Institute of Water Magazine - Summer Edition 2010

SUMMER2010 ISSUE167

IN THIS ISSUE: 2010 CONFERENCE REVIEW ASSET MANAGEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION

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CONTENTS

Introduction I am honoured to introduce this issue of the Journal as your new President.

First, I feel it is important to thank Immediate Past President, Jack Carnell on behalf of all our members for his leadership and enthusiasm over the past two years. It is clear that much has changed during his tenure and I believe that our Institute has taken a great stride forward and has been prepared for future growth in the modern world through our “Water Futures Programme”. It would be remiss of me to omit thanks to Simon Bennett who has just relinquished the position of National Chairman and who has encouraged me personally.

Simon has shown great enthusiasm and leadership to each of the Areas through the Area Forum and his visits to Area events. Our new Chairperson Maureen Taylor and I are both conscious that we have big shoes to fill.

We now have a new identity which reflects our role as the only professional Institute which is wholly focussed on the Water Industry. Our members are exclusively from within the water industry and as a result of this our Journal deals exclusively with water industry issues. It focuses on providing you, our members, with information that you will find useful in your career within the industry of which we are all so proud to be a part of.

This issue includes a report on our recent National Conference in Belfast which was a highly enjoyable and thought provoking event, together with a summary of our AGM, the Business Skills Awards and a Social report. There are details of the launch of our new “Water Network” which is a new addition to the website that will allow better communication and networking between members and is the latest development that is part of our Water Futures Programme.

Feature articles in this issue include a paper on Asset Management which compares techniques used by National Air Traffic Services with those used in our industry and concludes that whilst NATS looked to the water industry a number of years ago for inspiration; we might now learn lessons from them in return. A feature on Environmental Innovation, contains two interesting case studies of Award winning projects which highlight, in one case, the environmental and cost benefits of utilisng UV technology for combined sewage discharges and in the second case, how trenchless techniques were adapted to provide an innovative solution for construction of a pipeline through the habitat of the rare Tansy beetle without either damaging it or compromising the scheme.

We also have an article from young member, Nathan Warren, who describes the sustainability, regulation and policy challenge that Severn Trent have set out in their ‘Changing Course’ strategy document. This has received wide national media coverage and is a key debating area for the sector at the moment.

My thanks go to all those who have contributed to this issue and I trust you will enjoy reading the Journal and will find it a useful a point of reference.

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Features 8

Drilling and Tapping Championship Results

14-15 18-19 26-27

Water Network

28-33 36-37

2010 Conference Review

Asset Management Severn Trent Water's 'Changing Course' Strategy Environmental Innovation

Regulars 4-7 9 10-11 60-70

News in Brief Members Update Engineering News Area News

Next Issue The Walker Review Cost Efficiencies Community Relations

Sam Phillips Institute of Water President

Institute of Water HQ: 4 Carlton Court, Team Valley, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE11 0AZ Website: www.instituteofwater.org.uk President: Sam Phillips Chairperson: Maureen Taylor Chief Executive: Lynn Cooper Editorial, Marketing & Events Manager: Lyndsey Gilmartin Tel: 0191 422 0088 Fax: 0191 422 0087 Email: lyndsey@instituteofwater.org.uk Advertising: John Neilson Tel: 0191 478 83 00 Email: john.neilson@distinctivepublishing.co.uk Designed and produced by: Distinctive Publishing Tel: 0191 478 83 00 Email: production@distinctivepublishing.co.uk

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OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE WATER INDUSTRY Winner Arthur Arscott, Regional Director, RPS - Water Fellow Institute of Water member Arthur Arscott who is Regional Director for RPS - Water was the well deserved winner of the Outstanding Individual Contribution to the Water Industry category at the Water Industry Achievement Awards 2010 which took place in May at the ICC, Birmingham.

Arthur’s commitment to the water industry has spanned more than 45 years. His unique blend of skills and experience has been amassed during a long career dedicated to water distribution. This included early work as a distribution inspector with subsequent roles in supervision and distribution management. For the past 15 years he has focused on leakage control - including regional responsibility for South West Water’s highly successful leakage initiative. He is an Incorporated Engineer and, for the past ten years, has been a Director of RPS - Water.

Arthur has made significant contributions nationally and internationally to promote effective leakage control. He worked on five of

From left to right: Angela Himus (Publisher Water and Environment Division – Faversham House Group), Arthur Arscott and Paul Thorne (Comedian) the eight working groups which produced the influential UK “Managing Leakage” reports, served on many national technical groups and chaired several UKWIR research projects investigating key aspects of leakage control. Since 1995 he has presented more than 20 technical papers and chaired major conferences such as the UK Water Leakage 2000 conference in London. His expertise has been sought overseas, particularly in America, Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Malta and Jamaica.

control now used by an increasing number of water companies to help them meet regulatory targets.

In his current role, Arthur has successfully developed strategic long-term partnerships with water companies on all aspects of leakage and network management. Clients include Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, Thames Water, Severn Trent Water and Southern Water.

Arthur was responsible for designing and jointly developing with Technolog and Yorkshire Water an electronic system for valve security and integrity known as the Intelligent Valve Key. This device won the 1995 Manufacturing Achievement Award for Instrumentation Product of the Year and won a place as a Prince of Wales 1996 Innovation Award finalist, featured on the BBC’s “Tomorrow’s World” programme. A recent partnership project headed

by Arthur has led to the development of an innovative device based on valve flow metering, the Accuflow™, that offers a cheaper, faster and more effective way to locate leaks with potential worldwide application.

The imaginative use of new technology to improve the efficiency of distribution activities has always been of particular interest to Arthur and he has overseen the development of a comprehensive portfolio of software for leakage and network

Trevor Hoyle, Managing Director of Water at RPS, states: “The award was well deserved and a fitting testimony to a genuinely outstanding individual contribution to the water industry over a period of more than 45 years”.

GOLD FOR SOUTHERN WATER The way Southern Water communicates with its staff is the best in Britain according to the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Excellence Awards (CIPR).

Southern Water won the national award for best internal communications for a campaign to inform staff about the introduction of a business critical computer system.

Judges said the campaign, which centred around a cartoon creation called Bas the Frog, was: “An innovative approach to introducing a new

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computer system. The programme immediately grabbed attention and helped introduce the computer system in a fun and friendly way.”

To ensure every member of staff was introduced to the new system, 40 training days were held, stretched across 30 operational sites in five counties. This followed an eight-week communications campaign.

The entry beat household names such as Sainsbury's and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

More than 750 companies entered the awards.

Nearly 1,000 people gathered at the Park Plaza Hotel in London to hear President Elect Paul Mylea announce that the CIPR Awards were “the most demanding awards of all to win”. He added: “The shortlisted companies submitted excellent entries but the winners really are in a different league.”

Southern Water’s Director of Communications Geoff Loader said: “These awards are widely regarded as the best in the industry. We are delighted for this national recognition of a great team effort.”

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NEWSINBRIEF

WWEM 2010 will be 'biggest yet' The organisers of WWEM 2010 have announced that this year's event will be even larger than its predecessors. Taking place over two days (10 - 11 November) at the Telford International Centre, there are a host of new features that will attract visitors from a broader section of the monitoring community.

Main Conference The Conference presentations will provide information on the latest regulations affecting process and effluent monitoring with authoritative speakers from the Environment Agency, ABB, SIRA, and UKAS. The Conference will be repeated on both days and chaired by British Water.

The Environment Agency will outline a hardening policy on the use of MCERTS certified products.

The Agency’s Paul Wiggins says, “There is now a good number of flow meters that have achieved MCERTS, so all new and replacement meters must now be certified.” He reports a high number of MCERTS product applications for both flow and analytical instruments and expects many of these to receive certificates at the WWEM event, adding: “We can now look forward to a time when the number of certified analytical instruments will enable us to enforce the MCERTS

policy for all new and replacement water quality monitoring instruments.”

Speakers from the Environment Agency will also provide an update on Better Regulation and the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) and include the latest position on operator self-monitoring (OSM) and the role of MCERTS and Operator Monitoring Assessment (OMA) in supporting the move to OSM for industry and the Water Utilities.

ABB will provide an instrumentation perspective to MCERTS and the Self Monitoring of Effluent Flow under EPR and OMA. It is now over 5 years since the first MCERTS Site Conformity Inspection Certificate was issued.

Over this period, nearly 4000 site inspections have been performed and a speaker from Sira will outline the latest advice for process operators and explain likely future developments.

UKAS will provide an overview on how it interacts with regulators in the water industry and how regulatory requirements are interpreted with respect to ISO 17025 and UKAS accreditation. The presentation will include developments in the 21st century with an emphasis on sampling.

This year's event will include a dedicated Conference for the laboratory sector; a programme of more than 70 Workshops covering a host of issues relating to the practical monitoring and analysis of water both in the field and in the laboratory; and an international exhibition on both days of the event featuring the majority of the world's leading providers of test and monitoring instrumentation and services.

Entry to the Conference will be £55/day or £100 for both days. Registration is now available at www.wwem.uk.com

VEOLIA WATER SCOOPS INDUSTRY AWARDS Veolia Water has scored a hat-trick of industry awards for its environmental leadership.

In a successful week, Veolia Water companies picked up the following awards: ■ Business Commitment to the Environment (BCE) Environmental Leadership Award – Major Commendation (awarded jointly to Veolia Water Central and Stanmore Quality Services). You can read more about this Award in the Environmental Innovation feature inside of this Journal.

■ Business in the Community (BITC) Awards for Excellence - Big Tick (Asda Environmental Leadership Award) (awarded to Veolia Water UK). In addition Veolia Water has been shortlisted for the BITC Example of Excellence Award for Environmental Leadership.

Central, which supplies drinking water to 3.2 million people in North London and the southeast, received a Major Commendation from BCE for linking up with its highways reinstatement and maintenance partner Stanmore Quality Services (SQS) to reduce the environmental impact of its street works by changing industry standards and practices for sustainable waste recycling. The partnership has resulted in more than 20,000 tonnes of excavated street works waste being recycled and reused to back-fill trenches and a saving of almost 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

BITC ‘Big Tick’ - Veolia Water UK

BCE Environmental Leadership Award - Veolia Water Central

Veolia Water UK, the parent company for three water supply companies in the UK, including Veolia Water Central, was not only ranked among those companies in the UK with ‘Retained Platinum’ status in the BITC’s Corporate Responsibility Index, but also received a coveted ‘Big Tick’ for demonstrating environmental leadership in water efficiency and resource efficiency.

Hertfordshire-based company Veolia Water

Examples of innovation included the Veolia

■ Veolia Water UK also retained its ‘Platinum’ status in the BITC Corporate Responsibility Index in 2009 for its continued high-level commitment to responsible business.

Water Central/SQS excavated waste recycling project and a new sustainable process for treating rainwater falling on landfill sites, which produces commercially viable by-products.

Veolia Water UK CEO Frédéric Devos said: “We are delighted that Veolia Water’s continued commitment to environmental leadership and technological innovation has been recognised by these two respected organisations. The environment is the basis of our business and we ensure that our environmental strategy is embedded into everything we do.

“The projects highlighted in these awards demonstrate how it is possible to be environmentally responsible, cutting our waste and carbon footprint, and commercially viable at the same time.

“We can now share with others how effective partnership and innovation can improve resource efficiency and the bottom line. We hope where we innovate others follow.”

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NEWSINBRIEF

GPS PE PIPE SYSTEMS WINS GREEN AWARD Water pipe manufacturer GPS PE Pipe Systems has won the East of England Business in the Community Carbon Positive Award 2010. Run in association with the Financial Times, the award recognises companies consistently striving to reduce their carbon footprint and impact on the environment.

Cambridgeshire based GPS was one of several representatives shortlisted for this prestigious peer-assessed corporate responsibility award. GPS came joint first with the University of East Anglia in the East of England regional group.

GPS won the award for its efforts to reduce energy usage, waste consumption and improve recycling processes. In 2009 alone, various initiatives undertaken by the company, led to electricity usage being reduced by one fifth and gas usage - by a quarter, whilst landfill waste was almost halved. Other initiatives, such as free scrap polyethylene pipe collection & recycling scheme and a sustainable product offering, were also demonstrated to the panel of independent judges.

GPS’s Managing Director Martin Gisbourne commented: “We are very proud and grateful to win this award. It acknowledges that we take a sustained approach

to our environmental responsibilities and that being responsible is integral to our business model".

CRANFIELD RESEARCH TO ENSURE WATER AVAILABLE ON TAP Cranfield University is involved in an exciting new project to ensure that water is delivered to taps, 24-hours a day, seven days a week at the correct pressure, no matter what might happen along the way.

Combining mathematics and risk analysis, the two-year project funded by The Leverhulme Trust, aims to look at what can be done to make sure that water networks can withstand failure – something of a new challenge to engineers and utility managers concerned with the design and maintenance of water distribution systems.

Dr Paul Jeffrey and Dr Alireza Yazdani from Cranfield’s School of Applied Sciences are using a variety of computer-based analytical tools to look at the relationships between water distribution network layout and the ability of the network to continue to deliver a service when components are damaged or fail. They hope to develop methods to assess network vulnerability thereby helping water utilities save costs by improved protection of their assets and better security.

Such methods could also be adapted as a decision support tool for others concerned with critical

infrastructures such as urban transport, energy and supply chain networks.

Dr Yazdani said: “Water services can be disrupted as a result of the ageing infrastructure being exposed to various hazards – from typical failures with low severity, to catastrophic events such as flooding, natural disasters and targeted attacks. Rather like a network of roads where there are multiple routes between points A and B, a water supply network’s physical pattern of pipes, pumps, treatment works and junctions determines its ability to maintain services when one or more pathways are unusable.

While there has been similar research to look at the robustness of power grids, there hasn’t been much around water networks, yet these are classified as critical infrastructure. So protecting them and ensuring their efficiency is extremely important.”

REDUCING THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT It is now generally recognised and accepted that an overreliance on, and misplaced trust in, the financial sector has been a major contributor to the current economic woes throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

This has led to demands within the UK to rebase the economy around a stronger manufacturing base and to rediscover our traditional expertise in innovation which stetches back over 250 years.

The present coalition government considers that the environment is a key sector for future economic recovery and what is often referred to as the green economy, one focussed around renewable energy sources, is targeted for future investment-led growth. In view of its large annual expenditure both on capital intensive infrastructure replacement and

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renewal schemes, as well as the operation of existing assets, the UK Water Companies and their associate supply chains, are well placed both to benefit and to lead in the delivery of new initiatives in the environmental sector.

They have their own aspirational goals for promoting the use of renewable energy, driving down GHG emissions and achieving a more sustainable industry, and recognise the need for continued innovation in order to deliver on these targets. As a result change is rapid both in ideas and practice.

The European Water and Wastewater Management Conference (EWWMC) provides a forum to channel and highlight the latest ideas and developments in this area and the theme of this year’s event is “Reducing the Environmental Footprint of the Water

Industry”. It will explore how the industry is gearing up to the environmental and economic challenges by increasing the efficiency of existing technology, whilst pushing forward with the development of more novel approaches. It will debate how to deal with the seemingly contradictory requirements to deliver large reductions in its carbon footprint (enforced by the Carbon Reduction Commitment), whilst gearing up to meet the much tighter standards of the Water Framework Directive yet delivering both of these at a reduced cost to the consumer.

The 4th EWWM Conference takes place on 27-28 September 2010 at The Royal Armouries, Leeds.

Web: www.ewwmconference.com Tel: 01924 257 891 or email: events@aquaenviro.co.uk

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RESULTS TO DATE 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

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North Surrey Anglian Water Anglian Water Thames Water Thames Water Anglian Water Thames Water South West Water Three Valleys Water Three Valleys Water South West Water Three Valleys Water Wessex Water B&WH/Mowlems NI Water Enterprise B&WH Water Anglian Water B&WH Water B&WH Water Severn Trent Water Balfour Beatty

6 mins 42 secs 4 mins 39 secs 3 mins 43 secs 3 mins 12 secs 2 mins 30 secs 2 mins 31 secs 2 mins 32 secs 2 mins 27 secs 2 mins 26 secs 2 mins 17 secs 2 mins 06 secs 2 mins 15 secs 2 mins 32 secs 2 mins 22 secs 2 mins 24 secs 2 mins 25 secs 2 mins 07secs 2 mins 16 secs 2 mins 12 secs 2 mins 17 secs 2 mins 30 secs 2 mins 24 secs

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The Competition in Full Flow.

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Balfour Beatty Drilling and Tapping Champions 2010

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Daniel Contractors: Best Drilling and Tapping Newcomers 2010

BALFOUR BEATTY CROWNED DRILLING AND TAPPING CHAMPIONS 2010 Team ‘Balfour Beatty’ were crowned winners of this year’s Institute of Water Drilling and Tapping Competition. Contestants Jason Barrett and Lee Maddox beat off stiff competition securing the win with a time of 2 minutes 24 seconds.

The competition was held as part of Sustainabilitylive! 2010 at the NEC in Birmingham from 20 – 22 April. Over 13 teams took part in the contest hosted by the Institute of Water which sees contestants drill and tap a 150mm diameter ductile iron main under pressure and connect a service tap.

The winners will go on to represent the UK in June 2011 at the American Water Works Association Exhibition, Washington DC, thanks to our main sponsors Saint Gobain PAM UK. With their impressive time, Jason and Lee also secured the award for best Contractors.

Congratulations also go to ‘Northern Ireland Water Team A’ on winning the International Competition. Eddie Higgins and Gary Dickinson secured the win against the English and Welsh teams with a time of 2 minutes 20 seconds.

Severn Trent Ladies team also managed to keep hold of the Ladies title with a winning time of 3

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minutes 57 seconds. Competitors Sue Tanner and Julia Hubbard were awarded the new Pipetech Ladies Trophy.

Congratulations to Daniel for winning the best newcomers award with a time of 4 minutes 30 seconds. This was the first time in ten years that Welsh Water had entered a Drilling and Tapping team. The team was made up of Sean Maher and Robert Jones, with their coach Paul Davies.

Steve McElveen, Head of Term Partnerships for Daniel said “We are really proud of the boys and their efforts in this competition, especially as all their practice drills took place after work and on weekends in their own time. I would also like to thank the Institute of Water Welsh Area for sponsoring them and we are looking forward to taking up the challenge again next year.”

Championship organiser Barrie Light from Bournemouth & West Hampshire Water was delighted with the competition and the level of skill and team work demonstrated. Speaking about the event he said: “It is a privilege to organise and run this event for the Institute, the camaraderie shown by all the teams is fantastic. Whether they are new teams

or teams that have competed for years they all support each other sharing information not only about the competition but also their day to day jobs discovering different tools, methods and generally a better way to work more efficiently.

This is a great way for staff to network in a relaxed environment.”

During the competition a collection was held each day around the arena for Sandy Cunningham (Scottish Water) who is running the Edinburgh marathon for Help for Heroes. £500 was collected.

Thank you to all that donated.

The 23rd Institute of Water Drilling and Tapping Competition will take place at Sustainabilitylive!

2011 which will be held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham from 24 – 26 May. If you are interested in putting a team in to the competition next year, or would like to find out about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Clare Haddon in the first instance. Tel: 0191 422 0088, e-mail: clare@instituteofwater.org.uk For more information about the competition contact Barrie Light on 0789 981 7532 or visit www.drillingandtapping.co.uk

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MEMBERSUPDATE

MENTORING SERVICE The Institute now has a mentoring service up and running. This new scheme offers members the opportunity to gain one to one guidance from some of the most experienced and qualified people from the sector.

The Institute believes that members will achieve better levels of professional success if they have the guidance and help of a mentor. This is particularly true when members are pursuing professional registration and can receive help and guidance from a registered member, but it also applies in other situations. A mentor can offer: ■ ■ ■ ■

A different perspective Challenges based on experience Encouragement Help getting motivated when the going is tough ■ Help with setting goals and defining how to achieve them Members who have used mentors in the past have found that the relationship has: ■ Enhanced their training and career development ■ Significantly influenced their attitudes and professional outlook ■ Guided them round major procedural obstacles and pitfalls

■ Improved their results by challenging their assumptions As well as encouraging younger members and those new to the industry to apply for a mentor, the Institute is encouraging and supporting more experienced members to become mentors, so that they can share their knowledge and experience to help other members develop and progress.

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

There are clear benefits to becoming a mentor: ■ Satisfaction from helping others and seeing them progress ■ Deeper, broader knowledge of the industry ■ Opportunity to practise and develop management skills ■ Job enrichment and the chance to build wider networks ■ Increased self confidence and higher visibility within the industry Full guidance and support will be given to members as they sign up to the service.

To request a mentor or if you would like to volunteer to become a mentor, please call 0191 422 0088 or e-mail: info@instituteofwater.org.uk There are a number of mentors and mentees on file so there is no better time to apply!

Further advice and guidance about the scheme and what will be involved is also available upon request.

Winners of the Summer Awards are: £75 Adrienne Walsh for introducing Dr Christopher Bullen, Imtech. £50 Simon Cyhanko for introducing Mike Guthrie, Northumbrian Water. £25 Liz Swarbrick for introducing Amy Leathard, South Staffordshire Water.

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

60 SECOND INTERVIEW Each issue we will be featuring a 60 second interview with a well known figure from the Water Industry. In this issue, Institute of Water Past Chairman Neil Morton takes the hot seat. Neil is a Fellow Member and currently sits on the Institute’s Board. Neil is a Construction Engineer for South East Water and has 26 years service completed.

The best part of my job is rising to the challenges that each day brings; some days you overcome them immediately, other days it takes longer and on some occasions you have to ask for advice…never be afraid to ask.

I joined the Institute of Water because I was told by my Manager it would be a wise thing to do: how right he was. The Institute offers knowledge transfer, unique networking opportunities and friendship.

I serve on the Institute of Water Board because I am a firm believer in putting something back if you have taken something out. I would like to think that I am helping bring the Institute to a more modern, bright and informative organisation that offers fantastic value for money.

If I could be anyone for a day, I would be a Surgeon with the power to improve someone’s quality of life - that must be so satisfying.

My failsafe way to de-stress is to drink copious quantities of red wine and spend time with friends.

I do my bit for the planet by being married to Val! My sons and I have to sort and recycle everything that is unwrapped, poured out of or generally un-packaged.

The best advice I have ever been given is to pay your mortgage off as quickly as you can.

I’ve learnt the hard way that sometimes I have to be more patient with people and situations than I would normally liked to have been.

The car I drive is a Volvo V50 36000 miles, one careful owner, never raced nor rallied!

My proudest moments were my sons being born; achieving 25 years of marriage and being asked to be National Chair of this fine organisation.

