me to become involved in tasks in other areas of the business which are not part of my

Nicola Johnston

Kate Willis

day job, leading me on to becoming a well rounded and proficient scientist. Becoming a Chartered Scientist will help to motivate and encourage me, ensuring I excel to the best of my abilities. It will give me the chance to become one of a range of chartered individuals within a fantastic institute, and in time allow me to inspire and mentor others who wish to do the same.” Kara’s colleague Kate Willis, who is a Water Quality Liaison Scientist based in Northampton, is equally positive. Kate added ‘Working towards Chartered Scientist with the Institute of Water has really spurred me on to develop my skills. New challenges now present opportunities to learn, improve and document my achievements. I’m also more aware of how many new or difficult questions I resolve in my day to day role, which gives me more confidence in my decision making. Obtaining Chartership status is something I have always wanted to do, and I am really pleased to be able to have the opportunity to achieve this in my field of work, and which is relevant to my role’. Scientific managers within the Regional Quality team have been supporting their teams, whilst working towards their own Chartered status. Bev Parmenter, Water Quality Liaison Manager, reports that her team have been very positive about the process adding ’it has clearly shown areas of development, plus achievements they have already made. The CPD process clearly documents their learning process and they have used it to best effective to identify further development areas’. Nicola Johnston, Operational Science Manager comments ‘For me and my team I think it is an excellent opportunity to benchmark our skills and experiences at a national level, and reward the experience collated over a number of years. For me it clearly defines the pathway of development for all of my team, giving structured achievable goals. Many of the team are enjoying the challenge, and the opportunity to be recognised professionally’. We’ll continue to follow the professional development journey of scientists from across the industry in future issues of the journal.

Kara Sadler

Robin Price

How to apply for Chartered Scientist Registration through the Institute of Water Applicant for Chartered Scientist Registration through the Institute of Water

Do you have a Masters level qualification or higher?

Yes

No

Complete Initial Application Form

Complete Masters Equivalence Report Assessment

Send to the Institute of Water who will assess your application using a pool of CSci assessors

Are the assessors happy for you to proceed with your full application?

Yes

No

You will be invited to submit your Professional Review Report

Feedback will be given, and you will be invited to re-submit your application once you have gained further skills or experience.

A Professional Review meeting will be arranged with two further assessors

Are the Professional Review Panel happy to refer you to the Science Council for CSci Registration

No

Yes

Congratulations!

Your paperwork will be submitted to the Science Council, who will grant you Chartered Scientist status, enabling you to use the letters CSci after your name To be read in conjunction with the Applicants Short Guide to Chartered Scientist (CSci) Registration

Bev Parmenter

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ENGINEERINGNEWS The latest quarterly registration statistics from the Engineering Council show that the number of new registrations has risen for EngTech, IEng and CEng. Here are our members who have contributed to these statistics.

Left to right, Gavin, Geoff, Ed

Gavin, Geoff, Ed Gavin Ridgway and Geoff Green are Network Technicians. Both have an HNC in Civil Engineering Studies and 8-9 years’ experience, Ed Bennett is a Network Engineer

Alan Alderson

Alan Alderson Process Technician, Northumbrian Water • 9 years’ experience • Qualifications:BTEC National Certificate in Engineering (1987) • HNC in Water Operations with Management (2009) • City & Guilds Level 3 Cert in the Requirements for Electrical Installations (2010) “I applied for registration because I’m a firm believer in CPD and like to think that my career has a forward momentum. The Institute of Water keeps me up to date with the rapid changes taking place in the industry and I intend to work towards Incorporated Engineer Registration.”

Dermott McCurdy Head of Wastewater Capital Procurement, Northern Ireland Water Dermott joined the water industry when he left school and has experience in operations, design, asset management, consultant management, public private partnership contract development and, since 2005, holds a senior role in project and programme management in the delivery of capital assets for the wastewater side of the business. As Head of Wastewater Capital Procurement at Northern Ireland Water, Dermott fulfils the role of Project Sponsor and acts as the single focal point for the day-to-day management of the delivery

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“After leaving The University of the West of England with a BSc (Hons) degree in Geography and Environmental Management, I started my career as a Pollution Officer with the Environment Agency in 2003 and joined Kelda Water Services 4 years later as a Pollution Control Officer. The business needs quickly changed creating an opportunity which allowed me to engineer solutions to problems I encountered in the role. A further opportunity arose to return to education and I have since completed both an HNC and an HND in civil engineering which led me to my current role as a Network Engineer. The additional qualifications have helped me gain confidence in my role and I continue to learn new skills. “Membership and Professional Registration is widely promoted within the company, so it has always been an aim of mine to register. Membership with the Institute of Water and EngTech registration will assist me to meet my long term career aims and I am appreciative of the opportunities and benefits that membership provides. Professional membership denotes that I have attained a certain level of competence, and this allows me to benchmark my ability against what is required to progress further, first to IEng and ultimately CEng.”

Nigel Goddard

Nigel Goddard Senior Partner, Avanti Transit LLP Nigel served a Mechanical Apprenticeship and was indentured as a skilled turner in 1984. His career preference was in maintenance and he moved on to train in all aspects of machine tool maintenance. Nigel was introduced to the water industry when working as a multi-skilled service engineer and pump specialist and he joined Severn Trent Water as a Technician in 1995. Nigel moved into training in 1999, first with BA Safety Air Systems Limited, then with Develop Training Limited. For the last two years Nigel has been an independent technical skills trainer, assessor, verifier and safety advisor. He is an Assessor and Verifier on a number of National Occupational Standards for the water industry and an active member of the City & Guilds/CABWI Confined Spaces Stakeholders Group and EU Skills Confined Spaces Development Group.

of the company’s Wastewater Treatment Capital Investment Programme. The Programme invested approximately £120m over the three years of the PC10 period (2010-2013) in the drive to improve environmental compliance and comprised of circa 110 projects at various stages in their procurement delivery cycle. It is fair to say that Dermott is now immensely proud to have achieved Chartered Engineer status within an industry that he has worked in and promoted widely.

Dermott McCurdy


SOCENVNEWS Summer was a busy season for our Chartered Environmentalist Assessors as they had to interview the last candidates applying under the old CEnv Specification by the end of August. Here are the successful applicants:

Ceris Van de Vyver Business Improvement Manager, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water (1 month) In her new role, Ceris supports the delivery of wastewater projects, safely, sustainably, on time and to budget.

Rebecca Allen Consenting Officer (Wastewater and Waste, Environmental Regulation), Northern Ireland Water (1 year) Rebecca supports the Higher and Senior Scientific Officers in maintaining a professional working relationship with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and Health Authorities and has a daily interface with the regulators. She is responsible for compiling odour management plans for WwTWs and preparing consents for assets.

Matthew McConville Senior Strategic Asset Planner, Kelda Water Services (Defence) (2 years) Reporting to the Asset Strategy Manager, the purpose of Matthew’s role is to conceptualise, deliver and maintain business processes and plans that encourage excellence in asset management.

Craig Jackson People & Organisational Development Consultant, Scottish Water (1 year) Craig’s role is to provide a comprehensive People and Organisational Development service to support the achievement of business objectives through design and delivery of effective human resources, learning, development and business change solutions.

Ben Redwood Roisin McDade Trade Effluent Offer, Northern Ireland Water (newly appointed) Roisin’s previous role was essential to ensure that NI Water meets its regulatory requirements regarding sampling, analysis and reporting. As well as assisting in the day-to-day administration and management of the LIMS system, Roisin also participated in developing and refining the activities, systems and procedures of the Scientific Unit.

Wastewater Treatment Planning Engineer, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water (1.5 years) Ben works closely with the local Asset Management and Delivery Teams to ensure asset intervention plans address the highest business risks in the most cost-effective manner whilst achieving the biggest benefit to the environment. His role involves liaising with the Water Quality and Environmental Teams to understand the potential impact of wastewater assets when discharging to inland and coastal environments within Wales.

Rob Bradley Project Engineer – RPS (4 years) The Contingency Planning Project exists to prevent unplanned interruptions to supply. Rob’s role is to design, develop and communicate semi-automated plans to over 500 staff coupled with enhancements to Scottish Water’s Intelligent Control Centre operation.

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WATER AID

Looking back at 2012-13 Last year WaterAid helped to transform the lives of millions of people by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation. We could not have made such a wide-reaching impact without your support.Thank you. Year after year we hear from the communities we work with that access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation is the one thing that changes everything. It is the one intervention that unlocks progress in health, education and livelihoods. Free from illness and the burden of collecting water each day, women have time to earn a living and children can go to school. In 2012-13, we helped to bring safe water to 1.7 million people and improved sanitation for 2.2 million people. Through our hygiene promotion work, we reached a further 2 million people. Thanks to your support, these amazing achievements have transformed lives in some of the world’s poorest communities.

to safe water and sanitation. The support from our water industry partners will be invaluable to this goal being realised. A huge thank you from everyone at WaterAid for your ongoing support.”

Your 2012/13 support in numbers The WaterAid lottery and payroll giving schemes raised more than £600,000 – enough to pay for 9,377 new toilets. 922 employees took part in running and walking events raising enough money to install 2,323 handpumps. Talks on the value of water were delivered to more than 8,500 young people across the UK through WaterAid’s speaker network. Every hour last year we helped more than 100 people access water.

WaterAid Annual Supporters’ Meeting 2013 If you have any doubts about the work of WaterAid (I have met some people who do) then I commend the Annual Supporters’ Meeting. If you are already a supporter and have the opportunity to attend, jump at the chance! Someone there will make an impression and will hopefully inspire you to do some fund-raising. There were two highlights for me:

Hagaya Barisha, collecting clean water from a tapstand in Aba Roba, Konso, Ethiopia. CO: WaterAid/ Anna Kari We have been able to help people like Hagaya Barisha, 45, from Aba Roba in Ethiopia. She says: “Now we get clean water it’s a big change from the life we used to have. Now people wash, people look clean and now we get more water than we had before. I am very happy and wish for all of this to continue. I wish my grandson will live long and will enjoy a different life to that we have now, he will go to school and have a good educated future.” Our strong partnership has also helped to raise public awareness of the water and sanitation crisis. Getting our message out to millions of people across the UK has strengthened our call for governments worldwide to take action to give everyone, everywhere access to water and sanitation. Your fundraising challenges and activities, and donations made by water company customers, has brought in more than £14 million this year which will support our work in 27 countries in Africa, Asia, South America and the Pacific. Dave Hillyard, Head of Major Partnerships at WaterAid, said: “We believe that by 2030 it is possible for everyone everywhere to have access

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Moria, 10, Rebecca, 10, and Agnes washing their hands at the newly installed taps in their primary school. Antsinanana region, Madagascar. CO: WaterAid/Ernest Randriarimalala Read more about our work over the past year in the 2012-13 annual report, now available to download at: www.wateraid.org/annualreportUK Planning WaterAid events or activities over the next year? We’d love to know what you’re up to. Email us or send photos to the Water Industry Partnership team at wipteam@wateraid.org or call us on 0207 793 4500.

A presentation from Ollie, George and Leo from City of London School who visited Zambia earlier this year. George nominated WaterAid as the School’s Charity this year and has already raised over £20,000. Meeting Oumarou Hamani, Country Manager for WaterAid in Niger. Niger is the largest country in West Africa but is also one of the least developed. Niger’s extremely dry climate means access to water is limited and droughts are common. Many communities have no choice but to collect dirty water from unsafe sources. Half the people in Niger don’t have access to safe water; less than one in ten has access to a basic toilet. Oumarou had been in London along with most other Country Managers to have a say in WaterAid’s future strategy. There were also great networking opportunities and a chance to put questions to members of the Directors Team. Well done to Barbara Frost, Chief Executive at WaterAid and Institute of Water Patron and her team for organising the event.

by Lynn Cooper, Chief Executive, nstitute of Water


8LI 2); XVEMPIV [MXL &-+ WEZMRKW Making the difference in chemical dosing

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Sustainable Water 2013 This stimulating two-day conference addressed many different aspects of sustainability highly relevant to the current challenges and opportunities facing the water industry. Further insight was brought by a number of delegates from the wider utilities industry giving their perspectives. Day One focussed primarily on infrastructure and demand management, whereas the theme for Day Two was environmental resilience and resource management. Topics ranged from global issues such as climate change, energy optimisation, water security and population growth; to more water sector specific areas such as asset management, investment, leakage targets and customer engagement.

Day 1: Session 1: Barriers and opportunities for sustainability in the water industry The conference started with a welcome by the conference chair, reporter Juliet Morris, who did an impressive job of directing the conference over the two days. The first session began with Sonia Phippard (Defra) giving an account of how the Water Bill addresses the issue of sustainable water. A key theme repeated throughout the day, is long term resilience of water supply; this is the responsibility of both water companies and the regulator to ensure this. Market reform for better customer service and growth and innovation within the sector is also critical as well as environmental sustainability. The speakers Sonia Brown (Ofwat) and Dr Tony Ballance (Severn Trent) addressed sustainability and benefits for customers, the environment, and economy from PR14. Particularly highlighted was the importance of customer engagement; customer perceptions of issues such as leakage are often not in line with the view from a water company perspective. Sustainability also applies to financing; including moving towards TOTEX

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assessment of expenditure, rather than just OPEX. Dr Jerry Bryan (Albion Water) discussed the potential rewards and risks inherent in upstream competition. He made a persuasive argument that more radical innovation within the industry could be required in the long term to meet future challenges. It is possible that customers can only drive incremental changes, rather than the larger step changes that could deliver greater rewards.

Day 1: Session 2: Investment, infrastructure and asset management considerations Luis Garcia Berenguer (Bristol Water) started off this session, highlighting the necessity of sustainability in providing an outstanding water service. Often sustainability is taken to just mean environmental sustainability, however this also other aspects such as financial sustainability. Cultural changes will be required in the industry to move from water companies being asset management focussed, to being service providers. Stephen Hart (European Investment Bank) gave a thorough and detailed review of investment in the water industry, particularly how attractiveness to investors and affordability for customers must remain in balance. The European Investment Bank is the largest source of loan financing for projects to the global water sector. Mel Karam and Meyrick Gough (Southern Water) finished off the session with a discussion of resilience should be built into both asset management and water resource management plans. They used examples from the Southern

Water area to show how rainfall modelling must be combined with customer engagement to determine the most appropriate solutions to water scarcity. In order for resilience to future challenges a range of solutions will be required, not just a one size fits all solution to every situation.

Day 1: Session 3: Demand management and working in partnership with customers The third session of the day was started by Dame Yve Buckland (Consumer Council for Water) with a look at customer demands, desires and expectations. Customers cannot all be treated as a homogenous group; different demographics will be motivated differently. Increasing cost of water will motivate some customers to save water, but not others. Andrew Brown (Anglian Water) continued on the theme, stressing how both water companies and customers need to work together to ensure sustainability. The key success factor is communication and engagement with customers, both for demand management and other behavioural change campaigns such as reducing blockages. John Cockin (EDF Energy) discussed how essential the correct communication strategy has been to the energy industry to get the message to customers; influencing their behaviour to drive demand reduction. Customer partnerships take a long time, requiring trust and understanding, not a quick fix solution. The government has also taken an active role, particularly in the energy industry to motivate changes.


RISING STARS Day 1: Session 4: Leakage management and reduction The final session started with Nigel Martin (Wessex Water) discussing brand management; this is something that will become more relevant as the industry becomes more competitive. The biggest influence on the perception of customers about the company is behaviour of staff, particularly in the field; having clear simple policies and initiatives that staff can champion is essential. It concluded with Ivan Nazzaretto (Schneider Electric) discussing technology available for smart water networks to introduce more advanced water loss management. A series of devices collecting and analysing data can be used to help improve efficiency, longevity and reliability of assets, but only where justified for the solution of real business needs.

Day 2: Session 1: Water security and regulatory considerations Day two started with Lord Chris Smith (Environment Agency) on planning for the best use of water. He highlighted that the predicted future population growth will be greatest in the areas of the UK which are already under the most water stress. Strategies to tackle this include environmental improvement, less leakage, greater interconnectivity, demand management, reduced surface water flooding. Colin Skellett OBE (Wessex Water) continued with talking about how with smarter regulation of water resources could we “ban the bans”. In the droughts of 2012 the UK water companies worked well together, but hosepipe bans should be treated as a service failure, not just as part of the business plan. Finally Steve Fraser (United Utilities) gave a review

on the balances of various factors required for sustainable abstraction using an abstraction site in West Cumbria as an example. This demonstrates the difficulties of balancing the restriction of an SSSI site with the abstraction demands of the population.

Optimisation has to be sustainable as well as having a cost benefit in the short term to make a convincing business case. The process follows steps of recovering, stabilising, optimising and enhancing assets, but critically relies on operator buy-in.

Day 2: Session 2:

Ken Black (Northumbrian Water) continued with examples of energy optimisation from Northumbrian Water. Their process includes multisource data reporting which triggers alerts and then tracks actions through to resolution of the issue. Continuous improvement relies on getting the right information to the right people to take the right action to address to true root cause of issues.

Resilience and integrate resource management Tony Harrington (Dr Cymru Welsh Water) started off the second session with a presentation of various schemes including sustainable urban drainage systems implemented in Wales in order to improve resilience in the face of climate change. Susan Davy (South West Water) continued with highlights of the Upstream Thinking catchment management scheme implemented by South West Water. One of the key points of the programme is giving a value to water and paying farmers and land owners to carry out practices that will improve water quality; effectively paying them for their land to produce cleaner water and hence reducing costs at the downstream treatment plant. Dan McGonigle (Defra) took the theme of catchment management further and discussed other demonstration test catchments, particularly where effected by agricultural pollution. Local priorities, national and European policies must all be combined to make an effective catchment plan in each situation.

Dr Hans Jensen (UKWIR) finished off with discussing his views on the current priorities in water and energy sustainability research. This included changing customer needs and expectations, optimisation of current assets and processes, and integration of new technology. As an industry we do not have to accept established failure rates but should aim to ensure continuous improvement.

Day 2: Session 4: The conference concluded with two interesting breakout sessions on the topics of ‘climate change – driving innovation’ lead by Dr Mike Keil (Severn Trent) and Dr Mark Williams (Scottish Water), or ‘water reuse and energy production’ lead by Rupert Kruger (Thames Water) and Professor Elise Cartmell (Cranfield University).

Day 2: Session 3: Energy optimisation and resource recovery Dr Andrew Thornton (Veolia Water) discussed optimisation from an operator’s perspective.

By Roxanna Snooke

We are pleased to introduce our Rising Stars for 2014: Emma Norris

Market Development Manager, Thames Water Emma joined the Thames Water Graduate Scheme in 2011, initially working in the Customer Service department. Having been active in the set up of Thames Water’s non regulated business, Emma is now the Market Development Manager for Thames Water Commercial Services, working on building the retail business outside the Thames Water area and creating the best possible service to customers.

Paul Harte

Project Engineer, RPS After summer jobs working in Leakage Detection and Repair whilst studying, Paul decided to commit his future to the water industry in 2008 initially working as a Leakage Technician. Paul gained experience in network management and customer relations whilst studying for his HNC Water Operations and Management part-time. Paul quickly moved into a supervisory role before moving to Scottish Water in secondment as a Leakage Analyst. He then decided to return to academia and completed an MSc Water Resources in 2012. Since completing his MSc Paul has lectured as Cardonald College and is now Graduate Engineer with RPS in secondment to Scottish Water focusing on minimizing interruptions to customer supplies.

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RISING STARS We are pleased to introduce our Rising Stars for 2014:

David Jarvis

Customer Relations Manager, Severn Trent Water David has been working for Severn Trent Water for 7 years. He currently holds the position of Customer Relations Manager. As the regional manager for the West within Field Services David is accountable for all of the meter reading and customer service activities within his area. During his short career he has worked cross functionally in a variety of different roles both operational and nonoperational.

Cerys Pope

Risk Technician, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water Cerys is a Risk Technician in the Local Asset Management team in Linea. She undertook a BSc Civil Engineering degree part-time and is now embarking on a Masters in Water Management at Exeter University. This course will be undertaken part time and is fully supported by Welsh Water.

Katy Buckland

Scientist, Anglian Water Katy joined Anglian Water in 2009 and gained a place on the Laboratory Leadership Programme in 2011. She has shown real enthusiasm for the industry and developed a broad range of skills via working in different areas of the Laboratory and getting involved in various wider business projects.

Nathan Deeming

Model Governance Specialist, Yorkshire Water Nathan joined Yorkshire Water on the graduate scheme in 2011. He has worked on many company-wide initiatives and has developed some valuable skills and experience. Nathan has recently moved into a newly formed data analytics function as a Model Governance Specialist.

Ray Arrell

Renewable Energy Engineer, South West Water Ray joined South West Water in 2003 as a ‘Year In Industry’ placement student, working as a web development technician in the then Company Control Centre. After this placement ended Ray took up a full time position in the Energy Team as Energy Technician and has worked in a number of energy and carbon management roles for the business ever since, including spearheading an award winning energy efficiency campaign PowerDown. In his current position as Renewable Energy Engineer, Ray is looking to maximise and enhance South West Water’s renewable energy generation to 2020 and beyond, and after successfully gaining his Incorporated Engineer registration with the Institute of Water in 2012, Ray is aspiring to achieve Chartered Engineer status within the next couple of years.

Gareth McFarland. Distribution Technician, Northern Ireland Water. Gareth joined Northern Ireland Water through an Apprenticeship scheme in January 2009 and is now a Distribution Technician, playing at active role in the Distribution Team as the liaison between Field Operatives and the Field Manager. Before joining Northern Ireland Water Gareth completed a BSc (Hons) in Geography at Queen’s University, Belfast.

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BERSON

Berson UV Systems Comply with IUVA, AWWA and DVGW Guidelines for Municipal Water Users avoid expensive modifications to bring systems in line with current guidelines The International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA) working group has released a new communication related to low wavelength, medium pressure disinfection. Current users of Berson UV systems have found that their equipment is already in compliance, while other installations have selected Berson to help them avoid the uncertainty factors to account for low UV wavelengths. According to the document, legislators and engineers are now recommending the application of a correction factor for municipal drinking water mediumpressure UV systems to compensate for the effects of wavelengths less than 240nm. Pathogen surrogates used for testing have proven to react differently than actual target pathogens to these low wavelengths. Therefore, previous validation testing and modelling may have overestimated inactivation of harmful target pathogens.

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While Berson systems have always blocked wavelengths less than 240nm with the use of type-240 quartz sleeves, users of similar medium pressure systems not in compliance will be required to re-evaluate system sizing and possibly make costly modifications or purchase new equipment. Berson’s 240-type quartz sleeves also comply with DVGW (Germany) standards requiring low wavelength blockage to prevent nitrite formation. Since the Low Wavelength Document was published, Berson has won a number of new medium pressure UV system projects where owners are adding UV treatment for disinfection of cryptosporidium and giardia. Berson’s type-240 quartz sleeves are used in the company’s InLine+ medium pressure, closed vessel UV disinfection system. The InLine+ is simple to install and features virtually maintenance-free operation with a standard automatic quartz sleeve wiping system and variable power ballast output. It is 3rd party–validated and conforms to the DVGW standards, the USEPA drinking water guidelines, the NWRI reuse guidelines and has also has NSF approval.

