Institute of Water Magazine - Winter Edition 2016

WINTER2016 ISSUE192

WETLANDS INCIDENT MANAGEMENT FRACKING WASTEWATER SOLUTIONS PIPELINE TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE OF WATER JOURNAL

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

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Welcome to the Winter Edition of the Institute of Water Journal. Having recently celebrated my one year anniversary with the Institute I am keen to talk to you about what I think is one of our most valuable offerings, our online mentoring platform.

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Features

We launched the mentoring platform back in March with the aim to provide a place for people to receive guidance and advice from fellow water sector professionals. We currently have a fantastic database of mentors available to those looking for support and we are always looking for more recruits.

Having been a mentee myself I know how valuable the experience of being part of a mentoring partnership can be. I had a mentor whilst I was at University and found the process incredibly helpful when working on my dissertation and deciding what I wanted to do once I had completed my degree. Having a mentor meant I was able to bounce ideas off someone else before committing them to paper and in turn my mentor provided a different perspective to things which I might not have considered myself. I found using a mentor to be invaluable in my final year of studying and would recommend anyone working towards any personal or career goal to consider signing up to the process.

I asked some of our mentors why they wanted to be mentors and they came back with a number of different reasons such as building networks, wanting to give something back to the water industry or to develop their own career. However, the reason that kept popping up and stood out the most was the personal satisfaction of helping someone progress and seeing them develop and grow in their career.

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My first year working for the Institute of Water has taught me how friendly and inclusive our members are and I know there are some great mentoring partnerships that can be made.

Personally I believe this is a great opportunity for all members to build their careers and meet people within the industry through a mentoring partnership. If you have a goal in your career that you are working towards then why not turn to someone with experience for advice? Likewise if you have gained experience in the industry then why not give something back by becoming a mentor?

If you are interested in becoming a mentor or mentee visit www.instituteofwater.org.uk/ mentoring to find out more. Alternatively I would be happy for you to contact me on 0191 4220088 or via mentoring@ instituteofwater.org.uk for an informal conversation.

Lucy Archer

Marketing and Events Administrator Institute of Water

20-23 Wastewater 27 Grey Water 30-33 Wetlands 34-37 Incident Management 42-47 Fracking 48-53 Pipeline Technology

Regulars 4-5 Engineering News 5-6 IWA

7 New Registrants 8-9 Science News 10 WaterAid 14 Drilling and Tapping

16 Mentoring 63-74 Area News

Institute of Water HQ: 4 Carlton Court, Team Valley, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE11 0AZ Website: www.instituteofwater.org.uk President: Peter Simpson Chairperson: Natalie Akroyd Chief Executive: Lynn Cooper Editorial, Marketing & Communications Manager: Dan Barton Tel: 0191 422 0088 Fax: 0191 422 0087 Email: dan@instituteofwater.org.uk Designed and produced by: Distinctive Publishing Tel: 0845 884 2383 Email: production@distinctivegroup.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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ENGINEERINGNEWS

Engineering the future In November I had the pleasure of taking part in a Utility Week ‘Utility Industry Skills and Talent Challenges’ Roundtable discussion. The discussion was driven by two pieces of work: “Energy and Utilities Workforce and Skills Strategy: 2020”, being created by the Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership; and Research undertaken by Fujitsu on subjects chosen at GCSE level and what impact that might have on skills issues in future years.

The utilities sector is absent from listings of the most attractive careers or companies to work for in the UK and there is a lack of awareness of the range of skills employed and the advanced technology applied across the sector. A joint approach to identifying and promoting the many reasons people might choose a career in utilities – advanced technologies, vital contribution to society in terms of public health and servicing industry, lifelong career – could produce ideas, channels and materials which could then be applied by the sector as a whole or by individual employers.

the 2016 State of Engineering report highlights the shortcomings in education at all levels to meet the forecast demand for skilled engineers and technicians by 2022.

Most of the operational skills in the water sector involve science, engineering or technology and

The report concludes that, through concerted and co-ordinated action, the engineering

Skilled trades workers, engineers and technicians are the most in-demand jobs globally 53% of businesses expect difficulty in recruiting STEM-skilled staff in the next three years

There are a number of initiatives to attract school children to a career in the science and engineering professions.

Tomorrow’s Engineers offers information and resources about the amazing careers available in engineering. Their programme is made up of a number of initiatives - industry visits, workshops, Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Ambassador

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community and employers in particular can make a demonstrable difference by working with schools and colleges to inspire future generations to pursue relevant qualifications and go on to careers in engineering.

We need to support teachers and careers advisors in understanding the range of modern engineering roles, career paths, and vocational jobs available in today's economy

partnerships and careers resources - to help schools to incorporate engineering into the current curriculum and plant the seeds needed to grow local engineering talent required by businesses.

There are many and different ways to engage in Tomorrow’s Engineers, from posting a Real Job profile or a blog on the website to volunteering as a STEM Ambassador. If you are an engineer

or technician and would like to find out more about the activities of Tomorrow’s Engineers, get in touch at contactus@ tomorrowsengineers.org.uk.

IWA

BLAZING THE TRAIL

Water Companies and other utilities have been working with Energy & Utility Skills to create Trailblazer Apprenticeships to address some of the future skills needs.

The Water Process Technician is designed for technicians working on water treatment & supply, water networks & leakage, sewerage & wastewater. The Utilities Engineering Technician applies to all utilities and covers electrical, mechanical and Instrumentation Control and Automation (ICA) roles.

Three water companies in England - United Utilities, Severn Trent Water and Northumbrian Water - are already running these Trailblazers with over 100 Utilities Engineering Technicians and over 50 Water Process Technicians.

With the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in April next year many more water companies in England are looking to introduce Trailblazers.

ELSEWHERE… Apprenticeship frameworks are still available in Wales and Northern Ireland; Northern Ireland Water offers apprenticeships for Water (Leakage & Distribution), Waste Water and Mechanical & Electrical and currently has 5 Waste Water and 5 M&E Apprentices completing the programmes. Scottish Water has been offering Modern Apprenticeships for over 10 years in a variety of areas including business administration, finance, customer service, technical and scientific. Currently they have over 100 apprentices, with 90% on technical/scientific programmes.

On completion, all of the Trailblazer Apprentices and the Modern Apprentices on a technical programme will be eligible for EngTech Registration. They will have acquired all the necessary skills and behaviours and all that will remain is to pledge to maintain their competence and work within our code of conduct. If you know of any apprentices, why not encourage them to join now to get a better understanding of the water sector, connect with people in a similar role and take advantage of our mentoring scheme to help them through their career?

Lynn Cooper

VYVYAN EVANS IS COMPETITION WINNER Back in March, at the 17th International Water Association Young Water Professionals Annual Conference, each of the delegates were offered the opportunity to submit a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) log for the chance to win a £500 amazon voucher courtesy of Portsmouth Water. The task was for delegates to log what they had learnt from the conference and how they applied this learning back in their day to day work activities.

The competition was judged by Anglian Water’s Head of Water Quality, Robin Price, and Portsmouth Water’s Head of Human Resources, Ian Limb, who facilitated a CPD workshop during the conference.

After reviewing the entries, Robin and Ian awarded the winner of the competition to Vyvyan Evans who is currently on a Graduate Scheme at Welsh Water. Vyvyan’s CPD log stood out to the judges as it was concise and easy to follow. It also gave scope for further development on the areas which Vyvyan identified during her time at the conference.

Since the conference, Vyvyan has already begun implementing some of the points she had logged on her CPD record and is planning to continue to use this during her time at Welsh Water. When asked about her approach to CPD, Vyvyan commented “When I entered the IWA YWP CPD competition, I was undertaking my MSc in Water Security at the University of East Anglia. Prior to returning to university, I worked for the Red Cross for two years on various water related projects and I also worked at the London School of Economics in the Sustainability Team. These experiences gave me a good overview of the regulations surrounding the water sector and also encouraged me to think more holistically about water projects (for example placing water projects within the nexus, and constantly contextualising decisions made). I tried to incorporate this synergistic mind-set to the CPD competition, connecting comments made by different speakers at the conference, to develop more holistic solutions to evolving water problems. Since graduating this August, I have gained a place on the Welsh Water Graduate scheme, where I am currently undertaking a placement within the Energy Team. I have added to my CPD log so that it has become a 'working document' and I have already begun implementing many of the points discussed. As I progress into a management role I intend to further embed some of the CPD points for the advancement of the projects I work on and teams I lead.”

CPD has many benefits and it is about finding what works best for you. The workshop that Robin and Ian delivered at the conference was an ideal opportunity for young water professionals to learn the basic principles of CPD and how they can apply this in their careers, whether at work or at home. The Institute of Water has an easy to use application on their website to enable you to carry out your CPD log online. Further details regarding this can be found at www.instituteofwater.org.uk/online-cpd

Chief Executive, Institute of Water

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FEATURE: INCIDENT MANAGEMENT

18th UK Young Water Professionals Conference University of Bath, 10 -12 April 2017 The 18th edition of the IWA Young Water Professionals Conference returns in April 2017 with a bigger focus on breaking the boundaries of communication across sectors, generations, cultures, disciplines and societies in order to achieve a more Sustainable Water World.

A water world without boundaries The IWA UK-YWP conference will focus on delivering tools for cross-field engagement and career development for water professionals. In addition to the usual inspiring keynotes and young speakers, flash presentations (1’) and round-table discussions there will be a carefully prepared suite of workshops that will increase the interaction between the participants.

The YWP conference in Bath will foster professional development and solidify a much-needed network of opportunities, ideas, skills and best practices.

Themes will be about, but not limited to: water management, technology improvement, inclusion of social and cultural aspects and establishing funding, policy and/or regulation instruments. The event welcomes representatives from water companies, regulators, supply chains and researchers with a young mind and spirit! We provide affordable fees for everyone to participate. Join us! The Call for abstracts is OPEN until 10 January 2017.

Information & registration: go.bath.ac.uk/ywp Supported by:

For sponsorship opportunities as well as delegate and exhibition packs, please contact iwaukywp@gmail.com

NEWREGISTRANTS New Engineering Registrants

Graham Powell

New Science Registrants

Anglian Water

Darragh Hoban Mott MacDonald INCORPORATED ENGINEER Having worked for 6 years as an engineer and formerly for 4 years an engineering technician, I had gained experience across the construction, water and hydropower sectors. The professional review process offered a way for me to collate and express the experience and competence I had gained. I found the process itself to be challenging but very well structured, extremely rewarding and certainly worth the effort. The process strengthened my understanding of what is required of engineers today and in the future and in this way, provided me with direction for my professional development beyond achievement of Incorporated Engineer status.

I am delighted to have attained IEng status as it acknowledges and allows me to demonstrate a key milestone in my professional development.

As an internationally recognised benchmark, it provides my employers, colleagues and clients with an assurance of my professional engineering competence.

I highly recommend it!

CHARTERED ENVIRONMENTALIST I joined the Institute of Water because it has the greatest relevance to the industry sector I work in.

Having been a member for some time I wanted to become a Chartered Environmentalist as this is an excellent way of recognising my commitment to environmental management and sustainability.

It wasn’t an easy process but one which I feel was worth the effort, and I take great pride in my achievement. The benefits for being a Chartered Environmentalist are not just personal but allow both an employer and customer alike to have confidence in my professional commitment to the environment.

Being chartered provides a professional standing within the industry sector and recognises my commitment to making a difference and to continued professional development. Since becoming chartered, I have signed up to the Institutes mentoring program which is a great way of passing on knowledge and experience to help others.

Stephen Stacey Irish Water REGISTERED ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNICIAN

New Environment Registrants Ghislain Juvanon Anglian Water CHARTERED ENVIRONMENTALIST I originally applied for the Chartership in 2014. After review, I was given feedback that I needed to gain more experience in my field. At the time, I was a Support Manager at Anglian Water’s largest water treatment works. This spurred me to push on and continue my professional development.

In 2015 I became the manager through a secondment and a lot of personal development.

I have developed a wide range of new skills and it was very beneficial to reflect on this when rewriting my application. My professional interview was an eye opener at how much I have changed and learned.

What is next, well it’s simple. Keep up the standard expected of me, continue developing through my CPD, set stretching goals. I cannot recommend enough to other professionals to become Chartered Environmentalists.

I applied for the REnvTech qualification as I wanted a qualification that offered recognition for my competencies and work experience and which reflected the level of knowledge and skills that I have gained through my work in the water and environment sectors. I was pleasantly surprised at how straight forward the process was and the cost was refreshingly minimal. I was happy to hear that I didn’t need to complete any further work or education and that the application recognised my long years of work in the industry to date. As a “Work Planner” working for Ireland's national water utility, the focus on sustainability and understanding of the environment reflects the standards that we aim for in providing and developing water services in Ireland. By achieving REnvTech, I now have a recognised professional title within the environmental sector which I can build on and work towards taking the next step to becoming a Chartered Environmentalist.

To me, the qualification demonstrates to myself, other professionals and my employer “Irish Water” that, I have the required professional competencies and commitment to sustainability in the workplace. The qualification promotes professional standards and a competency based approach in the sector which is very important.

Lauren Bull Anglian Water REGISTERED SCIENTIST I joined Anglian Water six years ago after completing a gap year following University. I currently work within the Water Quality team as a Risk Scientist where I am responsible for identifying and managing changes in water quality risk.

Registered Scientist status is something that I have been working towards over the last 12 months after being encouraged to apply by my Manager. I received lots of support from my mentors and spent time speaking to colleagues that had recently been through the process.

The application process and CPD in particular has helped me to reflect on my achievements within the different roles that I have held within Anglian Water and to set myself new goals and challenges such as an MSc in Water and Wastewater Engineering at Cranfield University which I am due to complete next year.

I was thrilled when I received the Registered Scientist award. I feel proud that my knowledge and experience has been recognised by a professional body. I would encourage all scientists working within the water industry to work towards Registered status.

Rachel Walker Anglian Water REGISTERED SCIENCE TECHNICIAN I was encouraged to apply for the status of Registered Science Technician by my managers at Anglian Water. I have a scientific background and am always looking for ways to expand my knowledge and learn more about the sciences. Applying for registered status gave me the opportunity to do this, while reflecting on the work I do, what I have done in the past, and also look towards the future.

Receiving this status with the Institute of Water feels like a great achievement and I’m very proud of the work I put in. It has shown me what I can do with a little hard work, and has given me the chance to think about what I have accomplished in previous years.

I feel very privileged to have gained this recognition, and hope to continue working towards chartership throughout my career. I will definitely be encouraging colleagues in my team to go for it!

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Our first ever Science Conference We are delighted to say that we have now held the first of our new series of Technical Conferences. These conferences are designed to sit alongside our big Annual Conference and our Area events, and are focussed on our three professional registration themes of Science, Engineering and the Environment.

The aim of the conferences, which are free for members, is to provide further opportunities for knowledge transfer, networking and continuous professional development (CPD) as we continue to innovate as an Institute and improve our membership offering.

‘Science’ bravely went first, and on Wednesday 21st September almost 100 scientists from almost 40 organisations gathered at the Royal Society in London for our first ever Science Conference.

The conference was chaired by our Vice President Science, Robin Price from Anglian Water, who had gathered a diverse range of key scientists from in and around our industry.

The Royal Society was founded in 1660, and is the independent scientific academy for the UK and the Commonwealth, dedicated to promoting excellence in science. The motto of the Royal Society is ‘Nullius in verba’, which means ‘take nobody’s word for it’ – and this set the scene well for the day ahead.

Keynote speaker for the morning session was Belinda Phipps, Chief Executive of the Science Council. Belinda challenged the audience around the definition of a scientist, and the importance of gaining and keeping trust in science at a

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time when several high profile examples have undermined trust in our profession. Belinda was clear that a key way of ensuring that others can verify you as trustworthy is through professional registration such as becoming a Chartered Scientist, and her team were on hand to talk to delegates about all three scientific registrations during breaks.

Professor Paul Jeffrey from Cranfield University introduced the STREAM Programme, the industrial doctorate programme for the water sector, delivered through a collaboration between five universities (Cranfield, Sheffield, Exeter, Imperial College and Newcastle) and the EPSRC. The Institute of Water is extremely proud of it’s affiliation with the programme through the poster session and competition at the Annual Conference, and the opportunity to showcase the talents of students right at the start of their career in our industry.

Three of this years students gave excellent and confident presentations on their work.

Lucy Irons gave an insight into the use of high density data to enhance water distribution system management. Matthew Hobbs then talked about the use of ultra violet and titanium

dioxide treatment for the treatment of ‘difficult’ pesticides such as metaldehyde, and Stefano Giacalone completed the session detailing his research into optimisation of mesophilic anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge.

After a networking lunch, our afternoon keynote speaker was Professor John Fawell, visiting Professor at Cranfield University and an independent consultant to the World Health Organisation (WHO), who gave us an international perspective on how drinking water quality standards are set. John reminded delegates that not all sources of drinking water are the same across the world, and that WHO guideline values for drinking water quality standards must be set to protect public health, but also must match the local context in terms of practicality and affordability. This doesn’t mean that ‘wealthy’ or ‘developed’ countries can be complacent in any way. Drinking water safety planning principles, looking at risk assessment and risk management, underpin everything, with microbial pathogen risk being absolutely the top priority. Fascinating stuff!

Carmen Snowdon, Principal Consultant with the Water Research Centre (WRc) started our session

SCIENCENEWS

SCIENCE COUNCIL SHOP NOW OPEN! around innovation in the water industry by giving us a definition of innovation and why it is so important. Carmen sparked discussion by asking us whether, as an industry, we were serious about innovation, and reminding us that it’s not all about technology, and must include people and processes.

Chris Jones, Research and Development Manager with Northumbrian Water Group and Professor Tom Curtis, Professor of Environmental Engineering at Newcastle University demonstrated the power of collaboration between a water company and an academic partner. Joint research into wastewater treatment is solving Northumbrian Water’s business priorities, whilst ‘creating new science’ and adding to the knowledge base. Amazing fact of the day was that there are 1011 stars in the galaxy, but there are 1018 bacteria in a wastewater treatment works and we know more about the stars in the galaxy!

Matt Kirk, Anglian Water’s Innovation Shop Window Programme Manager gave delegates a fascinating insight into the work that Anglian Water are doing to create a physical ‘shop window’ for innovation and innovative technologies in the Newmarket area. The aim of this unique initiative is to create a microcosm of a future water company, designed to meet the challenges of AMP7 and beyond. Matt took delegates through the challenge of creating a circular economy, and gave some examples of how new technology is being used with the shop window area.

Matthias Springer & Christina Charalambou from Hach took us on a interactive journey focussed on their new cutting edge technology for

measuring the turbidity of water using their 360 x 90 Nephelometric System. Using cloud based technology, Hach have innovated and found a way of linking field instruments with Laboratory instruments, vastly increasing the information available to water treatment works teams.

Ian Barnabas from Northumbrian Water Group finished a brilliant afternoon of innovation by demonstrating how Northumbrian Water are using the technique of flow cytometry to monitor the performance of water treatment works and the microbiological characteristics of drinking water supplies. The technique enables companies such as Northumbrian Water to understand the baseline performance characteristics of their treatment processes, enabling optimisation to take place with a resultant reduction in risk of microbiological failures. Having heard earlier from John Fawell about the importance of microbial safety of drinking water, learning more about this cutting edge technology was extremely relevant and timely.

We’d like to thank all of the speakers who gave so generously of their time, the Royal Society for their excellent hospitality, and all conference delegates who participated enthusiastically.

The next in this series of technical conferences will be our Environment Conference, which will be held on 16th March 2017 at Innovation Birmingham. Our first Engineering Conference will follow in the Autumn of 2017, with the next Science Conference planned for early in 2018.

Look out for publicity around the Environment Conference very soon!

Conference feedback “Very topical subjects, good presentations and presenters.”

“Good amount of time for networking.”

“Superb venue.”

“Belinda Phipps as first presenter was an excellent choice.”

“I was impressed to see such a good mix of different age groups and different levels of expertise.”

