Institute of Water #170

SUMMER2011 ISSUE170

IN THIS ISSUE: CONFERENCE REVIEW REGULATION UK SUPPLY CHAIN 1 INSTITUTE OF WATER JOURNAL IOW 170.indd 1

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CONTENTS

Introduction Welcome to this issue of the Journal, and to my first as the new President of the Institute. Sincere thanks must first of all go to Sam Phillips as Immediate Past President and to Maureen Taylor as Immediate Past Chair for all of the hard work and commitment that they have put in over the last year. in water and sewerage, but equally and as importantly, offering them unique and relaxed opportunities to be introduced to the very best names in the sector.

These opportunities to build new relationships and gain more context on the industry are just part of the tangible benefits that the Institute can bring to people’s careers. Across my term as President, we will be doing all we can to provide you with the best possible value for money from your membership, and to further enhance the engagement and partnership between the Institute and the key players in water.

I am delighted that we will still continue to have their guidance and insight within the Board for a while longer. With Helen Edwards from Yorkshire Water taking over as our new National Chair, Kathy Auld from Scottish Water coming in as Vice Chair, and with the new Area Committees now in place, we have a team that can drive the Institute forward.

That is a situation that I hope our founder, Allen Bolton, would have been pleased with.

Allen sadly passed away shortly after the spring edition of this journal marked his 100th birthday, and you will find an obituary to his life in the pages that follow. It was my honour to dedicate this year’s National Conference and Exhibition to Allen and the membership raised a toast to his memory at the President's Dinner. The Institute is indebted to him.

This issue you are reading contains a report on the recent National Conference and Exhibition, which took place in Swansea and hosted senior speakers from the world of water, public health and consumer affairs. The Conference once again showed the Institute of Water performing at its very best, attracting speakers of the highest level, involving and nurturing the younger members, providing the attendees with a unique perspective on the main issues

The Who’s Who section of this issue reports on some of those key players, giving you an inside view on some of the highly experienced, but newest leaders of our UK water companies. The industry continues to see regular changes at the top of its companies, and so we will keep bringing you this feature and up date you on the personalities behind these complex and difficult jobs. We also have a very interesting article looking at how UK regulatory regimes work and compare, specifically analysing Scotland, Northern Ireland and Guernsey in the Channel Islands. You will also see articles on the move towards protecting public health through new plumbing standards, industry innovation on water treatment and a selection of other interesting and relevant pieces. There is even a 60 second interview with Lynn Cooper (Chief Executive of the Institute of Water) that will tell you a little more about the person and give you some good opening lines when you next meet her.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this issue, and who gave their valuable time to make the Conference such a success.

I look forward to meeting you all throughout the year.

Nick Ellins Institute of Water President

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Features

08 09 18-19 40-46 52-55 58-63

Allen Bolton Obituary IWEX Review UK Supply chain Who's who Conference Review Regulation

Regulars 4-5

6 10-11 12-13 76-83

News in Brief Members Update Environment News Engineering News Area News

Next Issue Water Resources Metering Affordability and Customers

Institute of Water HQ: 4 Carlton Court, Team Valley, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear NE11 0AZ Website: www.instituteofwater.org.uk President: Nick Ellins Chairperson: Helen Edwards 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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Thames Water wins industry award for innovative ‘poo power’ project A unique initiative for creating renewable gas from human waste was praised at a prestigious awards ceremony.

The landmark project at Didcot, which sees the biomethane gas from solid human waste being put back into the gas network to fuel 200 homes, won the Partnership Initiative category at the Water Industry Achievement Awards 2011, on Tuesday, March 29.

Renewable ‘Poo Power’ was generated for the first time in Britain at the Oxfordshire plant in October last year when Thames Water got cooking with renewable gas alongside co-creators British Gas and Scotia Gas Networks.

Thames Water was also short-listed in the Most Innovative Technology category for the Sewer Blockage Alarm, invented to provide early warning of a blockage which could lead to sewer flooding.

