CURRENT
GROUP
E P S GROU P NE WS, ISSUE 4 (OCTOBER 2015)
EPS receives ‘Ruban d’Honneur’ status for second year in a row
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Photo: Schull wastewater treatment plant, West Cork
IN THIS ISSUE What’s New? Page 4 Feature Project Page 6 Continuous Improvements Page 7 Awards Page 8 Current Contracts Page 10 Expansion Plans Page 11 AMP Update Page 12 meps Page 14 Pedrollo Page 16 Premier Tech Aqua Page 17 EPS Export Page 18 Health & Safety Page 19 Our Partners Page 20 Energy & Environment Page 21 Events Page 22
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What’s New?
Nereda Revolutionises Wastewater Treatment in Ireland Main photo: Aerial view of Clonakilty WWTP in May 2015 prior to taking live flows
EPS
recently introduced flow to the new wastewater treatment plant at Clonakilty (20,500PE - Population Equivalent). The wastewater treatment facility in Clonakilty is the first in Ireland and the UK using NeredaÂŽ technology and the first in the world that is built mostly underground to minimise the visual impact. This state of the art technology is set to displace the century old activated sludge process that forms the basis for most modern wastewater treatment plants. Nereda is an innovative, sustainable and cost-effective biological wastewater treatment technology that purifies water using the unique features of aerobic granular biomass. The success of Nereda is its high water treatment capability in combination with significantly lower investment and operational costs, a very small physical footprint and high energy savings. Nereda treats wastewater with aerobic granular biomass: purifying bacteria that create compact granules with
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superb settling properties. The technology was discovered by the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, and developed in a unique public / private partnership between the University, the Dutch Foundation for Applied Water Research (STOWA), the Dutch Water Boards and Royal HaskoningDHV. After 20 years of research and development this innovative biological solution is now proving itself to be a leap forward in wastewater treatment technology. What makes the Nereda process so special is the aerobic granules (biomass). In the usual treatment process, flocs of sludge are suspended in the water. It takes time for these flocs to settle in the treated wastewater where a special secondary settling tank or clarifier is needed. Nereda granules settle much faster, and can do so in the same tank in which the treatment process takes place. Owing to their composition, the granules have an aerobic outer shell which is rich in oxygen and an anoxic/anaerobic core
Note: The front carousel type treatment streams were only designed for a quarter of the design capacity of the Nereda tanks and Nereda will produce effluent to a far higher standard than the original plant
Photo, above right : Nereda aerobic granules (left) compared against traditional activated sludge (right)
that is low in oxygen. This means that we can find different treatment conditions in a single granule. In a normal treatment plant, the high-oxygen and low-oxygen processes take place in different parts of the overall process. The robustness and stability of the treatment process under strong varying influent load conditions and extreme influent pH fluctuations is remarkable. Furthermore, even during wintry conditions, extensive nitrogen removal could be established at very high biological sludge loads. The success of this project was well received in the media following a recent site tour by members of the local community with Irish Water and Cork County Council in attendance amongst others. The introduction of this technology into the Irish market marks a significant milestone and confirms Ireland’s position as one of the leading embracers of modern wastewater technologies. Nereda will help make EPS and the entire Irish wastewater sector have a more sustainable future.
Presently, EPS is in the construction phase of a new wastewater treatment facility in Carrigtohill (30,000PE) based upon the Nereda process with the plant due to take flows in December 2015. Also using the Nereda technology, EPS / Sisk JV has commenced construction of the Lower Harbour wastewater treatment plant in Cork (65,000PE).
Photo, above: Community Site Tour of Clonakilty WWTP, June 2015
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Feature Project Project Phoenix: EPS Promotes Lean Construction In order to improve efficiency, quality and safety of our group construction activity, EPS has focused our efforts on designing for off-site manufacturing and assembly to a much larger extent on construction works. This is different to normal product provision or localised skid mounted or containerised solutions. This is a fundamental change to the design philosophy approach to a given project. It requires designing a plant layout to combine piping and access requirements to common areas which can be fabricated off site and delivered and positioned on site assembled. The benefits to this approach are varied and extensive. Firstly, site safety is greatly increased due to the minimised working hours on site and moreover, a significant reduction in site time working at heights. The quality is improved as the construction is to a higher factory standard and inspection methodology can therefore be far more extensive. Project programmes are hugely improved as works can be overlapped far greater when crews do not have to share limited site space for assembling in-situ. It should be mentioned that works are no longer weather dependent. Lastly and most importantly in this context, the overall carbon footprint of the project is vastly reduced with far more control and minimised traffic movements such as minimal site crew visits and deliveries to the site. The benefits to this system of working was evident during the delivery and construction of a new wastewater neutralisation treatment plant as part of Project Phoenix, the development of the new brew-house at Diageo’s St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin. Photos 1 - 4: Off-site assemblies being installed at Diageo’s St. James Gate Brewery as part of the recent Project Phoenix New Brewhouse development.