The Science Council has recently opened a new online store for professional scientists, selling science-branded merchandise such as mugs, t-shirts, poloshirts, lab coats and umbrellas.

All profits from the shop support the work of the Science Council in representing the science profession. Institute of Water members are entitled to a 15% discount on their first purchase.

One of the first customers at the shop was Robin Price, our Vice President Science, who treated members of the Water Quality team at Anglian Water who have achieved their Chartered Scientist and Registered Scientist registrations to a lovely new mug at a recent team development day.

The shop can be found on the Science Council website at science-council-shop. myshopify.com – a great way to show off your professionalism as a scientist!

“Great mix of subjects and speakers.”

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WATERAID

“WaterAid’s work does change lives. I’ve seen it for myself.”

Helen Allister, Wastewater Production Team Leader, Northumbrian Water

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Lisa Farnsworth, Stormsaver, with Rostino Chemane, an engineer, in front of a large pit which will contain the foundations for a large rainwater harvesting system, at Mulotana health centre

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From left: Sally Lambert, Jon Wilcox and Jack Riley, from Southern Water, inspect dirty water collected from a hole in a dried up river bed in Tchonissa

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From top centre: Emily Gordon, Environment Agency, Amber Claughton, Anglian Water, and Sophia Mountford, Affinity Water, participate in a handwashing demonstration by children at Beluluane Primary School, Matola Rio

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Rushy Hayer, right, and Nik McKiernan, Severn Trent Water, help to construct a latrine with mason Manuel in Tchonissa All in Boane District, Mozambique, October 2016

2 In October, ten volunteers from the UK water industry visited Mozambique with WaterAid to see first-hand how money raised by employees and customers in the UK is making a huge impact in countries like Mozambique.

The group, made up of representatives from Southern Water, Anglian Water, the Environment Agency, Northumbrian Water, Affinity Water, Severn Trent Water and Stormsaver, visited WaterAid projects in drought-stricken communities around the capital, Maputo, and in the rural Boane district.

They spent time in the remote village Tchonissa with families who are currently living without clean water or a toilet, and saw for themselves the daily struggle for survival. Affinity Water's senior asset manager Sophia Mountford describes visiting the community’s water source: “The water was horrific, it was murky with dead worms in it, and there were cows drinking and defecating in it nearby. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

In this day and age people should not have to go through this just to get a basic need, water, which everyone is entitled to.

“The good news is that WaterAid’s plans for this village include a solar-powered water pump which will bring fresh clean water here very soon.”

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4 During the week-long trip, the group visited community and school projects, each at different stages of involvement with WaterAid. They met school sanitation clubs and took part in hygiene education lessons; and got hands on helping to build pit latrines in the community of Biarro 7 de setembro.

The group also saw how WaterAid’s project partners were using many of the technologies familiar to them in their day jobs. On a visit to the Mulotana health centre, they met the engineer overseeing a new rainwater harvesting system which will store 130,000 litres of clean water for the centre. And at Mahubo 14 primary school, they saw plans for a bio digester which will turn waste into gas to power the school and fertiliser for their crops.

Pictures WaterAid/Sam James

drinking water sources and poor sanitation.

Around 13 million people are living without clean water and only 20% of the population has adequate sanitation.

Meeting local utility companies and water sector bodies gave the group a real insight into the complexities of providing water and sanitation services in Mozambique. It also demonstrated the importance of working in partnership to get clean water and toilets to everyone everywhere.

Emily Gordon, Technical Officer for the Environment Agency, summed up what the trip meant to her: “Although it’s termed a water and sanitation crisis, WaterAid has a big vision for everyone everywhere to have water and sanitation by 2030. Having been on this trip, I really believe this is achievable.”

Mozambique has a population of almost 27 million. Diseases such as cholera and typhoid are rife throughout the country due to contaminated

Could you drop all drinks except water in January? Join WaterAid’s Just Water challenge and help to get safe water to everyone everywhere: www.wateraid.org/justwater

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Enterprise Decision Analytics

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO ENTER DRILLING AND TAPPING 2017?

Entries are now open for teams to take part in the time trial competition in Birmingham 2017 To find out more visit www.drillingandtapping.co.uk or contact Lucy Archer on 0191 4220088 or via lucy@instituteofwater.org.uk

UK Drilling & Tapping

WATER PROCESS SOLUTIONS

ENCORE® 700 - PRECISION DOSING, BUILT TO LAST A need for robust, reliable and consistently high performing chemical dosing systems has never been greater within our treatment industry.

With reliable, high performing long life assets, operators can turn attention to forward planning and innovation for continual gains and wider treatment advances.

The Encore®700 diaphragm and plunger metering pumps are a solid, no risk step in this advancement. Proven to operate decades in service, consistently delivering high metering performance across a vast array of chemicals it stands proud among its peers in today’s choices of chemical metering pumps.

Supplied and supported from Water Process Solutions in Kent, the pumps are configured specifically to suit each application - this ranges from simple water metering through classic treatment chemicals such as poly, lime, alum, hypo, caustic, ammonia and acids to perhaps less obvious fluids such as hydrazine, oil and vinegar.

The Encore®700 is a non loss motion pump, it is driven by a rotating crankshaft, where the eccentricity can be smoothly adjusted during operation.

There are no return springs, and the diaphragm or plunger moves with a simple harmonic motion. The fluid velocity profile is sinusoidal at all stroke lengths; adjusting stroke length simply alters the amplitude of the sine wave. This

design allows pump valves to operate with far greater efficiency and minimal system vibration. This design and build quality enables metering precision, reliability and longevity.

The Encore®700 can be configured to dose a wide range of chemicals with capacities of 2500 l/h and Plunger discharge pressures capable of 200 bar. Please contact us here at Water Process Solutions to discuss how the Encore®700 can benefit your metering application.

Contact us: aran.bray@waterprocesssolutions.com +44 (0)7557 363728

Water Industry Associate Opportunities Due to increased demand from clients, we are seeking high calibre Associates to join our qualification programmes and technical training delivery teams. You will work across a number of our businesses and courses, including Watertrain Limited with involvement on the new trailblazer apprenticeship programme, the Level 4 Diploma in Water Industry Operations and Management and Talent Development Water.

You should have the following qualities:  The willingness to impart knowledge in a variety of mediums – such as teaching, coaching and mentoring  A passion for people development  Good technical knowledge of the water industry – this can be from a range of disciplines  Experience working in a senior capacity in the water industry  The ability to work with a range of students from the water industry – from operators through to senior managers. You should understand their needs and be able to translate them into meaningful opportunities for learning.  You will work alongside a team of like-minded industry professionals who have already successfully transferred their knowledge and skills to the classroom.  Watertrain will support you through any relevant teaching qualifications

To apply or for more information, please send your CV and a covering letter to: chloe@watertrain.co.uk

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MENTORING

The journey from mentee to mentor

Mentor was a person – Greek to be specific and rather than start this blog with a standard business definition of mentoring, I though it would be more fun to share that it all started when Ulysses left his old friend Mentor, looking after his son whilst he nipped off to fight in the Trojan Wars.

The image of wise old man with protégé at foot has been repeated once too often across popular media (Luke and Yoda, Batman and Alfred, Marty McFly and Doc Brown, the Karate Kid and Mr Myiagi … need I go on?!) and it may have left mentoring with a bit of an age-image issue that for some would-be mentors could prove off putting.

By Lucinda Gilfoyle Anglian Water Modern day business mentoring knows no age limits and no matter at what stage you are in your career, you will have experiences of value and learning that you could pass to others to help them develop their potential. If you have ever had career help yourself – this should be a good enough reason, to want to ‘put something back in’.

For me, my mentoring journey started a good few years ago when after a frustrating period of trying to break into a particular area in our business where traditionally ‘you had to work your way up from the bottom’, somebody already there offered to spend some time coaching me on ‘being one of them’. I had the job I was after within 6 months. Since then, I have had some inspirational mentors. Some to work on specific topics, others for more general development, some short term, others for far longer and some where the relationship has oddly now reversed. Mentoring my own mentees is my way of repaying the help

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that I have had from others throughout my career so far and as part-payment for the future help I will without doubt still need!

If you are thinking about mentoring and are new to it then the key thing to remember is that the mentees career is entirely theirs to own. My first conversations with new mentees are always about where they think they want to go, what their plans are and where they feel they need support. What follows next should then be a joint, non-judgmental and at all times confidential discussion about what help you can give. The mentee very much leads the way. The role of the mentor is to listen, to chip in where you can add value, look out for opportunities that the individual may not spot themselves and to and offer up suggestions when and if asked. The ‘when and if asked’ bit is important. Your mentee should remain the focus of the relationship.

Lastly – your mentee might at some point decide you are not right for them or their situation may change and they require guidance in an area you don’t have experience in. This is perfectly OK. It’s

a good idea to let them know up front that it’s fine to adjust or stop the relationship if they are not getting what they need. To return to my Karate Kid from earlier, our hero mastered his sport by perfecting multiple separate elements. If you think of your mentee developing their career in the same way, they quite justifiably may require guidance from different sources at different times. Don’t take it as a negative if a mentor relationship comes to a close.

The Institute of Water Mentoring Programme is a great way of putting something back in. It’s also an opportunity to meet new people and network at different levels across our Industry. This is true for both prospective mentors and mentees.

I’d encourage anybody who is serious about developing a professional career in water to think about getting involved – you’ll get more out of than you think. www.instituteofwater.org.uk/mentoring mentoring@instituteofwater.org.uk 0191 4220088

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WATER INFORMATICS

SCIENCE & ENGINEERING EPSRC CENTRE FOR DOCTORAL TRAINING

THE WISE CENTRE FOR DOCTORAL TRAINING: DEVELOPING SKILLS AND STIMULATING INNOVATION IN THE UK WATER INDUSTRY Launched in September 2014, the Water Informatics: Science and Engineering (WISE) Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) offers an exciting and innovative postgraduate learning environment that provides students with the opportunity to develop and carry out PhD research with the added benefit of taught courses to give a comprehensive background in, and knowledge of the water sector.

The WISE CDT aims to meet the growing need for a new breed of engineers and scientists - hydroinformaticians - who are capable of working at the interface of traditionally separate informatics, science and engineering disciplines in order to manage the water cycle more effectively and sustainably.

WISE is supported by a £5.2 million grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) as part of a funding initiative aimed at securing the future supply of graduates in priority disciplinary areas.

These EPSRC funded centres bring together diverse areas of expertise to train engineers and scientists with the skills, knowledge and confidence to tackle today’s evolving issues and tomorrow’s future challenges.

They also provide a supportive and exciting environment for students, create new working cultures, build relationships between teams in universities and forge lasting links with industry.

Water informatics (also known as ‘hydroinformatics’) is a relatively new discipline that is a fusion of ‘big data’ derived from the multiple sources and sensors now available with recent advances in the rapidly developing field of smart technologies, all applied to management of the water cycle.

Our goal is that WISE CDT graduates will bring these new ideas and skills to the water industry and accelerate the rate change in the sector and the diffusion of innovate ideas and technologies.

Up to 20 fully funded four-year PhD studentships available for UK and EU applicants to commence in September 2017 as part of the Water Informatics: Science and Engineering (WISE) Centre for Doctoral Training.

• Access to world-leading academics in key disciplines

The WISE CDT is a GW4 Alliance Partnership involving the Universities of Exeter, Bristol, Bath and Cardiff University. Students spend the first year of the programme undertaking taught, masters level courses at the University of Exeter followed by three years of research at one of the four university partners. The taught element ensures all students are grounded in advanced skills over and above their previous academic studies and ensures a smooth and productive route into their individual research projects.

The WISE CDT provides: • A well-supported, cohort-based doctoral training experience

• Transferable, enterprise-focused skills training, with particular emphasis on project management, knowledge exchange and public engagement • Training and practice at publishing research results at conferences and leading international journals • Formalised career development and placement experience at overseas academic or industry partners • Regular engagement with the UK water industry and their supply chain partners.

A selection of projects currently undertaken

by WISE CDT students include: • High-resolution flood modelling of river deltas • Real-time modelling for catchment scale water resource management, • Remote fault detection in wastewater networks • Effectiveness of local stormwater management approaches at city scale, • Assessment and mitigation of storm runoff from an informal settlement • Ecosystem services for nutrient, energy and water management at catchment scale • Simulating the risk of liver fluke infection through integrated mechanistic hydrological-epidemiological modelling.

Several of our existing PhD projects are co-funded by industrial partners (e.g. Welsh Water, South West Water, Bristol Water, RPS Water), and this allows the specific challenges identified by these organisations to be addressed.

We invite applications from graduates in Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Geography and Computer Science that have demonstrated excellence at the undergraduate or MSc level in a relevant subject. Applicants should have an interest in specific aspects of water and informatics, and are expected to demonstrate creativity and be open-minded to collaborative work and innovation.

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Please see wisecdt.org for further information.

SMART WATER EDUCATIONAL

OPPORTUNITIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER MSc in Water Engineering MSc in Water Engineering with Management MSc in Water Science, Policy and Governance These three MSc programmes draw upon the expertise of our Centre for Water Systems, which is internationally renowned for its research into water supply and distribution systems, waste water and urban drainage systems, integrated modelling, risk and uncertainty, whole-life costing, water efficiency, catchment-based management, sustainability and resilience, policy, governance and associated areas.

These programmes are highly relevant to the needs of future water specialists, engineers and policy analysts and will provide candidates with knowledge and key skills in the broad area of water science, engineering, management, policy and governance equipping you to understand and help solve modern day water problems.

Ben Ward, Water MSc graduate, said about the programme: “I currently work as an engineer for AECOM; a leading international consultancy. My employer recognised the importance for me to obtain a relevant and up-to-date Masters and it was their recommendation that I enrolled as a part time student with the University of Exeter.

The University of Exeter is a fantastic place to study and one that supports achievement in all career aspirations. Since joining I’ve been selected as one of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) President’s apprentices. This involves shadowing ICE President for some of the presidential duties throughout the year. Exeter has been wholly supportive of this great opportunity, with the flexibility and industrial focus of the programme making it possible to do both.

Read more at: www.exeter.ac.uk/graduateengineering

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The lectures and tutorials were responsive to my needs and I felt being part of one of the most productive learning environments I could wish for.”

EXSEL PUMPS EXSEL PUMPS “THE” CREDIBLE ALTERNATIVE - SPECIALIST PUMP HIRE SOLUTION PROVIDER FOR SEWAGE APPLICATIONS Exsel Pumps has become the credible alternative to the more traditional national pump hire companies operating in the UK. That is the feedback the Exsel Team are getting as more and more water companies and their contractors become aware of Exsel Pumps’ capabilities. The feedback received goes further with a clear indication that there is a real need for an alternative temporary pump solutions provider particularly for sewage applications.

The feedback has resulted in Exsel developing the coverage of the successful business model to now provide a national capability for its Special Projects Team. Until recently Exsel has operated successfully on a number of significant sewage pumping projects for seven water companies as an approved supplier, but has not advertised the fact – until now.

Exsel Pumps is part of the Turner Group of companies headquartered in Glasgow with Exsel depots in the South, East and North of the country. The Turner Group has a turnover of £250 m with over 2,000 employees operating in 24 diverse companies.

The Group operates a number of companies in Asset Rental industries with capabilities such as generators, vehicles, tankers, specialist access, portable cold storage and of course pumps.

Exsel Pumps listens to the customer feedback When the feedback is analysed as to why Exsel has been so successful and therefore what makes Exsel the credible alternative is a number of factors: n Independent of any manufacturers – the right equipment for the application n Genuine temporary pumping solutions, particularly for sewage applications n Full service support capability including effective and safe installations n Larger pump and pipework offerings up to 48” discharge (1,200mm) diameter n Genuine out of hours reactive capability n Genuine rag handling capability of pumping equipment n Lowest pump energy/fuel consumption n Unrivalled pump controls with latest level control and remote technology n Reliability and capability with younger fleet and maintenance regime n Innovative and cost effective solutions n Up to date fleet with higher efficiencies and lower running costs n Financial stability and strong Group investment – here for the long-term n Focused on pumping without diversion n Customer focus and interpreting the Customer’s needs in partnership Being an independent supplier Exsel can use its extensive pumping experience to select the right

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and most up to date equipment for the application.

Not being tied to any particular manufacturer or own manufacture enables this capability. The majority of equipment in traditional national fleets is of a technology that is over 20 years old, despite the shiny canopy that packages the unit.

The key factor this brings is the lack of efficiency and effectivity of the products that will affect pumping capability. Particularly, rag handling and energy consumption.

There is a level of complacency with the traditional companies that is driven by a lack of credible competition The larger rental companies, that also operate plant and tools, have the financial capability. But they don’t have the expertise and tend to focus on basic pumping such as dewatering on construction sites to support their existing customer base. But this tends to be a cyclic capability where prices are driven down to a point where it is not viable to hire out such pumps and then these companies pull out of pumping. But these companies cannot provide solutions for sewage pumping.

Consider the traditional national pump hire companies. This is the area of complacency where for decades they have been in operation, most with a fleet of pumps designed in the same era and now offering a reduced level of service and capability. There is no doubt that these are reputable companies. But it is sad to notice that they have lost the pumping skills, knowledge and attitude. They have also not developed their fleet

capability to keep up with modern technology.

They haven’t really needed to with the lack of real competition.

It is the customer therefore that effectively will suffer in the long term. No doubt the customer will get cheaper prices because the traditional companies can push a twenty year old pump out at the lowest price. But is that pump reliable, is it capable of handling sewage and is it really the lowest whole life cost of hire?

There are higher levels of fines being imposed for sewage and diesel spills and the necessity for reliable and effective pumping solutions is paramount when handling sewage. This is a serious consideration for the water companies where most sewage plants are near to water courses or the sea. The potential cumulative damage in terms of environmental and financial impact by using the cheapest equipment is therefore enhanced.

Consider the whole-life cost of hire Consider the whole life cost of hire. Water companies do so with capital purchases, quite rightly as energy costs are generally the highest portion in the life of an installed product. So why not consider the same for a temporary pumping solution?

If a single 6” diesel sewage pump can save over £600 per running week in fuel costs compared to a cheaper rate option, with no loss of performance and with genuine rag handling capability, why would it not be considered?

FEATURE: WASTEWATER SOLUTIONS Consider then two such pumps running on a temporary project for one month. The fuel savings are around £4,800 for what is a typical application. Saving £50 (25%) or £100 (50%) on the weekly rate therefore has no significance.

It is not considered as it has not previously been offered. Yet time and again the rate is the benchmark to which water companies will always look at and it is a smoke-screen.

The technology and equipment is out there with diesel pumps to provide this fuel saving. But not in traditional fleets that are tied to specific manufacturers or to their own manufacture. The cost of developing a new fleet of pumps is very expensive and it is no wonder the traditional companies avoid this issue. That is why Exsel is able to be that credible alternative as its sewage diesel fleet utilises these pumps as standard.

Alternative offerings by Exsel pumps provide the full capability But there are also other alternatives to diesel pumps

that are not generally offered by the traditional pump hire companies. Again the main reason is that they don’t have the equipment in their fleets.

Exsel Pumps is also able to offer a range of immersible pumps from 3” (80mm) to 32” (800mm) discharge that can operate in dry well, immersed and submerged applications. But importantly, they can also be provided surface mounted with vacuum priming systems that allow a multitude of capabilities. Add to this the control equipment with level controls and variable speed drives along with remote monitoring.

Exsel has been involved in sewage and other projects where the traditional pump hire companies have walked away and not been able to offer a solution. The Exsel capabilities have ensured a solution could be provided including the full installation and pump management.

Therefore, Exsel has already proven to be a credible alternative as a specialist temporary pump solution provider.