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IWJS

IWJS set to jet ahead

Industrial Water Jetting Systems Limited has been trading for over 35 years, building a reputation that is synonymous with quality, reliability and providing an unrivalled customer experience. Christopher Stewart CEO takes time to reflect on the past 3 years during which time he has grown the company turnover from £8m in 2010 to in excess of £20m today. The Journey so far… IWJS was a non-core subsidiary of Adler & Allen Group and an opportunity was identified to leverage its trading history and drive forward with a solely dedicated management team to deliver its services. This combined with the management skill, drive and industry understanding of Christopher Stewart enabled the company to secure the renewal of framework agreements and organically widen its now enviable customer base. Within the first year IWJS undertook a £1million refresh and expansion of its fleet to enable the delivery of operational excellence.

IWJS on the Acquisition trail… In 2011 the Company identified the chance to acquire two businesses DSS Environmental Limited and Aquajet GB Limited, with a combined trading history in excess of 20 years. Both businesses had their challenges but

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enabled the Company to achieve its strategic objective to diversify geographically and further broaden its customer base. Christopher notes: “Acquiring two businesses within 4 months was a significant task but an opportunity that could not be ignored. Our business now has depots throughout the UK, giving us an infrastructure to deliver services to national customers.”

Difficult times on the journey… The next objective was to see the names of DSSE and Aquajet dropped as the businesses were to be integrated fully into IWJS. However, the direction of this roadmap has changed due to financial difficulties within DSSE. In recent months, DSSE incurred a significant bad debt following the insolvency of one of its key customers. The insolvency of this customer resulted in significant immediate cash flow pressure and loss of work-flow over the following months. Despite the best efforts by the directors and staff, the financial position of DSSE was unable to be turned round and the directors took the reluctant decision to cease to trade DSSE. Christopher states: “I feel thoroughly disappointed in this decision. The results of the restructure of DSSE were starting to be seen, but the loss of such a big customer was ultimately insurmountable. It was important not to let DSSE compromise the strength and success of the IWJS business. This


decision enables the board to focus entirely on IWJS without the financial and management distraction of DSSE. With great confidence, I take this opportunity to reassure our customers and suppliers that there will be no impact on the strength of IWJS going forward.”

Looking Forward… Christopher explains: “As we look forward into 2014 we have a clear strategy for development and investment which will produce both growth for the business and benefits to our clients and our staff.” Fleet Investment - A strong order book and long term contracts underpinning each depot has enabled IWJS to recently receive 3 JHL Cityflex units and 5 mainline CCTV vehicles, as well as place orders for 10 tankers and 3 JHL Flexlines. This continuous investment strategy helps provide IWJS with a competitive advantage to service our customers with the most up to date technology and flexibility in an ever changing and dynamic market. No Dig technology - Following the acquisition of Ultra Pipeline Services, Christopher comments “We had a growing demand to provide relining services and this acquisition enables us to directly manage and deliver this work. Andrew Bardsley (Relining Director) brings an unrivalled experience in delivering UV, hot, ambient and patch lining solutions. This adds to the truly exciting future for the Company and our customer base.”

CCTV – As part of our strategy to self-deliver all core services, we can now deliver complete HADDAMs surveys for the Highways Agency and their partners. This includes CCTV and GPS data collection, asset surveys, mapping and shape file conversion. This has enabled the company to secure and successfully deliver highway scheme projects. Investment in people - The company recognises the importance of investing in its people. A significant strengthening of the director group has created a dynamic team with true accountability for our depots and/or our customers. The operators and office staff play a vital role in the future continued success of IWJS. Continuous investment in training and Health and Safety across all departments, ensures all teams stay abreast of the very latest developments in their sector. This is evidenced by Health and Safety now completing live site auditing using smartphone technology. By implementing Better Ways of Working throughout the workforce with the onus on LEAN working practices, IWJS are committed to delivering quality without compromise and effectively provide an increased value stream to their customers. Re-Branding - As previously indicated, the acquisitions were to be integrated into IWJS. In the coming months you will see this come into force as the Aquajet brand disappears, to be replaced by a new IWJS logo design, celebrating the company becoming one name, one brand. Christopher added: “We are very proud of our heritage and our logo is instantly recognizable, but we feel the time is right for a fresh look to mark this moment in the company history.” Christopher Stewart concludes: “It’s a very exciting time in IWJS, and although it’s been a challenging year for us, we now look forward to 2014 with renewed enthusiasm, strength and focus.” www.iwjs.co.uk

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First UK Leakage League “Kicks off” Representatives from five companies taking part in the inaugural Leakage Game attended an away day at Chateau Impney in October. The Game provides the opportunity for companies to enter teams in a league to pit their wits against each other, and to learn in the process, by operating and managing a “fictitious” water company. The Leakage Game is a web based learning tool, developed by David Pearson with the help of Stuart Trow, through a new organisation, The Water Leakage Association. It is designed to transfer knowledge of leakage management to participants who play an interactive on-line game. It is aimed primarily at managers, engineers, and consultants working in the field of water loss management, although it has been suggested that the game is also of use to non-specialists wanting to gain an overview of the subject. The game can be played by individuals, but is better suited to small teams of between 2 and 4 people with a variety of skills and experience. David and Stuart have worked together on a number of leakage management initiatives, including four of the 2011 UKWIR Managing Leakage reports. They were both made fellows of the International Water Association in 2012 and a requirement of fellowship is that they promote

the sharing of knowledge. The Leakage Game is one way of passing on their experience to others. The management simulation game relates to the water supply function on a fictitious island, The Avalon Water Company, with 3 different resource zones. An information pack provides full details of the company and the issues it faces. The objective of the game is to maximise an overall performance assessment (OPA) score from an initial set of values through a series of intervention decision steps. Each step represents the impact of the investment decision over a period of one year. The OPA comprises technical measures including, but not limited to, the reported level of water loss, financial measures, and customer service measures. It simulates the financial accounts for the operating company including loans and depreciation, so, although primarily aimed at leakage and water

Period 1

Publication of Period 1 Water Balance

Period 2

Intervention Decision and so on

Period 1

Leakage Decision Results

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Each team starts the game with the company in exactly the same “condition”. At each step in the process, a decision has to be made as to how much money to spend on each of a set number of activities aimed at controlling leakage and water loss. It is not necessary to spend money in every category. Interventions include mains and service pipe replacement, active leak detection and repair, pressure management, revenue meter replacement, investigation of illegal connections and fraud. These activities have to be balanced against supply side options such as developing new water resources and treatment plants, or building de-salination works, in order to avoid restrictions in water use. The game is played against other teams and the OPA score depends on how one team is performing in comparison to the other teams in the same “league”. This allows players to see how their decisions are impacting on operational and financial performance compared to other team’s decisions. This adds an element of competition to the game.

Intervention Decision

Period 1

loss managers, it is also of interest to general managers responsible for water supply. The impact of each step can add to or subtract from the OPA score.

The initial run of the game is being played by a small number of companies who were invited to participate in the first league, launched in the UK in August. Two decision steps were taken by each team prior to the away day, with a further two being taken during the event, which included some fun team building exercises, and some impromptu presentations on aspects of leakage and financial management. A further two steps will be completed before the results are announced. Team members learn by gaining a better understanding of the impact of their decisions, without it impacting on their real life performance. They also gain from asking questions of the organisers and they will soon have access to a comprehensive bibliography of key reference documents concerned with water and revenue loss management, financial accounts and key performance indicators.


FEATURE:WATER LEAKAGE

Frank van der Kleij, Depity Director of Network at Bristol Water said ‘the leakage game is an innovating way to learn about leakage management and have fun’. Other comments from attendees include ‘a fun game with a serious outcome’, and ‘good insight into the checks and balances of the numerous variables involved in leakage’. A second league is planned to commence before the end of the year, and it is proposed to launch an international version before the IWA Water Loss 2014 conference in Vienna next April. Anyone interested in taking part can contact David and Stuart through their web site at www.theleakagegame.co.uk

The Leakage League After Period 2 Team

NAME

Points

01

The Good Guys

248

02

OHMSS

247

03

SMC Guest of Bertilak

231

04

Deep Blue

220

05

Magnificent Severn

219

06

DC Spitfires

188

"the leakage game is an innovating way to learn about leakage management and have fun" "a fun game with a serious outcome" "good insight into the checks and balances of the numerous variables involved in leakage"

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Research into customer perceptions of leakage In June 2013 the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) published research that explored the views of water customers in England and Wales on leakage. It revealed over two thirds of customers believe companies are not doing enough to tackle the issue. Leakage is not only something that really matters to customers - it also has a huge impact on shaping their view of the water industry and their motivation to save water. With millions of litres of water being lost through leaky pipes every day, customers question the difference they can make by turning off the tap or taking a shorter shower. And while companies continue to emphasise the challenges they face and the efforts that are already being made to reduce leakage, water customers remain largely unconvinced. The research carried out by SPA Future Thinking on behalf of CCWater captured the views of water customers through a series of focus groups and a quantitative survey of nearly 2,000 water customers from across England and Wales. It revealed the majority of customers – 69 per cent – felt leakage should be a priority for water companies. But the same proportion felt that water companies were not doing enough to reduce leakage with 72 per cent wanting them to plough more resources into improving their performance. Very few customers though – less than two in five - were willing to see their water bills increase to reduce leakage and would rather see companies divert money away from other service areas, such as improving the water environment. This is hardly surprising given that one in eight customers tell CCWater they cannot afford their water bill with many households struggling to cope with the soaring cost of living. Karen Gibbs, senior policy manager at the Consumer Council for Water, said: “Leakage is a big issue for customers that the industry has to tackle. Nearly 70 per cent don’t think their company is doing enough to bring leakage levels down and want them do more. Customers are not prepared to pay for it and want to see their company reprioritise or operate more efficiently.” The negative perceptions surrounding companies’ management of leakage continues to affect customers’ attitude to saving water. Three quarters of respondents in the study claimed every member of their household took steps to conserve water, with half having bought money-saving devices. But two thirds of customers felt their efforts made little difference with many sceptical about how their water saving practices could impact against wider leakage issues. One customer who took part in the research said: “Me cutting out running a tap for 90 seconds, I know it’ll be a lot of us doing that, but I

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don’t think it would equate to what they waste in a day.” Karen Gibbs added: “Leakage matters to water customers. Many people feel it’s unfair to be asked to try and save water when water companies continue to lose millions of litres each day through leaks. “It’s really important for companies, particularly those in water stressed areas, to be able to demonstrate they are effective at reducing leakage if they hope to encourage customers to save water.” Many customers want their company to communicate more openly with them on how it is performing against the leakage target set by the regulator Ofwat. 53 per cent of customers said seeing the leakage level of its water company fall below Ofwat’s target would convince them they were doing enough. Seeing a leak fixed quickly after they had reported it would also help change the perception of 54 per cent of customers, while 48 per cent said a sign saying their water company was aware of the leak and was dealing with it would convince them it was doing enough. If customers report a leak, 54 per cent expect a water company to keep them informed of what action is being taken and how it has been resolved. “It’s frustrating for customers when they report a leak but don’t hear anything back from the company. That’s something water companies need to address, and some already are,” Karen Gibbs said. “Water companies also need to recognise that customers want to know how well their company is performing in relation to others. Some companies clearly have a better story to tell than others.” Many customers have high expectations when it comes to fixing leaks, with three quarters thinking that minor leaks should be inspected within 24 hours, and half thinking that they should be resolved within the same timeframe. Customers said they would also value additional information relating to how to report a leak and how to reduce their water consumption. CCWater’s research will hopefully help inform companies as they develop their business plans which will outline their investment and price proposals for 2015 to 2020. Leakage will be a key

component of these plans and CCWater will want to see evidence the companies’ proposals reflect customers’ priorities, at a price they are willing to pay. The scale and pace of activity on the network must be acceptable to customers, and represent value for money. The water watchdog also wants Ofwat to set tough leakage targets. The regulatory treatment of leakage currently takes little account of the very negative public perception and reputational issues associated with leakage. If it did, leakage targets would most likely be tougher and water industry leakage would reduce. The full report – Research into customer perceptions of leakage - can be found here


FEATURE:WATER LEAKAGE

Scottish Water – The Journey to ELL At the beginning of the 2006 investment period, Scottish Water (SW) restructured to deliver the Regulatory Leakage Target. The target was to deliver 50% of the gap between the 2006 level of leakage, 1104 MLD and the Economic Level of Leakage (ELL), 600 MLD by 2010. Leakage Management were split into 2 functions: • Leakage Planning were formed to establish governance forums and business reporting up to board level. They established ELL and determine the glide path to ELL by 2014. Annual ELL update as data matured. • Leakage Delivery who were initially set up in 2006 and restructure in 2008/09 which increased the in house and frame work partners to manage and deliver the active leakage control (ALC). With the new structure in place the first task was to establish increased property coverage within District Metered Areas (DMA) to allow effect targeting of leakage. In 2006 there was 63% coverage for Scotland of which 45% were operational. This increased to 94% coverage and 80% operability by 2009. The current level for Scotland is 96% coverage with operability at 90%. This allows very effective deployment of leakage resource to targeted areas. For leakage purposes Scotland is split into 8 regions and each region manages its own stock of DMAs. The network analysts within each region have a stock of circa 100-150 DMAs which they have responsibility for. The data from the net flow for the DMAs are visible via SW’s leakage reporting tool, Perform Spatial Plus (PSP). This allows the analysts to rank the DMAs for leakage and prioritise the deployment of field resource. The data also allows the analysts to influence the repair cycle times for customer reported bursts, to minimise the impact on leakage and customers. The Leakage Field Technicians (LFTs) are made up of a combination of SW and frame work contractors who are managed by the SW supervisor. The majority of the leakage detection activity is carried out by 2 man teams who will sweep the DMAs by manual sounding the fittings. Once a leak has been narrowed down to an area, the teams will use a leak correlator to pin point the position of the leak All leaks are verified with an additional check, with a sounding stick or ground microphone. Noise logging teams are also used in urban areas with metallic water mains in lift and shift mode. This allows the large urban areas to be swept quickly with areas of interested highlighted and passed to a follow up team to pin point the leaks and raise the point of interest for repair. When noise logging, manual sounding has been used and the leak has not been found, consideration is give to the possibility of an additional demand

being added to the DMA, ie a new factory working 24hrs. In this case logging of the factory supply meter is carried out and the data is used to confirm if this is the additional flow reported in PSP for the DMA. Step testing is also considered. In certain areas risks to water quality and causing reactive bursts are increased when step testing, these have to minimised with a step test plan. Customer side leakage repair policy was introduced to provide an assisted repair to customers with leaks within their property. This is delivered by frame work partner on a find and fix basis for a fixed cost. Running in conjunction with the leakage detection activity, Leakage Planning delivered improved data quality with the following projects: • Distribution Input measurement from the water treatment works by replacing meters and installing verification points and establishing a reporting tool for this data, to improve the confidence grade. • Establishing a live measurement of Per Household Consumption (PHC) • Provided funding for projects to reduce the water lost from over flowing service reservoirs.

Night Pressure (AZNP) of 53m. At the end of 2013 reporting year SW have circa 4500 PRVs and an AZNP of 45.1m. By April 2013, SW’s reported leakage is 574 MLD, delivering ELL a year ahead of programme. This has decreased from 1104 MLD at the end of April 2006.

This has delivered the following benefits: • £40 million savings to date. • £ 9 Million p.a. savings going forward. • Reduce SW’s carbon footprint by >1000 tonnes p.a. • Reduced reported mains repairs by 41%. • Reduced unreported main repairs by 56%. • Reduced water rising customer contacts by 41%. • Contributed to the customer satisfaction score of 84%. The challenge now that Scotland is at ELL, is to target the disaggregated ELL for the local Water Resource Zones (WRZ) and continue the focus to maintain the leakage levels and the benefits already realised.

Pressure management has been a significant part of the Leakage Management strategy since 2006. At the start of the regulatory period SW had a stock of circa 3500 Pressure Reduction Valves (PRV) which gave SW an Average Zonal

instituteofwater.org.uk

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Case study United Utilities Trunk Main Trial

Leak located on 500mm PVC main over 876 metres Leak detection on trunk mains using correlation techniques has always had potentially limited success for reasons of poor sound propagation ttings. With Enigma-hyQ digital noise correlation and signal coherence frequency analysis processing these previous limitations have been far exceeded.

Trial Details During July 2013 controlled tests were carried out by United Utilities and Primayer on a 500mm diameter PVC trunk main within the Winscales and Scilly Banks service reservoir zones. United Utilities had previously ed losses of 4 litres/sec and 2 litres/sec in the respective halves. Enigma-hyQ loggers were programmed to record three sound epochs to separate genuine water usage from constant leakage. The loggers were deployed over a total distance of 3527.7m during working hours at multiple access points along the main.

Results A leak was indicated between loggers OB2 and OB3 over a distance of 876 metres. The leak was located at 357.9metres from logger 0B2. Shortly after the position was highlighted by Enigma-hyQ, the area was excavated, the leak located and verifed as a 4 litres/sec leak. This equates to wastage of 345,600 litres every 24 hours.

Paul Cunliffe, Regional Leakage Team Leader, United Utilities, Manchester, quoted “Absolutely magic result, Shaun and I did say on the day of the trial that if there is a leak where indicated we would be very impressed. What can I say!!!! Bang on and over that distance, really impressed. It’s the only kit that I have seen work on plastic, not to mention the distance. All the hard work on the day has proved dividends.�

Primayer Limited Primayer House, Parklands Business Park Denmead, Hampshire PO7 6XP, United Kingdom T +44 (0)2392 252228 F +44 (0)2392 252235 E sales@primayer.co.uk

technology for network management and leakage control

www.primayer.com


Seized Valve Release & Valve Maintenance l An Alternative to Valve Replacement

l Less Job and Project Cancellations

l Improvements to Customer Service

l Options for Clean Water and Sewerage Networks

l Risk Based Maintenance Programmes

l Contingency Planning & Emergency Response

Hydrosave’s line valve diagnostics process incorporates the use of hydraulic actuator technology and torque measurement software. Our valve release technology HydroV is designed and manufactured in-house. VALVE RELEASE

Seized valves are sometimes released by subjecting the internal components of a fitting to high levels of impact and torque. However, these options do not provide full control of the input nor do they monitor the output and how this is affecting the asset. l HydroV ascertains the ‘free movement’ of an asset and has the ability to apply a controlled release process l Utilised to release all diameters of seized valves l No Release No Payment options l Available for planned work, contingency plans and as emergency call out

VALVE ASSESSMENT

Applied to operate valves through a partial or complete cycle to assess the full characteristics of a valve operation, diagnose performance and provide a maintenance operation. Typical outputs from a survey will include: l A maintained valve to operate l Graphical certification of PPM l The correct direction of travel l Valve report and graph showing the minimum and peak torques required to cycle the valve – to assess future lone working, two person operation or mechanical operation l GPS location l Size and number of turns to operate

PROJECT EXAMPLES

l Strategic and sole supply pipelines l Strategic road, rail and river pipeline crossings l Reservoir maintenance and cleaning programmes l Pumping Station maintenance l Pipelines that operate at high pressure

l Pipelines in poor condition or planned for rehabilitation l Risk mitigation in areas prone to flooding l Pre assessment of mains rehabilitation schemes

CASE STUDIES

x35 Critical Valves: assessed on strategic trunk mains. Each valve was operated through a full cycle to ascertain its size, full torque graph and number of valve turns. GPS location and survey reports were provided. 17 valves were noted in good condition, 11 valves were noted as tight requiring specialist and/or hydraulic actuation and 7 valves were seized. All operable valves were noted to require reduced amounts of torque following one cycle of operation.

to release it including the use of large keys with bars and heating of the packing gland region. HydroV was installed on to the valve taper and after just 1 hourof fitting HydroV the valve was released. 64" Gate Valve: a difficult valve to operate normally requiresthe client to use six technicians to operate it fully over a six hour period. The Hydrosave survey proved that the valve had only previously been opened 592 turns out of the full 790 turns required to open/ close fully. The valve was operated using our trailer mounted hydraulic actuation equipment. Measurements show high levels of torque are required to operate this valve, a general 300lbsft with multiple peaks exceeding 750lbsft, (up to 10 times the torque applied by a lone working technician).

18" Seized Valve: this valve was identified as seized 12 months prior to our site visit and previously had numerous attempts

Call us today on 01536 515110

www.hydrosave.co.uk

enquiries@hydrosave.co.uk


Fastflow Pipeline Services Limited A new direction in water networks

When it comes to water infrastructure services, there are plenty of fish in the sea. But are they all swimming in the right direction? R

Fastflow Pipeline Services is a dynamic, innovative independent utility infrastructure service provider offering clients an alternative to going with the flow. Our two year framework contract extension with Northumbrian Water is further evidence that we represent a new direction for water networks. Every day we deliver excellent water management through the use of trenchless technology, a work management system incorporating mobile field technology that provides real time electronic data interchange with client’s systems and an award winning trunk mains cleaning process, which requires fewer excavations and uses just a fraction of the water consumed by conventional spray cleaning methods – saving time and money while reducing risk and environmental impact. Services include:

• Investigation • Planning • Design • Installation • Infrastructure maintenance • Mains cleaning and rehabilitation • Leakage control • Reinstatement • New connections • Metering and repairs We also recently re-launched Fastflow Energy Services, an approved provider of construction services for the UK’s on-shore, medium to high pressure gas transmission system. For further proof that this is no fishy tale, visit

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


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To learn more about Echologics nonintrusive, acoustic Leak Detection, Condition Assessment and Revenue Enhancement Services, contact europe@echologics.com or 01438920040 www.echologics.com


FWB

FWB PROVIDES PRODUCT AND PROCUREMENT SOLUTIONS THAT DELIVER major EFFICIENCIES the support and know-how required to enhance challenging schemes and create added value for customers.

Established supply chain partner fwb provides an expansive range of products to suit water industry requirements. As experts in product and procurement solutions fwb is able to deliver efficiencies throughout the supply process and support the repair, maintenance and rehabilitation of networks, sewerage and treatment plants.

Experts in procurement combined with single-source capability

Whether it’s sourcing and managing a portfolio of products for a planned network maintenance project, or supplying products for the day-today operational requirements of ongoing water treatment and sewerage plant maintenance contracts, fwb understands both the demands of the supply chain process and the complexities of this ever-changing environment.