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Continuous Improvements EPS team receive green belt certificates As part of the ongoing Lean Transform innovation programme in EPS, a second wave of Green Belt training and projects has recently been completed. A further ten EPS team members were presented with Green Belt certificates in recognition of their participation in and completion of the Green Belt programme. A total of six projects were completed over a ten month period in areas of the business including: 1. Service/Repair Centre 2. Training - Mallow Sales & Distribution Centre, Manufacturing, Design/Build & Operate (DBO) 3. Training - Mountrath & Ballyhaunis Sales & Distribution Centres plus Continuous Improvement (CI) projects 4. Inventory optimisation - Kanban system 5. Sludge management / transportation 6. Service cycle time reduction Lean Transform is a large scale, extensive and holistic company transformation programme. Our approach to Lean systems and business processes efficiency is key to our ongoing sustainability and growth. We know from our customers that the company must not only be efficient and provide the best value for money but we also must be in a position to demonstrate that we monitor and measure performance rather than just stating the obvious. The lean transform programme for EPS is a key component of ensuring ongoing and future success for the company and job security for our 350 employees, their families and our wider supply chain. Presenting the Green Belt certificates, Minister Richard Bruton TD, acknowledged the hard work and effort of all involved in the innovation programme in EPS and he outlined how Lean Start, Lean Plus and Lean Transform support initiatives formed an important part of growth in any company. The programme is supported by Enterprise Ireland and facilitated by Lean Business Systems. The Green Belt Recipients were: Greg SmIth, Darragh Cronin, Sharon O’Connor, Paul O’Hanlon, Ciaran Duffy, Glenn Bain, Jerry Murphy, Marguerite Lynch, David McArdle & Tadhg Buckley Jr. John Killeen of Lean Business Systems coached and mentored the participants.
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Awards
Recent Awards & Recognition
Green Leader of the Year 2015 Our Energy Manager, Declan O’Riordan, recently won the ‘Green Leader of the Year’ award at the 2015 Green Awards which were held in Dublin. This award is given to an individual who demonstrates leadership on green issues and solutions. It honours those who work hard and encourage others to take initiative with these issues and motivates them to bring about a positive change. Declan has been to the forefront as Energy Manager for EPS in recent years. He has led and supported numerous initiatives and activities in the delivery of our Energy Strategy. A highlight in Declan’s recent activities has been his coordination of the Better Energy Workplace Work Programme and the Better Energy Communities Programme, supported by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
Deloitte Best Managed Company for 2015 EPS was announced as one of Ireland’s ‘Best Managed’ Companies at the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Programme. We were one of 17 companies recognised as first time recipients of a Best Managed Company Award at the event. The awards programme, run in conjunction with Barclays, recognises indigenous Irish companies across the island of Ireland which are operating at the highest levels of business performance. The programme identifies how companies are mastering their growth strategies across all key management functions and is unique in the way in which it recognises the efforts of the entire organisation, not just one individual. The Best Managed Companies Programme has enabled us to test and benchmark our strategy against the rigorous judging and selection process. It involved convincing and demonstrating to the judging panel that our approach to strategy and commitment as well as our capability and financial prudence merit best managed status. The programme reinforces our progress and effort as a team nearing 350 across the UK, Ireland and the Middle East. Everyone can be very proud of our achievement with this award. Our intention is to maintain our ‘Best Managed’ status as we grow our business with our customers, partners and suppliers in the years ahead.
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Photo: Michael O’Sullivan, EPS and Declan O’Riordan, EPS with Minist
In recent years these programmes have facilitated €1.2m in grant support to 57 community and voluntary groups throughout Ireland in partnership with EPS, Rusal LTD and Dawn Group. As a committed company to the communities in which it operates, Declan has supported in no small way the vision of EPS in the delivery of sustainable water solutions, while also supporting our communities. This award is an excellent achievement for Declan and demonstrates his commitment, passion and leadership in his involvement in many Energy Initiatives that EPS has undertaken in recent years.
ter for Environment, Community and Local Government Alan Kelly, TD
Ruban d’Honneur Recipient for Second Year in a Row For the second year in a row, EPS has received the internationally prestigious Ruban d’Honneur at the European Business Awards. The award is in recognition of our Environmental and Corporate Sustainability strategy, which has seen the business contribute in a positive way to our workplace, marketplace, environment and the communities in which we operate. The European Business Awards is an independent awards programme designed to recognise and promote excellence, best practice and innovation in the European business community. In the 2014/15 competition, all EU member markets were represented plus Turkey, Norway, Switzerland, Serbia, Croatia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Over 24,000 European companies entered the 2014/15 Awards, of which there were 110 finalists and 10 overall category winners. The combined revenue of the entrants exceeded €1.5 trillion, and together they generated profits of over €60 billion and employ over 2.5 million people. Just five other Irish companies made it to the final stage with us; Dawn Meats, Paypal, Morgan McKinley, Version 1 and Pepper Asset Servicing. Receiving a Ruban d’Honneur two years in a row from the European Business Awards is a real mark of distinction for the group and the entire team.
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Current Contracts
EPS/Sisk JV Commence Construction of Cork Lower Harbour WWTP
Photo: Cork Lower Harbour prior to works commencing
A joint venture of two Cork based companies, EPS and Sisk Contruction, was recently awarded the contract to design and build the 65,000 population equivalent wastewater treatment facility at Shanbally to serve the Cork Lower Harbour area. Following completion of construction in Q2 2017, EPS will further operate the facility for a period of up to 9 years on behalf of Irish Water. The treatment facility which forms part of the overall near €100m investment by Irish Water in the Lower Harbour region will treat sewage from Cobh, Carrigaline (including Crosshaven), Passagewest, Monkstown (including Glenbrook) and Ringaskiddy (including Shanbally and Coolmore). The chosen treatment technology for the project is a process known as Nereda® and this facility in Lower Harbour is only the third project under construction in Ireland or the UK that utilises Nereda®. EPS as the licensee for Nereda® in Ireland has a co-operation agreement with the global engineering consultancy, Royal HaskoningDHV for the delivery of Nereda in Ireland. To date, the EPS/Royal HaskoningDHV partnership has successfully delivered a plant at Clonakilty in West Cork and are completing one in Carrigtwohill in County Cork. The technology brings significant environmental and economic benefits to the Lower Harbour project and EPS/Sisk JV are fully focused on delivering a successful project for all stakeholders involved.