The last CD I bought was Vangelis Albedo 0.39 (…and don’t laugh).

I believe the biggest challenge for the water industry is ensuring there are sufficient experienced resources to take this country’s water companies into the next century: from Trenchmen to MD’s we all have our part to play.

It’s no good developing water resource plans if you have no one to deliver them.

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New Chair for EngineeringUK Dr Paul Golby will take over as Chairman of EngineeringUK with effect from 1 September, succeeding Sir Anthony Cleaver who comes to the end of his three-year tenure.

Commenting on Dr Golby’s appointment, Paul Jackson, Chief Executive of EngineeringUK said: “I am delighted that Dr Golby will be joining EngineeringUK to build on the transformational work undertaken by Sir Anthony Cleaver over the past three years. Paul has the background, skills and true passion for engineering that I am certain will help take the organisation from strength to strength.”

Dr Golby, who has been Chief Executive of E.ON UK since 2002, brings with him a wealth of experience of industry and an understanding of the challenges facing the sector.

Speaking of his appointment, Paul Golby said: “I look forward to building on the great work undertaken by Sir Anthony Cleaver, Paul Jackson and the team at EngineeringUK. It’s absolutely clear to me that engineering is fundamental to the re-building of Britain’s economy - indeed

EngineeringUK’s own figures show that if we are to succeed, the manufacturing sector needs to recruit over half a million engineering and manufacturing workers with state-of theart-skills by 2017. The work undertaken by EngineeringUK to promote engineering and engineers has an ever more critical role to play in achieving this.”

Meanwhile, Sir Anthony is staying beyond the end of his term to oversee the third Big Bang UK Young Scientists and Engineers Fair which takes place in London from 10-12 March 2011. Following the successful 2010 event in Manchester, which attracted more than 22,500 people, The Big Bang 2011 will again provide an excellent opportunity for the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) community to come together to enthuse and inspire young people about careers in STEM.

The Institute of Water is supporting next year’s event and updates will feature in future issues of the Journal and on our website. You can find out more about The Big Bang, including details of regional events in the lead-up to March 2011 at www.thebigbangfair.co.uk/home.cfm

ANDREW GAINS IENG REGISTRATION BEFORE HEADING DOWN UNDER Pty Ltd in Perth, Western Australia, specialising in Infrastructure projects and it was important for me to gain registration as it effectively demonstrates my technical capabilities as an Engineer, as well as my ability to manage budgets and personnel. The Institute were extremely accommodating and approachable throughout the whole process and this definitely made it less daunting. For people who are intimidated at the thought of interviews, I would encourage them to apply, since the Professional Review Interview is completely different to a job interview. The focus is on relevant experience the applicant has stated in the evidence submitted that they already have in the Industry.

Andrew Houston has worked as an engineer within the water industry for over 10 years, working on a wide variety of clean and dirty water projects with varying degrees of complexity and roles ranging from contractor to designer. He also has engineering experience in a number of other areas but none of this was recognised in a professional qualification. When Andrew accepted a job offer in Western Australia he decided to rectify this by pursuing registration as an Incorporated Engineer.

“I have enjoyed the many projects I have been involved in over the years and have developed into areas outwith my original field of expertise.

However, I realised that my achievements were not recognised professionally by the Industry.

After undertaking further studies in Health & Safety and being accepted as a Technical Member of IOSH (Institute of Safety & Health) I was looking for a new challenge within the water industry.

For me, the Institute of Water is the benchmark for the industry and the Incorporated Engineer route was the right route to accreditation and professional recognition.

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Andrew Houston, IEng, MIWater, Projects Manager, Georgiou Infrastructure Division

I initially thought the process of being recognised professionally would be out of my reach (because I have an HND not a degree) but this route places considerable emphasis on appropriate experience rather than simply qualification.

I had accepted a job offer to work for Georgiou

The feedback from the process has also been invaluable, identifying areas that I need to develop more effectively and allowing me to redefine my CPD goals for the immediate future.

More importantly, this feedback has made me reassess the way in which I record and evaluate my CPD experiences, in order to develop effectively in my role with Georgiou for the future.

My next target is to undertake the process for International Engineering Technologist via the Institute.”

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ENGINEERING/ENVIRONMENTNEWS

NEW CEO FOR ENGINEERING COUNCIL The Engineering Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Jon Prichard as its new CEO. Jon joins the regulatory body at the beginning of August to replace Andrew Ramsay, who is retiring after 13 successful years at the organisation including eight years as its CEO.

challenges faced by the engineering profession in the coming years”.

Jon, a Chartered Engineer and an Honorary Fellow of the Society for the Environment (SocEnv), joins the Engineering Council from High-Point Rendel, where, as Director of Resources, he had responsibility for the HR, IT, Quality Assurance and business support functions, a role he held since 2007. Prior to that he was an Executive Director at the Institution of Civil Engineers, during which time he served as one of their representatives on the board of SocEnv. Jon also spent 19 years as an officer in the Corps of Royal Engineers, serving both in the UK and overseas.

Andrew said: “I believe that UK society is starting to rediscover the contribution the professions make to our national wellbeing – not particularly in economic terms (though the £2bn surplus on trade in engineering services is quite handy) – but rather in making sense of the miasma of qualifications and courses, providing external verification of their value, ratified by the willingness of employers and clients to trust the results.

Chairman of the Engineering Council Board, Professor Kel Fidler said: “We are very pleased and excited by Jon’s appointment as CEO. His background and experience align well with the needs of the Engineering Council as it meets the

Before the handover, the Engineering Council asked retiring CEO Andrew Ramsay to reflect on his years and experience in the profession.

I sense in recent actions and pronouncements by governments (the Fair Access to the Professions inquiry, the creation of a Technician Council), a grudging acceptance that the professions have a key role to play in the skills agenda.

My belief is that we have only started on a journey

Jon Prichard

Andrew Ramsay

where the sourcing and sharing of knowledge becomes a more and more important part of the work of professional societies.”

The full text which features ‘Changes’, ‘Things that still need fixing’, ‘Things that will never change and ‘Things I will miss’ can be found at http://bit.ly/aor12H

SocEnv Annual Reception

Tim Boldero, Vice President Environment, and Lynn Cooper were joined by Shelley Williams, our latest Chartered Environmentalist, at the 5th Annual Reception of the Society for the Environment (SocEnv).

Tony took us back in time to December 1968, when the ‘Earthrise’ images taken by the crew of Apollo 8 sparked a new relationship with nature by raising awareness of the earth’s fragility. For the next 20-30 years policies and technology achieved success: reduced industrial pollution, cleaner air and rivers, reduction in acid rain and elimination of CFC’s.

At the same time, economic growth brought overuse of the earth’s natural resources, a rise in CO2 in the earth’s atmosphere and a general decline of ecosystems through neglect: economic

Guest speaker was Tony Juniper who for 25 years has worked for change towards a more sustainable society at local, national and international levels and is one of the UK's best known environmentalists.

and population growth both have implications for the environment.

Tony told us he believes we need to change our dialogue if we are to avoid disaster and that environmental professionals require new skills sets to be able to communicate in a compelling way in order to gain the commitment and buy-in needed from politicians and individuals.

These observations are timely as SocEnv is currently reviewing the criteria used to assess Chartered Environmentalists, some five years

after they were first implemented. In the meantime we continue to apply the original criteria which saw Shelley pass her professional review with a glowing report from her assessors.

Shelley enjoyed being at the Reception and had the added bonus of meeting SocEnv Chairman, John Gregory. John is a Vice President of the Institute of Fisheries Management and invited Shelley to an event in Portsmouth relating to Fisheries – an area where she is keen to build good working relationships. You can read about Shelley and her route to CEnv in our next Journal.

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On-line Networking for Members

The Institute of Water has now launched the ‘Water Network’. This is an extension to the current website that will provide members with on-line networking and information sharing opportunities.

We realise that websites such as Facebook and MySpace are constantly mentioned across the media and that it is easy to feel alienated if you’re not a regular user. It's important to remember however that while millions log on and use Facebook every day it's still a minority sport. We are hoping that all members will feel confident enough to at least give the Water Network a try. It has been designed to be accessible by all members, and you don’t need to have experience in social networking to be part of this. All that you really need to know is that the Water Network is simply a way of keeping in touch with other members online, and sharing your views and thoughts on issues important to the industry and the Institute.

Many of you may have logged in already, but for those who haven’t we have put together this user guide. This can also be found on the Water Network under the ‘About’ section. The easiest way to discover what the Water Network is all about, and how it can benefit you is to log in and have a look. You can’t break it – we promise! If you are still unsure, please do not hesitate to ring Head Office and Clare Haddon will be happy to informally talk you through the network and how to navigate the site.

TOPICAL DEBATES AND DISCUSSIONS The Water Network has been set up to encourage members to debate and discuss topical industry and Institute issues. As members can add their own topics, it will very much be up to you what is discussed. At the time of going to print there are currently debates on water efficiency within the industry, rainwater harvesting, sustainability and even formula one! Members have been invited to share thoughts on education in the sector and their favourite memories of the 2010 Conference.

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Have Your Say The Water Network will also be used as a forum for you to have your say about articles that have been featured in this Journal or that you would like to see featured in future. In the last issue of the Journal we started a feature entitled ‘Have Your Say’ which was introduced in response to a members’ questionnaire which revealed a number of members would welcome the opportunity to express their view(s) on a relevant subject.

The article entitled ‘Alarm Bells for the Next Five Years?’ expressed the views of one member Ameeruddin Abro regarding water resources and efficiency in light of the recent price determinations.

Two letters from members were received in response to this article which challenge the author’s views. These have been added to Water Network, and other members have been invited to have their say on what is obviously a subject open to some interesting debate. Please feel free to start a similar discussion on any article you see in this issue.

USER GUIDE LOGGING IN TO THE WATER NETWORK To log-in to the system you will need to enter your membership number and surname. Please contact Head Office if you need your membership number.

Once logged in to the website you have full access to all restricted areas. To enter the Water Network, simply click on the icon towards the top right hand side of the page.

WHAT YOU WILL SEE Once logged in to the Water Network you will see your name and area of the Institute of Water that you belong to. If we have your company and job title on our database this will also be displayed.

This is information that you can edit, and you can find out how to do this in the profile section.

There is also a box that says ‘update your status here...’. The status section below expands on what kind of thing you might want to add into this box and how to do it.

At the top left hand side of the page you will see the Institute of Water logo, and at the top right hand side of the page the website address. Clicking on either of these will take you back into the main website. Once you are back in the main website, you will be able to migrate back and forward into the Water Network providing you do not log out.

To the left hand side of the page is a list of ‘unsubscribed topics’. These are topics that members have added. By clicking onto the topic you will be able to read all of the comments that have been made. You will need to subscribe to a topic in order to write your own comment and take part in the discussion. The topics section below elaborates on how to do this.

The central section of this page links to the main sections of the Water Network. You will initially see the Updates section. This is really a news feed of actions that have recently taken place on the Water Network. This will inform you of any new members that have joined the Institute; show any status updates that have been made and highlight comments that have been made on topics. By clicking on the name or topic name (in blue) you can link directly to that member or the topic. This section also contains tabs to navigate round the main sections of the site that are explained in more depth below.

At the right hand side of the page you will see that upcoming events are listed, and these can be searched by area. Clicking on an event will take you into the main website.

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FEATURE:WATER NETWORK

Updates section

Profile section

Topic section

GETTING STARTED

Other members will be able to view your wall and the interactions that you have had with other members. In the same way you are able to search for other members and view their walls and interactions with other members.

MEMBER SEARCH

YOUR PROFILE Set up your profile page Your profile page allows you to share information with other members. By pressing edit on this page you can both add and amend basic details.

This section represents what people will see when they arrive at your profile, so it is useful to have information on this page that will help others to identify you. If you are an active committee member you may want to mention this or give some background to the area of the industry that you work. Please note you should only add to this page information that you are happy for other members to see.

Upload your photos To upload your profile picture click on the space allocated for this and follow the online instruction. To upload further photographs of yourself or anything relevant to you that will be seen by others at the foot of your profile page press the ‘upload’ key and follow the on-line instructions. Please note that a maximum of 5 photographs can be added. If you have 5 photographs added you will need to delete one before a new one can be uploaded.

YOUR STATUS You can add information to your profile page but one of the more interesting parts of social networking is to share with others what you are doing right now. The publisher—the box that sits on top of your home page—allows you to share short status posts that reflect what you’re reading, working on, thinking about or feeling.

Other members can understand a lot more about you knowing what’s going on in your life and with your career. One you log in and see how other people have updated their status you will soon see the sort of things you might add.

YOUR WALL This is the area of the Network that messages from other people will appear. This will show you which member has sent the message and when.

TOPICS Viewing topics As mentioned above, to the left hand side of the Water Network page you will see ‘unsubscribed topics’, with a list below. These topics are about a range of Institute and industry subjects and issues that may be of interest to you. The green circle indicates comments made by members relating to each topic. Once you click on a topic, you will be able to see the full discussion that has taken place.

Subscribing to topics To post your comments you must subscribe to a topic. The topics you have subscribed to will be listed in the ‘topics’ section of your page.

These can be filtered to show when they were last updated with other members' comments.

By clicking on a listed topic this will show you the topic subject and identify who has added the topic and when. You have the option to add your comments by pressing this button or to view the comments that other members have added most recently. You can also unsubscribe from a topic.

Adding topics You are able to create your own topic using the ‘add topic' tab in the topics section. You will be directed to a new page in which there are three fields. You must give the topic a title.

This will be used by other members to search the topic database, so please give this some thought. Further information can be added in the ‘compose a message’ section and there is also the opportunity to add attachments that other members will be able to download. You can preview the topic before posting it live. Please note your name as the originator of the topic will be visible for members to see.

You can browse members who are active on the Water Network. You can search for members by name, area, employer or job title. Search results will be shown on this page and can be filtered accordingly.

SETTINGS Your login details are displayed in this section.

Other members are not able to view this page.

E-mail Notifications You have the ability to opt in or out of a service to receive e-mail notifications when the following activities take place: ■ A member writes a message onto your wall.

■ A member writes a comment onto a 'topic' that you are subscribed to.

■ A new member joins the Institute of Water and this network.

To opt in to the service make sure the box to the left is ticked. Un-tick the box if you do not wish to subscribe to this service.

There is also the facility to change an e-mail address or pay a bill.

OPTING OUT If you do not wish to be part of this Water Network, please contact Clare Haddon at Head Office. E-mail: clare@instituteofwater.org.uk, or telephone 0191 422 0088. You will still be able to log-in to the member area of the website, but you will no longer be able to access the Water Network.

Your profile page will state that you are not an active member of the Network, so that other members do not try and contact you. Your account can be reactivated at any time upon request.

LOGGING OUT To log out of the Water Network, please press ‘log out’ at the foot of the screen. Alternatively close your website browser.

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CLIMATE CHANGE, THE WATER CYCLE AND VARIABLE SPEED DRIVES How using variable speed drives can contribute to future water security

Utilities are looking at ways of controlling their pump demands, in particular at low voltage AC drives Only during the last five years has the likely effect of weather patterns on the water cycle become apparent and already it is affecting the way water is managed. The more that the water cycle is managed, the more energy intensive it becomes. The more that water is pumped, the more energy is used. The more sewage removed, the more methane is generated.

The power of the variable speed drive (VSD) They are more than just devices used to vary motor speed. VSDs allow more precise control of processes such as water distribution, aeration and chemical feed. Pressure in water distribution systems can be maintained to closer tolerances. Wastewater treatment plants can consistently maintain desired dissolved oxygen concentrations over a wide range of flow and biological loading conditions.

LAST WINTER WAS THE COLDEST RECORDED FOR 20 YEARS

Lowering energy consumption VSDs enable pumps to run at lower speeds and draw less energy while still meeting pumping needs.

Eliminating water hammer and preventing leakage VSDs reduce mechanical stress on pipes, pumps, valves and other key equipment, and diminish the likelihood of water hammer by enabling the flow rate to be increased gradually and safely.

Protect water supplies against severe weather conditions with INSUduct™ the thermally insulated purpose designed product that eliminates the risk of freezing water supplies in above ground situations

Avoiding pump impellor ragging An anti-jam routine enables the drive to perform preventive maintenance on the pump. When triggered it initiates a sequence of forward and reverse runs of the pump to clean the impeller.

Reducing harmonic distortion The switching technology used by drives, can sometimes produce harmonic distortion, adversely affecting power quality and other electrical machinery.

ABB’s low harmonic drives produce exceptionally low harmonic content in the drive input giving a total current distortion of less than 5.0 per cent.

Intelligent pump control ABB’s industrial drive is loaded with functions that meet the demanding needs of squared torque pump control, for single and multi-pump systems.

Conclusion The more that the water cycle is managed; the more energy intensive pumping is utilised. So the role for technologies like VSDs is vital.

• Fully compliant with & exceeds all Water Industry Regulations • Removes the need and expense of having to dig deep excavations for unprotected pipes • Ideal for new homes, urban regeneration, ‘decent homes’ programme, water repairs and lead pipe replacement • Easy to install – reduces work hours and saves labour costs • Insuduct offers a single, twin or larger water service pipe capacity in one unit and comes complete with a ‘climbing’ facility • Made from100% recycled polypropylene and manufactured in the UK

To find out more call Groundbreaker Systems on 01449 673 451 email sales@groundbreaker.co.uk or visit www.groundbreaker.co.uk

ABB Limited www.abb.co.uk/energy

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Double Containment Piping Systems Protection for your Environment People Assets

Meet your environmental and health and safety obligations with double containment piping from IPS. We have a cost-effective range of systems designed to safely handle aggressive media in above or below ground installations.

Call today for further details and to request a copy of our 2010 handbook.

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Lessons to Learn from the National Air Traffic Services Using NATS (National Air Traffic Services) as a case study, Oarisk consultant Doug Marsh considers Asset Management within the air traffic industry and makes comparisons with the water industry.

Particular attention is paid to how Asset Management Plans and Asset Health Reviews can be used to advance knowledge and understanding of how the whole asset base is performing horizontally by asset type and vertically by system, where to target investment and when to adjust asset operation, maintenance and sustainment at a strategic level.

NATS, the UK’s main air traffic service provider, has an asset base that is distributed widely across the UK. It comprises communication systems, navigation, radar surveillance, air traffic control systems within two main centres and the UK’s largest private data network. The asset base has a relatively short life when compared with other national infrastructure industries and has an estimated replacement value of circa £2bn.

The UK air traffic industry regulator is the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) which is divided into two main elements, Economic and Safety Regulation.

Compared with Ofwat and the water industry, the CAA and the aviation industry have a relatively light touch style of regulation. There is no equivalent of June Return for instance and no specific requirement to routinely submit asset condition and performance data. As with the water industry, periodic reviews are undertaken on a five yearly rolling basis, however relatively few people within NATS or consultancy groups are involved.

The focus of the CAA is specifically targeted at Safety and Economic output performance.

Consequently NATS have been able to develop their asset management system to meet business objectives focussed on safety, service, value and environmental performance with very little need to provide detailed empirical and qualitative asset data, as long as there is no adverse external impact to the public.

NATS formalised asset management as a business discipline in 2003 and looked for external guidance from the water industry to accelerate development. In doing so they have taken a lot of lessons learnt and adapted them to meet their needs. The ‘asset owner / asset manager / service provider’ model for instance, now becoming common in water companies, has been applied within NATS with great success, as have many of the methods of asset monitoring and asset management planning practices.

NATS asset management policy, strategy and objectives are disseminated using Asset Management Plans (AMP), this forms the ‘top down’ approach.

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Bottom up asset management is achieved using Asset Health Reviews (AHR). An AHR combines multiple sets of performance data from Enterprise Asset Management and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems to provide a ‘rear view mirror’ aspect and combines this with future requirements, risks, planned investment and an assessment of people factors.

that is supported by design, operational and maintenance engineers and investment strategists.

Each AMP relates to the top of a group of assets comprising an end to end system within the overall asset tree (or asset register). For example, the Navigation System AMP collates all aspects of physical asset planning (including software) for navigation equipment including third party owned e.g. satellites, plus virtual assets such as radio frequency, which NATS are licensed to use. Parallels can possibly be drawn to water abstraction licensing. See figure 1.

The principle concept of the AMP/AHR process is that it takes a slice through all major asset data sets at an equivalent asset level across a whole organisation. Each AHR is information rich and fits onto a single page with all reviews feeding an asset management plan. It has enabled a step change in asset management financial control and a developing understanding of asset-related risks.

Navigation (Navigation AMP) Conventional Navigation (sub section of AMP)

Satellite Navigation (sub section of AMP)

VHF Omni-directional Range (VOR AHR)

EGNOS (no physical asests)

Distance Measuring Equipment (DME AHR)

GPS (no physical asests)

Non Directional Radio Beacons (NDB AHR)

Galileo (no physical asests)

Auto-T & Legacy DF Systems (Auto-T & DF AHR)

figure 1

The equivalent AMP structures in water supply terms would be an Asset Management Plan collating all major assets within a defined area providing the end to end service to customers and Asset Health Reviews targeted at the major assets comprising that system, namely, raw water sources, aqueducts, treatment plants, pumping stations, trunk mains, storage reservoirs, towers, distribution mains, DMAs and all associated fittings.

There are only five people in the NATS Asset Management Team. However, asset management is a collaborative cross functional business process

AHRs are reviewed monthly by Operational Engineering with the full AMP process being undertaken on a six monthly rolling basis, timed to be complete before budget reviews to inform and enable Opex & Capex planning.

A key enabler to the AMP/AHR process has been data architecture and asset information management: it needs to be structured in such a way as to enable measurement of each element at major asset level. By committing to the AMP/ AHR process, NATS has identified areas of both strengths and weaknesses and is therefore driving continual improvement in all areas of asset information management, which improves overall asset management performance.

By ensuring that the higher level annual reporting and planning criteria are embedded successfully into departmental monthly reporting, an asset’s health becomes everybody’s day job. It becomes a jointly owned output which enables overall asset health trends to become visible and influence the decisions required to ensure a safe future.

The following are the measures currently included in each AHR: Condition & Serviceability grades were developed and adapted from the water industry. Each major asset is assessed for condition comprising civil, mechanical, electrical, software and obsolescence issues. Serviceability considers asset function and effectiveness relative to demand patterns, legislation, environmental or technological change. These two measures give a clear indication of the need to make investment in the near, medium or long-term planning horizons.

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FEATURE:ASSET MANAGEMENT

Financial Performance considers fixed asset lives versus real-life forecast retirement and asks if depreciation is applied correctly. Operational costs are monitored and compared to other assets within the group.