Delivering the very best product and technical expertise fwb’s knowledgeable team of approachable experts provides a high level of technical expertise, market insight and sound product advice. The development of collaborative partnerships with customers, and strong relationships with suppliers, ensures fwb delivers

As experts in procurement fwb sources competitively, providing a full range of leading brand products, with major brand alternatives available where best value is crucial, meeting the needs of individual project specifications and demanding time frames, for contracts large and small: n Pipeline & Fittings n Fasteners & Ironmongery n Tools n PPE & Workwear

Accessible, nationwide service with knowledgeable local support fwb provides a nationwide service, supported by local knowledge, at its three centres in Stoke, Wrexham and Truro. Organised efficiently, the infrastructure and logistics provide next-day delivery throughout the UK, maintaining a seamless supply chain process. Using fwb’s call, click and collect services, products are available to order by telephone, online at www.fwb.co.uk, via the new Catalogue App or direct from our trade counters. Established in 1963, fwb remains to this day a leading independent, family-owned company, dedicated to delivering the best product and procurement solutions by providing an unrivalled service and product offer.

n Electrical n Pneumatic Controls & Instrumentation n Metals n Rubber & Plastics n Site-Safety & Janitorial

ODOUR ISSUE? AIR SPECTRUM ODOUR CONTROL odour assessment odour dispersion modelling olfactometric sampling odour management planning scentroid measurement hedonic tone assessments odour sensitivity testing misting systems neutralisers equipment

ECA INVESTMENT

ADVANTAGE

FROM AUMA UK The SIPOS 5, supplied and supported in the UK by AUMA, is the first electric actuator to be included on the Energy Technology List as part of the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme.

The programme enables UK based businesses to claim a 100% first year capital allowance, (as opposed to the usual 18%), on investment in the equipment against taxable profits of the period of the investment. AUMA UK, supplier of modular electric actuators to the water industry, provides comprehensive support for all AUMA and SIPOS products plus Siemens legacy actuators. Variable speed technology adopted in the SIPOS range provides advanced actuation benefits including protection against water hammer. As the only OEM approved actuator repairer for AUMA and SIPOS in the UK, the company oversees all service functions. For an overview of the ETL, visit: https://etl.decc.gov.uk/etl/site.html Search the Energy Technology Product List for AUMA Actuators Ltd. AUMA - leading manufacturer and global supplier of modular electric actuators. AUMA Actuators Ltd has been granted a licence to use the ETL logo by the Department of the Environment and Climate Control - DECC licence no. 03209.

01905 362100 www.airspectrum.com The one stop odour control and dust suppression specialists

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Tel: +44 (0) 1275 871141 Email: mail@auma.co.uk

www.auma.com


Our expertise is as precious as water itself... Aqualogy is the global technology and solutions division of Agbar, one of the world’s largest water and waste water companies, with specialist products, services and expertise available across the entire water cycle. OUR SERVICES AND PRODUCTS

SLUDGE MANAGEMENT Including low temperature sludge drying, and heat XVIEXQIRX YWMRK KEWM½GEXMSR SV T]VSP]WMW

LEAKAGE SERVICES Detection of physical losses with trace gases (helium) and products to assist in the detection of apparent losses.

NETWORK MANAGEMENT Including water mains chlorination, pressure valve installation & maintenance and network data collection services.

ICE PIGGING Innovative and patented method of cleaning pipes. Learn more at www.icepigging.co.uk

Telephone: Email:

+44 1454 800 468 info@aqualogyuk.com

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Pocket-Sized Electronic Listening Stick for Acoustic Leak Detection The new Tmic from HWM is a highly cost-effective monitoring tool for identifying leak noises on the water network that would otherwise be inaudible to the human ear. The lightweight and portable device allows operators to hear amplified sound via high quality, rechargeable wireless Bluetooth headphones, while an LED display simultaneously shows a clear visual representation of noise levels – all in a package small enough to fit in a shirt pocket. By storing the previous reading in its built-in memory, Tmic allows the operator to visually compare current and previously recorded noise levels. This lets the user quickly determine whether a noise is caused by a leak and, if so, where the most likely position of the leak is. The high quality digital sensor can be placed directly on the pipe or coupling and provides levels of sensitivity and noise quality far beyond what is possible with mechanical listening sticks. An additional magnetic attachment is available if required and the Tmic can also be connected to a detachable metre long extension rod to access congested or difficult to reach areas.

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instituteofwater.org.uk

An ergonomic, robust design and long battery life from standard alkaline cells mean that Tmic is always ready to use in any situation. Weighing just 180 grams, it can be easily carried in a shirt or trouser pocket, and a bright LED torch is built into the head for use at night or to investigate dark chambers. For additional convenience, the wireless headphones ensure full freedom of movement with no risk of tangled cables, and the unit is supplied with its accessories in a durable carrying case with precision cut foam compartments to protect all components in transit. Since the earliest days of leak detection operators have listened for the noise generated by water escaping from buried supply pipes under pressure. Contrary to common perception, it is not always the largest leaks which produce the loudest noise; often a large split in a water pipe will produce a quieter sound than a small hole. Traditional mechanical listening sticks rely on only one of

the user's senses: hearing. However, not all leaks produce a noise audible to the human ear. Therefore, an electronic acoustic sensor which amplifies noise below the unaided audible threshold, and visually displays the result, is now considered a highly valuable tool when surveying for underground leaks or confirming a leak position prior to digging.


E H T Y L P M I S

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BARRIER PIPE AND FITTINGS SYSTEM

Specially developed for drinking water transportation through contaminated land, Protecta-Line has been the UK’s leading barrier system for over 15 years. And there are definite reasons why: Proven defence against all recognised brownfield contaminants Second-to-none approval status and Kitemark to WIS 4-32-19 for the entire system The most complete range of fully integrated pipes and fittings IWEX Innovation Award winner Suitable for corrosive conditions – avoid expensive soil reports

Find out more at: www.gpsuk.com/protecta-line


GROUNDBREAKER SYSTEMS

Can you afford NOT to go Smart with sustainable homes? Given that it takes about 40gm of carbon to clean 1m3 of water to make it fit for consumption, and about 70 gm of carbon to make it safe to return it safely to the environment, it would therefore be a relatively simple matter to enhance to carbon footprint by managing water consumption effectively. The Code for Sustainable Homes offers up to 7.5 points if average water consumption can be reduced to an average of 80 litres per day per person, based on predicted consumption, it therefore follows that only an accessible water meter with the facility to be read regularly can deliver real time and usable information. For many years the water service has been the poor relation of the utilities, with company apparatus left in an inaccessible position in the footpath, only recently have water meters been able to be co-located with gas and electricity meters to offer accessibility and combined reading facilities in a location which would also be compliant with Secure by Design criteria. To any housing stock manager, the most valuable element in this matter is the opportunity to acquire valuable points towards the zero carbon homes, which might be construed as just reward for any effort expended.

By leaving the utility meters in an accessible position, it also means that Water Regulator (Ofwat) directives for the aged and infirm can be achieved effectively. Not only can the above scenario be built into new developments, it can also be used on existing housing stock where planned maintenance is carried out – i.e. water service renewals (leaks, lead pipes etc.) In this case, a water service can be replaced in just two hours or less, with no trauma to the home occupier, and it is probably no surprise that one of the UK’s largest insurance / maintenance organisations specifies our products for all such occurrences. In summary, by the use of a surface mounted water meter system which is approved by Water Regulations, a housing stock holder can literally be smart and tick all the boxes!

For further reading and information, please visit our web site www.groundbreaker.co.uk

For cost effective water management solutions for new build, refurb, and water consumption management Groundbreaker ticks all the boxes

9 Reduce Carbon footprint. 9 Contribute to Code for Sustainable Homes by allowing ease of water consumption monitoring.

9 Meet Secure by Design Criteria Co-located utility meters.

9 Water Regulation approved. 9 Offers multiple location options. 9 Easy access platform for “smart” meters. 9 Use on new or existing housing stock. 9 Low cost maintenance facility.

For more information please call 01449 673 451 or e-mail: sales@groundbreaker.co.uk

www.groundbreaker.co.uk

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Freeflow Pipesystems Quality and Service First Freeflow Pipesystems is the only UK Pipework Fabrication company to be DWI (Drinking Water Inspectorate) approved for the application of Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coating. Manufacturing Bespoke Pipework in Carbon Steel and all grades of Stainless Steel, sizes 50mm to 3500mm diameters.

Producing a full range of pipework related products: • Dismantling Joints • Flexible Couplings • Flange Adaptors • Wall Couplings • Pressure Vessels • Saturation Tanks • Fabriweld • Hatch Boxes

Autobase Industrial Park, Tipton Road, Oldbury, West Midlands B69 3HE

Tel: +44 (0) 121 522 3552 Fax: +44 (0) 121 522 4783 www.freeflowpipesystems.com


MULTICAL ® 21 Intelligent Water Meters

LONG LIVE REMOTE METER READING! With Kamstrup’s Award Winning ultrasonic water meters you can count every last drop. With built-in leak detection and wireless remote reading, the meters provide accurate data for concise billing. Kamstrup provides easy to install, cost effective wireless metering reading to improve your water conservation and business needs from walk-by to network solutions Visit www.multical21.com or call us on 01787 319081 to find out more about intelligent water metering and remote reading solutions.

WRAS APPROVED HOT/COLD WATER METERS

Innovative ideas from Saint Gobain “If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.” Albert Einstein

Blutop is an innovative ductile iron pipe system dedicated to small diameter potable water distribution which combines the strength of ductile iron with the lightness of plastic.

www.blutop.co.uk

email innovations.uk.pam@saint-gobain.com SG Blutop Press Ads 115x180 130327.indd 1

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fastflow

Hand held technology helps Fastflow get to grips with repair programme Electronic data interchange is giving the water infrastructure division of Washington-based utility service provider Fastflow a helping hand. “The project has been particularly beneficial in creating a two data communication channel with site teams which has been a key driver in improving performance. Not only is this system enhancing client and ultimately customer service delivery but it also has a number of environmental advantages as it focuses on switching from paper-based job management and data collection systems to IT-based solutions. “This has included the use of Windows Mobile handheld devices and more recently android to maximise the benefit of smartphone technology and deliver vital job information real-time.” Fastflow is currently delivering short cycle works - largely focused on meter installation – a service for which it helped Northumbrian Water to achieve its best ever results in 2012/13. The company, which maintains 450 square miles of the North East’s clean water network, has deployed integrated works management personal digital assistants (PDAs) to support mains rehabilitation and renewal, repairs and maintenance, new connections, metering, reinstatement and incident support. The technology, coupled with electronic data interchange with a client’s systems, is providing Fastflow, its client and customers with unprecedented levels of information and ultimately, stakeholder satisfaction. Completing 40,000 jobs annually across the North East, North Yorkshire, Cumbria, in Scotland and on gas transmission projects throughout the UK, Fastflow clients include Northumbrian Water Limited (NWL), Anglian Water (which provides services in Hartlepool), Scottish Water and National Grid. Fastflow’s contract administration and management system (CAMS) and iJob can track street-works notice and capture real time site information, including photographic evidence. In addition, it provides GPS coordinates for excavations, fittings, materials used and reinstatement patch sizes. It can also electronically interface information to and from a client’s works management, customer service, technical and commercial systems.

Since launching CAMS and iJob Fastflow has achieved a 90% reduction in paper based instructions and a 95% decrease in the time taken for meter information to reach the client’s billing teams - from 21 days to just a day. Claire Sharp, NWL Distribution Manager, said: “The implementation of this electronic data solution has brought significant benefits. Information gathering, sharing and communication has improved and services are much more responsive, significantly benefitting our customers.” Detailed process mapping and the drive to realise the potential benefits of the system have provided Fastflow with a strategic differentiator. Using EDI (electronic data interchange), Fastflow is now seamlessly transferring data from CAMS directly into the client’s systems. Further objectives include the automation of both stock replenishment for site teams and financial closure with clients on jobs. Shaun Hastings, Group Director at Fastflow added: “What’s surprising is just how quickly digital information becomes the norm. It slots seamlessly into the way you work in the business. The contribution of CAMS and iJob to the success of the NWL contract has given us the platform to grow the business and deliver our strategic goals.

Other current projects include work on 73 kilometres of pipeline in Tyneside and Wearside, including 25 kilometres of iron compliance works. In addition, a major diversion scheme for Sunderland City Council at St. Mary’s Boulevard is underway. Fastflow has also recently secured a British Safety Council International Safety Award. After a rigorous evaluation, carried out by highly qualified health and safety adjudicators, Fastflow was added to the 550 organisations across the UK to achieve the accreditation. Added Shaun Hastings: “We have invested a great deal of effort in health and safety in recent years so it is pleasing to see that this has been recognised by such a highly respected organisation as the British Safety Council. The safety of our people and those living in the communities in which we carry out work is our top priority. A good safety record means we are operating correctly and efficiently which, at the end of the day, is good for business.” Fastflow is an independent business with over 21 years experience in the water and gas sectors. It offers clients a full range of in-house services such as scheme design, streetworks management, project management, construction and 24 hour customer care.

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Additional stand representatives reduced rate of £150+VAT (max President’s Dinner available upo

*£2,000+VAT for non-Company Members

At-Bristol Science Centre, Bristol

5-6 June 2014 7

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6 ft x 5 ft exhibition space and company synopsis and contact details to be include in Conference Preview and delegate pack. Technolog ATA 7 6 FWR Additional stand representatives/delegates can be booked at a Catering Catering Catering Primayer 11 12 13 14 Catering Catering Catering reduced rate of £150+VAT (max 2). Additional seats for the President’s Dinner available upon request.

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*£2,000+VAT for non-Company Members Outside Terrace We’d love to have your business exhibit at the Institute of Water Annual Conference 2014. For further information or to make a

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erence Hallbooking please contact Dan Barton, Marketing & Communications Manager: ook ow! CloaksPrimayer Catering Catering dan@instituteofwater.org.uk / 0191 422 Catering 0088 / www.instituteofwater.org.uk ATA

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ANNUAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 5-6 June 2014

‘Focussing on excellence in customer service’ At-Bristol Science Centre, Bristol Chaired by Heidi Mottram, Institute of Water President and Chief Executive Officer of Northumbrian Water Ltd

The latest industry thinking, innovation, best practice, news and ideas mixed with a wide social programme.


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AMP6 P re v iew


AMP6

P re v iew

A welcome change of direction for AMP 6?

40

Initial signs are encouraging that the nature of the AMP process may finally be changing. Although AMP 6 itself does not kick in until March 2015, many are predicting an emphasis on value for money and long term outcomes, including a focus on the total expenditure on an installation over its lifetime. Tony Hoyle, General Manager for ABB’s UK Measurement Products business, explains how the AMP process could finally be undergoing a much needed change of direction. After years of acting contrary to the interests of many of the parties within it, it would seem that the AMP process is finally starting to undergo some welcome changes. Especially encouraging is Ofwat’s focus on ‘long term outcomes’ and its aim to give water companies greater flexibility in how they deliver them. Quoted in an Ofwat press notice earlier this year, outgoing Chief Executive Officer, Regina Finn, said:

This change away from the rigidly structured five-year capital infrastructure projects of previous AMP periods to a more flexible total life focused approach will have a positive impact on the supply chain. Water companies are now likely to be looking more at sourcing suppliers offering not only products, but also the expertise needed to support them throughout their working life.

“There has been broad support for our plans which align with a culture that is changing in the water sector. We want companies to move away from ticking regulatory boxes and to concentrate instead on the importance of delivering for customers now and in the future including the environment. Our changes will drive a more efficient, dynamic, and customerfocused sector, developing long term solutions to meet long term challenges. This is good news for customers, the environment and the economy.”

The prospect of a focus on the long term offers encouragement for those keen to see a smoother AMP process. In particular, a focus on the longer term would certainly help to avoid the detrimental impact caused by the ramping up and ramping down of activities during the transition between previous periods.

instituteofwater.org.uk

a smoother AMP transition’ will know that I am a keen advocate of starting work on a new AMP period as early as possible. A quick scan of the marketplace already offers some encouraging signs of preparations being underway for the new AMP period. Several of the UK’s largest water utilities, for example, have already started to undertake the preliminary work involved in selecting partners for their AMP 6 projects so that they can get work underway as soon as Ofwat releases funding.

Partnerships and early starts

Severn Trent Water, United Utilities, Southern Water, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, Thames Water, Anglian Water and Yorkshire Water have already reached various key stages in finding and appointing their partners and contractors for AMP 6.

Anyone who has read my previous article ‘Why partnership and early starts may pave the way to

Indeed, Thames Water has actually gone one step further, announcing in May this year its


AMP 6

Such partnerships could well present a workable and effective template for future AMP periods. As well as allowing the fulfilment of the immediate objectives of an AMP period, they could also provide the much-needed framework for continuity that has been badly lacking in previous years. By enabling partner companies to count on their continued association with a water company outside of the five year period, the creation of long-term partnerships could yield a wide variety of benefits that have not been fully realisable within the previous AMP structure.

Breeding innovation One such benefit is innovation. Compared to other industries, the UK’s water sector has seen relatively little in the way of transformative innovation. In the same period that Apple has created and refined its market-leading iPhone and iPad products, for example, there has been relatively little if any real change in the technologies used by water companies to treat, distribute and collect potable and wastewater. The AMP process has done little to help create a conducive environment for technological innovation. Faced with an uncertain

Summary

environment caused by the five year structure of an AMP period, companies have had little incentive to invest time, money and resources into new products and services, which typically require a much longer payback. It is not as if there isn’t room for innovation in water applications. Figures from intellectual property law specialist Marks and Clerk show that patents filed for new technologies in the Chinese water sector have grown each year, accounting for around 28 percent of all patent applications worldwide. This proves that a sufficient incentive to innovate – in China’s case the need to match a scarce resource to the needs of billions of people – can lead to new technologies being developed if both the will and the market is there. There is also a considerable amount of innovation going on behind the scenes in the UK itself. Various academic institutions, such as Cranfield and Sheffield, are already working with various suppliers, for example, to develop new products. An example is Project Neptune, which was a strategic partnership between ABB, Yorkshire Water, United Utilities, the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and seven UK universities involving the development of new technologies for gathering and utilising real time information on water leakage.

All of the indications are that AMP6 could well be the first all-round win scenario in the scheme’s history. Whereas in the past water companies were reliant on Ofwat to set their investment priorities, the greater freedom being afforded within AMP 6 means that they can now focus more on their existing infrastructure, leading to potential improvements in performance that could increase effectiveness and, ultimately, profitability. For suppliers, the longer term focus being encouraged by Ofwat, together with the apparent trend towards the formation of AMPindependent partnerships, provides greater certainty and the ability to better plan their own resources without the disruption caused by inter-cycle ramping. For the UK’s water customers, there is the prospect both of price stability and the corresponding benefits of a more innovative water industry where both water companies and suppliers are more prepared to take reasoned investment risks and trial new technologies. For once this could actually be an AMP cycle to look forward to.

It is to be hoped that the prospect of a more long-term approach will help to pave the way for more programmes such as these. For suppliers especially, the prospect of working with water

“There has been broad support for our plans which align with a culture that is changing in the water sector. We want companies to move away from ticking regulatory boxes and to concentrate instead on the importance of delivering for customers now and in the future including the environment. Our changes will drive a more efficient, dynamic, and customer-focused sector, developing long term solutions to meet long term challenges. This is good news for customers, the environment and the economy.” instituteofwater.org.uk

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“We have a significant amount of work to do, upgrading our deteriorating infrastructure over the next 25 years and beyond, while keeping customers’ bills affordable. If we are to achieve this, a different approach is required.”

companies on projects across the AMP periods provides a much more attractive environment in which to provide and develop new products and services.

AMP6

‘super-alliance’, which has been established to maximise collaboration between the company and its various suppliers. Even before the start of AMP 6, this ‘super-alliance’ is already at work on some parts of Thames Water’s proposed programme, which will see continued improvements to its infrastructure not just within AMP 6, but for at least the next 25 years. In an article in New Civil Engineer in September (‘AMP6 frameworks: getting shovel ready’), Lawrence Gosden, Thames Water’s asset director, says that a key reason behind the formation of the super-alliance was to completely transform the way that the company delivers its capital investment programme:

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Getting ready for AMP6 or have we already started? AMP6 challenges and opportunities

AMP6

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MWH Water Sector Director, Richard Ratcliff reviews the impact that AMP6 is already having and the challenges of moving from outputs to outcomes.

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The start of AMP6 is still 18 months away, but it doesn’t seem like it. PR14 business plans will be submitted in December of this year. Several Water companies have already completed their AMP6 supply chain procurement and are starting to prepare for AMP6, allowing consultants and contractors to look at programme optimisation, efficiency campaigns and even early start programmes. All water companies will have their AMP6 supply chain in place by the start of year 5 of AMP5, to allow time to prepare for AMP6.This will mean a smooth start to AMP6 as opposed to previous AMPs where we have seen dramatic rush to ramp up during Year 1 of the AMP.

A shift to an outcome focus OFWAT has driven this change in the regulatory framework for AMP6. It has generated a greater focus on the “Customer” in terms of service, customer contacts and the “willingness to pay”. This enhanced customer focus has facilitated a change process across the industry, with water companies and their supply chains recognising

instituteofwater.org.uk

that the end customer is everyone’s client.

the same outcomes.

OFWAT has also introduced a new landscape for operating in the water industry and chosen to follow other regulatory industries and adopt Total Expenditure (Totex). This is driving a new thought process within the UK water industry to understand the implications on AMP6 delivery and to create the appropriate balance between capital and operational expenditure.

Delivering AMP6 efficiency

At present the UK Water industry is trying to come to terms with the change from 25 years of output delivery to the AMP6 outcomes delivery model. The individual water company outcomes have been developed as part of the Customer Challenge Groups consultation process. Water companies have then mapped sub-outcomes and outputs to these outcomes as part of their PR14 business planning process. The challenge for the water industry is for the water companies and their supply chain partners to not just understand this new language but to successfully map the delivery process to the customer outcomes and drive efficiency. Key will be to look for different approaches to meet

To achieve AMP6 efficiency will require the water companies and their supply chains to adopt “Lean delivery” and drive out waste. The delivery process will need to be optimised to maximise resource efficiency, take advantage of asset optimisation, increase productivity and embed innovation. Delivering AMP6 efficiency will rely on making the right solution decision. This will be based on the appropriate level of accurate data, analysis and collaborative stakeholder engagement. Developing an optimised delivery programme well in advance of AMP6 start is critical to identifying delivery efficiencies, flattening the supply chain delivery curve and also optimising the Tier 2 production and manufacturing schedules. Producing an optimised AMP programme is perhaps not as straight forward as in previous AMPs, as this time there are less large, “Quality” projects. Capital maintenance


MWH

We are also seeing water companies reorganising their internal structures to minimise waste, drive integration and collaboration and focus the company on efficiency, customer outcomes and innovation.

AMP6 – The first customer led investment period AMP6 will be dominated by an ever increasing need to improve customer service, but still meet the aspirations of water industry investors. This is a good thing as having to meet customer outcomes and maintain “affordability” will drive innovation into the UK water industry. The most successful water companies and their supply chains will be those which put Customer at the centre of everything they do and prioritise investment to meet customer outcomes.

AMP6 will see a net reduction in energy usage

Energy price inflation over AMP6 will drive a net energy reduction across the AMP in order to maintain energy operational costs at their present levels. This is a huge challenge as over previous AMPs we have seen an increasing energy demand based on the need to install new infrastructure to meet tightening environmental standards and increasing drinking water quality. To meet the Opex challenge, capital delivery teams will have to work hand in hand with operations teams, in driving the supply chain to design, construct and procure equipment which matches the requirements and skills of the end user. We will see a greater level of automation and data visualisation to further maximise performance from existing assets and also allow operators to make informed decisions.