Some Recent Projects IRISH INDUSTRIAL Glanbia Belview WWTP - DB Janssen WWTP - DB IRISH MUNICIPAL Claregalway Miltown WWTP - DBO Waterford Bundle WWTP - DBO Carrigtwohill WWTP - DBO Tullow WWTP - Upgrade UK REGULATED Anglian Water Ashwell STW – Brush Aerator (@One Alliance) Braintree STW – Scrapers & Dosing (@One Alliance) Cambridge STW – Scrapers (@One Alliance Horbling STW – Distributors (@One Alliance) Pytchley STW – Brush Aerator (@One Alliance) Severn Trent Water Bakewell STW – HST Scrapers (MWHT) Church Warsop STW – Dosing (MWHT) Frankley WTW – Off-Site Packages (MWHT) Great Glen STW – Distributor (MWHT) Little Eaton WTW – PFT Internals (MWHT) Packington STW – Dosing Kiosks (MWHT) Tamworth PS – Storm Scrapers (MWHT) Wanlip STW – PFT Internals (Costain) Welsh Water Six Chemical Dosing Systems (Morgan Sindall) Ross-on-Wye STW – Fuzzy Filters (MMB) Wessex Water Christchurch STW – Half Bridge Scraper (Trant) Scottish Water Alyth STW – Brush Aerator (SWS) Dalmuir WTW – PFT & Booster Set (MWHT) Rockcliffe STW – Brush Aerator (SWS)
GROUP
JOINT VENTURE
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UK NON-REGULATED Arla Foods – Oakthorpe Dairy – Treatment Plant Upgrade Cemex – Rugby – Pumping Station (Fox Owmby) DP World – London Gatway Port – Disc Filter (Premier Tech Aqua) Hillingdon Borough Council – Stockley Pines – Pumping Stations Kerry Foods – Portbury Works – GRP Tank Covers
Photo: Clifden Wastewater Treatment Plant
Expansion Plans
Minister Bruton Announces Expansion Plans at Our Mallow Facility Photo: Minister Richard Bruton TD & Sean Sherlock TD with the EPS team at the announcement of the expansion plans
The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, along with EPS, announced plans in April for a proposed new design and manufacturing centre of excellence at our Mallow facility. The â‚Ź3.5 million investment will ensure the creation of 50 additional high skilled jobs, supporting our activities in the water sector. EPS is supported by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through Enterprise Ireland. The new facility, which has recently been granted planning permission by Cork County Council, will be an industry-leading centre of excellence for the design and manufacture of key products and assemblies utilised in the construction of water and wastewater treatment plants. EPS intends to begin construction in September, with an expected completion time of 12 months. Construction will create 35 construction jobs to facilitate the completion of the project.
The proposed expansion is the next necessary step in the development of our business, and will reinforce our position as one of the leading water and wastewater companies in our markets where we provide a full end to end service for our customers. This new facility is designed for and will be equipped with the latest in BIM design, lean manufacturing equipment and processes which will enable us to lead in the off-site build and construction methodology as well as skid assembly and containerised plug and play water and wastewater solutions. We have demonstrated that we can be competitive in our chosen markets with products and assemblies manufactured in our existing facility for our Irish and export markets. This is thanks to the effort of our entire team, partners, customers and supply chain, supported by governmental agencies such as Enterprise Ireland, IDA and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.
New Recruits at EPS Since January 2014 we have had the pleasure of introducing 70 new employees to our team which have taken up a mixture of both new and replacement roles. We have welcomed qualified and experienced employees in the areas of engineering, operations, fabrication, fitting, electrical, finance, stores and administration as well as employees for our laboratories and science based fields. While we depend largely on our experienced workforce, EPS takes huge pride in our history of recruiting and training apprentices in fabrication, fitting and electrical work. In fact, a number of employees who
completed their apprenticeships with us almost 20 years ago are still with us today. We continue to recruit apprentices on an annual basis, and over the past 18 months, we have recruited 11 new apprentices.
Photo, above: Some new team members in our Mallow OďŹƒce
We have also maintained a strong emphasis in the employment of graduates. Historically, this has mainly applied to the engineering disciplines , however, in the last 18 months, we have also seen the enrollment of graduates in IT, sales/ marketing, design, logistics, automations as well as engineering and project management fields with the recruitment of 13 graduates over this period.