Asset Risks consider potential impacts, frequency and duration to customers and the organisation in financial terms. The asset risk element also provides a reference to the overall business risk system to ensure risk governance is ‘joined up’ throughout NATS. People - who is accountable for the assets for different functions, namely who is accountable as asset manager, design, operating and maintenance authorities. The AHR process also considers if there are enough suitable people with sufficient competencies available to ensure the asset continues to be viable for its operational use.

Design and Operational Safety is considered by asking when the appropriate safety case is due for review. Clearly, in the air traffic environment this is a key consideration. The equivalent measure in the water industry is water quality.

Asset Performance is monitored using availability, reliability and maintainability (ARM) metrics:

■ Availability represents total ‘up time’, irrespective of planned maintenance activities.

It is the inverse measure of ‘down time’.

■ Reliability is a measure of ‘mean time between failures’.

■ Maintainability is the ‘mean time to maintain’.

An area is provided within the AHR form to capture any opportunities for asset performance and cost optimisation.

Finally, an assessment is made on the overall asset health, as follows: ■ Green = asset in good health. Service and condition good.

■ Amber = service provision or condition is compromised, risk identified with AMP review requested.

■ Red = major problems with condition and service provision, requires immediate escalation through AMP. In summary, the concept of Asset Health Reviews supporting end to end system Asset Management Planning considers a wide range of aspects that

cannot be seen within any information system.

This concept adds detail provided by the people responsible for different functional aspects of whole life asset management before concluding what the overall health of the asset is.

It has been successfully developed to take a horizontal slice across a whole organisation's asset base at a level that ensures no gaps of corporate asset cost or performance are missed then aligns vertically by services provided. The measures and assessments enable an informed comparative view across all assets to make a judgement on future needs and to assess risks that feed into the asset management planning process.

Excepting differences between the regulatory environments, technology and the services being provided, asset management in the air traffic industry is pretty much the same as asset management anywhere else. It is the author’s belief that whilst NATS were looking to the water industry for guidance and inspiration 7 years ago, the water industry might learn a few good asset management techniques from them in return.

Doug Marsh is a director at Oarisk, a consultancy that specialises in physical asset management focused on cutting waste while improving performance. Doug has more than 30 years’ experience in water utility, air traffic, manufacturing and defence industries. He can be contacted at doug.marsh@oarisk.co.uk. For more information, go to www.oarisk.co.uk.

Gordon Scott and Tim Gadd, both asset managers at NATS, have both supported and developed this process over the past four years and have been key to ensuring this it has been successful. Both have had an input into this article.

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NORTHERN IRELAND WATER

£13.5M INVESTMENT FOR ENNISKILLEN WASTEWATER TREATMENT WORKS

The NI Water team pictured with Regional Development Minister at the Official Opening of Enniskillen Wastewater Treatment Works.

View over Lough Erne from the Wastewater Treatment Works

Background

Water. WDR & RT Taggart were the Project Managers for the scheme providing professional consultancy services to NI Water throughout the feasibility, design, procurement and constructions phases.

The new Enniskillen Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) was designed to replace the old Silverhill WwTW. The old Works was constructed in the 1970’s and was in need of modernisation. Before the new Works was built, the land was used as a sludge drying bed and as a storage yard for NI Water plant and equipment.

The old, now demolished Silverhill WwTW, consisted of Preliminary, Primary, Secondary (surface aerated process), final settlement tanks and a sludge dewatering plant. The outfall of the existing plant combined with a surface water outfall on the shore of Lough Erne.

Objectives/Need The old Works was in need of modernisation and required upgrading to provide a treatment facility that complies with European Union legislation.

The existing plant was undersized for the current and future populations, and unable to meet the more stringent discharge consent standards imposed by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA).

In addition the existing plant included the following key deficiencies: ■ No provision of dedicated storm water storage/treatment facilities on the site with provision provided by means of oversized primary settlement tanks.

■ Inadequate sludge storage capacity to cope with indigenous and imported sludges.

■ Inadequate degritting at the inlet works allowing grit to carryover to primary and secondary treatment process units.

■ Use of mains water for wash down of plant and equipment an unsustainable approach.

Solution The £13million Enniskillen WwTW was built on the existing site previously occupied by sludge drying beds and an equipment storage area and involved the construction of a new WwTW works and Regional Sludge Reception and Processing Facility for the catchment of Enniskillen. It has been designed to a 2030 design horizon, which will accommodate a population equivalent of 35,830.

The plant replaces the old Silverhill WwTW and is designed to meet future flows (Including the new Erne Hospital), loadings and more stringent discharge consent standards set out in the Water Order Consent regulated by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

The plant was designed and constructed by The Lagan Enpure JV on behalf of NI

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The scheme has sought to bring value and innovation to NI Water without compromising water quality standards, meeting the latest NIEA discharge consent standards and the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, the Water Order Consent and other permits under which NI Water must operate.

At Enniskillen, the new process consists of Inlet screw pumps, preliminary treatment (screening grease and grit removal), Storm overflow and holding tanks, primary settlement tanks, Interstage pumping station, secondary treatment in the form of an activated sludge plant, final settlement tanks, a long outfall with diffusers.

Green Apple Award In 2009, the plant was awarded a Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice in recognition of its rainwater harvesting element.

In order to provide a sustainable source of wash water for the plant, the design incorporated the use of recycled final effluent and rainwater harvesting for automated washing of screens and process equipment. This solution directly addressed one of the Key Deficiencies of the old Silverhill WwTW in a cost effective and sustainable way.

Rainwater from the roofs of the sludge treatment buildings is harvested and stored in a holding tank before being mixed with recycled effluent and distributed via the wash water system to individual plant items.

The Green Apple Awards are organised by the Green Organisation who concentrate on the positive aspects of environmental endeavour and make awards for environmental best practice, and for enhancing our built environment and architectural heritage.

This award for Environmental Best Practice recognises the commitment of all involved in the Enniskillen WwTW scheme to innovation and sustainable solutions to engineering challenges.

Conclusion This new state-of-the art facility represents a significant investment by NI Water to ensure the ongoing development of the Enniskillen area including the new Erne Hospital while safeguarding the environment in which the plant has been constructed. The plant will also improve the water quality in Lough Erne.

Enniskillen WwTW was officially opened in June 2010 by Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy MP MLA.

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SERVICE RESERVOIRS

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WWTW

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www.stonbury.com

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We know our assets from our elbows At RSK Group we know that challenging times lie ahead for the UK’s water industry We know that times are tough, money is scarce and legislation is getting tighter. We know that customers want reliability as well as social and environmental sustainability. We know that the water industry can and must do better with its asset managment.

With over 20 years’ experience of supporting leading energy, utility, pharmaceutical and manufacturing players, we also know what it takes to help the best get better. And, unlike conventional consultancies, we know how to consult in the boardroom and fix the problem in the field.

Asset strategies · Asset management surveys · Asset data Inventory services · Intelligent asset management

RSK Group – we safeguard your business environment www.rsk.co.uk/water · water@rsk.co.uk

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MWH

Boosting your Bottom Line It will come as no surprise that the uncertain environment water companies currently operate in is creating significant challenges. Significantly, there is an absolute requirement for the establishment of robust implementation and change management plans to achieve a credible return to shareholders over the next two to three years, whilst satisfying their customers’ expectations. Targeting effort in the right places to create a viable and sustainable future is therefore more important than ever.

Customers’ top priorities are reliable, high quality drinking water and secure wastewater services. However, the water industry’s 2009 final determination, with its challenges on capital maintenance and on-going operational efficiencies, and the water industry’s concern that an imbalance of risk and reward could constrain access to necessary investment funds, means preserving profitability and cash flow is now a front line issue.

Finding operational savings to boost bottom line performance, by driving operational expenditure down and prioritising spend, is key. Arguably this is nothing new – all water companies, as any company, manage their businesses to achieve good bottom line performance; however in the current climate this is business critical.

Putting your figures to work The water industry, like many other industries, frequently has an overwhelming volume of data but has not yet formulated this into adequate business information. Good business decisions, within an asset intensive industry, are critically dependent on good information. Aiding effective decision-making, it ensures returns on investments are realised and embedded into the organisation. Good data will show whether an asset is performing to business targets, how performance and serviceability deteriorates, and the cost of alternative whole life options. Certainly, as we move into the fifth AMP cycle, the value placed on data, its quality and effective management is increasing.

Working with our clients we have demonstrated that by analysing true data needs in light of high level organisational performance objectives, structures and processes can be established to efficiently manage the data and improve information flow throughout the organisation. If data is managed and presented efficiently it assists performance measurement, benchmarking of relative performance and can drive improvements right through the supply chain, boosting bottom line performance. We can take lessons from other industries like retail, oil and gas. Here, as a result of the Cave Review demanding innovation in the industry and its supply chain, step changes have been made in benchmarking asset performance and engaging with the supply chain to drive significant improvements. Most importantly perhaps, return on investment has, in the majority of cases, been less than 12 months. Two successes include:

Oil Industry – asset performance improvements BP (and Shell, Chevron Texaco, Conoco Philips, ExxonMobil) achieved the following reductions in the cost of production through:

by Nigel Kent Senior Principal Consultant MWH Business Solutions

■ Measurement and reporting – focusing management on where to make a difference ■ Process and technology ■ Supply chain management ■ Successful IT implementation ■ Improved communication Year 1992

Cost of Production

Percentage Reduction

£13.5 / barrel

-

1997

£7.0 / barrel

48%

2002

£4.5 / barrel

67%

Retail sector – relevant performance and serviceability information made available to the supply chain fostered alignment in outcomes and material reductions in total cost of ownership. Key retail sector successes like WalMart and Marks and Spencers, have been the move to information sharing. This has allowed monitoring and intervention directly by the supply chain, reduced stockpiles, benchmarking of, and between suppliers; resulting in marked reductions in the total cost of ownership. This has influenced contracts awarded, led to better alignment of the supply chain with the needs of the business and increased supply chain innovation and efficiency.

Data drivers It is important to recognise that poorly managed asset information appears to cost more to manage. The best companies spend perhaps 20% of total turnover managing asset information; the worst around 25% or more. Poor information costs more because of the huge waste of effort collecting the wrong data, recollecting the same data and scrabbling to access what data is available. MWH has been working with water companies helping them establish appropriate information strategies and practical implementations of performance management frameworks. We see a marked interest in this key work area because used properly, data is a valuable asset that can drive operational efficiencies internally and externally. So if they haven’t already, water companies can use these challenging times to pro-actively harness data as a very real opportunity to boost their bottom line.

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27/7/10 10:39:27

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list of clients includes some of the world’s most respected companies operating in fields as diverse as: mining, oil & gas, chemicals, power generation, waste & water, pulp & paper and marine.

The bespoke nature of the service enables us to respond to individual customer requirements and our ability to provide equipment quickly and to budget are key elements in the service offered to customers.

Providing excellent long term performance, Corrocoat Corrosioneering’s ability to combine mechanical engineering with advanced polymer technology allows even severely damaged pumps to be refurbished at a fraction of the replacement cost, often without expensive replacement parts.

Considered to be world class, Corrocoat Corrosioneering is based in the UK but has a network of over 30 facilities worldwide. Our

The use of our advanced materials can

prevent the need for expensive metallurgical solutions on new pumps, and substantial efficiency improvements can be achieved by utilising the Fluiglide range of materials.

All pumps & pump parts are repaired where possible in accordance with ISO standards or better, with upgrades in materials and tightening of tolerances to improve pump life, efficiency and performance. Many of these pumps are protected against corrosion using Corrocoat’s tried and tested coatings – the selection of which is dependant on the service environment.

COMPLETION PACK Every refurbished pump is returned to the customer with its own ‘Completion Pack’ giving assurance to the client that the work has been carried out to the highest standard. This pack contains: performance test data, an internal hydrostatic test certificate and mill certificates for material traceability (if required). Details of all work carried out with relevant photographs are also included.

Forster Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS10 1PW, UK Tel: +44 (0)113 2760 760 Fax: +44 (0)113 2760 700 Email: info@corrocoat.com of the Institute of Corrosion

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www.corrocoat.com 27/7/10 10:39:30

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27/7/10 10:40:29

Proposals for a More Sustainable Future Abstract The water industry in England and Wales has reached a pivotal point. Two decades have passed since privatisation, during which time the industry and the regulatory framework have evolved. While the framework has delivered higher customer and environmental standards, the consequences have been significant water company debt, higher bills to customers and increased carbon emissions. We believe now is a critical time for all of us with a stake in the industry to question what future direction we should take. Without significant changes to the policy and regulatory framework the sector does not look sustainable.

Business as usual - the past and the future The last 20 years have been a success but this has not been without consequences: 1

2

Energy usage and resulting carbon emissions are increasing, largely due to higher, more energyintensive treatment standards being adopted.

The sector is, therefore, not contributing to the Government’s target to reduce UK emissions by 34% by 2020.

Added to the apparent unsustainable circumstances mentioned above is the projected level of water industry capital investment over the next 20 years of £96bn. This investment is being driven largely by the requirement to deliver further statutory and other improvements, as well as adapting to climate change (for example, improving the resilience of our assets) and making our contribution to climate change mitigation (for example, by reducing carbon emissions).

3 The capital investment is heavily influenced by the nature of the regulatory regime. Its present framework of incentives and prescriptive outputsetting encourages a risk-averse approach to meeting standards and can mean that more sustainable solutions are overlooked in favour of capital-intensive solutions. The figure below shows the drivers of investment and their likely consequences: 11 It is not clear that such a continued high level of investment is sustainable in terms of whether it can be financed, whether customers are willing to pay for it and the associated detrimental impact on carbon emissions. It is questionable whether the industry can continue to rely on borrowing to finance a programme of such size, particularly

26

By Nathan Warren, Regulatory Analyst, Severn Trent Water

following the recent global financial crisis which has led to a re-pricing of risk. An additional £27bn of debt does not seem able to be funded especially given the very different position that the industry is in today compared with at the time of privatisation in terms of the level of gearing (debt as a percentage of the regulatory capital value), companies’ credit ratings (how ‘risky’ they are deemed to be and therefore how attractive they are to lend money to) and the allowed returns (the water industry is becoming a less attractive sector for investors due to lower levels of return).

The consequence of this extra borrowing would be a very high debt level of around £2,300 per customer.

4 Such increases in investment would also require water customers’ bills to rise by around 27% from their current levels. Whilst historically the industry has been able to make operational efficiencies to limit the impact of the improvement programme on bills, to continue to deliver efficiencies we will need to improve our processes through much greater innovation. The increased investment leads to higher carbon emissions, in many cases as a result of implementing more energy-intensive processes.

5

The problems with the current regulatory regime The potential outcomes outlined above – higher debt, higher customer bills and higher carbon emissions – do not appear to be sustainable.

Preventing them will require strategic, long-term and innovative approaches to be employed. The current regulatory and policy frameworks, however, do not encourage or indeed allow such behaviours.

The policy framework is too narrow in its focus: 1. Implementation of EU Directives does not take sufficient account of the impact on carbon emissions or customers’ bills.

2. Supply issues are addressed using regionallyfocused, capital-intensive solutions.

The regulatory framework has limitations: 3. Environmental regulation is too inflexible.

4. Economic regulation no longer provides the right incentives.

The industry often fails to play its part: 5. Companies need to be more innovative.

Implementation of the sector’s strategy is not clearly defined: 6. The sector’s strategy does not address how that strategy should be implemented.

The consequences of meeting new challenges without addressing these limitations do not look sustainable.

The significant changes that we think are required We believe that six key changes to policy, regulation and industry conduct (linked to the six problems above) are required to meet future challenges.

Two changes in policy are required: 1. Flexible implementation of the Water Framework Directive.

2. Development of competition through water trading.

Two changes in regulatory approach are necessary: 3. A more flexible approach to consents.

4. An improved price-setting process.

Companies will need to respond: 5. Companies should find innovative solutions.

The overall institutional framework needs to operate in a way that ensures consistency between the overall strategy, the desired outcomes and the required outputs: 6. Prioritising national outcomes to deliver the strategy.

Changing course – the future Change will deliver better outcomes for customers, the environment and investors. Delivering these changes will help create a framework which ensures that the sector is financeable, customers receive the lowest possible charges and the UK is helped to meet its carbon emissions targets, whilst still maintaining the high water quality standards that have been achieved to date.

By modelling future scenarios, based on a package of these changes and using the best available public information, the cost base for the industry looks far lower: 6

7

Lowering the cost base, in particular the capital requirements, would deliver a number of positive outcomes: ■ Investors would benefit from reduced financing requirements.

■ Customers’ bills would, on average, be 11% lower than if we take no action.

■ The environment would benefit from carbon emissions being 13% lower than if we continue with current trends.

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27/7/10 10:40:32

FEATURE:SEVERN WATER 'CHANGING COURSE' Water industry energy usage

Change is needed now

We believe it is time for the industry to take the lead in shaping our future. We want Severn Trent Water’s ‘Changing Course’ document, summarised above, to make a constructive contribution to the emerging debate and we will continue to develop our thinking in this area.

The views expressed in this article are those of Severn Trent Water Ltd and are taken from its recent publication: ‘Changing Course’.

‘Changing Course’ can be found at www.stwater.co.uk

Carbon 000 tonnes CO2 equivalent

Million tons oil equivalent

0.3 0.2 0.1 1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

The water industry's energy use has increased steadily since privatisation.

1

4,500 4,000 3,500 Government target

3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0

2010-15

Capital expenditure £85bn

£m, 07/08 prices

£bn, 07/08 prices

100

60,000

20

Improvements 15 10

Maintenance

Debt Gearing

50,000

60

30,000

40

20,000

£33bn 1990

Nathan Warren, Regulatory Analyst, Severn Trent Water

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

The projected level of debt and gearing required to finance the investment programme does not look sustainable.

4

Capital expenditure

Average household bills 25

450

Current course

24

+27% 400

23

350

300

250

22 21

Alternative

20 19 18 17 16

200

15 1990-95

Customers may be willing to pay the projected increases in bills.

5

1995-00

Operating costs 4,100

2015-20

2020-25

2025-30

Current course 50,000

3,500

Alternative

3,300 3,100 2,900 2,700 2,500 1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

Operating costs would be significantly lower.

Alternative

40,000 30,000 20,000 10,000

0 1990

2030

350

Alternative

300

250

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

Water bills would be lower under the alternative scenario.

Environment

Carbon 000 tonnes CO2 equivalent

400

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

Carbon impact Current course

200 1990

1995

Water industry debt would be lower under the alternative scenario.

8

450

£ per year 07/08 prices

2010-15

Water industry debt

3,700

9

2005-10

60,000

Current course

3,900

7

2000-05

Capital requirements would be significantly lower.

6

Average household bills

Nathan Warren joined Severn Trent Water’s Strategy and Regulation Team in the summer of 2007, right before the major flooding in the area - a baptism of, well, water! For his first two years Nathan was part of the Developing Talent Programme which was a structured series of training events for a group comprised of mostly new graduates but also more experienced staff. Work areas in which Nathan has been involved so far include income forecasting for the Periodic Review, charges modelling for the Principal Statement, I.T. administration for the June Return and helping to introduce a scheme to help vulnerable customers keep up with their water payments. Nathan is currently studying for an MSc in Regulation at the London School of Economics.

20

£27bn

0

0

1990-95 1995-00 2000-05 2005-10 2010-15 2015-20 2020-25 2025-30

Investment is projected to continue to rise.

80

40,000

10,000

3

2025-30

70,000

£96bn

25

0

2020-25

Projected debt and gearing

30

5

2015-20

The carbon impact does not look sustainable.

2

£bn, 07/08 prices

We are not alone in talking about evolution.

The Consumer Council for Water has discussed ‘consumer-led’ regulation. The EA, working with Ofwat, is considering how we can place more of a value on water. The independent Cave and Walker Reviews recently made recommendations relating to innovation and competition, and household charging, respectively.

0.4

£m, 07/08 prices

As one Price Review draws to a close, now is the time to consider how the next is carried out.

Ofwat has begun a review of regulation in the water industry which needs to be completed in time for companies to respond to any changes in their business planning. A step change in innovation by companies is also required.

+113%

0.5

0.0

£ per year 07/08 prices

Ofwat and the Environment Agency (EA) can act now to encourage greater water trading between companies by developing market codes and greater transparency about resource availability.

The Government is considering greater competition in the sector. It has the opportunity to embed water trading in its future strategy.

0.7 0.6

5,000

90 19 92 19 94 19 96 19 98 20 00 20 02 20 04 22 06 20 08 20 10 20 12 20 14 20 16 20 18 20 20 20 22 20 24 20 26 20 28 20 30

A limited window of opportunity exists to implement these changes. Plans are in place, and investment committed, to deliver the WFD during its first planning cycle. There is an opportunity, however, to change our approach ahead of the next cycle (2015-2021).

0.8

19

9 10

0.9

£m, 07/08 prices

8

Annual carbon impacts

1.0

4,800

Current course

4,600 4,400 4,200 4,000

Alternative 3,800 3,600 2015

10

2020

2025

2030

The carbon impact would be lower under the alternative scenario.

Increased borrowing

Higher environmental standards Renewable energy to mitigate climate change

Climate Change

Demand from customers for more robust solutions Higher capital investment

Dealing with increased flooding

Higher bills

Adopting private sewers Customers Increasing supply capacity to adapt to climate change Regulation

Incentives to seek capital rather than operating cost solutions

11

Investment drivers and consequences

Increased carbon emissions

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27/7/10 10:40:33

Global Challenges – Local Solutions

By Sam Phillips

The quality of our National Conferences and indeed of our local Area Conferences is legendary amongst members who regularly attend and their fame is spreading within the industry. With this, and also the success of the previous Belfast Conference in 2000, very much in our minds we felt under considerable pressure as we approached the organisation of this year’s event. A cloud of volcanic ash which persistently threatened air travel in the weeks and days leading up to the conference only added to the pressure! We are so thankful that we can now look back with the satisfaction that the conference lived up to the standards expected, not only in its content and presentation but also in its social events which were highly enjoyable.

My thanks must firstly go to Lyndsey Gilmartin and the team at Head Office for the organisation of the conference, and to the Northern Ireland Area Committee for all their support. Our Conference speakers gave thoughtful and well researched presentations and we appreciate the time spent to prepare and present their papers.

Finally I would like to thank Saint Gobain for their continued support of our Conference and the “Party in 3rd Class” at the Titanic Pump House was thoroughly enjoyed by all. The President’s Dinner in the wonderful surroundings of the Belfast Harbour Commissioners was a sell-out success and a fantastic evening was enjoyed in the company of a great band. We wish to acknowledge the Harbour Commissioners generosity in granting us the use of their prestigious venue.