AMP6 will be dominated by “Big Data” The need to improve customer service will focus water companies on asset resilience and the need to prioritise asset investment to areas which achieve the greatest reduction in risk. The prioritisation process will look at the greatest return on investment and will be dependent upon using the latest and best asset data. Companies who can best interpret the masses of asset data and use this to prioritise asset investment will increase asset portfolio resilience, have lower operational risk and

therefore manage customer service and contacts more effectively.

AMP6 will drive changing skills sets Over the last 25 years the water industry has been dominated by programmes of large capital intensive projects, but this will change in AMP6. To meet the challenges of AMP6 the UK Water resource base will need to become customer focused, understand risk and prioritisation, take on productivity concepts from the manufacturing industry, continually innovate and be able to thrive in a changing environment. AMP6 presents many new challenges. To succeed in AMP6 will require new skills and approaches which in turn will provide companies and individuals with exciting opportunities to grow, innovate and evolve. Richard Ratcliff, MWH water sector director for Europe and Africa, can be contacted at richard.w.ratcliff@mwhglobal.com

About MWH MWH is a private, employee-owned firm with approximately 7,000 employees worldwide. The company provides water, wastewater, energy, natural resource, program management, consulting and construction services to industrial, municipal, utility and government clients in Europe, the Americas, Middle East, India, Asia and the Pacific Rim. MWH has worked in the UK for over 160 years and has designed, built and managed many of the largest, most innovative and technologically advanced projects around the world. For more information please email mwhuk.info@mwhglobal.com or visit www.mwhglobal.com

instituteofwater.org.uk

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Collaborative behaviour is central The trend in AMP6 procurement is for water companies to contract with the supply chain based on partnership arrangements with shared goals and incentives. Performance in AMP5 delivery models has shown that this is driving the right behaviours, innovation and efficiency outperformance. It is clear that to meet the AMP6 challenges it will be necessary to have an aligned and integrated delivery team focused on driving innovation, collaboration and minimising waste.

AMP6 will see a greater focus on Operational Expenditure (Opex). This will be driven by Totex being adopted in the delivery process to drive the lowest whole life cost of assets and projects. Water companies will strive to maximise existing asset performance and take advantage of operational headroom, as well as reducing operational costs of existing assets and only look to install new assets which drive out long term operational benefits.

AMP6

will dominate in most Water Company AMP6 programmes, so matching geography batching with water company asset renewal plans will have its challenges. AMP6 will also require us to map the delivery programme to outcomes and to drive Totex and lowest cost of asset ownership through an optimised programme.

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Royal Haskoning DHV

Using Smart Tools to support operational effectiveness

AMP6

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Since privatisation in 1989, the nearly ÂŁ100 billion spent on Water infrastructure has helped bring a near crumbling infrastructure to a much better shape.

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Within this, successive AMP programmes have helped tackle engineering performance, water quality and wider environmental challenges. Through hydraulic modelling development and condition assessments to understand the state, capacities and pinch points within the systems, the earlier AMP programmes enabled the creation and delivery of targeted improvement programmes. It didn’t seem long ago since I was part of a team developing of the first generation of hydraulic models for North West Water (now United Utilities) within AMP1. The current economic realities, regulatory, political and customer pressures are likely to demand more efficiency, waste minimisation and optimisation of the value and performance from existing systems within the forthcoming AMP 6. To date, the need to strike the right balance between investment, performance, cost, regulatory compliance and customer satisfaction has been sufficient to create an acceptable level of efficiency of operation and delivery. As we move to AMP 6, Water Companies are required to focus on long term outcomes, moving from output to broader outcome based regulation, and like all other industries, are unlikely to be spared from the requirement to deliver more for less. This will require more than a further squeeze on resources and processes. Instead, it will stimulate the need for smarter approaches, whereby the industry embraces appropriate use of innovative methods and tools to revolutionise its delivery. The focus will shift from more efficient to more effective delivery. The UK water industry will need to embrace smarter technologies that are already transforming operational effectiveness in sewer management in other developed countries. One such tool is the use of Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) technology to monitor the temporal

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and/or spatial variation of a range of in-sewer processes that can affect the temperature in a sewer. Through non-obstructive and remote methods, the DTS generates high-density temperature measurements every 30 to 60 seconds for every meter of a sewer or storm water system. Analyses of the high density information obtained over a few weeks enables temporal and/ or spatial variation of many in-sewer processes that affect in-sewer temperatures. These include location of illegal (or mis-) connections of foul water discharges to storm sewers (or vice versa), extraneous inflows to sewers and storm water systems and malfunctions within in-sewer structures. The figure insert shows the detection of storm water inflows at various locations along a foul sewer.

when the increase in urbanisation and impacts of climate change among other issues are set to further increase loading on the systems, such smarter approaches to problem identification would be demanded and expected as part of AMP6. At the over 30 sites where DTS has been used successfully across Europe, all have followed unsuccessful attempts to address the problems using more traditional approaches such as visual inspection / sampling (e.g. detergents / caffeine), CCTV inspections and dye testing / sound testing. The particular attributes of the DTS that contributed to its success include its very high density and visual nature of the data, allowing targeted response; continuous rather than snapshot nature of the data; extremely low level of interference (access only required via manhole) and cost effectiveness and intelligent identification/targeting of problem to a metre length within system. UK Water companies to varying extents have set up initiatives to encourage identification and piloting of innovative methods and tools to support their operational delivery. It remains a big challenge however to take promising ideas, methods or tools through the assessment and piloting stage. It is even a much larger problem progressing from a positive pilot to incorporation into business as usual.

Smart identification of such malfunctions through DTS enables the targeting of management action to the sources of problems and avoids unnecessary pumping station upgrades, high frequency flooding of sewers, reduction in energy consumption, pump wear and pollutant loads. At a time when the transfer of private sewers regulation 2011 has led to sewerage undertakers taking over a lot of previously private sewers where there is increased risk of misconnections,

There is a need for much sleeker routes from identifying innovation to embedding successful ones into the business if the industry is to address its huge challenges of enhanced operational effectiveness which will be demanded by AMP6. Article by Fola Ogunyoye, Technical Director Royal HaskoningDHV


Visionary responses to global water challenges Water Ambition and Imagination We live in a complex world, shaped and challenged by water. Royal HaskoningDHV understands these challenges and works with our clients to create solutions. Continuing to achieve economic growth in changing times, using water as a driver for growth and resilient communities � Designing our cities of the future to be Water Smart, with the hydro-social environment in balance � Creating Water Security and Resilience through integrated management of extreme events to deal with both floods and droughts �

Connecting water infrastructure needs with investment opportunities � Harnessing water as a resource and a sustainable energy source � More efficient water use for agriculture through technical and institutional solutions, to provide “more crop per drop” � Reducing our water footprint and making a step-change from eco-efficient towards eco-effective water use �

Contact us about helping to deliver your water challenges and visions at water@uk.rhdhv.com

royalhaskoningdhv.com


P re v iew AMP6 46

eight2O: industry-leading Alliance Industry-leading firms have formed an alliance to carry out billions of pounds of essential improvements to Thames Water’s infrastructure for the AMP6 period. It marks a complete transformation in the way Britain’s biggest water and sewerage company delivers capital investment.

So what’s different about the Alliance approach?

The focus will be on delivering value, as opposed to just cost-efficiency, and taking a long-term view as well as making sure shorter-term goals are met.

n More rapid, less costly procurement process

The eight-strong Alliance is called ‘eight2O’ and comprises five groupings. These include two design and build JVs consisting of Costain, Veolia and Atkins (CVA) and Skanska, MWH and Balfour Beatty (SMB), as well as a programme manager in MWH and a technology innovator in IBM, plus Thames Water itself as both client and partner. The working principles of Thames Water’s new AMP6 Alliance represent a big change from past delivery models and include a joint team working with an integrated supply chain, boosting safety and efficiency and making sure solutions delivered are innovative, sustainable, and present greater value for money in the future – not just the cheapest solution.

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n The partners have been involved in the consultation from the outset n Broader approach to selecting partners

n Focus on value, not just cost-efficiency n Most sustainable and innovative solutions n Totex based investment decisions eight2O is already working with Thames Water under an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) agreement. Securing the ECI phase means all of the partners are working to help build a robust and deliverable wholesale business plan, before implementation in 2015. The alliance is set to carry out between £2bn and £3bn of work. Thames Water’s investment programme for the five years from 2015 will be finalised following the 2014 water industry review of prices by the regulator Ofwat. There is potential to extend contracts after this five-year period to 2025.


WRc Open Innovation Day

AMP6

The theme for the 2014 WRc Open Innovation Day is “Value for Customers through Innovation�. The focus of the day will be using innovation as a means of delivering value to customers. There will be a mix of excellent speakers, innovative technologies, interactive sessions and great networking opportunities.

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30th April 2014 at WRc, Swindon

Attendance is FREE. To register your interest in joining us: Telephone: 01793 865075 Email: pr@wrcplc.co.uk Website: wrcplc.co.uk

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GPS PE PIPE SYSTEMS

Is AMP6 When the Model Meets Maturity? Dom West of GPS PE Pipe Systems discusses how the lessons learned from AMP5 can help maximise the outcomes of AMP6. There is a characteristic that marks out all successful businesses: it’s not that they don’t make any mistakes; it’s that they learn from any mistakes they make.

The £40 million Boston to Covenham is just one example where getting supplier on board has helped achive huge carbon and capital costs reductions.

It’s unlikely that anyone – be they water company, contractor or supplier – would assert that the water industry’s five-year investment model has been problem free. However, it’s now eighteen months until the AMP6 programme officially starts in April 2015 and there are already signs that better planning, supply chain management and strategic thinking are in place this time around. That’s good news for all those involved in the sector and for the 64 million people who rely on the UK’s water infrastructure.

AMP6

P re v iew

When we review AMP5 as a means of looking forward to what will change during AMP6, one of the most significant changes is the development of a collaborative approach to delivering schemes. Integrated teams that include water companies, contractors and consultants enable infrastructure schemes to tap into a combined technical, commercial, construction and regulatory knowledge that ensures the most efficient use of resources, the most effective project design and the best possible project delivery in terms of cost, quality and speed.

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More water companies started to embrace this collaborative working during AMP5 and found that such knowledge sharing helps to drive innovation as well as achieving efficiencies on individual projects. Based on this experience we’re now seeing water companies appointing their delivery partners earlier so that planning and investment can begin earlier in the delivery cycle and security of supply and start dates can be assured. The perfect example of this is the ‘Super Alliance’ put together by Thames Water a whole two years before the start of AMP6. The company’s decision to agree two-year early

Dom West, Sales Director, GPS PE Pipe Systems

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contractor involvement deals, which may be followed by potential five-year AMP6 contracts and then extended to 2025, follows the success of Anglian Water’s @one Alliance partnerships during AMP5. Anglian Water itself issued its framework notice for AMP6 in December 2012 in order to have an established team in place ready for AMP6 next April. Framework agreements are getting longer too, with United Utilities’ framework agreement set to run for up to 12 years during both AMP6 and AMP7 if optional extensions are implemented. The question now is how much further can the water companies take this approach: can further efficiencies and project delivery improvements be achieved by bringing suppliers in on the act too? As a supplier to water sector infrastructure projects, GPS would, naturally, reply to that question with a resounding ‘yes!’ – and not without good reason. Many schemes during AMP5 benefitted from significant synergies and savings by getting suppliers involved from an early stage in the project design and delivery process. The suppliers may have been outside of the formal delivery framework, but there is a growing recognition amongst water companies that suppliers have an important role to play in advising, troubleshooting and contributing to a number of levels of planning. Anglian Water’s £40 million Boston to Covenham

pipeline project is an excellent example of how this approach worked during AMP5 with the specification of GPS’s Excel New Blue pipe not only delivering benefits in terms of material costs, but also in terms of ease and speed of installation, durability and embedded carbon. That emphasis on examining the product benefits from a more whole life and holistic perspective is another trend that we can expect to continue during AMP6. The move from a CAPEX/OPEX approach to the TOTEX model is likely to drive innovation during AMP6, while Ofwat’s SIM (Service Incentive Mechanism) is designed to make water companies more customer-focused. As a result, we can expect leakage and demand management to be clear priorities and suppliers will have a key role to play in addressing issues like the 3.1 billion litres of water estimated to be lost from the system every day in England and Wales. The flexibility of PE pipe, which offers a robust solution unaffected by ground movement or heave, is just one example of the productcentred approaches that water companies will need to embrace if AMP6 is to become the most successful investment programme yet with the most enduring legacy. Read GPS PE Pipe Systems blogs at www. gpsuk.com/blog or tweet @GPS_PE_Pipes.


EPSCO

EPSolve® Advantages EPSolve® is a chemical cleaning system that can be applied to existing water mains to remove organic deposition, biofilm accumulations, and also corrosion build-ups in older ductile iron pipelines. The system also has highly flexible sprayed application methods for CWTs and service reservoirs.

n The cleaning effect removes bio-fouling and corrosion build-ups n Low concentrations of two component chemical mixture n In-built simultaneous certifiable disinfection function n Well established system and operatives n Non-toxic and non-Chlorine based n Environmentally favourable alternatives n DEFRA/DWI Regulation 31 List Approved n Registered under the new EU Biocidal Products Regulation n Packaged disinfections kits available for SLOs own use.

Our client had a requirement to clean and disinfect a large section of trunk water main (including a two directional branch) to remove heavy Iron and Manganese deposition that was contributing to bacterial growth and parameters out with quality standards. One of our Project Managers proceeded to liaise with the undertaker about technical specifications including expected flow rates, reviewed as laid drawings, and visited site to verify hydrants, air valves, wash outs and surrounding work locations.

chemical injected into a fully charged main, and propelled using flow rates at 10-40m3/ hr. The project was planned to require two EPSCO mobile units - a 3.5T van with on-board power, compressed air and high-flow dosing equipment – supplemented with an off-road vehicle to access hydrants across rural land/ un-made tracks. The project was planned over 12 days include mobilisation and only required a team 3 x EPSCO personnel, working shifts to monitor the treatment continuously over longer periods.

A treatment plan was produced by EPSCO for approval that separated the main into 5 sections of 4.4km, 5.6km, 8km, 4.6km and a short 0.4km run. Each section was divided so as to find the most efficient way of treatment in terms of flow rates, chemical treatment levels and on-site logistics. The treatment chemical was to be applied using varying sizes of hydraulic plugs, built using

The project was delivered as per the above specifications, with paperwork and certification issued immediately following the treatment. The efficacy of cleaning was reported to be very successful by our client, with the noted reduction in reference parameters such as turbidity, iron, manganese, along with reduction in bacteria counts.

EPSolve™ Chemical Cleaning & Disinfection of Clean Water Infrastructure

CLEANING | DISINFECTION | INSPECTION | CONSULTING | ASSESSMENT For over 20 years EPSCO has been involved in providing first class, innovative and specialist chemical treatment solutions for the water industry across the UK. Undertakers use our proprietary system, which is independently tested and DWI approved, to chemically remove deposits in existing in-service mains. The system is also used extensively to

commission treat distribution infrastructure from 15,000m3 trunk mains right down to small bore residential tie-ins. Our simultaneous cleaning and disinfection process is ideal for the cleaning & disinfection of high capacity service reservoirs – providing best in class cleanliness with minimal operation disruption.

EPSCO Limited Arran Road, Perth, PH1 3DZ E: info@epsco.co.uk T: 01738 446363 www.epsco.co.uk

All our chemicals and processes are non-Chlorine based and designed to reduce environmental pressures associated with chlorination.

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P re v iew

n Effective against Cryptosporidium, Pseudomonas and Legionella

Case Study: Cleaning & Disinfection of 23 Km of 450mm HDPE Water Main

AMP6

n Fast treatment time preventing extended service interruption

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Cascade Consulting From policy to practice….providing environmental and asset planning support to the UK water industry Cascade Consulting is an independent practice specialising in multidisciplinary environmental and asset planning consultancy services.

•Habitats Regulations Assessment •Water Framework Directive •Expertise in multi-consent applications

Our clients include most of the major water companies in the UK, as well as the regulatory bodies and Government.

We bring wide experience in engaging with regulatory and planning bodies . We have a significant track record in environmental assessment at both the strategic and project level, from SEA of Water Resources Management Plans to EIA of complex multidisciplinary Projects such as major wastewater treatment works and water resource schemes.

We have supported water companies during their preparations for AMP6 on a wide variety of issues, including: •development of water resource plans •catchment management strategies •stakeholder engagement •evaluation of business plan risks As water companies embark on implementation of their AMP6 plans, our team can provide the expertise to turn policy and strategy into practice, helping ensure the successful delivery of customer and environmental outcomes.

Catchment management solutions We are market leaders in developing and implementing catchment management strategies and solutions to deliver environmental outcomes. Our team has extensive experience in developing and applying catchment management and ecosystem services concepts, alongside stakeholder engagement and environmental monitoring support. We can provide support on: •catchment science •environmental economics •ecosystem services and payments •partnership working •stakeholder engagement

AMP6

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Hydroecology planning and analysis

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We are at the forefront of Government and water industry policy development and advice on climate change, water resources and water quality, catchment management and hydroecological impact assessment. We provide a full range of hydroecology services: •catchment-scale strategic development •site-specific monitoring and analysis •project management •planning and delivery of complex or sensitive water management projects

Our services cover all stages of the EIA process: •pre-application consultation •preparation of Environmental Statements •planning conditions •Environmental Management Plans

Stakeholder engagement Cascade has extensive experience in stakeholder engagement, working with water companies to gain buy-in to solutions and involvement in partnership working. We work alongside water company staff to support their dialogue with stakeholders: •development of customer or environmental policies •resolving issues such as sewer flooding or pollution •design and delivery of engagement workshops •structured surveys and interviews •meetings with local groups

Contact us:

We focus on identifying pragmatic, costeffective solutions :

enquiries@cascadeconsulting.co.uk Tel: 0161 227 9777 www.cascadeconsulting.co.uk

•strong scientific evidence base •application of leading edge techniques •provision of robust data for decision-making

Offices in Manchester, Surrey, Bristol and Sheffield providing coverage across the UK and British Isles

Environmental compliance Our expertise in environmental and water regulation means we can offer the very best advice to water companies on ensuring compliance and avoiding regulatory delays to the delivery of solutions: •Strategic Environmental Assessment •Environmental Impact Assessment

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CONTAIN • PROTECT • SECURE United Utilities, Scottish Water, Anglian Water, Thames and Affinity and are approved suppliers to all others. The company also holds a big presence in the Power Generation, Renewables, Rail and Construction sectors. Morgan Marine Llandybie, Ammanford, Carmarthenshire SA18 3GY T: 01269 850437 E: sianp@morgan-marine.com www.morgan-marine.com

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Steel Enclosures and Single and Double Doorsets certified to SR Level 2, 3 and 4. Please see www.redbooklive.co.uk for full listings. Morgan Marine’s prestigious manufacturing site is based in South Wales and occupies 9 acres with over 120,000 square feet of purpose built manufacturing space. The company has full in house engineering, both mechanical and electrical, and extensive sales support as well as experienced site teams and logistical crew to ensure a smooth efficient service from enquiry through to installation. Morgan Marines frameworks include Welsh Water,

IChemE Forms of Contract New editions available on the IChemE shop www.icheme.org/shop Order now for an exclusive 10% discount. Use discount code IOW (*offer expires on 31/12/13)

Electronic versions now available

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ADVANCING CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WORLDWIDE

instituteofwater.org.uk

AMP6

Morgan Marine Ltd, part of Morgan GRP Ltd, has been providing equipment housing solutions to the Water Authorities and industry in general since 1965. Manufacturing from either GRP (Glass Reinforced Polymer) or Steel to suit clients specifications offering complete flexibility in size from small feeder pillars to housings 30m plus in length. The company alongside its sister company PSF Wales Ltd has invested heavily in research and development over the last 5 years in developing a range of LPCB certified Security Products designed to protect critical infrastructure against terrorist and vandal attack. These include GRP and

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geoplace

Local authorities working together to streamline the impact of streetworks 2013 marked closer relationships with the key organisations involved with the management of streetworks; GeoPlace, the Joint Authorities Group UK (JAG (UK)), and the Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee (HAUC (UK)). By Simon Bailey, NSG Custodian (left), and David Capon, JAG Manager.

GeoPlace GeoPlace is responsible for the running the national hub for the National Street Gazetteer (NSG). The NSG enables highways authorities and statutory undertakers to coordinate street works in order to ease traffic congestion and disruption to road users.

JAG (UK) and HAUC (UK) JAG(UK) represents all 209 Street and Road Authorities in Street and Road Works matters relating to the New Roads and Street Works Act: 1991 and the relevant parts of the Traffic Management Act 2004. JAG (UK) is the mechanism through which Street and Road Authorities are represented on the Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee (UK) [HAUC (UK)] which in turn advises the Department for Transport and the Government on street and road works matters.

AMP6

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Coming together

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GeoPlace and JAG (UK) have entered an agreement to work together to help local authorities identify common goals and deliver robust and efficient solutions. The partnership is giving local authorities a louder voice in presenting logical joined-up solutions to central government and other parties, driving forward better street services to the consumer by streamlining processes in the managing of street works as well as building upon the data that is held within the NSG. The relationship has already started to deliver with a number of initiatives that directly affect the way that streetworks are carried out by local authorities and utilities.

Permit schemes Permit schemes provide highway authorities with the means to better manage and coordinate activities on their road network, to minimise inconvenience and prevent disruption to road users. The NSG is an essential tool within permit schemes. It carries all the information that a utility needs to know about in respect to the roads which are earmarked for works.

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Given the potential of such schemes to reduce disruption on the network, GeoPlace and JAG (UK) have produced joint guidance for local authorities to understand the requirements in preparing their data for implementation of a permit scheme, ready for utilities to download the data from the NSG. This guidance is available on the NSG website www.thensg.org.uk

Quarterly national performance scorecard The Department of Transport has recently welcomed an initiative from HAUC (UK) to produce a quarterly performance scorecard. This provides an evidence base of the works activities of utility companies and local authorities by analysing performance indicators extracted from information routinely input to the local authorities’ streetworks management systems. The system relies on the submission of data by local authorities and the subsequent analysis of this data. HAUC (UK) has reached an agreement

with GeoPlace to carry out the analysis of the data on behalf of HAUC (UK). The more data that becomes available, the more evidence there will be for the sector to drive improvements, for the benefit of road users, citizens, local authorities and utilities. As the partnership progresses, expect to see future initiatives aimed at reducing disruption on the network.


WE UNDERSTAND WATER & WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Severn Trent Services understands water. That’s why our proven water and wastewater solutions are based on innovative disinfection and filtration technologies. These solutions help water companies, consultants and contractors achieve energy efficiency improvements, reduction in CapEX and OpEX costs and strict standards.