SPECIALIST PUMP RENTAL & SPECIAL PROJECTS • Specialist sewage pump experts • Total pumping solution including installation • Significant fuel savings up to 80% lower • Unrivalled rag-handling capability • Pumps up to 32” (800mm) discharge • Diesel and immersible electric pumps

Exsel Pumps Limited Unit G5 For t Wallington Industrial Estate Militar y Road, Fareham PO16 8TT Tel: Fax:

+44(0)1329 229 800 +44(0)1329 232 443

www.exselpumps.co.uk A

Group Company

Fareham Depot Unit G5, Fort Wallington Ind Est Military Road, Fareham, Hampshire PO16 8TT

Kent Depot Unit 4, Vicarage Lane Ind Est Vicarage Lane, Hoo, Rochester, Kent ME3 9LB

Leeds Depot Lotherton Way, Garforth Leeds, West Yorkshire LS25 2JY

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HUBER

THE NEW HUBER Q-PRESS SLUDGE DEWATERERS The re-branding of HUBER’s RoS3Q units to the Q-Press range arrives in tandem with a number of additional optional design features.

Energy efficiency and performance:

Ease of maintenance:

All Q-Press units now come with an IE4 motor fitted, giving an energy saving of up to 10% and the potential to run at slower speeds where this may be beneficial for maximizing the cake dryness. There is also the option to have a longer thickening zone and larger drainage area on the larger units in order to enhance performance.

As larger, longer units would need a significant space requirement to fully withdraw the entire auger, they may now come with split wedge-wire basket sections and more-readily removable upper shells so that wiper sections can be replaced in-situ and the auger can be lifted out from directly above, if required. The lower shell casings also now have a patented design option that facilitates ease of lowering, if required.

Cleaning efficiency: Larger units can now have a double helix on the auger that improves cleaning in the thickening zone. A new patented, self-adjusting wiper design that is more readily changed may now be used to clean the inner face of the wedge-wire drum more effectively. An alternative spray bar design to clean the outer face of the wedge-wire on the 620 and 800 size units that is similar to that of the S-Press is now available, such that washing takes place while sludge is still being processed.

Additionally, separate washing of the thickening and dewatering zones is now possible.

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Key Benefits: n Low polymer requirements n Reduces transport costs n Efficient & reliable operation n Minimum operator attendance

n Low power n 50+ UK reference sites n Offsite build packages available For more information please contact Rachael Harvey on Tel. 01249 765000 Email rh@huber.co.uk or visit our website www.huber.co.uk

FEATURE: WASTEWATER SOLUTIONS

PROMOTION FOR FORMER APPRENTICE JORDAN

Morgan Marine is pleased to further expand its comprehensive range of security housings, enclosures door sets and access covers for the utilities, nuclear and construction sectors at a time when demand for its LPCB Steel and GRP enclosures continues to grow.

Jet Aire are pleased to announce that they have promoted one of their apprentices to a fulltime role of Accounts Administrator, acting as a conduit between the Company’s operations team and their Company Accountant.

The South Wales-based company has a wealth of specialist knowledge and experience of protecting critical equipment, helping the firm become the UK’s leader in the design, manufacture and installation of custom-built security solutions.

Jordan’s continued hard work and attention to detail, whilst he worked through his NVQ levels 2 and 3 in Business Administration, has impressed Jet Aire directors, Charlie Kirk and Keith Ferris, so when the increase in company activity created the need for a permanent employee, Jordan was the obvious choice.

All at Jet Aire would like to wish Jordan all the best in his new role and his development as the company continues to grow.

180x115mm_Teekay_IOW_Advert-AW.pdf

MORGAN MARINE RESPONDS TO INCREASING DEMAND FOR ITS SPECIALIST SECURITY ENCLOSURES IN 2016

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Morgan Marine is the only company in the UK to manufacture LPCB accredited security products in both Glass Reinforced Polymer (GRP) and steel, and has become the UK’s most highly-respected business associated with the design and manufacture of GRP and steel security products.

The company’s newest Centaur range of security barsets and cages certified to LPCB (Loss Prevention Certification Board) SR2, SR3 and SR4 and tested to LPS1175 issue 7, are helping to keep Critical National Infrastructure safe up and down the country in the utilities, renewables, nuclear and rail sectors. The company has just added the new Trojan LPCB SR3 and 4 single and multi leaf access covers to their range.

For more information about Morgan Marine and their products, please visit: www.morgan-marine.com

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UNIVERSITY OF BATH

Innovative new research will help better our understanding of waves An international research project led by the University of Bath is investigating the impact of waves on coastlines using novel laser measurement devices.

This innovative equipment is similar to laser measurement devices used in construction, except it is able to measure 37,500 points a second. This capability means these ‘Lidar’ devices are able to scan each individual wave as it breaks and measure the changing elevation of the water surface.

This technology is mounted above the water level to structures such as piers and can produce an animation of the breaking waves as well as calculating the amount of sand being displaced from the waves.

Dr Chris Blenkinsopp from the University of Bath’s Water Innovation & Research Centre (WIRC @

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Bath) is leading the project team which includes international colleagues from The University of Newcastle, Australia, and the University of Delaware, USA. The Waves in Shallow Water (WASH) project has been funded by a £100,000 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grant in which the research team are measuring the effect of breaking waves in in two very different locations – in Saltburn in Northwest England and Valparaiso in Chile.

The findings of this research will benefit environment agencies, coastal engineers and local councils of coastal towns as well as local

residents who live on the coast. The results and insight will help better understand the behaviour and power of waves and in turn allow more accurate estimations of the wave force on coastal defence structures; predict erosion rates on beaches, cliffs and dunes; and forecast coastal flooding.

In recent years the UK has experienced the negative effects of wave power, most notably the destruction of the coastal railway line through Dawlish in Devon in 2014 and North Sea tidal surge in 2013. In Devon, the power from waves during the winter storms washed away the track and took two months to rebuild courtesy of a 300-strong Network Rail team at a cost of £35m.

FEATURE: WASTEWATER SOLUTIONS It is hoped that the results of the project will enable relevant authorities to better predict any future risks from wave power and improve the resilience of coastal management, as well as ensuring the maintenance of beaches is informed and effective.

Senior Lecturer in the Department of Architecture & Civil Engineering and project lead, Dr Blenkinsopp said: “This is a really exciting project that will enable us to better understand not only the individual and cumulative force of waves over time, but also their impact on coastal defences, beaches and cliffs, and erosion rates.

“We have seen the damage the power of waves can cause and it is hoped that the results of this research will inform the models used by coastal engineers in the future allowing them to more effectively design coastal structures and plan coastal defences.”

“This is a really exciting project that will enable us to better understand not only the individual and cumulative force of waves over time, but also their impact on coastal defences, beaches and cliffs, and erosion rates.”

We can help you reimagine your water R&D

Water Innovation & Research Centre

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

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

go.bath.ac.uk/water-research

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Every drop counts H2knOw-how, our innovative sensor-based visualisation tool, has been used to understand and control wastewater flows in cities including Wellington, New Zealand. Our clients have cut combined sewer overflows, meaning citizens enjoy a better environment. The smart infrastructure revolution is here. Get ready.

We are Mott MacDonald.

We open opportunities with connected thinking. mottmac.com

FEATURE: GREY WATER

Rainwater worries The concept of reusing water has been around for thousands of years but the late noughties saw a big increase in large and small scale developments installing rainwater or greywater systems. There are whole housing estates across the country as well as independent self builds and many commercial properties too.

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By Matt Jackson Water Supply Regulations Manager Anglian Water Some developments were driven by the need to reduce sudden discharges to drains other were riding on the back of lifestyle television programmes, eco friendly was the buzz phrase of the time. The systems which recycle water from baths, basins and roof tops proved popular with both big ‘eco’ developments and smaller sites keen to be seen as green. Installed correctly they should save water and who can argue of the folly of providing your garden flowers with pure drinking water. Whilst maybe the popularity has waned a common installation now is that new supermarkets are built with rainwater capture systems saving 1000s of litres of drinking water that would be used flush the café’s toilets. Most systems are pretty simple and by design are unobtrusive and were seen as fit and forget. Often fitted to brand new developments they cans also be fitted to existing houses or businesses but retro fitting is sometimes complex and not always cost effective.

Whilst the appetite for Rainwater or Greywater installations seems to have slowed for new builds the issues they pose for water companies continue. As mentioned these systems are designed to be unobtrusive and that is often the issue. Some properties have now changed hands since the systems were first installed, when water companies carry out proactive inspections we often get that the current householder doesn’t

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A bypassed rainwater system including a handy guide on exactly what to do to compromise their water quality

even know they have such a system. Getting customers to understand the implications of poor plumbing is a challenge at the best of times, throw in the need for maintenance of pumps and filters and the outcome is often risks to drinking water supplies. There have been instances of customers complaining of taste issues to their water supply, testing has also shown occasions were E.coli has been found in drinking water supplies in houses with poorly plumbed systems.

This has been caused by a customer or more likely poorly informed plumber literally bypassing backflow arrangements. This does mean toilets will flush when systems go wrong, but also pose very real risks of contaminating the drinking water supplies.

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A homemade backflow protection device

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Correctly labelled

Water reuse systems do often need regular maintenance on such things as filters and pumps.

The need for which is often not passed onto new owners as anecdotally this could put off potential purchasers.

Continued education of all sectors involved from installers to end users is essential. It is also vital that these systems are installed and maintained by competent people. To do this water companies support plumbers on the WaterSafe register.

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HYDROK

Eliquo Hydrok secure Tertiary Treatment Frameworks Eliquo Hydrok have been awarded a three year sole supply framework for Hydrok-Mecana Pile Cloth Media Filters and the sole supply of maintenance and servicing of Pile Cloth Media Filters for Thames Water.

Severn Trent Water have awarded a five year, framework with optional extension, for the Hydrok-Mecana Pile Cloth Media Filters.

The Hydrok-Mecana system is a muti purpose treatment plant that is able to be used for tertiary phosphorus removal in combination with precipitation/ flocculation as a bespoke design for Ptot consent from 1mg/l to less than 0.1mg/l. This is in addition to the use for; Tertiary Filtration for TSS reduction downstream of humus or secondary settlement tanks (<5mg/l TSS achievable) and for Micro-pollutant ‘Priority Substance’ removal. It is an alternative to fixed film biological treatment humus tanks for removal of TSS and prefiltration for fixed bed nitrification stages The Hydrok-Mecana systems can be installed within concrete chambers or supplied as bespoke off-site manufactured stainlesss steel units to help speed up installation and reduce distruption at the plant during the process.

For further information or to discuss your tertiary treatment requirements contact Lewis O'Brien 01726 861900 or lewis.obrien@eliquohydrok.co.uk

MEETING THE WASTEWATER PHOSPHORUS REMOVAL CHALLENGE Hydrok-Mecana: Pile Cloth Media Tertiary Filtration

Phosphorus and Tertiary Solids removal Less than 0.5 mg/l Ptot - Standard Cloth Less than 0.1mg/l Ptot - Microfibre Cloth Micro-Pollutant ‘Priority Substance’ Removal Filters full flow even during backwashing Zero power use during filtration process Complete package including mixing, flocculation tanks & access walkways

ELIQUO HYDROK LTD I T 01726 861 900 I sales@eliquohydrok.co.uk

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Bespoke ‘Off-site’ Construction Purpose built stainless steel tank construction for ease of installation or fitted into existing chambers

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Abberton Reservoir a glory for wildlife and water Sir David Attenborough described the newly enlarged Abberton Reservoir as a ‘Wonderment’ for modern nature in Essex. He visited during June 2015 for the official opening ceremony following the completion of works to enlarge the reservoir by fifty-eight percent.

As a working reservoir, Abberton was designed to meet the drinking water needs of people living in Chelmsford, Basildon, Brentwood and Thurrock areas and also the London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge. In total nearly 1.5 million customers in Essex receive some of Abberton Reservoir’s water as part of their supply, making this a valuable and necessary resource for the public in the county.

The reservoirs location and excellent habitat provides sanctuary for over 20,000 birds each winter and has led to the highest levels of environmental protection for Abberton Reservoir including, Special

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Protection Area (SPA), Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Ramsar status.

Northumbrian Water Group invested £150 million in the Abberton Scheme to help secure water supplies for the future and reservoir expansion construction took five years to complete from 2010. The overall Abberton Scheme included re-engineering parts of the water transfer network across East Anglia and building a new pumping station on the River Stour, along with increasing the capacity of Abberton Reservoir, a huge undertaking and one that was carefully designed so as to not affect any waterfowl or wildlife in any of the works areas.

Working with Carillion, the principal contractor for the reservoir enlargement, works were phased to reduce any impact upon waterfowl and teams had to work closely together ensuring protected species and breeding birds were accommodated throughout construction.

The reservoir enhancement represents probably the single largest development on a Special Protection Area in history. At the heart of it has been partnership working with a relationship involving Northumbrian Water Group’s team, conservation organisations including Natural England, Essex Wildlife Trust and the local community.

FEATURE: WETLANDS

Professor David Hill CBE, Chair of the Ecological Advisory Group for Abberton Reservoir said: “Abberton Reservoir is such an important site for waterfowl in the UK we need to do everything we can to protect its nationally significant populations. It is likely that the re-designed reservoir, with the provision of 200ha more wetland habitat, will become the most important inland waterbody for waterfowl in Britain.

“As water levels drop through consumer use, new shallows become exposed, which maximises the value of the site to birds. As the reservoir refills each year new shallow areas again become available, so that food is in plenty for birds throughout the year,” said Professor Hill.

The development to meet future demand for drinking water has been constructed hand-inhand with ecological advice to create an enhanced habitat for wildlife and a beautiful environment for people to visit.

Eleven miles of new shoreline habitat has been created after the removal of the concrete banks, and significant enhancements made with the introduction of more zero to one metre shallow water habitat including extensive bays and lagoons.

Kim Wallis, Conservation Advisor for Essex & Suffolk Water said: “The enlargement of Abberton Reservoir has brought major benefits and enhancements to the natural environment and to

the birds and wildlife in and around the reservoir.

The extended shallow areas and the removal of the concrete outer banks has been brilliant for the dabbling ducks and waders,” she said.

“In addition to the more frequent birds found at the reservoir, we’re starting to see more species making use of many of the new natural pools, shallows and grassland habitat,” she said.

Waterfowl and wildlife have a promising future at Abberton Reservoir and, with increased footpath access and a brand new visitor centre run by the Essex Wildlife Trust, the winter period is one of the best times to come and see the glory of a newly enlarged Abberton.

ABBERTON FACT FILE Original top water level at Abberton Reservoir– 17.8 metres above ordnance datum (AOD)

In winter, the reservoir regularly supports over 20,000 waterfowl, including internationally or nationally important populations of the following migratory species:

New top water level at Abberton Reservoir – 21 metres above ordnance datum (AOD)

n Wigeon (1% of north west of the European population, 3% of the British population)

Original volume of reservoir – around 26 billion litres New volume of reservoir – 41 billion litres

n Gadwall (4% of north west of the European population, 8% of the British population)

Original surface area of reservoir – 4,714,869 square metres

n Mute Swan (3% of the British population) n Great Crested Grebe (2% of the British population)

New surface area of reservoir – 6,612,432 square metres

n Shoveler (1% of north west of the European population, 5% of the British population)

Essex is the driest county in the UK, receiving on average less than 600mm of rain a year.

n Teal (2% of the British population)

Essex & Suffolk Water supplies 1.8 million customers in the south east.

The enlargement of the reservoir will help bolster supplies to Chelmsford, Basildon, Brentwood, Southend and Thurrock areas and also the London boroughs of Barking, Dagenham, Havering and Redbridge.

n Pochard (2% of the British population) Abberton Reservoir is a Ramsar Site (Wetland of International Importance for birds), a Special Protection Area (SPA) designated under the EU Birds Directive, and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to wildfowl.

n Tufted Duck (2% of the British population) n Goldeneye (3% of the British population) n Coot (10% of the British population)

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NI WATER’S CASTLE ARCHDALE INTEGRATED CONSTRUCTED WETLAND PROJECT Key advantages of the Castle Archdale ICW n Lower capital cost n Simple design, construction and maintenance skills requirement n Only technology is monitoring instruments n Green Electricity connection & no mains electricity supply n Ease of commissioning/ decommissioning The new Castle Archdale Integrated Constructed Wetland (ICW) is the second ICW project for NI Water. By providing a series of treatment ponds and using plants which are indigenous, this site is an example as to how a wastewater treatment works can be positively integrated into the environment. The overall cost of the project is £780k with the works becoming fully operational in March 2016. NI Water have provided this environmentally-friendly solution, as it is particularly suited to amenity areas with large seasonal flows. NIW has completed another ICW at Stoneyford and aims to introduce many more of these sustainable solutions across Northern Ireland.

The Castle Archdale ICW site is made up of a series of very shallow, densely vegetated ponds. The series of ponds has an operational water depth of approximately 200mm and contains over 30,000 wetland plants. The total area of ponds is approx.

1.35 Hectares, (equivalent to 2 football pitches).

Another feature of Castle Archdale ICW is that all power used on the ICW site will be generated from a solar panel, with no mains electricity supply being required.

n Ability to tolerate variable flows and influent quality n No sludge tankering required n Sustainable over a long lifetime (50+ years) n Increased biodiversity & secure largescale wildlife habitats n Potential amenity for walking/ educational us

STONEYFORD INTEGRATED CONSTRUCTED WETLAND PROJECT

Key advantages of the Stoneyford ICW

The new Stoneyford Integrated Constructed Wetland (ICW) is a flagship project for NI Water and an industry-leading example of how wastewater treatment can be integrated into and complements a local indigenous ecosystem.

This £1.4m project became fully operational in November 2014.

n Only technology is monitoring instruments

NI Water believes that this natural environmentally-friendly solution is particularly suited to rural areas and aims to introduce many more of these sustainable solutions across Northern Ireland.

The integrated constructed wetland process at Stoneyford, uses a complex integrated system in which the water, plants, micro-organisms, sun, substrate and air interact to improve water quality.

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The integrated constructed wetland process at Castle Archdale, uses a complex integrated system in which water quality is improved by the interaction between the water, plants, microorganisms, sun, substrate and air.

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n Lower capital cost n Simple design, construction and maintenance skills requirement

n Exceptionally low energy demands (some future sites will not require mains electric supplies). n Ease of commissioning/decommissioning n Ability to tolerate variable flows and influent quality n No sludge tankering required The Stoneyford ICW site is made up of a series of very shallow, densely vegetated ponds. The series of ponds has an operational water depth of approximately 200mm and contains over 60,000 wetland plants. The total area of ponds is approx. 4 Hectares, (equivalent to 5 football pitches).

n Sustainable over a long lifetime (50+ years) n Increased biodiversity & secure large-scale wildlife habitats n Potential amenity for walking/educational use

FEATURE: WETLANDS

Reed all about it

Thames Water and its partners are leading the industry in the sustainable removal of phosphorus from treated effluent using an innovative reed bed treatment, as Henry Badman reports.

Tighter environmental standards designed to improve river water quality mean that Thames Water will have to remove phosphorus (P) from its treated effluent at more than 60 of its small sewage treatment works between now and 2025.

Until now, these sites have been exempt under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.

The conventional solution for P removal is chemical dosing followed by a filtration step but this may not be the most suitable, or most sustainable, solution at smaller sites, because they are usually unmanned, with limited access for tankers, limited power and limited potable water supply for emergency showers – all things required for safe and effective chemical dosing.

Thames Water has been working in collaboration with Cranfield University to develop a more sustainable and non-chemical treatment process using reed beds, specifically designed for P removal.

Their use for the removal of solids is well established but what makes these particular beds special is that instead of conventional gravel, P-reactive media is being used.

In a world first, the innovation team is testing two different media (basic oxygen furnace steel slag and apatite) at four full-scale reed beds at Easthampstead Park STW. Funded by eight2O, its ground-breaking alliance made up of companies like Costain, Morrison, IBM and Balfour Beatty, it is supported by small-scale column experiments being run by the innovation team.

The media are expected to last for around seven years before they need replacement and Thames Water is looking at solutions to reuse the spent media as fertiliser to close the phosphorus loop.

Eight2O technical lead Narinder Sunner said the approach could have environmental benefits, adding: “It would be easier to manage compliance risk as it eliminates the possibility of overdosing chemicals.”

