Institute of Water Magazine - Summer Edition 2014 by Institute of Water

SUMMER2014 ISSUE182

IN THIS ISSUE: INNOVATION FUTURE HORIZONS FOCUS ON MIDLANDS DROUGHT INSTITUTE OF WATER JOURNAL

Utilise your skills with us We are Amey, the faces behind the services people use every day. From roads, railways and schools to waste disposal, airports or the energy and water you use in your home. We’re currently looking for multiple new faces to join us in Utilities. Our Utilities Professional Services business operates in electricity transmission and distribution, and in water in both infrastructure and non-infrastructure. Our growing team of specialists – part of our 2,500 strong consultancy workforce - provides high specification asset management and design work to clients throughout the UK. To find out more visit www.amey.co.uk/careers

As we grow our unrivalled breadth and depth of services in water we have a number of exciting career opportunities available. You’ll work on exciting projects, delivering excellent services and innovative solutions to complex challenges. You’ll also enjoy a highly competitive salary and benefits.

Who we are looking for Water Civil Engineers Water Process Engineers Water Mechanical & Electrical Engineers Electricity Primary Plant Engineers Protection & Control Engineers Utilities Asset Management Experts CAD Technician

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

16 and pharmaceuticals that are difficult, if not impossible, to remove at any sensible cost, then source control seems like a crucial option. It’s better to work with farmers, with users of medicines and with regulators to tackle the problem before it becomes a problem – prevention after all is better than cure. In short take care of the environment and drinking water is easier to produce. My job means that one thing I can guarantee is that each day I will get a handful of calls or emails about shale gas. The shale gas debate continues to gather momentum with the government pushing the economic benefits. We still don't really know what the environmental impacts will be, but we do know where the risks lie to water resources, water quality and wastewater. It’s such an emotive topic that almost everyone has an opinion on it - and many people aren't shy about sharing. You can give views on 1 July as the Institute is organising an open seminar with the Society for the Environment to debate the environmental impacts. Watch out for more information.

Welcome to the summer edition of the Institute of Water Journal. It’s a great honour for me to be asked to write this introduction. So who am I and why am I writing this? My role is Policy and Business Adviser at Water UK and the area I focus on is drinking water. The provision of safe, clean water to drink is a basic human right and a fundamental role for water companies. I think we do a good job and the stats back me up. However the sector is facing plenty of challenges - both those that we have some control over and those that we don't as population growth, droughts and floods. Water companies continue to innovate at the forefront of science and technology meeting tight quality standards. Attracting billions of pounds of investment needed every year it funds both the essential big infrastructure projects and day to day operational expenditure required. Drinking water isn’t just produced at water treatment works – it is way before this in the rivers, streams, springs and groundwaters. So it makes sense that cleaner source waters equates to less treatment. If you add to that new and emerging threats from pesticides

Finally, many of you reading this will have also watched the excellent BBC2 show “The Watermen”. The show highlights the important role that our industry plays and the often unseen, often smelly, activities we undertake. In all our jobs we need to be the best we can to protect the public and the environment whilst getting water to taps and waste down toilets. The Institute is uniquely placed to offer engineering, scientist and environmentalist qualifications reflecting the diversity of our industry. No matter where you are in your career there will be a level of professional qualification that suits. Talk to your manager or mentor and look to see what could work for you. I hope you enjoy this edition of the Journal which includes features on the Midlands, Drought, Innovation and the Future Horizons of the water industry.

Features 24-31 32-39 74-78 79-81

Innovation Future Horizons Focus on Midlands Drought

Regulars 4 5 6-7 8-10 14-15 16-17 18 19 84-94

News in Brief Members Update Engineering News Environment News Science News WaterAid CPD Rising Stars 2014 Area News

Jim Marshall Water UK

jmarshall@water.org.uk

Institute of Water HQ: 4 Carlton Court, Team Valley, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE11 0AZ Website: www.instituteofwater.org.uk President: Heidi Mottram Chairperson: Dermot Devaney 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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NEWSINBRIEF

TOM MOORE WINS USIT HARVARD AWARD

SOUTHERN WATER WINS TOP AWARD

Southern Water and its suppliers PN Daly and RPS Water have won a top award for finding and stopping leaks. The companies scooped the Partnership Award at the Water Industry Achievement Awards in Birmingham on April 1st 2014. Congratulations to Tom Moore, Senior Business Architect, WOM Transformation, United Utilities, on winning a USIT Harvard Award. Tom is one of two people from the UK utilities industry who will attend the High Potentials Leadership Programme run by Harvard Business School later this year after successful applications for the Award. Tom was presented with his Award by Lynn Cooper, USIT Trustee and Institute of Water Chief Executive, and they were joined by Helen Samuels who was appointed as Engineering Director earlier this

year. As well as bringing a wealth of engineering experience to United Utilities, Helen is a keen coach and mentor, encouraging young people to choose a career in engineering, and will take an active interest in United Utilities’ apprenticeship and graduate programmes.

Southern Water teamed up with PN Daly and RPS Water in early 2012, to help meet the industry regulator Ofwat’s leakage target.

Tom and Lynn met up with former USIT Harvard Winner, Duncan Smith, United Utilities’ Water Services Director, who was able to share some of his experience to help Tom prepare for his Harvard experience.

This significant reduction across the company’s network of more than 13,000km of water mains, where the majority of leaks are underground and out of sight, elevated Southern Water to being the best performing water and sewerage company for leakage.

The partnership, and new technologies, led to that target being beaten by 10 percent.

CUSTOMERS HELP ANGLIAN WATER ACHIEVE CARBON TRUST’S NEW WATER STANDARD Water efficient customers have helped Anglian Water become the first water company to achieve the Carbon Trust’s Water Standard. Anglian Water is also the first company in the world to be certified by considering the water it supplies to others.

of approval for companies wanting to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and water efficiency, and checks that they are genuinely taking action to conserve water resources, rather than simply committing pledges to paper.

The independent standard is the stamp

Anglian Water put the lowest amount of water

into supply for over 25 years in 2012/13 by driving down leakage, encouraging more customers to switch over to water meters and through targeted initiatives. They also created campaigns like Drop 20, Potting Shed and Bits and Bobs which provide free fittings and advice to help people to reduce their water consumption.

ONLINE ‘WATERSHED’ TO TACKLE CRITICAL ISSUES Saint-Gobain PAM UK are pleased to announce the launch of Watershed Issues, a brand new channel that will showcase industry experts and enable people to have an opinion and discuss those pertinent matters that are challenging the water and building industry. Visitors to Watershed Issues will be encouraged to add their thoughts to the discussion topics through a comments section and Saint-Gobain

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PAM UK hopes that this will engender a lively debate whereby suggestions and ideas are pulled together in one common place.

The first discussion will centre on ‘whether the industry is at risk of stagnating if more emphasis isn’t placed on innovation’ and will call on the experience and views of the Water Research Centre (WRc), an independent employeecontrolled organisation, that is dedicated to providing innovative and practical solutions to its customers and operates in the water, waste and environmental sectors.

MEMBERSUPDATE

WELCOME TO NEW COMPANY MEMBERS PA CONSULTING GROUP! PA is an employee-owned firm of over 2,500 people, and we work with business and governments worldwide through our offices in North America, Europe, the Nordics, the Gulf and Asia Pacific. We are experts in a wide range of industries and we bring in specialists from across our whole firm to ensure you get the right team. Our specific expertise is in energy, utilities, financial services, life sciences and healthcare, manufacturing, government and public services, defence and security, telecommunications, transport and logistics. Our deep industry knowledge and our skills in management consulting, technology and innovation allow our teams to challenge conventional thinking and overcome every obstacle to give you exceptional results. This is

not something that ends with the assignment – for the last 70 years; we have been sharing our knowledge to create real and lasting impact. In the water industry, PA can help by designing and implementing appropriate programme structures within your organisation to deliver the changes necessary to meet the needs of your business under future market conditions. PA offers a deep understanding of UK Energy & Utilities Regulation, providing a team comprised of energy experts with extensive experience in water and wastewater systems, asset management and regulated industries. We can use our knowledge and experience to help you analyse and understand the impact on your business of different market arrangements and can employ bespoke market modelling tools to support this analysis.

JERSEY WATER ANNOUNCES CHANGES IN MANAGEMENT TEAM in his final year with Jersey Water. It is the current intention that Helier will succeed Howard as Managing Director in March 2015. Helier joined the Company in 2002 and qualified as a Chartered Director in 2010. Natalie Passmore, Financial Controller, will be assuming the additional role of Company Secretary when Margaret Howard leaves the Company at the end of the month to join the States of Jersey in a new role. Natalie, a Chartered Accountant, joined Jersey Water in 2010 having worked in a number of commercial roles in Jersey and overseas. The Board of Jersey Water will announce at its AGM today that Howard Snowden, above, Managing Director and Engineer, is intending to retire in March 2015 after 23 years of service to the Company. Howard will formally stand down from the Board at the AGM in May 2015. As part of a planned succession process Helier Smith, Finance Director, is being promoted to the new role of Chief Operating Officer. In this role he will be responsible for all operational aspects of the Company allowing Howard time to concentrate on a number of strategic initiatives

WATERAID TREK ETHIOPIA CHALLENGE Francesca Madden Member Engagement Manager Institute of Water It’s with great pleasure to say that in March 2015, I will be taking on the WaterAid ‘Trek Ethiopia Challenge’ to witness firsthand how WaterAid is transforming the lives of people in a country where over half of the population don’t have access to clean water. Ethiopia is in the Horn of Africa, where an extended period of droughts, famines and conflicts has had a serious impact on health and life expectancy. Many children die before the age of five from diarrhoea caused by unsafe water and sanitation. I will be trekking through the Ethiopian Mountains and helping with WaterAid projects that will transform lives, by bringing safe water, improved sanitation and hygiene education. Safe, clean water is essential for life, but one in ten of the world's population does not have access to it. I’m proud to be supporting a charity that transforms lives and enables communities to take their first essential steps out of poverty. Over the next 9 months I will be organising various fundraising events, as well as participating in the WaterAid Speakers Network to educate myself and others about worldwide sanitation issues and WaterAid’s solution to the problem. Our support and knowledge will transform lives. I’m hoping that my journey will inspire and motivate others to get involved and support WaterAid.

Kevin Keen, Chairman, said “the eventual retirement of Howard and his succession is something the Board have been considering for some time, he is going to be a very hard act to follow but we are confident the changes we are planning will leave the Company in good hands. We would like to wish Helier, Natalie and Margaret all the very best in their new positions.”

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Success rewarded Chris Peel, Engineering Standards Project Manager at Anglian Water, is our latest member to attain Incorporated Engineer status. Chris is responsible for managing and maintaining Anglian Water’s Engineering Standards, which includes: Writing new and updating existing standards Auditing schemes for compliance against standards Providing guidance, training and technical support on the application of standards Organising and chairing technical forums relating to standards Undertaking benchmarking exercises across the industry Undertaking trials of new products and technologies Looking for opportunities to reduce embodied carbon in the design of new assets On the product delivery side Chris has to: Act as product lead for water & wastewater infrastructure products Work with suppliers to implement new technologies and products Produce relevant engineering documentation for use by engineering teams Take new products for peer review and approval at technical forums Chris, who doesn’t hold the exemplifying academic qualifications for IEng (Bachelors Degree level), submitted two technical reports to demonstrate his knowledge and understanding of science, maths and engineering principles and his ability to define problems and design solutions, acquired through his experience of water operations and project management.

The first report was on the concept, design, manufacture and installation of a cover and frame for valves and hydrants manufactured from recycled materials, suitable for installation in verges, footpaths and carriageways. The second report was on redesigning the process and methodology for connecting new water mains to the existing network.

gained throughout my career at Anglian Water.

Chris said: “I applied because I work in engineering and didn’t have any formal engineering based qualifications and I felt that it was important for me to achieve a recognised accreditation in this field from a personal and professional perspective. I chose IEng as it allowed me to use the experience I have already

“The IEng registration means a lot to me. I have been able to prove to myself that I can meet the required competencies and it has given me more confidence in making engineering decisions. I have also learned the value and importance of CPD. I am now encouraging my colleagues to start the process as I have found it so beneficial.”

“The process was demanding but thoroughly rewarding and I had a lot of support from mentors within Anglian Water and from the Institute of Water. The assessors were very thorough, encouraging and supportive through the interview and assessment process.

I applied because I work in engineering and didn’t have any formal engineering based qualifications and I felt that it was important for me to achieve a recognised accreditation in this field from a personal and professional perspective. Chris Peel, Engineering Standards Project Manager at Anglian Water

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ENGINEERINGNEWS

RAEng Diversity Concordat

The Institute of Water has become the latest professional Engineering Institution to sign the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Diversity Concordat. Chief Executive Lynn Cooper accepts a certificate from Dame Wendy Hall DBE FRS FREng who leads the Diversity in Engineering Programme

The Concordat seeks to ensure that the profession properly reflects the society it serves and takes action to attract engineers from increasingly diverse backgrounds into professional membership and registration. In this way the profession can capitalise on their diversity of thought, innovation and creativity. In signing the Concordat, each party agrees to: Communicate commitment to equality and inclusion principles and practices Take action to increase diversity amongst those in professional engineering membership and registration Monitor and measure progress On receiving the certificate, Lynn said: “The Institute of Water supports the careers of people working in all professions and at all levels and prides itself on being inclusive, non-hierarchical and supportive. “In a male-dominated industry, one third of our Board Members, one third of our Area Representatives and 19% of our members are female so we are starting in a good position.” When the Institute of Water Board agreed last year to join the signatories it recognised the importance of conveying the right message about the Institute in everything we do, from website and printed material through to events, in order to attract a diverse membership. Already we have the Rising Stars programme for a small group of members in the early stages of

their career and some of our Areas run events aimed at young people. Last year the Institute of Water sent Charlotte Mizon, an analytical team leader in the microbiology lab at South West Water, to a oneday Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Leadership Academy, held at the Royal Academy of Engineering. The event was aimed at: Women with aspirations to develop their career in advanced manufacturing and engineering

In March this year, Northern Ireland Area funded 8 members to attend a Women’s Leadership Conference organised by the Institute of Directors. This had the theme of Leading with Confidence and featured three Keynote Speakers to motivate, energise and inspire plus three out of four workshops: Interpreting behaviour in the boardroom – understand the body language Making conversations work – how to network effectively

Future leaders in organisations

Inspiring confidence in your team

Middle managers who want to move up to an executive level

Finding your voice – be confident in your leadership

Women managing a small team Although the speakers were mainly from engineering, that didn’t matter to Charlotte who said: “I really enjoyed listening to their life stories of how they had become successful in an industry dominated by men. It was inspiring for me. “I think a conference organised the same way for water only would work really well. There are so many experts in the water industry all over the world so I don't doubt IWater could run something very similar and it would be popular. You could mix people from other sectors but it would be great initially to have a water only one. There was a section where they had 4 panellists and they opened the floor up for questions. I think something like this would work really well and it engaged well with the audience.”

These are two examples of events we could replicate or repeat in the coming year. Other initiatives run by some of the Concordat signatories for us to consider are: Policy on Equity and Diversity Fair Access to Registration Training for volunteers in unconscious bias Women’s Network If you are interested in any of the above or have any ideas please contact lynn@instituteofwater.org.uk

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June is Environment Month We begin Environment Month by recognising our latest members to attain Chartered Environmentalist status. All of them work for Anglian Water and three received their certificates at an Awards Ceremony held at the Science Council in April

Colin Hinge Supply Performance Manager Colin is directly responsible for the leadership and development of a team of Supply Technicians that operate water plants and undertake process tasks and asset maintenance on the water supply infrastructure. Colin’s early background was in engineering and he has in-depth knowledge of water treatment and recycling processes. Colin is also an experienced incident manager, working with other agencies on water quality and health & safety incidents. Responsible for the biodiversity management of his operational sites (including badger sets, nesting birds and SSSI’s), Colin works with the Environment Agency to manage water abstraction and discharges to ensure local biodiversity is unaffected. Colin applied to be a Chartered Environmentalist to recognise the hard work and effort that he puts into environmental issues both within work and home life. The CEnv qualification allows Colin to be an inspiration to his team and raise the profile of environmental sustainability within Anglian Water.

Anna Smith, Colin Hinge and Mike Hook (front row) are joined by Tim Boldero, VP Environment, IWater (back row) and Kate Kelly, HR Director Anglian Water, Alex Galloway, CEO SocEnv, Peter Simpson CEO Anglian Water and Lynn Cooper CEO IWater.

could have on the environment than I ever was at the age my sons are now. I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve lived most of my life in a part of the world that has seen ever improving living standards. However, I recognize that much of that has come at a price to the environment in one form or another. Many of the benefits I enjoy today are clearly not sustainable, at least not in the manner in which they’re currently obtained. “I know that it sounds like a cliché but I want my sons and their children and their children’s children to grow up in a world that hasn’t been stripped of all its natural resource, that’s still teeming with diverse life and that’s simply a joy

to live in and travel around. For that to happen I need to understand my own impact, mitigate as far as I can any harm I might do and encourage everyone else to do the same. “When I first heard that Anglian Water was putting together a program to support individuals in applying for registration as Chartered Environmentalist through the Institute of Water I signed up straight away. For me, the support from the business has been second to none, both at a corporate level from Peter Simpson and Paul Valleley and at the more practical level, from mentors such as Peter Barratt and from Diane Chamberlain in Training & Development Team.

Mike Hook Tactical Support Manager – Water Supply East Mike provides tactical support to the Regional Supply Manager to ensure effective and efficient service delivery within all water abstraction, treatment and storage activities. Mike is responsible for managing and co-ordinating energy, carbon and water-loss reduction activities and promoting environmental awareness and developing local environmental management plans for water supply. Mike said: “As a father of two and with the potential of being a grandfather at some point, I find that today I’m much more aware of the potential for negative impact that my actions

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The process of becoming a Chartered Environmentalist has helped me consider more deeply how I impact the environment and, I believe, will enhance my standing and hence my bargaining position, when I’m involved in environmental debates Mike Hook, Tactical Support Manager – Water Supply East

ENVIRONMENTNEWS “The process of becoming a Chartered Environmentalist has helped me consider more deeply how I impact the environment and, I believe, will enhance my standing and hence my bargaining position, when I’m involved in environmental debates. “

Anna Smith Client Project Manager Since joining the water industry as a Graduate Trainee with a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science, Anna has undertaken a variety of roles including national and international secondments. Her current role requires Anna to use her project management and influencing skills to deliver capital maintenance schemes

Why I applied “Applying for CEnv was an opportunity for me to challenge myself, develop my career and obtain recognition for the work I have done during my 11 years in the water industry - not only in my current role in Anglian Water but more widely in Severn Trent Water, Southern Water and also through activities/interests outside of work. In the competitive job market in which we work, I believe it is important to stand out from the crowd – I felt I could achieve this by obtaining CEnv.”

The Process “I have enjoyed reflecting on what I have achieved in my career to date - something you never really get the chance to do. The process also challenged me to think of areas for further development and long term career aspirations. The Institute of Water matched me with a Mentor who was a Senior Manager from a different Water Company – I was able to seek support when needed and obtain a different perspective on sustainability issues from both a different job role but also a different water company. The presentation of my CEnv by Senior Managers from both Anglian Water and across the Industry truly showed the prestige associated with the award – I felt that all present were genuinely proud of those receiving their Chartership which made it a very special moment – one which I am proud of.”

What CEnv means to me “I have demonstrated that I work to the standards required to be awarded Chartership. Through the application process I have made a commitment to continue to work in a sustainable way in my Client Project Manager role for Anglian Water and also to promote sustainability to others. Importantly, I have also demonstrated a commitment to continue CPD thus maintaining currency and competency and being able to apply principles throughout my career.” Colin, Mike and Anna received their certificates from Kate Kelly, HR Director at Anglian Water, and Lynn Cooper, Chief Executive of the Institute of Water. Lynn said: “Today we are joined by Alex Galloway, Chief Executive of the Society for the Environment. Alex was Chief Clerk to the Privy Council when SocEnv received its Royal Charter and is more

A fourth Anglian Water Chartered Environmentalist was unable to attend the Awards Presentation Ceremony Dr Lucinda Gilfoyle, Coastal & Catchment Strategy Manager Lucinda (Lu) has a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Toxicology and a Doctorate in Microbiology. Her Ph.D. – Microbial resistance to post water treatment processes – was a study of granulated carbon adsorbers at surface water treatment works and their contribution to the microbial loading on the treated water. Lu started as a Network Scientist at Anglian Water, providing scientific support to operational teams. Since then she has held managerial posts in Water Networks, Operations, Waste Water Tactical Support and Waste Water Tactical Support. In 2011 Lu was appointed Coastal Strategy Manager, responsible for developing and implementing Anglian Water’s coastal water strategy and in 2013 the role expanded to include catchment management, including: Alignment of internal business plans for PR14 Formation of key external collaborations to deliver WFD water quality improvements Recruitment and restructuring of existing teams to deliver a catchment programme that is integrated across business units Exploration of alternative forms of funding Behavioural change initiatives to work with agriculture and other key stakeholders to improve water quality Lu said: “I spend a lot of my time working with people on the significance and value of our natural environment and the sustainability challenges we face in order to safeguard our surface and ground waters, estuaries and beaches. To have a professional registration that recognises that I practise what I preach,

aware than most of the meaning and power of a Royal Charter and the responsibilities carried by Chartered Professionals. How appropriate that Anglian Water, with its ‘Love Every Drop’ campaign and slogan, should be taking a lead in encouraging managers across the business to pursue CEnv status. The ‘Love Every Drop’ and CEnv badges go well together and I applaud Peter (Simpson, Anglian Water’s Chief Executive) and Anglian Water for taking the lead on this.” Alex Galloway added: “From the start we have been determined to ensure that the CEnv qualification bears comparison with other Chartered qualifications in terms of the rigour of its standards. Once upon a time I was Clerk of the Privy Council, the body that is responsible for the granting and maintenance

and to be able to demonstrate this in a professional review, in front of my ‘peer group’ was important to me. It also shows that doing that bit extra and not putting my pen down at the end of the working day is worthwhile. “The guidance available on the IWater web site, alongside the work our People Development Team are currently doing within Anglian Water to demonstrate how the Chartership competencies can be applied to the Water Industry, meant that the process of putting the report together was straightforward. The subsequent professional review was fun (honest!). “I think it’s really important for employees inside large organisations to know what is happening elsewhere. The more you know about the world you operate within, the better decisions you can make for your own organisation. Chartership is just one way of being able to do this, as is membership of professional organisations and I’d encourage anyone to think about including these options within their career.”

of Royal Charters and I can testify that they are not granted lightly. Chartered Status is the hallmark of professionalism in the UK. Chartered Environmentalists have shown not only sound knowledge and understanding of the principles of sustainability but also leadership and communication skills of the highest order and a personal ethical commitment to the environment. “I congratulate those receiving their certificates today, Anglian Water for their support for professionalism in all areas of activity and for their dedicated efforts to increase public awareness of water supply and recycling issues and the Institute of Water for the valued contribution it has made to the environment as a licensed body and founder member of the Society for the Environment.”

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ENVIRONMENTNEWS

PUT YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL SKILLS ON THE MAP… BE A CHARTERED ENVIRONMENTALIST Watch out for details during the course of Environment Month or look under ‘career development’ on our website www.instituteofwater.org.uk World Environment Day is celebrated every year on 5 June to raise global awareness of the need to take positive environmental action. Events we are holding to celebrate this include:

MIDLANDS AREA

SCOTTISH AREA

14 June, Severn Trent Centre, Coventry

19 June, Methil, Fife

Presentation on the increasing use of food waste to generate energy and the work Severn Trent Water is currently undertaking to build and operate a food waste plant on its Coleshill Sewage Treatment Works in the West Midlands

A tour to learn about a novel renewable and hydrogen energy system. Surplus electricity is stored as hydrogen to meet a proportion of the building’s needs during periods when renewables are unable to meet demand. The Hydrogen Office energy system includes a 750kW wind turbine, 30kW electrolyser, 10kW hydrogen fuel cell and a geothermal source heat pump.

Energy from Food Waste

18:00 start with buffet at 17:30

Hydrogen Office Demonstration Centre

For further information please visit: www.brightgreenhydrogen.org.uk 15:00-17:00 with light refreshments after the tour

In collaboration with

Invites you to debate

THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF FRACKING A free special event for Chartered Environmentalists and their colleagues with an interest in becoming Chartered Tuesday 1 July 2014

4pm – 7pm

Can Mezzanine, 49-51 East Road, London N1 (exit 8 Old Street tube)

16:00 Registration & coffee

17:00 Debate

16:30 Welcome & introductions

18:00 Canapés, drinks and networking opportunity

16:40 Speakers platform Rob Cunningham, Head of Water Policy, RSPB Dr Tony Grayling, Head of Climate Change and Communities, EA Steve Thompsett, Director, UKOOG (UK Onshore Operators’ Group)

If you would like to attend please email your details to elaine.rutherford@socenv.org.uk, including full name, and contact details.

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SUCCESSFUL ACQUISITION PROVES ITS WORTH

It is just over a year since Amey plc made one of the biggest moves in its history, driving forward its expansion plans through the purchase of Enterprise plc for £385 million. Given the pressures that such a significant acquisition can bring, the company is particularly proud of maintaining its strong relationships with clients; successfully retaining all its existing business as well as securing a number of contracts with new clients. This success is due to a relentless focus on ensuring the right outcome for clients, according to two of the men tasked with making the acquisition work, Andy Milner, MD of the Consulting, Rail and Strategic Highways division, and Dan Holland who remained in the role as MD of the Utilities and Defence division. Andy explained: “The acquisition was more than 18 months in the planning and we are very pleased with how things have gone during the first year.