Financial Challenges Our Keynote speaker Iain Osborne, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation, set the scene by discussing many of the new challenges faced by the Water Industry which must be addressed in the next decade. He accepted that there are growing demands for water and also growing environmental demands placed upon the industry all of which means that investment will continue to rise. He pointed out that debt in the industry has risen from zero to around £33bn over the last 20 years and this cannot be sustainable. Energy use in the industry has risen steadily since 1990 and the carbon impact does not look sustainable. Water bills have risen since privatisation and operational costs are projected to increase. Will customers be able to pay the increased bills? He challenged us to consider how our children will pay for their water quality improvements when they are still paying for ours!

Iain concluded that perhaps the Northern Ireland model of a multi-utility regulator is the best way forward for regulation across the UK. The advantage of this model is that it enables a more

28

joined up approach to regulation and better consideration of the whole picture with regard to energy and environmental costs.

improve the environment is through the more effective sharing of responsibilities and greater understanding of the incentives to act.

Iain was followed by Dr David Lloyd Owen, Managing Director of Envisager Limited, who brought us water industry statistics from around the world and amazed us with the fact that the USA’s water infrastructure is not in as good a state as we might imagine. It has been classified as having developing world status! David then described a variety of financing mechanisms which are available for different applications.

Our afternoon on Environmental Challenges was brought to a close by Tse-Hui Teh, a Research Student from University College London who gave us an excellently researched paper which challenged us to consider how our attitude to water and sanitation is shaped by our normal expectations of how these are provided to us. She contrasted our attitude in the UK with attitudes in other countries where water supply is scarce and sanitation is basic. There is much we can learn from this regarding how we could be much more efficient in our use of water if we really had the will to be more efficient.

The session on Financial Challenges was brought back to “where the rubber hits the road” by our Young Speaker Sam Evans, a Graduate with Yorkshire Water, who described how Kelda Water deals with customers who cannot pay their bills and the mechanisms they have developed to help their more needy customers.

Environmental Challenges The afternoon of our first day focussed on Environmental Challenges and Martin Kane, Director of Customer Services, Severn Trent Water, described Severn Trent’s response to the Gloucester Flooding incident in 2007. Martin opened our eyes to the world of Gold Command when a major crisis event occurs and described how this operated in practice during the major flood event in Gloucester and surrounding areas.

It was impressive to see how things can be done quickly and efficiently when the usual bureaucracy is suspended and our focus is totally on achieving our key objectives in the shortest possible time.

Pamela Taylor, Chief Executive, Water UK, then talked to us about “Making the Sustainable Sustainable” and discussed how the industry needs to form policies that ensure the sustainable work we claim to do is really sustainable and is not just paying lip service to sustainability.

Pamela argued that the best way to protect and

Security Challenges The security challenges of the modern world are significant for our industry and incur a large financial burden. A representative from the CPNI and Charles Le Gallais from Gold Standard gave us a look behind the doors of emergency and major incident planning and even into the Cabinet Office workings of COBRA. It was reassuring to note that we have such highly competent people who are considering these issues and working hard behind the scenes to protect us all.

Jason Ryall, our young speaker from C2C Services then described a practical project to provide and protect essential water supply infrastructure for a Ministry of Defence base at Catterick Garrison where a £4M Water Treatment Works supplying 5Ml/d was commissioned earlier this year. This was done under the 25 year C2C Contract which is worth approximately £1B and covers more than the eastern half of England. He also seriously impressed the delegates by showing some diving shots of himself with a hammerhead shark in the Red Sea while he was holding a message board with a message for the delegates in Belfast!

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27/7/10 10:40:43

FEATURE:CONFERENCE REVIEW

Tse-Hui Teh, Martin Kane and Sam Evans

"The best way to protect and improve the environment is through the more effective sharing of responsibilities and greater understanding of the incentives to act."

Development Challenges Our Friday afternoon session dealt with the challenges of Development in less privileged environments and Andrew Cook of WaterAid pointed out that WaterAid has now been operating for approximately 30 years and quoted statistics from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that demonstrate that $1 invested in water and sanitation in a developing country can result in up to $8 in increased productivity. He went on to discuss the Millennium Development Goals and indicated that 50% of people with no access to water supply in 1990 will still not have access by 2015 and that the Millennium Goals will not be met until 2032 without a major step change in programme. When it comes to sanitation goals we are considerably further adrift and are currently 200 years off the target set for 2015. He concluded by stating that Governments in developing countries must take more responsibility for ensuring that their people have access to water and sanitation.

John Carstensen, Chief Executive, Society for the Environment, referred to the Stockholm Declaration of 1972, especially principles 2, 3, 9 and 12 and pointed out that we have not managed to properly measure the sustainability of our development programmes. In Indonesia the damage done to environment assets by the Tsunami was estimated to be $155M while

the total loss of environmental services due to reconstruction was estimated to be $515M primarily due to damage to already fragile coral reefs. The total cost of reconstructed pit latrines equalled the cost of a piped collection system without a treatment facility and such a project could have been bankable. He believed we should consider the principle stated by Bill Clinton, “Build back Better!” He also felt that there is a lack of appreciation for the multidisciplinary nature of environmental management at all levels. John concluded that three things need to change; (1) greater environmental professionalism is needed in all professions (2) sustainability should be at the heart of every profession and (3) there should be a greater appreciation and recognition of the value of other professions.

Finally, we had two young speakers Anna Marshall of Northern Ireland Water and Pippa Scott Research Student, Loughborough University bring us their experiences of working in developing countries. Anna discussed the relationship between water/sanitation and education and demonstrated that education is a vitally important link in the provision of these facilities.

She used her experience of working with WaterAid in Uganda to illustrate excellently her belief that education has a major part to play in the development of adequate water and sanitation projects in a developing country.

Pippa described the urban dynamics involved in providing adequate sanitation in low and middle income countries and used her research in Dakar, Senegal to illustrate the challenges encountered.

She pointed out that rapid urbanisation is still occurring with 80% of the world’s population expected to be living in urban areas by 2025 bringing major implications for urban planning and service provision. The result of this rapid expansion is the “urbanisation of poverty” and the ensuing poor living standards. She discussed how property rights and security of tenure can help break the poverty cycle and bring enhanced sanitation and used her research in Dakar to show that tenants are generally lower on the sanitation ladder than property owners.

We rounded off the Conference with a review which took feedback from delegates on key lessons and also on the format of the conference.

Those delegates who stayed over for our Area Day on Saturday enjoyed a beautiful day on the North Coast visiting Dunluce Castle perched on the edge of the cliffs, a visit to Bushmills Distillery, lunch overlooking the White Rocks Strand and a visit to the Giant’s Causeway. We had a wonderful day. Unfortunately the ash cloud returned at the weekend and some delegates were unable to return on their planned flights. However they all managed to find alternative means eventually and I think it perhaps made the overall experience all the more memorable!

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27/7/10 10:40:44

1

2010 AGM This year the AGM returned to the body of the Conference and adopted a more conventional style than last year’s event on the River Tyne. Jack Carnell and Simon Bennett retired from their twoyear stints as President and Chair respectively, having agreed to serve a second year to establish the Water Futures Programme. Jack remains as an ordinary Board Member while Simon has stood down after a total of five years.

Sam Phillips, a director with Scott Wilson, was elected President with Nick Ellins, Deputy Chief Executive at CC Water, joining the Board as Vice President. Maureen Taylor, Training Delivery Manager with Welsh Water, was elected as Chair, with Helen Edwards, Project Manager - Water Production Planning with Yorkshire Water joining the Board as Vice Chair.

Three Past-Chairs, Bob Mills (2006-07), Neil Morton (2007-08) and Simon Bennett (2008-10) were made Fellow Members, whilst Jack Carnell, President 2008-10, was made an Honorary Member.

30

2 1

3 Back Row, L-R: Tim Balcon, Nick Ellins, Neil Morton, Bob Mills and Helen Edwards; front row Maureen Taylor, Michael Fowle, Lynn Cooper, Tim Boldero and Sam Phillips

2

‘Three Happy Fellows' with current chair Maureen Taylor

3

From left: Maureen Taylor, Sam Phillips, Nick Ellins

The Board elected for 2010-11 is: President

Sam Phillips

Chief Executive

Lynn Cooper

Vice-President

Nick Ellins

Ordinary Board Members

Tim Balcon

Vice-President Engineering

Michael Fowle

Jack Carnell

Vice-President Environment

Tim Boldero

Bob Mills

Chair

Maureen Taylor

Neil Morton

Area Director (Vice Chair)

Helen Edwards

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27/7/10 10:40:50

FEATURE:CONFERENCE REVIEW

1

3

2

1

The Thompson Dry Dock

2

Russell Corden joins the band

3

David Smoker and Claire Chapman

Saint Gobain Night 2010: A Party In Third Class

By George Irvine

On the Thursday evening 120 members and guests were collected by coach and transported to a mystery location on Queens Island, courtesy of Saint Gobain PAM. They were dropped off right in the heart of the famous Harland & Wolf Shipyard at the Thompson Dry Dock and Pumphouse where the most famous ship in the world Titanic was built.

The theme of the evening was “a party in third class” but I am sure all of those who attended would agree with me in saying the experience was first class!

On arriving at the massive Thompson Dry Dock (pictured) a tour guide offered some insight into this historic place where Titanic was fitted out before commencing her famous voyage.

It was then on to the pump house for a video presentation about the building of the Titanic and

to view the three massive pumps that emptied and filled the dry dock.

Third class steerage was to be found in the Visitor Centre. Guests were treated to a traditional Irish stew and the drinks flowed. A local band led by Niall McClean played typical songs from back in the day, and were joined on stage by one particularly enthusiastic member from Severn Trent Water who couldn’t resist the temptation for a sing along.

The party really got into the swing of things and I think most people got up for a dance or two. The suitably dressed David Smoker from Saint Gobain led some great deck competitions and games. £75 was raised for WaterAid in what turned out to be a rather fierce contest to see who could get a coin the closest to a bottle of whisky. The winner Claire Chapman from Scottish Water is pictured with David and her prize.

At around midnight the coaches arrived to return us to our hotels for a well earned rest – well some of us anyway! Thanks to Saint Gobain PAM for sponsoring another superb evening and we look forward to seeing what fancy dress attire David Smoker will be donning in Swansea next year!

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27/7/10 10:40:56

2

1 1

Catherine Fearon, Ian Limb, Paul Holton and Steve Youell collect the President’s Cup on behalf of South East Area.

2

Guests from South East Area

3

President Sam Phillips with Chair Maureen Taylor.

3

The President’s Dinner The President’s Dinner on Friday Evening was held in the opulent surroundings of Belfast Harbour Commissioners. The headquarters building has on show the magnificent captain’s table and chairs which Gilbert Logan designed for Titanic, but which were delivered just too late (it is said they were subsequently shipped to Southampton, just in time to see Titanic disappear on the horizon).

A harpist played as guests arrived to a drinks reception and tour guides offered interested visitors the chance to have a look around the building. On sitting for dinner, President Sam Philips welcomed everybody to Belfast and outlined the charity for the evening, The North West Zambia Development Trust. This was a

charity close to Sam’s heart with which he had been personally involved and had seen some of the work that they do first hand. The raffle had some great prizes and almost £1000 was raised.

Following a delicious meal, Tim Balcon announced the winners of the Energy & Utility Skills Business Skills Award 2010 and the Institute of Water President’s Cup was awarded to the South East Area.

After all of the formal proceedings, guests danced the night away to music by the Big Band Connection.

SITE VISIT: BUSHMILLS DISTILLERY On the Saturday guests took a trip along the spectacular North Antrim coast-line. A super lunch was provided and day was complete with fine whisky tasting at the Bushmills Distillery.

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27/7/10 10:41:00

FEATURE:CONFERENCE REVIEW

Representatives from Northern Ireland Water receiving the Business Skills Award 2010

From left: Lynn Cooper and Tim Balcon present Steve Youell with the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Award for 2010

Business Skills Awards for the Water Industry 2010 Winners of the Business Skills Awards for the Water Industry 2010 were announced at the President’s Dinner.

The Awards were presented by Tim Balcon, Chief Executive at EU Skills, the Sector Skills Council for the gas, power, waste management and water industries.

Making the presentations, Tim outlined the aims of the EU Skills Business Skills Awards to be recognition of initiatives which have significantly contributed to an improvement in business skills, for example projects which include resourcing, restructuring, upskilling, productivity drives, innovation and introduction of new technologies.

Institute of Water member Steve Youell from Portsmouth Water won the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Award for 2010. Steve was presented with the Award by Lynn Cooper and Tim Balcon. The CPD award is given to an employee in the water industry who has demonstrated an effective approach to their own personal development.

The EU Skills Business Skills Award 2010 was given to Northern Ireland Water, with Severn Trent a close runner up.

On presenting Steve with the award Tim Balcon said that “Steve had maximised his potential offered by a well-executed CPD process which has enabled him to pursue his personal aspirations in tandem with the objectives of his employer.

His development plan is an ideal tool for recording progress and for expressing learning outcomes in a number of ways to suit the activity.”

This was Northern Ireland’s first all age employer-led water Apprenticeship and was primarily developed to combat critical skills gaps and stimulate careers in the water industry. The scheme will ensure young skilled individuals are employed to continue meeting Northern Ireland’s household water requirement. It also addresses concerns about an ageing water industry workforce, 60% of whom are over 40 years old.

Energy & Utility Skills worked in partnership with Northern Ireland Water (NI Water) to define the specific employer needs before developing a Department for Employment and Learning approved framework to include qualifications combining classroom-based learning with on-the-job training competence units at NVQ Level 2 and Level 3.

Upon receiving the award, Steve a 29 year old Scientist, said “I am very proud to receive this award and would like to put on record my thanks for the support given to me over the past 9 years by all at Portsmouth Water.’

Steve started with the Company 9 years ago employed as a Laboratory Technician. Steve, with the support of Portsmouth Water, has subsequently obtained a BSc (Honours) in Applied Science from Portsmouth University along with a Level 5 Management Diploma and is also a Chartered Environmentalist.

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27/7/10 10:41:07

ENERGY & UTILITY SKILLS

Energy & Utility Skills launches new Drainage Registration Scheme Energy & Utility Skills (EU Skills), the Sector Skills Council for the gas, power, waste management and water industries, has been working closely with industry contractors and training providers to develop a registration scheme for drainage operatives. The need for this registration scheme has come about because of the impending transfer of private sewers to water companies. The benefits of the registration scheme are that it will provide contractors with the ability to demonstrate to water companies and customers that their staff are fully competent to undertake the required activities.

To ensure that this registration scheme and competency framework for draining operatives is fit for purpose a working group of contractors and training providers has been on hand to assist with its development, this has been the most essential part of the process because it was because of their need that this initiative developed.

David Hellier, Head of Engagement at EU Skills comments: “The scheme provides a real opportunity to professionalise the drainage industry and will provide an improved service in the future for both the water companies and householders. We are confident that the registration scheme and competency framework is fit for purpose due to the collaboration that has taken place.”

The competency framework that has been developed can now be used by employers and training providers to develop training and assessment programmes to improve the competence of their drainage operatives. Coming out of the competency framework is the specific criteria of the registration scheme, within the framework there are two main elements: 1. A framework for Safety, Health and Environmental Awareness (SHEA) 2. A framework to demonstrate skills competency

The SHEA (Drainage) is currently being developed along with an industry group made up of contractors, trade associations and the water industry. The SHEA (Drainage) will sit alongside a wider portfolio of SHEA schemes developed and operated through the Energy & Utility Skills Register (EUSR). The Utility Safety Health and Environment Awareness portfolio of schemes have been developed in conjunction with industry to provide a uniform approach to health, safety and environmental awareness training across the utilities sector, in line with Health and Safety Executive guidelines. These schemes provide a consistent and industry recognised approach towards the appropriate level of knowledge and awareness required by individuals working across the sector.

Energy & Utility Skills Register (EUSR) Energy & Utility Skills operates the Energy & Utility Skills Register (EUSR). EUSR is an independent skills register which provides recognised standards for the utilities sector. EUSR benefits both the employer and the individual.

An independently operated register confirms the skills and abilities of individuals when moving from company to company or industry to industry; whilst employers now have a robust mechanism to demonstrate the abilities of the workers who operate under their control.

For more information on this new Scheme or EUSR then please contact David Hellier, Head of Engagement at; david.hellier@euskills.co.uk

A Utility SHEA (Drainage) card lasts for three years from the date of training.

The Utility SHEA (Drainage) scheme is affiliated with the Construction Skills Certification (CSCS) scheme to allow water industry workers access to construction sites for purposes of utilities work without the need to complete a separate CSCS card. The construction and utilities industries share a common goal and commitment to robust mechanisms that enable workers to demonstrate health and safety awareness and relevant skills and competences.

“The scheme provides a real opportunity to professionalise the drainage industry and will provide an improved service in the future for both the water companies and householders. We are confident that the registration scheme and competency framework is fit for purpose due to the collaboration that has taken place.”

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Water Utility Nets Top Environmental Leadership Prize The sixth largest water company in England and Wales, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, has taken a top prize at this year’s prestigious Business Commitment to the Environment (BCE) Environmental Leadership Awards for developing the first successful commercial application of ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technology to treat poor quality sewage.

The annual competition, established in 1975 by former British Rail boss, Sir Peter Parker, recognises and rewards companies which protect and enhance the environment without compromising on business performance.

Dwr Cymru Welsh Water was awarded the Process Premier Award for installing and testing UV technology at the Cog Moors treatment works in the Vale of Glamorgan. The pilot project challenged conventional wisdom that UV is only suitable for treating good quality water and proved that it can be just as efficacious in reducing bacteria and viruses in combined sewage and storm overflows. The Cog Moors pilot project has led to a significantly reduced carbon footprint and the technology is estimated to have already led to directly attributable savings of more than £20 million.

Andrew Bowen, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water capital delivery manager said: “Dwr Cymru Welsh Water is proud to have been short-listed for these awards and honoured to be recognised as an industry leader. Our vision over the next 25 years is to strive for even higher quality standards in protecting the environment, to employ a zero tolerance approach to pollution service failures

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and to achieve a 50% cut in the company’s greenhouse gas emissions.

responsibility, and they set the benchmark for other businesses.”

“Being honoured with a prestigious BCE Environmental Leadership Award is acknowledgement that we are on track in turning our vision into a sustainable reality,” he added.

In all, 15 finalists received recognition across a range of business and industry sectors, from large multi-national plcs to SMEs. Their common factor is that they have all demonstrated how environmental leadership can produce substantial benefits irrespective of business size.

Leading water utilities partnership, Veolia Water UK and SQS Ltd received a Major Commendation for changing industry standards and practices for sustainable construction waste recycling. Veolia Water, which supplies drinking water in the south east of England, and SQS, which provides high quality highways reinstatement and maintenance, work closely together to reduce environmental impacts. This innovative partnership has resulted in more than 20,000 tonnes of excavated streetworks waste being recycled for beneficial use and a saving of almost 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

The awards were presented by the BCE president, Sir Anthony Cleaver, at a ceremony on 8 June in London. He said: “Despite the continuing economic challenges, standards in this year’s competition have been higher than ever. All the winners are innovative and forward thinking, driven by a high regard for corporate social

The top award of the night, the Sir Peter Parker Award, went to leading European home improvement retailer, Kingfisher Plc, whose UK brands include DIY store B&Q and ScrewFix. The judges praised its pioneering leadership role since the early 1990s in ensuring that its wood products come from well-managed, sustainable sources.

Kingfisher joins an illustrious list of previous high-profile BCE Award winners. Over its 35-year history, the Awards have attracted some of the most influential names in industry, including ASDA, Unilever, Marks & Spencer and Rolls-Royce.

Congratulating the winners, Sir Anthony said: “The 2010 BCE Awards have once again successfully promoted the business benefits that the UK’s environmental pioneers have achieved through their ingenuity. All the winners deserve

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FEATURE:ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION

BCE Awards President Sir Anthony Cleaver presenting the BCE Process Premier Award to Andrew Bowen, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water.

immense credit for putting environmental issues at the top of the business agenda.”

Energy and climate change consultancy, AEA, is the main sponsor of the 2010 BCE awards. Other sponsors include the Brunswick Group, E.ON, Sustainable Business magazine and WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme).

Applications for the 2011 BCE Awards are now being invited. Companies who believe they deserve peer and public recognition for their outstanding environmental performance and leadership are asked to request an application form from the BCE Awards website (www. bceawards.org) and submit it before the closing date of 11 October 2010.

More about the project To protect public health, ultraviolet (UV)

disinfection of effluent from wastewater plants is used to reduce bacteria and virus levels. The effectiveness of this treatment depends on a number of factors. Previously, it had been used only on good-quality water (transmittance 45% and low solids). Traditionally, the technology was not used on effluents from combined sewage overflows and storm overflows because of poor quality. Instead, the effluent is held in large concrete tanks and released in controlled quantities.

This pilot project at Cog Moors treatment works proved that UV consistently reduces bacteria and viruses in intermittent storm overflows to well within current and future microbiological standards. The environmental and economic impact of installing tanks is avoided. In April 2009, a full-scale UV plant was commissioned on

an intermittent storm discharge at Cog Moors and confirmed the efficacy of the process during the subsequent bathing season.

A carbon account comparing additional storage tanks and the UV plant showed the former would have 10x the carbon footprint of the latter over the plant lifetime. UV has the lowest whole-life costs, and minimal construction and operational impacts in an environmentally and socially sensitive area. In this catchment alone, the savings directly attributable to this technology are over £20 million. Using this technology throughout the UK would bring significant environmental and cost benefits.

To find out more about this project, please contact: andrew.bowen@dwrcymru.com www.dwrcymru.co.uk

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Keeping Waste Moving Whilst Protecting Local Wildlife in North Yorkshire

An innovative solution from Saint-Gobain PAM UK has ensured the effective replacement of a failed sewer in North Yorkshire while minimising disruption to the surrounding habitat of a rare beetle.

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The Tansy is an attractive bright green leaf beetle, with a coppery sheen. The wing cases were so admired by Victorians that they were used as sequins. It received its name because its favoured habitat is around tansy plants on riverbanks.

They were once quite widespread throughout Britain, but environmental factors (possibly due to introduced plants that have replaced the Tansy plant) have contributed to a sharp decline in population. Tansy beetles are now very rare and are only found along 16 kilometres of the banks of the River Ouse around York, centred on Fulford Ings near Fulford, leading to them being referred to as ‘Jewels of York’.

while minimising the impact on the Tansy beetles.