Among their other benefits, reed beds are more resilient to shock loads caused by extreme weather events (floods and droughts) and, in the longer term, climate change. They also require little power so have a lower operational carbon footprint and maintenance costs than more conventional approaches.

Angela Barugh, from eight2O, said that the alliance is working collaboratively with the innovation team to deliver an industry-leading solution for phosphorus removal.

“I’m looking forward to this sustainable innovative solution being implemented elsewhere across the wastewater non-infra programme,” she added.

And the approach has also attracted a lot of interest with the work now being accelerated by a steering group of five water companies that have all asked to collaborate with Thames Water and Cranfield University.

If the testing proves successful, the sustainable P removal reed beds could become commonplace at small sites and provide a more sustainable but effective alternative to chemical dosing, achieving levels of P removal – as well as the removal of suspended solids – required by regulation.

Innovate...but don’t start a war!

Dr Nick Mills, Thames Water’s head of innovation, commented: As you can see from the great work on reed beds the innovation team at Thames Water are continuing to add significant value.

This project was triggered by a change in the regulations which will see many small sites have a P consent for the first time or, in more simplistic terms, the project was triggered by a

‘common challenge’. Where there is a challenge there is also an opportunity and, in many cases, a necessity to innovate.

There are some famous examples of ‘common challenge’ in history. The Second World War is often quoted as driving major technological change through innovations such as the jet engine, nuclear energy and radar.

My favourite example is not as famous. The Mosquito bomber was a twin-engine wooden bomber which was superfast and could fly higher than anything else. It could also be manufactured by underutilised piano factories. I love this story because it’s a great example of why keeping it simple works and shows the value of collaborating, much like our reed beds.

However, for me the most interesting part of the story is the struggle of getting the plane built in the first place. The manufacturer, de Havilland, had to fight to get taken seriously by the Air Ministry; he had to ignore its specifications, ride rejection and use relationships not processes to push the project forward. This story is important because it has so many parallels with what we do today.

We must ensure we all have common challenges (without starting a war). My team’s common objective is to save a substantial amount of TotEx in AMP6 and to demonstrate how to halve the cost of wastewater operation in the future. Nurturing innovation culture is essential and, in my opinion, you cannot create a process for this but, instead, we must have a ‘common challenge’, a strong vision, and encourage people to collaborate, grow their networks and influence so that the conversation happens, the idea is formed, the idea is developed, supported, embedded and implemented.

If the idea is rejected initially don’t give up.

Address the concerns and retry. Often, ideas are rejected many times before they are shaped sufficiently and ready to be implemented.

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Green infrastructure streetscape a multi-agency effort City of Trees Manchester (formerly known as Red Rose Forest) and University of Manchester Take on Managing Surface Water.

City of Trees Manchester is an environmental charity working to transform Greater Manchester into “a greener, healthier and more satisfying place to live, work, and invest.” When Pete Stringer, Special Projects Manager for City of Trees Manchester, wanted to deliver a tree planting project that could demonstrate and quantify how trees could help to managing surface water runoff and improve water quality, he contacted DeepRoot about getting involved.

City of Trees Manchester, in partnership with the University of Manchester, wanted to assess how trees and soil under paving could be used as a form of ultra-urban “green infrastructure” to improve water quality and reduce the amount of runoff directed into the sewer.

The selected site for the project site is a footpath in a residential area in Salford near Manchester.

This was a challenging environment on a site where trees had previously failed and been removed.

City of Trees Manchester installed three trees in a 3-layer Silva Cell system filled with a bioretention soil provided by British Sugar. Water enters the system using slot kerbs, which convey it from around a 50m² catchment area into a distribution pipe under the paving, where it is then distributed throughout the whole system.

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An underdrain sits at the bottom of the system to convey excess water away. Monitoring chambers at either end were installed to make collecting water samples easy; data collection began as soon as the last of the monitoring equipment was installed. Manchester University is responsible for supervising the data collection; the idea is to involve university students and pupils from the local secondary school, the Oasis Academy, to help analyse the data over the coming years.

The project has been funded by Salford City Council, the Environment Agency, and United Utilities, who are all keen to explore real life natural solutions for tackling localized flooding and diffuse pollution, the latter being a key requirement of the European Water Framework Directive. This project would set an important precedent with regards to the management of surface water, and City of Trees Manchester hopes

that the data will provide a compelling argument that trees and soils are a viable alternative to engineered drainage systems in future iterations of the Local Development Framework.

As of this writing, results are still being gathered, but Pete Stringer is full of enthusiasm for the preliminary results, and surprised and impressed with the clarity of the water exiting the system from the first rainfall event. “The aim of the Howard Street project is to demonstrate and quantify how, in an urban context, green infrastructure such as street trees can provide a natural solution to managing surface water runoff and addressing diffuse pollution,” he said. “City of Trees Manchester had long been aware of the projects that had been delivered in North America using DeepRoot Silva Cells for helping managing water quality and quantity and so was keen to demonstrate this system in a UK setting. It is

DEEPROOT URBAN SOLUTIONS

hoped that the findings from this project can be used to encourage a wider uptake of this natural alternative to engineered drainage systems, in particular for new infrastructure projects.”

Local authorities, utility companies, and SUDS designers are excited to learn the findings from this project, one of the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. Tony Hothersall, Director of City of Trees Manchester, recently used the Howard Street project in a presentation about future proofing Manchester, using the details from this site to demonstrate some forward thinking and innovative tree planting design. City of Trees Manchester, the Environment Agency, Salford City Council, United Utilities, and Urban Vision plan to share their findings in videos, conferences, and more.

The first of those is a video produced by City of Trees Manchester about the installation that explains why the Silva Cells are being used and demonstrates how trees and soils, carefully designed and planted, can be used as tools to

manage surface water and non-point source pollution. It includes perspectives from the Environment Agency, United Utilities, Salford City Council, University of Manchester, City of Trees Manchester, and DeepRoot.

INSTALLATION SUMMARY

The Salford City Council Development Plan Document (Publication Core Strategy, February 2012) includes a section on “Green infrastructure spatial strategy” that states that a network of green infrastructure will be established throughout the city to, among other things, mitigate the risks and impacts of flooding and air, water, and noise pollution, as well as provide attractive walking routes. We believe Howard Street is one of the first and essential steps toward that goal.

For more information, please contact Steve Chatwin-Grindey on steve@deeproot.com.

Average soil volume per tree: 15 m3 (533 ft3)

+44(0) 207 969 2739

Number of Trees: 3

www.deeproot.com

Tree Species: London Plane Total Silva Cells: 160 frames, 60 decks Installation Date: June 2015

“The aim of the Howard Street project is to demonstrate and quantify how, in an urban context, green infrastructure such as street trees can provide a natural solution to managing surface water runoff and addressing diffuse pollution.”

Installation type: Integrated – Trees and Stormwater Project Site: Streetscape Project Designer: City of Trees Manchester Developers/Contractors: City of Trees Manchester/Landscape Engineering

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Getting the message to customers All too often, water incident management focusses on pipes, valves and tankers. Sometimes in all of the rushing around to get water supplies back on, we forget that our customers are wondering what on earth is happening.

One sunny July day, Severn Trent got the opportunity to change the focus. That evening, the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s emergency contact centre got a rather disturbing phone call - a local contractor was doing some demolition work and had accidentally damaged a pipe in Raddlebarn Road, Birmingham â&#x20AC;&#x201C; near to Birmingham University.

It was a 42inch diameter pipe which supplies a huge area of the city and so there were a lot of properties being affected. The huge amounts of water being pulled through the burst also disturbed the sediment at the bottom of the pipe and so those same properties were also at risk of having discoloured water.

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As you can see from the pictures, due to the huge amount of water escaping from the damaged pipe, the local area was flooded and the road had to be closed, although luckily there were no homes or businesses affected by the escaping water.

Teams from Severn Trent quickly got the valves turned to isolate the damaged part of the pipe and this stopped the flow of water, allowing the company to start the clear up operation. The road was assessed for damage and it was reopened overnight which was great news as Raddlebarn Road is the main route into the University and it being closed would have caused traffic chaos across the area.

In an incident like this, the priority for Severn Trent is always to get water supplies back on as quickly as possible, so water was moved around the network of pipes, flowing back into the area, and most water supplies were back on in just a few hours.

The huge flows out of the damaged pipe dragged water through the system much quicker than usual, and that, along with the change in set up of the network making water move in a different way to normal, did cause quite a lot of discolouration across a wide area of the city. This meant that call volumes into the call centre were

FEATURE: INCIDENT MANAGEMENT

huge and the company did struggle to keep up at times. However, calls eased off quickly and call backs to customers show that those affected by discolouration were seeing clear water supplies within a few hours.

This was an interesting case as it wasn’t Severn Trent’s fault that customers had no supply or discoloured supply and so the company decided to use the situation as a test case for how to best communicate to customers about the issues.

Sarah-Jayne O’Kane, incident communications manager explained: “One of the things that we strive for is to give our customers all of the information that they need during an incident like this, so that they don’t need to call us. We knew that when the pipe was fixed and we put the water network back to normal, the chances were that our customers would see a repeat of the discolouration. So we decided that this was a great opportunity to try all different channels of getting messages out to our customers to see what worked, and to see if we could reduce the number of calls coming into our call centre. We didn’t want a repeat of the huge amounts of calls when the pipe was first damaged.

“We knew that the network was working well in emergency mode, so we took the time to create the best communications plan that we could. We waited until a Monday morning to put the water network back to normal, so that if we did see lots of discolouration, we’d have the right resources available to deal with it – plenty of people in the call centre and out in the field. We used a multitude of channels to keep our customers informed throughout the incident. We sent a letter to all customers at risk of discolouration, detailing what they should do if they did have an issue and we sent proactive text and voice messages to those customer for whom we had phone numbers. We updated our website and social media channels with constant updates.

“We decided to be proactive with the local media as the word was already out about what had happened, and in this case, it wasn’t actually our fault. Being proactive meant we could get across our message as to what had happened and reassure people that we had the situation under control. So we contacted all of our local TV and radio stations and did interviews ready to go out before the changes to the network were made. Bottled water was delivered to sensitive

customers in the affected area – just as a precaution, in case they experienced discoloured water.

“We also had people out on in the area at risk, talking to customers about what was happening and again giving them advice on what to do.

We even went ‘old-school’ and had vans with loudhailers ready to use in case we did see lots of discolouration. And finally we wrote customer scripts and Q&A documents for our call agents to use if customers did call in.”

Everything went to plan and although there was some discolouration, in the end there were only two customer calls, out of potentially tens of thousands. The whole thing was a huge success and proved that good communication in an incident is an absolute must to give customers a great confidence in the company and the water supply.

Sarah-Jayne added: “Customer communication is now much higher up the agenda in incidents at Severn Trent. We know that giving customers all of the information about what’s happening and what they can do means that they don’t have to call in, which is obviously a much better experience.”

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OCTO

Developing incident management skills in the water industry For water companies, incident management is a way of life; the industry is well-prepared, welltrained and well-practised.

By Helen Shannon, Director OCTO Nonetheless, the bar is high. Deregulation and wider public scrutiny brings a commercial focus to the capability to respond to and recover from incidents. Customers rightly take reliable, clean and safe water provision for granted, and similarly, their waste water removal. This is a measure of the success of the industry. Our ability effectively to deal with disruptions to service is now a differentiating feature in the market. As a Category 2 responder, the water industry is expected also to play a professional role alongside other responding agencies to resolve local and regional incidents.

Preparing for emergencies is less about preparing for the known challenges, as being prepared to deal with the unexpected. Arguably, responding to water leaks or sewage plant flooding, presents few surprises to an experienced response team. However, because water is quite literally everywhere, there is a wide range of incidents in which the water industry could play a major or supporting role.

In OCTO, we have worked with the utilities sector for over 15 years, and have prepared dozens if not hundreds of training exercises covering a wide range of scenarios: cyber-attacks; sabotage; extortion; water contamination; aircraft crashes; mass shooting; chemical incidents; earthquakes; dam breach; pandemic; flooding; power failure; fire and explosion; severe weather; business continuity; and many more. Although the scenarios are diverse, there are common lessons across the water industry.

Water companies are geographically spread.

Response teams are thus the face of the company in the community. Their awareness of reputational issues and their ability to feed relevant and timely information, beyond just

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the technical details, is vital to supporting the communications response. Reputation Awareness training is helpful here.

integrate customer management into the incident management team.

The social media revolution has enhanced the quality of service that the industry can offer clients, and conversely opened up new vehicles for reputational attack, particularly and rapidly manifest during incidents. Communications management is a vital component of incident management. Realistic simulation of social media interaction during an incident or crisis is an important enhancement for effective communications exercising.

Risk management is fundamental to corporate governance. The water industry has a unique blend of risks: technology; health safety and environment; reputational and commercial; and the risk landscape is steadily changing. Cyber risks are one of the most recent challenges.

Incident Management Teams comprise specialists from many branches of the industry, but it is important that all are able to appreciate the risk profile of the company and their role in mitigating these risks during an incident.

Call centres are a vital source of information in a major incident. Of course there will be capacity issues and the industry knows how to manage these. Key to effective incident management is to

Incident Management Teams do not always enjoy the luxury of being co-located in an incident management centre. In larger water companies, servicing a wide geographic footprint, they need

FEATURE: INCIDENT MANAGEMENT

to work efficiently in ‘virtual’ teams, with a small core team to provide essential co-ordination.

Areas such as situation awareness, information management and focussed decision-making are especially challenging. These are real-time skills which needs specialist training. It is vital to integrate command and control techniques with command centre design and preferred IT media.

Crisis and incident management procedures are only as good as the people who use them.

Through real incidents, but most commonly through training and exercising, people develop a ‘muscle memory’ of how to think and act in an incident. It is critical that the Incident Management Team has tools and techniques to manage resource and time-line management.

Once again, these are well-understood principles in the water industry. We find that important lessons are learned when resource and time-line

management are simulated accurately in response to decisions and deployments made by the team.

This allows the team to explore for themselves the challenges of using their skills in the more intensive dynamic of a major incident. Simulation models, for instance for contamination spread, distribution of alternative water supplies, deployment of maintenance and repair resources, together provide accurate ground-truth to keep exercises on track and avoid the pitfalls of building false lessons from unjustified assumptions.

Management of corporate crisis is undertaken by the senior management of a company. The corporate perspective must maintain an objective separation from the incident management, whilst enjoying regular, focused and purposeful briefing.

It is vital to test these skills realistically. Even a well-trained team can be rapidly overwhelmed

by the sheer volume of information that besets an organisation in crisis. Attention from a wide range of influential stakeholders needs clear strategic focus, and again time is a resource that must be optimised. Realistic crisis exercising which simulate the range, volume, depth and complexity of crisis communications are needed to help an organisation appreciate fully the undoubted strengths and also the weaknesses in crisis arrangements.

In 2016 OCTO celebrates its 25th year in supporting our clients with bespoke solutions in incident and crisis management. Please see our website on www.OCTO.uk.com for details of our services in Incident and Crisis management training; business continuity, command centre design, emergency and crisis management exercises, procedures and audit.

Performance Under Pressure

Welcome to Europe’s foremost authority on the leadership and management of crisis and emergency situations

• Stimulating training for senior executives and their crisis, emergency & business continuity teams • Design and delivery of realistic cost effective exercises • Working with multi-agency partners

• Developing leaders to perform under pressure • Resilience and business continuity support • Training in reputation management and crisis communications • Prepare crisis and emergency management organisations, arrangements, facilities and plans

Contact: Mark Hart tel: 01244 405270 email: octo@octo.uk.com

www.octo.uk.com

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Retain Disinfectant Residual and Improve Water Quality Maintaining disinfectant residual levels in drinking water distribution systems is a challenge; water must travel through miles of pipes and is often stored in service reservoirs and other treated water storage points for several days before reaching customers.

Long contact times in both the distribution network and water storage assets can cause the deterioration of water quality which increases the risk of bacti failures and results in unnecessary expense for water providers as they attempt to manage the problem.

The installation of an energy efficient mixer can provide a range of chemical free benefits that can mitigate these risks and improves water quality performance. To understand the solution, it is interesting to consider what is causing the issue.

The Problem After travelling through miles of pipework fresh residual rich water enters the storage asset and the velocity of the water drops.

Some of this new water then finds the easiest path towards the outlet pipework “short circuiting” which in turn prevents the remaining older water from entering supply. In addition, these areas of lower residual “dead spots” create a chlorine demand on fresh water entering the tank and can lead to the formation of disinfection by-products.

This cycle can continue with water ageing in the dead spots for extended periods. Depending on the layout of the asset and local conditions two different type of separation are common, these can be thermal, or chemical stratification.

Once established both are very difficult to correct without draining and emptying the tank completely.

Whereas the driver for each type of separation is different, the results are similar. While one body of water retains disinfectant and passes through the asset the other loses residual disinfectant and

becomes a water quality risk allowing bacteria to establish.

We have seen this deterioration in water quality in many projects where our ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) have been used to take samples from isolated, low velocity areas in water storage tanks.

Now when demand exceeds the incoming supply and the water level in the asset drops, some of the aged water will enter supply, the symptoms are often a rapid decline in disinfectant at the outlet sample point, and the increase risk of bacteriological failure out in the distribution supply network.

The Solution If water quality across an asset can be kept consistent through powerful mixing inside the tank, then a number of key benefits can be found.

Firstly, as mixing removes dead spots the whole water body is exposed to fresh water containing disinfectant. As water quality across the asset is then more consistent it requires less overall chlorine, saving cost, optimising chemical use and reducing the formation of disinfection by-products. The water quality risk associated with aged water is also removed.

Secondly as the water body is well mixed asset owners have confidence that the outlet samples are providing a representative record of the water being supplied to the distribution supply network, this allows any interventions to be planned with confidence with accurate timely and consistent water quality data.

In addition to these primary benefits there are other indirect effects and cost savings. This includes a reduced level of sediment deposition as water is kept in constant motion. As the presence of sediment is known to closely relate to bacteriological risk, reduced sedimentation will reduce bacteriological risk.

Also, biofilm growth on the walls of the tanks will reduce because biofilm tends to grow on surfaces in areas of low disinfectant residual and where water is static. A continuous supply of motive disinfected water will therefore prevent growth.

With a reduction in both biofilm growth and sedimentation interventions such as cleaning frequencies can also therefore be extended, saving money without compromising water quality.

Working in partnership with PAX Water Technologies the team at Panton McLeod can supply a range of powerful energy efficient potable water mixers. Easily installed during planned maintenance, or installed live using robotic equipment the addition of a mixer can change the way operators view their storage assets.

To find out more about how the installation of a mixer could improve water quality across your network contact Paul Henderson via paul. henderson@pantonmcleod.co.uk

Tel : 01896 663 330 • info@pantonmcleod.co.uk

Panton McLeod DEAD SPOT SAMPLING

Asset Inspection

Reservoir Cleaning

Pipeline Commissioning Chlorine Profile Across Service Reservoir Do you have a troublesome storage asset? Find out how the water is behaving within the tank, and not just how it behaves at the Inlet and Outlet by using Panton McLeod’s Dead Spot SamplingTM service.

Mixing and THM Removal

The team will complete a visual inspection, and sample the asset at a variety of locations allowing you to analyse how the design of the asset is affecting water quality.

For more information contact Michael Hook via michael.hook@pantonmcleod.co.uk

Water Quality Support

WATER QUALITY WEBINARS

Emergency Response

Water Quality Engineering www.pantonmcleod.co.uk After the success of the recent webinar “Eliminating Nitrification in Chloraminated Water Systems” the team at Panton McLeod would like to hear from you.

Tel : 01896 663 330

What topics would you like to see in the 2017 webinar series?

Get in touch, make your suggestion and sign up via go.pantonmcleod.co.uk/webinar

www.pantonmcleod.co.uk •

@pantonmcleod

Reduce the risks of significant environmental harm

The Society for the Environment is an organisation centred around professional standards. Our Chartered Environmentalist and Registered Environmental Technician registrations ensure that registered environmental professionals can demonstrate their competence in the protection of the environment and the mitigation of environmental harm.