Our traditional and alternative water purification technologies include: – Dual Parallel Lateral Underdrains – Secondary Biological Treatment – Tertiary Wastewater Filtration – Membrane Filtration – Arsenic and Inorganic Removal – Ultraviolet Disinfection – Gas Feed and Chlorine Dioxide Systems – On-site Sodium Hypochlorite Generators – Analysers, Controllers and Gas Detectors For more information on water purification email marketing@severntrentservices.co.uk or call +44 (0)1827 266 000


Standardised

Customised

Systems-based

You choose. We supply. Our wide range of standard pumps and valves provides plenty of scope for individual demands. You can select the materials, hydraulic systems and drives. When you’re facing complex tasks, we’re with you from Day One – whether you want planning guidance, specially designed components or help with commissioning. But see for yourself. Test our products for quality and versatility and discover why KSB is so often first choice. www.ourtechnology.yoursuccess.ksb.com

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WPL

WPL Supply Package Sewage Treatment Plant to a Beautiful School in the Yorkshire Countryside When specifying a sewage treatment plant, being ‘fit for purpose’ and combining reliability and compliance are essential. Thorpe Underwood is a beautiful estate spanning over 100 acres approximately 10 miles outside of York. The estate comprises a preparatory school, sport and leisure facilities, college, accommodation blocks and catering functions.

detailing final effluent ammonia concentration levels, controlling and adjusting the blowers automatically, ensuring the ammonia levels are optimised, this means the whole plant will operate as efficiently as possible and minimises electrical consumption. For CPDs regarding sewage treatment plants please visit WPLs website where there is extensive information for architects and specifiers.

Due to expansion of the facilities, the flows and loads to the existing plant have increased over the years, and will continue to do so in the future, meaning the existing plant needed to be extensively upgraded. WPL has worked on many healthcare, education and leisure developments in both the public and private sector providing solutions to meet a diverse range of requirements. Due to the nature of the site, considerations such as variable flows and loads, installation costs and easy maintenance were vital. Through consultation with Thorpe Underwood, WPL have provided a SAF-based sewage treatment plant solution to meet the Environment Agency consent standards of BOD 20mg/l; TSS 30mg/l and NH4-N 5mg/l. The WPL

SAF was perfectly suited to the application due to its ability to meet the stringent Ammonia standard set in this instance. In addition, the flexibility of the WPL SAF available in both above or below ground configurations, was also a major factor for specification. Due to the need for fast and easy installation, combined with as minimal excavation as possible, most of the individual process plant sections that have been supplied are for use above ground. Monitors have also been installed to continually record information

With over 20 years’ industry experience, WPL’s wastewater treatment, rainwater harvesting systems and grease management solutions have been designed specifically for these types of projects. From the classroom to tourist attractions, a wide range of applications are covered.

The WPL HiPAF SAF

For efficient, biological treatment

P re v iew

If reduced wholelife costs are a priority as well as effective wastewater treatment, speak to WPL’s technical sales team. Our energy efficient blowers maintain process performance whilst saving on operational costs. With low visual impact and small footprint this makes the HiPAF the preferred choice for a compact, flexible wastewater treatment solution.

BOD and AMMONIA REMOVAL

WPL, for wastewater treatment that works. Contact Technical Sales 023 9224 2600

enquiries@wpl.co.uk

www.wpl.co.uk

Protecting the environment by delivering reliable wastewater solutions.

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Plus additional processes can be provided for DENITRIFICATION and PHOSPHATE REMOVAL.

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PUMP HIRE, SALES & SERVICE No1 UK’s

ire Pump H ist Special

Pumps From 50mm To 300mm Auto Self-Priming Pumps Super Silent From 58db(A) Hydraulic Submersibles Electric Submersibles 24/7 Callout Branches Nationwide Selwood has been manufacturing, hiring and selling pumps for over 60 years. Please call for expert advice on all pumping applications.

08450 733835

www.selwoodpumps.co.uk


SELWOOD

Selwood launch new innovative website

Selwood is reacting to customers’ requirements with greater stock availability over the full range of pumps. Selwood’s existing manufacturing facility at Chandler’s Ford in the UK has benefited from an improvement programme designed to increase efficiency and capacity. Smart procurement and greater stock holding will allow for standard products to benefit from shorter lead times which are increasingly required in this modern, fast moving marketplace. The pump units produced at the factory range from 50mm to 300mm discharge diameter and can be fitted with a variety of

different drives including diesel engines and electric motors to meet individual customer requirements. All the diesel pump engine emissions are compliant to the latest regulations and Selwood has introduced Telemetry and Auto Start systems to its super silent range utilising both floats and ultrasonic level devices that have greatly reduced the consumption of fuel at many sites. The benefit is that the pumps only work when the flows require it and they do not need attendance as they start automatically on demand. The company is also placing a special focus on its hydraulic submersible pumps, now being manufactured in its Chandler’s Ford factory. These high performance pumps are ideal for use in deep excavators and comprises of a variety of 50mm to 200mm models with electric start diesel driven hydraulic power packs fully protected by an automatic shutdown system. The hydraulic system can operate on synthetic biodegradable or vegetable oil that significantly reduces harmful environmental pollution. Part of the family is the unique Seldredge. This is

a modular system with a 150mm screw pump specially produced to mix heavy sludges and pump them away. Two 46cm rotors each side of the pump condition the sludge into a pumpable liquid by breaking up solids. Today, the company addresses the needs of many industries including construction, marine, environmental and pollution control, mining and industrial effluent management. This broad spectrum demands that a wide range of materials may be handled from water, solids in suspension and sewage to bentonite, oil, slurries and sludge. With a commitment to quality, safety and the environment, Selwood is one of the very few companies within the UK that holds all three internationally recognized quality standards, ISO 9001, BS OHSAS18001 and ISO 14001. Selwood is registered with the Achilles Utilities Vendor database (UVDB) and has been for many years. The UVDB verify and assessment service, used by the UK utility industry to source suppliers of major products and services, focuses on risk critical issues associated with Safety, Health, Environment and Quality requirements.

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The site will help customers choose the right pump for the job and features all the company literature, data sheets and service instructions in a simple and easy to access way. Words are kept to a minimum with the details being as succinct and informative as possible. Well featured are the environmental products now available for hire. These include Fuel Cubes, Drip Trays, Settlement Tanks, Silt Traps and the newly introduced Silt Bags, a quick, simple and cost effective solution to removing suspended solids from pumped water.

P re v iew

Selwood is launching a new website to reflect all the aspects of the company. This user friendly site will be more informative and, although featuring the whole of the company, will be a detailed guide to the UK pump hire and worldwide pump sales operations.

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536 LV WKH OHDGLQJ SURYLGHU RI SURIHVVLRQDO DQG ÀHOG EDVHG support services to the water industry. 9G YQTM YKVJ QWT ENKGPVU VQ FGNKXGT VQVCN EQUV GHſEKGPV TGUWNVU CPF FGXGNQR QWT UVCHH VQ KPPQXCVG CPF RTQXKFG RQUKVKXG EWUVQOGT QWVEQOGU 9G CTG KFGCNN[ UWKVGF VQ UWRRQTV VJG 7- YCVGT CPF YCUVGYCVGT UGEVQT CEJKGXG KVU IQCNU FWTKPI #/2 The service sectors we operate in are; Ŗ Ŗ Ŗ Ŗ Ŗ Ŗ Ŗ Ŗ

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HUBER

Huber Technology celebrates 20 years in the UK Rotamat Ltd (trading as Huber Technology) , suppliers of high quality waste water treatment equipment, is celebrating its 20th anniversary since setting up the UK subsidiary of its German parent company.

As pioneers in the industry, one example of its success is the Huber Ro9 Microstrainer, a fully stainless steel screen with integral screenings

The company has come a long way since the early days and now employs over 70 staff at its head office in Wiltshire, and its regional offices in Rotherham, Perth and Belfast. “Huber Technology has built a strong reputation across the municipal and industrial sectors by providing high quality products, innovative solutions and after sales service to match” explained David Thompson, Engineering and Operations Director, who along with Sales Director Nick Hunt, helped set up the company. “The future looks bright as we continue to

develop new markets for our equipment and exciting new products continue to break new ground” For further information please contact Rachael Harvey rh@huber.co.uk

P re v iew

Huber Technology’s history in Germany spans over 175 years and the company has gained a reputation for quality and reliability, having supplied over 30,000 units worldwide. In the UK the tradition of innovation and service has continued, with the company providing a wide range of equipment from CSO screens, inlet screens, screenings handling, sludge thickening and dewatering , through to tertiary filtration as well as solutions for thermal energy recovery. To date in the UK around 4500 machines have been installed.

washing and dewatering . Features such as an enhanced washing system, bearing wear indicator, low power consumption and integral frost protection have helped make this a market leader for small combined inlet screens, with over 1000 units installed in the UK.

High quality solutions for all municipal and industrial waste water needs. Large and diverse product range which includes inlet screens, screenings handling, storm screens, sludge thickening and dewatering, grit removal and washing, tertiary treatment plus many more. Customised solutions including design, manufacture, installation, commissioning and after sales service.

AMP6

Whilst Huber products have been supplied to the UK market since the 1980s, in the early years products were sold through a sales agent.

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The Institute of Water and Continuous Professional Development By Ian Limb HR Manager, Portsmouth Water and Institute of Water CPD Champion Why do we do it? “Helping the individual maintain ‘engagement’ so the organisation and individual have a greater chance to mutually grow.” (CIPD) The above is taken from the Chartered Institute of Personal and Development as the key purpose for CPD for both the individual and the organisation. My guess (and hope!) is that it would be hard for anyone to disagree with that statement. To ask an individual what is meant by Continuous Professional Development (CPD) we are more than likely to hear words such as Learning, Career Progression and Benefits, Qualifications, Reflection and Training. Again I would suspect that most would agree and probably add one or two that are specific to them as individuals.

How does the Institute of Water help individuals with CPD? CPD is one of the components of a successful career. It is a process through which you as an individual can enhance your skills, making sure your professional abilities are always to a high standard and fit for purpose. Changes in the workforce and technological upgrades have led to the requirement for our skills to continually develop in order to strengthen our professional appeal. By maintaining and indeed improving our skills we can master the continual issues and challenges that affect our daily professional lives. If asked how the Institute can help with CPD most people will probably mention the networking opportunities, events (both technical and social), conferences, journals and discussion papers. All are geared to give individuals the chance to learn, understand and put into practice issues that can benefit both their professional and personal development. This all fits neatly with the above phrase from the CIPD. Making the assumption that everyone agrees with CPD and its aims it would appear logical to conclude, that for someone to progress within any industry an effective approach to CPD is a must! Applying this alongside the well known phrase ‘an organisation is only as good as its employees’ I would think most organisations believe in and encourage the use of CPD throughout their workforce and understand the benefits it can bring. So with CPD, in an ideal world, we would have both the individual wanting to carry out effective CPD and organisations actively supporting and promoting the process. Therefore, if the Institute of Water can demonstrate its commitment and contribution to the CPD process it would seem logical

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that individuals would want to become part of the Institute and consequently organisations, within the water sector (Water Companies, Contractors etc), would want to encourage their staff to both become members of the Institute and play an active part. This for me is critical to the continuing success of the Institute – The Institute of Water can and does help in increasing the value of an individual’s CPD and therefore add value to their organisation.

Now it can be done online We can ignore the myth that CPD takes too much time (although I would argue that your career development should take time). The fact that we have to remember seminars, learning outcomes and collect evidence are all deemed as barriers for people to not carry out effective CPD. All this can now be done securely by using the Institute of Water’s online CPD facility which is available to all members. The Institute’s online approach mirrors our CPD principles with the facility allowing members to set goals (either short, long term or both), record activities, attach evidence and evaluate what has been learned and how it can be put into practice.


CPD So there should be no more excuses and I urge members to log in to their online account on the Institute of Water website and start planning your career! Start recording your CPD online and start making your career work for you. Also as it’s part of your membership subscription it’s completely free and only requires your time to make it work for you ……

Online CPD Brand new for Institute of Water Members

Coming up in the next journal members will see, using a real life case study, how CPD when put into practice has made a difference to someone’s career. 1 How can CPD help you achieve a successful career? • Provide you with stronger employability skills • Boost confidence and credibility amongst your peers • Prolong employment by illustrating your professional competence • Broaden your knowledge and skills • Develop a capacity to deal with the challenges in your professional life • Give you higher earnings potential • Help you to attain or retain a professional qualification through the Institute

2 What counts towards CPD? • Attending Institute of Water conferences, seminars and events • On the job learning • Academic studies • Volunteering on an Institute of Water Area Committee • Writing articles for the Journal, website and any other relevant publications • Occasional lecturing and speaking at relevant events • Distance learning • Assisting and supporting others

3 How do I record my CPD? The initial step is to create a plan which will act as a guide and benchmark for our achievements. This plan also acts as a backdrop for performance reviews with our line manager. A plan will provide you with focus in achieving your goals and help outline the processes involved. A course you attended may have provided you with some awareness of a new subject area, yet not to the level to where it will boost your ability on a day to day basis. CPD provides that ideology of what you need to do to complement that initial learning step. Learning gaps can then be easily filled with on the job training or even enlisting the expertise of an Institute of Water mentor who will be equipped to offer you support and guidance on areas suited to you.

4 How should I record my CPD? There is no set way of recording your CPD; however it needs to be more than a list of activities. It should: • Identify and priorities development needs and opportunities • Set goals and target dates • Record learning outcomes • Evaluate achievements and review against needs

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Catching up with HydraChill... With water increasingly the consumer cold beverage of choice, tap water offers water companies unique opportunities for positive engagement. At the Swansea IOW National Conference, Nick Davis first introduced members to the HydraChill initiative, developed under industry guidance to help enhance drinking water provision outside the home. Here we update on how HydraChill trials have established consumer preference at all ages for attractively and hygienically presented mains water. How might water companies consider utilising this to their benefit? Mains-fed water provides an inescapable connection between a water company and its customers. Millions of interactions occur daily, a position most regular business marketeers or brand managers would consider opportunity dreamland. Yet traditionally the water industry has appeared almost embarrassed to promote arguably its greatest asset. Tellingly, when founder Nick Davis was invited to address the 2011 IOW National Conference and introduce the HydraChill concept, his recommended title was quite revealing. “ How to get the public to learn to love tap water….” Nick’s numerous award-winning projects had included helping initiate PET as the revolutionary packaging polymer for bottled water during the 1990’s. “I witnessed firsthand a remarkable transformation, utilising contemporary packaging and marketing”, he reflected. “But equally I’d grown up when UK tap water was viewed proudly, especially among those venturing abroad” “Little had changed for mains-fed water, except comparative dearth of promotion, and convenient, hygienic public access. Combine these I believed and the public’s affection, strengthened by current economic and environmental concerns, would become clear”. HydraChill was developed as a water industry project; its seeds were discussions at Queen Anne Gate engendered partly by the frustrating absence of re-filling facilities at Paddington Station. “I was like Oliver Twist with an empty water bottle. ” A Water UK nominated industry party set out the development guidelines: Presentability, durability, refillable to all bottles, elimination of cross contamination possibilities (HydraChill’s dispensing head retracts), chilled availability. The group was initially steered by IOW’s Immediate Past President Nick Ellins who summarises: “HydraChill’s objective has been to increase public access to the health benefits

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Eversley Primary school “we can’t believe it’s tap water” of tap water in a convenient and attractive way, raising public awareness of the high quality product that water utilities provide and building customers sense of value for the product.” “At Swansea 2011” says Nick Davis “ we displayed our first iteration, a chilled water unit, supported by DCWW, customised for two locations at UWIC Cardiff ”. We were able to report how site trials had uncovered significant popularity, particularly when experiments switched from a nominal charge to free.

machine has an inbuilt reusable bottle vending facility, originally designed for customers lacking convenient containers but revealing itself capable of generating helpful revenue to fund free water. Early usage figures were again remarkable and have been sustained. University demand continues. Pioneering triallists Northumbria University now has six HydraChill machines around campus and UWIC (rebranded as Cardiff Met) thirteen. HydraChill machines are currently installed across Universities in England and Wales. “Today’s Universities, many now brand focused, instinctively recognise the issues and possibilities. Aside from an obligation to provide students free water access, sustainability has a huge appeal. Both our machines at Liverpool University are receiving up to 20,000 uses per month where previously only plastic cups or single use bottles were available”.

UWIC director Chris Jennings commented: “The Hydrachill machines service 9000 customers per month and have never failed to dispense, providing users with a constant supply of free chilled water. We’ve seen the elimination of spillage, promotion of water as a source of refreshment and a dramatic reduction in the amount of plastic bottles in our waste bins” “We also” adds Nick, “showed conference delegates a video of our work in Northumbria, trialling our second iteration, a ‘2-in-1’ unit” The

Extrapolating Liverpool figures across hundreds of machines, litter and carbon reduction potential is staggering. “This could only be delivered through industry-fed water. Hydrachill is simply the front, albeit a deliberately attractive one!” The environmental benefits of mains-fed provision features prominently on Thames Water’s ‘Londonontap’ HydraChill units. The “Cut London’s Carbon Footprint” message features prominently on machine graphics, endorsed by the Mayor’s office. Thames have commissioned Hydrachills at Beckton, Thames River & Rowing and shortly Kew Bridge Steam Museums, whilst dialogue continues with TfL to identify suitable


HYDRACHILL public transport locations. “Usage numbers likely to be encountered in major commuter areas could be phenomenal. We have validated demand and performance capability, and are ready to support that step”. However it is Thames Water’s launch of the UK’s first HydraChill school machine, which may yet prove among the project’s most important breakthroughs. Sponsored by Thames and approved by the Mayor of London a customised HydraChill unit was awarded to Eversley Primary School, Enfield, for winning a London-wide Schoolbottle design competition to help promote the benefits of tap water and good hydration. “ It tastes great, it’s free and it means that we don’t waste money and destroy the environment by throwing away plastic bottles each day. Our bottles sales help us raise money for Eco Club activities.”

Eversley reaction has already reached the attention of the government backed School Food Plan. Director Myles Bremner described the initiative as “A great scheme, which should be utilised as a case study.” Certainly this has the school’s support. Such has been HydraChill’s impact, the children have written letters to the mayors office and local council to make them aware of how important they feel the project and encourage them to think about subsidising machines in schools and public places in the borough. Nick Davis describes Eversley’s reaction as providing a “Home Alone” type moment. “Focussing on where HydraChill fitted in ‘on-the go’ provision had perhaps left schools marginally overlooked”. “The kids incredible response offers a refreshing stimulus for water companies. These are next generation customers. Goodwill, good habits and positive brand associations could be engendered this way. Maybe friendly brand characters can be applied to the machines and bottles? ”. “Pupil reaction to the HydraChill machine has been amazing,” states Eversley teacher Claire Sykes “Everyone now wants to drink tap water. Long queues inspired introducing a regulated hydration regime around the machine. Class monitors now gather and refill classroom bottles twice daily.”

The response to HydraChill demonstrates how the aesthetics of delivery forms a significant part of out-of home attraction. Creative access to hygienically presented tap water appears a welcome service, which should be within most water companies’ interest and competence to help support.

“Sponsorship has to be the way forward. HydraChill machines were designed to better showcase corporate branding; including the bottles. The opportunity for private sector adoption is obviously part of our future consideration and one the industry might themselves consider for co-branding partnerships and funding support”. “ Ultimately though, HydraChill was developed to give water companies the opportunity to assume rightful leadership. Hopefully our project can stimulate corporate social responsibility thinking and help inform communication on drinking water availability. Opportunities for progressive customer engagement could hardly appear better."

For further information call 01792 863331 E-Mail; info@hydrachill.com Visit: www.hydrachill.com

“HydraChill is hugely popular with our students. The machine’s average use is every minute of every day. It is highly efficient and has significantly improved the water service available for all students”. Andrew Short. Northumbria University

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upward FLOW CLARIFIERS

Clarifier being retrofitted in a radial tank

Clarifier Retrofitted in Dortmund Tank

Clarifier installed in new build end flow tank

USING UPWARD FLOW CLARIFIERS TO RESOLve solids issues at underperforming wtw's Installation of upward flow clarifier screens offers a cheaper and quicker solution than most other options to the problem of overloaded or malfunctioning settlement tanks with regard to the carry-over of suspended solids. The screens enhance natural settlement, trap rising solids and in hydraulic overload conditions will retain much of the active biomass that would otherwise be swept over the weir. The Locker Clarifier System is a retrofit product designed to reduce the level of Suspended Solids (S.S.) and subsequently Biological Oxygen Demand (B.O.D.) in the final effluent. Installed into hundreds of final settlement tanks to ‘polish’ the final effluent, Lockertex Clarifier Systems are helping to maintain compliance at sites with consents from 15 p.p.m. S.S. up to 70 p.p.m. S.S., and are increasingly being specified for installation upstream of Sand Filters, Submerged Aerated Filter (SAF), and Biological Aerated Filter (BAF) units etc to safeguard them from solid overload. The Locker clarifier system is constructed using modular filter panels made to fit the precise tank dimensions. The panel frames are fabricated from stainless steel box section, around which a twin layer of U.V. stable precision woven synthetic filter mesh is secured complete with integral sealing strips.

They can be retrofitted into most types of final settlement tanks; horizontal end-flow, pyramidal, circular, and radial tanks with rotating halfbridge and scraper arms. The clarifier screens are fastened onto a rigid supporting structure of galvanised mild steel and glass reinforced plastic (GRP) along with any baffle boards required to direct all outgoing flows up through the screens. Installation is between 100mm and 350mm below the top water line (TWL), obstructions such as rodding pipes and valve stems are boxed out with GRP. Locker provide a full UK installation service and can remove old clarifier systems such as pebble beds which we have replaced at many sites. The system operates on the principal of “cake filtration” forming on the underside of the filter mesh This minimises differential pressure and enables the screens to handle higher hydraulic loadings, typically 1.67m³/m²/hr. for end-flow

-Performance Graph The graph demonstrates the value of Locker Clarifiers in reducing peak levels of S.S. and pyramidal (Dortmund) type tanks, and up to 5m³/m²/hr. for radial tanks fitted with the Locker Auto-Cleaner. The uniform distribution of the apertures of the precision filter mesh equalises the hydraulic loading over the entire area of the screens, this enhances natural settlement of the larger, denser solid particles and attenuates the effect of up welling currents at the weir. The less dense particles of rising suspended solids converge as they approach the apertures of the mesh and flocculate to form a filter cake on the underside of the screen panels. This filter cake retains fine solids which would otherwise be discharged into the weir channel.

This is a quick, cost effective long term solution to suspended solids carry over.

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severn trent

At their best deep GRZQ

Mounting evidence of denitrification system’s efficacy in cold weather For more than three decades, wastewater treatment plants have faced increasingly stringent regulations regarding total maximum loads for nutrient discharges. Cold water temperatures prove to be a challenge to the effectiveness of the denitrification process. Recent wastewater treatment plant operating results have shown that deep bed down flow filters are as reliable to remove suspended solids and achieve lower effluent nitrogen levels in cold weather conditions. The TETRA Denite system combines deep bed filtration and fixedfilm biological denitrification for simultaneous removal of total suspended solids (TSS) and effluent NO3-N allows facilities to achieve 3 ppm TN or less. An added benefit to the Denite process is the removal of phosphorus. More than 400 Denite filter cells are currently in operation at wastewater treatment plants including the world's largest denitrification system in Tampa. A Denite system currently under installation at the Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant in Baltimore will supplant the Curren facility as the world's largest system when started up in 2015. Cold water temperatures have always posed a challenge to the effectiveness for the biological treatment process. Systems in operation in the US are showing the effectiveness of the Denite denitrification process in cold water.