Graham Southall, Head of Energy Asset Improvements, said:

“We were so excited to win. One of the major factors that differentiated us from some other entries was that this was a partnership that involved other organisations outside the water industry.

“The Didcot initiative is definitely an attractive option which we will seriously consider for all our digestion projects, and if we need to replace any ‘combined heat and power’ engines.”

‘MAKING EVERY DROP COUNT’ SOUTH EAST WATER LAUNCHES METERING PROGRAMME Following recent Government approval to publish its Water Resources Management Plan, and press ahead with vital work to secure future water supplies up to 2035, South East Water has announced plans to install 200,000 water meters across parts of Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Berkshire and Surrey over the next five years.

This £50 million scheme forms part of the Company’s five-year investment programme from 2010-2015. The programme is due to start in Summer 2011 in Sevenoaks in Kent, Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath in Sussex and Basingstoke in Hampshire and will mean that by 2015, 70% of customers will be on a meter, with that number eventually rising to 90% by 2020.

The South East region has been classed by the Environment Agency as an area of serious water stress. The metering programme is an important part of South East Water’s future plans to protect our natural water supplies and make sure there is enough water for both existing and future customers.

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Initially customers won’t be charged on a metered basis until 2012. The Company is developing a range of financial support measures with Ofwat, the economic regulator for the water and sewerage industry in England and Wales, to help customers that may have difficulty paying any increase in their bill. Until these have been finalised, customers in these first areas will continue to pay for their bills in the same way as before, by their rateable vale.

In tandem with the metering programme, South East Water will also continue to manage demand by tackling leakage and promoting water efficiency, as well as enhancing existing sources, expanding its regional water grid, and investigating and developing, where necessary, more new water resources.

South East Water has agreement on the programme, in principle, from Ofwat and is also supported by the Environment Agency and Defra .

Lee Dance, Head of Water Resources and Environmental, said: “The effects of climate change, with warmer and drier years, and alongside the projected population growth in the region, will only increase the pressure on the

available water in our rivers and underground sources.

“It is our responsibility as the supplier of drinking water to 2.1 million people to proactively manage the demand for water, tackle leakage, and improve existing or deliver new water resources. Customers on a meter tend to use around 10% less water than those that are not and this reduction in demand helps to conserve valuable resources and reduces the amount of energy used to heat water in customers’ homes as well as along the whole process to abstract, treat and pump this water to customers’ homes.

“Installing meters will give us the tools to help manage demand for water in an area which is in serious water-stress – they will help us to detect leaks, encourage customers to think about their water use and behaviour, and are ultimately a fairer way of paying for water.

“By switching to a water meter, customers have complete control over their water usage and bills – like gas and electricity, customers only pay for what they use. And, if they use water wisely and don’t waste it, they could see their water bills reduce.”

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NEWSINBRIEF

Fighting the fat is a fine art for Southern Water baths. Often the wastewater will ‘back-up’ causing homes and gardens to be flooded with sewage and wastewater.

However, this disaster was averted because it was just the clever artwork of 3D master of illusion Joe Hill. Joe created the dramatic piece of artwork, measuring five by two metres, which was displayed at Gunwharf Quays Shopping Centre in Portsmouth.

The artwork was an eye-catching way for Southern Water to raise the awareness among the people of Portsmouth about its Fight the Fat Campaign, which aims to get people to stop pouring fat, oils and grease into their sinks and dishwashers.

The Fight the Fat awareness day was attended by the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Councillor Paula Riches and MP Penny Mordaunt, (Portsmouth North).

Shoppers were stopped in their tracks when a Portsmouth pavement opened up in front of their eyes revealing the fat clogged sewer below.

Crowds gathered around the exposed pipe which showed the fats, oils and grease strangling the sewer inside.

Seventy five per cent of blockages in people’s drains and Southern Water sewers are caused by cooking fats, oils and grease (FOG) getting into the pipes. FOG gets into the pipes by people pouring it down sinks or washing up fat and oil soaked kitchen cooking utensils or via dishwashers. The FOG solidifies in time and creates blockages.