“There were clear synergies between us and Enterprise in the outcomes that we wanted for our clients. What we brought, in particular, was asset management and engineering capabilities.” The purchase, which was completed on April 8, 2013, created a combined organisation that is one of the UK’s most diverse service providers currently working in the UK public and regulated sectors. It employs 21,000 people, has a turnover of £2.3bn and works in nearly every county in the UK. The acquisition of Enterprise, a member of the Institute of Water, added utilities, waste collection and social housing to Amey’s range of services, and increased its market share within highways and facilities management.

“We had targeted growth and were seeking to double our revenues, part of our strategy was to expand into the utilities sector and achieve growth through acquisition.

Amey was able to underpin these services by adding its existing consulting and asset management capabilities to Enterprise’s specialisms allowing it to offer stand-alone or integrated service solutions for clients.

“Enterprise was a good match. It had a significant presence in the utilities sector across water, power and gas and had a strong heritage of providing services to many of the leading utility companies in the UK.

The strategy has worked. Since the acquisition Amey has won framework contracts with United Utilities and Severn Trent Water, worth £415m combined. Both are continuations of the division’s five-year framework contracts. They

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were also recently appointed preferred bidder for Scottish Water’s £340m investment programme in a joint venture with Black and Veatch. So far as their Utilities division is concerned, Amey remains focused on strengthening relationships with its existing customer base while seeking to expand its presence as the industry prepares for the new regulatory periods. Dan explained: “We seek to add value to all our contracts and being a larger company means that we can offer a full range of services, draw on economies of scale and share best practice to add value for clients. “This allows us to differentiate ourselves from other companies. It means we deliver enhanced services with increased efficiencies. The company acknowledges that the water sector is a constantly-changing one. Dan added: “There are challenges in the sector. You need to be as operationally efficient as you can while at the same time seeking to add value to your contracts with customers. One thing that hasn’t changed is that we still have conversations with our clients and focus on the outcomes they want to see.

AMEY Tech to Rave About Amey has become the first supply company in the utility sector to employ the awardwinning feedback technology of Rant & Rave to help improve their clients’ customer satisfaction ratings. The service offers customers a chance to give speedy feedback which is then analysed using Rant & Rave’s Sentiment Engine and uploaded onto a dashboard that is monitored and acted upon where necessary. The move is part of the Utility and Defence division’s new customer experience strategy. Dan Holland explained: “Our teams are representing our clients every day so it is vital that we add value in this area. “The Rant & Rave service is delivering a number of benefits. We get a much higher response rate using this service than traditional feedback cards and it gives us real-time intelligence about what is happening out in the field. It enables us to react to trends, recognise great performance and of course share that information with our clients.” The team has also established a network of Customer Experience Leaders who work with the divisional Customer Manager and client teams to share best practice, produce locally tailored strategies and innovate. Dan added: “It is a real success and even though this is quite a new concept it is already having a positive impact on SIM scores.” A further area of recent success is the development of an application to support compliance with streetworks legislation on water contracts. This has led to significantly improved scores in the areas it is used. The team responsible for its creation has been shortlisted as finalists in the upcoming UK Digital Experience Awards.

“Long-term, our strategy is to increase revenues and consolidate our customer base by adding value to the contracts that we have. That means looking after existing clients while also seeking to add new ones when the opportunities arise.” Andy agrees. He said: “Utilities is a challenging sector. The regulatory system has changed considerably and it has found itself increasingly in the spotlight, just look at the problems experienced by the energy sector at Christmas. “Bringing these two companies together gives us a dynamism that allows us to deliver efficiency and ensuring that we provide the best possible service to existing clients while also looking for growth where it can be achieved.”

Career Opportunities Amey’s Utilities Professional Services business operates in electricity transmission and distribution, and in water in both infrastructure and non-infrastructure. The growing team of specialists – part of Amey’s 2,500 strong consultancy workforce - provides high specification asset management and design work to clients throughout the UK. A number of exciting career opportunities are currently available including:

Water Civil Engineers Water Process Engineers Water Mechanical & Electrical Engineers Electricity Primary Plant Engineers Protection & Control Engineers Utilities Asset Management Experts CAD Technician To find out more visit www.amey.co.uk/careers

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More Chartered Scientists! By Robin Price, Vice President – Science

Since the beginning of March, we’ve gained 15 more Chartered Scientists, taking our total to 31! A fantastic start for our newest registration! Congratulations to everyone who has gained their registration.

Claire Pollard, DWI’s Deputy Chief Inspector (Science & Strategy) and member of the Institute of Water Science Panel talks of the importance of professional recognition for scientists within the water industry.

More opportunities for scientists with the Institute Anglian Water’s 12 new Chartered Scientists are congratulated by (second from left) Kate Kelly, HR Director, Anglian Water), (third from left) Phil Brown (Head of People Development, Anglian Water), (centre) Peter Simpson (Chief Executive, Anglian Water), (second from right) Lynn Cooper (Chief Executive, Institute of Water), (far right) Ali Orr (Registrar, Science Council) and (back) Robin Price (Regional Quality Manager, Anglian Water).

ANGLIAN WATER CELEBRATE SCIENCE A group of twelve new Anglian Water Chartered Scientists received their certificates at an event on 25th April 2014 at the Science Council in London. The event was held to celebrate a group of individuals from the company who had gained a variety of professional registrations, including Chartered Scientist, Chartered Environmentalist and Incorporated Engineer. The event was hosted by Kate Kelly, Anglian Water’s HR Director, who congratulated the candidates on their hard work in attaining their professional registrations, saying that “their achievement really serves as an inspiration for others, giving them confidence to follow in their footsteps.“ Peter Simpson, Anglian Water Chief Executive, Lynn Cooper, Alisdair Orr, Registrar at the Science Council, and Claire Pollard, DWI’s Deputy Chief Inspector (Science & Strategy) and member of the Institute of Water Science Panel, all joined Kate in congratulating the Institute of Water, Anglian Water, and the successful CSci candidates on their achievement.

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The twelve new Anglian Water CScis are: Toni Holtby, Water Quality Strategy Manager. Clair Dunn, Water Quality Risk Manager. Carl Faisey, Operational Development Scientist. Glyn Spencer, Operational Development Scientist. Paul Crawley, Risk Scientist. David Jarrold, Water Quality Liaison Scientist. Victoria Cameron, Water Quality Communication Scientist. Davy Jackson, Operational Scientist. Sean Piper, Operational Scientist. Andy Hartshorn, Operational Scientist. Riaz Malek, Life Sciences Manager. Chris Pegg, Senior Scientist (Chemistry).

On 10th April, the Institute of Water was granted its licence to award Registered Scientist and Registered Science Technician by the Science Council, which is very exciting news! This means that we really can offer a professional development route for every single scientist in our industry. Alisdair Orr, Registrar at the Science Council said; ”The Science Council is delighted that the Institute of Water has been successful in its application to become licensed to award the RSciTech and RSci designations to its members. The Institute submitted a very strong licence application, highlighting the importance to the industry of a competent workforce at all levels, and the professional registers are key to demonstrating that competence to the regulators and the general public alike. I look forward to working with the Institute and our other nine licensed bodies for RSciTech and RSci to provide recognition of the professional excellence of our technicians and scientists.” Look out for the full application process on our website and lots more publicity very soon!

SCIENCENEWS

CHARTERED SCIENTIST HEADS FOR WALES AND NORTHERN IRELAND Congratulations to our first Welsh Area Chartered Scientist, Dr Phillippa Pearson and it’s great news from Northern Ireland as Dermot Devaney and Thomas Kelly have gained their Chartered Scientist status. In their own words: Phillippa Pearson, CSci Catchment Water Quality Risk Manager, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water

Why did you choose to apply for CSci and what do you value most about being a Chartered Scientist? I felt that achieving CSci status would be a demonstration of my professional competence and my commitment to CPD, and that it would give me an instantly recognisable level of professional endorsement outside of the Water Industry. This is particularly important in my current role as Dwr Cymru Welsh Water’s (DCWW) Catchment Water Quality Risk Manager where I work with a very broad range of external stakeholders from individual Land Managers, to Third Sector, to Regulators, through to Policy Makers. In 2010/11 I went through the Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) professional review process via the Institute of Water. I found the experience enjoyable and rewarding and decided at that time that I also wanted to work towards obtaining Chartered Scientist (CSci) status. So when it was announced that the Institute of Water were to become an accrediting body with the Science Council, licensed to award Chartered Scientist (CSci) status, I knew straight away that I was going to apply.

What is your background in Science? Science has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember! I find it natural to question and to try to understand why things happen and how, collecting evidence as I go. My interest in Science continued through my academic studies; I completed my degree in Geography (BSc) and PhD before starting my career in the Water Industry in 2003 as a Graduate Trainee at Severn Trent Water. The roles I have held over the past 11 years, ranging from Process Scientist, to Senior Water Quality Advisor, to my current role as Catchment Water Quality Risk Manager, have all had a strong scientific focus. Therefore, being recognised as a Chartered Scientist, as well as a Chartered Environmentalist, was both relevant and important to me.

Would you recommend applying for CSci? I would definitely recommend people to consider undertaking the process to become a Chartered

Phillippa Pearson

Dermot Devaney

Scientist. You do need to be committed to the process but, as I found, it can be a very worthwhile experience. I really enjoyed the professional review process, it’s good to take time to reflect on your achievements and career contributions to date as you prepare your Professional Review Report, and it was great to talk about my career, current role and wider interest in Science with like minded people during my Professional Interview! I am happy to support any of my colleagues who would like to go through the process for either CSci or CEnv; I have organised a “Lunch and Learn” for the Welsh Branch in June 2014, details of which will be circulated shortly and I am happy to sponsor and support others on a 1:2:1 basis as they go through the process.

Dermot Devaney At present I’m the Water Quality Manager for Northern Ireland Water with specific responsibility for the Water Science Team. As water quality scientists we advise and guide engineering staff and others on scientific and water quality issues related to water treatment, processes and distribution i.e. ‘source to tap’ issues. Another key part of the team’s work is to investigate and report on water quality exceedances and consumer complaints to NIW staff and Regulatory Bodies. Being an operational scientist is a very rewarding and demanding role but in some ways has been undervalued in terms of recognition of the skill base of those involved.

it represented professional recognition of my life’s work as a scientist, mainly within Northern Ireland Water. Attaining Chartered Scientist status has not changed what I do on a daily basis but it has helped me focus on how and why I do it through maintaining an up to date CPD record. I also recognise my responsibility to encourage other scientists to achieve chartered status so that they too are recognised as the competent scientific professionals they are within their respective work areas. This is an exciting time for operational scientists and others to take that step towards professional registration and I know with the guidance and encouragement of our Head Office staff and local Area Committees we will see a large number of members gaining Chartered Scientist status in the coming years. The water industry has always been innovative and open to new technological advances with scientists at the core of the business. I firmly believe that every scientist should aspire to professional recognition and set in motion the means to achieving that by logging on to the IW site and following the procedures set out.

Thomas Kelly, BEng(Hons) MPhil CSci MIWater Maintenance Team Leader Kelda Water Services (Alpha) Limited With the Chartered Scientist Registration, the Institute of Water is providing a great opportunity for members from a scientific background to develop and to gain a reputable, recognised qualification. It seemed like an excellent fit for some of the technical work that I have completed, and I didn’t hesitate in applying when the Institute launched CSci Registration. Registration has provided me with professional recognition for some of my achievements to date. I am sure that it will benefit me in my career going forward, representing a verified and assured, external acknowledgement of my capability and background. It is an acknowledgement of my personal contribution to my employer and the industry in Northern Ireland. I have a mentor through the Institute of Water whose support was invaluable in completing the process. Following the initial application, there was a clear focus on demonstrating competency and scientific understanding throughout, which allowed me to showcase my work and capability. The assessors understood that candidates come from a variety of backgrounds and exhibit a genuine interest in learning more about what goes on throughout the industry. The interview was very pleasant and I really enjoyed meeting and reflecting on my career with my assessors, who were very knowledgeable and extremely accommodating! I would recommend the process to anyone established in a scientific or technical role, looking for professional recognition of their contribution.

As a result I felt very honoured to have been recently awarded Chartered Scientist status as

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BEHIND INDIA’S ECONOMIC SUCCESS LIE NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP ITS POOREST PEOPLE India is a vast, vibrant country with an emerging economy that is making headlines. But, like many other parts of the world, its divide between rich and poor is growing.

1 More than 96 million people in India don’t have access to safe water. Less than a third of people have access to basic sanitation, and over 186,000 children under five die from diarrhoeal diseases every year. Since WaterAid began working in India, many people have left their homes in the countryside and moved to towns and cities looking for work to support their families. This has led to people living in highly concentrated areas with little or no sanitation – sadly, the ideal conditions for diarrhoeal diseases to spread. To ensure WaterAid can address these changes and reach the very poorest and most marginalised people, we are continually developing the way we work. We increasingly focus on bringing about systemic change by working alongside decisionmakers as well as providing taps and toilets through our local partners. That means changing life for people like Suraj Ram. Like lots of Dalits, who are viewed as the lowest group in India’s caste system, Suraj has been forced into the illegal practice of ‘manual scavenging’ – clearing raw sewage by hand. Now 22, he has been manually unblocking sewage drains since he was 12 years old. While there are big social, environmental and economic challenges in India, there are also exciting opportunities to help people like Suraj.

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2 It is a country with a functioning democracy, growing middle class and strong media.

WaterAid is ideally placed to influence decisionmakers, raise awareness among the public, and engage with businesses and philanthropists. The Government of India has made ambitious commitments on water and sanitation, but these will only be achieved if improvements are effective and sustainable. We believe that local government and service providers should be held accountable to the communities they serve. Working with local organisations in ten states (Jharkhand, Orissa, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Delhi), we are empowering communities to recognise and fight for their human rights to water and sanitation, and are bringing together the people and organisations who can make change possible. Our work in India will not be finished until everyone, everywhere has safe water, sanitation and hygiene. Got a question or want to know more about our work in India? Email us at waterindustry@ wateraid.org.

Matt Kirk of Anglian Water and Nandini Hayarbhan drawing clean water from a hand pump in Kamar. Credit: WaterAid/Poulomi Basu

Suraj Ram, 22, being lowered into a sewer. Suraj is a Dalit, the lowest in the caste system. He has been manually unblocking drains since he was 12. Credit: WaterAid/Poulomi Basu

James Muir of Essex and Suffolk Water with Ramu in Nayagaon village. Credit: WaterAid/James Muir

WATERAID A year ago 13 volunteers from across the UK water industry spent seven days in the Madhya Pradesh region of India seeing WaterAid’s work first hand. James Muir and Matt Kirk, two of the trip participants, look back at their time in India: James Muir is a Customer Manager with Essex and Suffolk Water

Matt Kirk is a Supply Performance Manager with Anglian Water

“Every now and then life offers up some amazing opportunities and the trip to India was certainly one of the most amazing things I have ever had the chance to take part in.

“India is huge. With over a billion people, the staggering scale of this nation means millions of people don’t have safe drinking water. And over 780 million don’t even have access to a toilet. The sad reality of these figures is that thousands of children die every year from preventable diseases caused by unsafe water and sanitation.

This trip was truly a journey of contrasts, where extremes live side by side, where life for one person can be a world away from the life lived by another. I would not change my experience but I would change the poverty, the hardship and the basic lack of water and sanitation the people I met have to endure. One of our first visits was to Nayagaon - one of the poorest villages in the area. There was no immediate access to water and no toilets. The village was several miles from the main road, there was no electricity and open defecation was widespread. The main source of income came from collecting firewood to sell at market 15km away. I met Ramu and her son Vaynatu and chatted to them about life in the village. Ramu worked in the local forest, collecting wood to sell at market. She would spend a whole day gathering wood and then head to market the following day to sell it. She earned between 90 and 150 rupees (less than £1.80) a time. Each day Ramu also walked up to 10 miles to collect water for her family from a nearby stream. She knew the water she was collecting was contaminated but as the only source of water for the village, they had no choice but to drink it. As the conversation progressed she told me that during dry periods the stream often dried up and she had to walk even further to find water.

An exciting part of the WaterAid trip for me was joining supporters from various water companies across the UK who collectively promote and fundraise for WaterAid. Travelling with them all and experiencing how the funds we raise transform lives for some of the world's poorest people was truly inspiring. When we arrived in New Delhi, the culture of the city hit me immediately. Even with the overcast weather, the vivid colours of the buildings are striking. The city is so vibrant and alive. From New Delhi we travelled down to Madhya Pradesh. I was particularly looking forward to a visit to Kamhar – a village where WaterAid was already working. We heard from the head of the Water and Sanitation Committee about the project, which by now was being run independently by the committee. He described how overwhelmed he was that people had come from overseas to visit them, and showed us pictures of the village before the project and the transformation afterwards. There used to be rubbish everywhere and there was no drainage system, which meant water from the handpump was often contaminated.

With the help of a WaterAid translator, we talked for around an hour before I joined her on her walk to the stream to collect water. Ramu and Vaynatu picked up several stainless steel water containers and lead us over rocky, dry desert land. When we got to the stream I saw that although the water was clear it certainly wasn’t clean. The water they were collecting to drink and cook with was the same water they bathed, washed their clothes and watered livestock with. There was rubbish floating around and it smelt stale. Once the containers were full (each one weighing around 15 kilos), Ramu stacked them on top of her head and began the long walk back.

The head of the committee said ‘gradually people understood and began to clear up the village. They collected rubbish, disposing of it in a pit, and children were taught about the sanitation and handwashing.’

I asked Ramu what life would be like with safe drinking water in the village. Her response was simple, ‘I don't know. We have never had anything different and therefore I do not know what it would bring.’

70% of the community now had their own latrine and, maybe the most interesting part for me, they had built a small dam and spillway on an area of low-lying land to produce a small impounding reservoir. This land belonged to a man in the village, who had donated it to the community to provide a separate water supply for livestock. It also protected crops from flooding by creating capacity for rainwater storage.

India is not a poor country, in fact it’s a nation of rapid growth, it is a real player in the global market but some of its poorest inhabitants suffer as a consequence of people not looking beyond economics. One of my wishes for the people of India is that their government invests the money they need to make a difference. WaterAid is helping people in India to bring about change. Through local partners they are mobilising the population to demand their rights to the basics we take for granted. They are teaching people to build toilets, to maintain hygiene and how to secure clean water supplies. We were taken to a site identified by WaterAid’s partner to build a handpump to bring clean water to the village. Earlier this year, we heard the handpump had been installed and WaterAid is now working with the Public Health Engineering Department to look at ways of boosting the water supply through rainwater harvesting. India has taken a place in my heart forever. The people who occupy this country are amazing and I am blessed, honoured and thankful to have met so many wonderful souls.”

With investment from the government and guidance from WaterAid, a new handpump was installed and water from a new well and borehole was pumped uphill to a storage tank. From there the water flowed down to the village for an hour a day using gravity flow, so households could get water from a small external tap.

The benefits to the village were clear and I was pleased to hear how the community had supported the project by volunteering to lay pipes and build the dam. As we travelled round I began to understand more about the risks to water security and water quality. Talking to WaterAid India’s programme officer about catchment management plans and water security plans I saw similarities with our work in the UK. Money and resources for construction are not the issue in India, the challenge is making water and sanitation services sustainable so communities can become self sufficient. This is where WaterAid is helping. It is also helping by drawing attention to the most marginalized communities so they ‘come alive’ to the government encouraging investment. The people we met were so very generous and very appreciative that people had travelled thousands of miles to see and hear their stories. You could see just how much the work of WaterAid changes people's lives for the better.”

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CPD

CPD and our Monitoring approach I am sure many of you will realise we are a Licencing body for Engineers, Environmentalists and now Scientists. What you may not realise is that a requirement of our licence agreements, which allows us to award chartered status in these areas, is for us to have a proactive approach to CPD. This includes having an effective monitoring program. By Ian Limb HR Manager, Portsmouth Water and Institute of Water CPD Champion

We have 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 Dinner, literature and guidance on how to carry out effective CPD on the website, journal articles etc. So we have been doing our bit and what is also very pleasing it appears that we can certainly hold our heads up high in what we are doing compared too many other organisations. However we need to raise our game further, certainly in the area where we have given people professional status. We are expected by these professional bodies to demonstrate that our members are actively participating in good CPD disciplines. As a result we have now formulated a structured CPD approach for our monitoring program and this has been in place for 2014 and will remain consistent going forward. The approach is shown below We must also remember that CPD is for all members and therefore we also include monitoring for members that have not been awarded any professional status but still wish to drive their career forward. For the institute this is us important to us as it is for the professional bodies in respect to professional registration.

Now it can be done On-line so no excuses … All this can now be done securely on our On-Line CPD facility Our Online approach mirrors our CPD principles with the facility allowing you to set your goals (either short, long term or both), record your activities, attaching evidence and then evaluate what you have learnt and how you intend to put this into practice. And as Ashley states ‘by setting aside an hour each month to structure your CPD will definitely prove beneficial at some stage of your career’. So there should be no more excuses and members are urged to visit the website and start planning your career! Sign up and start recording your CPD on-line and start making you career work for you. Also as its part of your membership subscription it’s completely free and only requires your time to make it work for you …

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CPD Monitoring Approach for 2014 and going forward

We will ask all members that have been awarded professional status by the institute during the previous year i.e. CEnv, CEng, CSci, IEng, Eng Tech

Ten will be selected from those that have been awarded professional status by the Institute prior to 5 years ago (i.e. for 2014 this means any member awarded status prior to 2009)

3 4 5 6

Five associate members who have not yet received any ‘professional status’ and joined in the previous year

7 8

We must receive submissions from those in 1) and 2)

Five from associate members who have not yet received any ‘awarded status’ and joined more than 5 years ago Five from members who have been full members for at least 5 years and have not been awarded any professional status Overall our monitoring sample will be a minimum of 40 CPD submissions. If the above does not equal this minimum figure then additional numbers can be taken from point 5)

No-one will be asked to submit their CPD more than once every five years unless they have been awarded professional status since the previous request or have changed membership grade

Remember CPD is one of the most important 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 the requirement for skills to continually develop in order to strengthen our professional appeal. By maintaining and indeed improving our skills we can try to master the continual issues and challenges that affect our daily professional lives. So when you get that letter through the door asking you to provide evidence of your CPD don’t groan but think of it as excellent opportunity to look at your approach to CPD and how it can improve your career. Members should not have any fear if they feel their CPD needs some help or improvement we will, as an Institute, offer as much support as possible. This can be done through HQ, local committees or our mentoring program. CPD underpins everything that the Institute is all about. Whilst we have to monitor because we have to we also monitor because we want to help our members succeed.

RISING STARS

Views from the Water NI Conference

By Gareth McFarland, Rising Star Water NI 27th February 2014, Belfast. The WaterNI conference allowed me to gain my first real experience of a water industry conference and it proved both enlightening and fulfilling. The keynote speeches delivered by Nigel Ayton (MD Scottish Water) and John Tierney (MD Irish Water) respectively were of particular interest to an employee of Northern Ireland Water. I was able to see where NIW can still go as a company by looking at the Scottish Water model and how far they have come in

the last 10 years and was also able to see the progress we have made ourselves by seeing the origins of Irish Water and the work they have yet to do. The conference also gave the opportunity to hear about aspects of the water industry that I would not be familiar with such as catchment management and sewage as provided through the useful smaller workshops at the end of the day. I would just like to thank the IoW for securing a place for me for the conference and hopefully there will be more to come.

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INSTITUTE OF WATER SOUTH WEST AREA SUPPORTS

WRc’s 2014 Innovation Day

On 30th April 2014 WRc opened its doors to over 300 visitors from water, waste and gas companies as well as regulators, experts, technologists and innovators to debate and celebrate innovation within these sectors. The event concentrated on the theme of “Delivering Value to Customers through Innovation”. There was a varied mix of activities available for visitors to choose from during the day including presentations, focussed workshops, a showcase of successful innovations from the supply chain and opportunity to see “Innovation in Action” in WRc’s experimental and engineering testing facilities. The event was supported by the Institute of Water - South West Area, the SBWWI (Society of British Water and Wastewater Industries) and EUA (Energy Utilities Alliance).

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For the first time, delegates had the opportunity to interactively vote for the ‘best of the best’ in WRc’s newly launched Innovation Forum Award - a Dragons Den style showcase. The day provided visitors with opportunities to: Learn how value has been delivered through innovation in a variety of areas Explore how we can communicate the need for and benefits of innovation to customers

Contribute to developing answers to the challenges that face the water, waste and gas sectors Network and explore how together we can change To pre-register for the WRc Innovation Day 2015 – visit www.wrcplc.co.uk

FEATURE:INNOVATION

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Are your teams ready to pick up the baton? Picture your frontline teams and now picture a sports team to compare them to. The chances are that you pictured a football team or similar. For teams working in the same place at the same time, towards a clear single aim, visibly supported on site by their manager this analogy would work. The trouble is the water sector frontline teams are working in this way less and less. Often teams work in shift patterns in multiple locations, juggling many different priorities, often led by a manager who needs them to largely self manage. The nearest sports team analogy to this is the track and field relay team, covering a distance so vast that the manager can only influence in training and review sessions, not during the event itself. This has profound implications for how the team is set up for success, managed and led. Let’s start by looking at the three forces that are changing the way teams work:

1. A new wave of technological innovation Technological innovations are fundamentally changing ways of working at the frontline, enabling smaller, more specialised teams to cover a wider geographical area and to manage multiple sites. Slick baton handovers between teams and roles have become a critical success factor in embracing the benefits that new technology brings. Example technologies include: the use of ultrasonic pipeline leak detection techniques and in-situ spectral analysis at night to find previously undetectable leaks; production sites with advanced automation systems and web-based SCADA enabling teams to operate multiple sites simultaneously. With continued investment we expect technological advances to accelerate in AMP 6 and beyond.