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AMP Update
Sixth Asset Management Programme Main Photo: Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant - Final Settlement Tanks
The 6th Asset Management Programme (AMP6) of the UK Regulated Water sector commenced in April 2015 following much anticipation. The new regulatory cycle, covering the period 2015-20, seeks to deliver services of greater value to the bill-paying customer across the UK. Following a rigorous Price Review process (PR14), the UK Water companies submitted their draft Business Plans to the regulator OFWAT in 2014 and Final Determinations (priorities & price setting) were made at the end of the year. For EPS, the previous years’ endeavours within the UK municipal and industrial markets have been reflected upon, both our successes (which we hope to repeat) and also our opportunities to learn, from which we refine the business model on a continuous learning cycle. We started within the AMP5 arena, through planned and measured exposure based on a clear vision of our core strength and capabilities. Steadily through AMP5 we have built our reference portfolio, our relationships and our exposure to significant programmes of work where we have been recognised as a contributing provider within the UK market.
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As most will be aware, during the AMP5 period, we established our meps Joint Venture with strategic partners, MWH Treatment, which has seen significant amounts of effort deployed to integrate the two business practices in a seamless manner. This integration continues this year, where we will capitalise upon the opportunities that are able to be captured by the partnership. Since our launch in 2010, and between the EPS and meps brands, we have been appointed to some 19 Product & Services Frameworks and Approved Supplier Listings – this is a phenomenal achievement and places us close to the top of the Framework league table in the UK across our Tier 2 peers. Aside from meps, we have made steady progress also outside of the Product space and delivered a number of complex MEICA installations for regulated and industrial customers at Hampton WTW, Cefni WTW, Cramptons Road WTW and Arla Foods. All of these areas of progress place EPS in a much better place for the new AMP. We are a recognised brand with credible project references, great people able to deliver excellent results and leading partners who recognise our value. Our Irish asset management know-how will be heavily leveraged during AMP6,
EPS Water UK Industrial Offering Over the last eighteen months, EPS Water UK has been developing its offering to the industrial and commercial sectors of the UK market. The approach we have taken is to use our knowledge and experience gained in Ireland combined with a local presence. Development activities are targeting the key industrial sectors of dairy, food & beverage, brewing and meat production. In addition, opportunities are being explored with our Irish customers who have a presence in the UK. Our main product offering focuses on our core strengths in water and wastewater treatment as well as pumping solutions. These include solutions for solids / liquid separation – screening, DAF, filtration; chemical dosing and biological treatment. In combination with using the design experience and successful EPS project references in Ireland, we are developing and strengthening the relationships with our key technology partners, for example; Bosman - fuzzy filter technology, Redox - screening and DAF technology and Biowater – Moving Bed Bioreactor (MBBR) and combined fixed film activated sludge (CFAS) technologies. Recent contract successes over this period have included: • A major upgrade of wastewater treatment for a major milk processing and bottling plant in London • A new surface water control and monitoring pumping station for a cement manufacturer • Refurbishment of a series of groundwater control pumping stations for a London council • Provision of tertiary effluent treatment equipment for a port development
Photo Above: DAF & Balance Tank for London Dairy Project
as the UK shifts to a new financial performance model called “Totex” which seeks to balance decision making and impact across the two main cost centres of Capital Expenditure and Operational Expenditure, the latter of which is the norm in the Irish Operate & DBO model. We hope that the shift to a Totex regime will enable EPS to differentiate itself further in the UK, where traditionally capital cost has led project decision making. Now, with the added complexities of understanding the Product or Service from the immediate Capital cost consequences to a place where whole lifecycle cost also needs to be considered, we feel that our skill on both sides of this performance model will pay dividends. A continued focus on prefabricated, modular construction techniques in AMP6 will also offer significant opportunities to EPS as we already embrace such an approach. Known in the UK under a number of slogans (Design for Manufacturing & Assembly, Front-end Factory Thinking, Off Site Fabrication OSF etc), prefabricated models of construction will underpin Construction 2025, a Government policy to deliver significant amounts of infrastructure through this technique at 33%
reduced overall cost and with a 50% reduction in build time. At site and customer level this translates to; improved Health & Safety performance, less operational down-time, reduced construction prelim costs and reduced carbon burden amongst other positive benefits. EPS and meps have delivered a number of projects using our Off Site Fabrication methodology which makes extensive use of our immersive BIM design resources to ensure we can model “virtual assets” ahead of time and consider the associated construction sequencing options to ensure that we deliver-right-first-time. There remain significant amounts of opportunities within the UK for EPS across all of our business formats, that allow us to point our core strengths and capacity towards. We are now at a point where our UK investment to date can be leveraged to greatest effect as work-winning efforts become more effective including through partnership and we become more selective through the experience we have gained to date. Great efforts have been deployed across the Irish and UK teams to get us to this place - a sincere thank you to all those directly involved and our stakeholders and partners in this journey.
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meps
meps
Evolution through standardisation & off-site construction Photo: Ferric sulphate and sodium hydroxide dosing systems ready for commissioning at Welsh Water’s Llanelli STW
The past number of months have seen a significant step forward in the journey of meps, our UK products joint venture with MWH Treatment. Having focused heavily on team integration, cultural alignment and getting the basics right in the first year of the initiative, meps is now moving beyond the launch phase to a more advanced, mature and broader market offering.
where existing delivery models, behaviours and commercial structures will actively promote collaborative working, early engagement and ‘best for task’ procurement. This approach has yielded some significant early project wins, which have helped us to ‘ride out’ the investment dip during the AMP56 transition period and set us up nicely for growth in the coming years.
The UK water companies have been busy selecting their AMP6 capital delivery partners and developing delivery strategies that differ considerably from those used in the last five-year asset management cycle. There is a consistent message being broadcast around collaboration, efficiency and innovation, with early supplier engagement, product standardisation and off-site construction being heralded as tools to achieve the efficiency target laid down in their respective business plans.