When these blockages occur people find that they cannot flush their toilets or empty their sinks and

As part of Southern Water’s efforts to help prevent sewer flooding in the city, Southern Water also gave away free Fat Traps, a kitchen device designed to encourage people not to pour cooking fat down the sink, and distributed hundreds of information leaflets.

Laura Davis, Digital Engagement Manager for Veolia Water, said: “By developing this new application we’re now able to offer customers a new an innovative way to contact us that’s not been done in the water industry before.

Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne, was blown away when he got behind the wheel of the Bio-Bug – the UK’s first biomethane powered VW Beetle.

Mr Huhne visited Wessex Water’s Bristol sewage treatment works as part of a tour of Bristol that showcased innovative environmental work going on around the city.

He met Mohammed Saddiq, general manager of GENeco, Wessex Water’s waste to energy company which came up with the idea of powering the vehicle on human waste.

Southern Water’s Director of Capital Delivery and Commercial, Les Bond, said: “We hope the Fat Traps and information leaflets distributed today will encourage householders to dispose of their fat in an environmentally friendly way, rather than pour it down sinks and drains, which can cause costly blockages, flooding and damage to the environment.

Waste flushed down the toilets of just 70 homes is enough to power the Bio-Bug for a year, based on an annual mileage of 10,000 miles.

“This is an example of how we can work with customers to help prevent sewer flooding in Portsmouth. We’re thrilled the people of Portsmouth have been so enthusiastic about this giveaway which will help keep the city’s sewers clear of blockages. We thank the people of Portsmouth for their support.”

“The Bio-Bug is British innovation at its best.

These projects put Bristol ahead of many in seeing the economic and environmental payoffs of shifting to low carbon.”

Water Company Launches Smartphone App Veolia Water is the first water company in the UK to introduce this new feature to customers, which allows them to pay their bill, report leaks, send in a meter reading and let the company know when they’re moving home.

Sewage Powered Cars

“Another great feature is that customers can also view our range of’how to’ video guides through their SmartPhone, so if, for example, a customer wants to send in their latest meter reading but are unsure how to, they can view the’how to read your meter’ video and supply the meter reading at the same time.”

The app is available at

www.veoliawater.co.uk/central

and in the App store.

Mr Huhne was eager to test drive the car and took it for a drive around the sewage plant. He said: “Bristol’s work to build new industries and jobs around green technologies offers us a glimpse into the future.

Last year GENeco raised worldwide awareness of the potential of using biogas as a fuel source for transport after it launched the Bio-Bug. Celebrity motoring journalists were among those who have shown an interest in the car with some giving it a test drive to learn more about its performance and how it works.

Around 18 million cubic metres of biogas is produced at Bristol sewage treatment works a year. It is generated through anaerobic digestion – a process in which bugs in the absence of oxygen break down biodegradable material to produce methane.

Mr Saddiq said: “Interest in the Bio-Bug has been phenomenal and this green initiative clearly shows the benefits of anaerobic digestion. At the moment we are using the waste flushed down the toilets in homes in Bristol to power the Bio-Bug, but it won’t be long before energy will also be generated through the treatment of food waste when we start recycling it at our sewage works.”

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MEMBERSUPDATE

Have you logged into the Institute of Water Network yet?

It is easy to create an up to date profile for yourself so that other members can find out a little bit more about you. . .

You can search for friends, colleagues or other members and read what they have said about themselves. . .

You can connect with members and message them through e-mail or write on their wall. . .

You can engage in interesting debates, both industry related and other. .

The Water Network is there for members to use, so please log-in and see what it is all about.

members; post and receive messages and view postings that other members have made. There is also the facility to view and post comments on a range of topics, and to create topics yourself.

You can access the Water Network from the front page of the current website www.instituteofwater.org.uk You will need to log-in to the site (in the same way that you do now with your surname and membership number) and then click on the ‘Water Network’ icon for access. Please contact Head Office if you need your membership number or advice on this procedure.