EXW RQO\ RQH KDV DEUDVLRQ and corrosion resistant Ceramic internal options)

The Scituate Advanced Wastewater Treatment facility is located about 25 miles south of Boston. The plant was designed for an average flow of 1.60 mgd and a maximum daily flow of 2.36 mgd. Averaging cold weather data from January 2007 and April 2007 showed continued consistent denitrification and effluent NO3-N of 0.34 mg/L at average monthly temperatures as low as 8.7 degrees C. More recent evidence of the efficacy of the denitrification process even in cold water temperatures is from western Maryland. The Celanese Wastewater in Cumberland is one of the coldest operating sewage nutrient removal facilities in Maryland. Commissioned in 2005, the plant was designed for an average flow of 1.66 mgd and a peak hourly flow of 6.6 mgd. From January 2009 to April 2012, cold weather operating data showed the Celanese plant to have an average flow of 1.82 mgd; water temperature of 11.2 degrees C; carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand of 3.1 mg/L; TSS of 2.8 mg/L; nitrate-nitrogen of 1.0 mg/L; and total nitrogen of 2.7 mg/L. Despite the well-known challenges posed by cold water temperatures for nutrient removal, TETRA Denite systems have proven effectiveness through hundreds of installations globally.

:,/2 (08 %RUHKROH • 4” to 24” diameter • Bronze, Cast Iron, Stainless & Ceramic options • 6XSHU +LJK (IÞ FLHQF\ +\GUDXOLFV 0RWRUV • +LJKO\ :HDU 5HVLVWDQW • ,QYHUWHU UHDG\ ZLQGLQJ • Extensive options/custom engineering

t:+44 (0) 1283 523000 www.wilo.co.uk H VDOHV#ZLOR FR XN f:+44 (0) 1283 523099

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Sludge Screening – Improving Efficiencies With over 624,000 kilometres of sewers in the UK collecting over 11 billion litres of waste water per day, the UK water agencies have the huge responsibility of treating this material in the most efficient manner possible. Whilst bio degradable products and materials are now common place in our daily lives, these and other non bio degradable materials increasingly find their way into the UK sewerage systems. As a result man-made products are causing significant fluctuations in the volumes of dry solids in raw sludge. Managing the removal of these products from the overall water processing system at an early stage can massively increase efficiency, in some cases by up to 300%.

S:MAX SRU:15 with compactor

Technological advances are making the biggest changes particularly during the Preliminary Treatment stage which greatly affects efficiency. In turn these create savings in operating costs, decrease overall processing time and reduce the cost of maintenance and servicing. One large UK water agency in the Midlands that is committed to making significant improvements to its efficiency in waste screening chose CDEnviro to provide and install its sludge screening solutions at one of its sewage treatment works. The site had been previously spec’ed to handle around 3% of dry solid waste but it was now experiencing significant problems handling sludge build-up within the system. Within weeks of installing a CDEnviro S:MAX screening system, an analysis of the material processed showed an average dry solids content of 4.1% with the highest level being 10.5% - much higher than had expected and clear proof of the size of the problem they had been facing. “It is this variation in dry solids content that leads to inefficiencies with some sludge screening systems as they are not built to cope with this percentage swing”, explains Marc Jennings, Programme Manager at CDEnviro. “The volume

The volume of dry solids found in sludge may vary, so in order for the treatment process to operate as efficiently as possible, it is crucial that these variations are accommodated.

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CDEnviro S:MAX SRU:15’s and S:MAX SRU:10’s ready for dispatch to the E5 sites

of dry solids found in sludge may vary, so in order for the treatment process to operate as efficiently as possible, it is crucial that these variations are accommodated. The S:MAX has been designed to comfortably handle 10% dry solids within the raw sludge giving operators a great sense of comfort when it comes to specifying a new sludge screening plant.” CDEnviro won the contract to supply eight sludge screens to three sites and is now working with a number of water agencies in the wider vicinity as part of the E5 alliance. In responding to this project brief CDEnviro specifically developed the S:MAX SRU:15 sludge screen for this application. Equipped with the same design features as the larger S:MAX SRU:25, the SRU:15 allows reduced capacities to be efficiently processed. The S:MAX SRU:15 can accept sludge from two streams; imported sludge collected from surrounding areas and tankered to site and indigenous sludges. The S:MAX sludge screen effectively removes screenings before the material reaches the anaerobic digestion phase. This maximises the potential for energy generation from bio solids by reducing the level of contamination within the digesters. Eliminating blockages during the screening process also means that rag does not accumulate, which would otherwise cause down

time. The S:Max can also be provided with an odour enclosure allowing for the safe operation and placement of the system in an internal space Underpinning the whole premise of this programme was the expectation that a step change in efficiency would be delivered. Through the tender process CDEnviro proposed innovation which would ‘challenge existing standards, expectations and requirements’ and with the S:Max sludge screen it provided substantial benefits, challenging and improving existing specifications plus reducing costs across the life of the plant. The S:MAX solution can cope with variable rates and consistency of sludge plus allows tankers to discharge directly into the system without the need for a reception tank. This provides both substantial operational and maintenance savings and minimises capital expenditure as buffering tanks and pumps are not required. The S:MAX can accept sludge from the sewage treatment works or sludge imported from smaller works with no sludge handling capacity. In addition there was an increase in up-time of equipment downstream with the S:MAX processing sludge early in the process as the increased screening and capture rate helped avoid the accumulation of rag throughout the processes.

S:MAX SRU:10 on site

The virtual elimination of blockages during screening is undoubtedly one of the most significant reasons for these cost reductions. Water authorities often experience problems when blockages occur which in turn causes damage to the screening plant. Extra costs are then incurred when replacement parts are required to get the plant operational again. Hidden costs, such as diverting tankers containing the raw sludge for screening to alternative sites for processing, has a further impact. Marc Jennings, Programme Manager at CDEnviro concluded: “This installation has proved that with effective sewage sludge screening comes improved efficiency and many other long term benefits that will both quickly help recoup the capital investment and lead to further productivity savings moving forward.”

About CDEnviro CDEnviro is fast gaining a reputation as market leader in waste water sludge screening and processing, assisting many of the water authorities in the UK to become more efficient in water treatment, to recycle useable material, whilst helping to reduce costs. www.cdenviro.com

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ATG UV PROVIDE SOLUTION TO DWI GUIDELINES FOR DRINKING WATER & CRYPTOSPORIDIUM PROTECTION With systems treating in excess of 5,000 m3/ hr daily, Ultraviolet disinfection is no longer an ‘emerging’ technology. A number of Water Treatment Works across the UK are now investing heavily in Ultraviolet technology, as the threat of chlorine resistant parasites such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia continues to pose a serious risk to water companies and their customers.

As an industry expert with considerable experience in supplying US EPA Validated UV systems for Cryptosporidium protection, atg UV Technology are well placed to support and advise all drinking water companies on the application of the DWI guidelines including validation, log reduction, RED Dose, installation into existing infrastructures, upgrades and retrofits, ongoing industry regulation and future product development. atg UV have designed and developed a large range of UV systems specifically for municipal drinking water treatment and Cryptosporidium protection applications. All atg UV drinking water systems are fully compliant with the requirements of the 2010 DWI guidelines.

Cryptosporidium outbreaks are now becoming increasingly frequent in all areas of the water industry. However, due to recent successes with UV systems following a number of high profile outbreaks at drinking water sites worldwide, the ability to effectively protect against Cryptosporidium is now becoming a reality for water treatment engineers worldwide. In the UK, this reality has become further endorsed by the DWI, who have issued their guidelines for UV operation and system selection to the UK water industry. A key feature of their guidance is UV system validation. Validation refers to a series of 3rd party testing to ensure the performance of an Ultraviolet system design under a range of operating environments. The DWI guidance states: “DWI recommends any water company considering the use of UV irradiation for the disinfection of public water supplies to consult the US EPA Ultraviolet Disinfection Guidance Manual (UVDGM)”

Pictured above: atg UV 5,000 m3/hr drinking water systems for 3 log reduction of cryptosporidium.

STATE-OF-THE-ART

UV SYSTEMS municipal & industrial Systems

Municipal:

Drinking Water Cryptosporidium Protection Waste Water Grey Water Storm Water Water Re-use Advance Digestion DWI Compliant UV Systems US EPA UVDGM Validated

Industrial:

Process Water Makeup Water Effluent Discharges TOC Reduction De-Chlorination Advanced Oxidation High Purity Water Ozone Removal

www.atguv.com Tel: 01942 216161

atg UV’s product range offers fully validated and 3rd party tested US EPA UVDGM systems that deliver a 1 - 5 log reduction of Cryptosporidium or validated 40 RED dose for flows as small as 10 m3/hr to over 5,000 M3/ hr within a single compact system.

atg UV can offer standard Low Pressure Amalgam and Medium Pressure UV systems. Additionally atg UV also offer bespoke ultraviolet disinfection / treatment systems including bespoke PLC design, and integration services, offering clients an individually tailored service to solve the most complex of disinfection problems

Municipal clients currently operating atg UV Technology systems include; Anglian Water, Southern Water, Surrey & East Sutton Water, Three Valleys Veolia, Welsh Water, and Yorkshire Water.

If you require any further information on UV disinfection, or wish to learn more about how to improve and upgrade your existing UV systems to meet the 2010 DWI guidelines, please contact our technical sales team on: 01942 216161.

For further information please call atg UV Technical Sales on tel: 01942 216161 / www.atguv.com

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HANOVIA

Victoria Park Swimming Complex Using Hanovia UV to Treat Indoor Pools and Rainwater Ease of use, low running costs and compact size all deciding factors The Victoria Park Swimming Pool Complex (VPSPC) in Hong Kong has recently installed 21 Hanovia UV disinfection systems to treat the water in three of its indoor pools and to disinfect harvested rainwater. The UV systems were installed by Jardine Engineering Corp, with the help of SmarTech HVAC & Engineering, Hanovia’s local distributor. The main 50 metre competition pool, a 30 metre multi-purpose pool and an indoor Jacuzzi are now all treated with UV. In addition, recycled rainwater used for cleaning floors and toilet flushing is treated with UV prior to use. “This is a very significant project for us and one that shows just what our UV technology is capable of,” commented Ms Ying Xu, Hanovia’s AsiaPacific Manager. “VPSPC chose Hanovia because, in their opinion, it’s the ideal technology for swimming pool water treatment. UV not only destroys microorganisms but also removes chloramines, resulting in crystal clear water with no accompanying ‘chlorine’ smell. “Our UV systems can also be sized to handle a huge variety of flow rates, from as high as

a health risk if inhaled regularly. A recent paper in the European Respiratory Journal linked high levels of asthma in children with swimming in outdoor chlorinated pools.

1700m3/hour in the main competition pool to the small flow rates required for rainwater treatment – this was an essential requirement. I think the final clincher was our fantastic reputation in the swimming pool industry and the hard work of SmarTech.” Chloramines (also known as combined chlorine) are the unpleasant by-products associated with chlorinated pools; they lie as a vapour over the pool surface and cause eye and skin irritations and have a strong odour which is unpleasant for both bathers and staff. Chloramines not only put people off visiting indoor pools – they can also be

Chloramines are also highly corrosive and are known to cause significant damage to the physical structures of some indoor pools, which can raise safety concerns. Medium pressure UV eliminates the problem of chloramines almost entirely due to its wide wavelength spectrum, which destroys mono-, di- and tri-chloramines. A reduction in chloramines also means less wear and tear on the building and less maintenance and repair bills – as well as a safer building. UV is ideal as not only does it act as a powerful disinfectant in its own right – minimising the use of chlorine – it also destroys any chloramines produced as a result of the residual chlorination, ensuring a healthier environment for swimmers and staff alike. Less chloramines also means lower water bills as less water is needed to dilute and flush the pool. UV is also a clean technology, with no by-products of its own.

WESSEX WATER BUY NEW LARGE CAPACITY PIPE COIL TRAILERS FROM STEVE VICK Wessex Water has taken delivery of six high capacity pipe coil trailers manufactured by Steve Vick International. The newly designed 90/500 trailers are the first available in the UK to transport and dispense 500 metre coils of PE with diameters from 63mm to 90mm.

All procedures carried out from ground level

After extensive research, Wessex Water selected the new trailers because they found them to dispense pipe very smoothly and quickly thanks to a hydraulically raised hexagonal central drum configuration.

With operational safety being paramount, all loading and dispensing procedures are carried out from ground level with the 90/500 trailer avoiding the need for operatives to climb onto the frame or put their hands within the rotating drum area.

This is a completely new design from the company which began manufacturing pipe coil trailers in the 1980s. With its hexagonal frame, the central drum is moved from loading/dispensing position to the transport position by hydraulics. The method of removing and replacing the drum bars in order to load the pipe coil has been simplified and is now a one-man operation.

Both ends of the pipe are secured until the moment of dispensing to prevent the PE ‘springing away’ thus avoiding an injury hazard. A rear safety cage, which encases and therefore secures the coil during transport, is raised and lowered using hydraulics when loading/unloading coils.

The ease with which pipe is dispensed from the trailer is demonstrated by the fact that, once loaded onto the central drum, a 500m coil can be easily rotated by hand to allow positioning of the leading edge prior to dispensing. A central drum brake disc, which is mechanically applied, allows the operative to control the rate at which the pipe comes off the coil thus avoiding the risk of the

drum rotating freely. Any unused pipe can easily be re-coiled in a single-handed operation for use on another project.

As the pipe is dispensed, the leading end of the PE is passed through a guide roller unit mounted on the rear of the trailer. This assists the smooth dispensing/re-coiling of the pipe

Pipebursting Wessex Water is using the four trailers in conjunction with pipebursting equipment, in pipe renewal projects around the region. Wayne says, “The new trailers work really efficiently on these

One of the 6 Steve Vick trailers purchased by Wessex Water, loaded and on its way to site. pipebursting projects with just one operative controlling the PE as it is installed in the ground. We’re also finding that we are using less PE as we can re-coil unused pipe to use on the next project.” The new Steve Vick 90/500 trailer is designed to hold coils with an inner diameter of 1.8 metres and a maximum coil weight of 800kg. Despite its high capacity, the 90/500 is a single-axle design resulting in maximum manoeuvrability during transport and in onsite conditions. And weighing in at less than 2000 kg fully laden, it may be towed by a typical transit vehicle. Steve Vick International offers comprehensive training packages on the 90/500 trailer which meets PUWER requirements and is CE approved. It comes with full road lighting (LED is optional) and for overseas customers the trailer can be transported ‘flatpack’ to reduce delivery costs, and is suitable for registration in all EU countries.

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TT PUMPS

Resilient seat wedge gate valve… Aquaflow the specialist valve division of T-T Pumps, a global provider of pumping and electrical control equipment, is delighted to launch their new AQUAVAULT™ range of valves! An innovative engineered resilient seated wedge gate valve for watertight pipeline isolation. Designed in the UK using the latest computer aided technology including finite element analysis techniques to ensure regulatory compliance and long-life reliable operation. During service resilient seated gate valves can be exposed to arduous hydraulic conditions accelerating corrosion and ultimately contaminating the media. With this in mind, Aquaflow embarked in designing and manufacturing a product that would offer unparalleled performance whilst reducing whole life costs. Effortless sealing performance is achieved through the optimal vulcanised symmetrical wedge profile incorporating a captive dezincification resistant copper-alloy nut with self-lubricating properties. The wedge has a generous self-draining core that reduces bacterial growth and guided by smooth stabilising extended polymer shoes reducing operating torque. Both body and bonnet are manufactured in lightweight ductile iron coated in protective fusion bonded epoxy, while the joint integrity is assured by means of an O-ring that encircles fasteners and retailed within a recess preventing potential blow-out. Furthermore, the Aquavault™ confirms to BS5163 and satisfies the demanding operational and torque requirements of EN1074-2. With all materials being WRAS approved, the valve is suitable for a wide range of applications including potable water and buried service. To complement the Aquavault™ Aquaflow offer additional WRAS approved valves for clean and drinking water distribution networks including check valves and the unrivalled patented Aquabrake® air valves. For further information on our portfolio of valve products and ancillary operating equipment please visit www.aquaflowvalves.com or www.aquavault.co.uk or call our team on 01630 647200.

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High performance, low energy pumps lead the way forward for T-T Following the introduction of the new Uniqa® range of submersible sewage pumps earlier in the year, T-T has seen demand for the range exceeding expectations. Sales Director Ben Nash commented, “I am delighted with the response we have already received, securing some substantial projects, orders and installations on a number of sites including caravan parks in the South, an international golf course in Northern Ireland, land drainage schemes, and housing developments sites which will ultimately be adopted by the Utility Companies.” The combination of efficient motors, high hydraulic performance and reliability give Uniqa® a particularly high global efficiency rating, capable of ensuring a good return on investment over time, whilst requiring minimal maintenance costs.

The Uniqa® series ranges from 4 to 200kw with 2,4,6 and 8 pole motors, 50/60Hz power

and DN80 to DN400 discharge ports, vortex impellers with full free passage and channels with anti-blockage systems, make the Uniqa® series ideally suited to operation in any conditions. The motors have been designed to reach the Premium Efficiency Class IE3 according to the CEI EN 60034/30 regulations, and can work in uninterrupted service S1 in water up to a temperature of 60ºC, as per NEMA A. The entire range is also available in a ‘dry’ version, which requires no external liquid inputs and allows the pump to operate continually (S1 class) even if partially submerged or installed in a dry chamber. A patented closed-circuit motor cooling system can also be featured on the Uniqa® range. The mechanical seal system can be replaced without affecting the glycol cooling system, a feature which is truly unique. To find out further information about the Uniqa® range or regarding the products and services T-T can offer please visit www.ttpumps.com or contact a member of our experienced team on 01630 647200.

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PALINTEST

New Portable Ammonia and Ammonium Analysis Instrument from Palintest Palintest has launched the Compact Ammonia + Meter, the latest addition to the Compact range of portable, waterproof photometers. Dedicated to accurate analysis of ammonia and ammonium in the field, the Compact Ammonia + uses the long-established Nessler method with a choice of operating ranges up to 100 mg/l. The Compact Ammonia + Meter is ideally suited for nitrification process control, final effluent quality and general environmental monitoring. Delivering results in approximately one minute, it uses pre-formulated Tubetests® reagents for added convenience. The product is available in a choice of hard and soft case kits, and benefits from the extensive range of Palintest technical support, accessories and consumables.

New product available for the UK water industry

Sewaco specializes in design, manufacture, supply and construction of purpose built plant and equipment for use in water supply systems and treatment of municipal sewage and industrial waste water. Our range of products includes: HYCOVER Static & Rotary distributor systems (from 5 l/s up to 980 l/s flow range) with optional auto cleanse and electro pneumatic belt drive mechanism, respectively. HYRATE Polytower biofilter systems using modular plastic media for:• High Rate (BOD/COD reduction), upstream of existing treatment plant, • Secondary ( BOD removal only or combined BOD removal/ Nitrification) T: 01778 342202 W: www.sewaco.co.uk E: info@sewaco.co.uk

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Power from Water – the ecological answer

• Tertiary Nitrification applications, downstream of existing secondary treatment processes. HYRATE Polytowers can easily incorporate natural ventilation or air extraction systems for odour control purposes, if required. Water Meter Boxes for single and multiple water meter installation (up to 16 water meters in one chamber). Suitable for installation in brownfield location.

Eastgate House, 87 Eastgate, Deeping St James Peterborough PE6 8HH

Steffturbine – small scale micro hydroelectric turbine power plant rated to produce up to 12 kW LV power. Uses mainly potential energy to drive conveyor based turbine generator. Two sizes; 250-400 l/s (requiring 3.5-5.0 m available head) & 400-600 l/s (requiring 2.0-3.5m available head). Efficiencies between 70-90% expected depending on application. Contact Sewaco for more information.


wilo

PUMPS – THE KEY TO MAJOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY SAVINGS IN MODERN BUILDINGS Palm Papers – a German company with seven paper mills across Europe has recently built a new plant in Kings Lynn. An impressive new base for its work in the UK and Ireland, it’s one of the world’s largest and most efficient newsprint paper mills producing 400,000 tonnes of newsprint a year with a working width of 10.63 metres, producing around 2,000 metres of paper per minute. The production of paper from recycled paper is an established and energy and cost efficient method of producing paper and saves hugely on the use of virgin wood from managed sources. Not only are the forests conserved, but making paper from recycled paper saves around half the energy and one third of the water needed for paper from wood pulp. In addition the effluent and waste produced is far lower. The new building sits on a 50 acre site in north Norfolk. It represents a huge investment in environmentally friendly technologies and it’s a building that sets new standards when it comes to environmental performance. The total pump infrastructure in the building has been supplied by Wilo. Heating, cooling, water

supply, sanitation – all supplied by Wilo in a project valued to them at around €400,000. A paper mill is responsible for a serious amount of wastewater so a dedicated private sewage facility was built as part of the project. From this, approximately 96% of the wastewater can be recycled. Wastewater from the plant, rainwater collection and drainage on the site, air conditioning and process cooling, chilled water distribution and heating – all controlled by Wilo pumps of varying sizes, types and capacities.