In Anglian Water - our first and most productive UK water company customer to date - the highlight of the last year was the successful delivery of four full-span scraper bridge systems at Cambridge STW. This flagship project, timed as a transition scheme between AMP5 and AMP6, was delivered with a heavy emphasis on off-site construction. meps entered into an early collaborative working arrangement with Anglian, the @One Alliance team and Carlow Precast to develop a signature settlement tank design which minimised on-site construction work and delivered significant time and cost benefits. The signature design is now being developed across a range of other tank sizes in order to provide a suite of standard settlement tank designs for use across the Anglian region throughout their AMP6 programme.
This change of direction is good news for meps, as it aligns well with our core strengths and will hopefully see procurement move away from the traditional Capex-led race to the bottom, towards a model of appointments based on capability, capacity and ‘best for task’ assessment. However, it is early days yet and there is an expectation that some water companies will manage to practice what they preach, while others will revert to type as they struggle to implement the required culture changes in their internal teams and among their delivery partners. Indeed, it can be seen that some water companies’ commercial and delivery models are intrinsically out-of-kilter, driving highly competitive behaviours which will undermine the successful delivery of efficiencies according to the above principles. Accordingly, meps is focusing on regions
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More recently, our focus has been on the Frankley WTW project, being delivered via MWH Treatment on behalf of Severn Trent Water. This strategically significant scheme will provide significant additional resilience to the Birmingham water supply, through the construction of a new process stream to treat raw water taken from the River Severn. Through collaborative early engagement, meps identified and designed five key off-site packages which could significantly add value to the project through installation efficiencies, programme savings and risk reduction.
Photo: Integral Bridge Rotor installed at Pytchley STW
Capitalising on the success of these projects, meps is currently pursuing several other opportunities to deliver high-value products, programmes and off-site solutions on key projects in Thames Water, Severn Trent Water, United Utilities and Scottish Water. We are also working closely with several water companies and their Tier 1 partners, using our experiences to help them develop workable off-site delivery strategies for AMP6. Looking at longer-term programmes of work, the procurement of the AMP6 prodWWuct and service frameworks is now in full swing. We have already seen chemical dosing framework wins in Anglian Water and Thames Water, the successful rollover of our Anglian scrapers framework, and many of our existing frameworks are scheduled to continue well into AMP6. Several frameworks for which we have applied in Severn Trent and Thames Water are due to be announced shortly and the team is busy submitting further applications at the present time.
De-alk pipework manifold for Frankley WTW in design, superimposed onto a cloud point scan of the treatment building
Overall, meps is maturing into a far more established product supplier in the UK market and is developing a strong reputation as a trailblazer in the delivery of off-site solutions. The path to success is not always smooth, but through intelligent resourcing, controlled growth, selectivity and a continued shared vision by both JV partners, we are evolving rapidly to become a truly market-leading provider to the UK water industry. Lime manifold for Frankley WTW pre-assembled in Mallow ready for factory inspection
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Pedrollo
EPS - Pedrollo Partnership
Photo: Giorgio Tubini , Paddy Buckley & Tadhg Buckley
From the start-up days of Electrical & Pump Services Ltd (EPS) to the present day, there has been one partnership that has been crucial to our business success, the EPS Pedrollo S.p.A. collaboration. It all started when Gerald and Tadhg Buckley headed off to Italy for a week to source a supplier of water pumps for the Irish market. They needed a pump manufacturer that produced high quality, reliable products and was also innovative in their offering. It was with good fortune that they crossed paths with Pedrollo S.p.A. and indeed Mr Silvano Pedrollo. That was over 35 years ago. A relationship began that day and ever since, both parties have worked hard to nurture and develop the association. For Pedrollo, it has meant producing high quality, reliable, innovative products, while also offering a wide range of pumps at competitive prices. It has also meant providing support in terms of technical know-how and marketing material and always with a personal touch. For EPS, it has meant always putting Pedrollo first, developing the brand to become the leading domestic water pump supplied in the Irish market and continually working to ensure that the Pedrollo name is held in the highest regard amongst its Irish customers. EPS has always ensured that customer insight is passed on to Pedrollo so that Pedrollo can take that information into consideration when deciding what new products might be needed, or what changes might be required to ensure continuous improvement of the Pedrollo S.p.A
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offering. Thankfully this has worked well over the years and has ensured a mutually beneficial relationship for both companies. Pedrollo celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2014 and to commemorate this, EPS was invited to San Bonifacio to mark the occasion with Mr Pedrollo, his family, employees, our good friend Mr Giorgio Tubini and other valued customers from around the world. It was a great celebration and the EPS team felt privileged to be a part of it. Pedrollo further marked the occasion by launching a variety of new products highlighting their continued innovative approach to their business which has been at the forefront of their development over the last 40 years. From our long-standing and successful relationship with Pedrollo, we have developed a thriving product business in Ireland and we aspire to continue this journey for many years to come.