Registered professionals also have a proven commitment to continued professional development, ensuring they are maintaining their competence in line with the latest industry knowledge and best practice, and signed a professional code of ethics.

Non-conventional gas extraction (fracking) has been used as a mechanism for extracting oil in the UK for decades, with little mainstream condemnation or controversy. It is fracking for Shale Gas that has gathered mainstream attention and high profile demonstration of the publicsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; distrust of this industry. Of the 2,152 inland oil wells in the UK, only 200 have used fracking.

This contrasts sharply to the scale anticipated to be required for shale gas fracking in the UK. We would like to focus on the professional capacity within the UK that would be required to make fracking as environmentally safe as possible.

Research has shown that in America, risks to the water table were mostly due to either technical failure of the well casing or surface spillages of contaminated water. This was often due to operational failures and inadequacies in the US regulatory environment. The Environment Agency states it already has the regulatory systems in

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place, including a triple lock protection on ground water. These safeguards, however, only cover the exploratory phase of this industry; this poses a key question: would these measures be adequate if the industry were to be significantly scaled-up?

With a history of fracking for oil, the UK should have a strong base of professionals in place to conduct these operations using best environmental practice. But it is not just the drilling itself that requires oversight. The large volumes of fresh water required, and the subsequent waste water produced, needs to be handled by regulated professionals. Similarly, the issue of contaminated land would require the relevant land reclamation and remediation experts to manage ground contamination issues.

The Society knows that there is a solid base of environmental professionals who are at the pinnacle of the industry, working to mitigate the potentially dangerous by-products of fracking.

But another key question must be answered: does the UK have the professional capacity to ensure environmental protection within a large scale fracking industry?

Until the answer to this question is an unequivocal yes, we must rely on the Government

to mitigate the potential risks and dangers of fracking for shale gas. Regulation should be based on sound evidence and the input of credible, registered environmental professionals should be sought during the development of such regulation. As part of that, we would call for those working in the fracking industry to be able to demonstrate their environmental competence.

Registered professionals have proven competence and are held to account by their professional code of conduct and ethics. We should see a Chartered Environmentalist or Registered Environmental Technician on every fracking site and playing an instrumental role in every project. Making this mandatory would provide a mechanism of accountability which would help to reassure the public that the potential risks of this industry are being managed competently.

By Society for the Environment

FEATURE: FRACKING

Climate change impacts not fully considered?

The challenge to get dangerous climate change under control affects all of us – from a policy level to how we go about our daily lives. This month, Friends of the Earth will be challenging the decision to allow fracking in Yorkshire in the High Court, on the grounds that the climate change impacts were not fully considered.

It’s not the only site where fracking is being challenged; because wherever fracking is proposed, people oppose it. The government’s own survey shows that public support for fracking has reached an all-time low.

There is a growing list of countries who have realised the risks involved.

A bill banning fracking in the Republic of Ireland was voted through in October, it’s now moved to the committee stage for further review.

It’s pretty clear that the Scottish government is on a journey that will end in rejecting fracking, having introduced a moratorium last year, and Wales have had a moratorium in place since 2015.

Further afield, it’s banned or halted in France, Bulgaria and Germany. As well as New York State, where it is banned on health grounds.

The economics don’t stack up, and any supposed benefits are often over-hyped. With one exception, it’s a few fly-by-nighters looking to turn a quick buck.

It’s clear the government are worried, in an admission of how deeply unpopular fracking is they announced a “fracking bribe” - offering cash to local communities if they accepted fracking, in an attempt to win people over. But opposition to fracking in the UK is overwhelming and polling has shown the offer won’t wash.

the industry itself, try and re-position supposed merits of shale gas, low carbon it most certainly is not, nor is it the future.

Instead, the Government should listen to the evidence. Their own advisors, the Committee on Climate Change has warned that fracking could breach our climate change targets. Scientists warn that fossil fuels need to stay in the ground.

Starting up a whole new fossil fuel industry by investing in fracking is incompatible with fixing climate change.

To do this, some simple, cost-effective things need to happen. For example, investment to make our homes energy efficient, and getting on with backing clean energy – which has never been cheaper. We also need to protect our homes from the ever increasing risks of floods as experienced last winter.

The UK’s existing coal powerstations will rightly close by the early 2020s. The fracking industry’s best estimate says it would take about a decade to get fracking going - meaning it wouldn’t substitute coal – instead it would displace renewables.

Whichever way the Government, and of course

The huge cost of clinging to the last vestige of an increasingly defunct fossil fuel industry should be funnelled instead into carbon transformation.

Meantime we are looking forward to the outcome of our day in court in November, fracking is costly, it’s unwanted, is incompatible with our climate change targets and pursuing it just makes the government look increasingly lonely in a world where more and more countries are rejecting this polluting industry.

By Friends of the Earth

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A summary of life cycle water use in onshore oil and gas in the UK Onshore hydrocarbons were first exploited in the UK in 1851 when commercial oil shale operations were established in the Midland Valley of Scotland. Since then onshore oil and gas exploration has continued and to date around 2,000 wells have been drilled throughout the UK. Around 250 operating wells on 120 sites are currently producing between 20,000 to 25,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. Over the last hundred years most of the activity has focused on oil and gas resources trapped in permeable reservoir rocks but with technical innovations such as high volume hydraulic fracturing and directional drilling, hydrocarbon rich tight rock formations (source rocks) and coal bed methane resources are now also being actively explored.

Why is Water Important?

Water has always played a significant role in the production of oil and gas. Groundwater is nearly always naturally present within hydrocarbon bearing geology (‘reservoir’ or ‘source rock’) and comes to the surface during oil and gas production as ‘Produced water’.

In many cases rocks containing groundwater will also be drilled through to reach hydrocarbon bearing rocks, some of this groundwater will be of a quality that can currently, or in the future, be used as a source for human consumption.

Water may also be used in enhanced recovery of hydrocarbons, either as a carrier fluid or to facilitate a mechanical change in the porosity of a source rock or tight geological reservoir, termed Hydraulic Fracturing. Hydraulic Fracturing typically uses water and a proppant (such as sand) to create, and hold open, tiny fissures in a rock layer to improve the flow of hydrocarbon molecules out of the rock and into the well bore. On occasion a small number of chemicals might be added to the water and proppant to control biological issues, or naturally occurring chemistry, in the rock.

Hydraulic Fracturing can involve the use of anything from a few cubic metres of water through to more than a thousand cubic metres

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per ‘fracturing stage’, with the number of fracturing stages depending on the design of the well and the geology, ranging from 1 or 2 stages through to perhaps 10 to 20 stages, where the well includes horizontal side tracks. In the UK the Infrastructure Act 2015 defines High Volume Hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) as involving more than 1,000 cubic metres per fracturing stage or more than 10,000 cubic metres during the life of a well.

Once a well has been Hydraulically Fractured and the pressure released from the well, much of the fluid will flow back to the surface. This is termed ‘Flow Back’.

How is Water Managed?

The oil and gas industry has been managing water since the first wells were drilled in the 1800s and much has been learnt over that time.

All industries and development carry some risk of consequential environmental impact and it is through effective regulation, independent examination, good operating practice, including independent environmental monitoring/ verification, that risks can be effectively avoided, minimised and managed. Appropriate independent site monitoring/verification before, during and after site operations are necessary as part of an effective environmental management system with robust mitigation and contingency planning, including prompt detection, effective intervention and remediation. This applies to all aspects of the environment, including water.

One fundamental lesson from the US ‘Shale Boom’ has been the need to ensure sites are monitored robustly and consistently throughout all phases, especially in advance of putting a spade in the ground. This is something that the UK industry strongly recognises. This means that a thorough understanding of the water and wider

environment is developed upfront, enabling environmental permits to be granted and compliance against them measured throughout the life and after decommissioning, of a well.

Protecting Surface and Groundwater All proposed onshore oil and gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing operations require planning permission from the local Mineral Planning Authority (MPA) and environmental permits from the environmental regulator. Operators must undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) where the MPA requires one, having consulted with other statutory regulators, including the Water Companies; where HVHF is proposed, the industry has committed to undertaking a full EIA in all cases. The Environmental Statement which accompanies the EIA must cover how Surface and Groundwater will be protected in the proposal.

For surface water this would typically include bunding sites and using impermeable membranes under the pad to ensure no substances can leak outside the boundary. All substances must be stored in designated areas and in tanks and storage containers designed for the purpose. In most cases the controls used are the same for other industries.

Groundwater is a little more complex but is protected in several ways; Drilling the well – For oil and gas, all activities that involve drilling through groundwater must be permitted by the environmental regulator and typically only ‘water based’ drill muds are allowed

FEATURE: FRACKING

when drilling through an ‘aquifer’. In general, the water in the drill mud must also be of a higher quality than the water in the aquifer, this ensures that pollutants are not introduced to important aquifers during the drilling process.

Casing and cementing the well – All oil and gas well designs must be approved by the Health and Safety Executive before they can be installed and are designed to separate the production operation from the geology that surrounds it.

Steel casings are installed and cemented in place at various depths as per the design, with a special ‘conductor casing’ used from the surface to below the groundwater body to ensure that there is a complete and consistent barrier.

Completing the well – Before a well can be used for production it must be pressure tested to ensure it meets its design and that the casing and cementing processes have been successful. A special production casing is finally installed through which all injection and production activity takes place.

Hydraulic Fracturing – Stimulation activities on the well are controlled in many ways to protect groundwater; for example: n Any substances proposed for use must be determined as Non-Hazardous to Groundwater by the Environmental Regulator and permitted for use. n The fracturing design must be approved by the Oil and Gas Authority in consultation with the environmental regulator.

n During fracturing an operator must demonstrate that all fracturing occurs in the ‘permitted boundary’, an area of the subsurface agreed through a permit.

hydraulic fracturing, are generally recycled where it is technically feasible or viable to do so. This reduces transportation needs and enables fluids to be reused again and again.

Sourcing Water for Drilling and Hydraulic Fracturing

It is standard practice to separate solids, gasses and liquids during the production phase and in most cases this will be undertaken either on the well pad itself or at a nearby gathering station. At exploration, it is not always feasible to separate and treat wastes on site, so they are often sent to a permitted centralised waste facility for treatment before being returned to the environment.

Water used for drilling and hydraulic fracturing can be sourced through three key routes; n Directly from a water company, either a potable supply or as raw water; n Directly from a ‘permitted’ water abstraction point, as raw water (groundwater or surface source); n Potentially from the sea or tidal source.

In most cases, unless potable water is used, some pre-treatment is required before it can be used in the well. For example; raw water may need treatment to manage biological issues or additional chemicals may need to be added to manage naturally occurring salts or metal compounds.

The volume of water used to drill a well is very small compared to the volume used in HVHF. However, during the life of a typical shale well, around 20,000 cubic metres of water is required to run a well for a decade, equivalent to the amount needed to water one golf course for a month.

Taking an Integrated Approach to Water Management for Onshore Oil and Gas Water has always played a very important role in onshore oil and gas, and the industry has developed vast experience over its 150 years of operation. The development of Shale gas presents an even greater opportunity to take a wider and more holistic approach to the management of water in the sector, maximising opportunities to reuse and recycle water close to production sites before returning high quality treated water back into the wider environment.

The onshore industry is committed to its responsibility to protect and use water in a sustainable way and continues to work closely with all those with an interest in water issues.

Treatment and Management of Waste Fluids Fluids that return to the surface during drilling or

By United Kingdom Onshore Oil and Gas

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Groundwater and shale oil and gas exploration Development of shale oil and gas in the US Unconventional oil and gas reservoirs have been developed with increasing success in North America following early exploration and development in the Barnett Shale of Texas. The development of the Barnett Shale was driven by Mitchell Energy, led by oil and gas entrepreneur George Mitchell, who held licences in the Barnett Basin. That basin was already an established, although depleted, conventional oil and gas field.

Through a process of experimentation, Mitchell Energy refined techniques of fracture stimulation in low permeability, gas-bearing shales during the 1990’s. After the drilling of over 30 wells, the company achieved economic gas production.

This success was quickly replicated in other geological basins within the US, see Figure 1, and gas, followed by ‘tight’ oil, production increased sharply in the US from 2005 as shown in Figure 2.

By contrast, the level of exploration in the UK and elsewhere in Europe is at an early stage and reliable data on recoverable resources is limited. Potential shale oil and gas basins are shown in Figure 3.

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The process of drilling and fracturing Shale oil and gas is typically found within geological basins containing low permeability strata, often referred to as source rock reservoirs. This highlights a critical difference with respect to conventional oil and gas, where hydrocarbons that have formed within a source rock migrate and can become trapped in a reservoir of higher porosity rock elsewhere in the geological succession. The search for shale oil and gas focuses principally on the basins containing the hydrocarbon-bearing source rocks.

Two techniques have been critical to the development of shale oil and gas: n Horizontal drilling – which allows precisely targeted drilling into shale formations, sometime only a few tens of meters thick, at depths of up to 4,000m below ground level over lateral distances of several kilometres; n Hydraulic fracturing – where water and sand is injected under pressure from a well into the surrounding rock formation causing it to fracture, either by opening existing fractures or

triggering the development of new fractures.

The fractures are held open by the sand grains, referred to as a ‘proppant’. Chemical additives are also included in the frac fluid and there has been some controversy around these as well as potential contaminants in the ‘flow-back’ fluid which is brought to the surface post-frac.

Economic benefits For many countries where there is increasing uncertainty over future energy security, indigenous sources of oil and gas can provide a significant boost to the economy. The main economic benefits from shale oil and gas exploitation can be grouped into three categories: n Employment – the process of exploration and development provides employment opportunities, which in turn can bring prosperity and job security. Several reports have highlighted the growth in employment in oil and gas within the US eg CFR (2013). n Taxation – tax revenue from the petroleum industry has historically provided a major

FEATURE: FRACKING The SHEER project is addressing both of these issues. Three potential scenarios that have been identified where groundwater resources could be affected by shale oil and gas development and are highlighted in Figure 4 and listed below: 1.Fluid transport via the well-bore as a result of failure in well integrity.

2.Groundwater and dissolved gas transport via new pathways arising from fracture stimulation, such as leakage via abandoned wells or through zones of enhanced permeability such as faults.

3.Transfer of contaminants through surface activity, including spills or leakage from holding tanks.

Contamination through surface activity has been well-studied and the risks are generally considered to be well understood and comprehensively regulated.

The research has therefore focussed on the potential issues of contamination from a well-bore and contaminant transfer via pathways using the wellestablished source-pathway receptor model.

Drilling of groundwater monitoring wells for a shale gas development in Northern Poland. income stream to governments including the UK and US. There are additional tax benefits from higher employment levels associated with centres for the petroleum industry, such as Aberdeen. n Energy security – the security of future energy supply can make a region a more attractive prospect for investment and development of other, particularly energy intensive, business opportunities.

A broader environmental concern has also been expressed around climate change and the impact of shale oil and gas as an additional source of hydrocarbons. That discussion is beyond the scope of this article but does provide an added dimension to the debate around shale.

Regulatory concerns around potential environmental impacts In the US, shale oil and gas development became established in existing conventional petroleum basins, in areas which had already been extensively explored by drilling and where oil and gas infrastructure was well-developed. As new shale basins were discovered in the US and internationally, sometimes in areas with limited history of petroleum exploration and development, concern grew within some local communities and environmental groups.

These concerns have focused on the following main areas:

Many of these concerns have been routinely, and largely successfully, managed by the oil and gas industry for decades. In the UK this has, however, mainly been ‘offshore’ where contact with the general population – the consumers of oil and gas products – is limited. Onshore drilling is not a new phenomenon in countries like the UK, where over 2,000 onshore oil and gas wells have been drilled, but the scale of future development has caught the attention of regulators and driven the need for further research to provide objective studies as to the impacts and potential risks from shale oil and gas exploration and development.

An overview of the SHEER project The SHEER project (www.sheerproject.eu) – SHale gas Exploration and Exploitation induced Risks – is a three-year Horizon 2020-funded research project relating to shale oil and gas. The project’s principal objective is to develop best practices for assessing risks and developing mitigations in relation to the environmental footprint of shale oil and gas exploration and production. The consortium includes partners from Italy, the UK, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands and the USA. The main focus is to assess the risks and mitigations around induced seismicity, air quality and groundwater.

The groundwater component of the SHEER project

n Water resources and waste disposal;

Studies in North America, eg Jackson et al. (2013) and by the US Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA, 2015) have highlighted the need for a better understanding of potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water aquifers. Two particular areas have been identified as requiring investigation:

n Release of methane and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere from ‘fugitive’ emissions;

n The significance of establishing baseline hydrogeological conditions in unconventional oil and gas developments prior to development;

n Induced seismicity, caused by the ‘frac’ process or by reinjection of produced water;

n Assessment of potential pathways by which potential contaminants might impact drinking water aquifers.

n Contamination of surface- and groundwater;

n The development of new pipeline and distribution infrastructure.

A monitoring programme was established at the SHEER project site at Wysin, North Poland, in 2015, consisting of four boreholes drilled to intersect the main water supply aquifer, as shown in Figure 5. Each borehole has a downhole logger installed, recording total pressure, water temperature and specific conductivity at 15-minute intervals.

A barometric logger is also in place, recording atmospheric pressure and temperature, to allow corrections to be made for groundwater level.

Water samples are collected from each borehole at 4-6 week intervals. During the sampling process, groundwater levels are measured and recorded manually to check against the logger records.

Physico-chemical properties of the groundwater are recorded during well purging and sample collection; these include pH, temperature, redox potential and dissolved oxygen. A field titration for alkalinity is undertaken. Samples are sent for testing at an accredited lab, for cations, anions, trace elements and dissolved gases and isotopic analysis.

Baseline monitoring was undertaken from 2015 until fracture stimulation began in July 2016. This very detailed monitoring programme is ongoing and is planned to continue at least until the end of the project in 2018.

Summary The shale oil and gas industry in the UK and Europe is still in its infancy. The Horizon 2020-funded SHEER project provides an excellent opportunity to address gaps in understanding that have come to light in the US, following the rapid expansion of shale oil and gas developments there. The project is designed to address some of these gaps by providing baseline and ongoing monitoring data plus a robust risk assessment. The project is ongoing but will contribute to the development of best practice recommendations in shale oil and gas operations and associated monitoring.

By RSKW

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AQUAM

PIPELINE TECHNOLOGY

FLINT CRISIS PROMPTS LEAD PIPE REPORT REVISIT Manchester, UK: A landmark paper on lead pipe rehabilitation and replacement techniques, based on a project sponsored by the Water Research Foundation (WRF) 15 years ago, has been revisited by a member of the original project advisory committee.

In 2001 the WRF (formerly AWWARF) and the American Water Works Association co-published Lead Pipe Rehabilitation and Replacement Techniques, which was based on a portfolio of research and technology projects undertaken in the UK by North West Water (now United Utilities). Since its publication there have been significant changes to global and national regulatory limits for lead in drinking water as scientists have become better informed about the risk posed to public health, especially in young children’s brain development.

selection of lowest whole-life-cost solutions, that meet customer need, remains the objective.

“Utilities, along with owners and occupiers of public buildings recognise their Duty of Care towards their users. They should also be made aware of highly efficient and effective techniques to reduce lead exposure.”

Method selection He advises, “The method selection table shown in this paper has been updated to incorporate the latest technological developments and provides a basis from which those concerned can approach their supply chain or specialist advisors to determine the least cost alternatives available to them.”

The issue has risen swiftly up the news agenda in recent months following revelations of exposure to lead in drinking water by people living in the US city of Flint, Michigan. Nick Preston, a member of the WRF Project Advisory Committee for the original report and an expert on lead pipe replacement techniques, has authored an update, commissioned by pipeline infrastructure specialist Aquam.

Renewed interest Nick Preston says, “Quite rightly there is a renewed interest in the risks posed by lead in drinking water. Importantly for utilities wanting and needing to take action, there has also been significant development and commercialisation of viable technologies for pipeline rehabilitation, which have yet to be widely adopted by utilities and their supply chain contractors.”