There are a range of security settings available, and members not wishing to use this service should inform Head Office so that their account can be suspended.

CASH REWARD FOR RECRUITING MEMBERS 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.

Winners of the Summer prizes are: £75 Tracey Macey for introducing Kerry Harvey (Sembcorp Bournemouth Water) £50 Simon Cyhanko for introducing Tom Brownson (Northumbrian Water) £25 janet Howard for introducing jenny Mills (United Utilities) 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.

We hope you are pleased with the ‘Water Network’, and that you find it to be a helpful networking tool. If you do have any problems or comments, please do get in touch with Head Office.

The ‘Water Network’ is very similar to some of the popular social networks such as Facebook, and is easy to use and navigate. For those of you not familiar with such sites there is a user guide in the ‘About’ section.

Once logged in to the site you will be able to add details and a photograph if you wish to your ‘profile page’. You will be able to share information instantly by updating your status, to reveal what you are doing right now (eg. what project you are working on; which next event you are attending; what you are reading; where you are off on holiday, or even what you are having for tea!) There is the facility to search for other

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Obituary

Allen Bolton 1910-2011

By Lynn Cooper

It is with much sorrow that I report the death of our last remaining Founder Member, Allen Bolton.

We reported in the last Journal that Allen had reached the milestone of 100 years of age on Christmas Day. He had been suffering with dementia since at least May last year but was still living with his long-time friend and companion, Jean Turner, when he celebrated his 100th Birthday. On 10 January he went into a care home where he died in his sleep in the early hours of 22 February. As Jean said, “he had a good life and I don’t think there was much more he wanted to do.” On hearing of Allen’s death, a Past Chair summed it up when she said: “What a life eh?!

I only hope I can achieve half as much, half as well.”

Allen Bolton spent a lifetime in the service of the water industry. He joined Sutton District Water Company in 1938 as a plumber, became Chief Inspector in 1945 and retired as Distribution Engineer in 1978 after forty years’ service. Allen came from outside of the water industry and had no previous water experience. He was offered a post at Sutton in charge of a department and although he had qualifications he was a novice in that he had no experience in the work he was being invited to take on. He enquired about Associations he might join ‘for information and an enlightened insight into what was going on around him day-to-day.’ He was already a member of the Royal Society for Public Health but water was only one of its interests and didn’t meet the need. There was an Institution of Water Engineers, solely concerned with the water industry, but membership was only open to Chief Engineers and Consultants.

And so the Association of Water Distribution Officers was formed ‘for the purpose of promoting a wider knowledge of the principles and practices governing the distribution of public water supplies.’ The inaugural meeting in 1945 was attended by 78 officers representing Water Authorities in the South Eastern District. In his opening remarks the Chairman referred to the

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“The future, dear Members, is in your hands and I shall be watching you” occasion as “unique in the history of the water industry, and one which was particularly welcome at this time when a new Water Bill was almost on the statute book and new draft byelaws to supersede the existing Ministry of Health code were in preparation.”

The Association grew over the years and had several changes of name and Allen was at the heart of things, even beyond his retirement, serving as Honorary Secretary 1945-1952, Honorary Treasurer 1945-1949, Chairman 19721974 and Honorary Journal Editor 1964-1965 & 1975-1976. Allen attended every Annual General Meeting from 1945 to 2008 although he gave us all a scare in Kenilworth in 1999 when he keeled over during the AGM and was rushed to hospital in an ambulance.

We feared the worst (he was 88) but he appeared at the President’s Dinner the next night where Jean reported he had passed out because he had forgotten to take his pills. I had first met Allen two years earlier at the South East Area AGM and I marvelled at the level of interest he showed. This was echoed by a Past Chair who said on hearing of Allen’s death: “He set a brilliant example to all members with his dedication to the AWO, IWO and now IWater, and seemed to keep up to date with everything that was going on, unlike some of us.

There must have been something in the water for him to have reached 100!”