A section of an existing 24” cast iron rising main under the A64 dual carriageway at Fulford in Yorkshire had ruptures and required immediate repair. The section lies on the edge of Fulford Ings, between the road and the River Ouse. The issue was how to replace the damaged section

However, with the main situated at 4 metres below ground level on the plain, which in turn was nearly 10m below the (raised) A64, the pipeline material chosen had to be capable of withstanding the surface loading without deformation.

The 24” pumped sewer flows from the north to the Naburn Sewage Treatment Plant on the south side of the A64. The project, undertaken by Yorkshire Water’s framework contractor Costain Mouchel, was to install a replacement section, by-passing the failing section, under the A64, and to connect it into the original section at both ends.

In order to minimise disruption to the surrounding habitat as well as to traffic travelling along the busy A64, open cut installation was ruled out, meaning the only viable solution was a trenchless one.

Due to the sandy soils in the flood plain of the River Ouse, the underlying ground conditions were also problematic. The project team established that horizontal directional drilling under the A64 was not viable because of the potential problem of stabilising the bore, along with potential environmental issues of bentonite seepage.

Although there was available space and access to the east of the A64, the access to the west, which is limited to a small track, is part of the Tansy beetle habitat and is tightly squeezed between the A64 and the River Ouse.

Following detailed technical discussions between Saint-Gobain PAM UK, Costain Mouchel and sub-contractor Perco, the decision was taken to auger bore an 80-metre long 900mm diameter steel casing from south to north under the road.

The reception shaft on the western side was to

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FEATURE:ENVIRONMENTAL INNOVATION be located away from Tansy plants with fencing erected around them to avoid accidental damage to the beetles' habitat.

The available installation footprint, and lack of access, on the northern side meant that preassembly of the 74-metre pipe string to be pulled into the casing was not feasible. The decision was therefore taken to use ductile iron Universal anchored pipes as they could be lowered individually down the 4m deep shaft and jointed as they were pulled into the casing.

Since the Universal joint is a push-fit joint, this solution negated the potential health and safety implications of welding within a confined space.

The pull-in of the ductile iron pipe could be easily carried out by attaching the lead pipe to the auger bore rods as they were pulled back to the southern side of the installation.

Under normal circumstances, the pipes would have been supported during installation in the tunnel on ‘spiders’ to reduce the risk of dragging and scoring on the pipe wall. However, SaintGobain PAM UK proposed the use of directional pipes. These use Universal self-anchored flexible joints but have a fibre reinforced mortar external coating, specifically designed to withstand the demands of trenchless technology, meaning no need for ‘spiders’, thereby reducing the diameter required for the casing and also the CO2 emissions for its installation. Since there was a possibility

that the new pipeline could be grouted in the casing, Saint-Gobain PAM UK recommended the use of a rubber muff with a steel retaining cone over the joint area. This would protect against grout ingress and reduce friction between the pipe and the casing.

Directional pipes are supplied in 6-metre lengths so the shaft on the northern side of the project only needed to be 8 metres in length: this small footprint reduced the impact on the habitat and also the power requirements for the excavation itself. Given the soft sandy nature of the local soil, a trench box was required.

With the directional pipes and assembly equipment stored on the western side of the A64, Land & Marine undertook the south-north auger bore under the A64 according to schedule, with no problems.

As the auger rods were retracted, the lead pipe was manoeuvred into position in the shaft, attached to the trailing rod and pulled into the casing. As this was the first time that this particular technique had been used in the UK, Saint-Gobain PAM UK engineers worked with the Land & Marine team to demonstrate the pipe jointing technique. The pipeline was externally supported in the shaft while being pulled into the casing. The next pipe was lifted into the shaft and jointed into the lead pipe’s socket as the socket reached the outer edge of the casing. This process

WE UNDERSTAND WATER TREATMENT AND ANALYSIS

was repeated until all 74m of pipe had been pulled into the casing.

The use of bentonite was specifically discounted in the original project planning, due to possible environmental impact. The calculated, and actual, frictional forces on the directional pipes were so low that the pull back into the casing was made without the need for bentonite, further reducing the project cost and environmental impact.

The speed of jointing was consistent with the pulling speed, with this part of the job completed in one day, minimising the overall installation time. This was of ultimate importance as the Tansy beetle briefly appears during May, June and July, mates and then disappears again for the rest of the year.

With the new section in place, a short shutdown of the pumped main allowed the connections to be carried out, leaving the failing section abandoned.

Thanks to all parties working together to find a viable trenchless solution, there was no damage to the Tansy plants, and thus to the beetles’ habitat. The project was completed ahead of schedule with only minimum interruption to the flow of sewage. It was ‘highly commended’ in the United Kingdom Society for Trenchless Technology 2010 Awards held in Birmingham during April.

Severn Trent Services offers businesses and communities around the globe the security of a safe and reliable water supply.

Our solutions focus on analysis of water, soils, waste and wastewater; and treatment of water and wastewater through advanced equipment. We address your water and wastewater needs so you don't have to.

For more information on our Products and Services visit www.severntrentservices.com or contact us at info@stsanalytical.co.uk

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RSK WATER

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO CLIMATE CHANGE

By RSK Water Chairman Ruth Allen In the UK water sector we are no strangers to applying integrated approaches; over the last two decades we have seen the benefits of integrated network management and integrated asset management as well as integrated catchment management.

It is no surprise then that climate change – and all its associated, interlinking and complex sustainability issues – should be tackled in the same manner.

Irrespective of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s assorted PR gaffes or the failure COP15 to produce a coherent outcome, the evidence is overwhelming: anthropogenic climate change is happening to the detriment of our biosphere.

Already well acquainted with the worldwide impact of floods and droughts, the water industry can ill afford to bury its head in the sand; yes there are challenges ahead, but there are also opportunities.

Changing weather patterns are clearly affecting the demand and availability of water.

Pipelines are failing owing to extreme wetting and drying cycles. Drains are being overwhelmed by more intensive and frequent rainfall events. Low river flows reduce effluent dilution, and cause odour problems.

To confront such issues we need to update or create new infrastructure. Thankfully, by adopting innovative environmental technologies and methods, more value is created with fewer resources, and increased productivity and competitiveness can offset compliance costs.

Those without a plan will soon flounder.

To avoid being left behind, it is critical to embrace the concept of integration. We need to get the right people and resources working together at each stage of a project. For example, if ecologists

are involved in pipeline route planning, chances are construction won’t be halted by the discovery of an endangered newt.

To be truly efficient, and profitable, you must simultaneously address the related issues and clinically pinpoint the appropriate solutions.

From field to office, climate change must be a top business driver, not least because carbon credit markets have given CO2 emissions a monetary value.

Carbon footprints can only ever be tackled with an integrated approach; there’s your supply chain, your vehicle fleet, your buildings, the embedded CO2 in your products and services – and that’s just for starters.

Innovation, efficiency and joined-up thinking (see honeycomb diagram) must be our by words for the low carbon era.

As a multidisciplinary environmental solutions consultancy with over 200 interlinked services, RSK Group understands this.

For example a project to a implement a climate change and energy reduction strategy for Network Rail encompassed carbon management issues at stations and depots, maintenance and trackside operations, management-level strategising and behavioural change. Energy use was reduced to a minimum before alternative energy was considered, and the eventual strategy (which is currently being implemented by the 33,000-strong organisation) is set to deliver annual savings of £7m–12m with a payback of approximately 6 years.

The water industry needs to continually evolve to cope with climate change, and it is encouraging that regulators have called for increased efficiency and innovative solutions, a sentiment echoed by last year’s Cave report, which is recommending a statutory duty for Ofwat to promote innovation.

The crucial thing to remember is this: innovation does not have to be costly and involve the production of shiny new widgets. Sometimes the most effective solutions simply require common sense and smarter working practices.

Ruth joined RSK Group in 2007. Before this she was CEO of Ewan Group plc until its sale to Mouchel in 2006.

A chartered Civil Engineer, Ruth has over 30 years of experience working in water sector both in the UK and internationally for major utility companies.

Ruth has advised investment banks and bidding consortia on asset management and utilisation in private sector water company concession development, and was an advisor during the privatisation of London Underground.

Ruth is a past national chairman of the Pipeline Industries Guild and is currently serving as chair of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management’s Sustainability and Environmental Management Panel.

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VERDER

DOES YOUR PUMP SUPPLIER TICK ALL THE BOXES?

VERDER Commissions Carbon Footprint Report VERDER, renowned for product innovation in industrial pumping solutions, has commissioned a report based on the Green House Gas Protocol to evaluate its carbon footprint of the company and the embedded footprint of its products.

Mike Heap, Sales and Marketing Director of VERDER explains: “We’ve worked hard to develop sustainable products for our customers, but we also wanted to ensure we are doing our bit for the environment at VERDER too. The report takes into account gas and electricity energy consumption, as well as the impact of company vehicles and water usage. The total emissions are then split by those under the direct control of VERDER (Scope 1), those within our indirect control (Scope 2) and everything else (Scope 3). The report found that the majority of our emissions are outside of our control, such as employee commuting and outsourced activities, but we are already working with partners on solutions for these aspects as well as improving the activities within our control. The undertaking of this report has given us so much useful information on where and how we need to improve our carbon footprint, we are taking it to the next level by commissioning a product footprinting exercise to ensure our products are performing in the best possible way to help reduce our customer’s impact on the environment.

“VERDER believes if we’re not part of the solution then we’re part of the problem, so we will continue to invest in our products and customers to ensure we’re offering the very best solutions.”

VERDER Launches Supplier Checklist for Sustainability Verder, renowned for product innovation in industrial pumping solutions, is committed to helping water companies meet their environmental responsibilities with the launch of a supplier checklist to help clients choose the most sustainable pumping solutions.

Mike Heap, Sales and Marketing Director of Verder comments: “As an industry at the forefront of climate change that contributes around 1% of national GHG emissions*, it’s no surprise that things are changing quickly in the water sector. Many of these developments are driven by legislation. For the first time ever, OFWAT has included a requirement within the Periodic Review 2009 process for all water companies to report not only on their operational carbon footprint, but also the embodied carbon impact of their operations and investment decisions.

As a supplier, Verder is committed to helping water companies meet these requirements by supporting the supply chain across the four key areas: operational, embodied, supply chain and product carbon foot-printing.

drive are totally separated to eliminate potential for cross contamination of product and make maintenance easier? Are the products from your suppliers designed, manufactured and supported from the UK for improved carbon footprint?

The Verder Group has a major ongoing commitment to research and development and all activities are performed to help ensure we are being environmentally responsible. To demonstrate our commitment to this we have achieved ISO14001 – a recognised standard for an organisation’s environmental management system, and work closely with authoritative national institutions such as TNO (the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research) and the German Jenoptik and the University of Leeds (UK). We take our environmental responsibility seriously and want to help clients in all the industries in which we work including water to embrace more sustainable solutions that are better for industry and our planet.” *www.water.org.uk/home/policy/climatechange/mitigation

“Verder’s heritage in pumping innovation has taught us that if we’re not part of the solution, then we’re part of the problem. So to make it easier for water companies to scrutinise their supply chain and be carbon pro-active, we have prepared a supplier check list. The checklist includes questions such as, has sustainability been designed into the product components themselves? Do the design features include total air gap separation which means pump and

Whitehouse street Hunslet Leeds LS10 1AD Tel: +44 (0) 113 222 0250 Fax: +44 (0)113 246 5649 E: info@verder.co.uk Web: www.verder.co.uk

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Quantum Controls Ltd - SUPPLIER OF ABB VARIABLE SPEED DRIVES, AC AND DC MOTORS, HVAC EQUIPMENT, UPS EQUIPMENT AND A FULL DESIGN, MANUFACTURE AND INSTALL OF ELECTRICAL CONTROL PANELS Quantum Controls Ltd was formed in 1989 to specialise on the sale of Variable Speed Drives and Motors. While this remains part of the core of our business, we now have Hire, Service and Control Panel Manufacturing departments and a wider range of products to offer to our clients including Uninterrupted Power Supplies, ABB / Siemens Instrumentation, ABB Control Gear, Rockwell Plc Systems.

Quantum Controls provides focus, flexibility and responsiveness to customers without compromising the high safety and quality in everything we do, which is pre requisite for success in the water industry.

having vast experience in all of the Utilities. We supply technical expertise and applications know-how which is second to none, backed by the largest stock holding in the country. The result is an elite distribution company offering levels of service never seen before.

Our goal is to create a brand that will be synonymous with ‘Excellence as Standard’, that will be recognised throughout the UK and thought of the benchmark to which our competitors must strive to reach. This is evident in our superb Achilles Verify scores.

We are a unique company specialising in the supply of ABB Variable Speed Drives and SoftStarts, ABB Motors Rockwell PLC’s & Siemens Instrumentation, and in-house manufactured electrical panels built to your specification.

Because we are engineers, we understand your requirements and are committed to offering solutions to your problems. Our highly skilled staff are amongst the best in the business,

visit us at www.quantum-controls.co.uk

“The fast reaction and support we received from Quantum Controls meant that we had no disruption to service on one of our major sites in the North East. I would not hesitate to recommend Quantum Controls and will happily continue to use them.” - John Fielding, NW

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QUANTUMCONTROLS CASE STUDY

John Fielding, Acceptance Engineer, NWL

Quantum’s fast response keeps Northumbrian Water pumping Quantum Controls took only two hours to solve a problem for Northumbrian Water (NW) when it needed to hire a drive at very short notice.

NW called Quantum Controls at 3 pm one Friday afternoon with a request to hire a variable speed drive to replace an existing drive at one of its pumping stations. By 5pm the same day, Quantum Controls had a pre-tested, 440V, 500kW drive on site, together with three engineers to complete the installation.

Because the site ran on 660V, Quantum Controls also needed to supply and install a step-down transformer to match the supply to the drive, together with a step-up transformer to match the drive’s output to the needs of the water pump.

Another factor was the limited space available at the site, due to the size of the existing equipment. Because of this, the hire drive and transformer could not be placed as close together

as they normally would, requiring Quantum Controls to use longer cables.

NW is a frequent customer of Quantum Controls and is a major user of variable speed drives.

John Fielding, Acceptance Engineer for NW, says: “The fast reaction and support we received from Quantum Controls meant that we had no disruption to service on one of our major sites in the North East. I would not hesitate to recommend Quantum Controls and will happily continue to use them.”

With over 350 variable speed drives available for immediate hire, Quantum Controls can supply drives in ratings from 5.5kW to 800kW and voltages of 240V, 415V, 690V and 3.3kV. Quantum Controls are the only company in the UK to offer

this level of drive hire service on this scale and can supply an equivalent variable speed drive to replace a unit from any manufacturer’s range.

Hire periods can range from a couple of weeks to several months depending on need.

Hire drives can be used to trial and prove the benefits of variable speed drives before purchase.

Some companies use hire drives to prove energy savings before applying for a loan from the Carbon Trust. Their other main use is as an emergency replacement for a failed drive.

To minimise disruption, Quantum Controls can have a hire drive on site within hours depending on location, together with an engineer to carry out installation and commissioning.

Dan Fitzsimons E: d.fitzsimons@quantum-controls.co.uk T: 01661 835566 M: 07970884790

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AVK UK

THERE WILL BE TROUBLE AHEAD… There is always a lot of soul searching before putting pen to paper about such a sensitive issue as the one I have in mind because there is an element of “biting the hand that feeds you” in it, but I am so passionately concerned by some of the current trends in procurement in the water industry that I feel it is my duty to speak out about them.

‘self-certify’ that the product conformed to all the customers’ requirements and didn’t even have to declare the name or the manufacturer of the product being supplied. An extreme example of this was in a major utility where the engineer responsible for product selection had not even been informed that tenders had been invited.

First, some background. The standards currently used in the water and gas industries are the outcome of decades of consultation between the utilities, manufacturers and standards bodies and now in the main reflect the requirements of each party.

The danger of practices such as these are clear – the installation of cheap, poor quality, unregulated, and potentially dangerous products in the water infrastructure.

Historically, policing of these standards has been by the stakeholders headed by third party accreditation through recognised audit bodies.

The second line of audit has been through the utilities themselves approving products against their own standards, individual requirements and quality systems. And the third line has been the manufacturers, who design products and select and source materials that meet all the required standards and specifications, including the 50-year design life criterion – all this against the backdrop of a very competitive market-place.

It is also important to remember that the quality implicit in all these requirements is not free.

Supplying products that “tick all the boxes” for standards and specifications and conform to industry drivers such as carbon reduction, traceability and inventory and cost reduction requires huge investment; and this doesn’t take into account the considerable cost of retaining local manufacture, market support and continuous product development.

AVK has nonetheless succeeded in rising to all of these challenges, and has grown to become the market leader for valves in the water and gas industries. We have been delivering all the benefits customers need but still getting product to market competitively.....until recently it seems.

The second trend we have noticed is the downgrading of product standards in certain applications. One example is the set of very specific and arduous type tests associated with the standard for gate valves in buried service applications, which account for 90% of the thousands of units AVK sells into the UK water industry every year.

These valves are typically installed in buried pipelines with just the top exposed under a metal cover, and operated manually by means of a metrelong lever at a range of time intervals from never to several times a day. The type tests developed over many years for this application ensure that the valves will withstand the tough conditions and the operating pressure of the main, and that they are strong and durable enough to give reliable service for many years.

Recently, however, we have seen a less rigorous version of the standard being adopted – one that is more appropriate for above-ground gate valves that are easily accessible and are typically operated with a device such as a hand-wheel, which imposes significantly lower torque on the valve.

Again, this compromising of standards is opening the flood gates to the introduction of poorly manufactured, probably untested, unregulated and potentially dangerous products.

A number of worrying trends have emerged in the UK water industry in the last two years or so which are forcing us to reconsider our understanding of the market and its current aims. To state it simply; the industry seems to heading towards a philosophy of “cheapest wins” regardless of any other considerations.

These are just two amongst other negative trends which indicate a short-termism pervading a once forward-thinking, quality-conscious industry that must ultimately lead to higher costs caused by the need to replace products that fail prematurely, not to mention all the associated expenses and customer service issues.

The first of these trends is illustrated by recent decisions on the part of some major utilities to award frameworks for strategically important items wholly or in part to non-manufacturers. To clarify, there have been a number of stores and purchasing organisations within the Utilities that are now run by distribution businesses; these however will purchase and supply product that has been selected through the Framework bid process.

There is already evidence to support this gloomy forecast. Anybody who has tried to do business with the water industry in Southern Ireland will still have the words resounding in their ears “You’re too expensive...I can get it cheaper”.

The non-manufacturers I refer to are factorers of packages of products who sell predominantly on price. This would not be so much of an issue if the water companies had not relaxed their insistence on auditing products and manufacturers for adherence to standards. In at least two instances that we know of, the supplier was allowed to

The structure of the Irish water industry is similar to that of the UK before the advent of the water authorities, under which local authorities are responsible for the infrastructure. On paper, the Irish Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for water quality, but both it and the local authorities are under-resourced. Regulation is therefore compromised and has resulted in cheap, poor quality and uncertified equipment becoming the norm, contributing further to already poor water quality and supply issues.

By Kieran Fitzpatrick, Business Development Director of AVK UK In 2008 approximately 118,000 people in Southern Ireland were affected when boil water notices and restrictions of use* were put in place. The industry inevitably has a dreadful reputation with its own consumers, and a well-publicised fine was recently imposed on the Environment Minister; as a consequence, the government is having to spend money it doesn’t have to recover its position.

As a responsible manufacturer, AVK always tests competitors’ products for its own internal purposes against a fixed set of criteria based on type test requirements for the relevant standards. We would strongly advise UK water companies to do the same; the results may well cause them to review the new and undesirable procurement strategy of allowing manufacturers (and non-manufacturers) to self-certify.

AVK is well aware of the challenges the water industry faces and we have devoted considerable time and resource to helping to address as many as we can. We too are a business and are faced daily with the choice between the price and value of everything, from stationery through machine tools to product components. We have long differentiated between cheap and cost effective and we don’t buy cheap ‘quality’ - it’s not in our culture.

Along with other credible manufacturers, AVK is determined to do all it can to reverse the trend towards “short-termism” in the industry and we are encouraged in this by the pockets of support we are finding around the UK. Our main strategy in the medium term is to present case studies and other evidence to stakeholders that will convince them that a short-term policy of buying cheap will cost them dearly in the long run.

We will continue to monitor standards; we will raise objections when we see products that we know aren’t fully certified or fit for purpose; and we will challenge compromise over approvals – something we have already seen happening with WRAS and Kite Marks.

Finally, if you feel that you want to buy and install a gate valve for a purpose other than that for which it is designed just because it’s cheaper, then come to us, we have one in our range. Ours will be WRAS approved, 100% tested and will give you considerably more peace of mind as an AVK product than the unregulated alternatives that are being considered for or are currently being installed in parts of the UK Water Infrastructure.....go on call our bluff...!

Contact : AVK UK : +44 (0) 01604 601188 A full range of our products are available on our website: www.avkuk.co.uk *Source : EPA The Provision and Quality of Drinking Water in Ireland: A Report for the Years 2007-2008.

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Building a Better World We are committed to the principles of sustainability and are pioneers in solving environmental, climate change and energy challenges.

MWH is one of the world’s largest providers of water, environmental, infrastructure and energy services.

For further information email mwhuk.info@mwhglobal.com or visit our website

www.mwhglobal.com

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Totally transforming...

REDUCED CARBON FOOTPRINT FROM UU’S FIRST CONTAINERISED DOSING SYSTEM The first containerised or packaged dosing system to be deployed by United Utilities has been commissioned to carry out phosphate removal as part of the major upgrade at the Fazakerley WwTW site in Liverpool. Supplied by Gee & Company, the factory-produced package has been chosen because of the benefits it will deliver compared with a traditionally-built dosing system, notably cost and time saving, and reducing the carbon footprint of the site.

Upgrading of this established plant, which has a dry weather flow of 39,564m³/day, is being carried out for UU by the Galliford, Costain Atkins (GCA) joint venture. The new containerised dosing system will store and dose ferric chloride or ferric sulphate to provide state-of-the-art phosphate removal.

...the way you measure your effluent flow To comply with EPR regulations,

It is comprised of three units, two of which are for chemical storage-only, with the third being a combined storage and dosing module. All three are hydraulically linked, giving a total storage capacity of 144 cubic metres, which represents fourteen days’ storage at maximum dosing rates or, more typically, up to thirty days at anticipated dosing rates.

effluent flow needs to be monitored and controlled using Best Available Techniques.