2. The drive for further efficiencies Just as frontline teams are spread thinner so too are management spans of control growing ever wider (number of reports) and broader (skill sets of reports). As a result there are less formal leadership ‘touch points’. We have regularly seen examples of managers with 1 to 25 reports covering the full capability set needed to operate, maintain and improve large and complex sites. In the past, frontline colleagues would have regular face-to-face contact with a manager that fully understood their technical challenges. This is becoming increasingly rare with an expectation that teams ‘self-manage’ and to some extent people self-develop.

However at the frontline, they often lead to fewer people, working more shift patterns in specialist teams, spread over bigger areas and more assets, working autonomously.

Why is managing ‘relay teams’ more challenging? As teams become smaller, more specialised and more dispersed, they must work seamlessly together ensuring critical information is passed, without error, within and between teams. Economists call this challenge a ‘WeakestLink’ game, because the output is determined by the

3. Increased regulation and compliance In a football game, the final whistle is the end. In a relay, it’s not just about the order on the finish line but whether the rules were adhered to along the way. In the water sector, teams are expected to rigorously comply with a growing array of policies and procedures, evaluate work and continually provide accurate information and insight for further analysis. The expectations of regulators, customers, and shareholders (and other influential stakeholders) are growing. Customer and community groups are setting targets for AMP 6 that go further than regulatory standards, (e.g. Ofwat SIM and Defra targets) and for example beyond the economic level of leakage. A football team has it easy in comparison. Taken together, these innovations represent great progress and will ensure our water resources are safer and more efficiently managed in the future.

weakest person’s contribution, making it damaging to carry underperformers. The rules of the game are more precise with a smaller margin of error and more scrutiny around how results are achieved. As a result there are more handoffs within teams and between teams, and every handoff is a potential breakdown/error point. To illustrate, if fixing an asset involves 5 different roles and each role has a 90% chance of passing on their part of the job successfully there is less than a 60% chance the asset will be fixed right first time in full1. This is tangibly illustrated in customer call centres where we have found examples where 8% of calls result from breakdowns in internal processes and ‘handoff issues’. The communication challenge is not just about passing information on accurately. If ‘relay’ teams are to succeed and to continuously improve then they need to be expert at applying learning and embedding change. Getting a consistent message to each team member when they are rarely in the same place at the same time is challenging. Getting timely unbiased feedback about how that message has landed is even more challenging. This issue gets even more intractable as teams change composition (people churn). It becomes irresponsible to rely on custom and practice to communicate how work should be done.

How to ensure your ‘relay teams’ don’t drop the baton Developing a winning relay team is a different and difficult challenge, but managed in the right way these teams can achieve amazing results. For 1 0.9^5= 0.59

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EGREMONT

inspiration just watch the 2004 Athens Olympic Games Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 4x100m relay final. Each member of Team GB was more than one second slower (based on personal best times over 100m) than their US team counter-parts. They should never have come close to the US, but they won gold.

Here is a 6 step guide to setting up and leading relay teams for success. 1. Support the transition to becoming a relay team through active change management. Imagine asking a professional footballer to become a track runner - they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make that transformation on their own, and the same is true for their manager. 2. Develop End-to-End process improvement dashboards to ensure team learning and holistic decision making. Dashboards should have metrics for handoffs, failure points and input compliance. This ensures measurement of each teamsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; contribution to success from the perspective of both parties - it takes two to pass the baton successfully! 3. Instil standardised management disciplines rigorously with supporting tools and techniques for the frontline. Some of the most beneficial are: codified Standard Operating Procedures, Visual Performance Management with similar working patterns for all similar working areas.

4. Judge leaders of relay teams by their poorest performers and how much they are improving, whilst ensuring they are supported to face into the difficult performance management conversations. 5. Evolve the Leadership approach to develop connected leaders who prize consistency, rigour and constructive two-way communication. 6. Use IT tools (e.g. Web conferences, Yammer, SharePoint, Trello, Google Hangout etc)

to support, but not replace, two-way communication. Technological innovation, the drive for efficiencies and increasing stakeholder standards are not new trends in the water sector, but the pace and combination of change has started to accelerate the transformation of how frontline teams work. The leadership challenge of the future will be how to support this transformation and manage these new relay teams, ensuring no one drops the baton.

Alex Graham

Programme Manager Egremont Group

The Egremont Group is a management consultancy specialising in business transformation. For more information please visit www.egremontgroup.com

alexgraham@egremontgroup.com Telephone: 020 7298 7878

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FEATURE:INNOVATION

How competition will promote innovation in water Martin Cave is a visiting professor at Imperial College Business School and author of the Independent review of Competition and Innovation in Water Markets, 2009.

The report on competition in the water sector I compiled for the last government had a second, ‘Cinderella’ subject – innovation. The current Bill completing its passage through Parliament contains fairly detailed rules for retail competition in water and sewerage for business customers, and a little on some upstream activities (but sadly almost nothing about abstraction reform). But the Bill rather neglects innovation.

can only appropriate a small proportion of the innovation’s reward. The ‘sweet spot’ in market structure lies with a few firms fighting it out for market leadership. Of course the reasoning is rather more complex than I have presented it: naturally, as it is by economists. But the basic point that competition among the few, as is likely to be observed in the water industry can reasonably be expected to encourage innovation is pretty safe, if not watertight.

liberalisation. But the water sector is now reinventing its business model. I saw evidence of this at the 2014 Water UK City Conference, when Colin Skellett, executive chair of Wessex Water, gave a presentation describing the business model of the future. The key slide identified three activities:

I can see why. Legislating for innovation sounds almost a contradiction in terms. Innovation is recognized as a serendipitous process, not subject to full central direction and incapable of being forecast. That is why books about innovation tend to be rather unsatisfying: they either ‘explain’ innovation with false precision, or they are too vague.

I would expect to see this occur from, or even before, 2017 when retail competition is due to start in England. The upstream component comes later – according to DEFRA, possibly much later, but that is when I would expect to see a bigger effect resulting from competition to provide replacement or expansion capacity for clean water supplies, including competition over the sourcing of the raw water. Given the longevity of plant in the water industry it will take some time for the impact to be comprehensive, but the best minds of the sector, and of the supply chain lying behind it, will be deployed on the task.

Service provision, in retail, asset operation and creation, biosolids and renewable and water and nutrient trading, and

However, one bit of the puzzle has been investigated quite closely, and that concerns the relationship between competition and innovation. The best known proposition in this field is the so-called ‘inverted U’ relationship. This claims that innovation levels are low with a monopoly, which has little incentive improve process or product since the only business it can take is its own already. Innovation is also low in industries with a very large number of firms, in part because any single firm, with a small share of the market,

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However, that is not all. Five years ago (in my observation) a typical company in the England and Wales water sector had a ‘silo’ view of itself as a vertical integrated monopolist. This traditional utility view had characterized other sectors too, such as telecoms and energy, before

Asset ownership, with modest and secure rewards

Partnerships in catchment management and flood defence. This kind of ‘layer’ model is one to be found in many modern network industries, and in my interpretation the arena for competition and contestability could include most or all of the services sitting on top of the monopoly infrastructure. As a result of competition, the need for regulation would be diminished. By this reasoning the prospects for innovation in water are better than for some time. I do not know what material form it will take, but developments based on the expectation of competition and other factors should lead to a step change which will benefit end users, the environment and in some cases the providers of capital.

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BARRIERS TO INNOVATION IN THE WATER INDUSTRY – IS IT MORE THAN JUST THE AMP CYCLE? As an Engineer who has spent virtually my entire 35-year career involved in innovation of some kind, both working within the supply chain at one extreme for large multinationals and at the other micro enterprises. I believe that it is time to lay bare the barriers to innovation in the Water Industry and put to bed the ever growing myth that the AMP cycle is the primary cause of our lack of innovation. So where do we start? Perhaps let’s start with the definition of innovation. Here I must admit that I get a bit tough and annoyed with many that claim to innovate. I share the line with the Patent Office that innovation like a patent needs to be groundbreaking, tangible, radical, a step change, different and not just an iteration or natural evolution of an existing technology or process. However, that’s only part of the definition which I like to take much further than the Patent Office, who have no interest whatsoever in the viability of the idea, its route to market, the outcomes, the trials, the evidence, market demands, the commercial benefits and ultimately its ultimate success. In a nutshell I feel that having a good idea may indeed be inventive but if it fails to embrace the process from concept through to delivery and sits on the laboratory bench, then it fails the innovation acid test. Now that we have set the definitions, let’s look at the barriers to innovation. To some this will sound like I am about to go off at a tangent, but this is based upon true life experience, a bit of a life story, a roller-coaster of mixed emotions, successes, failures and frustrations. Yes and before you ask, I have personally pioneered ideas and headed up teams that have won over a dozen innovation awards not just in water but also in rail, so what I have to say I feel is generally true irrespective of the industry sector and certainly helps to undermine the theory that the AMP cycle is entirely to blame. All I hope by this end of this article is that you will get the message that barriers to innovation are complex and involve more than just the invention, but with

perseverance and understanding of these issues we can help innovation.

the competition. I will say nothing more than you have been warned!

“Lack of motivation” - it is amazing how during times of conflict or major crisis how we can innovate at remarkable speed and generally with high degrees of success. Without doubt if it wasn’t for the two World Wars and the following Cold War I would no doubt be using a typewriter to produce this article and certainly we wouldn’t have seen a man on the Moon as early as the late 60’s. In the water industry there are two major conflicting motivators, the shareholders demand for profit and the regulator calling for improvements in standards. Accepting that profit within reason is acceptable in a market driven society, the Regulators ought to perhaps rethink how they monitor and motivate performance. My understanding is that improvements are expected year on year and therefore unless I am mistaken there is no incentive to make a major innovative leap delivering a large step change. In reality the opposite seems to occur where there is a tendency to hold back, to spread improvements and the adoption of innovation slowly in order to satisfy the numbers game. Simply, why not proactively reward step change and let the industry spread the benefits of any improvements made over a number of years?

“We tried that back in…..” - At the age of 18 full of enthusiasm and just assigned to the R&D department at Hawker Siddeley, I can recall meeting my first barrier to innovation “We tried that back in 1938, it didn’t work then” yet a few months later after backs were pinned against the wall and after considerable time wasting the idea was re-visited and then found to work following a new approach. Simply we need to be open to revisiting on old ideas – technology is moving at a rapid pace and what didn’t work in the 1950’s may work today. However, don’t make the mistake of ignoring the wisdom of the “old timers” you need to fully understand what went wrong in order to not make the same mistakes.

“The double edge sword of competition” - This is a warning to those that believe that competition in the water industry is healthy. Yes it can indeed drive the industry to seek and embrace innovation however, I have experienced its more sinister side first hand after winning the contract for Europe’s first fixed network AMR and integrated water management system which was installed in Paris over a decade ago. Cutting a long story short, once the project became successful and was evidently giving my customer the upper hand we were actively and almost forcefully discouraged from supplying the technology to

“The fear of being first” – I can recall whilst being the Managing Director of a division of a leading FTSE 250 company heavily involved in the water sector being actively criticised by the Board for always striving to be first. This criticism even extended to the CEO sending me a book on the theory that being second was best. Needless to say we parted company shortly after. On the other side of the fence the same reluctance applies amongst the industry where everyone wants to adopt proven technology and nobody wants to be first. All I can say is we all need to be braver and take a few risk and realise that throughout the history of mankind somebody had to be first otherwise we would all be living in caves. “We are all Humans” - just like being asked to swap your children, it is remarkable how many people are reluctant to change technology even if they know in their heart that their child is a Horrid Henry and that you could swap him for Perfect Peter. However, not only is there a basic instinct sub-conscious barrier to overcome continued p28

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there is also the fear of finger pointing, criticism associated with admitting and accepting that your Henry was indeed horrid.

adoption of a innovative system or instrument with poor testability than one with instant status reports, flashing indicators real time data.

“Failure to simplify the delivery within the innovation ” – during a recent talk I gave at a SWIG conference held at the UWE, I stressed that one of the easiest ways for innovation to fail is to make it too complex. Too often I see it in the field where operatives are embarrassed to admit they don’t understand a piece of equipment. So rather than admit that they are not up to the job, miraculously the equipment would fail, become un-reliable and hence the problem eventually goes away. As you may guess one of my big design philosophy’s is indeed keep it simple – not only are the workers in the field shy of complex technology, but so too should be prospective customers. If you need a PhD to install, adjust or calibrate a piece of equipment then seriously think again! I draw the line at laptops – simply if you need a laptop to programme and configure you are asking for trouble. Simply KISS and you are eliminating the human element from what can go wrong!

“The Framework Agreement” – many would say that frameworks directly discourage innovation. I have to agree, as simply when you have already won the battle, have defined goals and have a virtually guaranteed income stream, what is going to stimulate radical innovation? Further, frameworks have an even more damaging effect as they can prevent new suppliers that are not in the framework from getting their innovation to market.

“Lack of testability” – this point follows on from the KISS principle, again I have seen too many instances where instruments and processes are difficult to get evidence as working. If anybody has read any of my previous rants, you know I have an aversion to data logging and the delivery of autopsy reports rather than real data. All I can say is it takes a much larger leap of faith in the

“The risk averse” – the modern culture of risk aversion from the moment of birth through to death has got a lot to answer for when it comes to stifling the innovative spirit. Even at the turn of the century when working with NW Rail to develop the UK’s first automated rail temperature monitoring system, I can recall hitting the buffers because it had not been done before. Following on the heels of the Hatfield disaster it was deemed too radical, too new and scary. It took almost 3-years of risk assessments and flawless trials to get formal safety approval of what by then was a fully working system. Simply, nobody wanted to take responsibility for anything more complex than a cup of coffee that could in any way have an impact on rail safety – yet a few years later that same system had won the Rail Industry Innovation Awards as it had demonstrably saved improved safety and saved tens of millions of pounds.

“Communication Channels” – This is an area where I can honestly say I have recently seen some improvement with innovation exchanges, workshops and face to face meetings arranged by trade bodies such as British Water and the SBWWI. Probably the best example that I have personal experience of is the WIN (Water Innovation Network) sponsored by Anglian Water, through which my own company has found a receptive channel for its real-time sewer monitoring technology. “Fear of pushing back from the Model T” – When it come to driving a square peg into a round hole both the industry and supply chain have got a lot to answer for. The industry needs to face up to the fact that the supply chain is incentivised to sell what is on the shelf and will go out of their way to get that peg into the hole. The industry should not be afraid to say “No I want something different”. It may cost you a free lunch or round of golf, I have lost many, but ultimately take my word for it saying no can sometimes be worth it and wins respect.

Brian M Back Managing Director Radio Data Networks Limited Tel: +44 (0)1279 600 440 sales@radio-data-networks.com www.radio-data-networks.com

INTRINSICALLY SAFE ATEX ZONE 0 WIRELESS DATA LOGGER FOR WASTEWATER MONITORING The Multilog LX IS is HWM’s new intrinsically safe (Zone 0) data logger. Battery powered with an integral GSM modem, the unit can be installed in hazardous areas and is ideally suited to applications such as waste water network monitoring. Building upon the success of one of HWM’s most popular and versatile products, the Multilog LX IS can be used in conjunction with the IS variant of the SonicSens 2 ultrasonic level sensor. This combination offers a rugged and cost effective solution for level monitoring in combined sewer overflows, storm drains or storage tanks. Both products can be safely and easily installed inside the underground chamber, avoiding the need for an additional enclosure or above ground kiosk. Remote, safe and reliable monitoring is now a reality for even the most challenging environments. Users can configure the sample logging rates, and the level data is stored on the large internal memory. In addition, on-board level-to-flow conversion is available for a variety of channel types. The advanced

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Telemetry Subnets Offer Low TOTEX for Remote Asset Monitoring The ever increasing demand for improved levels of service, efficiency, controllability and reliability in the water industry are dictating that a greater number of our remote assets are subject to real-time monitoring and control. As our staff will testify, no other industry poses a greater challenge on remote communications technology than water! Not only are our assets remote but also the vast majority are buried and the environment is hostile, devoid of power and the cost of access can be high due to the need for traffic control and confined space entry. For many years the cellular networks were thought to hold the answer; however recent mast sharing and power saving programmes, the imminent closure of the 2G, plus the cellular industries migration from 3G to 4G and 5G and our own switch from CAPEX and OPEX to TOTEX has highlighted clearly that cellular may not be such a good deal after all. Back in 2010, Radio Data Networks embarked on a project to develop something new for the Water Industry, the Telemetry Subnet. Faced with the barriers from numerous IT departments who feared further cyber attacks, outages and being held to ransom by third party data hosting companies, we pioneered a scheme that ticked the industry’s big boxes of sweating existing assets, cyber proof, testability and most importantly handed back total control to the water companies. The system we developed, which now already serves 4 major utilities, delivers over 85-million message per annum! Unlike licence free, this system operates under the assurance of an exclusive licenced and harmonised Band II allocation from Ofcom. Key to the success of the system has been the method of data delivery, which again has ticked all the boxes of even the most cautious Telemetry Managers. By deploying a product that we have developed called the Gateway Receiver at existing outstation locations, we have been able to port data seamlessly directly back into the customers existing SCADA using nothing more than the outstations spare digital inputs. Thanks to the Gateway’s fuzzy logic controller cards, data such as sewer levels, flow, CSO spill duration, valve status, leakage, etc. can be added to existing systems as simply as adding any other alarm point.

Brian M Back Managing Director Radio Data Networks Limited Tel: +44 (0)1279 600 440 sales@radio-data-networks.com www.radio-data-networks.com

Fed up with being offered the Model-T in black? Then why not speak to the UK’s leading supplier of bespoke Sensors and Telemetry solutions Not only can we offer safe and secure data communications on our Ofcom licenced spectrum, but we also design and manufacture in the UK a wide range of ultra low power, low cost, robust smart sensors that have already helped countless utility customer’s get out of a hole!

Unlike, cellular where battery life and cost is prohibitive, the Telemetry Subnet also delivers data real-time and provides an automated reassuring 5-minute health message. Further, there are no SIM cards to manage and depending upon the application, battery lives of up to 10-years can be achieved. Finally, rather than pay per Mb of data, our sub-licences offer unlimited data for each licenced customer, so the more devices they add the better. Typically costs can be as low as £0.0001 per message! Currently the subnets are used for, CSO spill monitoring, blocked sewer detection, pump control, rain gauges, flood monitoring and containment valve operation.

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THE UK WATER SECTOR – THE CHALLENGES AHEAD The water industry faces a range of tough challenges now and over the next 25 years.

effort has been made to make sure all this is affordable for customers – water and sewerage bills comprise just 1% of household expenditure.

By Dr Jim Marshall Policy and Business Adviser Water UK

We have to tackle the impacts of climate change and population growth, meet ever tougher environmental standards and work through the sluggish economic growth expected for many years ahead. We also have to find new and even better ways to give customers value and become more competitive – this will need us to capture the benefits of competition that drives innovation and efficiency. But water is the archetypal long-term sector, so if we are going to get the sector we want over the next twenty-five years, we have to build on all the

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industry’s successes from the last 25 years. The UK water industry is proud that the quality of our water and sanitation is amongst the very best in the world. Cholera and other waterborne diseases that used to blight the lives of many in this country – and still do in many other parts of the world – are all but forgotten. While the foundations of this crucial contribution to the nation’s public health date back to the Victorian era, ensuring that water and sewerage services meet modern health standards requires sustained investment and management focus, backed up by a robust regulatory regime. Every

The UK water sector has also delivered many environmental benefits. Our rivers and beaches are cleaner than they have been since the Industrial Revolution, which as well as benefiting public health and the environment have in turn enabled wider economic and social benefits such as jobs in the leisure and tourism sector. In 201213, the UK water industry contributed £15bn to the UK economy in this way. These achievements have been the result of sustained private investment (more than £116 billion) over the past 25 years. As well as funding the essential infrastructure, this investment has also made our water and sewerage services more reliable. But as we look forward, there are enormous and complex challenges facing the sector and indeed the UK overall. Climate change is bringing more volatile and extreme weather patterns. In just the last few years we have seen severe droughts, rainfall, floods, and cold weather. This has led to both shortages and too much water, sometimes

FEATURE:FUTURE HORIZONS simultaneously. Rainwater harvesting, essentially ‘catching it while you can’ and grey water re-use are could prove to be very useful tools. Greater take-up could lead to decreased per capita consumption in some areas. Rainwater harvesting, particularly during intense rainfall, could also help to reduce flood risk for some communities. Environmental standards are getting even tougher, particularly around the quality of our rivers and bathing waters. This requires, for example, the highest standards of water treatment and also well-maintained sewer networks. Meeting these standards will require innovation and evergreater efficiency from the water sector – but also sustained large-scale investment. It will not be easy to attract the investment required and provide even modest desired rates of return. Water companies face fierce global competition for capital and investors have plenty of choice. We need long-term need for finance because of our high investment requirements – and the partnership with investors, who both understand and value predictable long-term returns, has delivered huge value to customers, society and the environment. This partnership has been underpinned by confidence in the track record of the sector. It is a track record of delivery within a predictable regulatory framework.

This confidence relies on three parties – government, regulators and companies - and each have a responsibility to maintain this confidence as we consider the changes necessary to meet the future.

for customers, a greater focus on delivering outcomes for customers and society, and companies having greater flexibility to determine the most sustainable way of achieving these outcomes.

Meanwhile, customers rightly expect the water industry to meet the highest standards and to understand their needs now as well as anticipate the services they need in the future. Standards of customer service and engagement will have to be raised even higher than they are now. Water companies are competing against each other but also against other sectors when it comes to customer service and reputation.

In some areas the roadmap towards implementation is currently being developed, for example opening the retail market for business customers in April 2017, and other areas, such as upstream and abstraction reforms, are earlier in the policy development and implementation process.

These expectations will have to be met against a backdrop of a difficult economic climate and the need to reduce public debt over many more years. As providers of an essential public service, water companies already play a key role in delivering the Government’s social, economic and environmental agenda and will go even further in the future. Meeting these challenges will require us to retain key features from the last twenty five years – for example the sector’s focus on public health, our ability to raise sustained private investment at efficient rates, and our track record for delivery – while also implementing reform to improve the sustainability of water and sewerage services.

Throughout all this change, water and sanitation will remain essential to society; they underpin health, education and livelihoods. The UK’s water and sewerage sector must, and will, continue to innovate and develop. This will be through effective partnerships between the industry’s stakeholders, including governments, regulators, consumer bodies, environmental NGOs and investors. These partnerships will be as important to the sector’s future as they have been instrumental to its successes over the last twenty five years.

Some aspects of these reforms are already being implemented – such as a more central role

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Shaping the future

BRIGHT SPARKS USING THE POWER OF POO! Northumbrian Water is the award-winning national industry leader for generating green power from what comes naturally from all of us. It’s the first waste water company in the UK to use all the sludge remaining after sewage treatment to produce renewable power.

treatment is pre treated by heating it to 165 degrees Celsius under six bars of pressure – like putting it in giant pressure cookers.

Methane and carbon dioxide released by bacteria digesting the sludge is used to drive gas engines and create electricity.

This destroys any pathogens and breaks down the cell structure, which makes it better to be fed to billions of bacteria in giant tanks – and easier for them to digest..

And now in another innovative move to maximise energy production, equipment is being upgraded to remove the carbon dioxide so the purified gas can be directly injected into the national grid. Propane will be added so the calorific value of the existing gas in the grid is replicated to ensure continuity for customers. This further industry-leading development is also in line with the new government Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) initiative.

The resulting methane and carbon dioxide released by the bacteria is collected in 11-metre diameter biogas storage bags before being burned in a gas engine to produce nearly 10 megawatts of electricity.

Pioneering environmental plants have been built at Tees Port on the river’s south bank and at Howdon at the mouth of the Tyne.

Some of this is used in the process, making it self-sufficient, but there is enough excess to meet most of the whole sites total energy requirements.

The £70m dual investment annually saves Northumbrian Water multi-millions of pounds in gas electricity operating costs and significantly cut its carbon footprint by 20%.

Waste heat and steam generated from the process are also captured and recycled for use elsewhere in the process.

The science uses a natural biological process. Using an Advanced Anaerobic Digestion thermal hydrolosis process, sludge remaining after sewage

The two plants reduce two million cubic metres of sludge, resulting from the treatment of domestic sewage and biodegradable industrial effluent from a population equivalent of about four million, to about 150,000 cubic meters.

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It also means less energy used for transportation of sludge leading to significant carbon savings. And what remains of the sludge afterwards is an

excellent Class A biosolid fertiliser for farmers. Northumbrian Water now has two sites cutting the company’s annual £40m electricity bill by nearly 20% and bringing the company significantly closer to having a fifth of its energy produced from self-generated renewable sources by 2015. Innovation remains at the forefront of this leading green initiative and Northumbrian Water is currently looking at further re-use of any waste heat from the process. Alternative fuels to supplement the sludge feed for the process, including food waste, are under examination and continuous optimisation of the process to maximise operational performance is targeted.

Developing the clean fuel of the future A successful trial of a hydrogen Microbial Electrolysis cells (MEC) reactor at a Northumbrian Water waste water treatment works on Tyneside has lead to the company scaling up this form of energy production to fully assess its viability. Having pioneered making electricity using Advanced Anaerobic Digestion from sewage

FEATURE:FUTURE HORIZONS sludge, it is now leading again on another sustainable alternative energy production as the first water company in the UK to take the lead on detailed studies of MEC potential.

decade, provide a much better way of treatment - and a method which actually produces more energy than it consumes. The MEC is further development of the MFC which produces electricity. It is like a biological battery but, unlike the batteries we know today, it doesn’t run down or need to be recharged.

Newcastle University and Northumbrian Water collaborated to install a pilot at Howdon sewage treatment works which was the first working large scale MEC reactor fed on wastewater in the world.

Microbes which power it are continually fed by a fuel – in the case of Northumbrian Water - by the sewage treatment works wastewater.