This integrated pumping system illustrates the energy efficiency benefits of utilising high efficiency pumps, delivering significant operational benefits and savings – not just in the lower energy bills they deliver but in the lower maintenance costs associated with them because of their high reliability levels and in-built protection. The lower life cycle costs associated with selecting Wilo pumps is a vital benefit to any major organisation looking to incorporate this number of pumps in an integrated system. Full details of the Wilo pumps utilised in the project can be found by visiting www.wilo.co.uk.

ehwachs.com

LCSF Low Clearance Split Frame

Introducing the new Wachs Diamond Wire Guillotine Saw The latest technology in high-speed pipe cutting, the all new Wachs 416 Diamond Wire Guillotine • • • • •

Quick Setup, Easy Operation Range of 4” - 16” (DN100-400) Ideal for Compressive Cuts Minimum Space Required Guarded Cutting Wire

Trav-L-Cutter Pipe Saw

Wachs UK offers a large selection of pipe cutting and beveling machine tools for purchase or rental, including the DW Guillotine, Wachs Split Frames, the Trav-L-Cutter and many more. 416 Diamond Wire Guillotine Pipe Saw

For additional details contact your Wachs UK representative, or visit us online at ehwachs.com

RS-2 Rising Stem Valve Exerciser

UK SALES, RENTAL & SERVICE CENTRE Unit 4 & 5 Navigation Park • Road One, Winsford Industrial Estate • Winsford, Cheshire CW7 3RL • 44 (0) 1606 861 423

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The 4th Annual UKILN Conference in the 'Island of lakes' Well in Ireland of course it should be loughs. This year’s conference followed the successful formula of previous year’s events with a day of presentations followed by a day’s field trip, and took place in Dublin on the 3rd and the Wicklow Mountains, on the 4th October. The theme of “Lakes- protecting a multi-user resource” served to emphasise that lakes are not just stand alone bodies of water with an overriding ‘purpose’ to comply with legislative criteria, but are part of our living community and commercial environment. The new Water Framework Directive, whilst not appearing to protect every lake across the UK and

Ireland does one important thing. It elevates the importance of these water bodies which hitherto had no standards to comply with at all and were ‘left out’ of protective initiatives. Although the major ‘lakes, lochs, loughs and lynns’ across our islands now have tailored water quality criteria to meet depending on their ‘lake type’, thousands do not. The latter, being too small or having little strategic or environmental importance largely fail to attract attention from a national perspective. This years’ suite of papers, (which can be found on the UKILN web site: - www.ukandirelandlakes.org ) convinced us only too well how important and indeed how different these water bodies really are. Our lakes have served us well in preserving the evidence of historic settlements associated with them, with remnants of crannogs dating back to Stonehenge and before. It’s perhaps not surprising therefore that all of us appreciate that image of standing water and their reflections. Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains we were promised would be an unforgettable location with a history to match. It did not disappoint! A thousand years ago this was an important location for Christian pilgrimage and is still important for conveying key messages about our loughs today. The symposium started with an introduction to the WFD (EU legislation), covered the latest

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discoveries in fish behaviour through new genetic finger-printing techniques, the latest developments in catchment management, power generation and lakes, tourism and navigation, the history of Dublin’s water supply as well as portraying the more ephemeral (spiritual) value of lakes. This eclectic mix of presentations provided an excellent platform for all those whose specialised roles play an such an important part in protecting our lakes; lakes with an importance to not only local communities, but municipalities and the international network of lakes managers, users and visitors. The first day’s proceedings culminated with a meeting of the Board of Trustees of UKILN and we are looking forward to the 5th Annual Conference in 2014 – venue and date to be confirmed but likely to be in Wales. We welcome any new members to the network – please visit the website for more details. Lewis Jones South West Water & UKILN Trustee


Private Drains and Sewers – The Pumping Stations! • Media campaigns

By Natalie Akroyd In July 2011, The Government introduced the Private Drains and Sewers Legislation, meaning a large proportion of previously private assets transferred over to the Water and Sewerage Companies in England and Wales on 1st October 2016. In addition to the drains and sewers, the Legislation also referred to “private pumping stations” and detailed a progressive transfer of eligible stations to the Water and Sewerage Companies by 1st October 2016. This allowed the Water and Sewerage Companies 5 years to locate the stations, assess their condition, and put together a plan for the adoption of these new assets by the companies, including any necessary maintenance and upgrade work required to each station to make it safe and serviceable.

• Speaking to locals Councils, Housing Associations, Management Companies

• Pumping stations buried under decking or garages

• Discussions with the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice and the Environment Agency

• A station inside the walls of a high security prison

• Information on our website including a questionnaire for owners to fill in

This is where the team have looked to the market for innovative solutions. We have moved stations to more suitable locations, or removed them altogether if possible. We have worked with suppliers to reduce the size of the standard kiosk so it is less visible and space consuming in a customers garden. We are looking to reduce time on site and the disruption our work will cause to a minimum, so have increased the need for more off site fabrication and development. We have also worked with customers to ensure that we develop solutions that are as acceptable to them as they are to us.

• Topological surveys The team have spent many a happy hour on Google Earth hunting for stations – but as you can imagine, pumping stations are not always the most attractive of installations, and many customers have gone to great lengths to hide them from view! See if you can spot the station in the photo below: Once located, eligible stations have then been surveyed to understand the condition and the history of the station, as well as to help determine the investment needed upon adoption to ensure the station is safe and serviceable. Over the last two years, the reasons behind the Legislation have been extremely visible to the team. On a daily basis, the team see examples of where a private pumping station has had a negative impact on the lives of our customers. We have seen: • Couples who have got divorced because of the issues caused by a pumping station and the stress that this has caused them • Neighbours who no longer speak or are taking each other to court due to unpaid bills or problems with the pumping station

Not all pumping stations are eligible for transfer, and stations must meet the following criteria in order to transfer: • The station must service more than one property • If the stations only serves a single properly, the station must be situated outside of that property boundary • The stations must discharge to a public sewer • The station must have been connect to the public system on or before 1st July 2011 At Severn Trent Water a team was developed specifically to manage this transfer back in November 2011. Since that time, the team have been busy locating and assessing the condition of stations from Scunthorpe to Powys to Gloucester, as well as everywhere in between! The first job was to locate the stations - this is no mean feat! A wide range of methods were employed to do this, such as:

split into 10 sections each with a different land owner

• People who would chose to have their house demolished and sell the land because they cannot afford to pay for work required to the station The team are currently undertaking the first adoptions, with our customers firmly at the heart of our process. Whilst the responsibility for the station and all of its associated maintenance, operation and costs will transfer to the Water and Sewerage Companies, many of these stations are currently situated in back gardens and so many customers are naturally worried about how we manage this over the coming years. By working with customers from the outset, we can ensure a mutually agreeable option that allows Severn Trent Water the access it needs (even at 2am!) whilst balancing the customers needs and concerns.

Due to the nature of the adoption process, many different groups need to be involved to help deliver the transfer of a station. This includes our contract partners undertaking the condition surveys, the legal teams developing easements and changing deeds, the energy companies laying new supplies or transferring existing supplies, the local councils reviewing and agreeing planning applications, and of course the customers themselves. As part of these early adoptions, we have asked our customers for feedback throughout to ensure we continually learn and improve. We are potentially looking at between 1500-2000 pumping stations that could be eligible for transfer in the Severn Trent Water region, and we are working to make the adoption process as efficient and timely as possible. We are only at the beginning of the adoption journey and there is a long way to go yet, but the visible joy and relief on someone’s face when they are told that their station is eligible for transfer is certainly all the motivation the team need! If you know of a private pumping station, please let your Water and Sewerage Company know about it!

However, there are many situations where a solution is not immediately obvious! The team have come across some challenging scenarios: • A pumping station in a back garden with no other access except through the house • A station at the end of narrow lane which is

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What would you do with 12 weeks off?

Institute of Water Eastern Area Member and 2013 Rising Star Ben Tam recently returned from a 12 week sabbatical. Here’s what he got up to... One of the key benefits of being on the Institute of Water Rising Stars Programme this year has been the opportunity to broaden my knowledge by meeting people from all areas of the water industry. It has been an inspiring year full of unique occasions. With this in mind I also realised that having worked for four years in the UK at Anglian Water I should try also explore further afield and learn about the wider water industry. After some positive discussions with my Manger I was fortunate to have an application for sabbatical leave accepted. I was keen to visit friends and family whom I’ve not seen for a long time and to combine it with travelling to countries I had never been before. My current role is looking at operational development and optimisation, investigating how to run water treatment site processes as efficiently as possible without impacting water quality. So I also saw a sabbatical as a rare opportunity to take a look at water treatment in other countries. I started by sketching out a route starting with Singapore as I had read a great deal about their emerging technology and then continue with a route through Indonesia, Australia, Japan and China before finally flying back from Hong Kong. In some places I found contacts within the water industry, in others collected notes and followed up with some online research. I visited water treatment sites, observed water issues and discovered historic stories about water development. I’ve picked three for this article with the hope to give an insight into the trip in a short space.

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NeWater in Singapore Although many miles away from the UK the first impressions after stepping off the plane are that things are strangely familiar. The signs are in English, they drive on the left side of the road, and there are three pinned plug sockets. On arriving at my friend’s apartment she offered me a glass of water and nonchalantly followed up by saying ‘you can drink the water straight out of the tap here’, which is always reassuring. The politics between Malaysia and Singapore since independence are complicated. However the result of the discussions in terms of water

are that since 1998 the government of Singapore decided to embark upon a mission to become selfsufficient in water supply. The Singapore Water Reclamation Study (NEWater Study) was set up to investigate whether ‘reclaimed’ water (effectively waste water treatment effluent) could be treated to a high

enough standard to be a viable option for potable water. The strategy has been based on the ‘Four taps’. The first two taps are the water imports and water catchments, the third tap is water reclamation and the fourth is desalination. In 2002 the first reclaimed water site was opened and a two year monitoring programme was instigated to ensure the quality of the water before allowing it to go into service. This was accompanied with a big marketing campaign to prove to the public that the water is safe to drink. Currently 30% of Singapore’s drinking water supply comes from reclaimed water and it also is being used by industry. I was fortunate enough to visit one of the big water reclamation sites near Changi Airport. This is a Sembcorp site and I was grateful for the contact facilitated by Roger Harrington (Bournemouth Water). The size of the site hits you immediately as I was greeted and taken up to the main offices. It was an insightful morning being shown around and having the chance to speak with a couple of the Operation Managers. What comes across clearly is the deep technical understanding of the operations at the site and the managers are expected to be hands on with solving issues. This wasn’t a problem for Mr Shubmugam, the Changi site manager, who had been there as the site was being built. I was impressed by the attention to the cost of running the site, it appeared to be ingrained into daily operations and helps drive the efficiency needed to run such a complex water supply system.


This four tap strategy has focused the Singapore government and put them on an ambitious path to be self-sufficient. They have also invested in water and identified it as a growth sector, investing heavily to make Singapore a world centre for water research and technology. A campaign to get customers to reduce consumption is also factored in as part of the approach and the aim is to get consumption down to 140 litres a day by 2030. In Singapore the strong desire to become independent has forced the government to press down this route and take its citizens along with it. With increasing pressure on water supply, will there be a time when formally ‘closing the loop’ becomes necessary in the UK?

Water stress in Indonesia Next stop was Indonesia and a quick flight to the busy hub of Bali. The plan was to stay a few days before travelling east by boat. The most striking thing about the southern area of Bali is that it is so developed. It ranges from big hotels to spa resorts and luxury getaways. This development has obviously brought an economic boom to the small island but quite clearly as a consequence it is struggling to maintain its natural environment. The first real drive to attract tourists to Bali began in the early 1970’s with numbers now reaching around 2.5 million. In 1987, there were only 5,000 hotel rooms in Bali, by July 2012 the number of rooms had surged to 90,000 rooms, according to the Bali tourism agency. The average water consumption for a room in a 4 star hotel is around 300 litres a day and with the influx of so many tourists one of the biggest problems facing the island is water shortage. Most of the hotels are reported to have boreholes to tap the local water table to supplement the water from the piped supply but the quality of the water is diminishing as pollution and salt water intrusion

occurs. All this is leading to an impending water crisis which has forced the central government to build a water catchment and processing facility at Petanu River in Gianyar. When complete later this year about 300 litres per second will be channelled to Denpasar, Badung and Gianyar.

After researching the subject it’s clear that the issue is of high priority and it will be interesting to see how the government and supporting bodies manage the situation; to bring tourism in line with the natural resources available, for the benefit of the economy and local people. It makes the current emphasis in the UK water industry on communicating the value of water with customers, seem even more essential. The water companies are well placed to help people understand that clean water cannot be taken for granted and assist in reducing water usage. We

are fortunate in the UK to have clean water on tap and at an affordable price and as such we should be mindful of where water comes from wherever we are. In addition, if managing water resources wasn’t enough there is also the issue of water quality. No one drinks the water from the tap in Indonesia and bottled water or boiling is considered the safest way to avoid getting sick, especially as a tourist. In the UK it’s possible to avoid plastic bottles of water but in Indonesia I was forced to buy them regularly, involuntarily adding to the issue of waste on the island. However this problem has also given local entrepreneurs the chance to fill the gap in the market and provide households with clean drinking water by setting up shops which have small UV plants to disinfect water. Customers were filling up their own containers and they also had a supply of large full bottles for sale.

Water engineering in Japan I spent the first week in the historic capital of Kyoto, staying at the foot of the mountains. The first morning I walked down towards the centre of the city and passed along side a deep fast flowing channel of water which appeared from the mountain side. This canal transports water from Lake Biwa 20 kilometres away through a series of tunnels and aqueducts. The project was needed to allow development of the city after the capital was shifted to Tokyo in 1867. It was a controversial project because the task seemed impossible and at that time the estimated cost was 10 times the annual budget for the city. Moreover there were no civil engineers in Japan and no brickyards to make the bricks needed for the tunnels. The man who led the way was Tanabe Sakuro who took on the challenge of first teaching himself about tunnel construction and then inspiring the city to provide the labour and materials for their construction. The completion of the project also allowed for the country’s first hydroelectric plant to be constructed, utilising the power of the water

as it enters the city. This enabled the struggling textile industry to develop and an electric railway to be built to the port of Fushimi. There is statue of Tanabe in the city and it symbolises the point at which Kyoto suddenly had more water than it needed. Tanabe used engineering skills and a vision for the future to ensure a resilient water supply for Kyoto. Nestled proudly on the periphery of Kyoto, in a region formerly referred to as “Minaseno”, is the site of the Yamazki whisky distillery where one of the purest waters of Japan originates. This pure water source and damp climate of the hills provides the perfect place for the distilling process. Whilst on a trip writing about water it surely counts as relevant technical visit? The 12 weeks ran past slowly and I recorded plenty of ideas that came out of looking water in each of the places I visited. The whole experience was a chance to break out of routine and gain a new perspective on the water industry. On returning to the UK it’s given me new energy to develop my skills and new inspiration for the work I do. If I met anyone considering a sabbatical I’d definitely recommend taking the chance. The hardest part is searching for the right time to go, with busy work schedules and everyone around you driven to succeed, it can seem impossible to step away for a while. However, work will still be there when you get back and I can assure you that once you set off on whatever adventure you choose, those worries will soon disappear!

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Micro Drainage Conference: The Future is XP Solutions Micro Drainage, an XP Solutions company, has changed its name to XP Solutions. Colby Manwaring, President of XP Solutions announced that the UK company will now be XP Solutions (5 years after Micro Drainage and XP Solutions merged). Also announced was the change that WinDes® (the UK’s leading drainage design software) would now officially be called Micro Drainage. Change is coming to the way we think about water in the UK according to the speakers at the Micro Drainage’s 30th Anniversary Conference on the 7th of November. The conference themed “Quality, Quantity and Ecosystems - Looking Ahead to 2030” highlighted the evolving landscape of water in the UK (and the world) and how planning for ecosystems was key to sustainability of our future cities and populations. Mark Fletcher, Director Global Water for ARUP led the speaker line-up discussing the way that design of our environments is changing to focus on quality and amenity. Antony Oliver former editor of NCE Magazine looked at cities of the future and the need for change in the way we value our resources. Dr Mark Everard from the University of the West of England drew from his experience consulting for Defra and the Environment Agency to highlight the need for change in the way ecosystems are considered when developing designs. The final guest speaker on the program was Alex Stephenson of Hydro International speaking on innovation in SuDS and the future. Peter Robinson of AECOM presented the “Green Networks Integrated Urban Infrastructure”, a project not only looking at drainage design but a more holistic approach to infrastructure and the

quality of life for the residents in the area of the development. Steve Shelton of CORMAC Consultancy shared the challenges of the “St Erth Transport Interchange” project and complex design undertaken in WinDes (now Micro Drainage). Paul Brown and Toby Heath of JPP Consultancy who presented their leading development in Leicester Forest East, highlighting how the project utilised collaboration between the client, engineers, local council’s SAB officer and highways department and the architect. Richard Benyon local Member of Parliament for Newbury made a special appearance to present CORMAC Consultancy with the Micro Drainage Zenith Award for the best case study submitted for the conference. Mr Benyon spoke fondly of his time at Defra and the industry for the way companies continue to strive for excellence. He also praised Micro Drainage for reaching 30 years as a local thriving business. Colby Manwaring then surprised attendees with the revelation Micro Drainage is rebranding to XP Solutions. “From this time forward Micro Drainage will be known as XP Solutions bringing it into alignment with our global branding. Let me assure you it is business as usual. We will not be changing the way we deliver our leading software, support and training to our customers, just the name on the door.” Colby also went on to confirm the renaming of the WinDes drainage design software to Micro Drainage as it is already unofficially known in the industry. The day concluded with David Fortune, XP Solutions’ Director of Product Innovation unveiling the 2014 versions of XPSTORM, MICRO DRAINAGE and the new title XPDRAINAGE. He confirmed XPSTORM now comes with a seamless Micro Drainage/WinDes link for importing designs, new hazard mapping and EA benchmarked flood mapping tools. MICRO DRAINAGE now comes with improved 3D view navigation, the NEW Hydro International Hydro-Brake Optimum and Hydrok’s HydroSlide

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and other user requested improvements. David finally took the wrappers off XPDRAINAGE the eco-centric tool for designers, architects and planners focused on new drainage and ecosystem methodologies for planning and design.

About XP Solutions: XP Solutions develops leading industry standard sustainable drainage and flood hazard software for the civil engineering and environmental sectors. XP Solutions is one of the longest established water resource software organisations in the world. Since 1974, the software designed at XP has assisted municipal departments and private firms around the globe in their hydroenvironmental design and modelling efforts. XP Solutions’ growing team of engineers in the United Kingdom, the Asia Pacific and North America interact with an international network of research and development groups to more effectively share skills, advance technology and foster an environment of innovation. The company also provides comprehensive technical support and training programmes to inform, educate and empower clients to comply with the latest industry standards. This system of teamwork and collaboration with both business partners and customers has established a strong and reliable organisation, evolved trailblazing technology and empowered our extensive list of customers with tools and support they need to expertly engineer the natural environment taking into account both climate change and sustainability. Contact: Daniel Swann Marketing Manager T: +44 1635 582 555 Email: daniel.swann@xpsolutions.com or uksales@xpsolutions.com


NORTHERNIRELANDAREANEWS

Institute of Water’s President Day On Friday 4th October Northern Ireland Area held its Annual Autumn Seminar, “Getting to the Top in Life and in Business”, at the Hilton Hotel Templepatrick. Area President George Butler welcomed all delegates and hoped they would find the seminar useful in the development of their careers. He also launched this year’s area innovation award and suggested all those interested to visit the stand where the necessary information was available. George then introduced the Keynote Speaker Professor Tom Stephenson, Head of School of Applied Sciences at Cranfield University. Tom suggested that getting to the top would be different for each one of us and we should think about having a mentor. Ideas are easy it is doing something about them that is difficult. Some tips for getting to the top include: n Get an all-round view of the industry n Look for and make the most of opportunities n Use the technology available n Work in the area you enjoy most n Be flexible and give it your best shot n Always do what you say you will Tom concluded by giving his three tips, know yourself, technical skills are important and challenge the status quo.

n The world will not fall apart if your choice is wrong n Trust your instinct – it does not lie n Resilience rules n What you put out comes back all the time

Next Nicholas Read, Business Development Manager and Mark McCrory, Director of MBA at Ulster Business School, University of Ulster gave a presentation on Post Graduate Education. Nicholas posed the question ‘Why would you consider post graduate education’ and gave some reasons including personal development, learning something new, develop existing knowledge, academic career and helps you stand out. It takes the form of post graduate certificate/diploma or master’s degree and can be done full time or part time. It is a big commitment and you need to be sure you have the time.

n When you don’t know what to do – be still the answer will come

Mark gave a brief insight into the MBA course which is 2 year part time and has benefits for both the employer and the individual.

n The ability to perform effectively under pressure

Hugh Russell has been a trainer/educator/ coach for the past 33 years and gave a very lively presentation on “Principled Success”.

n Understanding how to achieve optimum performance

He discussed his 11 point guide:

If we are not continually resilient in today’s ever changing world then it is easy to lose control.

n Define your own script n Whatever you believe has more power than what you dream n Failure is a signpost to turn in a different direction n Worrying is wasted time – take action n What someone did to you in the past has no power over the future

n Let passion drive your profession Hugh concluded by quoting “It’s about the journey.” Paul Davidson, Energy Improvement Manager, Scottish Water discussed Personal Resilience which he defined as capacity to recover quickly and that we build resilience to manage risk. Personal Resilience is: n The ability to bounce back

n Manage health and wellbeing

n Not just surviving but thriving

Paul outlined a 7 picture resilience framework, Vision, Determination, Interaction, Relationships, Problem Solving, Organisation and Self Confidence. Jeremy Trimble, Business Manager, Bio Search gave a very interesting presentation on his life and training in the military and how he had used this experience to succeed in work in the

private sector. His military training included leadership, fitness and problem solving and the same principles apply in the world of work in the private sector. The final speaker of the morning session was Kate Norgrove, Head of Campaigns at Water Aid who spoke about her leadership role. Leadership is all about being inclusive, inspiring, always learning, accountable, collaborative and courageous. This can be done through feedback, good performance management, coaching and mentoring, action learning and sustainability. After lunch the delegates were split into small groups of 8 – 10 for a workshop session lead by Lawrence Jackson and Laura Moore of NI Water. The purpose of the session was threefold, firstly to share some development models, secondly to provoke you to think about your development in a different way and thirdly to have fun. It is better to get better at what you are good at and you are not who people think you are. Focus on strengths rather than weaknesses anyone can learn to do anything. Focus on your core skills – too narrow a focus is particularly dangerous. A number of exercises were undertaken by the groups and in conclusion - No one is perfect but a team might be!! In closing the seminar George Butler summarised the day’s proceedings and thanked the speakers for their excellent presentations. He also thanked the delegates for participating in such an enthusiastic manner and hope they all had something to take away from the day to help in their career development. Lastly he thanked the committee for all their hard work in preparation and ensuring the seminar went well.

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young members network

Visit to Welsh Water

Monday 2 Sept – Wed 4 Sept 2013 The second Scottish Area Young Members Network event of the year took place in Dunfermline on the 18th September, with Simon Parsons, Scottish Water’s Director of Strategic Customer Service Planning, visiting Professor at Cranfield University, Honorary Visiting Professor at RMIT and Managing Editor of Environment Technology Journal. Simon presented an illustrated overview of his pre Scottish Water career from the early beginnings in his parents garden shed playing with chemistry kits, connections with the Royal Institute, his Academic career, notably his work with Yorkshire Water related to the future of Wastewater Treatment. Simon spoke passionately about his enthusiasm for turning academic research into tangible benefits for the environment, which was one of his own drivers for moving from an academic career to Scottish Water. Simon emphasised the importance of work / life balance and challenged the audience to really think about ‘Where they add value, as opposed to ‘feeling valued’… In response to questions from the floor Simon shared his view that collaboration should not only be encouraged, but is expected. He supports the view that controlled risk taking needs to be taken to promote innovation within the industry and the importance of planning your networking to get the most from it. Simons time was greatly appreciated by all who attended and he was thanked warmly for his presentation. Keep your eyes peeled for the next IWater Scotland Young Members Network Event in your e-mail and the IWater website-Events section.