Happily no city in the UK is facing a drinking water crisis. According to the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI), in 2014, there were just 84 failures at the tighter standard (10μg/l) introduced in 2015 in England, with 70 of these confirmed as being due to customer-owned pipes and plumbing in older housing. However there are

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an estimated 10 million homes across 22 utilities which are connected to the mains network by lead supply pipes.

Rule revision In the US, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water has committed to issue a proposed lead and copper rule in 2017, reflecting national issues brought to light by the crisis in Flint, including a reassessment of the sampling regime and lead service line replacement requirements.

Preston says, “Since these early research projects took place, patents on many technologies for lining and replacing lead service and communication pipes have expired. However, the

Richard Coffey, managing director of Aquam said, “This is a very worrying time for people in Flint, Michigan and other cities affected by the risks posed by lead in drinking water. It is important that those tasked with making supplies safe have access to the full range of options available to them so that any issues can be resolved as quickly as possible.

“It is often assumed that lead pipes have to be ripped out and replaced, but this is no longer the case. Advanced technologies like Aquam’s Nu Line and Serline systems offer a safer, lower cost alternative that minimise disruption to the customer.”

The white paper, Lead Pipe Rehabilitation and Replacement Techniques – an update, can be downloaded at www.aquamcorp.co.uk/register.

The original paper can be viewed at www.waterrf.org/PublicReportLibrary/ RFR90789_2000_465.pdf

GPS PE PIPE SYSTEMS

PIPELINE TECHNOLOGY

GPS manufactures UK’s largest directional drill pipe Leading PE pipe manufacturer, GPS PE Pipe Systems, has pushed the boundaries of manufacturing capabilities by producing a completely new size pipe for the UK water industry’s largest directional drilling project, as part of a major AMP6 United Utilities upgrade scheme.

The mains duplication scheme is a £7m project being undertaken by United Utilities to ensure it can continue to meet the demands of its customers in the Chester, Wirral and Ellesmere Port areas. The new pipeline will follow a similar route to the existing pipe and will transfer raw water from the River Dee to Sutton Hall Water Treatment Works, where the water is cleaned and distributed as fresh drinking water.

A major section of the 1.7km route crosses Chester Approach, a major gateway into Chester City centre, and so approximately 450 metres of horizontal directional drilling was required to install the pipeline underneath the busy road. As this project required a new pipe size and material, never previously used in the UK water industry, new manufacturing capabilities were needed and so United Utilities turned to GPS PE Pipe Systems.

To ensure the pipeline could cater for the future growth of the area, an 800mm pipe was required, but, due to the directional drilling pressures, a minimum 80mm wall thickness was needed, resulting in a required specification of PE100 800mm SDR 11 pipe, a size never previously

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produced in the UK. The perfect partner for this project, GPS prides itself on supplying bespoke solutions for customers and was able to manufacture, test and deliver 450m of PE100 800mm SDR11 pipe within the 12 week time frame.

Manufactured in 12m lengths for ease of storage and handling on a site within a busy public area, the pipe was then jointed using the butt fusion technique above ground and pushed into the drilled trench to ensure a robust pipeline.

The installation was not without challenges; with working on the River Dee embankment there were several environmental considerations that were carefully mitigated by drilling underneath the surface. The varying ground conditions that the drill needed to navigate, including sandstone, soft clay and hard clay, also caused an array of technical challenges. It was testament to the careful planning, collaboration with all parties in the supply chain, and precise installation capabilities that ensured the drilling successfully traversed the ground and came up in the exact location along Chester approach without any settlement concerns.

Successfully completed within 12 weeks, the GPS PE pipe was effectively installed and pressure tested to meet all United Utilities’ requirements.

Commenting on the project, Dan Smith, project manager at United Utilities said: “This new pipeline is vital to ensure we can continue to meet the demand of a growing population. This was a very complex scheme, with such a large directional drilling element making it not only unique but a difficult task to find partners that could deliver the required solutions.”

GPS PE Pipe Systems is a market-leading manufacturer of polyethylene (PE) pipe systems for water, gas, sewerage and industrial applications. Having pioneered PE pipe systems in the UK, GPS has successfully supplied its products to the leading utility, engineering and construction companies for over 100 years.

For further information on any other products within the GPS portfolio, log onto gpsuk.com or call 01480 442600.

THREE NEW WATER SECTOR INNOVATIONS FROM VEGA VEGA WL 61 radar sensor and VEGAMET 391 controller are now MCERTS approved for open channel flow measurement

MCERTS radar VEGA are proud to announce their radar-based system has gained MCERTS approval for open channel flow measurement. The MCERTS scheme, overseen by the Environment Agency, ensures high quality, approved equipment is available to maintain reliable, accurate measurements by end users. Rigorous quality, performance and system tests are undertaken to attain this standard.

Why use radar level? Because of its direct application benefits - a precise level measurement is crucial on any OCF system, as the smallest errors are magnified through subsequent exponential flow calculations. Radar technology is immune to temperature (solar or air influenced), condensation, wind or surface conditions, so a radar-based system delivers a more reliable and accurate level and flow measurement.

Low-cost radar sensor for water level measurement

New radar sensor from £390!

One sensor, all round capability - Reliable level control

The new VEGAPULS WL S 61 contactless radar level sensor is designed for applications in WTW’s, STW’s, pumping stations, CSO’s, digesters, sludge tanks, open channel flow measurement and telemetry gauging stations. The very competitive price combines with globally-proven success, as it joins the VEGAPULS WL61 water radar, which already has 40,000 units installed worldwide. Radar is an interesting technology for the water and environmental sector as it is unaffected by sun (temperature change) wind, fog or rain, surface turbulence, vapours, condensation, which means it is highly versatile and reliable.

Radar sensor £390*

for water and sewage treatment facilities, pumping stations and rain overflow basins. Level sensing for sludge processing and AD units. Open channel flow measurement, open water and flood level monitoring.

VEGAPULS WL S 61

This new fully featured ‘S’ version is loop-powered, has 5mm accuracy, 8m range and flexible mounting options. Its Bluetooth® set up (via free IOS or Android App for smartphone or tablet) or PC (free FDT/DTM download) provides easy, safe and convenient operation. IP 68 (2 bar) submersible housings with 12m sealed cable offer robust protection. Utilising a 10 degree focused beam angle, means it meets the latest EN Level Probing Radar (LPR) standard for open-air use.

▪ Measuring range up to 8 m

VEGAPULS WL S 61 radar sensor starts from as little as £390 - these are fully featured, with no additional accessories required or usage restrictions.

* Scaled pricing:

Bluetooth® - go back to the future!

As well as being standard on the new water radar, Bluetooth® can now be supplied as an option on all VEGA level measurement technologies. Enabling fast, safe and convenient set up and asset management using a smart phone, tablet or PC. That's not all, due to the modular design of the unique plics® system, any level measurement transmitter from this plics® range supplied since it was launched in 2002 can be retro fitted with this latest in set up and asset management communications. Now that's Looking Forward! www.vega.com

▪ Use outdoors without restriction ▪ Flood-proof IP68 housing

▪ Operation via Bluetooth with Smartphone, Tablet or PC

10+ units £390 | 4 to 9 units £415 | 1 to 3 units £460 Further information: www.vega.com/wls61

Call +44 1444 870055 VEGAPULS WL S 61 fully featured and an amazing price

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SELWOOD GROUP LTD

PIPELINE TECHNOLOGY

Selwood makes multi-million-pound investment as pump rental grows Selwood has made a multi-million pound investment in pump rental as it consolidates its position as a leading supplier to the water industry and a specialist in water and waste water applications.

The company has injected more than £5m into its pump rental business unit this year, with further investment planned for 2017 as it continues to expand its market-leading rental offering.

range which is to be introduced for rental and is ideal for water and waste water applications.

Selwood prides itself on bespoke and friendly service and has long-standing relationships with many of its clients and suppliers, and framework agreements for pumping solutions with a large number of major UK water companies including Southern Water, Wessex Water and United Utilities.

The programme will see significant sums ploughed into Selwood’s equipment and fleet and the opening of two new pump rental branches serving the South West and Scotland. Selwood will also be investing in its teams by launching a recruitment drive to staff the new locations.

The developments build on Selwood’s status as one of the few British companies to design, manufacture, rent and sell its own range of surface diesel and hydraulic pumps, coupled with a reputation for outstanding product quality and customer service.

Contractors in the UK and overseas are increasingly driven by operational efficiencies which compel them to choose rental as a more attractive option than capital purchase.

This works in tandem with Selwood’s strength as a global pump sales business because the

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The company’s pump fleet encompasses more than 5,000 diesel and electric units spanning from 2” to 18”, including surface pumps, explosionproof, electric and hydraulic submersible pumps.

durability and longevity of its products – and the fact that they are designed with strong input from colleagues in the company’s pump rental division – make them ideally suited for rental.

As a major part of the investment, this year saw the launch of a new pump, the S150M, a medium head addition to the company’s solids handling

Operating from rental branches up and down the UK, Selwood can deliver innovative pumping solutions anywhere in the UK and overseas at short notice.

Selwood is celebrating 70 years of serving the water industry with pump sale and rental and plant hire. For more information about products and services and latest news visit www.selwood.co.uk

• Confined Space Training • Consultancy • Site Services and Equipment To book Confined Space Training or Services visit: www.arco.co.uk/confinedspaces Or contact Arco Training and Consultancy on 01482 611769.

TOTAL ACCESS part of the Arco family

CSTS

Z-TECH

HOW SAFE ARE YOU? Nick McLauchlan, Z-Tech’s Head of Technology and Innovation featured at the recent WWEM conference in Telford, where he spoke on cyber security.

As Z-Tech’s systems security expect, Nick highlighted the issues and disconnect between Operation Technology, IT and how focusing on getting essential assets connected on the web can be a great security threat to the industry.

Nick said: “It’s a genuine concern that many contractors install SCADA and control systems with little or no thought and understanding of security – for example, I’ve highlighted potential weak points to customers on an increasing number of occasions where readily available default passwords can be used to access plant through the web. It only takes someone with the right Operational Technology knowledge to get into your system, suck out the code, alter it to change the set points for your level alarms and

switch on the pumps. Or worse, switch on (or off) your chemical dosing?

As of 2017 (date?), water companies will now legally have to report breaches, and the new fining system is massive, and losing some customer data could be very costly indeed” Nick also looked at personal security through email phishing: as a demonstration he had carefully picked a similar domain name to WWEM, and backwards engineered speakers email addresses using LinkedIn, Facebook and

published information on google. He then crafted and sent an email with an un-malicious link through his own server to the official WWEM site – if this had been a ‘real’ hack, each click through would have invoked a virus.

Nick said: “In this case the change in link was only a difference between .uk.com (the official site address) and .co.uk (my address) – something that 90%+ of people would not notice. The only way to help yourself here is to be vigilant, don’t click live links and check the address of the sender and website are the same.”

NEW DIRECTOR JOINS THE Z-TECH BOARD

LIONS ARE CHASING US… ..words which Marcio Bonifacio would not like to hear during his 450km cycle ride across South Africa!

Originally from Mackay in Australia, Shannon served his Industrial Electrical Apprenticeship in a sugar mill in North Queensland. He then worked in open-cut coal mines refitting draglines and maintaining coal preparation plants.

Marcio, one of Z-Tech’s Systems Engineers, is taking part in the epic trip from the 10th March 2017, for TransAid.

Shannon has been with Z-Tech for 13 years, working his way up the company from Industrial Electrician, to Business Unit Manager and Head of Service.

TransAid is an international development charity that identifies, champions, implements and shares local transport solutions, improving access to basic services and providing economic opportunity for developing countries.

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Marcio is not new to cycling adventures, he recently undertook the UK Trans Pennine Way and in 2015 he cycled from London to Lisbon for the earthquake victims of Nepal.

Marcio said: “I love the adventure of this challenge, and for such a worthwhile charity. My target is £3500, so I’ll welcome any donations and keep you up-to-date with my progress.” www.justgiving.com/Marcio-Bonifacio

Committed to his own personal development, Shannon is currently completing his part-time BSc in Engineering Management.

Michael Swinhoe, Z-Tech’s Managing Director said: “Shannon is a time-served Z-Techer and has helped Z-Tech to grow, the Z-Tech Board welcome him to his new and well-deserved post.”

Complete solutions for large and small water network projects.

Our teams and equipment are tailored to your individual needs.

Problem Solvers www.z-tech.co.uk

Tel: 01223 653500 Fax: 01223 653501 engineers@z-tech.co.uk

SAFE TRUSTED RESPONSIVE & PROFESSIONAL

SAINT-GOBAIN

SAINT-GOBAIN PAM UK’S DUCTILE IRON PIPE SELECTED FOR RAMSGATE SEWER SYSTEM UPGRADE As part of Southern Water’s next stage of investment in upgrading the sewer system in Ramsgate Saint-Gobain PAM UK has supplied ductile iron pipe from its Integral range together with an anchorage system. Saint-Gobain PAM UK’s pipework and anchorage system were specified by the Morrison Utility Services and Galliford Try joint venture known as MGjv. In a £3 million initiative, Southern Water has been replacing a long stretch of wastewater pipe to help protect the environment and ensure wastewater is removed effectively. Originally, a pipeline ran along the seafront carrying wastewater from the Ramsgate catchment to Southern Water’s wastewater treatment works, serving 94,000 people in the St Margaret's Bay, Kingsdown, Deal, Sandwich and Ramsgate areas.

The new diverted route for the pipeline sees rising main diverted away from the seafront.

Commenting on the project, Ewald Smit, Site Manager for MGjv said: “I found working with Saint-Gobain PAM on my project made things easier, quicker and lowered my costs. The early project cooperation with the technical department of Saint-Gobain proved invaluable.

The technical department visited the site prior to the start of the project to inspect existing old pipework, and recommended the most suitable internal and external linings for the new pipeline, proposing possible savings by out-designing the need for anchor gaskets at every joint. The department ensured best practice installation via on-site training on the day of pipe delivery. Particularly helpful was Saint-Gobain’s flexibility: tender change requests were processed immediately, which significantly helped at the funding stage, and the possibility to reserve pipes meant the lead time reduced by 50%, preventing installation delays. A very good experience with an all-round good supplier.”

Saint-Gobain PAM UK’s Integral pipe system features push-fit joints that may be either non

restrained or self-restrained. For the Ramsgate project a 600mm pipe was specified for the majority of the scheme with some 700mm also used. Alongside the 600mm version, the company provided special gaskets to ensure pipework stability under pressure, thereby negating the need for thrust blocks.

In addition to having completed installation training on site for this particular scheme, SaintGobain PAM UK has also replaced pipework last year on behalf of Southern Water at one of its pumping stations.

Early Involvement at the Design Stage Early project involvement, such as that of the Ramsgate project, helps to improve efficiencies and keep costs down. Having access to initial design information enables the optimisation of pipeline design and energy consumption, the reduction of CO2 emissions and a ‘right first time’ outcome. Many of the projects in which Saint-Gobain PAM UK is brought into have already been designed. In over 90 per cent of cases, the

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company is able to suggest design improvements, and in many scenarios avoid system failures due to inadequate design. The company has seen countless instances in which these savings have reached hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Training Initiatives As already mentioned, the Ramsgate project featured best practice installation via on-site training on the day of pipe delivery. SaintGobain PAM UK offers a broad range of training initiatives. The ‘PAM Academy’ is Saint-Gobain PAM UK’s learning platform, which offers training opportunities in many forms. Through the Academy, CPD (Continuing Professional Development) input is provided.

Saint-Gobain PAM UK manufactures and supplies a complete range of ductile iron sewerage and potable water pipeline products from DN 80 to DN 2000, in accordance with the latest version of BS EN 545 and BS EN 598. The company’s range includes pipes, fittings, specialist jointing systems, valve couplings and flange adaptors.

When you need an innovative partner.

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Water Management by Wilo Wilo make your life easier by combining innovative technology, extensive support and a clear focus on customer service.

Our experts give you personal support in every phase of the project, from planning and configuration through to commissioning.

So when it comes to water management you really can trust Wilo.

For more information visit www.wilo.co.uk or call 01283 523000

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STONBURY

STONBURY HOLDS ITS 5TH ANNUAL WATER INDUSTRY ASSET & QUALITY CONFERENCE Stonbury are a specialist contractor to the water industry, holding framework contracts for the refurbishment of water towers, reservoirs and associated assets throughout the clean and waste water sectors.

Stonbury’s objective has been to bring together representatives from all the UK’s Water Companies to share their latest innovations and best practice. The conference allows delegates to share not only their current challenges, but also their most successful strategies and methodologies to date, improving water quality and asset maintenance across the UK. The conference was first held in 2012 and has experienced year on year growth. This year, the event held on Tuesday 22nd November 2016 introduced a new ‘Innovation Lounge’ for suppliers to display their products and services.

Exhibitors were invited on stage for a twominute speed showcase to attract the relevant delegates to their stands. The introduction of the Innovation Lounge and organic growth in attendees has meant the conference was held centrally at a larger venue of the New Hall, Sutton Coldfield.

Each year, the conference reports on practice improvements throughout the industry, presented directly by water authorities and industry professionals. This year speakers included

presentations by: Severn Trent Water, Thames Water, The Fluid Group and Mott MacDonald.

Stonbury were pleased to welcome back yearly support from the Drinking Water Inspectorate. Dr Guy Franklin, DWI Inspector and Reg 31 Scientist who presented on case studies from across the industry and remained for the duration of the conference to answer questions throughout the day.

James Stonor: “Our 2016 Conference brought together over 70 representatives from almost every water company in the UK. Whilst continuing to address the challenge of combating bacteriological failures in service reservoirs this year also saw us expand the subject matter to consider asset management and best practice particularly under the new industry theme of Totex.

Amber Telford, Mott McDonald presented on the Provision of Industry Guidance on Management of Clean Water Storage Assets, discussing the best practice for design, installation, operation and management of treated water storage assets. The topic derived from the ongoing UKWIR commissioned research project, utilising a collaboration of knowledge from industry professionals, with a goal to set a common standard of practice throughout the UK industry.

Stonbury have also been a part of this project, assisting on advice from their specialised area of asset refurbishment.

The conference was a phenomenal success with some brilliant presentations sharing information and best practise. As with previous years we were delighted to welcome back the DWI who also presented. It wasn’t just the quality of the presentations that ensured the conferences success but the attitude of all who attended.

Delegates were there to share and communicate with each other taking full advantage of the opportunity to be amongst others from the industry facing similar challenges.

Ian Hope, Dams and Reservoirs Manager, Severn Trent Water: “I found the day both stimulating and rewarding. Each presentation was to a high standard and the presenter’s experts in their fields. The conference was well attended by industry professionals from across the country, which provided fertile ground for informed discussion and debate. Thank you for organising such a useful event” Jon Featherstone, Commercial Director: “This year’s conference appeared to be well received by everyone in attendance. The wide range of topics and issues discussed ensured that concentration levels were maintained throughout the day, the quality of the speakers complemented this. The messages communicated provided all listening with some serious food for thought and further discussion when they return to their own environments.”

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This year we also introduced an innovation lounge where suppliers to the water industry could showcase their latest innovations and this was also a great success and will definitely feature and be expanded in future conferences. I would like to thank all who came and look forward to welcoming guests back again as well as many new faces” Next year Stonbury aims to continue growing the conference by bringing more concepts of innovation and methodology to water delegates.