It successfully functioned to prove the concept producing over a litre of almost 100% pure hydrogen gas per day, for a year in varying temperatures.

The MEC is one step on from the MFC and instead of producing electricity it is designed to produce hydrogen which is a completely clean valuable fuel of the future.

Now a refined pilot plant is being installed for further trials at another Northumbrian Water wastewater treatment works in County Durham.

Hydrogen-fed fuel cells could, for example, power future electric cars providing carbon free transport.

Wastewater treatment at sewage works uses a lot of energy yet the latent energy stored in Northumbrian Water’s works is more than four times the amount required for treatment. The energy stored in UK wastewater is equivalent to 5 billion oil barrels annually. Capturing that energy is one of the most important challenges for the industry. Innovative energy-neutral technologies must be able to fit into existing infrastructure and be economically competitive for uptake and investment. A solution may be through bioelectrochemical systems (BES) which make use of electrochemically-active microorganisms to treat

wastewater and produce electricity in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) or hydrogen in microbial electrolysis cells (MECs).

MEC’s require a ‘top up’ of energy for hydrogen generation. Hydrogen is worth almost ten times as much as electricity and the cost to produce a kilogram is approximately half its market value. This can be maximised when there is already infrastructure in place to capitalise on hydrogen production – like a wastewater treatment works.

Electricity and Hydrogen can be traded for economic return or used to offset costs and energy requirements in wastewater treatment. MEC’s offers a radical alternative to traditional wastewater treatment and may, over the next

Innovative (UK) Ltd. utility is a leading utility andengineering civil engineeringcontractor contractor operating throughout the UK. Innovative Utilities (UK) Ltd. Utilities is a leading and civil operating throughout the UK. We have built an enviable reputation as one of Scotland’s leading contractors. We have built an enviable reputation as one of Scotland’s leading contractors. Our aim is to become the UK’s leading construction business offering unique solutions tailored to our client’s and customer’s requirements. Our aim is to become leading construction business offering unique solutions tailored our client’s andCHAS, customer’s requirements. Wethe holdUK’s a range of certification and accreditations including the following; OHSAS 18001, ISO 9001, ISOto14001, Achilles Verify, Lloyds accreditation and In-Situ Resin Lining Certification. We hold a range of WIRS certifi cation and accreditations including the following; OHSAS 18001, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, Achilles Verify, CHAS, Lloyds Working on the DW5 and Capital Maintenance Programme in Scotland, we have completed over 200km of pipeline using the following WIRS accreditation and In-Situ cation. methods; openResin cut, pipeLining bursting,Certifi slip lining, directional drilling, PU lining and auger boring. Highly developed in-house specialist skillsProgramme and workforce, aiming to deliver exceptional standards in health, safety, and the Working on the DW5 and Capital Maintenance in Scotland, we have completed over quality 200km of environment. pipeline using the following presence in various sectors has provided us with several long-term clients providing a strong foundation for business growth and corporate methods; open cut, Our pipe bursting, slip lining, directional drilling, PU lining and auger boring. sustainability. Highly developed in-house specialist skillsofand workforce, aiming deliver exceptional Our company has experience completing construction only to projects as well as design and standards build projects.in health, safety, quality and the environment. We have extensive in dealing withseveral any size oflong-term works, from small maintenance worksato larger high risk works – no is too big Our presence in various sectors hasexperience provided us with clients providing strong foundation forproject business growth and corporate or too small. sustainability. Our company has experience of completing construction only projects as well as design and build projects. We have extensive experience in dealing with any size of works, from small maintenance works to larger high risk works – no project is too big or too small.

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Kier – defining tomorrow’s environments Kier is a leading contractor within the UK’s Water Sector which provides a wide range of services to a large number of water companies throughout the UK. We have achieved a leading position within this market by committing to the following strategy: Staying focused in changing times Concentrating on our core strengths and pushing the boundaries Leveraging our integrated business model to optimize our capabilities Maximizing efficiencies through use of technology Maintaining and growing our leaders and workforce

Staying focused in a time of change We understand the core pressures that affect the Water Industry, its shareholders, their customers and our clients. In the last five AMP periods we have experienced flooding, droughts, political intervention, squeezed budgets, inefficient spend profiles, regulatory change, changing customer expectation and the need for sustainable efficiency. We deliver a quality service to our clients by learning from these experiences and remaining focused on helping our clients deliver tomorrow’s environment for their stakeholders.

Central Government An aim of the Water Bill is to dismantle barriers to introduce new entrants to the water sector. As such, our clients will face, possibly as early as 2017, new competition for their customers. From our experiences in the gas and power sectors we know that a robust and quick process to manage market codes, operating codes and connections is important for success. With Scotland ahead of the game we expect the industry to have tried and tested solutions in these areas well ahead of 2017. A second aim of the Bill is to develop a sustainable water sector with the customer at its heart. This has lead to a shift in many AMP6 procurement attitudes and is likely to lead to increased collaboration in the delivery of our contracts.

Our clients and your customers We work within a challenging contractual arena. The advent of increased competition and the lessons learnt in Scotland, means that

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the industry needs to portray a consistent, seamless customer experience. Indeed, the customer workshops that drive our business plans spearhead our understanding how services can be improved. The way we tailor our service depends as much on our clients as it does on us and, as such, we pay careful attention to selecting our clients. Similarly, our clients take great care in choosing us as part of their supply chain. This is because we are contracted together and are together equally important to contractual success.

Pushing boundaries and concentrating on our core strengths The water industry is driven by the need for year on year efficiency improvements. We can demonstrate that we are more efficient now than when we started the AMP cycle in 1990. We have seen the average capital expenditure on projects reduce significantly with mean expectations for project size for capital frameworks for AMP6 being set at between £1m and £2m. With a greater move to total expenditure (TOTEX) model, from the start of AMP6, we will all require a greater leap of faith: faith in government to attract investors to our sector, faith in the investor to deliver long term investment in our

water clients, faith in the water clients to develop a TOTEX culture, faith in ourselves to collaborate with other Tier One suppliers, and faith in our supply chain to believe in TOTEX. We will push boundaries that exist in our clients to help them achieve a long term goal of providing a service which consistently meets customer expectations. For example, our operatives will need to know about the whole customer experience, be empowered to act and have access to accurate data to make the right decisions.

Leveraging our integrated business model to optimise our capabilities Through our Services and Construction divisions, we are able to provide our clients and customers with unprecedented value and quality through our integrated business model. From our experience of the recent acquisitions and amalgamations we are aware of the forensic examination of systems and processes needed to get the best from different organizations. This needs to be carried out in a vertical slice across the water sector to demonstrate what we need to do to put the customer first and measure the right data to achieve the right outcome driven by customer expectation.

FEATURE:FUTURE HORIZONS Maintaining and growing our leaders and workforce Although we have a stable workforce, we are aware that the utility sector has an ageing one, and that staff retention and recruitment are critical for us to remain successful in this industry. As a Tier One supplier we need to retain our people by investing in them and the environments in which they work. Our leaders of tomorrow need to see an industry that is dynamic and challenging. Our sector conferences are still full of engineers. Are engineers alone going to give us a customer service driven culture built on the best models across all industries? We will only get the investment in our people right, if we show them how the past has delivered real improvement, highlight an exciting future, and reward today.

Maximizing efficiencies through use of technology At Kier, we are support the deployment of technology to deliver services more efficiently and provide an improved customer experience. Not only will technology provide greater real-time management of networks, it will also provide the customer with a clear view of what is happening (e.g. smart metering).

The greatest challenge to Kier and many of our Tier One partners and competitors is to remain a force for change across future AMP periods.

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Change and consistency: WHY THE FUTURE WILL BE DIFFERENT BUT THE SAME

By Paul Jeffrey, Professor of Water Management at Cranfield University and Director of the STREAM Industrial Doctorate Centre Offering an opinion about the future is challenging without that perspective sounding overly pessimistic, fatalist, utopian, or simply coming across like a naive piece of sciencefiction. Nevertheless, the future will be at least partially shaped by those who aspire to improve our condition and those who believe that the future can be better than the present or the past. Consequently, the seeds of change are with us today and many incremental developments are already under way that will drive what the future holds. These developments include wider competition in water services, more meaningful engagement with customers to ensure that investment reflects their concerns and desires, and rapid growth in the utilisation of data technologies in water networks. But are there other challenges and opportunities which might herald more radical change ? The future role and nature of the UK water sector will be shaped by how our society and communities relate to and use water; how they value it and how they derive value from its use. It will also be influenced by the dynamic relationship between those forces which serve

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to ossify existing modes of water & wastewater service provision and those which serve to change or transform such modes of operation. In the latter case, technologists and product developers talk of ‘disruptive innovations’; advances which create new markets and value networks. Such disruptive changes make existing technologies and services obsolete, transforming what constitutes a ‘solution’ and openning up new opportunities for cost savings and service improvement. Importantly, they also deliver new ways for service providers to improve the quality, reliability, economy, and resilience of their provision. For me, there are four developments which hold the latent potency needed to spark radical change in how the water sector serves our communities. The first of these is the physical condition of the sector’s physical assets. The combination of ageing assets, climate change, and the complexity of inspection, rehabilitation and replacement activities ensure that utility efforts to renovate their asset base will be expensive and long term. Determining where, when, and how to intervene will open up opportunities to reconsider the

suitability of large scale networked infrastructure for water services provision. Decentralised treatment and supply, non-potable supply, and multi-utility services provision are just some of the prospects which might be pursued as a result. A second example is related to the first but concerns the science base’s response to the challenges of degrading infrastructure. New knowledge and innovations in the fields of sensors, robotics and materials will transform traditional approaches to infrastructure management. The next 20 years will see significant reductions in the price of these technologies, enabling their widespread use in a number of applications. Large numbers of small sensors will be incorporated in pipe surfaces, making the ambition of ‘smart pipes’ a reality. Robotic vehicles and instruments will be used for in-pipe leakage assessment, pipe condition monitoring and repair, and reservoir management. Spray on structural liners, keyhole inspection & repair, and thinner composite liners will provide a more populous stable of rehabilitation options for asset managers to work with.

FEATURE:FUTURE HORIZONS A third potentially disruptive development is in Synthetic Biology. These techniques apply engineering principles to design and construct new biological parts and devices which can be used to manufacture new biological systems with features not found in nature. Rapid advances in DNA sequencing and synthesis in recent years have catalysed a boom in synthetic biology. The principles can also be used to re-engineer existing biological systems. Examples include the creation of new biological systems and synthetic organisms which can be designed to engineer the formation and dissolution of biofilms as well as catalyse and recover products from treatment processes. Synthetic Biology techniques also promise the development of inexpensive biological waste water treatment techniques, using organisms that are able to metabolize pharmaceuticals. The final disruptive development concerns the social and organisational aspects of water governance. The opening up of the water services market (such as it is) and, in parallel, the political empowerment of communities to self and co-manage their affairs, will create niches for new business and service delivery models. This fragmentation of the current uniform mode of water supply will be replaced by a more diverse assembly of systems which may be partially coupled to support resource cascading and local reuse. A redistribution of risks and responsibilities amongst stakeholders

may well accompany such smaller scale water service systems with greater accountability being invested in non-utility actors. These developments and their impact on the performance of the sector will not occur at the same rate and may, at the margins, influence each-other to generate unforseen problems or beneficial synergies. The staple lineup of threats to the sector’s effective functioning (climate change, population trends, energy costs etc.) is slowly being appreciated as a set of opportunities to reshape our water services; to make progressive use of new technologies, understandings, and customer ambition and deliver safe, reliable, affordable water services. Wider and deeper partnership between water service providers, their supply chain, regulators, scientists and civil society groups will, I am confident, empower the sector to deliver on this potential. Finally, I would hope that there is one facet of the sector’s operation which will not change over the coming decades. A shared commitment to the public health imperative unites the diverse range of professionals who work in the water sector, providing an ‘invisible hand’ (in Milton Friedman’s words the possibility of ‘cooperation without coercion’) which ensures a unifying reference point for option generation and solution selection. We need to continue to view all forms of innovation through the lens of public health risk, a socially vital and surely economically priceless standard.

The future role and nature of the UK water sector will be shaped by how our society and communities relate to and use water; how they value it and how they derive value from its use.

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TALIS UK ANNOUNCES NEW GROWTH PLANS Talis UK, the UK valve, meterbox and water fitting specialists, has announced ambitious new plans to see it become the leading supplier in the industry. With new investment, a new management team and new offices, Talis UK is predicting a year of substantial growth.

service to customers from all the main water companies in the UK, as well as water authorities, contractors, wholesalers and distributors in the plumbing and construction industries. Mark Hodgens, managing director of Talis UK, comments: “Although Talis UK was only formed in 2010, the company has accrued a wealth of experience, thanks to investment and collaboration with companies such as ATPLAS Ltd and ERHARD. We’re now bringing this experience and technical expertise together to provide strong customer support and an extensive and proven product offering.

Established in 2010, Talis UK was formed when Triton Investment Group acquired Tyco Waterworks EMEA from Tyco Flow Control to create a new company. Within the UK, ATPLAS Ltd and ERHARD Valves Ltd have all become part of Talis UK, bringing together an extensive product portfolio and a wealth of experience and technical expertise. Following several years of consolidation, Talis UK is announcing a new growth drive under the leadership of new managing director, Mark Hodgens. The company is forecasting a £30 million turnover this year – a 30 per cent increase on the £23 million turnover achieved in 2013. Talis UK is making a large investment in its workforce, with changes to the senior management team and the appointment of a new operations director and sales director. The company has also recently secured significant

contracts in Ireland. As a result of the recent growth plans, Talis UK has appointed 45 new fulltime employees. With the main distribution centre and manufacturing facility based in Bridgend, South Wales, Talis UK services customers around the world. Recent growth plans also include an office move for its Birmingham team. This location will help to provide efficient and cost effective

“We’re approaching the next step with a renewed focus. Our products have already proved successful in the water and construction industries across the world and we’re starting to see the same level of success under the Talis UK name. Coupled with Talis’ rich and diverse history as part of Tyco Waterworks, we’re confident that Talis UK will continue to provide quality products and services to the industry.” For more information about Talis UK, please visit www.talis-uk.com

IWJS SECURE £1M + PROJECT ON THAMES WATER STW FOR AMK JV We are excited to announce that IWJS Ltd have been successful in winning a tender with AMK JV for the emptying of 12 digesters at Deephams Thames Water site. The successful bid has been delivered by Kevin Moore (IWJS Contract Manager in Colchester) who started bidding for these works over 12 months ago but finally brought the deal home to IWJS last week. The digesters will be emptied using hydraulic pumps and our JHL Superflex & Flexvac units before being passed over a coarse and fine screen unit and separated into rag/grit/liquids. Using this method the team expect up to a 70% reduction of waste going off site for landfill disposal. This work forms a small part of the 5 year project at Deephams. AMK JV (a joint venture between AECOM, Murphy and Kier) were the successful contractor with a total value of £177M to rebuild of one of London's largest sewage works. Christopher Stewart, IWJS Managing Director, said: “These are an important project for us and

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we’re delighted to be working with AMK on this project.” “These works at Deephams presents a number of challenges, not least the short time scale available and the limited space.” “Working with Thames Water as a framework

contractor and having previous experience of large and potentially difficult works has allowed us to understand these challenges and develop a solution that meets them in the most efficient way.” The work commenced on 11 May and is due to finish in August.

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Electrofusion Confusion - Lies, damn lies and statistics (A phrase describing the persuasive power of numbers, particularly the use of statistics to bolster weak arguments. It is also sometimes colloquially used to doubt statistics used to prove an opponent's point!) The BPF discusses the mixed messages surrounding the integrity of PE pipe joints and highlights the need for installation best practice to a system which is globally accepted as a superb solution to pipe jointing.

mechanical jointing methods. And yet, a report published by UKWIR (UK Water Industry Research Limited) in 2011, claimed that up to 20% of PE electrofusion joints may fail before they reach their design life time.

For any pipe installation, regardless of the pipe material used, the joints are regarded as the most vulnerable points in the system and rely not only on the quality of the pipe system’s design and manufacture, but also, to a significant degree, on the expertise and attention to detail involved in the installation jointing process.

This worrying claim about the failure rate for electrofused PE pipe joints has not only created uncertainty about the most appropriate specification choices within the water industry, it has potentially clouded the real issues effecting jointing quality. As a result, the fivemanufacturers that usually compete for a share of the PE pipe market have joined forces to set the record straight on the integrity of electrofusion joints, the longevity of PE installations and the steps that must be taken to eradicate system failure altogether.

Use of PE pipe has been proven to result in fewer system failures than any other material, with the electrofusion principle offering a more reliable and long term jointing solution than alternative

Statistical Disparity While the UKWIR report was based on credible research from an independent body, it appears to be an example of just how misleading statistics can be when delivered out of context. When the PE100+ association contacted the authors of the report for clarification on the supposed 20% failure rate stated as a headline claim in the report, they received the following statement in response: “Recently UKWIR published an abstract on their website based on the work carried out on their behalf by Exova that implied 20% of all electrofusion joints contained defects which would cause the premature failure of polyethylene pipe systems. We wish to make it clear that this is not the case in respect of our findings from the work carried out, which has been misrepresented in this abstract.” The statement goes on to say that ‘PE pipes have the lowest failure rate amongst all the different materials used in the construction of water mains’ and points to ‘poorly constructed electrofusion joints’ as the real problem. It’s a conclusion that is echoed by the PE electrofusion fittings and pipe manufacturers’ own research, which saw all five companies pool their experience of failures returned to them in order to establish a more accurate failure rate and determine the causes of those failures. The results turn the UKWIR conclusions on their head: products returned to the manufacturers as a result of failure ineld constitute just 1 in 10,000 units – which is 0.0001%, a 2000% improvement on the UKWIR figure and does not reflect anything like the “headline grabbing” figure being bandied about within the industry.

Up-skilling for Integrity Of course, even such a small rate of joint failures is unacceptable; a fact on which all five PE electrofusion fittings and pipe manufacturers agree. The question is…can anything be done to reduce this failure rate even further and reinvigorate the water industry’s trust in a process which was developed in conjunction with the same industry several years ago. Ironically, many of the answers to that question are actually contained within the original UKWIR

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PLASTIC PIPES GROUP

report. The report identifies the three main causes of joint failure revealed in audits as: Misalignment of the pipe within the fitting Contamination of the joint caused during the jointing process Poor joint preparation All of these factors point to poor jointing practices rather than any inherent issues with PE pipe systems or the practice of electrofusion per se. Indeed, the UKWIR report points out the longevity benefits of a well-installed PE pipe system, stating that work currently being conducted on degradation overtime suggests a life span of 200

years is achievable; quadrupling the minimum service life expectancy of 50 years.

improving best practice for jointing of PE pipe materials.

The UK PE pipe system manufacturers are clear, however, that the issue of installation best practice and electrofusion skills must be addressed to quash any uncertainty about the integrity of PE joints in order to ensure the ground-breaking work developed by the industry continues to develop the high levels of quality originally experienced when the product was first developed.

Closer inspection of the evidence makes it clear that PE is the most reliable, robust and durable water main material. The change that needs to take place is not in the design of PE pipe systems or the jointing methodology used but in the up-skilling of on-site personnel to ensure that installation consistently follows best practice standards, without compromise.

Currently initiatives include revisions to the standard for jointing PE pipe systems (WIS 4-3208) and the development of a water standard for training and skills specifically targeted towards

The following manufacturers have contributed to this article: DuraFuse, Fusion Group, George Fischer, GPS PE Pipe Systems and Radius Systems.

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PANTON MCLEOD

How well do you know your assets ?

Can improved forewarning help drive up efficiencies, prevent failures, and improve the quality of output for clients while also smoothing the resource profile for contractors ? Panton McLeod believe that early investment in a wide programme of “live” inspections using a dedicated potable water ROV (remotely operated vehicle) complete with a flood test would alleviate most of the issues faced by the industry year on year. With one month gone in the new financial year and the traditional summer slow down inevitable for the Water industry (even if the appearance of summer is not) it is critical that Water Companies direct their resource to the most needy assets. Inadequate knowledge of the asset base can lead to poor prioritisation and risk exposure to coliform failures especially over the summer when higher temperatures can see a spike in water quality issues. Traditionally there is a large variation in workload over the 12 month period; clients would often like to tackle what they believe are the most critical projects early in the financial year. Uncertain scope prior to removing the asset from supply increases the risk that a project commencing in Spring may overrun, thus preventing the asset being returned to supply before expected high demand in early Summer. This doubt and associated risk often results in projects failing to be signed off and therefore the opportunity is missed. A second batch is therefore taken on during early Autumn but this has the disadvantage that the Christmas holiday season acts as a “hard stop” for larger projects.

There is then a final push around mid January which is delivered through to the budget year end in March.

procured in advance removing the risk of supplier lead times causing an extended outage for a critical asset.

Projects also take clients by surprise late in the year. For example a roof flood test failure can quite often cause issues as budgets may already be stretched or, even worse, be totally depleted.

Recent advances in Panton McLeod’s ROV technology allows all footage to be provided in full HD quality which ensures that an accurate assessment of the asset condition can be made. Water quality samples can also be taken at various points within the reservoir using the Dead Spot SamplingTM equipment to investigate if chlorine demand varies within the structure.

In addition to adding uncertainty to financial planning this reactive approach can also lead to external repairs such as membrane installations being taken on during the cold and damp months of February and March. If better visibility was available these could be planned during the drier months when contractors often have a surplus of staff. Responding to these variations in workload also results in additional training costs being absorbed by the supply chain where temporary staff are brought in, or promotes a flexible staffing model where a proportion of the workforce are free lance; neither allow real value to be passed on to the client. So how can robotic inspection using ROV’s help both parties? What benefits would there be if more projects could be scoped in advance and delivered at the optimum time for both client and contractor? This approach would level out the demand on resource from both sides, allow sufficient time for planning and drive up outputs for Safety, Health, Environmental & Quality. Materials could be

Assets found to be of low risk, for example where little or no sediment build up is present and the roof integrity is confirmed can be moved back in the programme whereas tanks identified as having the potential for ingress of standing water and / or high levels of sediment can be prioritised. This strategy would ensure that real value is gained from the investment and would help drive down unnecessary coliform failures without the need for the time consuming and expensive planning works associated with removing key assets from supply. For more information about Panton McLeod please make contact via info@pantonmcleod.co.uk or visit www.pantonmcleod.co.uk

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A DV E R T I S E M E N T F E AT U R E

WEHOLITE USED IN ONE OF THE UK’S LARGEST SEWERAGE TREATMENT WORKS

Asset International Ltd. (Asset), the leading manufacturer of Weholite sustainable drainage and water management products, has been elected to provide a bespoke pipeline system to the £220 million pound upgrade at the UK’s second largest sewerage treatment works. Water company, Thames Water, in consultation with Laing O’Rourke and Imtech Process Ltd joint venture – Tamesis, has chosen Weholite, the high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe, to help reduce pollution and overflow as part of a sewer improvement at Crossness Sewage Treatment Works in south east London. More than 4000m of Weholite HDPE pipe is to be used in the project, with variations in diameters ranging from 700mm up to 2600mm internal diameter. The upgraded pipeline system is designed to reduce the number of overflows and their environmental impact from the sewers and

treatment systems serving London, and in particular to limit pollution from the sewers and treatment systems connected to Beckton and Crossness sewage treatment works. Vasilios Samara, product manager at Asset, added: “We have worked successfully with Thames Water on many projects with this being the largest of its kind, so it was great that Weholite was the chosen solution. All fabrications are bespoke in design and made in accordance with the needs of the scheme.”

The project will see its treatment capacity rise by 44 per cent, significantly reducing the amount of storm sewage that overflows into the River Thames during heavy rainfall, as a result of the upgrade. The largest quantity of Wehoilte pipe was one mile of 2100mm internal diameter pipe which was used for the main transfer line. There was also more than 300 metres of 2200mm internal diameter pipes used for the pipelines between the distribution chambers of the treatment plant. For more information about Weholite please call Asset International Ltd. on 01633 273081 or visit www.weholite.co.uk

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KIER MG PREVENT DISRUPTION OF ELDERLY BY USING KOBUS PIPE PULLER Kier MG, conscious of SIM ratings, have recently been assisting South West Water to improve theirs with the use of innovative technology on an estate for the elderly in Kingsbridge, Devon. The project had caused major issues for planners as leaking water pipes were causing problems for residents. Various ‘spot fixes’ were done before a decision was made to renew. The challenge was to replace the pipes without damaging surrounding electricity, gas, fibre optic and street lighting infrastructure which ruled out traditional moling due to strike risk. Open cut would also prove difficult as access to the estate was required on a 24 hour emergency basis. Nigel Burns, Area Manager at Kier MG, came up with the solution of using one of the company’s KOBUS Pipe Pullers – an inventive system for removing and replacing pipes easily, in one single action. A team was put on the sensitive project with instruction to minimise disruption to the customers. On average, four connections a day of 8m were replaced by the team, with each customer being off water for an agreed 30 minutes only. Many of

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sanctioned with the KOBUS Pipe Puller being stipulated for use. The award winning Puller is being increasingly used by successful contractors to replace lead, uPVC, copper, galvanised and steel pipes which were previously open cut due to the risk of moling as the only option. They have found that not only does this save them money and liability but the customer satisfaction increases as traffic management and time on site is significantly reduced. the connections had repair joints on them that were also pulled out as part of the continuous process as new polyethylene was installed. The project proved such a success that not only were the Kier team regularly rewarded with teas and coffees from the interested residents, a further scheme of 168 connections was also

The old pipe material is also removed from the ground for re-cycling which provides an additional off-set saving. Nigel Burns said: “The Pipe Puller is proving an increasingly popular way, with both our teams and end users, of replacing previously awkward services where open cut was our only option.” www.kobuspipepuller.com

Fastflow Pipeline Services Limited A new direction in water networks

When it comes to water infrastructure, your ducks may be in a row but are they heading in the right direction? Over 22 years ago, Fastflow was launched to provide innovative, efficient, customer focused water infrastructure services to the UK water sector. We took to the challenge like a duck to water. Since then the sector has witnessed increased consolidation and rationalisation but we have maintained our independence and by providing specialised, leading-edge services, given clients an alternative direction. Every day we deliver excellent infrastructure services through the use of trenchless technology. Our work management system incorporates mobile field technology that provides real time electronic data interchange with clients’ systems. Then there’s our 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

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• New connections

• Infrastructure maintenance

• Metering and repairs

To find out more about a new direction for water networks, visit

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

NIVUS Pipe Sensor for potable water Fully integrated data The NivuSonic transmitter fully integrates analog and digital outputs to SCADA, via 4-20mA, modBus or profibus as preferred, with local flash card storage too. Remote maintenance, data transfer and diagnostics available using NIVUS state of the art telemetry options.