As an MCERTified product, ABB’s

Containerised solution United Utilities says that a team decision to adopt the containerised solution was taken in consultation with the GCA joint venture. Apart from a significant cost-saving compared with traditional methods of construction, among the predicted benefits were a significantly reduced site installation and commissioning time, together with a much reduced requirement for associated civil work. The packaged units supplied by Gee require only a pre-laid concrete slab and associated dosing lines and electrical hook-up.

WaterMaster flowmeter now represents Best Available Technique

Additionally, because they are fabricated, assembled, tested and precommissioned in the more easily controlled environment of a factory, they can be brought on-line within days of delivery to site.

measurement capabilities, helping you reduce costs and

Carbon footprint

To find out how the WaterMaster range can help you meet

Taking a long-term view, UU was also aware that if the site requirement should ever change, the units could be used to dose other chemicals or even moved to another site. Moreover, at the eventual end of the asset life, the containers can be removed for recycling. Significantly, all this helps to reduce the overall carbon footprint at Fazakerley.

Each of the two storage containers houses twin 24 cubic metre capacity fully bunded chemical storage tanks, constructed of Celmar GRP and built to the requirements of BS 4994, Cat 1. The configuration allows them to be used either jointly for chemical storage or independently for duty/standby purposes.

To read the full article go to www.geeco.co.uk/resources/case-studies.php

(BAT) for closed pipe flow systems, enabling you to achieve accuracies down to just 1%.

The WaterMaster offers a host of advanced features and superior

operate more efficiently.

EPR regulations, email moreinstrumentation@gb.abb.com or call 0870 600 6122

Power and productivity for a better world TM

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of e s u the n ion t o a i e d c rra an Guid let (UV) i tion of ec vio Ultra he Disinf upplies rS e for t t a ic W Publ 10 20 uary r b e F

NEW DWI GUIDELINES FOR UV DISINFECTION SYSTEMS atg UV, has seen increasing interest in the application of UV systems for the treatment of drinking water applications since the UK Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) released their ‘Guidance on the use of Ultraviolet (UV) Irradiation for the Disinfection of Public Water Supplies’ February 2010.

With systems treating in excess of 2000 m3/hr daily, Ultraviolet disinfection is no longer an ‘emerging’ technology.

A number of Water Treatment Works across the UK are now investing heavily in Ultraviolet technology, as the threat of chlorine resistant parasites such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia continues to pose a serious risk to water companies and their customers.

In the UK, this reality has become further endorsed by the DWI, who have issued their guidelines for UV operation and system selection to the UK water industry. A key feature of their guidance is UV system validation. Validation refers to a series of 3rd party testing to ensure the performance of an Ultraviolet system design under a range of operating environments.

The DWI guidance states: “DWI recommends any water company considering the use of UV irradiation for the disinfection of public water supplies to consult the US EPA Ultraviolet Disinfection Guidance Manual (UVDGM)”

Cryptosporidium outbreaks are now becoming increasingly frequent in all areas of the water industry. However, due to recent successes with UV systems following a number of high profile outbreaks at drinking water sites worldwide, the ability to effectively protect against Cryptosporidium is now becoming a reality for water treatment engineers worldwide.

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

atg UV’s product range offers fully validated and 3rd party tested US EPA UVDGM systems that deliver a 1 - 5 log reduction of Cryptosporidium for flows as small as 10 m3/hr to over 2000 M3/ hr within a single high output, small footprint, medium or low pressure system.

For larger flows, systems are offered as packages, utilising units placed in either series or parallel configurations. atg UV believe the industry leap forward to UV protection has been driven equally by both public demand for increased safety and risk management, and increased education and understanding by the water industry on the benefits of installing a UV system.

Additionally, atg UV have been asked to present to a number of drinking water companies throughout the UK. This is a free service offered by atg UV and is open to any municipal water company or contractor interested in learning more about UV disinfection technology.

If you require any further information on UV disinfection, or wish to learn more about how to improve and upgrade your existing UV systems to meet the 2010 DWI guidelines, please contact atg UV on: 01942 216161 / www.atguv.com

atg UV Technology will be holding a number of free mobile UV workshops for technical groups and engineering teams throughout the year. If you feel that this would be of benefit, please contact paul.hennessey@atguv.com

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The cost eĸcient way to join pipes

tel: +44 (0)1494 679500

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www.teekaycouplings.com

27/7/10 10:42:11

GPS

An integrated range of blue & black PE100 pipes and fittings in sizes up to 1200mm.

PE PIPE SYSTEMS

COST EFFECTIVE LARGE DIAMETER PIPE SOLUTIONS

Lower transportation, installation and whole life costs

• Whole life costs are reduced by as much as 45% compared to other materials • Wall thickness can be tailored for maximum economy • Easier, safer handling due to light weight and flexibility • More economic load quantities and fewer joints with longer lengths • Long system life and minimum maintanance • Waste collection, training and system advice can be offered

Unrivalled performance • • • • •

Smooth bore gives better flow capacity than ductile iron Completely resistant to corrosion Fully end load bearing pipeline Insensitive to ground movement, but flexible enough to follow terrain Extensive range of large diameter fittings

Uncompromised quality • Proven resistance to rapid crack propagation and long term stress cracking • Produced in premium quality PE100 pipe grades (PE100+ List) • ISO 9001 and ISO 1400 certified management systems • Complies with BS EN 1220 and 13244 • Approved by the Secretary of State • Over 100 years of quality heritage

For more information please call 01480 52121 or visit www.gpsuk.com/ largediameter

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GPS PIPELINE MATERIALS

Seeing the bigger picture of pipeline cost In planning a large diameter water main, material cost is often a dominant factor in the pipe selection process. Currently, with the industry in AMP changeover, there is a heightened temptation for water engineers to opt for the cheapest pipe. But is this focus on short term cost appropriate for long term investment projects, such as large water mains?

Whole Life Cost Model

This model provides comparative costs for the following elements:

The Whole Life Cost (WLC) tool, devised in 1996, has shown that the real opportunity for savings lies not in the cost of materials but in finding a solution based on ‘whole life’ costs.

1. Basic pipe cost (£ per metre)

Collaboration between TRL consultancy, Borealis, Thames Water and GPS PE Pipe Systems has developed a mathematical model that calculates all costs associated with a project throughout its life, including long term reliability and maintenance costs, as well as the costs of labour, equipment and materials.

4. Whole life cost for model project over 50 years (£k)

2. Total installation cost (£ per metre) 3. Total installation cost for model project (£k)

4000

7000

3500 6000

3000

5000

2500 2000

The model has so far been used to assess the relative merits of selecting PE, ductile iron and GRP, for large diameter and medium diameter pipeline projects. Two different pipe nominal bore sizes 400mm and 900mm were used to set up the computer model. To overcome the difference in the dimensioning system of PE pipes the two closest outside diameter series from the UK standards were chosen, namely 450mm and 1000mm.

Installation costs were based on costs obtained from UK installers for the following components: 1. Number of joints completed per day 2. Cost of jointing labour per hour 3. Cost of plant hire for jointing per day 4. Purchase cost of pipe per metre and fittings 5. Labour cost of testing and commissioning per day Maintenance costs were calculated using the average cost of repairing a leak and the probability of failure for each type of system as derived from the UKWIR database. This calculation may be revised in the future as more information becomes available, particularly relating to the age of the pipe.

Finally, to provide a practical basis for the whole costing, an example of a typical model project was set up, comprising 5km of pipe with two off takes, four sluice valves and two air valves.

1500

DI

4000

DI

GRP

3000

GRP

2000

PE

PE

1000

1000

500 0

0 1

2

3

4

1

2

3

4

Fig 1. Comparison of pipe materials for 400mm project in urban environment (vertical axis pipe cost/metre)

Fig 2. Comparison of pipe materials for 900mm project in urban environment (vertical axis pipe cost/metre)

In the 400mm project, in an urban environment, PE proves to be both the lowest cost to install and the lowest whole life cost, despite being more expensive per metre than GRP pipe. Despite the apparent additional cost of butt fusion equipment the longer pipe lengths result in lower joint costs.

Narrower trenches also lead to lower installation costs as the cost of the reinstatement of the road surface is expensive.

into account, such as the undoubted higher durability of PE systems as shown by the statistics on smaller diameter water networks.

At 900mm the GRP pipe is cheaper than the PE pipe and despite the lower laying costs this difference cannot be overcome. However, there have been some very costly failures of GRP pipes, which will significantly change future statistics.

Also these failures have led the UK water industry to reassess its usage of these pipes for critical pressure mains.

In rural conditions the situation is somewhat different, as the reinstatement costs are significantly lower. Therefore, whilst PE gives lower costs at 400mm the costs of both DI and GRP are lower for the 900mm project. In these circumstances other benefits need to be taken

The model only compares open trench installation and there is potential for significant savings installing PE using ‘no-dig’ techniques.

Conclusion To find the least cost solution for any given project it is important to avoid taking a shortsighted view of material costs when choosing pipe materials. These initial costs must be considered as part of a comprehensive assessment, using the whole life costs approach.

As the security of our water supply networks becomes ever more important the water industry can confidently look to PE pipe manufacturing, as an advancing technology, to provide the best choice of material available.

By David Hill Technical Manager, GPS PE Pipe Systems www.gpsuk.com +44(0) 1480 52121

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• Cuts ductile iron, cast iron and clay pipe • No wood cutting chainsaw training/PPE required • Faster and safer than a cut off saw • Faster than a pipe cutter • Single point access • Diamond grit abrades material away • Vastly reduces time and operator effort • HAV’s for hydraulic saw is 4 m/s freehand

• • • • •

Greatly reduces size of excavation and backfill Reduced digging out by hand underneath the pipe Reduced carbon footprint Safe cutting method with reduced operator effort Extremely rapid cut, typically 1.5 to 2 minutes for 250 mm D.I. pipe.

•

No fumes in excavation with hydraulic saw

Demonstrations To organise an on site demonstration of this innovative new product please give EC Hopkins a call on 0121 506 6095.

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TRUNK MAINS CLEANING • 12” to 72” diameter trunk mains capability • Single pass cleaning • Copes with 90º bends • Non-abrasive • Up to 1km stretches • Minimal use of water

ve 2010” Exhibition from Li g di o“N at us e se d Come an eleigh Park in Coventry on St at 10 20 r be to Oc h 5th to 7t

Head Office: 12 Parsons Road Parsons Industrial Estate District 2, Washington Tyne & Wear NE37 1HB Tel: (0191) 415 7744 Fax: (0191) 419 3051 Email: info@fastflow.co.uk

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Scotland Office: 5 Pollock Avenue Hillhouse Industrial Estate, Hamilton South Lanarkshire ML3 9SZ

Midlands Office: Unit 1 The Rowan Tree Elmhurst Business Park Elmhurst, Lichfield Staffordshire WS13 8EX

www.fastflow.co.uk 27/7/10 10:42:48

MARTIN STRUDWICK LTD

LARGE SCALE OPERATION WORTH LOOKING INTO The name of the recently incorporated business (though established in 1994) does not suggest a large enterprise. The pedestrian front entrance to the yard in North East Cambridgeshire does little to convey the size of the business and the vast array of water pipeline related materials contained within. Currently we have well in excess of £3,000,000, more than the combined stock values of some of the larger water companies.

Many visitors remark on the scale of the enterprise, expecting a large garage or similar, not a large yard, 20 storage containers, and then occupying most of the adjacent old farm buildings and an odd acre of land or so for the larger fittings.

If you are expecting all the stock to be all laid out in neat rows you might be disappointed, but between Martin and his small team all the items listed on his easy to navigate website are locatable fairly promptly. Part of the business is stock purchased through site clearances and this does not lend itself to prescribed spaces on shelves for a finite number of fittings – the very next clearance might present him with 10 times normal stock levels of an item.

Martin is quick to counter the suggestion of “Steptoe of the water industry” in that much of the stock is bought in from the major names in the industry. “There is no one standing at the back of me saying your rate of stock turnover is too low

We pride ourselves on being able to provide a solution to a problem the same day, (not to get it in for a day or two’s time) Martin Strudwick, Director, Martin Strudwick Ltd

(though wife and financial director Julie does hold the finances quite strongly). We pride ourselves on being able to provide a solution to a problem the same day, (not to get it in for a day or two’s time), therefore by necessity we carry large stocks of fittings 20mm to 300mm as new material. We do not sell second hand mechanical fittings – if a valve, hydrant or VJ type product has been used it will be scrapped. If the coating is damaged it would not be sold into the potable water systems.”

Any of the Ductile iron fittings can be sent away for blasting and recoating in fully approved and certified EN 545 and EN598 finishes – these usually take 14 days instead of the 14 weeks or more often quoted from the original supplier.

Martin started the business in 1994 collecting scrap polyethylene all over the country and selling it to approved granulators to come back in various forms – wheelie bins, refuse sacks, garden furniture, boarding for stables etc, This is still a

large part of the business with at least one lorry load a week to Manchester, with Michael and his son Paul out most days collecting, cutting on site and delivering.

Martin has been an IOW member for many years and received Fellow status in 2006.” I have always supported IOW and held it in high regard as it does live up to it’s subline of “connecting people in the water industry”. In fear of repeating myself to those I have known for years I will only make light reference to the fact because IOW treats all members as equals, regardless of position in the industry, has lead to many business opportunities coming my way in the past.

So in conclusion, if you are looking for that hard to get fitting, some advice and same day service, or want that surplus material taken away take another look at Martin Strudwick Ltd – you will be glad you did.

For all Technical and Sales Enquiries

For all Accounts Enquiries

contact Martin on Mobile 07885 222831

please contact Julie in our office on

Yard Address for Deliveries and Collections

Phone/Fax 01353 778288

4A Hale Fen, Littleport, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB6 1EN

mail@martin-strudwick.co.uk

Email: martinstrudwick@o2.co.uk

158 High Street, Sutton, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB6 2NR

Fax: 08715 942311

For all plastic collections

Opening Hours

please contact Michael Green on Mobile 07759 981327

Monday to Thursday 08:00 - 17.30 Friday 08:00 - 14.00 Closed Saturday Appointments outside the above hours by prior arrangement only

www.martin-strudwick.co.uk 54

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GA VALVE SALES

Collaboration Offers Industry Solution to Leakage Leakage in potable water distribution systems is costly in both economic and environmental terms.

Any process that can minimise this wastage is seen as a positive practice to employ by both water companies and regulatory bodies alike.

Recent developments in valve and communication technology have allowed new pressure management techniques to be developed that can substantially reduce levels of leakages. Trials of these techniques carried out at Northumbrian Water in conjunction with GA and Dorot Valves have produced a robust control mechanism, which attains efficient pressure reduction in conjunction with minimised levels of leakage.

The feedback control system developed for this system produce a network with a stable hydraulic contour and a smooth pressure distribution profile. The primary control function is achieved by modifying the valve mechanism to maintain a minimum pressure at the remote critical point

rather than the downstream pressure at the valve.

■ Development of valve and control technology.

The authors will show that the mean pressure in the test area fell by 10% giving reductions in both water consumption and leakage of 4%, and that this process is applicable at both strategic trunk mains level and at local distributions mains and equally in potable and raw water systems.

■ Reduced carbon emissions through low powered control systems.

Adoption of this pressure regulation process at any water company will significantly reduce leakage, water consumption, burst frequency, carbon footprint, and produce savings in water treatment and distribution cost.

The benefits of the process can be summarised as follows: ■ Cost savings from the reduction in water treatment and use.

■ Improved control of hydraulic properties in water distribution networks.

Technical paper available to industry This paper demonstrates the effectiveness of pressure normalisation on potable water distribution system.

The authors will demonstrate that pressure normalisation is both theoretically and practically achievable and that costs are minimised, burst frequency is reduced and infrastructure life expectancy is extended.

By combining the recent developments that have been made in valve technology and the availability of low cost communication equipment a remotely pressure controlled distribution system can be achieved quickly and reliably.

Leakage Reduction through Remote Pressure Regulation Dr Brian Plemper Northumbrian Water Limited

Mr Martyn Redman GA Valves Limited (Dorot UK)

June 2010

For copies of the complete report please contact: sales@gavalves.co.uk

GA Valves Ltd Tel: 01484 711983 Fax: 01484 719848 www.gavalves.co.uk

in conjunction with

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‘Lift and Shift’ Leak Monitoring Reduces Water Loss and Costs Veolia Water, the major water and wastewater management company, has been making use of recent developments in water leak detection technology to effectively manage water networks at an increased efficiency and lower cost. Halma Water Management’s (HWM’s) Permalog+ noise loggers have been employed by the company in a ‘lift and shift’ method to quickly, easily and accurately find and repair leaks.

The Permalog+ Technology Permalog+ noise loggers are small devices deployed at points around the water network, where they monitor the noise levels on the pipes themselves. Changes and distinctive patterns in sound indicate the presence of leaks, often including ones that would otherwise go completely undetected. Mounted directly onto the pipes by a strong magnet, and battery-powered, the Permalog+ units can continuously monitor the section of piping around them for tell-tale signs of a leak. Once found, various telemetry and communication methods are available to alert leak detection operatives either immediately or at a specified time.

In a typical usage scenario, the data will either be collected or sent back to a central database, where each logger’s location is displayed on a map with either a green flag for ‘all clear’ or a red flag to indicate a leak. Each logger’s serial number, noise level and noise spread (the leak ‘signature’) is displayed alongside them on the map.

‘Lift and Shift’ Veolia Water has 9 Noise Logger Technicians to carry out ‘lift and shift’ operations, with an average of over 80 individual Permalog+ units deployed and retrieved by each technician every day. The ‘lift and shift’ temporary installation method allows the use of a smaller number of units to cover a large area, effectively ‘auditing’ the network for leaks. As an alternative to a permanent installation, where the loggers would sit waiting and monitoring for new leaks in order to address them immediately, ‘lift and shift’ deployment actively searches for leaks throughout the network in a ‘sweeping’ pattern.

Leakage Teams will deploy loggers throughout the next targeted area (typically divided by DMA*), where they will remain overnight. The following day, the loggers are collected by the team, with a centralised record being made of where there are leaks and where the system is clear. These loggers can then be deployed to a new area, and so a rolling, sweeping search for leaks quickly progresses throughout the network.

56

A noise logger technician installs a Permalog+

The logger's location is recorded with GPS tracking

In contrast to a ‘permanent’ deployment pattern, Permalog+s for use in a ‘lift and shift’ operation will be either pre-programmed at the factory or by the user with specially designed software to only transmit their recorded data when an operative swipes them with a magnet. There is no radio interference from other loggers nearby (stored in the car, for example), and the data is kept both secure and easily compartmentalised.

This is obviously useful when the same loggers will eventually be deployed in many different locations – the fundamental point of the ‘lift and shift’ method.

Results

Ease of Use The Permalog+ units and system incorporate several recent technological innovations by HWM to make them more efficient and easier to use than ever before. The loggers can be pre-programmed, and can automatically record each deployed unit’s serial number and location

by GPS tracking. This means that deployment is very quick, and there is no longer a danger of misplacing loggers – or the maps of where they are – which of course means that retrieval is easy too.

The new Permalog+ version can also utilise the extended logging functionality of Aqualog. This records noise levels at set intervals over a longer time period of up to 29 days. This allows easy trending analysis and graphical representation of the data, providing for more detailed leak analysis and definite confirmation. User-configured or preset alarm threshold settings can be applied for different pipe types and diameters.

Veolia Water has had excellent results from this operation, finding leaks with great speed and ease, leading to reduced costs from resources. The new GPS mapping technology tracks and makes visible the effort being applied by the one-man teams, and has resulted in a higher deployment rate than previously seen. It also gave the company an audit trail of loggers, ensuring accountability and precise location tracking.

With over 80 loggers per technician per day being deployed and collected, the speed of the activity means that detection time can be reduced when compared to other, more traditional leak-finding technologies and methods. A recent Veolia project that involved targeting 15 DMAs, covering some 28,000 properties, took only 32 days to sweep, and 96 leaks were detected. Because time lost is water lost, the speed of the search and therefore the swiftness of the response is key to minimising waste and reducing NRW** levels. Certainly, given the right application, noise loggers in the ‘Lift and Shift’ mode provide an excellent return on the investments of both time and funds. The fact that the Permalog+ system is very accurate in terms of both location and detection, as well as sensitive enough to find even ‘hidden’ leaks, makes it a powerful and effective tool in the ever more important fight against water loss. * District Metered Area **Non-Revenue Water

instituteofwater.org.uk

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PROCESS INSTRUMENTS

Residual Chlorine Analysers – Auto-Flushed with Success Residual chlorine monitors and indeed, ozone monitors, pH meters and chlorine dioxide analysers have all been around a long time and it would seem unlikely that they could be improved upon greatly…but for some applications they have!

In 2007 a paper mill approached Process Instruments (UK) Ltd (Pi) with a problem. They had a de-inked stock that they measured pH in to control a chemical addition. The problem was that their pH sensor was coating with ink that set hard on the glass. The pH sensors were unreliable a short time after replacement and the cost of replacing the sensors monthly was prohibitive.

Following a detailed survey and discussion with the customer Pi proposed an auto-flushing device that would flush the pH sensor with warm, soapy water regularly enough to prevent rather than remove build up of ink.

Two years after installation the same pH sensor continues to give reliable results with the CRIUS® 100 analyser not only controlling the pH sensor, but providing the PID control for the chemical addition.

The CRIUS® Autoflush is controlled by the analyser where user variables adjust the flush time, frequency and signal hold time.

Fortunately not all cleaning requirements are so tough and via a ‘customer consultation’ exercise (we asked them!) Pi discovered that the need to keep sensors clean is far greater than previously imagined. Since 2006 Pi has shipped approximately 50 autoflush units all using potable water to keep various sensors clean under varying

conditions. Some of the applications that have benefitted from a CRIUS® Autoflush are: ■ pH sensor in a de-inking plant ■ free chlorine sensor in white water in a paper plant ■ chlorine dioxide sensor in a food plant ■ pH sensor in an industrial chemical plant If you have an application where your sensors require excessive maintenance or where the sensors need to be replaced too often, visit www. processinstruments.net, or search for CRIUS® Autoflush on YouTube to watch a video of the autoflush working!

Pi has been providing instrument solutions since 1998 and supplies through Distributors, under Private Label/OEM agreements and to End Users within the Water, Waste, Chemical, Paper, Pool and Leisure industries. With offices, a laboratory and new manufacturing facilities in Burnley, Lancashire, Pi operates globally with customers in Europe, America and the Middle East, including; Technostar (Egypt), Scottish Water (UK), Crow Wood Leisure (UK), Northern Ireland Water (UK), and Chemtrac (America). More recently Pi has received awards for innovation and has quadrupled its turnover in three years.