Tributes flooded in as I circulated the news via email to Past Presidents and Chairs. The descriptions of Allen included: ‘a character’, ‘a

true gentleman’, ‘an inspirational man’, ‘a true visionary’, ‘an industry legend’, ‘impressive’ and his death was ‘a great loss to the Institute and our Industry’.

One Past President said: “Sad news in one way and condolences to his family, but his long life and dedication to the Institute should be celebrated. Very few people are able to live long enough and stay active and energetic to continue such passionate involvement.” 15 or so members of the Institute joined friends and family on Thursday 17th March at Worthing Crematorium to remember, celebrate and give thanks for the life of Allen Bolton. Allen was a visionary and our industry owes him a debt of gratitude for what he created: a great legacy of which to be proud.

Allen leaves a daughter – Pat, a son – John, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren too. I had the privilege of meeting some of them at the funeral and left them in no doubt as to the legacy Allen had left and the impact he had made on so many people. I feel quite a weight of responsibility, trying to maintain all that Allen has done for the people in the water industry and trying to grow the Institute. I will as always give it my best efforts as I believe in this Institute as much as Allen did and I urge you, the members, to do likewise. As Allen said in the closing words of the History of the Institution of Water Officers, written to celebrate our 50th anniversary: “The future, dear Members, is in your hands and I shall be watching you."

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IWEXREVIEW

IWEX celebrates landmark 25th anniversary ONE of the key dates on the UK water industry calendar once again proved a major success for exhibitors and visitors alike.

The International Water and Effluent Exhibition (IWEX) marked its 25th anniversary at the NEC Birmingham from 24- 26 May and reaffirmed its unrivalled reputation as the UK’s premier water industry event.

The need for companies to adopt a sustainable water management system provided a compelling backdrop to this year’s show, which attracted buyers, specifiers and decision-makers from across the water and effluent industry who saw the very latest advances in water technologies and innovative solutions to sustainable management.

Faversham House Group organises IWEX and event director Donna Bushell said: “Sustainable water management is becoming a major focus for governments, both in this country and abroad, and I think that’s why we saw a wide range of products launched at the show and some great contacts made as people looked to take their businesses forward with these state-of-theart solutions.”

The show attracted wide-ranging input and interest from high-profile multinationals to small businesses with more than 110 exhibitors, giving visitors access to the likes of Schneider Electric, Technolog Ltd, Utilitec Services Ltd, WEG Electric Motors, Severn Trent Services, Cranfield University, Fastflow Pipeline Services Ltd, Kirk Environmental and SEBA KMT UK.

the 23rd Institute of Water National Drilling and Tapping Championship once again saw the best practitioners from the water companies test their skills in drilling and tapping a high-pressure water main. The full review of the Drilling and Tapping Competition will be featured in the next Journal. (In the mean time if you are interested in putting a team into next year’s competition please contact Institute of Water HQ on 0191 422 0088 or email info@instituteofwater.org.uk for full details.)

IWEX formed part of Sustainabilitylive! which brought together five of the premier shows for the water, energy, land, environment and sustainability sectors, the others being Brownfield Expo (BEX), Environmental Technology (ET), the National Energy Management Exhibition (NEMEX), and Sustainable Business - The Event (SB).

Registration for any of the shows gave admission to the others, so visitors to IWEX had access to all areas of expertise as they looked to solve their individual challenges, with hundreds of exhibitors on hand across the whole of Sustainabilitylive!

Backing up all of this was also a conference and seminar programme across the three days which gave business leaders and practitioners access to up-to-date information on some of the big issues facing their industries, at a time of a rapidly evolving economic and legislative landscape. The seminars proved so popular that most sessions were standing-room only.

In IWEX’s dedicated Water Theatre, the programme embraced areas such as legislation and policy, river basin districts and catchment area management, flood management and SUDS, asset management, industrial water treatment, smart water networks, private sewers, energy from sewage - and carbon and energy management.

So once again, IWEX offered something for everyone and Donna added: “No other event in the UK provides such an outstanding showcase event for the water and effluent industry – and in its 25th year, IWEX has not rested on its laurels and once more proved it was the place to be for visitors and exhibitors alike.”