For further information and to express your interest in attending or contributing, please email laura@stonbury.co.uk.

clean water

waste water

steel

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civil engineering

INDUSTRY LEADERS IN THE REFURBISHMENT OF WATER RETAINING STRUCTURES AND ASSOCIATED ASSETS

REFURBISHMENT: RESERVOIRS - WATER TOWERS - CONCRETE/STEEL TANKS & VESSELS - DAMS - SPILLWAYS AQUEDUCTS - PIPE BRIDGES - PIPEWORK - CLEAN WATER & SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS NEW BUILD: CONCRETE/ STEEL TANKS & VESSELS WORKS: INSPECTION SURVEY - RELINING SPECIALIST COATINGS - CORROSION PROTECTION WATERPROOFING - CONCRETE REPAIR - CLEANING & CHLORINATION DESIGN/INSTALL: SECURITY WORKS INC LPC4 ACCESS COVERS - ACCESS LADDERS, HANDRAILS & WALKWAYS - SURGE VESSELS - SUPPLY/INSTALLATION M&E WORKS CIVIL ENGINEERING: DEEP EXCAVATION - STREETWORKS - DEMOLITION - INTERNAL, EXTERNAL & UNDERGROUND PIPEWORK - VALVES - DRAINAGE - RETAINING WALLS - ACCESS ROADS, HARD STANDING & PARKING AREAS CABINETS - SMALL BUILDING INSTALLATION - DEMOLITION - FLOOR SLABS & SCREEDS

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

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

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UK distributors and Technical Support of Dorot Flowcontrol valves.

www.quantumeng.co.uk Tel: 01522 577888 Sales@quantumeng.co.uk Surge Control Specialists for: • Surge Vessels • Spares • Valves • Level Indicators • Gaskets • Vessel Refurbishment

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Products such as aluminium sulphate have been joined by new products derived from the synthesis of highly cationic inorganic polymers to satisfy today’s demand for higher quality water and to meet tighter discharge consent limits. Feralco can provide specialist advice and technical support to ensure the most cost effective methods of treatment are employed.

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Kingsbridge Insurance Brokers 9 Miller Court, Tewkesbury Gloucestershire, GL20 8DN Email: john.collins@kibl.co.uk Telephone: 01242 808 745 Web: www.kibl.co.uk

EK Business Centre, 14 Stroud Road, East Kilbride, Glasgow G75 0YA T: 01355 246235 E: info@mccraetraining.co.uk www.mccraetraining.co.uk

T: +44 (0) 151 802 2910 F: +44 (0) 151 802 2999 M: +44 (0) 7760 174973

Feralco is a leading manufacturer of high performance water treatment and process chemicals. Our product range includes both traditional inorganic coagulants and innovative products to ensure optimum treatment efficiency. Applications include the treatment of drinking water, process water, sewage and industrial effluents and paper processing.

John Collins Account Broker

CABWI / SQA / EUSR Accredited Centre offering a comprehensive range of training services:

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Water Industry Registration Scheme (WIRS) - Training Packages Network Construction Operations (Water) SW DOMS (Modules 1-13) National Water Hygiene Utility SHEA (Water & Waste Management & Core) Safe Control of Mains Connections (Water) NRSWA Street Works Courses for Supervisors and Operatives

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Solve your odour problems and protect your assets from corrosion

Proactive and professional civil engineering design consultancy services.

We have extensive experience and expertise within the design of water network distribution & water network trunk mains. From initial overview through to detail civil design, while also equipped to provide planning, project management and construction support services.

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We would welcome the opportunity to visit you for an initial consultation to discuss your aims and needs. We would endeavour to incorporate our design and engineering solutions to match your business requirements.

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Whieldon Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 4JE Tel: 01782 744333 Fax: 01782 744577 www.fwb.co.uk email: sales@fwb.co.uk

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

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RPS is an international consultancy providing advice upon: the development and management of the built and natural environment the exploration and production of energy and other natural resources We employ 5,000 people in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Africa, the Middle East, Australia and Asia.

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IN THIS ISSUE TAPPING DRILLING AND E EWORK DIRECTIV THE WATER FRAM ON RETAIL SEPARATI CYCLE VIEWS ON AMP SUPPLY CHAIN

INSTITUTE OF

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FIRST AID FOR ACTIVATED SLUDGE PLANTS Euroby Limited is pioneering the use of mobile selfcontained Oxygen Generation and Diffusion systems for emergency use in the municipal sludge treatment market.

the molecular nature of the O2 enables dissolution of the oxygen enabling it to be retained in solution - for up to several days.

This allows more efficient take up of dissolved oxygen, speeding up recovery and getting the process back on line as quickly as possible.

As a long term or permanent solution OxfinitiTM offers further benefits. It is highly efficient - it can reduce energy costs by up to 30% compared with surface aeration or membrane diffusers; around 20% less if it is just used as a base load.

There is therefore no maintenance in the basin required – e.g. cleaning/replacement of membranes.

The System – called OxfinitiTM - is a complete mobile oxygenation system which can produce up to 1000kg of pure oxygen per day.

The unit is self-contained and houses an oxygen generator, but the patented IP is in the oxygen injection and distribution system. Unlike the conventional methods of using air and fine bubble diffusers OxfinitiTM is able to entrain pure oxygen in a side stream taken from the ditch, basin etc. and reintroduce it into the system at a more or less molecular level.

This breakthrough offers some major advantages.

Entirely self-contained, it can be brought to site and be up and running effectively – usually in a day– or even hours in some instances.

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The novel design addresses two concerns of importance to operators: n The patented OxfinitiTM process involves direct injection of pure oxygen from a generator (no bottled gas or storage required) into a stream taken from the basin/ditch in question. There is no hardware required in the ditch/basin other than suction and discharge pipes, so H&S issues are much reduced n Unlike conventional aeration systems which produce bubbles that are retained for seconds,

The aeration bubbles are extremely small – almost molecular levels - giving much better retention and distribution. There is also some evidence that any “conventionally” derived oxygen may be being picked up by the process and retained longer. The result of this is significant reduction in sludge levels. The recent trial showed sludge volume reduction from 18 to 11%.

For more information call: 01903 69 44 00 sales@euroby.comm www.euroby.com

EASTERNAREANEWS EASTERN AREA EVENTS CALENDAR Professional Membership Workshop Kingsgate Centre, Peterborough (2 December 2016) Health and Wellbeing Event – location TBC (Winter 2016) Customer Service Event – location TBC (Winter 2016)

DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTION AWARD The Institute of Water is offering an additional award to recognise members who have made an outstanding contribution to the Institute. Each of the eight area’s will nominate two members with the winner being chosen by HQ and announced at the Institute of Water’s annual conference. The criteria is still being developed, but will be announced shortly.

SITE VISIT TO R2M ACCRINGTON As runners up in January’s Innovation Awards, R2M hosted a technical visit to their premises in Accrington, Lancashire. The day was a great success with delegates hearing about the success of using some of R2M’s products, as well as getting to see a live demonstration of a leak repair.

EASTERN AREA AGM The AGM held on the 24th April 2016 introduced some new members onto the committee. We would like to welcome Sandeep Guhman from Affinity Water and Luke from Z-Tech onto the committee.

Stanbridge Changes to named committee roles: Chair – Ben Tam (Isle Utilities) Vice Chair – Paul Valente (MBDA) Secretary – Kara Sadler (Anglian Water) Events co-ordinator – Martin Bowes (Anglian Water)

MYTH-BUSTING FINANCE OF THE WATER INDUSTRY

EASTERN AREA DRAGONS DEN! As part of the National Innovation Awards, The Dragons Den is coming home to the Eastern Area once again.

This will be held at Cranfield University on 30 January 2016.

Scott Longhurst, the Managing Director for Finance at Anglian Water, gave an engaging presentation into the financial side of the Water Industry . The relaxed venue provided an ideal opportunity to get involved with an engrossing Q&A session following the talk.

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IOW Welsh Area Autumn Forum The annual Welsh Area Autumn Forum was held on the 18th of October at the Grand Hotel in Swansea. The day was a great success with a number of thought provoking presentations offered and all delegates leaving with a much better idea of how to understand their customers and deliver what is important to them.

The day included presentations from a wide variety of individuals, with experienced heads and youthful exuberance both on show and representatives from a number of utility companies, research organisations, customer engagement groups and information technology specialists presenting on topics as diverse as the customers served by these organisations.

The day started off with a keynote address by Julia Cherrett, Managing Director of Retail at Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, about understanding that our customers are not a single entity and how we can get a better idea of who they really are and what they really want, before discussing the preliminary results of the large scale customer engagement exercise recently concluded by Dwr Cymru Welsh Water.

Following on similar themes, the first session of the morning focused on the organisations and groups that exist to serve customer interests, within the context of the water industry, and the value they are adding, followed by how this interacts with the regulatory environment and future trends. It concluded with some of the new tools and systems being developed that can be

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used to interact more effectively and efficiently with our customers and utilise social norms and pressures to influence their behaviour.

The second session dealt with the actual solutions currently being engineered to solve the problems currently being faced, or that will be faced in the

future. This session allowed the showcasing of the Five Fords Energy Park and the benefits being exhibited, the new tools and techniques that have been implemented by gas utilities to minimise customer disruptions during works on gas mains, and the green infrastructure and smart networks

WELSHAREANEWS projects that have been and will continue to offer great benefits to waste water networks going forward.

All delegates were able to dive into a workshop about understanding customer value and how difficult it can be to accurately quantify what it is that your customers value, as well as how to tease the truth out of your customers in order to generate the best solutions for them.

The final session of the day then focused on the innovative tools and techniques that are out there right now, that could and are fundamentally changing the way companies can interact with their customers and receive feedback from them, as well as proactively targeting interventions and capital investment.

With numerous chances to engage with each other and the presenters, the delegates were able to extend their networks and ask questions to delve deeper into the detail regarding some of the specifics of the material covered by the presenters during the course of the day.

The day ran smoothly with all presenters showcasing their skills and topics superbly and numerous thought provoking discussions and sessions taking place. Positive feedback was forthcoming from all parties and the all delegates had plenty of new perspectives and ideas to take away with them. We hope to see further collaboration and sharing of ideas amongst organisations and sectors to drive continuous improvement and allow all parties to engage with and deliver for the customer more effectively and efficiently.

The forum was opened and closed by the Welsh Area President Alun Shurmer and was organised by the Welsh Area’s young members as an opportunity for continual personal development.

We would like to thank all of the presenters for providing us with such an interesting, informative and thought provoking day. Additionally we would like to thank everyone involved in the forum’s organisation; in particular the project team; Brendan Hansen, Jordana Murray, Richard Jones, Ruth Anthony, and Sophie Straiton. Look out for details on our 2017 Autumn Forum.

WELSH AREA/RISING STAR VISIT TO NORTHERN IRELAND AREA On the 13th & 14th October 2016 the Institute of Water NI Area had the pleasure of hosting members from the Welsh Area along with Rising Stars Anna Riddick (Welsh Water), Kara Sadler (Anglian Water) and Joanne Lamont (WRc).

Thursday the 13th October kicked off with ‘Are you being served?’, no, not the 1970’s TV programme… this was the theme for the NI Area’s Autumn Seminar which focussed on customer service. The speakers gave great insight into customer service in their particular fields with common themes and pitfalls no matter who was serving the customer i.e. water companies, electricity companies or shopping centres.

That evening the troops re-assembled at the House of Zen for some Chinese Cuisine followed by an evening of entertainment from a local band in the John Hewitt Bar which allowed everyone to enjoy the craic and put their dancing shoes to good use.

Friday morning was an early start to County Down to visit Fofanny WTW. On the way to the works the roads were covered in hail stones after the thunderous storm that had just passed through hours before and gave us all a great light show in the early hours of the morning. Lilian Parkes and our hosts Maynard Cousley & Stewart Walsh gave an informative presentation and showed everyone around the works and Silent Valley Reservoir. Fofanny WTW is relatively new, completed in 2005 at a cost of £20million with a maximum water supply of 46ML/day supplying roughly 100,000 people. Fofanny is an innovatively designed WTW built underground in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the Mourne mountains in the South East of Northern

Ireland – It is Ireland’s only underground WTW constructed to maintain the area’s natural beauty.

From Fofanny WTW we took a short drive deeper into the Mourne mountains to visit Silent Valley reservoir. Before we started the tour of the reservoir we were treated to some Irish stew in the visitor centre.

The visitor centre shows in great detail the conditions in which the reservoir was built.

The reservoir was built between 1923 and 1933 by a workforce of over one thousand men, nine of whom died. After finding out the history of the dam, it was great for our guests to actually see it and gave them plenty of time to take in the breath-taking views of the Mournes. We also had the opportunity to take a quick trip to the 435kw hydro turbine capable of producing 220,000kwh/ month from the compensation flow out of the reservoir.

The two days crammed in a lot! There was a lot learned regarding customer service, there were history lessons, engineering lessons, geography lessons and it was a great opportunity for networking and I really enjoyed showing our guests around. It also gave me the opportunity to return the favour to the GB water companies that have hosted me over the past 12 months as an IoW Rising Star.

By Matthew Lundy, NI Area Rising Star 2016

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The winning team (Atkins) from left to right; Danny Ball, Eva Linnell, Graeme Wright (Head Fujitsu Dragon), Sinead McElroy and Mark Conlan

On the Road to a Hyperconnected World – the Fujitsu Water Challenge In October, the South West area hosted its first Hackathon. What is a hackathon I hear you say?

It’s creative problem solving; an event where people come together to solve problems.

Hosted at Bristol Water’s Head Office, four teams entered the challenge, from WRc, Atkins, Portsmouth Water and a ‘scratch team’ of entrants on the night.

Hans Jensen, CEO at UKWIR, kicked off the event and asked the audience to consider the big four strategic issues right now in the water industry: n How do we achieve zero leakage by 2050? n How can we achieve zero uncontrolled discharges from sewers by 2050? n How do we maintain 100% compliance with drinking standards by 2050? n How do we half abstractions by 2050?

Graeme Wright talking about Human Centric Innovation

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Next Graeme Wright from Fujitsu introduced the concept of Human Centric Innovation, an approach used to create business and social value by empowering people with digital technology

through three key values; creativity, intelligence and connectedness.

Ruth Allen from RSKW, and member of the SW IoW Committee, then introduced the Hackathon.

The challenge was to develop a technology which could be used as a solution to one of the water industry’s four big strategic issues.

During the break the teams went to separate rooms to ‘hack’, whilst the audience members enjoyed a buffet and a chance to look at the Fujitsu technology demonstrations. This included a virtual reality headset which responds to QR codes with two way video for remote support from a shared service. Also, a set of smart water sensors and analytics and control, and the hyperconnected van. The van is connected to the cloud wherever it goes and acts as a Wifi hotspot to better support engineers. It can be used as a virtual logistics centre with RFID codes on tools and stock items allowing full track and trace to

SOUTHWESTAREANEWS increase first time fix rate on engineering jobs.

Following the break, we reconvened to watch the teams present their solutions to the judges, nicknamed the Fujitsu Dragons including Ruth, Hans, Graeme and Tom Newton (Fujitsu).

Solutions included a self-healing leakage monitor called an Aquabot, which could be applied directly to infrastructure, an intelligent tap which purifies water when it comes out (also comes in an expresso range) and an innovative new tariffing system aligned to smart metering which could be used to reduce the amount of water consumed and a smart sensing/monitoring approach aimed at water quality and 100% drinking water compliance.

Atkins, with their Aquabot were proclaimed the winners, as the judges agreed this was a viable future solution. Prizes included ‘The Water Challenge’ trophy and Fujitsu portable power packs.

A great evening was had by all, with everyone left thinking about what the future will hold for us in this hyperconnected world we live in!

By Sophie Edwards of Thames Water

Atkins team presenting their solution

Frank van der Kleij testing out the virtual headset

SMART NETWORKS MEAN MORE THAN JUST METERING In September, WRc hosted a SW Area seminar on Smart Networks. A large audience gathered to witness presentations from three different viewpoints. The seminar was the first in the South West Area to be recorded and live streamed. with the right skills to get the greatest benefits.

Mike left the audience in little doubt that data science was the future and the ability to describe, diagnose, predict and prescribe would be the key to an improved future for water.

Frank van der Kleij, Bristol Water’s head of network operations, chaired the event and introduced “…. an evolving area of the water business; a reaction to issues of water stress that demand that we all look at resilience and optimisation strategies that extend beyond our immediate industry.”

Professor Dragan Savic from the University of Exeter, opened the evening and focused on the challenges and opportunities that Smart Networks offer. To understand what a Smart Network is we must embrace not only clean water delivery but also the removal of wastewater. We also have to understand that there is a significant industry crossover with, for example, water use impacting energy use.

“90% of the data in the world has been created in the last 2 years”, the challenge isn’t collection it is utilisation of data to improve decision making, to guide strategy and investment and to improve customer engagement. Accepting the limits of the areas we work in, such as the age of assets and infrastructure, we must base our strategies on what is realistic.

“Smart Networks need smart people”. We all have a role to play.

Mike Bishop of Welsh Water offered a Utility

The “Uber” engineering solution may be closer than we think. view of Smart Networks. Mike presented a number of tools that, far from being ‘spaceage’, were already available for a field team to use. Drones for mapping, self-cleaning equipment, augmented reality, 3D printing for spare parts, nanotechnology for sewer cleaning, self-learning networks were all covered in a whistle stop tour through innovative technology that can support a Smart Network.

Mike though remains pragmatic and described a “hype-cycle” we could all recognise, as technologies moved from their innovative trigger, up the slope of inflated expectation, plunging into the trough of disillusionment before moving up the slope of enlightenment to a plateau of productivity.

So when do we invest in Smart Networks? Now, but it is a stepwise process and requires teams

Steve George of Inflowmatix took up the gauntlet for the supply chain and showed how we can turn today’s reactive into tomorrow’s proactive and even predictive. Steve had three definitions of Smart; tidy – as represented by the supply chain; intelligent – as represented by the audience; and painful – a view on the difficulty innovative products sometimes have in getting past the procurement team!

The barriers to a Smart Network are not technological they are an understanding of the best combination of tools, an acceptance of associated organisational change, the ability to look beyond the short term and the ability to present a cost benefit.

If you can assess a failure you might prevent it.

So don’t confuse Smart Networks with Smart Meters, there is a lot more to it than that.

By Mark Hitchmough, COGNICA ltd

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SOUTHWESTAREANEWS ASSET MANAGEMENT EXCELLENCE IN THE NEXT PRICE REVIEW – CHALLENGING THE ‘NORMS’ WITH RSKW AND UNIT 9 Andrew Hunt of Thames Water trying Strike Dodger

In June the South West area held an evening that took a slightly different perspective on the world of water industry asset management, considering the challenges and priorities for asset management excellence in the next price review. The three speakers at this event focused on the impact of competition on the way we manage our assets, what we can learn from other sectors in this area and how exciting new technologies can impact on the quality, efficiency and safety of capital delivery.

There were even some Google glasses to try!

Water Competition and Commercial Asset Strategies - Professor Ruth Allen, Partner at RSKW Ltd, reflected on the impact of competition on how we manage our assets. Comparisons were drawn with the rail industry where rail franchisees such as first Trans Pennine Express are pursuing ISO55001 certification to align with the track owners Network Rail with the ultimate goal of creating a better experience for customers. The relationship is similar to that of Retailer-Wholesaler in water, so there were some interesting learning points. Ruth also described what ‘new entrants’ to our market are doing in this area as well as touching on asset management strategies applied in the commercial sector.

Asset Management and ISO55001 – Benefit or Bureaucracy? - Andrew McArthur, Consultant at RSKW Ltd considered the impact of the application of ISO55001 approaches and their benefits, drawing parallels between water and other industries e.g. rail with particular reference to commercial pressures.

Andrew explained the benefits of ISO55001 approaches and where the standard fits with customer-centric asset management. In particular Andrew focused on RSKW’s seven stages to asset management excellence – in particular the ‘CALM’ stage. This is Controlled Asset Lifecycle Management – really aligning to the plan/do/check/act approach advocated in the standard and embedding this in the organisation properly.

The Use of Gamification as an Educational Tool in Asset Management – Finally, Hugh Truegar of Unit 9 explained and demonstrate Strike Dodger. This gamification training tool has been developed by PlayConstruct (part of a Innovate UK grant collaboration between partners SKANSKA, BRE and UNIT9). Strike Dodger is an interactive educational tool for dig teams and stakeholders, engaging them via gamification rather than bureaucracy, refreshing them on the risks, precautions and procedures to prevent mistakes.