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A diverse group of nine water industry employees headed off down South to visit Welsh Water at the beginning of September. We ranged in experience from retired members, to graduate apprentices, and I also noticed that six of group were over six foot tall. In fact, as we checked into our hotel in Cardiff, someone asked if we were a sports team. We were ably hosted by Welsh Water’s Ashley Moule, who facilitated our site visits. We had asked to see a range of sites, to accommodate our interests, and over the three days of visits, we saw water, wastewater, hydro, CHP, and even squeezed in a quick tour of the Millenium Stadium (where we were informed of how many more times Wales have beaten Scotland). On Day 1, we visited Crai WTW, with its recently installed hydroturbines. The WTW is in the Brecon Beacons National Park and the building is sensitively built to comply with planning. At Talybont WTW, we learnt about the LEAN maintenance process. On Day 2, we had an informative session with Sally Gronow, who is Welsh Water’s customer manager at Linea, the main operational centre. The company started mass SMS (texting) after the cold winter of 2010/11, and that has reduced calls by 60-80%. The integration of calls together with mapping software, and logging incidents looked slick, and keeps Welsh Water in the customer’s minds. Sally mentioned that Welsh Water doesn’t pay to advertise, however, after doing some water

By Claire Chapman

saving work with the Millenium Stadium, they were given some free advertising, which they jumped at, to advertise Environmental Pollution Incidents. A simple energy-saving solution to operating a 24h call centre within a large openplan building was to install glass around it, to minimise heating costs out of hours. We were able to visit the Telemetry alarm centre (through the high security doors), which has integrated weather forecasting, similar to Scottish Water. On Day 3, we visited the Cardiff WWTW, which has a state of the art Advanced Digestion plant. The 1.5 MW CHP plant offsets around 50 % of the site’s energy needs. It was a hot day, with temperatures in the high twenties, and as we climbed up the outfall, to admire the 4.2km outfall, we could just see the buoy shimmering in the sunlight out at sea – quite spectacular! No waste from the site goes to landfill, with all grit and screenings recycled. It was an impressive site and the operators were justly proud of it. We finished the visit by joining some of the Institute of Water Welsh committee members for dinner down at Cardiff harbour. Some of us caught a water taxi down to the harbour, and we had a lovely evening getting to know some Welsh water industry staff. The trip was an excellent way of seeing how other operators run their facilities, and we all came away with learning points. I would encourage you to organise a trip of your own – the institute can help put you in contact with another area, and the opportunities are endless!


SCOTTISHAREANEWS

Family Day

By Rob Mustard

wildlife The Annual Institute of Water Scottish Area Family Day was held at Edinburgh Castle on 21st September 2013. The castle, which dominates Edinburgh’s skyline, has many aspects that our members & families were able to experience including life across the ages and many exhibits from swords to The Crown of Scotland. On the day, family members had an opportunity to delve into the castle’s history by completion of a treasure hunt throughout the castle. This was broad in context and ranged from questions on the history of castle to the name of the soldiers pet dog! Mons Meg was one of the key attractions

which, I was reliably informed by one of the younger family members could fire a cannonball for 2 miles – not as loud as the one O’clock gun though which, made everyone jump. With all sorts of other things to sea and hear, the Family Day was a great success for all who were able to come along – fun for all ages! One of the children was heard saying “My heart is so full of Scottish pride.” Our special thanks from members and the Scottish Area Committee go to Paul Haggerty at Capgemini Consulting who kindly offered to sponsor the Family Day this year.

Annual Fishing Competition

A group of Scottish Area young members headed to The Outward Bound Trust’s Loch Eil Highland Centre in August to complete the final element of their first year as Scottish Water Apprentices. The young members completed a series of challenging activities, building their communication, collaboration and team working skills. The complexity of the challenges built over the week cumulating in a two day expedition where 3 separate teams ascended to the summit of Meall Cumhann raising the Outward Bound Flag at the summit 698m/2290ft above sea level. The group then wild camped on the hill before descending and celebrating by “gorge jumping” into a mountain river! Asset Management Apprentices and IW members Michelle Calder and Ross McCorrisken described their experiences. Michelle said: “Jumping the gorge down into the river was terrifying but exhilarating, and it really brought it home to me that I am far stronger and achieve far more than I give myself credit for. The confidence to believe this is definitely something I have brought back to work.” Ross said: “Throughout the week I participated in a great variety of activities and the experience has shown me that when we all work together the sky is truly the limit.”

By Kathy Auld For the second year WGM kindly sponsored the area fishing competition, held on 24th August at Loch Etive, near Oban. Two boats left Taynuilt harbour at 9am, loaded with food, refreshments and 19 hopeful fishers. One boat went North and one headed South to look for whiting, spurdog, rays and anything else that had the misfortune to take the bait. The weather started off promising and the forecast was good. Unfortunately it was a day out and although it didn’t rain it was overcast, but as we have learned previously this is classified as a good day. This didn’t affect the morale as

the usual banter and good natured competition continued all day.

won by Paul Banfield with 6 different species, thanks Alan.

Almost 8 hours later we returned to the quayside, tired but happy. The winner with 21 fish caught was Alan Dick – for the 5th time!!! Someone needs to put a stop to this one of these years. 2nd and 3rd was tied by Scott McCrae and Andy Spiers and Andy Wood and David Laurie respectively. Heaviest catch was won by Andy Wood with a 5.2lb spurdog, narrowly beating his partner Annie Connuay by .2lb! Amazingly the catch on each boat was 89 (after the fiddle factor calculation as one boat had 1 less person). Alan Dick provided a bottle of Whisky for the person who caught the most species. This was

A night on the town for those staying over was the finale for the weekend, where we enjoyed a fine meal and a few drinks before falling into bed/ sleeping bags. On Sunday the sun shone - a day late but it made for a nice day in Oban. Thanks to WGM for sponsoring this event again and to Justin Keeper for hosting on the day. Also thanks to Robbie Vennard for providing some fine Brandy from his holiday in France for the traditional 9am toast to “tight lines”. As always thanks to Colin and Ronnie the skippers for another great day. Hope to see full boats again next year.

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NORTHERNAREANEWS

Site Visit to see the biggest Thermal Hydrolysis Plant in the UK! Technical Site Visit to the New Advanced Digestion Thermal Hydrolysis Plant at Yorkshire Water’s Esholt Waste Water Treatment Works

On 19 September, Yorkshire Water was host to a number of Institute of Water members and non –members who attended a presentation and site visit to Esholt Waste Water Treatment Works (WwTW) in Bradford to see the new advanced anaerobic digestion thermal hydrolysis plant (THP). Presenter and Yorkshire Water Project Manager for the THP Scheme Simon Balding, gave a great overview of the project and discussed the challenges faced by the Construction Team in building and commissioning the plant. The main challenges centered around interfacing with the existing plant and issues of ragging and its effect on the THP during operation. It was also critical to keep the rest of the works operational whilst construction took place. The £33m THP at Esholt is the biggest in the UK and is designed to process 30,000 TDS of sludge per year. The new plant now gives Yorkshire Water the ability to:

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n Able to sell excess electricity to the National Grid n Produce a saleable fertiliser from the end product

n Make Esholt WwTW energy self sufficient n Reduce electricity consumption from the National Grid. This will keep operational costs down n Reduce Yorkshire Water’s carbon footprint as the energy is from a renewable source n Eliminate the disposal of 12,000 tonnes of sewage sludge by incineration

During the site tour, the Project Manager described the tight conditions the Contract Partner Morgan Sindall Grontmij faced. This was predominantly due to existing plant on site and the fact the main site road runs directly next to the working areas. This posed additional health and safety challenges to the team. On the tour each member of the group was challenged to make at least one observation of good or bad health and safety behaviour. This was a great exercise to keep everyone alert and everyone noted at least one. In summary the visit was highly insightful and gave a good overview of the scheme. It was thoroughly enjoyed by all, despite the rain!


SOUTHWESTAREANEWS

And Mr Chair takes the Cup(s)! It was a welcome back for the IOW Golf day, a joint event between the South East, South West and Eastern areas. The 2013 event was staged at Corhampton Golf Club, founded in 1891 and situated just 10 miles south of Winchester in southern Hampshire. Corhampton Golf Club is set in an area of outstanding natural beauty, enjoying stunning views across hills, valleys and woodlands (and didn’t we see the woodlands!!) The course played a full 6088 yards off the yellows. The combination of natural contours, mature woodland, artfully placed bunkers and poor golf provided a tough test for those IOW golfers alike. One unnamed IOW golfer did say “The condition of the course was superb and the greens some of the best we had ever 3 putted on.” A well stocked bar and some first class homecooked food provided a perfect accompaniment to our 27 holes of golf. There were two trophies up for grab on the day The Ted Terry Team Trophy - Morning 9 holes - “3 3 3” and the Dr Allen Bolton Individual Trophy Afternoon 18 holes

And of course there were a few other competitions such as the Longest Drive on 18th and the Nearest to the Pin on 4th (all day) and 11th (pm only)

So who were the winners? Ted Terry Team winners were: Richard Barton, Gary Hynds, Rob Atton and Richard Keates with 42pts. Dr Allen Bolton went to (yes you guessed it) Richard Barton with 39 pts Surprisingly Mr Chair did not win the longest drive or the nearest to the pin, those prizes went to Martin Holdsworthy, Simon Harris and Gary Seaman.

A very big thank you to our Golf Day Sponsors, we can’t do it without you guys! IFS Primayer Bristol Water Sensus Exwater UK

Protect Safety Signs Steve Leigh Associates Portsmouth Water Domestic Sprinklers

And a thank you to Ian Limb for organising such a great day! See you all in 2014

Elizabethan source to 21st century treatment technology In September, IOW and CIWEM members visited South West Water’s cutting-edge research facility which will pave the way for a state-of-the-art new water treatment works for Plymouth. Here, Jason Harvey tracks the city’s proud history in innovating in water treatment. Sir Francis Drake is famous for many things but it’s less well known that he is closely linked to the early history of Plymouth’s water supply. Once he’d done with the Spaniards and returned to his home town of Plymouth, he became involved with the Water Bill for Plymouth, a piece of legislation that sought to provide a more reliable water supply for the city’s naval interests; for purposes of fighting fires; and to provide a scouring flow of water to Sutton Harbour for lifting and removing sediments. A system of ‘leats’, or water channels was devised to bring water by gravity down from nearby Dartmoor. Drake became the prime contractor for the project and concluded the scheme with a questionable 50% profit. There was never enough to carry out the harbour scouring objective, but to this day South West Water continues to use leat water as a supplement to other raw sources at its Dousland Water Treatment Works. The company

has a commitment to preserve and maintain the historic channels, and Plymouth still celebrates ‘Drake’s Leat’ with an annual ‘Fishing Feast’ for the great and the good. Today the population of Plymouth has grown to around a quarter of a million and has long since had most of its water supplied from reservoirs feeding the 1950s-built Crownhill Water Treatment Works. This aging site is facing ever-increasing maintenance costs, and South West Water is progressing a plan to replace it with some of the most cutting-edge technology available – enabling Plymouth to maintain its proud history as pioneers in the field of tap water supply. The overall investment in the new works is expected to be in the region of £50 million. When the new works is operational, planned for 2018, Crownhill will be closed down. The first step on this important journey has been taken with the delivery of a small-scale research facility, manufactured by PWN Technologies in the Netherlands, at the Crownhill distribution and treatment site. The research facility, which is capable of

processing 150,000 litres of water a day, uses suspended ion exchange and ceramic microfiltration technology, which represents a move away from current chemical and energy-intensive treatment processes. It is the first time that this technology has been used in the UK. Over the next 18 months, a dedicated team will be testing the process with a variety of raw water sources including water from local rivers and reservoirs. This will enable the team, in partnership with PWN Technologies, to fine-tune the process and help inform the design of the new treatment works. Delegates were presented with some technical detail, some of the science of suspended ion exchange and ceramic membrane filtration. Following the presentations and an exciting CG video of the pilot plant, the group were split into two and given a guided tour of the real pilot plant by David Metcalf. David is involved full time with the project and is intrinsic to the ongoing benchmarking work to prove the processes in advance of the full scale development. The formal proceedings concluded with a useful networking opportunity and buffet lunch. Our thanks go to Jason Harvey for organising such an excellent event.

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Who should be responsible for Environmental Management? This year’s Welsh Area Summer Forum was held on the 22nd of August in the Future Inn, Cardiff. The day was focused on debating environmental responsibilities. The speakers on the day were outstanding and offered the attendees plenty of food for thought through their diverse presentations. Opening the event Marc Davies, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water (DCWW), reflected on how far the Water Industry has gone to manage the environment. He highlighted how the industry was at a critical point and should be focusing more attention on planning for the future.

Catchment Management Phillippa Pearson from DCWW and Tim Ackerley from Dee Valley Water presented their views on catchment management and the changes they have seen in the transition from the Environment Agency to the new Welsh regulator, Natural Resources Wales (NRW). Dee Valley Water shared their experience of liaising with two regulators, the EA and the NRW due to their geographical position and the environmental sensitivity of the river Dee. In essence, the two presenters agreed that environmental management should not be a project and should be co-delivered. Collaboration was the key word here. The example of upland damages was used to highlight this point; often people think of the impact of agriculture despite the fact that it can also be result of erosion from visitors. Applying the “polluter pays” principle in this situation is not feasible. The formation of the NRW (an amalgamation of the Environment Agency Wales, Forestry Commission Wales and Countryside Council for Wales) was welcomed by both presenters; with one regulator having a holistic view of all issues. Catchment Management, which involves several stakeholders to ensure that the state of the uplands does not impact on water quality, will benefit from it. This session was followed by a workshop where the attendees were asked to make a decision on who should be held accountable for issues at a raw water reservoir. During the feedback session, it was clear that the tables had different opinions on who should be held responsible, highlighting the difficulties of defining accountabilities when it comes to environmental responsibilities.

Financing Environmental Management The second session focused on the financing of environmental management. Mansel Thomas from CCWater reminded the audience that

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affordability was central when it comes to water companies having to charge their customers for environmental management. He highlighted the specific case of Wales where 1/10th of the customer base were struggling to afford to pay their bills. Accordingly, any increase in bills would have a negative impact across the country. Nevertheless, the alternative of raising tax and funding environmental management through government would also have financial impacts. The water companies are often seen as being able to pay as they are bigger than most of the other players in environmental management; however we must not forget that customers fund them. This poses the question of why these customers should pay if the companies are not the ones responsible for the pollution. Mansel ended his presentation by summarising what should be considered: better monitoring, collaboration between all the players, improved education of the public and further research on the causes and impacts of environmental pollution.

The session was followed by a second workshop where the attendees were asked to take the point of view of the different stakeholders (NRW, OFWAT, Customers, Water Companies, Farmers...) and take a stand on what should be done and who should pay. The attendees fed back in a very humorous manner, but the exercise highlighted the key points. Everyone agreed something that should be done, but most thought that the regulators and the water companies were better equipped and better organised to make things happen – as long as the pace of change was managed to keep bills low. Nigel Annett, in his last week as Welsh Water Managing Director, reflected on the not for profit model. Twelve years on, he highlighted how much DCWW had achieved and how the model provided value for Welsh Water customers. The company’s values of trust, education and working hand in hand with the communities have lead to better service and, inherently, more sustainable development. Asked about the biggest risk the industry was now facing, Nigel suggested it is


WELSHAREANEWS likely to be the changing weather patterns. He also hinted that the not for profit model could be expanded to other utilities. In his own words “watch this space”.

Practicalities of Environmental Management The last session of the day was focused on the practicalities of environmental management, the ways that it is already being implemented and asked the question “whether integrated catchment management is the answer to defining responsibilities for environmental management”. Martin Ross, South West Water, explained the approach his company had taken: from the polluter pays to the provider gets paid. This meant that the company manages its land through giving a value to clean water: the company gives a grant to businesses (industries, farmers) to rectify the issues and takes part in the delivery of that grant. This is done through a cost benefit analysis through a valuation of what cleaner raw water is worth to the company. The areas where the issues need to be addressed are prioritised through risk assessment. Martin highlighted how this situation was a win/win/win, with the environment, the company and the customers all benefiting. Ian Codling from WRc then discussed catchment management and implementation of the different water directive objectives. He explained how the regulatory frameworks are a toolbox that can be used to manage the catchments: intervening upstream is easier than addressing pollution further downstream. He concluded that the issues need to be solved at source, that the different stakeholders should work more collaboratively and that they should exploit the catchment management tools to provide all with wider benefits.

Paul Cottington, from the National Farmers’ Union, then presented on their vision of catchment management. He highlighted the difficulties that farmers have in maintaining awareness of the wealth of current regulation and legislation. Paul highlighted the need for ownership by the farmers to keep track of the regulatory changes – but he mentioned the difficulties of this when they also have to do their day job. He also mentioned that farmers are willing to do the right thing, but as everyone else, they would need to know how and why this is needed. It is as much a culture change for them, moving from pure food growing to managing the environment, as it is for the water companies, from pouring concrete to catchment solutions. He also mentioned that the formula for catchment

Queensferry WwTW Visit and Lean Presentation Steve Willis-Culpitt opened the event with an introduction to the operation of the Queensferry Wastewater Treatment Works, Flintshire, Wales. This was followed by a presentation on how the introduction of Lean processes has improved the efficiency of the site together with improving performance reliability. The group then went for a visit which highlighted how simple ways of communicating maintenance activities is at the heart of the Lean process ensuring operators are able to easily operate to prescribed standards, without a detailed knowledge of the different components. Simplicity is at the heart of the Lean approach. In some areas of the site this was as simple as displaying a coloured sticker to show if the machine is on or off. The event ended with a practical exercise on how to implement Lean processes and a farewell to all members who attended – the furthest travelling from as far as Newcastle!

management was already there, it was just a case of implementing it. Perry Hobbs, DCWW, concluded the day. The answer to “who should be responsible for environmental management” is not a straight forward one; however through education of all stakeholders, culture change and working towards the same goal, it seems that a collaborative approach is the answer. All stakeholders would be winners, with reduced management costs and the development of shared objectives a more sustainable approach to catchment management will ultimately be achieved. The presentations of the day are available to members on the Institute of Water Events – Welsh Area Summer Forum.

The Welsh Area Committee would like to offer a warm welcome to those who have recently joined the Institute of Water Gavin Ridgway

Julian Hill

Katie Parish

Sarah Harries

Owain George

Matthew Todd-Jones

Jenny Grubb

Mark Potter

Sian Williams

Sioned Evans

Helen Howell

Ãine Kenny

Joshua Gibson

Andy Derbyshire

Catrin Phillips

Rory Johnson Jones

Samantha Powell

Suzanna Hill

David Ripley

Joanna Davies

Callum Meredith

Matthew Parry

Peter Williams

Kyle Wallis

Tonia Hall

David Ransome

Daniel Goodfellow

Marta Glabska

Sam Bright

Dewi Griffiths

Simon Anthony

Andrew Harris

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SOUTHEASTAREANEWS

A Day in the Life of a Water Sample The South East Area’s Day in the Life series continued with a Day in the Life of a Water Sample.

Institute of Water President’s Day This years President’s Day was held at Arundel Castle in the heart of West Sussex. Members and their families arrived at the castle gates to be greeted by knights, archers and falconers who escorted them into the castle. After morning tea, we were split into several groups in order for our knowledgeable guides to take us on a full tour of the castle. This included the private chapel, numerous dining rooms, the expansive library and the bedrooms, which are normally off limits. The tour guides provided a wonderful insight into the history of the castle as well as stories of deceit, wars and wealth. Lunch followed during which South East Area President Mel Karam (Southern Water) gave a short presentation thanking everyone for their attendance and their support of the area during the year. The castle was also holding a medieval knight’s event within its walls and after lunch attendees were able to experience archery demonstrations, sword fighting, battle enactments and falconry. Additionally the day was also the start of the Arundel Festival so during the afternoon there were live bands and local beers within the town.

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The day proved extremely popular with 100 members and their families in attendance (a possible new attendance record). The South East Area would like to thank Mel Karam, Jo Munn and Southern Water for the organisation of the event and Angela Kries-Margaroli for her help and organisation on the day.

The event was held at South East Water’s Laboratory in Frimley and followed the journey of a water sample from collection to its analysis. The event was introduced by Neil Hudson (Head of Water Quality, South East Water) who outlined the requirement for water quality sampling in accordance with the Water Quality Regulations and provided a brief background to South East Water. Richard Brown (Laboratory Manager) then outlined South East Water’s Laboratory sampling and analysis processes as well as giving an overview of the type and frequency of parameters analysed. The sample journey began in the sample receipt and delivery area. Here the individual samples are recorded and assigned to their specific analytical areas. Attendees were then given a detailed breakdown of the different and varied techniques performed in order to obtain accurate concentrations of the various parameters. Marcus Bedford (Microbiological Manager) and Josie Willott (Chemistry Manager) ensured members not only understood these processes but were able to gain an insight into the equipment and techniques required During lunch there was a change to have a questions and answers session which enabled members to ask questions on the techniques seen and any problems that are experienced during analysis. Finally the South East Area Committee presented Malcolm Hall with an engraved wine glass. Malcolm, along with two other retired members attend as many events as possible and this was a token of the areas appreciation of to that commitment. The area would like to thank Neil, Richard, Marcus and Josie for organising the event and a providing a wonderful insight into the important world of water quality.


MIDLANDSAREANEWS

Developing Self Resilience – The Olympic Way Midlands Area members and colleagues found themselves a little star struck when triple Olympic medallist, Greg Searle spent a day helping us to understand how to improve our self resilience. He applied the lessons he learned through rowing at 3 different Olympics to the things we do in what we believed were our rather ordinary lives. However through group exercises, we found we had lots of stars in the group, from Triathletes to Iron Men to World Record holders. It’s amazing the things you might not know about the person sitting next to you! After a rousing video about last year’s Olympics, Greg took us through his story, the successes, failures and challenges he faced. He helped us see that even great sportsmen make wrong decisions, but it is how you maintain resilience through the highs and lows that is the key. We discussed Attribution theory – how we internalise or externalise the successes and failures in our lives, and did some exercises to understand our natural reaction to these circumstances. We then broke down the 2 key elements of self belief to see how we could improve each; n Self-Esteem is how we value ourselves as human beings. It is developed over time and is less likely to change in a short time (global confidence)

n Self-Confidence is the trust that we have in ourselves to deliver in specific circumstances (specific confidence) Having built personal belief walls, to understand the events in our lives that have shaped our sense of self-belief, we worked through a structured process to identify key goals and outcomes and action plans to help us achieve them. Finally, we explored motivation through the self-determination theory, understanding why everyone in the room had a different level of drive

and view of what success meant to them according to their levels of internal or external motivation and whether they naturally tended to improving the present state or pushing toward a new future state. We all left feeling a greater sense of direction, but also an understanding of the things that drive us and how to make the most of our personal style to achieve our goals and maintain self-belief. By Sarah Williams

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EASTERNAREANEWS

What a great day out! Eastern Area President’s Day out promised much and didn’t disappoint – even the weather was perfect!

A detailed guided tour of the Greene King Brewery in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk for over 20 members and guests demonstrated that brewing and water have a common heritage, and just what can be achieved with the application of technologies common to the UK water industry. The net difference these days is that beer is considerably more expensive than water, something that water company shareholders

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might look at enviously, but then HM revenue and Customs don’t add a levy on water. The tour finished with an extended stay in the tap room of brewery, with samples being generously supplemented by Siemens, Itron and Groundbreaker Systems. The evening was completed by a BBQ in the grounds of the brewery, under the stars with good company a selection of Greene King’s finest ales.


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