The innovation behind the product

Does your EMF meter need replacing but you cannot shut down the flow? The NIVUS Pipe Sensor was designed specifically to provide highly accurate flow measurement for potable water mains. At NIVUS we understand the often prohibitive high cost and days of disruption replacing an existing Electro Magnetic Flow Meter can present. We offer a much greener, cost effective solution that works.

Fitted without need to shut down the flow delivers innovation in both technology and installation. The Pipe Sensor (insertion flow meter) is compact by design, with a one size sensor for full pipe applications from DN 200, designed and manufactured to deliver a low carbon footprint throughout the lifecycle cost. The standard push in Pipe Sensor designed for up to 16 bar, and the screw-in sensor for up to 80 bar. Developed to meet Health & Safety standards is our unique extraction tool designed for the

Quick & Easy installation Using a standard BSP fitting and ball valve, live tapping the pipe under pressure will see sensors installed and fully operational in hours not days. Using sensors set in a diagonal or V shape measurement path, the NIVUS ultrasonic transit time, or ‘time of flight’ measurement technique delivers accuracy comparable with the EMF. NIVUS provide a comprehensive DN range of robust stainless steel pipe sensor mounting systems that provide a high pressure seal around the entire pipe circumference.

Fitted live under pressure No interruption to water supply No turbidity issues Accuracy ±1 % Installed in under 3 hours Removable for easy servicing Robust Reliable

controlled removal of the Pipe Sensor for pipes under pressure. When cost and time savings are paramount as is accuracy of data, the Pipe Sensor is increasingly the preferred choice for the validation and/or replacement of Mag Meters.

75 % TOTEX savings 80 % Carbon savings

Independent Evaluation Working closely with major Water Utilities for large scale deployment of our technology across the drinking water network has sparked significant interest in the wider adoption of the Pipe Sensor as a proven alternative to the Mag meter.

Highly accurate The NivuSonic measurement principle is based on detecting the transit time or ‘Time of Flight’ of ultrasonic signals between two sensors. Simply the transit time in the flow direction is shorter than it is against the flow. The calculated flow is indicated directly on the large LED display.

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Contact: Alison Southwood Regional Sales & Innovation Manager 01926 632470 / 07976 930 014 alison.southwood@nivus.com

No Need to Shut Down the Flow

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t replace a seized valve when it can be operated Hydrosaveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clever valve release process could save you time, money and your reputation with customers. Our technology has been designed to release seized valves with minimal torque requirements and as quickly as possible.

Saves time

Our system is unique as it is operated with finite measurement and is full controllable. Traditional valve release techniques can place fittings under huge levels of stress and cause hidden damage for future operations. Our system and process has been designed to mitigate this damage by minimising the torque requirements to release a seized valve.

Improves safety

Hydrosave can release all valve diameters on water and waste water networks. So, next time you have a seized valve, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t try and force it. Save time, save money, and get the experts. Limit the risk, have confidence and get peace of mind to get the job done as effectively as possible.

Nationwide service

Visit www.hydrosave.co.uk for more information. Or, call us today on 01536 515110.

FASTFLOW

Driving Corporate Social Responsibility Fastflow Pipeline Services’ drive to improve customer services and be environmentally responsible has been given a double boost. The latest survey completed by the company’s customer services team shows a satisfaction rate of 97.6% - whilst the introduction of a green driving initiative is set to reduce fuel bills by 10%. For a fleet of 170 vehicles covering four million miles each year, this will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the Washington based water utility infrastructure company. “Addressing our social responsibilities is as crucial as the technical aspects of service delivery,” says Business Standards Director, Keith Gold. Our employee development strategy, for example, emphasises the need to be a ‘good neighbour’ when dealing with customers and other stakeholders and our current employee briefing theme is ‘Working in the Spotlight’ to drive home the impact of stakeholder perception on water industry clients’ SIM scores.” With over 22 years’ experience in the water industry Fastflow currently maintains around 450 square miles of Northumbrian Water’s network, as well as installing meters and responding to bursts and faults. It also provides services to Scottish Water and the Anglian subsidiary, Hartlepool Water. In its quest for business excellence it has developed an integrated management system that not only deals with the usual business standards such as health and safety, environment and quality management but also addresses the role of the business in society, incorporating, for example, corporate social responsibility (CSR), stakeholder management, customer service and employee development. The system is designed to generate continuous improvement in all aspects of Fastflow’s activities and identify opportunities for innovation.

The introduction of new technology - Lightfoot into the cabs of the vehicle fleet is an example of this. The programme prompts safe and efficient driving - offering savings of more than 10% on fuel and significantly reducing the carbon footprint and vehicle wear and tear. An in-cab unit displays a visual guide to efficient driving, with sound effects such as a gearshift and verbal alerts to improve performance. Inefficient driving results in audible warnings, three of which bring a penalty. The driver is not penalised for isolated incidents such as accelerating quickly when pulling out into traffic or to overtake. Penalties are logged and shown on a report to the fleet manager. Drivers’ skills are ranked in a league table to reveal the safest and most efficient. This will take

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into account warnings which have been ignored as well as details of how well a vehicle has been driven. Keith Gold added: “This is all part of our drive to recognise and reward those within the company who are performing their roles to a high standard, so that this excellence can be replicated throughout the organisation. “These examples of Fastflow’s CSR strategy reflect the recognition in the water industry that the supply chain must not only deliverer high quality, value for money services but crucially, do so in socially responsible way.”

Innovation is key for the water industry

The UK is a world-leader when it comes to innovation in the water industry, however, over the coming years the sector will be facing new challenges that will threaten the sustainability of these critical services. The combined effects of climate change and the growth of the population will mean increasing pressure on our water network.

Saint-Gobain has developed BioZinalium®, an enhanced protection system that retains the active properties of the existing Zinalium® (Zn-Al 85/15) alloy, which has now been enriched with copper, an antibacterial agent to reduce the potential risk of localised bio-corrosion.

The ability to better manage water supplies is becoming more important as demand for water continues to escalate. However, safeguarding against future shortages is not just about producing enough water to meet demand. Equally as important is the need to control the amount of water that is lost in transit between the point of production and the end user.

BioZinalium® has been launched after many years of investigation and development into protection against bio-corrosion, and the proven research that up to an estimated 84% of the service life of a pipe is determined by its external coating*.

With expected water loss from the industry’s supply network running at around 3,000 megalitres a day in 2015, improvements in leakage rates need to be addressed and changes made sooner rather than later. The average rate at which drinking water pipelines are renewed is around 0.6 – 0.7 per cent per year. This means that a pipeline laid today, taking into account the currently observed pace of investment, needs to last for around 150 years. The durability of ductile iron has been acknowledged for several decades and in many hydraulic systems, ductile iron pipes that are 150 years old and beyond are still in perfectly good working order. Beyond the inherent qualities offered by ductile iron, its service life is clearly dependent on the quality of its external coating system against the aggressiveness of soil. With this in mind, Saint-Gobain’s investment on research and development focusses on continuously enhancing the coating systems of its pipes.

The added enhancement of the copper enables the bactericidal properties of this metal to be leveraged to reduce the potential risk of localised bio-corrosion. It therefore provides a brand new way of reducing this risk and thus impacting positively on the durability of the pipes by reducing the total cost of ownership. This protection system is suitable for over 90% of soils in the UK without the need for any further protection. An estimated saving of a minimum of 3% has been identified when compared to alternative external coating systems. In an industry where there are increased pressures to achieve low leakage levels and to guarantee a durable infrastructure network, BioZinalium® is Saint-Gobain’s practical response to the genuine concerns of water network investors, operators and managers. For further information about the range of products available from Saint-Gobain PAM UK please contact biozinalium.sales.uk@saint-gobain.com

*Mathematical forecasting model used to calculate the life expectancy of a Natural C40 pipe for a given diameter (DN150) and soil conditions (2500 Ohm•cm).

BioZinalium® coating system

Creating sustainable solutions for our customers Sustainable

Aquacoat® water-based single component paint, reducing volatile organic compounds emissions and exposure to Bisphenol A

Durable Ductile iron: versatile material with excellent mechanical properties, such as high resistance to tensile stresses and impact loads

Increased service life

ZnAl(Cu) alloy: the ZnAl alloy considerably increases the protective properties of the external layer extending the service life of the pipe. The alloy has now been enriched with copper (antibacterial agent) to reduce the potential risk of localised bio-corrosion

biozinalium.uk.pam@saint-gobain.com

www.saint-gobain-pam.co.uk

KGN PILLINGER IS THE UK’S LEADING MANUFACTURER AND SERVICE SUPPLIER OF BESPOKE WATER PUMPING EQUIPMENT In 1926 G.C. Pillinger & Co. designed and patented the first automatic water pumping plant, known as the ‘Bruston Pumping System’. Originally founded in 1967, K.G. Norman Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, acquired the pumping division of Pillinger & Co. in 2003 to form KGN Pillinger. 47 years on, KGN Pillinger continues to grow and operate from a 20,000 sq ft modern premises in Croydon, Surrey. Their work ethic and attention to detail remains at the core of the company and with a progressive investment policy in the latest technologies and machinery, they remain at the forefront of design, manufacturing and service that not only meets but exceeds expectations. Russ Hammond, Marketing Manager, said: “We work in partnership with the water, industrial and building services industries throughout the world to provide complete engineering solutions and support for all our client’s water pumping requirements. Our client list ranges from the MOD and major Water Utilities to global construction and development companies. “From concept through planning and initiation, projects are managed through advanced 3D Computer Animated design. Blueprints are available for clients to view and amendments can be made throughout the process. “3D Design combined with client interactivity has increased the efficiency of our workflow and allowed any potential issues to be identified at an early stage. The entire process is supported with Building Information Modelling (BIM) whereby all project partners use a single shared 3D model. This cultivates collaborative working relationships ensuring everyone is focused on achieving best value from project inception to eventual commissioning.” It is KGN’s attention to detail and the flexibility within their manufacturing process that keeps them ahead of the competition. Their proven track record and excellent sales and service policy ensures they remain at the leading edge of the industry. KGN products range from Cat 5 Washdown Sets and Pressurisation Units to fully fitted WRAS approved Underground Plant Rooms (UPOD), Fire Booster Sets and extreme temperature pressure controlled Fill Spill Units. They have recently been awarded WRAS approval for their variable speed energy efficient range of AV and EV booster sets which puts them in the enviable position of being the only company in the UK to have WRAS certification for both above and below ground booster plant. They are the only UK based booster set manufacturer to use automatic TIG welding

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1 equipment coupled with 316L stainless steel as standard and their series of T-Drill machines are able to collar steel tubing and form flanges directly on the end of the pipe without the need for welding. Recent additions to the KGN assortment of Hi-Tech tooling machinery include the latest Rotary Index Laser Cutter, Press Brake and De-burring machines enabling a seamless process for the fabrication of stainless steel components used in the manufacture of the booster sets. Russ Hammond added: “With this new equipment our customers can expect new levels of productivity and cost efficiency while we continue to deliver high quality bespoke products at competitive prices. “Moreover, with this latest investment we intend to broaden our scope of manufacture and sales, not only within our industry but other sectors that have a potential need for precision engineered stainless steel components. This equipment incorporates the latest technology and software for fabrication of stainless sheet and tubing. It is an exciting time for the company as we feel it is a tremendous opportunity to expand into new markets.”

3 Creating brand awareness is essential to the KGN core business model. Over the years they have had an active sponsorship program within the MCE British Superbike Racing Championship. In 2011 they saw their sponsored team Swan Yamaha win the championship title and are currently providing sponsorship to the 2014 Milwaukee Yamaha, FFX Yamaha and Be Wiser Kawasaki Teams. They are also an Official Sponsor of the Race Series itself and support the ‘KGN Pillinger Team Trophy’ to run alongside the rider’s championship, recognising team performance and engineering excellence. “Our expanded portfolio into motorsport sponsorship matches our continued investment in engineering technology and stainless steel fabrication services. “Working with Milwaukee, FFX, Be Wiser, Yamaha Racing and now BSB provides excellent opportunities for us to create brand synergy with like-minded companies whose ethos fits our own. Their passion to succeed and deliver mirrors our profile exactly.” www.kgnpillinger.com Contact sales@kgnpillinger.com Tel. 0208 681 0097 Please mention Institute of Water

KGNPILLINGER 4

WRAS APPROVED KGN PILLINGER BOOSTER SETS KGN Pillinger range of AV and EV Water Booster Sets have recentlybeen awarded the WRAS seal of approval One of the key obstacles presented to consultants and contractors when specifying potable water booster sets can often be the Water Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s requirement for WRAS certification to ensure suitable equipment is installed.

With this new equipment our customers can expect new levels of productivity and cost efficiency while we continue to deliver high quality bespoke products at competitive prices.

As part of their continuing growth KGN Pillinger now hold full WRAS approval for their variable speed energy efficient AV and EV range of booster sets. This certification is in addition to the full WRAS approval KGN hold for their UPod Underground Plant Room and means KGN Pillinger is now the only company in the UK to have WRAS certification for both above and below ground booster plant. For further information regarding these or any of the KGN Pillinger range of products and stainless steel fabrication services please contact sales@kgnpillinger.com or telephone 0208 681 0097

Russ Hammond, Marketing Manager

approved Booster Sets

Fabricated Stainless Steel Products

3D Cad Design and Building Information Modelling

approved UPOD Underground Plant Rooms

Brand Synergy

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Meet the family the fast way. All our Eta pumps at a glance.

Eta keeps the world on the move Our Eta pump family keeps the world on the move. And there are plenty of big reasons: the highly efficient top-class hydraulic system. Dozens of sizes, materials and drives in almost any combination. And service that puts rivals in the shade. After millions of great pumps, the new generation is here. So discover what Eta can now do for you. www.ksb.com/eta-en • KSB Limited • 2 Cotton Way • Loughborough • Leicestershire • LE11 5TF • 01509 231872 • www.ksb.co.uk

Etanorm

Etaline

Our technology. Your success. Pumps Valves Service n

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KSB

Innovative products for waste water treatment The handling of solid waste constitutes a major challenge for operators of waste water systems and pump stations. There is a need for pumps that can handle large amounts of solids, have a low wear rate and require little maintenance, and, ideally, are as energy-efficient to operate as possible. A solution for handling waste is to use ‘solids separation systems’ which are designed to cope with raw waste water with high solids content. KSB’s AmaDS3 (Dry Solids Separation System) is a pump station with integrated solids separation system that, as standard, copes with an inflow of up to 120 m³/h at a maximum head of 85 m. It is cost-effective, reliable and maintenance-friendly. The AmaDS3 consumes far less energy and costs less to maintain than comparable waste water stations of the same size featuring submersible motor pumps and no solids separation system. The raw waste water first flows into a separator in the AmaDS3 where the solids are separated from the liquid by a grate. The solids-free waste water then runs into a collecting tank where it remains until a pre-set water level is reached and the pump set pumps it to the discharge pipe. As part of the process, the solids from the separator are carried away with the waste water and flushed into the discharge pipe, out of the pump station. As soon as the minimum water level in the collecting tank is reached, the pump set is stopped. At this point the inflow check valve opens again automatically so that the next flow of raw waste can enter the system. As the waste water handled by the pump’s hydraulic system is mechanically pre-treated, pumps with smaller free passages can be used. This means that higher-efficiency impellers can be selected that would otherwise not be suitable. As a result, raw waste water can now be pumped through longer discharge pipes and across terrain with larger differences in elevation using energyefficient and durable pump technology. In the longer term, the higher initial investment cost of a pump station with solids separation system is made up for by the lower operating costs, which has made operators increasingly opt for this solution in recent years. Development of the KSB AmaDS3 has benefited from the company’s decades of experience of operating waste water systems. Many of the system’s details are proof of this, for example the easy to open flow splitter box and the externally located solids separators. These and the collecting tank are made of corrosion-resistant stainless steel. They are readily accessible from outside and are, therefore, easily opened and closed. The separators of other systems are

located inside the collecting tank. So in case of clogging, maintenance personnel first have to open the tank and empty it with a suction vehicle. This takes considerable time and effort, and pushes up the cost of and the time needed for a maintenance job. Many waste water disposal systems make use of a shut-off ball to close the inflow line as soon as the pumps start pumping the waste water from the collecting tank into the discharge pipe. In order not to damage these floating balls, the systems as a rule start running at the maximum water level, when the ball is in its final position. As a result of this, a solid layer of dirt builds up around

the rim, which can quickly reach considerable dimensions and cause the system to clog up. The AmaDS3 does not feature any failure-prone floating balls. Instead, it has robust check valves. The system therefore does not depend on a fixed start-up water level. When programming the control unit, the operator has the freedom to vary the switching point in order to prevent the dirt build-up. The system as a whole consists of a large number of standardised modular components. It can be dismantled and easily transported if access is restricted because of its modular design, and reassembled at the place of installation. Once reassembled the system is then ready for installation in a sump or building.

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Blackburn Meadows WwTW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2 Years Later Large complex engineering projects typically evolve over a number of years, during which time information is gathered and ideas are developed and checked to enable all areas of risk to be assessed. In late 2009 Huber Technology UK, a major framework supplier of storm screens to Yorkshire Water, was approached together with an alternative supplier to look at potential options for the largest storm screen overflow application in the UK at Blackburn Meadows WwTW. Over the following 12 months Huber Technology worked in conjunction with Yorkshire Water and one of its framework contractors ETM, to design a viable and cost effective solution for this large and complicated project. Normally storm screens are required to screen the flow whilst depositing the screenings back into the flow to allow for treatment at the main works. However at this site it was an end of line application as the screenings had to be removed

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at this point since there was no other avenue for them to be transported and treated. With this large and non-standard application a wide range of design options were explored by the group, to not only allow the normal storm screening to take place, but also for the effective removal of screenings from the flow. Through strong collaboration with ETM and Yorkshire Water a solution was agreed and it was then Huber Technologyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s task to fully develop a solution to meet the demanding requirements of this site. This included a novel and unique solution (at this time) to direct screenings into dewatering conveyors which would then feed into the screenings handling units. All equipment contained within this solution was of Huber design and manufacture.

Once the final design had been selected and agreed ETM then employed a hydraulic modelling consultant to construct a full scale model of the installation. This allowed them to not only evaluate the settlement characteristics, flow patterns and likely performance of the plant at different flow rates but to also simulate conditions when the River Don itself is in flood at the same time as a storm. This innovative thinking helped provide confidence in the proposed solution and as such saved time and money during the design and construction phase. The two pictures above show the model from either end, one without flow and one with flow sediment flow markers present.

HUBER In December 2010 Huber was awarded the contract to supply storm screens and screenings handling units and the equipment supplied comprised of the following Huber products; 5 off RoK1/1000/6mm Storm Screens, each 10,625mm long 5 off Ro8/355mm Screw Conveyors, each 11,500mm long 3 off WAP-L BG12 Screenings Handling units 1 off sealing plate for future unit

to the river and is therefore improving the River Don’s conditions downstream of the works. This is of particular benefit to the local wildlife with the subsequent improvement in the quality of water discharging into the river during a storm event. Ed Brush, project manager from Yorkshire Water Services explained; “From the start of the project to its final completion and successful operation, Huber Technology formed an integral part of the 6 off storm channel solution design. Huber was challenged to find an effective and

innovative solution to screen storm water litter and significantly reduce pollution from entering the River Don. The storm water channel scheme is the largest of its kind in the country. It was delivered on time and within budget. It has already shown to exceed the original design criteria of processing 30,000 l/sec, by successfully handing a number of significant storms and preventing storm water pollution entering the River Don.” For more information please visit www.huber.co.uk

The 5 screens in total can handle up to 33,000 l/sec, and provision has been made to add a sixth storm screen and conveyor at a later date to screen even higher flows up to 40,000 l/sec should this be required in the future. This is equivalent to the emptying of an Olympic sized swimming pool every 90 seconds. For a period of a year after the plant was commissioned, litter surveys were undertaken with excellent results. In the 2 years since installation a large number of storm events have occurred and the equipment has performed as designed and ensured that flooding and subsequent contamination of the site, seen previously, has now been eliminated. Sewage related debris is now being effectively screened out and removed from the flow before discharge

WAP-L BG12 units

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.

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CDENVIRO

REGIONAL WASTE RECYCLING REAPS PLANT EFFICIENCY THROUGH CDENVIRO SERVICE & SUPPORT Leading waste water recycling specialists RWR, have experienced the benefits of the CDEnviro CustomCare offering through on-site support and regular plant audits. The West Midlands based company, who installed a gully waste processing plant in January 2013 at their site in Stratford, East London, have effectively been able to ensure optimum plant performance through the CDEnviro network of service and support engineers. The G:Max gully waste processing plant from CDEnviro has revolutionised the way in which they classify waste and recover sand from waste material but the customer experience doesn’t just stop there with plant performance. Following commissioning, support was offered and delivered on an on-going basis to ensure that plant productivity remained at the highest possible level. RWR are specialists in the collection of solid and liquid waste and have become an established name in East London for handling a variety of tankered waste including gully waste, road sweepings and waste water from utility companies. John Edwards, Operations Director of RWR comments, “With our scale of national coverage and in particular for our waste management services from liquid treatment centres to recycling centres, it’s imperative that our plants run to the absolute optimum capacity at all times where possible. The CustomCare offering from CDEnviro has allowed us to achieve this at our Stratford site through

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regular on-site visits, excellent response times, professional and knowledgeable engineers and even on-going telephone support if and when required. The CustomCare team have been a pleasure to work with and the engineers have always been responsive to our requests regardless of when and how soon we needed their assistance. The fact that we purchased a second plant from CDEnviro is testament to the solid working relationship that we have developed since the initial install. We have regular communication with their team of engineers and their approach is very much proactive. They also take on board any ideas that we may have ourselves with regards to any specific results that we want to achieve from the plant.” CDEnviro CustomCare Manager Fergal Campbell comments, “With approximately 15 tankers being delivered to their Stratford site daily, taking in on average 350-400m³ per day, it’s vital for RWR that our plant performs to the maximum level of productivity. Not only does our design allow us to achieve this on behalf of the customer, but the service and support provided following commissioning is just as imperative to ensure the highest volume of reclassified waste recovery, which ultimately allows RWR to significantly reduce costs associated with landfill tax.” “We have a network of service engineers throughout the UK who are on hand to offer on-site assistance and maintenance support

should the need arise. At each individual site visit, a plant audit and report is generated and this is shared with the customer to give them full visibility on the condition of their plant and any potential recommendations for future operations. Our site visits are also the perfect opportunity for us to carry out any practical improvements or calibration checks also.” RWR prides itself on the fact that 0% of the waste it handles is sent to landfill. The introduction of the G:Max system from CDEnviro means the system can now take in a much wider range of wastes to be processed without the problem of blockages. Overall 40-50% of the incoming material is sand which is recycled through this process and diverted from landfill, representing a huge saving overall. The G:Max recycling system is suited to any waste handlers operation regardless of plant size as the equipment is compact enough to fit in an area the size of a single car parking space. CDEnviro tailored the G:Max system specifically to RWR’s requirements by designing a system that could receive solid/liquid waste fed from an excavator bucket to suit their existing equipment on site. Likewise, CDEnviro can also tailor service support packages for customers following plant commissioning to ensure a service that is second to none and a plant that continues to perform as promised.

MAX RECOVERY MAX SAFETY MAX EFFICIENCY MAX UPTIME S:MAX SLUDGE SCREENING Minimum operator intervention Minimum civils requirement Industry-leading screenings removal technology No requirement for holding tanks or buffering

S:MAX

PRO:DEC

D:MAX

cdenviro.com

XYLEM

XYLEM HONOURED BY PUMP INDUSTRY FOR OUTSTANDING ENVIRONMENTAL CONTRIBUTION Leading provider of complete fluid handling solutions, Xylem Water Solutions UK, has won the award for ‘Environmental Contribution of the Year’ at the 2014 Pump Industry Awards, for its energy audit and subsequent upgrade work at a Scottish pumping station. Held at the Chesford Grange hotel in Warwickshire, on Thursday 27th March, the awards recognise outstanding achievements of key players within the UK pumping industry who have gone above and beyond their remit to provide long-lasting and effective solutions. Xylem won the award for the work it undertook in partnership with Veolia Water on South Balmossie pumping station, Angus, with a view to significantly reducing its carbon footprint and operational maintenance costs. Over the course of three months, Xylem was able to reduce the station’s Specific Energy (kwh/ m³) by 10%, wet well operating levels by 40%, and overall operational levels by 82%. This was achieved through a series of energy and equipment audits to determine the areas which were affecting efficiency levels, before installing two new Flygt NT3400 250kW pumps accompanied by variable frequency drives and Flygt MAS monitoring and analyser units. As a result, South Balmossie pumping station was able to save £3,719 in monthly energy bills alone and overall annual operational expenses were reduced

by £239,236 – an unprecedented 25 per cent and the equivalent of 14.2 tonnes of CO 2 a month. David White, Energy Manager at Xylem Water Solutions UK, comments: “As a manufacturer of pumping and monitoring equipment, the Pump Industry Awards are one of the most respected benchmarks of performance and support, so to win the award is a true accolade. “The South Balmossie pumping station was in desperate need of maintenance so to not

only rectify the issues and restore it to full functionality, but actually reduce operational costs by a quarter was very satisfying. This was a true team effort and I’d like to extend my thanks to all of our engineers who worked on the project, and to Veolia Water for supporting the installation.” For more information on Xylem Water Solutions and its product range, please visit: www.xylemwatersolutions.com/scs/uk.

