Our 2021 Chartered Manager of the Year is preventing floods, one wet wipe at a time ---------
How Simon Cyhanko flushed out a serious problem
When Simon Cyhanko CMgr MCMI became head of wastewater networks at Northumbrian Water Group (NWG), he was tasked with making a “step-change improvement” in the sewer system’s flooding performance. Sewer flooding is a pressing issue for the water industry. Flooding has a huge impact on the general public and hits water companies’ bottom line. NWG’s sewer flooding performance was among the worst in the industry when Cyhanko took on the job. “I definitely felt the pressure,” he says. “When you’re given a task like that, you take a bit of personal pride in trying to make sure you achieve it. That comes with a bit of a fear of failing and of letting people down.” The first step in addressing the problem was to bring the right team together. Cyhanko gathered experts from around the business to get their opinions on how to tackle the issue. This consultation process involved managers, technical experts and frontline operatives. The output was a plan of action to move things forward. 56 — WIN TER 202 1
Some parts of the plan were relatively straightforward changes in processes and operations – for example, a risk assessment process to reduce the risk of operational flooding. Elsewhere, Cyhanko’s team surveyed sewers and fixed defects in the system. Flushing wipes blocks pipes A key part of Cyhanko’s plan was getting his team to play detective, using sensors across the network to identify – even to the individual household level – who was flushing wet wipes and other items that shouldn’t go into the system. These create the “fatbergs” that can block sewers and cause flooding. “Our team knocked on customers’ doors, telling them that the wet wipes had come from their property and that, if it happens again, they will be liable for our costs and will be prosecuted under the law.” The pilot project looked at 1,000 properties near Middlesbrough. Over the past 18 months, the team has expanded to 15 people working full time, covering 150,000 properties.