Premier Tech Aqua
Conder Aqua Solutions becomes Premier Tech Aqua Photo: Rotomould manufacture of a Premier Tech Aqua septic tank
In early 2015, Conder Aqua Solutions (Conder), one of the UK and Ireland’s leading packaged water and wastewater solutions company, joined forces with Rewatec, one of Europe’s prominent rainwater harvesting manufacturer and distributor, in a strategic move to combine expertise and success whilst enhancing their already extensive product range. In addition, Conder Aqua Solutions and Rewatec will now be doing business under the name Premier Tech Aqua (PTA) in line with Premier Tech’s Environmental Technologies Group’s other global business units. Conder and Rewatec will remain Premier Tech Aqua’s key brands in the UK and Ireland in addition to Premier Tech’s Environmental Technologies Group’s flagship product lines Ecoflo and Ecoprocess. The newly named Premier Tech Aqua has been trading for over 40 years, with manufacturing plants in Peterlee, Co. Durham and Mallow, Co Cork. The company offers some of the most advanced water and wastewater treatment products available in the market, specializing across five distinct product lines: Wastewater, Rainwater Harvesting, Stormwater, Storage and Pumping Stations. Speaking about the adoption of the image and corporate name of Premier Tech Aqua and the integration of RewatecUK, Stuart Wray, Managing Director at Conder said, “The name change to Premier Tech Aqua acknowledges us as part of the internationally recognised Premier Tech company, something which we are extremely proud of. The new name allows us to become firmly associated with the global Premier Tech brand and further reinforces our industry leadership within the water and wastewater treatment industry.
As a progressive company, we continually invest in R&D and focus on exclusive technologies to develop a product range that confirms our position as market-leader in the industry and offers proven quality, performance and reliability. The acquisition and integration of Rewatec UK will further complement and enhance our existing product offerings ensuring our customers continue to receive the best products available on the market.” Since the initial investment in 2013 by Premier Tech and EPS, Conder has had several noticeable successes. This includes the launch of several new product lines, the introduction of new rotomoulding manufacturing technology as well as plans to develop market-driven ideas and other innovative product offers for its customers in the near future. “The strategic partnership has brought with it an entire re-brand for the company as well as the backing of a highly successful innovative research and development centre” commented Tony Power, Sales & Operations Manager at Premier Tech Aqua Ireland. Henri Ouellet, President of Premier Tech’s Environmental Technologies Group added, “Having been involved in the packaged water and wastewater treatment industry for the past 20 years, Premier Tech is now an international leader across the Americas, Europe and Asia. We want all of our Business Units around the world to benefit from Premier Tech’s great reputation and share our mission of providing superior technologies, products and services to create lasting improvements to the quality of water and public health protection.”
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EPS Export
Update on projects in Jordan & Nigeria Photo: Hyder Aswad and Patrick Buckley with our partner El Concorde Construction’s delivery team for the Central Irbid and Wadi Arab wastewater treatment plants extensions for the Ministry of Water & Irrigation and Water Authority of Jordan
Central Irbid and Wadi Arab
Lagos - Nigeria
EPS, in partnership with El Concorde Construction, is presently in the latter stages of installation works at two wastewater treatment plants in Central Irbid and Wadi Arab in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. With a MEICA phase in excess of €2.5M, these projects are providing necessary plant upgrade and expansion works as well as significant tertiary filtration and ultraviolet light disinfection stages at both plants. Upon completion, these plants will ultimately produce treated wastewater to a quality which will allow for re-use in irrigation for agricultural purposes in the Northern Jordan valley region. As a region with one of the world’s most arid climates, the impact to the environs of the project, driven by the Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ), will be highly beneficial and EPS is delighted to be involved in such a vital project in the region.
Since 2011, EPS has partnered with Biotech Solutions Co. Ltd (Nigeria) to provide quality wastewater treatment solutions to both private and public clients. The partnership has extensively created awareness in the wastewater sector in the State of Lagos, through a series of high profile presentations, knowledge sharing, capacity building and technical support. EPS/Biotech has partnered to design, install and commission several projects ranging from Government owned hospitals and offices to packaged sewage treatment plants for private estates and residences. EPS, in partnership with it subsidiary Premier Tech Aqua, continues to support the local Biotech team with their customer requirements and in delivering economic and environmental benefits to the region.
Photo, left: Hyder Aswad, Business Development Director for EPS Group in the Middle East at the EPS office in Amman, Jordan . Photo, centre: EPS / Biotech presentation at the Lagos State Ministry of Works (Nigeria). Photo, right: Timmy Cremin (EPS) on a recent visit to commission a containerised package sewage treatment plant for Lagos State Ministry of Health (Randle General Hospital, Surulere, Lagos) Nigeria.
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‘Walk to the Branches’ Stepper Challenge As part of National Well-Being Day last April, EPS decided to launch our very own ‘Walk to the Branches’ challenge. Teams were given a step counter to record the number of steps they took over a 12 week period with the target of completing at least 70,000 steps per week. The challenge proved very popular and saw some extremely impressive results each week. Congratulations to JP Bourke, Sean O’Sullivan, Jeremiah Sheehan and Ronan Moore, who are the
winners of our Walk to the Branches Competition 2015. Also, a huge congratulations to everyone who took part. Here are some figures on what was achieved over the 12 weeks:• Total steps overall: 22,574,088 which is 10,688 miles equivalent to walking from Dublin to Sydney! • Highest number of steps for women - Anne Lawlee, 600,629 • Highest number of steps for men - JP Bourke, 619,805
Health & Safety Accidents in the Workplace
Photo: Members of the ‘Walk to the Branches’ step counter competition
We all received a painful reminder recently on how dangerous our industry can be. An accident, which happened in Dublin, resulted in two brothers being overcome with gases in a sewer where one of the brothers died at the scene and his younger brother died later in hospital. They were responding to a call-out to a blocked sewer. According to some newspaper reports the first person descended only a short distance to carry out an initial assessment when he was overcome by the gases and collapsed. The younger brother entered the sewer attempting to save his brother and suffered the same fate. This terrible accident is currently subject to two separate investigations, one by the HSA and one by the Gardaí.
our equipment such as gas detectors, slings, harnesses to name a few, must be in date and equipment in good working order. Everyone has a responsibility to themselves and those working with them.