XYLEM AQUADA UV SERIES GAINS WRAS APPROVAL of viruses, bacteria, parasites or other micropollutants which cannot be removed with simple filtering technologies. The UV light technology used within the disinfection system works in such a way that no health-endangering by-products are formed in the water and the natural taste and smell of the water is also preserved.

The Aquada UV Series from Xylem Water Solutions UK has been granted Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS) approval, and now meets all water disinfection criteria set out by UK water companies providing peace of mind and confidence to specifiers and end users. The Aquada UV system offers the latest environmentally friendly water disinfection technology and specialises in the inactivation

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Available in five different sizes and three different specification levels, the Aquada UV series can meet any individual requirement across industrial and residential sectors. The disinfection system is suitable for applications such as residential treatment plants and process water circulations through to rainwater harvesting applications and air-conditioning units. Roger Webb, UV application expert at Xylem Water Solutions UK, said: “We have long believed that UV disinfection is the most effective method of water treatment, helping to replace or drastically reduce the use of chemicals, so to get WRAS approval is a big step forward. Traditional

methods are fast becoming obsolete as some dangerous pathogens, such as Cryptosporidium and Guardia, are already very resistant to chemical disinfection techniques, so it’s imperative that the industry responds with the right technology.” Roger continues: “There has been an increase in counterfeit replacement UV disinfection spares making their way into the UV market which is worrying for customers who may be buying poor quality replacement lamps. The use of genuine approved spare parts demonstrates that the materials and components used in the manufacture of Xylem’s UV disinfection systems do not itself contaminate the water. Given the number of counterfeit UV spares available, I would urge all specifiers to seek out genuine spare parts when specifying or replacing UV lamps for their disinfection systems.” For more information on Xylem’s full treatment capabilities, please visit www.xylemwatersolutions.com/uk

LET’S MAKE UNPLANNED CALL-OUTS

COSTS A THING OF AND HIGH ENERGY

THE PAST

FLYGT EXPERIOR - AN INNOVATION PROVEN IN THE FIELD Move up to a revolutionary pumping experience with Flygt Experior: The ground-breaking combination of N-hydraulics, premium efﬁciency motors and the SmartRun intelligent pump control unit means an end to unplanned call-outs thanks to clog-free performance and energy consumption savings of up to 50%. Flygt Experior is the latest in a series of cutting edge innovations brought about by listening to you. Inspired by you. Engineered by us.

For pump sales call 0115 940 0111 or email sales@flygt.co.uk www.ﬂygt.com

clean water

waste water

steel

concrete

civil engineering

STONBURY ARE MARKET LEADERS IN THE REFURBISHMENT OF WATER RETAINING STRUCTURES & ASSOCIATED ASSETS RESERVOIR & WATER TOWER REPAIRS - STEEL & CONCRETE TANK REPAIRS - SURGE VESSEL REPAIR/REPLACE SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS REPAIRS - PIPE BRIDGE & AQUEDUCT REPAIRS - INSPECTIONS SPECIALIST COATINGS - WATERPROOFING - CORROSION PROTECTION - CLEAN & CHLORINATION Head Office: 187c High Street, Cranfield, Beds, MK43 0JB t 01234 750924 e enquiries@stonbury.co.uk www.stonbury.com

CSTS

CSTS Aquanaut Training Surveying 52Km of 2.6 diameter concrete pipe Carrying 570 million litres of Water a day 160 people to be trained Only 2 weeks to do the survey Weather dependent Aquanauts, electric vehicle access system (VAS) and diverting Manchester’s entire water supply. It could be a script for Mission Impossible but was all part of a survey of one of the UK’s biggest and most important water pipes, the Haweswater Aqueduct. Not a job for the faint hearted. The Haweswater aqueduct is 90km long, hundreds of feet deep in places, and allows 570 million litres of water to flow from Cumbria to Manchester every day. It took over 20 years to build and was commissioned in 1955 by the Manchester Corporation. Gravity fed with a 1:3000 incline, a feat in its self. CSTS Ltd were responsible for the design, development and delivery of a very specific bespoke training package. Working with United Utilities and Land & Marine at a purpose built facility in the heart of the Lake District.

Training consisted of City & Guilds Confined Space, Casualty Extraction, First Aid, AED, Fire Extinguisher, M Comms system, Water Hygiene, Slinging and Lifting and VAS all in a week with a complex scenario to evidence competency. In the earlier planning stages the CSTS Training Team along with CSTS Confined Space Support Services actively contributed to the project. Advice was given on potential hazards, equipment considerations and emergency procedures. CSTS were there from start to finish with support given to the teams on the ground and of course below ground. In fact they were there at every stage, from slinging the first VAS in to walking the first section with the survey teams. CSTS staff were proud to be part of the project which because of its support, resulted in no incidents during its complex culmination. CSTS Ltd only by your imagination Head Office - Warrington Business Park, Long Lane, Warrington, Cheshire, WA2 8TX Telephone 09125 244144 www.csts.co.uk

Systems

SC Polyethelene Water Pipe An exciting New Pipe offering from Radius Systems

SC water pipe is a new pipe range specifically designed to provide easy identification of material and application whilst offering our customers enhanced security of supply. • Direct replacement to PE80 and PE100 pipes • Seamless and cost neutral transition • Can be joined to existing PE80 and PE100 pipes • Electrofusion fittings compatible with SC pipe

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24/03/2014 11:57:28

HYDROK

THE HYDROK SOLUTIONS FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT Hydrok UK have developed an extensive portfolio of solutions for wastewater treatment ranging from fine bubble diffusers and integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge to MBR and tertiary filtration. The Wastewater Treatment process historically demands a high level of energy input which is contrary to current water management guidelines and legislative requirements. Any improvement in discharge quality using existing assets will require an increase in energy consumption at a time when regulatory demands require a reduction in energy use. Hydrok UK, with their established ethos of providing innovation, offer solutions which significantly reduce energy demand through the use of their fine bubble aeration systems delivering an extremely highly efficient process. The range of fine bubble diffusers allow the Hydrok design teams to optimise solutions which can, increase capacity of existing assets or, provide new builds with reduced civil requirements and low energy consumption. The fine bubble aeration process enables reduced

energy requirements through increased efficiency within the process and with the added benefit of reducing the whole life costs of the asset for little or no change to the capital investment required. Additional performance enhancement can be achieved by the addition of fixed bed media positioned within a frame directly above the fine bubble diffusers offering even further efficiencies in the treatment process. This led to the development of the Hydrok IFAS (Integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge) system, which is also an integral part of the Hydrok HY-SAF - a combination of fixed bed media and fine bubble diffusers, resulting in a hybrid package SAF (Submerged Aeration Filter). The fully comprehensive Hydrok wastewater packages range from design to the manufacture,

delivery, installation and commissioning - with all aspects of the contract managed and delivered within house. This ensures total commitment and control at every stage. For further information on the Hydrok Wastewater Solutions visit www.hydrok.co.uk or contact Lewis O’Brien on 01726 861900, lewis.obrien@hydrok.co.uk

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PUMP HIRE, SALES & SERVICE No1 UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

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SELWOOD

Increased demand met through investment and planning A very large investment in pumps both in 2013 and at the beginning of this year has enabled Selwood to meet the demand for pump hire resulting from the extensive flooding experienced across the country. Nearly £7m worth of orders were placed in 2013 with a further £4m already committed for 2014. It is not only pumps that Selwood has invested in as the company also places a high priority in people and training. Selwood has increased its pump hire team, now has specialist installation teams and is investing heavily in training. Courses in management, leadership and communication are on-going as is an extensive training programme on health and safety.

Tees Barrage

Selwood was also proactive after the first storm warnings by circulating its emergency telephone numbers to the appropriate contacts in the water companies, Environment Agency, public utilities and local councils. This, coupled with on time delivery and a safe response, enabled the company to work with local communities to protect many homes and businesses. Equally so, sales of Selwood pumps have reached record levels in the UK due to increased demand during the last few months. Sales have been driven both by rising marketplace confidence and the widespread flooding across the UK this winter. Significant numbers of pumps were also delivered from stock to rapidly increase the number of hire units available to satisfy record customer demands.

Selwood was able to react quickly to customer needs due to its large stock holding of finished pumps. Larger stock holding is a key feature of Selwood’s strategy and a direct response to extensive customer research carried out last year. To increase stock holding, Selwood’s existing manufacturing facility at Chandler’s Ford in the UK has been subject to a recent improvement programme designed to increase efficiency and capacity. Flexible production methods were put in place to speed up delivery of pumps to customers and its own hire division. All pumps are produced in association with trusted contractors within the UK and Selwood constantly works to ensure that its standards remain high and that its designs remain innovative and market leading. The most recent changes to be undertaken are on tier changes to engines where the company is moving to tier four,

which has meant a great deal of design work to package the new engines onto the product. As a company Selwood has undertaken a review of its environmental aspects and impacts and sets targets to reduce the impacts in certain areas such as oil storage, discharges to the drains and energy savings. Selwood is increasingly active in achieving and demonstrating sound environmental performance by controlling the impacts of its activities, products and services on the environment. Although the global recession spurred a slowdown in projects within the UK and around the world, Selwood has remained strong and used the experience of weathering the economic downturn to increase the efficiency of the business and ensure that it is well placed to meet the needs of a resurgent market.

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Pump Into Action with SLD • • • • •

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MOTOR

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BERSON

BARWON WATER EMPLOYS BERSON UV DISINFECTION AT THE MOORABOOL WATER TREATMENT PLANT Barwon Water, the Australian state of Victoria’s largest regional urban water corporation, tendered for a USEPA validated UV water disinfection system and then awarded the contract to Fluidquip Australia who supplied the Berson Inline 1000+ USEPA UV system. Barwon Water provides services to more than 295,000 permanent residents. It oversees 12 major reservoirs and 9 water treatment plants, including the Moorabool Water Treatment Plant (WTP) 45 kilometres north of Geelong. The Moorabool catchment supplies approximately 20% of Greater Geelong’s water supply. In 2010, Barwon Water tendered for a UV disinfection system to be supplied to the Moorabool WTP. Fluidquip Australia was the successful bidder and in 2011 a Berson Inline 1000+USEPA UV system was installed in the supernatant return line. So why exactly is a UV system required at this point in the process? To explain, a brief (and simplified) description of the process employed at the Moorabool WTP is required. The plant uses DAFF (Dissolved Air Floatation & Filtration) and disinfection by chlorination to treat the incoming raw source water from the catchment to produce its drinking water. As part of the DAFF process, anthracite and sand filtration media is

to chlorine – protozoans, most commonly represented by Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Thankfully, protozoans are very susceptible to UV radiation, so as the supernatant returns from the clarifier to the head of the plant, it passes through the Berson UV system, which inactivates any protozoans, which may be present. As part of the tender specification, Barwon Water insisted that the UV system must be USEPA prevalidated. Validation is becoming increasingly important the world over for water authorities charged with ensuring the drinking water they produce is safe for consumption. The Berson UV system was chosen in the tender process because it was a reputable brand and was evaluated as being economically favourable when compared with other bids.

The Berson InLine 1000+ UV system at the Moorabool WTP used to filter the water and this media periodically needs to be backwashed with water to clean the media. So as not to waste this backwash water, it is re-used by pumping it to a clarifier for subsequent treatment. The clarified water, called supernatant, is then sent back to the head of the plant where it is blended with the incoming raw water to be treated by the DAFF and disinfection processes.

Dene Denny, Team Leader of the Water Treatment Operations Group at Barwon Water commented, “While we had some initial teething problems when the system was first installed, the system is now operating well. Ongoing communication between Barwon Water and Fluidquip Australia was the key to resolving any outstanding issues. We found the site visit by the Berson support engineer very beneficial.”

The supernatant water can contain a relatively high mix of pathogens initially filtered out by the anthracite filtration media. There is one group of these pathogens which is largely resistant

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PALINTEST

New Wagtech Range from Palintest Launched initially at the DIHAD 2014 event, the new range of Wagtech portable water quality laboratories are now available from Palintest. Since the acquisition of the Wagtech water testing division in 2011, Palintest has embarked upon a programme of product development and improvement to support microbiological and physico-chemical testing in the most demanding circumstances. The new product range has been designed to answer the question of whether a drinking water source is safe for human consumption. All Wagtech water quality laboratories meet WHO quality guidelines for assessment of potable water, providing essential information for decision makers in environments ranging from emergency response to remote long-term monitoring. Evaluation of microbiological quality using indicator organisms such as coliforms, thermotolerant (faecal) coliforms and E. coli

provide a quantitative assessment of the microbial risk. To meet these needs, Palintest has developed an energy-efficient, high specification incubator. Using state-of-the-art materials, temperature stability is assured, thereby producing optimum conditions for the reliable assessment of microbial quality of water sources. Analysis of key physical parameters such as turbidity and conductivity give a broad indication of water quality. Specific chemical parameters such as pH, Chlorine and Ammonia, will add further information. Additional parameters such as Arsenic and Fluoride provide another level of chemical assessment. Wagtech kits provide the means to effectively test all parameters of concern using simple but highly accurate procedures, by all levels of users, producing the critical information required in a timely manner. Kits are housed in IP67-rated carry cases, making them suitable for use in the most extreme environments.

With a choice of six new products, the Wagtech range can provide the optimal potable water testing solution. For a guide to choosing the best kit for your specific requirements, visit www.palintest.com.

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Reducing the risk of flooding Lillington is a residential district of Leamington Spa which has experienced a recurring flooding problem. This project reduced the risk of flooding to nine customer properties through the use of a sustainable drainage system (SuDS). Building additional sewers was avoided by working in close partnership with Warwickshire County Council (WCC) to construct an open attenuation storage swale on council owned land. This scheme has proven the viability of such solutions and lessons learned have been communicated out to the business. A home affected by sewer flooding is very unpleasant and distressing for STW’s customers. A sewer system improvement was needed to help reduce the risk of this happening. This was particularly significant for the elderly customers living in single storey housing who were affected by the flooding. Due to their low property thresholds, offering no protection to overland flows, these vulnerable individuals were at particular risk during flood events. STW invested £650k to enlarge existing foul sewer pipes and provide a storm water storage system to cope with the large volumes of water that enter the sewer system following heavy rain. Enlarging the existing foul sewer provided sufficient hydraulic capacity to remove surcharge from the system. Due to the surface water (SW) storage volume of 1350m3 required, enlarging the existing SW sewers alone would be insufficient, therefore additional off-line storage was required. Historically this has been provided by pumped return underground storage shafts, however these traditional grey solutions are expensive to build and have expensive whole life costs to maintain. An innovative solution, which solved the flooding efficiently in a built up residential catchment, was needed. This scheme provided an opportunity to work together with WCC, Warwick District Council and the local community allowing each responsible stakeholder to contribute (e.g. provision of land, knowledge, future maintenance duties and capital investment) to the final solution. This partnering approach sets an example for AMP6 targets, was in the spirit of the Pitt Review and is a requirement of WCC as Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (The Act). This role, to investigate flooding incidents and their causes, ensured that the appropriate parties played their part.

designed to replicate nature. By not providing a dedicated flow channel through the swale it ensured flows were held back, with some volume lost to ground. This normally-dry swale was designed to only operate once the existing CWC had surcharged. This maximised the existing system capacity and reduced the frequency of swale fills. An appropriate spill point was designed to ensure if flows over-topped the swale, they will discharge along an appropriate flow route i.e. not to houses.

Close working with WCC, ensured the proposed final design (shape) was best fit for future use. A slightly larger volume than needed was built but this provided a more usable footprint. Proposed volumes were scrutinised to ensure no detriment to the existing SW system (culverted water course (CWC) and down stream attenuation pond).

The use of 2D hydraulic modeling analysis, with appropriate Lidar data (high resolution topographical data) and site survey information, simulated the above ground fluvial flooding along the aptly named Valley Road. Flow paths generated from the InfoWorks model were confirmed from actual witnessed flooding events therefore giving increased solution confidence.

The SuDS solution solved the flooding innovatively and sustainably, with the swale

Pursuing the SuDS solution presented many barriers which could easily have been bypassed by

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delivering a traditional grey solution i.e. relying on Water Company powers under the Water Act by serving land entry notices. However it was known SuDS was the right solution to progress and, therefore, worth persevering with. This scheme provided respective capital and annual running cost savings of £322k and £4k. It was also presented to OFWAT demonstrating how STW are proposing more sustainable options compared to more expensive traditional approaches.

FEATURE:FOCUS ON MIDLANDS

PPM AND SEIZED VALVE SOLUTIONS FROM INSTITUTE OF WATER MIDLANDS Problems associated with operating valves can cause a multitude of difficulties that are rarely apparent until there is a requirement to reconfigure the network. During unplanned operations often the only option is to identify alternate good condition valves further upstream. This can increase the risk of water supply issues, prolong an event and result in poor customer service. During planned works the usual procedure is to replace the valve, often involving expensive network reconfiguration and the replacement of a perfectly good serviceable asset. Severn Trent Water and South Staffs Water have established planned preventative maintenance (PPM) plans to qualify operational risk through monitoring and periodic testing to ascertain and predict deterioration of critical valves. Hydrosave(UK) Ltd is an established supplier and specialist pipeline condition contractor based in the Midlands. They have developed two service deliverables focused on Critical Valve Assessment (CVA) and the release of seized valves.

PPM and Critical Valve Assessment (CVA) The Hydrosave CVA process provides PPM certification and includes a full asset condition assessment and valve diagnostics operation. It allows the end user to map an individual asset, view asset data collected by survey teams and provides a torque curve as evidence of the valve operation. The torque curve can be used to ascertain the position of the valve, number of turns to cycle, torque required and also predetermines serviceability of the internal components. The combined experience of the Hydrosave valve technicians and the Pipe Condition Assessment (PCA) team has developed this service into an offering that allows for effective operational, risk and strategy management for clean, raw, waste networks and process departments.

Seized Valve Release The second innovation developed in house and patented by Hydrosave is a technology to release seized valves in a clever way, using the least amount of torque possible to avoid damaging the valve. The Hydrosave equipment has been designed to operate remotely and has the ability to identify the resonant frequency of a seized component. With finite adjustment of multiple parameters, the equipment ensures minimum torque and periods of vibration are combined during the release process.

The impact and high torque process that has been traditionally been used in the water industry is not controlled or monitored and as such is a high risk operation to both asset and operator. The process adopts Newton’s 2nd law of motion (Force = mass x acceleration) to apply bursts of high torque to the valve spindle and as such relies on Newton’s 3rd law (For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction) to ensure the process does not damage the molecular structure of the valve spindle. Unfortunately this cannot be measured and therefore if damage has occurred it will not be detected until further operation is needed.

Project Case Studies Severn Trent Waters ‘New Product Group’ viewed a presentation of the benefits and a demonstration at the South Staffs Water training facility, Trent Valley in Lichfield. Realising the benefits of this new process 30 critical valves for a major refurbishment project were identified for PPM via a CVA project. As a result, several seized valves were noted and have been successfully released and all valves have PPM certification. This is the one of the first combined projects in the UK. South Staffs Water assisted in the testing of the service realising the benefits of working to plan on main replacement projects and the unnecessary cost of replacement. Following a

successful CVA and subsequent valve release process on two 24” trunk mains valves they now propose to adopt CVA to survey and prove the operation of assets prior to main rehabilitation projects. No project delays, cost certainty and excellent customer service are the main drivers with this strategy. The valve release process also proved effective during a routine pump replacement at the Hampton Loade WTW, where a critical penstock valve on the high lift pump suction well was noted as seized. Initially the valve operations team obtained a torque calculation with the CVA equipment that showed a requirement of 850Nm (86.7kgf) to instigate any movement. The valve release equipment was fitted and an optimum frequency obtained. This resulted in the valve being released and fully cycled at 180Nm (18.4kgf), a80% reduction in the initial torque requirement and at a figure that would be acceptable for single man operation with a standard tee bar. These Institute of Water (Midlands) case studies are testament to the benefits of collaborative working with local businesses. We have focused on the science behind a problem that currently costs the UK water industry millions of pounds each year, lost time and can lead to significant customer services issues. Contact enquiries@hydrosave.co.uk for more information or visit www.hydrosave.co.uk

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SEVERN TRENT â&#x20AC;&#x201C; REDUCING EXPOSURE TO THE ENERGY MARKETS BY DEVELOPING OUR RENEWABLES PORTFOLIO Our regulated business has an inescapable need for electricity to treat and supply water and to collect and treat waste water from our 7 million customers. We strive to build and operate processes efficiently but in the end we still need to buy a vast amount of electricity from the national grid. UK Energy supply has long been a volatile cost due to the global fuel supply market but more recently the underlying cost had started to increase due to the heavy investment in grid decarbonisation. Energy is already our second highest operating cost so generating our own renewable energy reduces our exposure and at the same time reduces our net carbon emissions. Today our regulated and non regulated businesses are generating energy from a wide variety of renewable sources including crops, sewage sludge, wind and water. Our processes involve anaerobic digestion to produce a methane rich biogas which is the used in reciprocating engines to produce electricity and heat and we use turbines to convert the water and wind into electricity. In this way we already generate almost a quarter of the electricity required to run our water and waste water business and we are heading towards a target of 30% in the current year. The value of self generation is even greater now as energy prices continue to rise and we have ambitious plans to continue the growth.

But having almost exhausted the opportunities from sewage, water and wind we are now applying the skills that we have developed to expand into other areas with a primary focus on the emerging food waste digestion market. Our first plant which began construction in Jan 14 will be producing renewable energy later this year. This new plant at Coleshill will convert up to 50,000 tonnes of food waste into 18,000 MWh of energy and a high quality bio-fertiliser. The demand for food waste digestion facilities across the UK will continue to increase as the more favourable economics drive organic waste away from landfill. We believe the model that we have developed for Coleshill can be successfully transferred across the STW area and our ambition is to develop at least 6 plants over the next 5 years to meet the rising demand. It is essential to look forward and diversify the portfolio to develop new generation sources but we must also refine and maintain our existing assets to ensure continued growth. This year we are retiring 5 x 1.5MW Waukesha CHP units at our largest site at Minworth after 15 years of operation and replacing with a combination of more efficient Jenbacher CHPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and a new and innovative process involving the direct injection of Bio-methane into the National Grid. The Bio-methane is produced by passing gas from the sewage digesters through a water

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wash scrubber, removing contaminants such as siloxane and hydrogen sulphide with granulated activated carbon, increasing the calorific value if necessary by the addition of propane, adding an odorant (to give it that natural gas smell) and then pressurising to 7 Bar to inject into the local transmission network. Income will be generated from gas sales and the Governments renewable heat incentive which was introduced in 2011. This process is extremely common in Northern Europe (our plant supplier Malmberg is based in Sweden) where the renewables incentives have encourage early development but there are only a handful of these plants in the UK at present and this will be the first full scale unit in the water sector and likely to be largest in the UK. This year also sees the commissioning of our first large Wind turbines in Leicester, Derby and Notts. The generators sit on 80m towers and are equipped with 50m blades. Harnessing wind energy in this way will generate 20,000 MWh/ year. There are many more projects in the pipeline and we plan to continue our programme of developing, building and optimising to reduce electricity market exposure and net carbon emissions. Neil Liddell-Young Severn Trent Water Renewable Energy Manager

FEATURE:FOCUS ON MIDLANDS

Severn Trent’s journey to zero product failures during 2011 across all 705 numerically consented sites in the region.

By Grant Batty Performance and Improvement Manager – Waste Water

Between 2007 and 2011 there was an alarming increase in the number of sewage works failing their numeric consents. The deteriorating performance was not in line with the company’s ambition of being the best waste and water services provider in the UK. This resulted in a complete review of how Severn Trent Water managed their sewage treatment processes. Using the company’s lean management tools, a complete review was undertaken of the sewage treatment process controls. It became apparent that the majority of intervention points were based on the final product and not within the process. This didn’t allow the operatives to intervene before a sample was going to breach

the consent limits. This resulted in the sites reacting to a failure rather than anticipating it and taking corrective action to prevent the failure in the first place. A project team was assembled to review the opportunities to include in-process measures and install a tracking methodology to ensure appropriate action/escalation was in place. The process measures were developed and implemented via a visual management tool at daily performance meetings. During the meetings the number of process measurements which breached their control limits were discussed and appropriate actions were put in place. The measurement points were progressively rolled out

The aim of this approach was to increase the number of process measurement points to intercept any potential failures before they happen. Throughout 2012/13 the project has continued to drive this behaviour into the daily operation promoting, ‘reporting more process breaches is a good thing’. As you can see from the graph above, this positive reporting culture is becoming apart of business as usual and Severn Trent has see the benefits over the past two years. In 2012 Severn Trent recorded their best ever performance against sewage treatment works compliance with only 6 works failing their consent conditions against 705 numerically consented sites. Severn Trent has again achieved a record breaking year in 2013 by having only 5 works failing their numeric consent conditions, which is less than 0.8% of their total works. It is Severn Trent’s ambition to become the best waste and water service provider in the UK and they are well on their way by driving product failures to zero let’s hope 2014 is another record breaking year for the company!

The aim of this approach was to increase the number of process measurement points to intercept any potential failures before they happen.