Strike Dodger uses real underground mapping data, and can be developed to replicate any site’s 3D environment. Attendees had the opportunity to use the tool.

An excellent evening with a number of refreshingly different solutions and approaches to our asset management challenge.

By Ruth Allen, RSKW

Andrew McArthur of RSKW Ltd delivering his presentation

HABITAT RESTORATION AND FISH PASSES ON THE KENNET

By Mark Hitchmough, COGNICA ltd

enjoying the peace and tranquility of the meadow but had to move on to view a number of fish passes ARK has project managed, aimed at reinvigorating the river fauna in the reaches above the town.

At the end of September, the SW Area, in association with the charity group ‘Action for the River Kennet’ (ARK), ran a field trip to look at restoration projects on a stretch of the River Kennet in the Marlborough area. The event attracted members from the South West and South East Areas and, with the weather being supportive, a full afternoon of visits was possible.

The event started with a brief presentation

by ARK director Charlotte Hitchmough, who described the uniqueness of the environment that the River Kennet provides, being one of the world’s finest temperate chalk streams, and explained how ARK had been formed to challenge abstraction from the river and to work to preserve this exceptional environment.

Our first port of call was the Stonebridge Meadow restoration project, where an area of previously semi-derelict land had been transformed into a delightful wetland, providing a relaxing local amenity whilst also managing the run-off from the busy A4 to ensure the

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We ended the day at Cooper’s Meadow, in the centre of Marlborough, where the river banks have been restored and the wildlife desert, that was the central field, has been transformed into a fantastic natural amenity. With mowing duties now adopted by local sheep, the damage caused by mechanical mowing has also been reduced. protection of the chalk stream environment.

The project had taken over 1,000 volunteer hours and involved the planting of over 300 plants. It has already hosted 20 local events and encouraged over 200 school children to take an interest in their local river. The delegates were privileged to observe, at close quarters, a heron enjoying this wildlife preserve.

We could have spent the rest of the day

The delegates were able to observe a water vole exploring a side channel as well as discussing the planting scheme that has created this wildlife friendly meadow in the centre of a busy town.

The South West Area would like to thank ARK for looking after us, providing tea and showing us what can be achieved with good management, enthusiastic volunteers and the support of utilities and councils.

SCOTTISHAREANEWS

IOW SCOTTISH AREA STUDY TOUR TO YORKSHIRE WATER Nine of us had the opportunity to attend this year’s IoW study tour to Yorkshire Water. The diversity and range of backgrounds within the group created an opportunity to exchange ideas and assimilate new information.

Under the welcoming supervision of Jane Swift, area forum rep for the IoW at Yorkshire Water, we initially headed towards a water treatment works (WTW). The works treats between 15 and 45Ml/day to supply North Sheffield. The WTW employs the following unit processes: coagulation, flocculation, clarification by dissolved air flotation, primary rapid gravity filters and secondary manganese filters. Chlorine is dosed prior to manganese filtration and again before final distribution. Our guide, Nick Farrar, explained that one of the greatest challenges they face in the treatment of surface upland water in this area is the high levels of colour from dissolved organic carbon compounds present in the raw water. He explained that colour levels often reach around 200°Hazen, which if not removed act as a precursor for disinfection by product (DBP) formation. In order to address this, in 2008 Yorkshire water installed a MIEX® magnetic ion exchange process to the front end of the treatment process.

Nick Farrar further explained that the MIEX® process uses resin beads on which negatively charged dissolved organic carbon is exchanged with chloride ions on active surface sites. At the works the MIEX® process achieves 30-40% colour removal from the raw water prior to feeding the water treatment works, this significantly reduces DBPs formed during distribution. Two main challenges our guide noted are the disposal of the highly coloured brine, a product of the MIEX® resin regeneration process, and the energy consumption of the process. The brine solution

is disposed of through an onsite sewer, which was constructed at the same time as the MIEX® installation to address the waste disposal issue.

Prior to the MIEX® installation, to take advantage of the gravitational head of the raw water entering the works, a 3MW hydropower-generator had already been installed to offset the energy consumption of the whole WTW. In the afternoon, we visited a wastewater treatment site located in North-East Sheffield.

Our guide, Ian Jackson, explained the works treats a population equivalent of 528,000. The construction of the works began in 1884 and was finalised in 1886 though, despite the original storm tanks still functioning, the majority of the processes have been upgraded overtime.

The site has two inlet sources comprising flows from the Don Valley Interceptor Sewer, Tinsley and Blackburn Valley, as well as a high level gravity sewer which picks up flows from the closer surrounding areas. The sewage undergoes primary treatment before being divided between three secondary treatment processes. 60% of the flow goes to a hybrid activated sludge plant (ASP) and 20% to a Simplex ASP. The remaining 20% goes to a new ASP constructed in 2012 to enable to works to meet the tightened ammonia consent put in place to improve the water quality of the River Don. In addition, in 2012 the sludge incinerator was replaced with an anaerobic digestion plant.

Primary and secondary sludge from the works and surrounding sites is thickened and feeds two mesophilic anaerobic digesters at around 47 tonnes dry solids per day. The biogas produced

generates renewable electricity through a 2MW CHP engine. Local farmers use the digestate, a by-product of the anaerobic digestion process, as a fertiliser. We ended the day in Cubana with a well-deserved social gathering.

On the second day we visited the Sheffield Water Centre, at the University of Sheffield. Dr Vanessa Speight, Senior Research Fellow in Integrated Water Systems, warmly welcomed us. Dr. Speight gave an insightful presentation on the TWENTY 65 and STREAM research projects which aim to address the need for water quality improvements within existing water supply systems. Following the presentation, we were guided though the Centre’s water quality testing facilities.

This included a temperature controlled room containing 600m of pipework to simulate a water supply network. Here they carry out bio-film sampling and analysis to identify microorganisms and elements that accumulate within water distribution pipes.

We would like to thank Yorkshire Water and the University of Sheffield. We learned a lot about new technologies and processes used to tackle current and emerging challenges in the water industry and the direction the industry is taking towards sustainable development.

Photos by: Ioana Maria-Muresan, GIS analyst, RPS Water Article by: Ioana Maria-Muresan, GIS analyst, RPS Water & Miriam Cogan, Specialist Graduate Engineer, Scottish Water

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Are you being served? Best practices in customer service The annual NI area Autumn Seminar took place on Thursday 13th October 2016 at the Clandeboye Lodge Hotel in Bangor, Co. Down. The seminar was opened by the NI Area President, Bill Gowdy.

Bill welcomed the attendees from the IW Welsh Area who were visiting the NI branch and went on to detail the role of the Institute and the advantages of membership for non-members in the audience. Bill is also the Director of Engineering Procurement in Northern Ireland Water (NIW) and talked about the changes within customer service that NIW has implemented recently which have seen measurable changes to their scoring against other water companies.

Bill also thanked the speakers for attending and welcomed the host of the first session, Ronan Larkin, Director of Finance and Regulation in NIW. Ronan opened the session and talked about the customer perspective and the importance of customer service within the water industry.

The Keynote Address and first speaker was John French from the Consumer Council NI John described the role of the CCNI and how it is unique within the UK. John detailed the history of the organisation from foundation in 1985 and how the customer experience

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has changed radically from that time with the advent of the internet and social media. CCNI are responsible for many services and have been so for water and sewerage works in NI since 2006.

John provided some data on the time and costs of customer complaints from receipt, through investigation to resolution. CCNI and NIW have been working closely together to put the focus on the customer and increase dispute resolutions.

One major factor is determining what the customer actually wants. John demonstrated how effective these measures had been with NIW rising dramatically in the customer satisfaction league tables against other UK water companies.

Next speaker was John Backhouse, Head of Employee Insight from Harris Interactive UK whose talk was entitled “Unlock the Drivers of Customer Satisfaction”.

John talked about customer surveys, how employees need clear purpose and the importance of the right people in the right jobs, being effectively utilised.

He showed that charities have the highest level of engagement with staff and that there is a critical balance between staff engagement and customer service. Employees effectively engaged by a company are more likely to talk well of a company and resolve issues whilst the opposite is true for those not properly engaged. John had also set up an interactive survey which attendees were able to engage in via smartphones and which detailed the main points of his presentation.

Next up was Edel Creery from Northern Ireland Electricity Networks (NIEN), the Networks Connections Manager, talking on “Think Customer – Creating a Customer Focused Culture”.

Edel detailed her role within NIEN, helping to connect about 9000 customers per annum to the electricity network in NI. NIEN had undergone a customer focus revolution a few years ago with the ethos “Think Customer”.

She talked about how customer expectations are high currently within an age of expectation and immediacy. NIEN review complaints on a regular

NORTHERNIRELANDNEWS basis and encourage staff to think about the customer whilst recognising their own respective roles in the customer experience. Satisfied customers are easier to do business with and to get repeat works from.

Currently NIEN have a customer satisfaction score of 89% but are looking to improve this by engaging employees at all levels to ensure that the customer’s requirements are met throughout whatever the relevant processes are.

Edel detailed the processes in place for emergencies, for seasonal changes (winter) and within a commercially changing electricity network.

Ronan Larkin closed the session with an engaging Q & A session.

Matthew Lundy of NIW chaired the second session which was opened by Jamie Bill, the centre manager of a local shopping centre – Bloomfield Shopping Centre and Retail Park on “A Different Industry’s Perspective”.

Jamie showed how important customer service is to a retail park and retail in general and the lengths that he and his staff go to, to ensure a good customer experience. Dealing with customers from all demographics and with many disabled customers Jamie showed how the requirements and expectations of these differed.

His staff are also often dealing with vulnerable customers and have on occasions helped prevent suicides by recognising the signs and by being well versed in how to deal with the issues these customers will have.

Disabled customers are also well catered for with arrangements in place for their collection, chaperoning throughout the various stores and collection home (via taxi) to provide them with a top range customer experience.

Ronan Murphy and Mark Townsend of Pye, Turner & Townsend talked next on the same topic - “A Different Industry’s Perspective”.

They showed that by providing a good customer experience you retain good customers and these are easier to keep than to attract new ones. The importance is to build up long term relationships.

They again emphasised the importance of staff training / engagement and the need to understand and empathise with the customer.

It is very important to be proactive with clients especially if things have not gone according to plan and to raise and address issues as they arise.

Matthew closed the session with Q & A before lunch.

Session 3 was chaired by David Bell from Aecom.

First up was Des Nevin, Head of Customer Services in NIW on “Are NIW’s Customers Being Served?”

Des provided an overview of NIW’s service provision and showed how NIW was essential to the NI economy on a host of levels.

He set out NIW’s customer vision and told the story of their ongoing journey to a capable and efficient company focussed on the customer. By implementing a major refocus and improvement

programme, NIW have considerably increased their ratings on customer service and are continuing to do so. Their call receipt / resolution has increased dramatically to now being better than the emergency services in terms of dropped calls.

Des showed the extent of the works that NIW had undertaken to date and the scale of the project that NIW have implemented and will continue to implement over the coming years.

Next Mark McEwen, General Manager of Customer Services at Scottish Water talked about “Customer Service and Best Practice” Mark showed how Scottish Water had dropped slightly in the customer service ratings and how they were rectifying this. He detailed the structure of Scottish Water and their customer service objectives.

By customer consultation Scottish Water determine the level of investment in each area – targeting those that customers have the most issues with.

Mark showed how, with the aid of customer focus groups consisting of members of the public, Scottish Water gauge public opinion and their performance. Mark went on to detail the initiatives in place to improve customer service and the mechanisms in place to manage and measure these.

Next Debra Hughes the Customer Experience Manager from Welsh Water talked on “Are We There Yet?” Debra gave an update on Welsh Water with some customer statistics and the mechanisms in place to manage these and to improve upon them. Welsh Water have five key promises to their customers and have increased the customer centre over recent years to ensure that they keep these promises.

Debra focused on the challenges that social media bring, whereby a bad experience is immediately headline news and how they mitigate this via processes, well trained staff and advertising.

Welsh Water is a ‘not for profit’ organisation and this was not well known by most of their

customers until addressed by an advertising campaign.

She finished by emphasising that no one can be complacent with customer service and that it is a constant struggle to improve in an ever changing world, this which Welsh Water has most recently addressed via a smartphone app to help people complete surveys and raise issues.

Next Margaret Gantly the Customer Service Manager of Irish Water talked on “The Irish Water Perspective on Customer Service”.

Margaret talked on the formation of Irish Water (IW) in 2013 and the challenges involved in migrating customers from the various local authorities which had previously managed the water industry in Ireland.

Irish Water as a new supplier immediately utilised technology, using handheld devices to collate and improve data. Margaret provided some data on the tasks and challenges that IW faced with the overall lack of data they inherited and their customers’ expectations after the issues with the introduction of water charges and metering.

Margaret provided some information on the IW Water Business Plan for the future and the need for a well-focused customer service initiative.

Last guest speaker was Paula Denvir, the Contact Centre Manager of Echo NI who entitled her presentation “The Customer Journey – We’re on the Way.” Echo NI run the customer contact centre for NIW. Paula provided a breakdown of Echo NI and what they do for NIW customer service. She highlighted that people were the key to good customer service and showed how Echo NI work with their staff to train them and encourage them along a journey jointly with NIW. Finally, after the final Q & A session, Bill Gowdy closed the seminar which everyone agreed was successful and provided excellent information on customer service to all.

By Terry McCrum, NI Area Committee

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IoW President's Dinner 2016 On September 17th, Raithwaite Hall Hotel in Whitby welcomed members of the Northern Area to its’ idyllic setting to celebrate what was to be a fun filled summer holiday themed 2016 President’s dinner.

Having recently joined the Northern Area Committee following a move to Northumbrian Water from Scottish Water’s graduate scheme and the Scottish Area Committee of the Institute, I was more than a little reserved when I was invited to attend my first event with the Committee and the prospect of attending such a high profile event without the comfort of knowing a great many colleagues or committee members who would be in attendance.

Never one to turn down an opportunity, on the afternoon of the 17th I made the journey across the North York Moors to Whitby and was greeted with weather that reflected the theme of the event – sunshine and warmth, a rare occurrence for a northern Coastal Town in September!

The weather set up the mood for the night, light, warm and jovial as area president Richard Sears opened the evening with a welcome and thanks to delegates, sponsors, the venue and the resident band for the evening – Rhythm Express.

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Following a Caribbean themed dinner accompanied by the customary networking and chit chat, the evening of entertainment got into full swing beginning with some superb covers of Reggae and Ska classics courtesy of Rhythm Express. A short time later and to the disappointment of those who had found the courage to grace the dance floor and bust their well-rehearsed moves, Richard paused the evening to draw the charity raffle in support of Whitby’s local RNLI. Eager to keep the pace of the evening flowing, the next wave of entertainment came in the form of an exceptionally well participated Limbo competition! The good sportsmanship and inclusive nature of the Institute shone through as the room queued up to try their hand (or back!) at answering the question of “how low can you go?!” and going home with the bragging rights of being the Institute of Water’s 2016 Limbo Champion.

Unfortunately 2016 wasn’t to be my year as all I

came away with was a bruised ego and a couple of scuffed knees.

A couple of hours and a good many laughs later, the evening drew to a close and it was time to brave the by then not so Caribbean weather and retire to the comfort of the hotel bar before a good night’s kip!

I’m sure I speak for all involved when I say the night was a fantastic success and hugely enjoyable, something a little different to the expected norm.

As I reflect on the evening as I write this article, I look forward to enjoying and contributing to future events with the Northern Area – I have no doubt that they will continue to impress and uphold the qualities and values that the Institute of Water stands for.

By Matt Summers

NORTHERNAREANEWS

Healthy, Happy and Here IOW Northern Area Seminar – Harrogate November 2016

By Paul Henderson

The Friday morning session was a mix of presentations, reflection and preparation as each of the syndicate groups prepared to present some of their learning back to all in a light-hearted manner, having been given themes earlier in the week that included “Top Trumps” and “Who really wants to be a millionaire”.

The latest event to be held in the Northern Area focused on health and safety, wellbeing and mindfulness.

The residential event held at the Cedar Court Hotel in Harrogate was well attended with a mix of delegates and speakers from all three Northern water and wastewater providers, the supply chain and external experts in their field.

With presentation topics as diverse as process safety to occupational health, from positive psychology to yoga the event has received fantastic feedback.

Completed over three days and held in the usual relaxed style of the Northern Area I thoroughly enjoyed meeting a host of new people, many of whom were new to the Institute.

After starting off with a networking event where we all found out what shape each other were!, and two afternoon presentations it was time for Neil’s quiz, a

I won’t share too much on what followed next but we certainly have some extraverts within our membership (and committee).

staple part of the Northern Area annual seminar.

Thursday was filled with presentations which ranged from the heartfelt and powerful to fun and hilarious including a yoga session after lunch.

After the presentations, the whole group left the hotel for a fantastic meal at a local Italian restaurant which can only be described as a feast, and this was followed with some more networking in the bar area.

I thought the mix of presentations complimented each other brilliantly and I took a lot away from the event, it was very refreshing to have an event that looked beyond the technical side of our business, and I hope some of the techniques and skills learned will support the attendees for years to come.

To find out more about the event contact: Victoria Ross, Northern Area Secretary, victoria.ross@nwl.co.uk

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AREANEWSROUND-UP SOUTHEASTAREA

UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Members of the Institute of Water got a behind-the-scenes look at the scientific excellence at South East Water Scientific Services new state-of-the-art water testing facility laboratory in Farnborough in September.

Around 25 members from various different water companies including Anglian Water, Southern Water, Affinity Water and Sutton and East Surrey joined scientific services experts as part of the event being held on behalf of the Institute of Water. Also in attendance were other Institute of Water rising stars.

On the day, the visitors learnt of the mammoth task that went into transforming the empty warehouse into a bespoke laboratory, transporting specialist equipment from the former laboratory in Frimley, Surrey and the successful accreditation of testing methods at the new facility. This project was fully completed from design to first sample being analysed within a very tight one year timescale.

All aspects of the project were covered in a very informative presentation

by Richard Brown Laboratory Manager. This was followed by a personal tour around the laboratory by scientific services staff including Richard Brown, Will Finlay Laboratory Commercial Accounts and Services Manager, Marcus Bedford Microbiology & Cryptosporidium Manager, Josie Willott Chemistry Manager and Phil Palmer Laboratory Commercial Development Manager. The team were all on hand to talk about the specialist testing taking place in the laboratory and answer any questions.

Will Finlay, who was the Laboratory Project Manager throughout the move and Institute of Water rising star, said: “We were pleased to show members from the Institute of Water around the tour and showcase the hard work that has gone into providing a state-of-the-art laboratory which is at the forefront of water testing. South East Water Scientific Services not only carry out water testing on behalf of South East Water but also for a wide range of different industries across the country.

I have had lots of positive feedback from those in attendance who enjoyed the chance to network with other members as well as hearing all about the scientific excellence that we have here at South East Water.”

For more information on South East Water Scientific Services please visit: www.scientific.services

MIDDLANDSAREA

VISIT TO SEVERN TRENT’S SOLAR ARRAY AND CHP PLANT AT BARNHURST SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS On 22nd September, the Midlands committee organised a tour of the new Solar Array and CHP plant at Barnhurst Sewage Treatment works in Wolverhampton.

The event was attended by a variety of members, including representatives from Anglian Water and the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI). A presentation was given by Pete Doughty, Energy Generation Performance Lead at Severn Trent; which showed the different routes Severn Trent was taking in order to meet its target of producing 50% of energy through renewable sources by 2020. This was followed by a tour of the CHP plant and solar array, led by Jonathan Marston, the site manager.

Rose Jolly, Committee Secretary and event

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organiser said: “It was fascinating to learn about the various ways that we can generate renewable energy. It was brilliant meeting people from different water companies and learning about the different ways that they are generating their own energy.”

Thanks to the success of the event, there will be another site tour organised in April 2017, to include Severn Trent’s Gas to Grid plant and food digestion plant, both in Birmingham.

The midlands branch would like to welcome members from all areas to this event.

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