Taking the lessons learned from such a tragic event and applying them to EPS we need to go back to basics. As many of you have probably heard me say over the years, paperwork itself will not save anyone but it will make you stop and think about what you are doing. Therefore, it is extremely important that we ensure we read and understand the safety statement, attend training and toolbox talks and report both near misses and faulty equipment.
Regards,
Whether we come to work for the love of the job, to earn a wage to pay bills or even to meet with people and interact socially we all have lives and families outside of EPS. By continuously working together, trying to improve the safety culture within EPS and taking responsibility for our own safety and the safety of those around us, hopefully we will never directly have to deal with the grief of losing a colleague and having someone somewhere writing a note or trying to take the lessons learned from such a tragedy. It will also allow us to go home each day after work to our loved ones.
John Lynch John Lynch Contracts Director
We need to ensure that our method statements and risk assessments are specific to the work that we are doing and are communicated to all involved in carrying out an activity. When on site we need to complete a Safe System of Work Plan for each of the tasks at hand. Certificates for
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Our Partners
Update on our partners products & innovations Photo: Patrick Buckley, John Lynch, Barry O’Toole and Jim Palmer at the signing of Nereda partnership agreement with René Noppeney, Global Director Water Products & Innovation, Royal Haskoning DHV
Trojan UV - Trojan / EPS partnership continues to prosper Trojan offers the most advanced UV systems in the world for safeguarding drinking water from harmful microorganisms, including Cryptosporidium and Giardia. In Europe more than 1000 drinking water facilities use TrojanUV. Since 2007 the Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided to include disinfection steps in the drinking water for protection against Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Since then, EPS has equipped more than 150 sites with Trojan UV-installations, most sites in duty/stand by configuration. Even a larger number of sites have Viqua UV-systems installed. Viqua is a Trojan sister company.
Askoll Continues to Expand Product Portfolio Askoll is an innovative company strongly dedicated to the development and manufacture of increasingly reliable, advanced and easy-to-use circulating pumps. Since partnering with EPS Group, Askoll has significantly expanded its presence in the Irish market. High performance, superb energy efficiency, low energy consumption; these have been the hallmark features of the motors and pumps manufactured by Askoll. EPS Group now offers a full range of these advanced circulating pumps for use in heating/cooling systems, solar thermal systems and domestic hot water systems. Askoll circulating pumps are the perfect solution for any application whether domestic or commercial and are available throughout Ireland from our network of partners and distribution centres.
VIQUA - Introducing its New Brand VIQUA, the leading manufacturer of ultraviolet (UV) water purification systems, and partner of EPS Group, has recently officially introduced its new brand identity, demonstrating the company’s commitment to product innovation and the delivery of Simply Safe Water. The introduction coincides with the company’s decision to simplify their product offerings in the marketplace and to focus on building the VIQUA brand. To support the organisation’s vision of Simply Safe Water, VIQUA plans to streamline its product offering to make it easier for customers to identify the right product at the right price for every application. For more information visit: www.simplysafewater.ie
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GROU P
Energy & the Environment Update from the EPS Energy Department Photo: Declan O’Riordan, Energy Manger at EPS on site in Tullamore WWTP
The EPS Better Energy Home Salary Incentive Scheme (BEHSIS) EPS recently launched the first of its kind ‘Better Energy Homes Salary Incentive Scheme’ . The purpose of the scheme is to assist EPS employees who wish to invest in energy efficiency measures for their homes in order to unlock the energy and cost savings potential. It combines an interest free loan from EPS to the employee to finance the investment measures, together with a grant incentive payable by SEAI. This pilot programme will assess the effectiveness of using salary based loans for energy efficiency as an alternative to traditional bank lending. EPS is leading this initiative and we are the first employer to adopt the scheme, which we hope to be of great benefit to our employees. Photo right: Team members from our Ballyhaunis branch who attended a briefing day for the BEHSIS
LIEN Event In October 2014 we hosted a LIEN (Large Industry Energy Network) event whereby EPS and various external guest speakers presented on best practice and new technologies in energy management within the water industry. The event also included a site visit and tour of an EPS site where the attendees saw operational examples of efficient design as well as some of the latest technologies in operation on the plant. Photo right: Michael O’Sullivan, EPS, providing a guided tour of the EPS site as part of the LIEN event
EPS Better Energy Communities Scheme 2014/2015 EPS, through the SEAI Better Energy Communities Scheme, has partnered with commercial and voluntary organisations to lead and deliver upgrades across a range of community facilities and sheltered homes nationwide totaling €2.36m. Measures include window replacements, roof and cavity wall insulation, high efficiency boiler upgrades, insulating pipework, low energy lighting, heating controls, solar hot water, upgrade pitch floodlights to energy efficient, air to water heat pumps, new room thermostats, insulating boiler house and external wall insulation. A regional cluster of schools, GAA clubs, community centres, childcare, church buildings, rehabilitation centres and St. Vincent De Paul housing will benefit from energy savings and improved awareness. Photo right: Declan O’Riordan, Energy Manager EPS and Patrick Buckley, with members of the Baltimore Community Swimming Pool committee who reduced their energy spend by approximately 40% after participating in last year’s scheme.