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FEATURE:FOCUS ON MIDLANDS

Innovative water project to protect the environment

Severn Trent Services is working in partnership with dairy First Milk and Welsh regulators on an innovative and complex wastewater project that is helping to preserve some of the UK’s most cherished and important countryside environments. supply the creamery, to reduce the environmental impact of their farming practices, effectively “offsetting” the environmental impact of the discharge from the new plant.

First Milk, which owns the Haverfordwest Creamery, has signed a multi-million pound contract with Severn Trent Services to design, build and operate a new wastewater treatment plant to treat the effluent from its cheese production facility. The solution will help to secure the future of the creamery and increase its production capability. When built and fully operational, the new wastewater treatment plant will replace an old system that no longer meets the dairy’s environmental or capacity requirements, which discharges treated effluent to a Dwr Cymru Welsh Water wastewater treatment plant. The new system will discharge under a new Environmental Permit into the tidal estuary of the Western Cleddau, a river that is specially protected because of its wide range of species, habitats and aquatic plants.

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In the unusual agreement First Milk will work with over 40 local farms to reduce their nutrient runoff by incorporating best practice on the application and use of fertilisers.

Extensive feasibility studies identified the best solution, which had to meet stringent consent criteria set by the regulator. The solution has two parts: an advanced wastewater treatment plant and an arrangement with local farmers that

Natural Resources Wales will check to ensure that the annual runoff reduction is equal to or greater than the nutrients discharged directly from the new wastewater treatment plant, ensuring that the scheme is environmentally neutral or beneficial. As part of the agreement, Severn Trent Services will design, build, operate and maintain the treatment plant for ten years. For further details on Severn Trent Services and the project please visit www.stservices.co.uk.

FEATURE:DROUGHT

Building resilience to drought in West Africa In many areas of West Africa, standard approaches to water, sanitation and hygiene delivery donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t prepare communities for managing threats to their water supply. Installing reliable, clean water supplies is vital for reducing water-related disease and cutting the amount of time communities spend collecting water. Combined with better sanitation and hygiene, clean water can transform lives by unlocking better health, education and livelihoods.

However, without a strategy to identify and deal with threats to their water supply, communities remain vulnerable to changing water availability, varying water quality and competing demands for water. Rural communities outside the reach of local government and basin management authorities are particularly vulnerable. For people living in the remote Sahel region of Burkina Faso, dry seasons can last from six to eight months. Unpredictable rainfall and a limited number of boreholes mean they face a very real risk of drought. The growing population places increased pressure on land and water resources and large numbers of livestock become dependent on boreholes when surface water sources and wells dry up. Unless water supply systems are designed for multiple users, livestock can cause damage to water points and contamination of the water. WaterAid teams in West Africa have been working on an approach that combines delivery of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services with plans to strengthen resilience to drought and other water-related threats. Lucien Damiba, Head of Programmes at WaterAid Burkina Faso, says: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have been working with local partner organisations on a Community Based Water Resource Management approach. By equipping communities with the skills and equipment to monitor rainfall and groundwater levels, and encouraging collaboration with local and national governments on water resource management schemes, we can help to improve resilience to all water related threats.â&#x20AC;? Community volunteers are trained by the National Meteorological Office to install rainfall gauges and measure groundwater levels, then monitor and record local demand for water and land resources. These simple measurements can indicate whether threats such as drought or conflict over water access are likely to emerge, and can inform plans for managing water resources. Rationing or temporary restrictions on certain uses of water (such as in brick building) can stabilise water supplies, and protecting water

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Communities nominate volunteers to monitor rainfall using rain gauges and to measure groundwater levels in hand dug wells. The readings are recorded in log books. Handpumps are modified to accommodate submersible level loggers and the local government periodically downloads data from these loggers. The data tells the community when certain wells are likely to dry up, whether there are any downward trends in water availability and when rationing might be necessary.

catchments can limit the risk of pollution and contamination. The Community Based Water Resource Management approach not only enables communities to identify threats to their water supplies but also gives weight to their calls for improved local WASH services. The evidence collected from monitoring backs up requests for digging new hand wells, constructing boreholes,

Perceived threats to water supplies are identified during a vulnerability mapping exercise. Information from monitoring is interpreted and shared among the wider community and district government. It is used to inform better management of water supplies.

Water supply systems need to be designed for different users to prevent damage and contamination from livestock. Picture credits WaterAid/ Vincent Casey

installing domestic rainwater harvesting systems and bringing about total sanitation to prevent faecal contamination. This more holistic approach to WASH service delivery is helping to bridge the gap between traditional approaches to providing water and sanitation and national efforts to improve water resource management across West Africa, reducing the risk of and resilience to drought.

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Ready for drought? three-dry winters with strangers in the pub. Nick Walters Groundwater & Surface Water Manager, Anglian Water

It may seem funny to be reading an article about drought management when most of the water stories in the media recently have been focused on floods, but as water resources professionals responsible for ensuring the security of supply for our customers we must always be prepared for the worst case, which for us is a prolonged period of low rainfall. For the majority of people, drought will be a long way below the radar and most will just be waiting for the rains to stop. As the fine days extend to weeks there is unlikely to be too much concern, but as the rain-free days become months the awareness increases and the media stories become increasingly alarming, and then before you know it you are talking about the impacts of

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What is remarkable though is the speed at which it is all forgotten as soon as any drought breaks; from the newspaper stories to the disbanded national drought groups and emergency committees, who have all moved on to the next pressing issue of the day. It is precisely this point that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s National Drought Mitigation Center illustrate with their “hydro-illogical cycle” which depicts how a drought tends to slowly build up and then intensify until it becomes a real concern, but then, as soon as the rains arrive, how quickly the associated relief leads to a sense of complacency. The point they are making is that although the inconvenience caused by any drought soon fades from the collective memory, it is important that we all learn from our experiences to help prepare for the next one. The goods news is that whilst this cycle of panic and apathy may apply to some extent outside of the water industry, every water company in England and Wales is required, by law, to prepare and maintain a statutory drought plan.

A key part of these plans is to ensure that we incorporate the learning from past droughts. Our drought plans are prepared in accordance with prescribed guidelines and describe how we will protect public water supplies whilst minimising any environmental impacts that may arise, as a result of our activities, during a prolonged period of low rainfall. The plans are updated regularly, in consultation with our stakeholders, and are available through company websites. It should be recognised that a water resources drought, that has the potential to impact on public water supplies, will usually only develop after several months of below-average rainfall. This is different from an agricultural drought which may arise over a shorter timescale as a result of low rainfall, high temperatures and dry soils during the growing season. Each drought will vary in terms of its intensity, duration, geographical coverage and impact. No two droughts will ever be the same and each one will present its own challenges. Each drought will also provide its own learning opportunity and it is the experience from past droughts that we can

FEATURE:DROUGHT draw upon to inform our planning. At Anglian Water, we can look back at droughts that have affected the region during the 1920s, 1940s, 1970s, 1990s and more recently during 2005-06 and 2011-12. Although it was the prolonged drought in 1975-76 that really began to shape our water resources drought planning, it is the reaction to the more recent droughts that inform our plans. Since privatisation of the water industry in 1989, there have been four keys periods of drought in the Anglian Water region during which we have invested around £120 million to improve the resilience of our water supply system. Investment has ranged from local scale infrastructure improvements to large scale transfers. Over the years we have drilled new boreholes at drought vulnerable groundwater sources to enable full licensed quantities to be abstracted across a broader area of an impacted aquifer. We have laid many kilometres of strategic transfer main to enable water to moved between demand centres or from different sources. We have installed additional treatment and pumping capacity to allow us to meet peak demands and to recover storage in our winter filled reservoirs. We have developed new river augmentation schemes or uprated and commissioned existing emergency sources. This is all in addition to the ongoing investment in demand management and communication activities.

3-month rainfall maps for East Anglia (from the Environment Agency) showing the emerging drought from October 2010 to March 2012, breaking suddenly from April 2012. Continuous monitoring of rainfall, river flows, reservoir storage and groundwater levels is key to helping us identify the onset of a drought. We have developed a range of hydrological trigger points that provide us with sufficient lead time to implement a variety of drought management measures as drought conditions prevail. We assess the risk of drought against an analysis of how much water is reliably available during the worst drought conditions on record since 1920. This defines the yields of our reservoirs, our direct river intakes and groundwater sources that are used to maintain a secure balance between the availability of water supplies and the demand from our customers.

the Environment Agency to consider whether more flexible abstraction licensing arrangements during future drought periods, may result in greater benefit to other water users, most notably the farming sector. In addition to these supply side measures, we increase our demand management activities during a drought through enhanced customer communications, water-efficiency promotions, metering and enhanced leakage detection. Anglian Water pre-privatisation (left) and post-privatisation (right) drought investment

We define the yield of our reservoirs in relation to the frequency that we would seek to impose water supply restrictions. At Anglian Water, we define these restrictions as our current levels of service which include temporary use restrictions (hosepipe bans) no more than once every 10 years; a ban on non-essential water use (which may also impact on commercial customers) no more than once every 40 years; and in the worst case the provision of standpipes and the use of rota-cuts no more than once in 100 years. The main legacy of the 2011-12 drought for Anglian Water is the recognition that our upstream water resources are not entirely secure against three-dry winters or a drought event more extreme than experienced in the 100-year hydrological record. We are challenging the current thinking on drought resilience beyond that of the worst on record. The severity of the 2011-12 drought led us to review our emergency plans for extreme customer use restrictions, which highlighted the fact that the widespread use of standpipes or the imposition of rota-cuts is both impractical and unacceptable to the public. We are assessing the impact of removing the use of standpipes and rota cuts from our plans. This impact will need to be addressed through additional resilience planning and investment. Initial appraisal work has been undertaken to understand the feasibility of water reuse options, water transfers via the canal systems and the reinstatement of existing reservoirs for public water supply. We have also included a scheme in our latest water resources management plan to secure a transfer from the River Trent to support the catchments of the River Great Ouse, the Welland and the Nene during severe droughts. We are seeking to invest £400 million over the next 10-15 years in the scheme and will continue to work closely with the Environment Agency and Natural England to further assess the option. During the 2011-12 drought, the Secretary of State set up the National Drought Group that successfully provided a single coherent, cross-sector team to manage the co-ordinated delivery of drought management activities and communication strategies. Through the National Drought Group, we carried out a number of collaborative studies to explore drought mitigation options including bulk transfers and resource sharing between neighbouring companies. We will also continue discussions with

Our customers are particularly concerned about leaks, and this comes into the spotlight if we are asking customers to be even more efficient in their water use as a drought develops. To lead by example during the 2011-12 drought, we invested to drive leakage levels down below the targets set by our regulators. In 2012 and 2013 we achieved the lowest level of leakage in our history at 189 Ml/d compared to our regulatory target of 211 Ml/d, a saving of over 10 per cent. In response to our customer consultation, we are now working on one of the most ambitious leakage reduction initiatives in the UK. Our plan, which is supported by our customers, is to further reduce leakage to 172 Ml/d by 2020. To achieve these levels we will employ the latest leak-detection technology, maintain our rapid leak repair work, extend pressure management and undertake a extended programme of mains replacement.

Anglian Water ‘Drop 20’ campaign from the 2011-12 drought

We place a heavy emphasis on showing our customers the measures that we are prepared to take to help combat the drought. Recent research – reiterated throughout the 2011-12 drought – reinforced the view that customers are only willing to act if they have confidence that we are taking action too. Due to the combined pressures of climate change, population growth and environmental regulation on resources in this water stressed region, we have a long history of talking to our customers about water conservation. Our ‘Love Every Drop’ campaign is our strategy to raise the awareness about how important water is to life, to people, to the environment and to a growing economy. We hope that the ‘Love Every drop’ brand will have a long lasting impact for all of our customers and stakeholders, so that between us we will be able to break that apathy stage in the ‘hydro-illogical cycle’ of a drought, by working together to put water at the heart of a new way of sustainable living. For more information see www.anglianwater.co.uk/loveeverydrop

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SUMMER2014 ISSUE182

IN THIS ISSUE: INNOVATION FUTURE HORIZONS FOCUS ON MIDLANDS DROUGHT

INSTITUTE OF WATER JOURNAL

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SCOTTISHAREANEWS

PRESIDENTS DINNER AND AREA INNOVATIONS AWARDS

by Kathy Auld The Doubletree by Hilton, Dunblane was the picturesque setting for the increasingly well attended Presidents Dinner on 15th March. Following the AGM a pre-dinner drinks reception was provided by the Hilton, before the 281 strong diners were seated in a beautiful function suite, served with a fantastic 3 course dinner. Richard thanked everyone for coming and the dinner sponsors CD Enviro, Maccrae Training, Ross-shire Engineering and Clancy Docwra. He also welcomed Rob to the guests as the new Area President. Rob promised that in his year he hoped to exceed the fantastic achievements of previous area presidents. Richard thanked Kathy

Auld for organising his dinner and presented her with flowers and champagne. These were much appreciated. Paul Banfield, Area Secretary introduced the Area Innovation Awards and invited Luke Stanbridge of Z-Tech (last year’s area Innovations Award Winner) to the floor. Luke thanked all 13 entries and announced the winner to be Dryden Aqua. They now go forward to the National Innovations Awards at the National Presidents Dinner after the National Conference in Bristol in June. Congratulations and good luck. Many thanks to the judges and much appreciation to the Award Sponsors; Z-Tech, Ecotec and Veolia. Finally, as part of his improvised inaugural

SCOTTISH AREA 59TH AGM The 59th Annual General Meeting of the Scottish Area of the Institute of Water recently took place on Saturday 15th March 2014 in the Doubletree Hilton Hotel in Dunblane. Prior to the AGM, Members, committee members and partners mingled and networked at an informal drinks reception also at the Hotel, which would later be the venue for the Presidents Dinner. Scottish Area Chair, Paul Maxwell presented his report of Area Committee activities, summarising a successful programme of activities and visits held throughout 2013, with record breaking attendance at the Scottish Autumn Seminar and a solid increase in area membership with over 50 new members. Joining the AGM was National Chair Richard Barton, who provided a brief address to supplement the National Council Report, taking the opportunity to reinforce the successes of the Institute of Water through 2013/14 and to encourage members to join him at the National Conference in Bristol this coming June.

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speech, Rob invited all previous Area Presidents to the floor and thanked them for their continuing support of the Area and the Institute. As is the current trend, this was an opportunity for a selfie!! Thanks to all those who donated a raffle prize and golf to auction. As always this is appreciated as are the donations that people make in their envelopes. We raised the amazing sum of £3193 for Wateraid!!! Callanish played us Ceilidh and old classics and new songs to dance the rest of the night away. Much wobbly juice was consumed and much waffle was spoken, but all agreed that the night was very much a success and enjoyed by all.

By Richard Anderson, Scottish Area (Past President)

Without too much confusion, Richard Anderson (retiring Area President) installed Rob Mustard as Area President. Paul Maxwell stayed in post and continues to serve as Area Chair for the Scottish Area. In Robs’s vote of thanks to the outgoing President, he thanked Richard for his efforts and record breaking results for the events that he has promoted through 2013/14 and noted Richard’s strong commitment to the Institute of Water in Scotland whilst spending a significant period of 2013 commuting between Scotland and London with Veolia. Rob went on to pay tribute to the retiring committee members and welcomed the new committee members, including Paul Harte (new Rising Star), Paul Davidson (‘old’ Rising Star) and Paul Sexton (past area president and past area chair). Four Paul’s on the committee was quite enough! Rob went on to welcome the other new committee members Jim Panton (CEO of Panton McLeod) and Rob Bradley (of RPS and recently Chartered Environmentalist via the Institute of Water) and Matthew Bower (of the Drinking Water

Quality Regulator & Scottish representative on the IoW Science Panel). Rob also introduced his new Vice-President Ian Mathieson (MD of WGM Engineering) In his Presidential Address, Rob discussed some of the activities and events for the year ahead. Rob is promoting a continued Lunch and Learn programme which continues to be well attended. This year Rob is looking to ensure that through the refreshed committee, our events programme reaches a wider audience and will be taking these events to many different regions in Scotland, attending most personally wherever possible. Rob is already looking ahead to what promises to be a showcase for the future at the next Autumn Seminar and is looking forward to following the successful one day format of last year. As ever, a focus on new membership will be front of mind. In closing and proving a comprehensive vote of thanks, Paul Maxwell confirmed that the Scottish area has had a very good year.

EASTERNAREANEWS

Visit to Great Billing Water Recycling Centre

By Lucinda Gilfoyle

The 7th of April saw Eastern Area out on site at Great Billing Water Recycling Centre, Northampton. The first technical event of the 2014 events programme allowed attendees to get up close and personal with every element of this vast facility. Great Billing Water Recycling Centre has seen many upgrades and technological advancements since it started life as a sewage farm in the late 1870’s. It is now the second largest Water Recycling Works in the Anglian Water region, providing sewage treatment to a population in excess of 320,000. In addition to the treatment of sewage, the site also treats large volumes of sewage sludge from across the area using highly advances processes to produce biosolids (soil improvement products) and renewable energy. This energy is used to power the process with any excess being fed back into the National Grid.

The group, comprising of engineers, scientists, graduates and process personnel from within the Water Sector were given a ‘VIP pass’ to the site by Tactical Support Manager Dominik Kozminski and Treatment Manager Tim Hillsdon and as the photographs show, were able to access all areas. New Eastern Area member Martin Bowes said about the visit; “I think this has been a fantastic opportunity to see the inner workings of a large water recycling centre and have first-hand information over how it operates."

5 1

The group explore one of the many pump houses on site

Anglian Water Treatment Manager Tim Hilsdon shows tour members the inlet works at Gt Billing Water Recycling Centre at Northampton

IoW Eastern Area members explore the sewage treatment process at Gt Billing Water Recycling Centre

Tactical Support Manager Dominik Kozminski explains to tour members how the inlet screens operate at Gt Billing Water Recycling Centre

The group explore the primary settlement tanks

The group explore the advanced sludge treatment process

Treatment Manager Tim Hilsdon discusses the finer points of operating the Water Recycling Works

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MIDLANDSAREANEWS

Tackling the ageing challenge

On Thursday 13th February members and guests from the Midlands area attended a presentation entitled ‘Challenges Facing the Health of our Ageing Workforce’, presented by Deborah Edmonds who is the Occupational Health and Hygiene Manager for Severn Trent Water. Deborah set out to discuss the wellbeing of employees in an industry with an ageing workforce exploring some of the challenges, solutions and successes. There was an introduction which was about challenging the norm and the evidence that suggests that work is good for you. Then there was a section about the Challenges – which comprised of a quiz and a discussion about what workplaces need to consider. Finally there was a section called Solutions: A successful case study from Severn Trent Water in conjunction with RehabWorks (Severn Trent Water’s Occupational Health services provider).

In Severn Trent Water the ‘Fit for the Future’ programme was developed because musculoskeletal sickness absence was the highest cause of absence in the organisation. Severn Trent wanted to have a resilient workforce. It wanted to change mindset because 80% of employees believed that their work would cause them injury. And, STW wanted to educate its workforce about the importance of functional fitness in order to maintain a productive and healthy career.

and observation of work tasks. The next stage was consultation with the workforce. This involved discussing the experiences of previous training, common difficulties associated with tasks and what training the workforce felt they needed. Finally, there was review of all literature in STW including Manual handling principles and the delivery of manual handling training.

The quiz was quite an eye opener. We were informed that it’s normal to experience aches and pains as we get older and 61.9% of adults are obese in the UK. 90 to 95% of all cancers can be attributed to lifestyle. It was also surprising to learn that diet had a greater influence on the development of cancer than the use of tobacco.

Some of the key conditions were that management were involved in terms of a visible commitment, they were familiar with the content and participants completed the course. That it would be an ongoing process and not a one off! The trainers must be credible, experienced and able to communicate. Group sizes will not exceed 12. The training will contain: Risk assessments, transferable skills and lifestyle advice and must be relevant and practical. Also, the training is not prescriptive and the outcome of the training is evaluated.

It is possible to change attitudes and beliefs associated with functional fitness in the workplace

It was also interesting to learn that nerve messages slow as we age, reducing balance. These are not prominent until we reach our 70’s. Flexibility should not change until we are approximately 75, after this, hip extension may reduce by 20%. Aerobic fitness can decline by 1% per year. And, between the age of 20 and 80 you will lose 35 – 40% of your total muscle mass and this rate increases after 50. Thigh muscles weaken quicker.

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Deborah went on to explain how the course was developed in STW. There were three stages. Stage 1 was the assessment of current practices which involved biochemical assessment of work tasks

In conclusion, the training was a success:

Training the workforce can reduce working days lost Employers should strive for H&S targets of zero rather than minimal Employers should seek to use training companies that use a multi-element training course rather than purely educational (classroom) based training

SOUTHWESTAREANEWS

SW AREA AGM AND INNOVATION AWARDS DRAGON’S DEN

By Karen Wright, SW Area Secretary

Lewis Jones from South West Water receives 2nd place certificate

Phill Mills, left, welcomes Toby Harding as our new Area President

Our 65th Annual General Meeting was held at Sembcorp Bournemouth Water (SBW) offices on 7th March 2014. We welcomed our new area President and new area Chair and voted in 2 new committee members. Post event entertainment came in the form of our Area Innovation Award Dragon’s Den. The 65th AGM for the SW area was like any other Area AGM – lots of formalities around receiving various reports, proposing and voting. We introduced our new Area President Toby Harding from Kier Services and our new Area Chair Mark Hitchmough from COGNICA. We also voted in two new committee members, Barrie Light from SBW and John Vinson from Bristol Wessex Billing Service. It was goodbye and thanks to Simon Harris for his time as Area Chair over the last two years. Thanks also went to Phill Mills as the outgoing President for all his efforts and the part he played in increasing our membership to over 200. After the official business came the fun of our Dragon’s Den event – a competition to pick the best innovation from the South West to go forward as our nomination for the National Innovation Award in June. An independent sub-committee had shortlisted 6 innovations from the 11 entries to pitch to the Dragons: Roger Harrington MD of SBW, Nigel Martin Head of Water Supply at Wessex Water and our new President, Toby Harding.

Richard Barton from SBW receives the Winners certificate for the SW Area Innovation Award

The shortlisted entries were: Student Debt Initiative

SBW

Treating Water with Suspended Ion Exchange and Ceramic Membrane Filtration

South West Water

Keyhole surgery for sewers – trenchless methods for detection and repair

Wessex Water

The composite PAPA Pump

South West Water

A Novel Technique for Plastic Pipe Inspection

WRc

‘Chemcatcher’

South West Water

After due consideration and deliberation the Dragons selected the “Student Debt Initiative” as the winning entry with Ion Exchange and Ceramic Membrane Filtration in second place and ‘Chemcatcher’ in third. Thanks go to all the presenters, the Dragons and SBW for the hospitality. Good Luck to SBW and the Student Debt Initiative in the National Awards!

SMART WATER METERING – IS IT A WASTE OF ENERGY? By Simon Bennett It use to be a regular occurrence in the South West for the Pipe Line Industry Guild (PIG) and the Institute of Water to carry out joint events together during the Winter and Spring. So it was great to get together on the 17th April for an Easter special! Bristol Water provided the venue and the generous Easter feast as members witnessed a treat of 3 fantastic presentations. First up was PIG South West’s young speaker winner Laura Mann of Wessex Water. Laura is a self confessed data quality nerd and her aim was for 100% data on electricity usage from over 2000 sites. Laura discussed trends, the effect of droughts, high rain fall on energy usage and predicting average years. She had helped put in place energy bonuses, area league tables and the golden Gigi watt awards to

encourage staff buy in/engagement and improve energy billing management.

choices. My question to Jez is “who was that Chelsea footballer with the sprinkler on”?

Next up was Jeremy “Jez” Heath (Sutton and East Surrey Water) looking at SMART metering in the water industry. Jez prompted the question “why are water companies interested in SMART metering when we only have 40% coverage of meters”? As an industry we are known for losing water!

And last but not least we had Jon Parr (Consultant) who started with “the more data you have, the more you know and the more you can do something!”. He discussed the link between water and energy usage and how we have moved on from the classic meter (not referred as Dumb anymore) to automatic meter infrastructure (AMI). His solution is the meter data management system dealing with 50 million meter reads in 6 hours, Big Data!

SMART metering can help provide sensible tariffs, provide customers with more information and improve customer service. So what is SMART metering? Well it’s not just remote reading, additional information or data logging! It’s about making decisions, using real time information. Jez suggested we should watch the smart energy rollout but not just follow them. Technology is available for home automation, using touch screen android tablets which provides good accurate information to allow customers to make

The session over ran by 30 minutes due to the many questions from the audience and the sheer enthusiasm of our speakers about their subjects. 3 very special NERD’s!! A big thank you to Bristol Water, PIG and of course our speakers Laura, Jez and Jon for a very enjoyable and educational evening. Let’s do it again soon.

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Northern Area Evening Seminar NWL 30th January 2014 The Northern area recently delivered an excellent evening seminar, kindly hosted by Northumbrian Water Limited at their Boldon House office, Pity Me, Durham. The theme for the evening was operational innovation and brought together a number of exciting speakers all looking at how innovation has delivered tangible benefits for their own businesses. The event was very well attended and the audience had plenty of questions for each of our speakers. Simon Cyhanko, Water Treatment Works Manager and long-time Institute of Water committee member, kicked off the program of events. Simon gave a great presentation to the group on the benefits of membership and explained that the evening was part of a packed events schedule for the year. Simon then introduced Eddie Wrigley who is an Innovation Facilitator at Northumbrian Water. Eddie talked the group through his perception of innovation; the successful implementation of new ideas to deliver benefits. Eddie explained his vision of an eco-system of innovation; ranging from small scale initiatives delivered with minimal funding to large capital projects. For Eddie, successful innovation requires a supportive environment and a team who respond to opportunities and deal with challenges. John Archibold, Water Production Team Leader at NWL delivered a really interesting piece on his own experience of innovation. John looks after Warkworth WTW which serves 45,000 homes.