For more information on the latest innovations in water instrumentation, please visit www.processinstruments.net or contact: Mike Riding Process Instruments (UK) Ltd Process House, Dominion Court, Billington Road Burnley, Lancashire BB11 5UB Tel: 01282 422 835 Email: mike.riding@processinstruments.net

The only institute solely concerned with the UK water industry. We 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 more information go to: instituteofwater.org.uk

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VEOLIA WATER

IT’S TIME FOR CLEAR DIRECTION ON SUSTAINABILITY Mike Pocock, Head of Strategic Planning for Veolia Water Central believes that the water industry needs clarity if it is to balance its statutory obligation to provide secure supplies with protecting the natural environment.

Thames Water's proposed reservoir at Abingdon in Oxfordshire was examined at the recent Public Inquiry

“The current regulatory system ensures an efficient water company is one that operates at least cost.

The cheapest and best water is local water – and groundwater in particular – as this involves the least pumping to get to the customer, and the least treatment year-round. Using groundwater makes sense to keep costs, and bills down.

But we have a dilemma. Southeast England is water scarce. Pressure is building to reduce our abstraction; the pressure is building from local action groups, NGOs and some politicians.

In some cases up to 40% of local resources and abstraction licences are being considered for revocation which means substantial new infrastructure may be needed to transport water in from other areas. And we cannot achieve a substantial change in supply infrastructure through mere operational efficiencies alone.

At the same time, efforts to find often expensive alternative sources, such as Thames Water’s proposed reservoir in Abingdon, are stymied by planning disputes, bogged down in Public Inquiries, or threatened by uncertainty over funding in the current financial climate. This is all the more contentious as the Environment Agency Water Framework Directive River Basin Plans have not set any sustainability reduction targets after 2015 and in turn this means that the region’s water companies can make no provision in their plans for changing their supply infrastructure beyond this date and customers have no visibility of implications for their bills in the longer term.

There’s an economic prerequisite to encourage

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Are benefits to streams from reduced abstraction affordable? growth so we must accommodate more people and more demand for water or we stagnate. So what’s next? We either reduce average per capita consumption or bring in more supplies. Industry research undertaken to inform water companies’ business plans for the Price Review process indicated that some customers would be willing to pay for the extra cost of this but many would not.

And recent headlines about increasing numbers of customers falling into ‘water poverty’ underline why it’s increasingly important that we ensure what we do overall is cost beneficial.

Let’s look at reducing consumption. There is naturally, always the argument for water efficiency and no one can dispute that the current average per capita consumption of around 160 litres per day is sustainable in the long term. But some people believe society will see sense and reduce consumption of its own volition. This is the ‘something for nothing’ option. The reality is that reducing demand permanently under all weather conditions means changing consumption behaviour and use. And this in turn means changing water-using equipment and hardware, and water-using habits built on a belief system of plentiful supplies. This will cost money and bills will go up.

On the other hand, if we reduce our local abstraction and replace these with supplies from further afield this would require new infrastructure to move the water and the mothballing of existing local treatment assets. This means building networks - pipes, treatment works, pumping stations - and using more energy to pump and

treat supplies to customers. Reducing only 1 Ml/d of licences means transferring an extra one thousand tonnes of water a day. That is a lot of water and this also means more investment and operational cost. So the end result is if we want to reduce abstraction it will cost something and that will increase customers’ bills. You don’t ever get something for nothing.

The nub is, the EA, Ofwat, Defra, and the water companies all want to make sure that if bills do have to rise it will be because it is in society’s best interests, and not just because a few people want it. And just for the record, while the cost of replacing water is called ‘compensation’ by the EA, this isn’t a ‘bung’ for water companies, it’s just the cost of replacing water with alternative supplies.

So what’s to be done about all this? Well we should be open and transparent about long term objectives for the environment, the cost of achieving this and the potential effect on customer bills. This means customers can see and understand what the bill is paying for. The EA also needs to set out its expectation for sustainability reductions in the long term, not just to 2015.

And then we can offer a view on affordability by looking at overall change top down, not piecemeal, bottom up, river by river. And we need to stop playing games over who should pay. In the end one way or another, the customer pays or the water industry is unsustainable. That is a scenario which none of us want, and none of us can afford.”

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WATER UTILITY SOLUTION PROVIDER: Water Pumps > Wastewater Pumps & Packages > Dosing & Disinfection Systems

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That’s the Bigger Picture, and it translates to bigger benefits, lower life-cycle costs and greater sustainability all-round.

www.water-utility.grundfos.com

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WELSHAREANEWS

New President Appointed

By Fiona Jehu

The Wales area AGM was held on 22 April at the headquarters of Welsh Water at Nelson.

The Chair, Treasurer and National Representative, gave their annual, financial and national reports respectively. A vote of thanks to the retiring President Tony O’Shea was given by Chair Dave Bayliss who handed over the chain of office to Tim Williams, President for 2010-2011, in Tony’s absence. As Tony could not attend the meeting, a vote of thanks was read out on his behalf.

Tony congratulated the committee on the success of the area’s first Summer Forum which was extremely well attended and generated lots of interest in membership. The fourth Annual Innovation Awards was mentioned as another success story that the area is really proud of. The Awards Evening had been particularly special as National Chairman Simon Bennett and Area Forum Representatives had also attended.

Tim Williams thanked the Institute of Water for the honour of being elected as President and spoke about the challenges for the year ahead: to increase membership; continue to look at innovation in the water industry and partnership working.

Congratulations also go to John Gunson and Steve Wilson who were elected Chairman and Vice Chairman, respectively for 2010-2011.

From left to right: Dave Bayliss, Tim Williams, John Gunson and Steve Wilson

Severn Tidal Power: the Environmental Challenges

By Carol Cooke

On Friday 11 June at Welsh Water’s Nelson offices, a very interesting and thought provoking presentation was given by Tom Matthewson, Technical Director from Black & Veatch - one of Welsh Water’s partners.

The Severn Estuary in western England has one of the world’s highest tidal ranges, averaging about 13 metres, and is the most significant tidal range resource in the UK. A replacement for Drax power station, the largest coal fired power station in the UK will be required in the very near future. As a result of this a feasibility study has been completed on the options available for harnessing water power from the river Severn. It commenced in January 2008 and was funded by the Welsh Assembly Government; the Department of the Environment and the Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Black & Veatch has been providing vital engineering and environmental support to the Feasibility Study. The outcome of this will be a recommendation on the best means of converting

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the power of the Severn’s tides, while at the same time minimising the environmental impact.

Tom explained that the estuary of the river Severn has a tidal range of some 14 metres, so producing energy from this river would appear quite simple and logical. There were various locations and options considered – for either barrages or lagoons:

a range of protected water birds and migratory fish species. The Feasibility Study should help the UK government understand the impact of changing the estuary’s tides on flooding and land drainage issues; navigation; and issues affecting communities along the estuary.

d. Bridgewater Bay, Burnham – lagoon.

Tom went on to say that a tidal power project also has the potential to generate vast amounts of low-carbon power. Most options under consideration would achieve carbon “payback” within the first year of operation, and the larger options could generate 5 percent of the UK’s current electricity consumption.

Converting the power of the Severn Estuary’s tides would reduce the tidal range within the estuary.

The scale of change could result in substantial loss of intertidal estuary habitats, which support

The challenge posed by this project is achieving a balance between capturing the power generation potential of the Severn Estuary and minimising the inevitable effects on the environment.

a. Brean Down to Lavernock Point; b. Beachley barrage; c. Welsh grounds – lagoon – Newport eastwards;

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NORTHERNAREANEWS

Tricia Williams handing over to Mark Penny

Northern area members enjoy a tour of Bolton waste water treatment works

Northern Area AGM

By Janet Howard

The 63rd AGM of the Northern Area was held on Thursday 22 April at United Utilities Bolton Waste Water Treatment Works. This was well attended by the committee and many area members.

The retiring President, Tricia Williams from United Utilities reflected on another successful year and the need to keep actively promoting the benefits of being a member of the Institute of Water.

delivered an excellent presentation on the subject noting that innovation doesn’t have to be rocket science. We can all inspire and be innovative in our own ways.

Tricia’s theme for the year was ‘It’s (Credit) crunch time – how do we balance efficiency, customer service and continual performance improvement?’

This proved to be a very apt theme given the transitional year that most businesses have had.

Tricia also commented on the very successful Winter Seminar which received positive feedback from all delegates.

After the meeting the group was treated to a tour of the treatment works. This is United Utilities third largest waste water treatment works, treating up to 242Ml/d. A recent project has upgraded the works to achieve new consent standards for BOD, ammonia, phosphate, iron and pH. The project combined Q, X and UID drivers and the works is now considered one of United Utilities most modern works with respect to online instrumentation. The scale of the process is vast, demonstrated by the 96 aerators which span 12 activated sludge lanes and the 46m diameter

Tricia handed over the President’s chain of office to Mark Penny from Yorkshire Water. Mark’s theme for the year will be ‘Inspiring Innovation’. Mark

final tanks. The works also includes an existing sludge digestion process and newly delivered ferric dosing plant.

Finally, it is with a heavy heart that the area bid farewell to Treasurer Graham Rowett from Yorkshire Water. Graham is handing in his calculator after 35 years in the water industry.

He has been a constant source of support to the Northern Area committee and much of its success can be attributed to Graham. The committee presented him with a course of professional golf lessons as a token of their appreciation. Graham protested that these lessons were not really needed and Tiger Woods was reported to be quaking in his golf shoes!

PRESIDENT’S BALL

By Helen Edwards The President’s ball, the final event of Tricia Williams’ presidential year took place in March, at the Castle Green Hotel in Kendal. A drinks reception got the evening going with a swing, before we sat down to a delicious meal of local Cumbrian lamb.

Tricia welcomed sixty guests, including the National Vice President Sam Phillips, to the Lake District and encouraged everyone to enjoy the (very) local speciality of Kendal mint cake! She went on to give a review of her year, highlighting the recent Winter Seminar as a particularly memorable event.

There was a slight moment of panic amongst the organisers, when it looked as though the band had not arrived. They were however in the bar waiting for us to finish our meal!

‘Two Left feet’ – a very apt name for the Ceilidh band – called us all to the dance floor. The dancing carried on into the early hours, with more enthusiasm than skill from some people!

A great evening was had by all, and a raffle for “Help for Heroes” raised around £600.

From left to right: Tricia Williams, Sam Philips and Janet Howard

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The Wonderful World of Pipes

Pipe connection Developments

Extrusion machine section

On May 6 members from the Northern area decided to broaden their knowledge of pipes by participating in a technical visit to Radius Systems at their Newton Aycliffe plant. The visit hosted by Nick Shanks (Business Development Director) proved to be a most fascinating insight into the world of pipes and pipe developments.

By Alastair Tawn After a spot of lunch Lawrence Richards (site manager for Newton Aycliffe) began the insight into the world of pipes at Radius Systems. The first point Lawrence made (which became reinforced as the tour went on) was that Radius Systems are more than just a pipe manufacturer. They manufacture, distribute, install and recycle pipes and fittings. In essence they cover the entire pipe lifecycle providing a total pipe solution.

Radius Systems employs approximately 470 skilled and experienced workers across 4 UK sites with 2 skill centres developing new products. The Aycliffe plant itself employs 75 staff across a 15 acre manufacturing site that was previously a wartime munitions factory. The site itself has 15 extrusion lines and using 24/7 manufacturing can produce up to 140 tonnes of pipe per day.

After a detailed insight into the company the tour of the site began. This started with a walk onto the manufacturing floor to see the pipe extrusion lines. Several products can be made on these extrusion machines including multi-layered pipes, otherwise known as “the pipes with the stripes!” The pipes can be produced in various sizes from 63mm to 1200mm in diameter, all to a tolerance of 0.4mm. The extrusion machines start

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with a feed of small plastic pellets from a hopper which are then melted and extruded over a dye to form a pipe (shown above), this part of the manufacturing process takes place at the start of what is a very long extrusion machine. The majority of the machine (approximately 90% of it) is used to cool the pipe using water jets; it also has a labelling and cutting section right at the end of the line.

After the pipe is manufactured (dependant on customer need) any diameter pipe up to 180mm can be extruded and directly coiled on site for transportation; any larger diameter would mean that the coil wouldn’t fit under motorway bridges!

Coiling a 180mm diameter pipe would allow a continuous length of 100m to be laid at a time but if it were a 63mm diameter pipe a continuous length of 500m could be laid in one go. In theory you can coil any size pipe for transportation but if you coiled the 1200mm diameter pipe the coil would probably be the size of the London Eye! Interestingly the British summer has been known to prevent coiling (and extrusion) as you can’t coil pipe above an ambient temperature of 300C. After a fascinating site tour the group gathered for an insight into pipe products and developments. It was evident that pipes have evolved to meet customer expectations and

requirements. Radius Systems demonstrated the ProFuse pipe product. This pipe has a polypropylene layer that can be peeled away to provide a clean contaminate free surface for electro fusion jointing. This layer also has very good abrasion resistance which makes it excellent for using in pipe bursting applications. Currently 95% of gas main renewals are performed using this technique. The allowable damage to a pipe is 10% of wall thickness, so it important when renewing pipes to ensure it’s not damaged beyond acceptability before it is put into service which is where this polypropylene layer really demonstrates benefit.

Multi-layer pipes give better performance and quicker installation times. Previously without the peelable layer an installation operative would have had to spend around 25 minutes scraping the pipe to get a clean surface but this can now be done in a few minutes using a special tool (suitable for all pipe diameters) that cuts away the peelable layer where you need it. The tool that is used has itself has been developed following feedback; this has now reduced the tool in price to roughly 1/10th of is previous price by making it out of plastic rather than aluminium. It was evident Radius Systems are striving to achieve the demands of the water

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NORTHERNAREANEWS industry using innovative techniques including methods to have zero service interruptions when installing new connections, be these spurs, retro fitting inspection points, air valve purge points or hydrant connections with smaller excavations and safer working techniques. Improvements are continually being made, the picture opposite illustrates the developments in supply tappings; material use has been reduced, whilst also introducing a single electro fusion couple to speed up installation.

Radius Systems as well as being focused on development are also keenly focused on the environment. They have been running a scheme for a few years now called the ‘SUPER Scheme’, which isn’t something out of a Marvel comic book but rather Radius’s commitment to the environment! In essence, this scheme allows waste pipe from installation sites to be collected free of charge and recycled to make new pipe.

From its inception in 2005 the scheme has grown and has recycled over 1300 tonnes to date which would have otherwise been sent to landfill. Indeed this scheme has won various awards including the Green Apple Award and the Environment Business Outstanding Achievement Award 2007. During the site tour it was evident that waste is minimised throughout the entire pipe lifecycle. Waste pipe is recycled on site and used to make appropriately graded products.

During the production of MOPVC pipe heat energy is recycled from the cooling of the pipe.

In product design material is used efficiently to minimise waste, the Ultra Rib product has 30%

Nick Shanks (left) and Alastair Tawn (right) less material and is twice as strong as similar diameter pipes and it can still withstand jetting pressures of 2500psi!

The entire visit was a fascinating snapshot of the world of pipes and could easily have been twice as long and still as captivating. It was obvious as the visit passed how much more there is to pipes than you would initially think. Engineering

developments have enabled quicker and safer working whilst meeting the new requirements of customers. Our hosts for the day were excellent and very accommodating. Indeed they were very knowledgeable, ‘piping’ everyone full of knowledge throughout the visit. Nick Shanks was presented with a certificate of thanks by Alastair Tawn for the donation in kind made to WaterAid from the Northern Area for hosting the visit.

Northern Area Winter Seminar

By Janet Howard The Northern Area committee are very pleased to report on a hugely successful Winter Seminar. This took place from 3 – 5 March at the Low Wood Hotel which overlooks Lake Windermere. This year’s seminar followed Tricia Williams’ theme for her Presidential year: ‘It’s (Credit) crunch time – how do we balance efficiency, customer service and continual performance improvement?’

The program consisted of nine excellent speakers who based their presentations around the conference theme. Some of the speakers came from outside the water industry, such as Salman Desai from the North West Ambulance Service. It was surprising to see that other industries faced exactly the same challenges as the water industry; and a great deal of knowledge was gained in understanding how they overcame these obstacles.

Professor Peter Hines from SA Partners gave an excellent insight into ‘lean’ processes.

SA Partners is an innovative consultancy

that inspires a wide range of businesses to raise their game through the application of Lean Principles. He helped the delegates understand that being lean can transform the way we work, making our businesses more efficient and our processes slicker.

The delegates were split into groups and asked to work together over the three days and come up with a presentation based on what they had learnt. Although there was a fun twist to each presentation it was amazing to see how much had been absorbed.

Bob Keegan and David Cockburn from DevelopChange (a performance improvement and change consultancy) gave delegates a great interactive presentation that really captured the imagination of the audience.

Delegates were asked to be participants in a marathon. Some were the elite runners and started first and some were fun runners that started near the back of the field. The elite athletes were likened to senior leaders in business, and as they finished the race they were asked to look back across the field.

Although they had finished the task in hand and were planning for their next event, other participants hadn’t finished the race. It was a really effective way to demonstrate that leaders need to take their team through the whole race and not just concentrate on their own role.

The evening entertainment was based on a farming theme. There was a quiz in which the delegate’s competitive nature really came through, and many mobile phones were confiscated as a result. There was some extremely skilful line dancing and inflatable horse racing. However, the true star of the night turned out to be Neil Hancox from UU who was renamed “DJ UU” by the delegates.

Asset Manager by day, demon of the turntables at night – who would have known?

The feedback we have had from delegates has been phenomenal. All agreed that the mix of speakers, networking opportunities and fun made the event a great success. Everyone felt they had something positive they could take back to the work place.

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Dr Liz Swarbrick, Asset management Director, South Staffs Water hands over the chain of office to Andy Smith, Director of Water Services, Severn Trent Water.

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Outgoing Chair Gill Wood (centre) along with incoming Chair Sarah Williams (right) presenting retiring committee member Alan Rogers (left) with a gift from the Midlands Area.

Midlands Area AGM Twenty-five members attended the 61st Annual General Meeting of the Midlands Area that was held at Severn Trent Water HQ in Birmingham. The 2009 – 2010 President Dr Liz Swarbrick stood down and handed over the chain of office to Andy Smith, Director of Water Services at Severn Trent Water. Area Chairperson Gill Wood also handed over to Sarah Williams.

By Clive Ingram Gill opened by saying that since the last AGM the Institution of Water Officers has changed its name to Institute of Water. She went on to talk about the Water Futures Programme, and how as part of this the area will look to provide a programme of better quality events that target an audience of 40 plus. Gill was pleased to report that the area had an extremely good year with record attendances for events.

The Area has endeavoured to provide members with six first class technical papers this year, which all received positive feedback. Next year’s programme is looking to be equally good and hopefully will result in a record number of attendees at each event. The area’s contribution to charitable events had resulted in £3,000 being

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awarded to charities including WaterAid and local charity Foundation Matters.

Gill said that it was with a mixture of sadness and delight that this was the final Chairperson’s report she would deliver, having been a member of this Midlands Area Committee for 18 years! She was Honorary Treasurer for nine years, and then Chairperson for the past 9 years.

Gill went on to say that it was with great excitement and anticipation that she looks forwards to forthcoming years under the new leadership of Sarah Williams. She thanked all area sponsors and those who had continued to support the Midlands Area. Gill proposed a vote of thanks for outgoing President, Liz Swarbrick and talked about some of the papers and events delivered during Liz’s year of office.

New Chairperson Sarah Williams presented Gill with a gift to thank her for her service to the Institute, and retiring committee member Alan Rogers was also presented with a gift from the area in recognition of his service.

Andy Smith said he was very pleased to take on role of President. His theme for the year will be ‘Customers’ and Andy hopes to enable a better understanding of the supply chain. Events will look at innovations in customer service; in particular some of the work that Network Rail have done, and promise a variety of good speakers.

The President’s Day will be held at Carsington Water where members may be able to view the underground tunnel.

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MIDLANDSAREANEWS

AN UNUSUAL CHALLENGE FOR A BUSINESS – helping your customers to use less of your product!!

Midlands Area members were recently treated to 2 enlightening presentations on Water Efficiency and Optimisation Simon Wear, Leakage and Measurement Manager from C2C Services Ltd, began his presentation by explaining that C2C manage a 25 year Water & Wastewater contract on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, and what C2C’s responsibility is, including measuring and managing leakage and consumption.

To meet the required measurement accuracy of the contract, C2C installed Aquamaster SMS meters that return daily logged flow data +0.5% for an overall measurement accuracy of +-5%. On 307 sites C2C installed 476 Statutory Undertaker check meters either downstream of the Service Reservoir or downstream of the Statutory Undertaker’s meter. Where a Service Reservoir exists onsite, the meters were installed downstream in order to measure an accurate Minimum Night Flow, not obscured by reservoir level change. 536 night meters have also been installed to log significant night use within buildings which h can then be deducted from the leakage levels.

Simon explained that the contract is written for the MoD pay on Consumption and therefore, C2C pay the cost of any leakage. It is therefore in C2C’s interest to ensure leakage is managed to economic levels. C2C have significantly reduced the weekly level by at least 2.0Mm3/yr since contract commencement. The installed meters also have the added benefit of helping C2C to manage and optimise water bills.

Simon went on to explain the techniques C2C have undertaken to reduce water consumption, and costs at sites across the MoD estate, such as the monitoring of daily flows to ensure ‘best ever’ values are maintained, targeted leakage teams

By Jason Ryall

in hotspot areas, Surestop Valves which enable you to turn off water at the flick of a switch which is particularly useful in buildings which are used infrequently!

Doug Clarke, Water Efficiency Manager from Severn Trent Water, began by explaining that we are living in a changing world, namely that our climate is changing with hotter, drier summers, wetter winters and more extreme rainfall events.

The population is growing with a forecast growth to c70 million by 2030 and 80 million by 2050 with a trend to lower occupancy homes.

Furthermore, water resources are under pressure with competing demands of potable, industrial, agricultural, decreasing raw water quality and increasing environmental water quality standards Doug went on to explain that the Severn Trent Water’s, Water Resources Plan, aims to balance the competing pressures of supply and demand: Supply ■ Deteriorating water quality –26Ml/d ■ Sustainability reductions –11Ml/d ■ Climate change impacts –118Ml/d Demand ■ Household demand +75Ml/d ■ Commercial demand –35Ml/d ■ Total water into supply +40Ml/d Doug identified that this will be achieved not through New Reservoirs, Boreholes or Treatment Works but through Leakage Reduction, Metering and Water Efficiency. We can make better use of existing resources and ensure that our assets are appropriately sized and located for the demand being placed on them, now and in the future… and we can influence our customers’ behaviour to ensure that future demands are sustainable; financially, environmentally and socially.