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Events
Various Community & Other Events Photo: Better Life Cycle charity event in aid of St. Joseph’s foundation
Better Life Cycle Members of the EPS team recently participated in the ‘Better Life Cycle’ in aid of St. Joseph’s foundation. 150 cyclists participated in the challenge raising just over €50,000 between them for the charity. The cycle covered a distance of 230km starting in Dublin and finishing in Galway - going from coast to coast in one day. There were no relays and everyone covered the distance in full. Photo, left to right: Derek Tinsley, John O’Shaughnessy, Brian Lawlor, Tim Taylor, Darragh Cronin, Patrick D Buckley, Patrick V Buckley, John Brennan & Tony Brennan.
Le Chéile Family Resource Centre EPS Group was the main sponsor for a benefit night in aid of Le Chéile Family Resource Centre which was held recently at Curraheen Park Greyhound Stadium in Cork. The event, which was a huge success, was organised by Le Chéile Family Resource Centre and members of the Men’s Shed. Photo, left to right: Mike Bourke; Men’s Shed, Katie Murphy; EPS Group, Marie Fenlon; Manager of Le Chéile FRC, Patrick Buckley; EPS Group, Noreen Brennan; Le Chéile FRC, Jack Murphy; Men’s Shed
Race Around Ireland Charity Cycling Event In August, a team of firefighters from Meath participated in the Race Around Ireland endurance cycle (a 2150km race with a cut off time of 96hrs) in order to raise funds for Down Syndrome and SODAD. EPS was delighted to sponsor the team, providing them with cycling gear for their training. The ‘Meath Fire Blazers’ came 4th in the 8 person team category and 10th in the overall category - a great achievement for a very worthy cause. Photo: Richie Faulkner; Meath Firefighter, takes a much needed break during the Race Around Ireland Charity Cycle
Alton Rugby Club They say you can never start too young when it comes to sport, and at Alton RFC (a feeder club to London Irish) they have a thriving Junior Section taking in players from the age of four. EPS has supported the excellent work of the club’s management and coaches by donating water bottles and umbrellas which are badly needed by the Under 6 squad for their regular Tag Blitz tournaments. Photo: Alton RFC Juniors
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EPS Supports CMT Research EPS was delighted to support a 5k fun run in Farran Woods on Sunday 13th September in aid of CMT (Charcot Marie Tooth) Disease Research. CMT is a degenerative neuro-muscular disorder that affects the peripheral nerves which lie outside the brain and spinal cord and supply the muscles and sensory organs in the limbs. Joint walks were organised by Michael O’Sullivan (Contracts Manager EPS) and his family and which took place in Cork and California on the same day to raise awareness as well as collecting €10,000 toward valuable research for finding a cure. Anyone seeking to donate can do so at: www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/ FarranWoodsWalk/walktorun4cmt Photo: Michael O’Sullivan’s family at the CMTA fundraising event in Cork
Acquired Brain Injury Ireland Throughout 2014, Tadhg Buckley, undertook a year long challenge to raise funds and create awareness about acquired brain injuries and the services provided by Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) Ireland. The challenge involved competing in a number of triathlons, duathlons and individual running and cycling events. Tadhg successfully completed 5km of swimming, 100km of running and 500km of cycling over the 12 month period and raised €10,300 for ABI. Photo: Tadhg Buckley and a member of his ‘support team’ at the finishing line of the Brownlee South Triathlon
Water Education Day for Local Schools EPS recently supported Blackstairs GWS in hosting a site visit and water education day for the pupils of Rathnure and Caim National Schools in County Wexford. The visit included a focus on the catchment, source and treatment plant, while a demonstration of distribution main scouring was also provided to the pupils. Photo: Pupils from Caim National School visiting one of the four raw water intake points on Blackstairs GWS
‘Cork to Cobh Charity Swim’ & the ‘Dive Into Happiness’ Sky Dive John O’ Callaghan took part in the annual Cork to Cobh Open water Swim to raise money for Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland. The swim covered a distance of 16km in total, starting from the Clarion Hotel, Lapps Quay in Cork and finishing at the Deepwater Quay in Cobh. John raised €550 for AADI. Also doing their bit for charity, Tony Doyle and his daughter Nicole completed a skydive in aid of Pieta House, raising €1414 for the charity. Photo, left: John O’ Callaghan having completed his charity swim. Photo, right: Tony and Nicole Doyle about to set off on their sky diving adventure.
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GROUP
Ireland Mallow, Co. Cork t: +35322 31200 Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo t: +35394 9633500 Mountrath, Co. Laois t: +35357 8732279 Naas, Co. Kildare t: +35345 843614 e: info@epswater.ie w: www.epswater.ie
UK EPS Water Church Crookham, Hampshire t: +44870 405 0904 e: info@epswater.co.uk w: www.epswater.co.uk meps Salford Quays, Manchester t: +44800 901 2450
Jordan Jebeha, Amman Tel: +962 797 424344 e: info@epswater.ie w: www.epswater.ie