The show also saw the return of two of IWEX’s special events. Its own University Challenge highlighted the best research carried out in the water sector, while

"Sustainable water management is becoming a major focus for governments, both in this country and abroad, and I think that’s why we saw a wide range of products launched at the show and some great contacts made as people looked to take their businesses forward with these state-of-the-art solutions."

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Take your partners for some ‘upstream thinking’

By Lewis Jones, Future Quality Obligations and R&D Manager, South West Water South West Water in collaboration with a group of regional conservation charities, including the Westcountry Rivers Trust, Devon Wildlife Trust, Cornwall Wildlife Trust, the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group and South West Lakes Trust, have initiated one of the largest and most innovative conservation projects in the UK, called ‘Upstream Thinking’. This project will deliver over £9 million worth of strategic land restoration in the Westcountry between 2010 and 2015. The diversity of the ‘partners’ playing their part is a unique feature of the project including National Park Authorities, statutory agencies and major landowners.

The Upstream Thinking initiative was originally conceived following some ‘lateral thinking’ by the project team - all of whom recognised that we, as a society, place huge demands on landowners in rural catchments. Not only do we require them to produce food from their land, for which they get paid, but we also ask them to deliver a number of additional services for which they do not get paid. These services include the provision of clean water, the protection of biodiversity, contributions to flood defence, management of landscape character and accommodation of recreation and access. It is, perhaps, unsurprising that they often struggle to deliver all of these services to the level required by society.

Instead of resorting to prosecuting landowners for not delivering all of the above services, under the traditional ‘polluter pays’ principle, the Upstream Thinking project team believe that landowners should be financially encouraged and rewarded for their positive actions in what could be described as a new ‘provider is paid’ principle. The implementation of the ‘polluter pays’ principle is made even more challenging because, by its nature, agricultural pollution arises from thousands of small or diffuse pollution incidents occurring across a wide area, which are collectively capable of polluting rivers, but which may not individually contravene water protection regulations.

The funding mechanism for the Upstream Thinking ‘provider is paid’ approach is another innovative aspect of the project. South West Water has recognised that it is cheaper to help farmers deliver cleaner raw water (water in rivers and reservoirs) than it is to pay for the expensive treatment processes required to treat polluted water after it is abstracted for water supply. SWW believes that water customers will be better served and in a more cost-effective manner if they spend money raised from water bills on catchment restoration in the short term rather than on advanced water treatment in the long term. South West Water anticipates this proactive rather than reactive approach offers a 65:1 benefit: cost ratio measured over 30 years by delaying or eliminating more complex water treatment processes. The entire Upstream Thinking initiative will cost each water customer in the South West around 65p per year by March 2015.

What makes the Upstream Thinking project even more beneficial is that, in addition to improving raw water quality, there are likely to be an array of additional benefits. First, the beautiful natural landscape of the Westcountry, which is highly valued by so many residents and visitors, will be protected and restored on an unprecedented scale. Second, the work will reap huge rewards

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in the conservation of biodiversity on the land and in our rivers; and nature conservation will become an integral part of the living working landscape rather than the exclusive preserve of protected nature reserves. Finally, farmers will, as a result of the project, be paid fairly for delivering not just food from their land but also the variety of other essential services that benefit society as a whole.

The Westcountry Rivers Trust have also managed to attract the attention of Defra in the form of their £8m Demonstration Test Catchment work, incorporating research on the River Tamar as an outreach of the River Avon project, which adds further value and weight to the concept as part of an integrated catchment management approach.