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John had an issue with internal chambers on site filling with water and spilling to the treated water sump. This was causing issues with turbidity and in order to empty the sump, John had to arrange for two members of staff to work together to lift the heavy lids from the chamber. Therefore, there was a safety issue, water quality and cost element to the problem. John proves that innovation can begin in the strangest places as he was fishing when he struck upon the idea to sort the problem out. As he watched the fishing float he realised this would be a great way to let the operators know that levels were rising in the chamber and it would soon need to be emptied. John worked with a local company to design an inner tube with fluorescent ball which would fit inside the pipe in the chamber. As levels rose, the ball would rise to the top; a really visual sign to the operator that action needed to be taken. John also ensured that replacement chamber lids were installed that only required a one person lift. Our next speaker was Stuart Clementson, Sewage Technical Support Team Leader at NWL. NWL had really ambitious plans to have no pollution incidents within 25 years and Stuart looked at how his team could help achieve this vision. Stuart explained the design of Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO’s) and their function of dealing with spill flows. He highlighted the fact that all CSO’s are at risk of blockages and this may lead to pollution in some cases. Stuart begin to think about how this risk could be minimised and in true “Blue Peter” fashion came up with a cardboard model of a spill control module. This device was

simple in nature, but truly innovative in delivering real business benefits. The device consisted of a metal plate with a hole in front of the outgoing pipe. A hawkeye device was attached to the plate which would give early indication of a blockage, giving enough time to dispatch a work crew before a pollution occurred. Therefore, blockages could be easily removed and not passed into the sewer system. Stuart was pleased to report that the device had intercepted fifteen potential pollution incidents in eight months and was already paying a benefit. Our final speaker for the evening was John Gibson, Distribution Operations Team Leader at NWL. John introduced us to the Network Support Unit used by NWL to maintain customer supplies during unplanned outages. The NSU is basically a mobile pumping unit which can be towed from site to site. John kindly brought the unit along and after the meeting, delegates were able to view the unit and ask John any questions; a real hands on experience! John described the Byker Wall supply that serves 9,500 customers. If there was a burst in this area that breached DG3 and the NSU was not available, GSS payments would run to almost £23,000. As the unit cost in the region of £40,000 to produce and has been used to seamlessly manage multiple outages, it’s clear to say it delivers huge business benefits. At the end of the evening our 3 speakers were all presented with a certificate and a donation made to WaterAid on their behalf. Overall a successful night!!

NORTHERNAREANEWS

NORTHERN AREA SPRING SEMINAR 2014

By Robert Chin

The annual Northern Area Spring Seminar took place from the 26th - 28th February at the Rendezvous Hotel, Skipton. The theme of this year’s event was Realising Value in the water industry.

A range of speakers hailing from the three water companies Northumbrian Water (NWG), Yorkshire Water (YW) and United Utilities (UU) presented on a number of topics alongside speakers from the supply chain. The subject material ranged from how companies had realised innovation to the upcoming business retail separation and even included a crash course on the breakdown of tax and profits in the water industry, which has been a highly contentious topic recently. The seminar opened on the Wednesday afternoon with an address given by the new incoming Northern Area president Simon Chadwick (Regional Manager, United Utilities), who shall be taking the over from Philip Bentley. He outlined his vision for the upcoming year and what he hoped to bring to the role. One of the aspects of IoW seminars is to provide the opportunity and encourage young speakers to present and participate and this year was no different. The first presentation was a joint effort by Rebecca Hughes and Lucy Chambers from UU on their ‘Catchment Wise’ project looking at phosphate and faecal organism removal and identifying primary sources of contamination and pollution prior to treatment. Later in the seminar we heard from former Northumbrian Water graduate David Bullen on his ascendancy through the company and how his experiences helped him add value and cross pollenate ideas in his various roles at NWG. Northumbrian Water’s Regional Maintenance Manager Andrew Blakemore presented his interpretation of realised value through the benefits of a capital in-sourcing initiative that focussed on being able to deliver aspects of capital work more efficiently and at a reduced cost than employing traditional routes, such as contractors. It also had the benefit of developing staff by allowing them to undertake additional courses and gain further qualifications. In conjunction to this, the Waste Water Manager Tony Baines highlighted the importance of

innovation and several ideas which had come from the creativity of staff to develop solutions to certain problems. This included several interactive games and techniques, such as ‘Superheroes’ from the NWG Innovations Facilitator on how to approach problems from different perspectives.

meet others from different companies, areas of the water industry and even get acquainted with people within the same organisation. Part of the entertainment events was a tour of the local Copper Dragon Brewery followed by dinner in the brewery restaurant.

UU Sales Director, Tony McHardy introduced a lively debate with his talk on retail separation and how UU were facing this challenge with the goal of developing a total solutions service to retail customers and the benefits this would bring to the consumer. There was also an interesting presentation from John Butcher, UU’s Regional Water Supplies Manager on the challenges faced with the cleaning and inspection of the Haweswater Aqueduct which was built after World War 2. This required several novel solutions and bespoke equipment including 17 modified airport luggage transportation vehicles before it could be made possible to enter the tunnel. The approach adopted here was to spend the necessary time and resources initially to prevent complications and interruptions to supply later on.

No Northern Area Spring Seminar would be complete without the syndicate group presentations to sum up the main themes and messages of the event through light-hearted comical sketches; and this year was no exception. There were a host of titles and the standard of the performances did not disappoint. The syndicate presentation was won by a group whose theme was based on the popular TV show “Take Me Out.” Christine Hewitt from NWG commented “I wasn’t looking forward to the group activity but I believe being out of my comfort zone has helped me to become more confident in these situations. I am looking to become a member.”

The seminar contained a host of other equally impressive presentations from improving bathing water quality and coastal water management to an honest and frank perspective from the Managing Director of service reservoir contractors, Stonbury regarding the delivery of value for money, service, frameworks and competition.

Following the success of previous Northern Area Spring Seminars, 2014 continued in the same vein, bringing together people and skills from across the water industry with a broad range of roles and backgrounds and covering a multitude of topics which could appeal to everyone. The theme of “Realising Value” was explored from a range of different perspectives and what it meant to different departments, companies and the individual. This enabled the learning experience to be impactful and motivational in a relaxed, fun and sociable environment. The feedback from the event was very positive, Luke Stanbridge of Z Tech Controls had this to say about the seminar “Great event, well managed with a good range of speakers and interesting topics.” Fellow delegate Matt Upton from UU commented “I enjoyed every minute – met some new friends and hopefully made some long term connections. Can’t wait for the next one!”

A key element to the success of IoW events is the social aspect and during the Spring Seminar there were many opportunities to network and

The event was further enhanced by a donation on behalf of all the speakers to the water industry’s nominated charity; Wateraid.

Following in the wake of profits and consumer bill increases by the energy companies, the water industry has also been brought into the spotlight. Yorkshire Water contributed an engaging talk from their Regulation and Finance Director, Liz Barber who delved into the world of water company finances and attempted to dispel some of the myths and preconceptions surrounding this.

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NORTHERN IRELAND ANNUAL CONFERENCE, AGM AND PRESIDENT’S DINNER The theme of the NI Annual Conference was “Flushed Away! Sewerage – The Poor Relation” and aimed to lift the manhole to view an often ignored area of the Water Industry.

The conference was held in the scenic Roe Valley Hotel and Resort, in Limavady, over the 10 & 11 April. The presentations are now available to view on the Institute of Water website. The conference consisted of three main sessions, and the President’s dinner- taking place on the first evening. A varied list of speakers from WRc, Northern Ireland Water (NI Water) and Scottish Water opened the debate in the first session, which was hosted by Dermott Devaney, the out-going NI Chair-standing down from his current role to undertake a prestigious role at national level. The Conference was officially opened by the Minister for Regional Development, Mr. Danny Kennedy MLA, who very kindly accommodated our event before having to rush off to attend an official engagement in Windsor Castle later that day. Mr. Kennedy noted that one of his very first engagements on appointment, two years ago, was as a guest speaker at the Institute of Water annual conference, and stated that this event and the Institute was very important to him as a consequence. Mr. Kennedy detailed the expenditure required to provide essential sewerage systems and the levels of investment over the coming years to help combat issues such as out of sewer flooding through expenditure on upgrading and integrating existing systems (via long term sustainable planning) coupled with the need to educate the public regarding what should not be put into the toilet, preventing blockages. He also detailed various schemes and benchmarking activities currently being supported and developed by the NI government, using Copenhagen as an example of integrated drainage systems which have been developed and are demonstrably working. The keynote address was given by Dr. Ian Walker, Innovation Director for WRc.

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Ian has been coming to NI for many years and noted that there were no major investment projects across the UK for sewerage compared to other aspects of the water industry. Ian detailed the role of WRc, its 25 anniversary as a private company, the technical aspects of sewerage treatment and how WRc is working with water companies throughout the UK to determine best practice and channel innovation. Next up was Angela Knott, Deputy Scientific Process Scientist with NI Water. Angela’s presentation was titled “What’s in our Sewage?” which was not as gruesome as you might think, concentrating not on the obvious sewage contents but on things like grit, heavy metals, trade effluent and FOD – Foreign Object Debris such as rags, “disposable” wipes, cotton buds and many other things which have been inexplicably dropped down manholes by people as a probable quick disposal method such as Teddy Bears, children’s scooters, children’s car seats and large planks of wood. Angela detailed the hidden costs of sewerage treatment, from clearing CSO screens and wastewater treatment works’ pumps, to the disposal of tons of extracted grit to landfill every year. Again public awareness and education appeared to be the key message to preventing these occurrences. Alex Milligan from Scottish Water gave an interesting talk on the Scottish Water experience in relation to “Getting to Grips with FOG” – Fats, Oils and Greases. He outlined the various domestic, commercial and industrial sources of FOG, the consequences of the sewers blocking as a result, and the solutions that Scottish Water are currently employing including, yes, better education of the public. Scottish Water have embarked on various media campaigns on a national and local level, for example, Hamilton & Dunfermline, identified as key pilot areas, were blitzed by letter drops and local media campaigns.

This approach has proven successful to date in reducing the blockage levels. Alex also detailed legislative procedures currently in place which allow Scottish water to recover its costs from commercial repeat offenders who have been proven to introduce FOG type foreign materials into the sewers on a regular basis. Closing the session was Des Nevin, Acting Head of Wastewater in NI Water. Des talked on the “Increasing Demands on an Ageing System”, revealing the burdens placed on a sewerage network badly in need of rejuvenation. Des highlighted the changes to modern living since the original sewers were built, with the increase in restaurants and fast food outlets, the convenience of ‘not so disposable’ - disposable wipes, climate change, increased development, tighter European legislation and increasing customer demands - all stretching the sewerage and treatment network’s limits which were unforeseen at their original design and construction stages. Des went on to detail what NI Water are doing about this, with increased capital investment, using renewable energy sources where possible, increased use of SUDS – Sustainable Urban Drainage Schemes and yes, better public education, with campaigns in the

NORTHERNIRELANDAREANEWS media and locally via NI Water’s communication team. Des highlighted the targets that NI Water is trying to achieve in the future, through these measures, by delivering “more for less” with the probability that expenditure will be reduced over the coming years.

speed of sound-proven to be much cheaper and faster than CCTV as an example of the innovative technology available today. Richard explained that SewerBatt works by detecting changes in ‘shape’ in the sewer, and explained how this system will ensure the problem is fixed first time, resulting in a better customer service.

After a delicious lunch, Stuart Wightman from the DRD’s Water Policy Unit set the tone for the second session with his presentation on “A Strategic Infrastructure Approach”. Stuart began by reminding delegates just how far NI Water had come in its first seven years. Drinking water and wastewater compliance levels had improved dramatically over the period as had service levels all while the efficiency gap between NI Water and the rest of the UK narrowed. Stuart then set out from the Department’s point of view, the major challenges that still remained. These included continuing restraint on public finances, heightened levels of customer expectation, tighter EU quality standards and a need to build resilience following several high profile extreme weather events experienced in the Provence over the past seven years. Stuart was clear that NI Water needed to help facilitate the economic growth which was expected across Northern Ireland and outlined the Departments long term water strategy. This strategy focuses on improving the quality of water and sewerage services for customers through more ecological and cost efficient methods such as sustainable catchment, storm water and water demand management. Delivering these improvements will require a much more joined-up approach from DRD Roads Service, the Rivers Agency and NI Water but should deliver a worldclass service tailored to the needs of local people. The next presentation was delivered by Prof Chris Kilsby (Newcastle University) and Dr Emily Lawson (University of Nottingham) who introduced the interesting subject of “Blue/Green Cities”. A concept proven in cities as diverse as Portland (USA) and Ningbo (China), Blue/Green cities strive to develop, evaluate and implement strategies for managing flood risk that deliver multiple benefits as an integrated part of urban planning and renewal. Dr Lawson’s example of reducing costs and CSO’s in Portland through sustainable planning schemes was of particular interest to the audience considering our local environmental regulator’s drive to reduce our own consented overflows. In the second double-act of the session, Martyn Harvie and Jayne Walker from local consultants Atkins presented “Integrated Modelling Techniques in the Urban Environment”. The detailed and technical presentation outlined SuDS Studio, one of the latest tools allowing industry professionals to assess the effectiveness of Sustainable Urban Drainage programs on local areas. Martyn and Jayne used examples from London showing how SuDS Studio has been used to identify and design effective SuDS solutions. They went on to demonstrate how it could be utilized much closer to home in areas such as Belfast’s Glenmachan Street and Sydenham, both of which have suffered flooding on multiple occasions over the past few years.

James Hale told us how the latest mapping and modeling technology can help us to understand better how our systems are impacted by vastly increased inflows and how we can estimate the cost of out of sewer flooding.He highlighted that companies across the country are beginning to take a holistic whole of catchment view of sewage management including surface water flows.

NI Water’s Grahame Millar continued with that theme as he presented the company’s projects to alleviate flooding in the South and West of Belfast. Grahame began his talk by discussing the complexity and multi-faceted nature of the flooding problem in this area. He highlighted that a multi-agency approach would be needed to deal with the issue properly (a theme which was repeated in several presentations throughout the conference) and that while SuDS had a role to play they were not the whole answer to the problem. Grahame then discussed the easy wins local departments had been working on such as de-silting programs, clearing road gullies and dredging river beds. Finally he outlined the hard engineering options being considered such as increasing sewer diameters and connecting them to the Belfast Sewer Tunnel. Increased storage in rivers during storm conditions at Musgrave Park and Balmoral Golf Club were also discussed. Grahame concluded his presentation by summarising the benefits and cost of these solutions as well as reminding delegates that we may have to learn to cope better with some level of external flooding as weather patterns continue to change. The Friday morning session hosted by our new Area Chairman Keith Hunt, addressed- How can sewers and sewerage be used as a resource? How can we manage them better? The ‘Threats and Opportunities’, with focus on the opportunities rather than the problems. There was a very good turnout for the session even though it was ‘the morning after the night before’. Anthony McCloy from McCloy Consulting kicked off the session with a very interesting talk on Managing Run-off-A Developing Landscape, in which he highlighted some very interesting successful projects such as Australia Road London. Anthony went on to consider the need for excess flow management and reinforced the need for future systems that are more resilient and flexible. Richard Long, from Acoustic Sensing Technology, enthused us all (not an easy task considering the number of hangovers in the room!) with a captivating talk on ‘Finding the Flaws’. He used the SewerBatt-a low cost, lightweight tool for assessing the condition of sewers using the

Ken Shapland Aqua Enviro Ltd continued to engross the delegates with his take on the ‘Frog & the Princess’. Ken’s different viewpoint of what comes out of our sewers was somewhat mind boggling. Looking at the potential from sewage he opened our eyes to phosphate recovery, heating from sewers and sewage treatment processes and even the possibility of refunds on our sewerage charges for the reclamation of precious commodities from our sewers. The morning session ended with a lively panel discussion, many interesting questions raised and solutions pondered; the inspiring and creative juices flowed keeping the audience engaged on a topic which certainly was anything but ‘Flushed Away’. This year’s NI Area conference was about shining a light into the dark recesses of our industry and considering our aging sewerage networks. For some time now we have been investing heavily in our drinking water quality and continuity of supply to customers taps. More recently we have been prompted by threats of infraction from Europe to invest in our wastewater treatment processes but to-date we have invested a lot less in our underground networks from toilet to treatment. At conference we took a look at what’s in our sewage, how it impacts on our environments (human and natural alike) and how it can hinder transfer to our treatment works. We considered the increasing demands being placed on our systems from abuse (teddy bears) to lack of capacity for dealing with changing weather patterns and climates. Experts from across the industry and academia showed us how we could model our systems and the impact of excess flows giving us examples of how we could reduce the inflows to our systems through Blue/Green and SuDS thinking and manage the excess through innovative use of sacrificial areas. Finally we got a glimpse of how our government departments are now coming together to identify and tackle the result of under capacity and to seek new funding streams for resolutions, hard or soft. To top it all off we took a look at what value we could extract from sewage seeing it as an opportunity to replenish diminishing resources. Feedback has been very good and I would like to thank the area committee for its endeavours in presenting what has been a very enlightening and encouraging look at ‘the dark side’.

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THE SOUTH EAST AREA WEEKEND SCHOOL 2013 Teamworking, Networking, Opportunities’, Presenting, Fun; All comments made by delegates who attend the South East Area’s Weekend School 2

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The Dragon’s; David Port (Southern Water), David Shore (ex South East Water), Neville Smith (Portsmouth Water) and Mel Karam (Southern Water) sum up and give their thoughts and feedback on the delegates presentations’

The ever successful Weekend School took place in November last year. This was the third year it had been organised and the theme was based around ‘Unlocking Potential’. The School allows delegates the opportunity to gain an understanding in important topics including public speaking, CPD, behaviour styles and networking. There is also

Team Endurance giving their pitch to the Dragons

Awards and Prizes for the team who submits the best pitch

a team event which culminates in each team presenting their innovation to a panel of high profile industry ‘Dragons’! This year 25 delegates attended the school and some of their reflections of the weekend are shared right and above:

THE 2014 WEEKEND SCHOOL This year the Weekend School will be held over the 25-27 September at Marwell Hotel. This year’s theme will be around Personal Development. We aim it at upcoming or first time managers and will provide them with hands on tools for their development. The school, running from Thursday evening to Saturday morning, will be a combination of seminars, networking and small team activities and culminate on the Saturday morning with teams being able to present outcomes of a set challenge to a panel of senior water industry representatives.” The cost of the school includes all accommodation, food and entry. This represents excellent value for money considering the skills, knowledge and opportunities’ on offer. If you are interested in attending or would like further information then please contact Jim Marshall - jmarshall@water.org.uk or Steve Youell - s.youell@portsmouthwater.co.uk

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As a relative newcomer to the water industry, the South East Weekend School provided a unique opportunity to meet with people from a variety of backgrounds within the industry. The relaxed nature and friendly atmosphere of the weekend provided many opportunities to meet and interact with people and also gain valuable advice from the more experienced delegates. The school hosted several interesting sessions; however, it was Judith Gilmore’s session on presenting that made a real impression on me. Judith’s candid approach to public speaking (or ‘peacocking’ as she calls it) was a real eye opener! The weekend concluded with delegates having to make a pitch in the ‘Dragon’s Den’. This allowed us to put the skills we had developed over the weekend to the test. I would recommend this weekend to anyone who is keen to meet new people, invest time in their own personal development and enjoys good food! Aoibhinn Claire Lynch Field Operations Manager Thames Water

SOUTHEASTAREANEWS We were thrilled to be invited to the Institute of Water Weekend School as we believed it would help us progress, both as people and as employees of Portsmouth Water. Claire Chidley’s presentation stated that the most successful groups for productivity in the workplace are ones with a ‘360 wisdom circle’. This includes four types of characteristics, known as ‘quarters’ that consist of ‘thinkers’, ‘feelers’, ‘creators’ and ‘believers’. We were put into teams that comprised of at least one person from each ‘quarter’. The brief for each team was to present an innovative way of involving the community and stakeholders to enhance the reputation of the water company we represented. Being aware of each others ‘quarters’, we were mindful of each members strengths and used this to our advantage from the beginning stages of our discussions all the way until the final pitch. We then had to present this idea in a formal presentation to four professionals within the Water Industry. There were many diverse ideas

throughout the groups which ranged from a mobile app, two promotional buses and water based Interaction Park. After our pitches, the Dragons asked questions about our innovations and offered feedback on how the presentations could be improved. By having an extremely tight deadline to produce the pitch, the Weekend School gave us an insight into the real life pressures that could be involved within the water industry. It also allowed us to face real life problems that can be found when working with a group of people we aren’t familiar with, therefore giving us the opportunity to overcome them and complete the pitch to the best of our ability. Danielle Hall & Dani Emerson Regulation Analysts Portsmouth Water I wasn’t quite sure what to expect as I walked into the room that first morning. The packed itinerary for the day seemed very diverse in subject matter, and I wasn’t certain how it was going to benefit me.

SOUTH EAST AREA AGM

It was soon evident that there was a real mix of people at the school, varying from months to years of experience in the Water Industry, and from all functions. One of the presentations outlined how to introduce ourselves and to engage with others in a networking environment. We were encouraged to move out of our comfort zones, and were provided with techniques to avoid the pitfalls of networking, such as empty silences. For me, personally, it has helped to build my confidence at these kind of events, as I was definitely guilty of finding someone I know and sticking to them like glue! The Weekend School was incredibly beneficial to me, and I was able to use the skills I picked up during the weekend immediately! I would really recommend the School to anyone, whether they’re new to the Water Industry or just generally looking to improve their skills and connections. Kelly Price ISO9001 Co-ordinator Southern Water

The South East Area Committee President: Lawrence Gosden (Thames Water) Past President: David Port (Southern Water) Area Chairperson: Steve Youell (Portsmouth Water) Treasurer: Paul Holton (Southern Water) Secretary: Holly Banham (Thames Water)

This years AGM was held at the London Museum of Water & Steam in Brentford. The Museum had recently undergone a significant restoration and members were amongst the first to experience the various steam engines, waterwheels and the railway. Area Chairman Jim Marshall (Water UK), delivered his final Chairman’s report before stepping down. He outlined the continued success of the area including our mainstream events including the Weekend School, Young Persons Forum and the WaterAid Challenge. The area acknowledge the job Jim had done during his time as Chairman and it is pleasing to know he will continue to offer his thoughts, knowledge and experience to the team where possible. Thanks also went to Richard Price (Southern Water), Trevor Clark (Southern Water) and Ian Limb (Portsmouth Water) for their time and effort whilst they were on the committee, holding roles of Vice Chairman, Treasurer and Area Representative respectively.

In recognition of both Ian and Richard’s involvement in the committee they were awarded the title of ‘Honorary Committee Member’. The committee also said goodbye to Chris Vinson (Thames Water). Chris joined the committee after he was the Area’s 2012 Rising Star. We wish him role in his new role at British Gas. As a result of a number of members stepping down, a new committee was announced at the AGM. Lawrence Gosden (Asset Director, Thames Water) replaces Mel Karam (Director of Asset Management, Southern Water) as the Area’s President. The committee thanked Mel for his time as President and he leaves holding the record for seeing the most number of members at a Presidents Day! Lunch followed and afterward members spent their time looking at the different attractions, and going for rides on the train!

Area Forum Representative: Shelley Williams (Southern Water)

Committee Members: Jason Ryall (PA Consulting Group) Nick Merrick (Black & Veatch) Mandy Senewiratne (MWH) Emma Norris (Thames Water) Ameer Abro (Consultant) James Baker (Portsmouth Water) Andy Haylor (Southern Water) Sharna Richings (Veolia Water) Please feel free to contact any of the team if you require any information regarding the Institute, have ideas for an event or would like to receive literature about professional qualifications.

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Innovation Awards Showcase The South East Area’s Innovation Award Showcase took place at Thales on the 13 March. The event was the culmination of the area’s Innovation Awards.

At the beginning of the year water companies and the supply chain were invited to submit their initial applications. The successful applicants were asked to present their innovations at the Showcase Event.

winner of the Innovation Award was announced as South East Water and i2O for their innovate way in reducing pressure management. Event Chair Steve Youell quoted afterwards: South East Water and i2O showed an innovative approach to pressure management within the network. The range of tangible benefits that the project delivered left the audience in no doubt that the project was a worthy winner of the South East Area’s Innovation Award’

The event format was to offer members the chance to vote for the applicant that they thought deserved the accolade of South East Area Innovation Award Winner. Each presenter gave a 10 minute overview of their innovation. Members were also encouraged to network with the presenters during the breakout sessions. The 9 presentations were: Z-Tech Control Systems Ltd: Z-One Mobile EcoTabs: Driving Through FOG Thames Water Innovation: High Dry Solids Dewatering Implementation Optimise: Passive Control to Eliminate Foul Water Pumping Thames Water and the Met Office: Weather Intelligence Models for the Water Industry Optimise: Formosa Street Tangential Vortex Generator Thames Water: AORTA

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Steve Youell presents the South East Area Innovation Award to Paul Holton (South East Water) and Andy Wehrle and Reg Daraed (i2O). Also pictured is Phil Townend (Thales)

South East Water & i2O Water: South East Water Advanced Pressure Management project WRc plc: Sahara Deep Pipe Location After the presentations the attendees of the event were given the difficult task of voting for the winner. Once the votes were counted the

The event proved to be a two-fold success; the first was the area had a representative at the National Innovation Awards, to be held at the Presidents Dinner in June. The second success was that members were exposed to 9 different presentations, each outlining innovate ways of dealing with a variety of issues within the industry. The South East Area would like to thank all the speakers for their submissions and presentations. Each one was to an exceptionally high standard and has raised the bar for next year’s applicants. We would also like to thank Thales for hosting the event and to our members for participating in choosing the winner.

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