Finally, Doug discussed a recent project undertaken at Severn Trent Water. This project undertook an audit and monitoring of schools, followed up by retrofitting water saving devices and education to the schools themselves. In total, 613 sites were audited, with an average secondary school saving 3779 l/d, an average primary school saving 1274 l/d with an average payback under 18 months.

The benefits Doug identified were a sustained demand reduction, reduced water bills for schools and the introduction of behavioural change. In addition, Severn Trent Water will be seeking to influence customers’ behaviour more proactively.

For further information on water efficiency, please visit: www.stwater.co.uk/savewater The 3 things I took away from the evening were: 1. It’s not about using less water, it’s about wasting less!

2. Changing the mindset as a society has changed, and will continue to change!

3. Getting people on board and engaged is key to the success of Water Efficiency and Optimisation!

WILL CUSTOMERS FOOT THE BILL FOR CLIMATE CHANGE?

By Clive Ingram Institute of Water Vice President Nick Ellins gave a paper following the Midlands Area AGM that asked ‘Will Customers Foot the Bill for Climate Change?’

We all have our part to play in managing the effects of Climate Change – whatever that means to all of the stakeholders! It certainly falls into the trichotomy of the 3C’s - customers, costs and carbon! As the Deputy Chief Executive of the Consumer Council for Water, Nick gave an insight into the customers’ perspective on their role in this high profile issue. Nick joined the Consumer Council as part of a three-year secondment

from Water UK. He has more than 20 years experience in the water industry, covering EU and UK water policy and regulation, consumer communication, manufacturing, contracting, sales and marketing.

Nick helped us to learn about what customers really think - and hear about whether they are willing to pay for climate change. All of this was put into context with the recent PR09 Final Determination and the bills customers face for the ensuing 5 years. Nick presented some interesting statistics collected from customer research and demonstrated that, generally, customers felt they could make an impact on climate change by changing their behaviours.

In addition, it was demonstrated that they were willing to save water even if it meant buying more efficient appliances. There was a high (80%) willingness to change the way in which they used water but they did not want their service threatened and water companies evidently need to earn their trust. They want to be shown what has been achieved.

An interesting question and answer session followed the presentation, in fact it probably lasted as long as the presentation itself.

Thanks to Nick for a very well received presentation.

This presentation can be viewed on the archived events section of the website.

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SOUTHEASTAREANEWS

Visit to Hardham Water Treatment Works

By Steve Youell

Last year at a site visit to a Waste Water Treatment Works some members asked if it was possible to arrange a site visit to a Water Treatment Works. As a result of this request a visit to Southern Water’s Hardham Water Treatment Works was organised.

The tour, led by Ainsley Lacey (Process Technician), included information on abstraction from the River Rother; treatment processes

including filtration and disinfection and supply processes such as water demand and reservoir management. There was also a chance to hear about the new pipeline that Southern Water are constructing that will allow the Treatment Works to abstract water from the River Arun.

and in addition, over tea and biscuits we took the opportunity to hold discussions and reflect on various water industry topics as well as the chances of England at the World Cup. Our thanks go to our tour guide Ainsley, and Southern Water for organising the day.

Although questions were being asked during the tour we did hold a Q&A session afterwards

ENVIRONMENTAL SEMINAR

By Steve Youell 20 members met at Black & Veatch’s Head Office on 1 July to hear presentations about renewable energy.The first presentation was by Peter Mortimer, Director of Vertical Wind Energy Ltd, who spoke about the applications of 2 different sized micro generation wind turbines and their applications within businesses.

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The second speaker was Ben Sang, Senior Engineer of Black & Veatch, who spoke about the different technologies that are now available to the water industry. These included anaerobic digesters in sewage treatment works and the use of green waste as an energy source. He also covered mini hydro power systems that utilised low head high flow mechanisms.

Both presenters then took part in a detailed question and answers session where aspects of the regulatory issues of these technologies were discussed.

Our thanks go to Peter Mortimer and Ben Sang for their excellent presentations and to Black & Veatch for allowing us to use their offices to hold the event.

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SCOTTISHAREANEWS

LUNCH AND LEARN SESSIONS – A GREAT SUCCESS

By Scott McCrae Following direct feedback from members, the Scottish Area committee arranged lunch and learn sessions over the first 3 weeks of June.

The sessions covered 3 topical areas and were presented at the Glasgow, Livingston and Dundee Scottish Water offices. The aim of the sessions was to provide members with professional development opportunities in areas of interest aligned to their day job.

With increased demands on time, the presentations were carried out at lunchtime and lunch was provided. Almost 200 people attended over the 3 weeks generating excellent question and answer sessions at each event.

The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 This session was presented by Barbara Barbarito and Laura MacDonald from Scottish Water. It looked at how the introduction of the new Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act (FRMA) places a clear focus on collaborative working between all stakeholders to develop sustainable methods to manage flood risk.

The FRMA has given Scottish Water a number of new responsibilities in its role as a “Responsible Authority”. These responsibilities include supporting SEPA in the preparation of Floor Risk Assessments; Flood Risk and Hazard Maps and, in particular to carry out an assessment of flood risk from sewers in “vulnerable areas”.

Barbara and Laura explained what this means for Scottish Water and how these duties are carried out, and they provided a concise overview of the role Scottish Water is playing in the implementation of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act and its approach to managing flood risk in Scotland.

Scottish Water’s SR10 Leakage Management Challenge Bill Brydon and Kenny Milligan from Scottish Water delivered this session. Building on Scottish Water’s recent success in the field of leakage management, the presentation provided an overview of the strategy, policy and practice implemented by Scottish Water to meet challenging reductions in leakage over the SR10 Regulatory Period (2010 – 2015).

Bill and Kenny looked to clarify the audiences understanding on the targets agreed with the Water Industry Commission and the key deliverables required as Scottish Water strives to be become recognised as a leading player in this field.

SR10 – TO INFINITY AND BEYOND Alan Sutherland, chief executive of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland will speak at this year’s Autumn Seminar which will focus on the impact that the charge caps set by the Commission for 2010 -15 will have.

The annual event will be held once again at Tulliallan Police Training College in Kincardine from 17 - 18th September.

Project Aquatrine – 5 years on This session was presented by Jonathan Crampin from Veolia Water and Andrew Smith from Scottish Water. Project Aquatrine is a Public Private Partnership set up to provide Water and Waste Water services to the Ministry of Defence estate in the UK. In Scotland these services are provided by Veolia Water, Scottish Water and a large number of suppliers. 5 years on from the launch of Aquatrine Jonathan and Andrew reviewed the challenges, successes, areas for future development and what the individuals and companies involved had learnt from the project.

Our thanks go to the members for attending and actively engaging in discussion and debate with the presenters, Sanwitchery for supplying the buffets, Scottish Water for allowing the use of the 3 locations and ultimately the speakers who committed the time and effort to compile and present 3 excellent presentations.

Finally, a vote of thanks to Alex McDonald, Kevin Moffat, Kathy Auld, Nicola Day and Ken Reavey for ensuring each sessions was well organised.

The committee would very much like to hear any feedback on how the lunch and learn sessions went; or if you have any suggestions for topics that you would like to see covered at future sessions. Please send feedback to Nicola.day@scottishwater.co.uk

‘SR10 - To Infinity and Beyond' will provide delegates from across the UK water industry with an overview of the Scottish Water Industry; the challenges faced and the people / supply chain who are integral to the industry and the Scottish economy.

The chief executive of Scottish Water Richard Ackroyd and a number of senior colleagues will speak at the event alongside Nigel Earnshaw the chief operating officer at Scottish Water Solutions and Matthew Bower from the Drinking Water Quality Regulator.

The seminar will provide delegates with the opportunity to meet face-to-face with a number of leading figures from the Scottish Water industry. It is a great networking and learning opportunity that is open to anyone working in the sector.

Supply companies (whether product or service based) can take up the opportunity to exhibit at the event for the cost of attendance only.

The full residential rate for members is £150 and £170 for non-members. A day rate is also available. To book a place please contact Louise Wright at the Institute of Water Head Office. E-mail: louise@instituteofwater.org.uk or telephone: 0191 422 0088.

SCOTTISH AREA FAMILY DAY This year’s Family Day will be held on 14 August at ‘Go Ape’, Beecraigs Country Park, Linlithgow.

Go Ape is a high-wire forest adventure of giant obstacle courses built up in the trees using ladders, walkways, bridges and tunnels made of wood, rope, super-strong wire, and zip lines. For any under 10's attending other suitable activities and games will be provided.

It is sure to be a great day out with fun packed

activities and a BBQ provided to feed all hungry thrill seekers (or those who would prefer to watch the others!)

Please note there are limited places for GO APE, so it will be first come first served. Couples and singles are also welcome, a family is not essential.

To book please contact Nicola Day: Nicola.day@scottishwater.co.uk

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Flood and Water Management and the Customer Experience The next speaker was Jane Burch (Flood and Coastal Policy Manager) from Suffolk County Council. Her presentation concerned Flood Risk and Planning, particularly in the Ipswich area and new roles given to the county council by the Flood and Water Management Act. It requires the EA to publish a National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Strategy and the County Council to lead a partnership to: produce a local flood risk strategy, investigate flooding incidents, maintain register of assets and designate structures/features. The original Bill was created after the Pitt Review.

The Suffolk Flood Risk Management Partnerships currently consists of 6 District/Borough Councils, the EA, Anglian Water, the Highways Agency, Internal Drainage Boards and the Broads Authority. It is hoped the creation of management plans concerning surface water, shoreline and catchment flooding will fulfil these objectives.

To mark World Environment Day an event was held to address several issues caused by flooding and the measures taken to mitigate its effects. It examined the effect of flooding on people, not just during the flooding period but afterwards. The speakers also discussed the benefit of different organisations working together, to manage flood risk and support communities.

By Karen Gove The first speaker was Steve Taylor (Flood Forecasting Team Manager) from the Environment Agency (EA); he gave a very interesting presentation on Flood Forecasting and Warning.

In England there are 5.2 million properties at risk of flooding, of which 2.4m are at risk of river and coastal flooding and 3.8m are at risk from surface water flooding. In the Anglian region, 46,000 properties are at risk from rivers or the sea, 160,000 properties are at risk from rivers or the sea plus surface water and 530,000 properties are at risk from surface water.

After the summer 2007 floods, the Pitt Review asked for a ‘bold and visible’ response to shift communities from a position of passive awareness to one of active engagement. In response the EA

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created the Anglian Flood Forecasting System; which uses rain gauges positioned throughout the region connected to a telemetry system to forecast and monitor weather systems. To protect Great Yarmouth during high rainfall in 2007, tidal forecasting was successfully used to monitor the River Yare. To raise awareness of the flood forecasting system to the public, the EA created ‘Floodwise Objectives’ which include: moving those at risk to acceptance and action; work with partners to achieve goals and ensure messages and actions are consistent. In the event of a flood, those with properties at risk are contacted by telephone including those that are ex-directory.

Partnership working includes working alongside the British Red Cross and local Police Forces. The EA website (environment-agency.gov.uk) also has a comprehensive Flood page offering advice.

During surface and ground water flooding, water flows from roads, drains and rivers. Each of the above partners all have knowledge of these systems which will be shared through Surface Water Management Plans. For instance the EA have produced surface water flood risk maps, they are unfortunately only theoretical and based upon topography. The County Council and its partners are hoping to validate these maps by using historical data to determine the real risk.

Prioritising risks such as protecting houses is very difficult, defence versus protecting the already flooded? Development of houses on floodplains is now prevented and sustainable drainage schemes (SuDs) are being implemented. Such schemes ensure that local watercourses and rivers will not suffers any detrimental water quality effects or flood risk due to new developments discharging into them. Examples of SuDs include green roofs, ponds, wetlands and permeable paving.

Current problems also need to be addressed such as the causes, alleviation of existing problems, property level flood protection and emergency planning. By working together, it is hoped these issues can be addressed and lessons learnt so far include identifying all stakeholders early on during an incident, start with a ‘no-blame’ culture, utilise all available expertise and get both practical help and funding. It is hoped in the future to have a single point of contact for those that have been flooded or are under threat from flooding. From there partners in the Suffolk Flood Risk Management Partnerships could be contacted and the appropriate advice or assistance be given.

The third speaker – Charles Schelpe (Strategy Project Manager) from Halcrow gave a presentation on Ipswich Flood Defence

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EASTERNAREANEWS Management Strategy. This particularly complemented the previous speaker – Jane Burch and gave a fantastic example of what is currently being done to protect Ipswich from fluvial and tidal flooding with stakeholder and public engagement.

Ipswich is under threat from fluvial flooding by the River Gipping and tidal flooding by the River Orwell. Both rivers meet in the town and if there was fluvial flooding and a tidal surge at the same time, flooding would occur. At the moment there are a number of defences including sluices, weirs and floodgates. The new defence strategy was approved by DEFRA in March 2006 and £52.3 million pounds of capital works will be implemented in the first five years. It will provide protection from a 0.33% (1 in 300) chance of both fluvial flooding each year over the 100 year period until 2106. There will be an increased standard of flood protection to approximately 3,800 residential and commercial properties. Ipswich Borough Council and the EA are also working together to secure external funding.

The proposed works are located at the upper section of the River Orwell in the port area. There are 3 principle areas: the tidal barrier works and the east and west bank works. Before designs were finalised Halcrow consulted with nearby residents, the port authority and boat owners.

The west bank was particularly challenging as there is railway line adjacent to the existing port wall. The tidal barrier will also act as velocity control structure to prevent erosion of the river bed when not in use. The way forward, the tidal barrier works requires Transport and Works Act Order approval, plus detailed design. It is hoped that work will commence in January 2012 and construction will be completed March 2014. For the east and west banks construction should be completed in October 2010.

Halcrow’s stakeholder engagement included regulatory environmental impact assessment consultation (EIA) with specific consultation with statutory bodies and formal public consultation using EIA documents. In addition there have been public exhibitions, local area forums, stakeholder workshops and local newsletters. What was most

successful with the public was a physical model (containing water) of the port area with the proposed works.

The final speaker was Steve Langlois (Planning and Equivalence Manager) from Anglian Water, who gave a presentation on Flood Risk and Surface Water Management. Geographically Anglian Water is the largest water company within England and Wales. The company serves 2.6 million properties, with wastewater collection via 44, 0414 km’s of sewers and rising mains, with 4,560 wastewater pumping stations. It is economically regulated by OFWAT, who determine what each water company in the UK can have financially every 5 years through periodic price reviews. It is regulated by the EA, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and the Consumer Council for Water.

The Flood and Water Management Act requires all water companies to cooperate with the EA and local authorities, particularly when exercising flood or coastal erosion risk management functions and share information.

Water companies are also subjected to elected member scrutiny. There will also be new sewer standard, whereby all sewers will be built to agreed National standards so that they can be adopted and maintained by the water company.

Currently water companies can refuse a surface water connection to the public sewer if it does not meet certain standards. In the future there will be a right to connect surface water sewers to the sewer network, after approval from the SuDs approving body (local authority). Under the new Act, highway drains that are part of an approved drainage system must also be accepted the water companies.

Anglian Water flood risk management has 3 key elements: surface water management, resilience and emergency response with pro-active approach to partnerships. This includes the development of an external communications strategy, internal awareness communications, supporting local risk forums and engaging with DEFRA, the EA and local authorities. Anglian Water has nominal AMP5 funding from OFWAT for 8 surface water management plans, which include Basildon,

Northampton and Peterborough. For sharing data and information a specific legally binding licence/ confidentially agreement has been developed, which has been recognised as leading by the EA. In terms of SuDs, Anglian Water’s policy is that they will adopt features in open space with effective upstream ‘source control’ measures that have an effective outfall i.e. to ground, watercourse or surface water sewer. It intends to provide technical input into the planning process to ensure SuDs solutions are robust and clear with enforceable maintenance regimes in place so that they provide effective protection in the long term.

For emergency planning Anglian Water have planned for different scenarios including, loss of water/wastewater treatment, loss of power and toxic chemical release. Personnel are trained to deal with incidents and there are planned exercises to ensure everyone knows what to do. It has also recently updated it water supply incident ‘Card Warning’ system, which consists of 4 cards warning customers to: boil water, do not use taps in the home, do not drink or prepare food with tap water and all clear.

A number of questions were asked by the audience including whether housing adjacent to the proposed flood defence schemes in Ipswich will have a lower insurance premium after improved defences. It was agreed by the speakers that insurance companies base their risk on the EA surface water flood risk maps, which will need updating first before the insurance companies respond and change there data. The speakers were also asked about sustainability of design for the proposed Ipswich flood defences. Charles Schelpe responded by saying that earth embankments could not be used on the west bank because of the railway. Sheet piles were used because of the variable nature the underlying geology, plus piles will last longer and prevent re-building in the future. The final question asked was during a flooding incident is who is responsible if there is a fault? Jane Burch responded by saying that the Partnership is the point of contact, one telephone number would ideal. Steve Taylor commented that people have to accept that they are at risk and take personal responsibility.

Winter Seminar Update!

The organisation of this year’s Winter Seminar is well under way. The event carries forward the area’s theme for 2010 ‘The Customer Experience’, a highly topical issue given the new demands that Ofwat have placed on the industry to provide exceptional customer service.

Taking the lead and responsibility for planning the event is a team of graduates from both Veolia Water and Anglian Water. This is the first time that such a group from the two companies has worked together on a joint project. It’s giving the graduates a fantastic opportunity to network and see a project through from start to finish.

Currently, the team is focussing its efforts on recruiting a superb line-up

of speakers. Representatives from Ofwat, CC Water, Veolia Water, Harding and York, Accord Partnerships are among those who’ve already agreed to present.

The seminar will be held over two days at Wyboston Lakes, Robinson Executive Conference Centre in Bedfordshire on 24 and 25 November.

Put the date in your diary and check the Institute’s website for regular updates. We look forward to seeing you there!

If you would like more information or are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at the event, email: sharna.richings@veoliawater.co.uk

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EASTERNAREANEWS

OUR FIRST NATIONAL CONFERENCE EXPERIENCE

By Sharna Richings and Mandhy Senewiratne Between us we have been to many conferences run by various other organisations but it must be said that this event was second to none. In retrospect we doubt there are many events that can boast such a line up of high profile speakers and delegates who relax together long after formal proceedings have been completed. We share just ‘some’ of our highlights from our first Annual Conference below.

‘Global Challenges, Local Solutions’ was a certainly a fitting theme for the Annual Conference this year as the Icelandic ash cloud ominously swooped about the skies, threatening to wreak havoc upon the carefully laid plans of president Sam Phillips, HQ and the Northern Ireland Area Committee. However, despite fears, the Conference convened on a gloriously sunny day at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast with a warm welcome from Sam Phillips.

Iain Osborne, the Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation gave an opening keynote address that painted a somewhat dire picture of our industry with figures pointing to a £33 billion debt amassed over just 20 years.

Iain highlighted the advantages that Northern Ireland enjoys owing to a single Utility regulator (which at the close of the conference was the subject of great debate.)

The Environmental Challenges session opened with an incredible presentation by Martin Kane (Severn Trent Water) on the Gloucester Flooding of 2007 and the “gold command” scenario that resulted in the military, civilians and Severn Trent working together. Amongst the many astounding actions that were undertaken, was the construction of a 1 km flood defence wall.

Under normal circumstances such a wall would have taken 2 years to construct taking into consideration planning permits, design, HS&E, EIAs, CDMs and great crested newt surveys, however under gold command it was completed within a mere 24 hours! The wall protected the all important power station from being flooded and ensured the town and emergency services had electricity.

Young Australian presenter Tse-Hui Teh (University College London) presented a paper on her innovative and thoroughly entertaining yet informative research on Urban Water Cycles. TseHui detailed the lives of some very water efficient people that would put some of us “sustainable types” to shame! She described Rose, a pensioner who only showers once a day, and reuses all her bathwater in the garden, and Tom who has an entire grey water recycling system at home and who has daily battles with his lodger to reduce her shower time owing to her very long hair.

Tse-Hui also brought to our attention the phenomena of “yellow mellowing” which was perhaps the best method of saving water and saving energy. “Yellow Mellowing” for those that

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A stop off somewhere along the North Antrim coast-line are unaware, is the practice of not flushing after every use of the latrine!

The evening entertainment kicked off with the much anticipated Saint Gobain night. No trip to Belfast would be complete without a visit to the fateful HMS Titanic and pump house and a night crammed with Irish hospitality including Irish Cuisine, quizzes, games, cross dressing, coin throwing, a bottle or two of Bushmills, Ceildh music and (many attempts at) dancing followed.

With all proceeds to WaterAid, it was a night to remember particularly for Sarah Williams (Severn Trent Water) who says that “Standing in the rain on the docks followed by dancing and a bowl of Irish stew is one I'll remember!”

The Security Challenges session on day 2 was an intriguing and novel session that was more akin to an episode of Spooks than a water industry Conference. It opened with a warning from the speaker, that on orders of MI5 his details or photographs could not be released to public for security reasons. We will call him Dave! Dave introduced the audience to the little known authority CPNI (Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure): the seldom seen but ever present body that ensure that our humble pipes and pumps do not fall foul of terrorist attacks. It seems over the years Dave and his team have protected water utilities from a variety of vandals who had amongst other things held utility companies to ransom by threatening to poison water supplies and even kidnap employees.

Thanks Dave!

From MI5 we stood to attention as Brigadier Charles Le Gallais CBE (retired 2004) from the Cabinet office explained some of the behind the scenes discussions at the ministerial round table regarding the National Risk Register. His insightful presentation was followed by Jason Ryall from C2C Services who provided several previously unknown facts about world of water,

including the finer points of providing water services for the security conscious MoD, shark safaris and deep sea diving (it still counts as water) and the enviable loophole that excludes MoD water services from Ofwat’s regulatory nuances such as PR09 and June returns!

Conference proceedings closed in time for guests to get ready for the President’s Dinner that evening. What started out as a well dressed and respectable networking event, ended with the band in full swing, the silver ware and tables hastily rearranged for a makeshift dance floor and the majority of the guests arm in arm in a circle. As the Eastern Area had won the Presidents cup an unprecedented 3 years running, it was (graciously) handed over to this year’s winners - the South East Area. Delegates completed the weekend with a visit to the Bushmills Distillery and trip along the spectacular North Antrim coast-line.

The event was a great success and we very much hope to be there next year.

And finally, because a picture says a thousand words…

With thanks to Jason Ryall

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