Upstream Thinking priority areas Catchment management supported by South West Water as part of the Upstream Thinking Project will be implemented in the following areas between 2010 and 2015: n Exmoor mires restoration led by South West Water with the support of

Exmoor National Park Authority, Natural England, English Heritage and the Environment Agency. n Dartmoor mires pilot led by Dartmoor National Park Authority, with the

support of Natural England, the Environment Agency, English Heritage, the Duchy of Cornwall, the Dartmoor Commoners’ Council and the Ministry of Defence. n River Otter groundwater protection led by the Farming and Wildlife

Advisory Group (FWAG). n Tamar catchment land use improvements led by Westcountry Rivers Trust. n River Exe catchment improvement above Wimbleball Lake led by the

Westcountry Rivers Trust. n River Fowey catchment land use improvements led by Westcountry Rivers

Trust. n Devon’s Working Wetlands project to restore Culm grassland led by Devon

Wildlife Trust. n Wild Penwith, a Living Landscapes project led by Cornwall Wildlife Trust. n Lower Tamar catchment improvements led by the Environment Agency.

In addition to these priority areas, a further 15 catchment investigations are being undertaken over the next five years to confirm the extent of risk to drinking water sources in other catchments and these will help the development of further catchment management proposals for PR14.

These combined catchment activities will benefit 20 of the 31 water treatment works currently operated by South West Water which account for over 90% of the total daily output of 435 Ml/day.

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ENVIRONMENTNEWS n Securing long term management of these habitats through working with

Natural England and the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) to encourage uptake of agri-environment schemes. n Administering a small capital grants scheme to help farmers and

landowners to undertake appropriate habitat management works or to deliver recommendations to improve water quality. n Creating a system of healthy wetlands for wildlife. Working with the

Environment Agency to monitor water quality, and FWAG to advise farmers on issues such as soil and water management and wetland health. n Undertaking intensive pesticide monitoring on feeder streams to Drift

Reservoir in an attempt to identify point sources. n Running specialist training days for farmers and landowners on different

aspects of water and habitat management. n Offering support to farm tourism businesses enabling them to provide

Drift Reservoir

Case Study: Wild Penwith Wild Penwith is a Living Landscape project focusing on the Penwith peninsula, the south-western most tip of Cornwall. The aim of the project is to work with local farmers, landowners, businesses and communities to restore and reconnect a coast to coast Living Landscape across this working agricultural landscape.

Much of this peninsula is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Granite moors dominate the centre whilst to the north a series of short, steep, river valleys pass through medieval field systems. Gently sloping river valleys support nationally significant wetland and heathland habitats to the south. West Penwith also has an exceptionally rich historical landscape; there are many field systems with their origins in the Bronze Age and a large concentration of prehistoric ritual monuments.

Why does the Wild Penwith project need to happen? n The Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) Scheme which offers incentives

for farmers to adopt agricultural practices which protect and enhance land of high landscape, wildlife or historic value will end in 2012. There has been good participation in the ESA scheme in Penwith, so the closure of this scheme will leave vulnerable habitats unprotected and landowners with reduced financial support to maintain them. n Valuable wildlife areas have become fragmented, restricting the ability of

wildlife to cross the countryside to help it adapt to changes such as climate change. n There are problems with diffuse agricultural pollution, particularly

pesticides, affecting Drift reservoir, which supplies drinking water for Newlyn and Penzance. n West Penwith is a fantastic location for wildlife tourism that should be

promoted to benefit local farm businesses.

What are CWT doing on the Wild Penwith project? n Assessing the condition of important habitats, including heathland and

wetland, and providing advice for positive management, restoration and reconnection of these habitats.

an enhanced visitor experience through the creation of new wildlife or biodiversity related activities, e.g. farm trails. n Engaging the local community through a series of events and through the

‘Wild Penwith Volunteers group’ which encourages participation from the long term unemployed.

What will the Wild Penwith project achieve?

A Living Landscape of interconnected wildlife-rich areas, helping both the wildlife and the people of the Penwith peninsula to prosper. n An improved network of wetland and heathland habitats, within the

working agricultural landscape. n Good water quality across three river catchments, including Drift Reservoir. n Benefits for farm businesses due to: participation in agri-environment

schemes, lower costs as a result of reduced farm inputs and increased opportunities for wildlife tourism.

The Wild Penwith project is supported through grant funding from The Tubney Charitable Trust, Natural England’s Countdown 2010, South West Water and the Environment Agency.

Outputs and progress – year one: n 57 visits to 33 individual farms. n 731 hectares of land within the area surveyed and given advice. n 16 individually tailored ‘whole farm’ plans produced. n Assistance with 3 stewardship applications – either Entry Level

Stewardship (ELS), Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS) or Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) or joint. n Five small capital grant items under negotiation/offer – ranging from £500

- £3,000. n 212 volunteer work days assisting with habitat management. n A range of surveys completed including 19kms of watercourse, 110kms of

hedgerows, 173 ha Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) heath-land, 12 ha dry grassland and 44 ha BAP wetland. n Five ongoing water quality/ecology sampling/monitoring points

established at Drift reservoir.

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Congratulations to our latest Professional Water Engineers These members have undergone successful Professional Review for Registration as Engineer or Technician.

Roy Samuel

Ben Muggridge

Mungo Graham

EngTech

CEng

MIWater Senior Network Modeller, Atkins

MIwater Principal Process Engineer, Black & Veatch

Ben is currently working on the Asset Performance Contract for Southern Water, using clean water hydraulic models to carry out distribution and supply system assessments which include DG2/DG3 water quality investigations, reservoir/source isolation, pump optimisation, impact of growth on system performance and the development of solutions to achieve target system performance standards. Ben joined Southern Water in 1997, initially on a Youth Training Scheme. He studied for an ONC then an HNC in Civil Engineering Studies and progressed from Engineering Technician to Network Technician, Network Modeller and finally Senior Network Modeller, before transferring to Atkins in 2007. Ben has aspirations to progress to IEng and he demonstrated he has the potential, given exposure to the right experience.

IEng

12

MIWater Below Ground Capital Asset Delivery Manager, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water

Andy Maddox

When Roy started working with Welsh Water his goal was to gain experience and attain qualifications to become an engineer capable of managing projects. He gained experience in water treatment and treatment processes in the late 1980’s when he was involved in the construction and commissioning of a number of new WTWs. In 1990 Roy spent 3 years working to gain a National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering, enabling him to further his technical capability. He took on the role of Area Operations Controller, then Network Solutions/AIS Manager and, in January 2009, his current role. Roy did not have the exemplifying academic qualifications required for IEng Registration but his vast experience meant he was able to demonstrate the necessary knowledge and understanding by writing a technical report. IEng has given Roy the stamp of professionalism he aspired to almost 30 years ago.

EngTech MIWater Utilitec Services UK Throughout a 14-year career in the water industry Andy has been involved in a variety of technical roles. His 3 main areas have been distribution network monitoring, water mains rehabilitation and flow measurement & instrumentation. He joined Utilitec in 2008 to set up a metering services department to provide a service to the industry of fault diagnosis and repairing faulty electromagnetic meters. Andy is still applying the basics he learned at the start of his career – the principles behind flow metering – enhanced by company-specific training to better understand how to operate, service and maintain the equipment. Andy spent two years with South Staffs Water during which time he completed an HNC in Civil Engineering. His role requires him to keep up with new technologies and methods and EngTech Registration was the ideal way for Andy to demonstrate his competence and his commitment to maintaining that competence.

Working within the @One Alliance for Anglian Water since 2007, Mungo has developed process designs for a number of WwTW construction projects. This has mainly involved the assessment of existing works and the design of improvements to achieve compliance with revised phosphate and iron consent standards. He graduated with a BEng in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, in 1983 and spent 23 years working as an engineer for the Water Authority, eThekwini Water Services in Durban in the roles of treatment manager, consents team manager and design engineer. As design engineer he completed several challenging odour treatment and nutrient removal activated sludge process designs.

Themis Agorastos CEng MIWater Project Leader, Mott MacDonald Bentley Themis graduated with a BEng in Civil Engineering from the University of Leeds in 1999. He joined MMB in 2005 as a Project Leader in small waste water design & build schemes and feasibility studies. Prior to this he spent 3 years as a hydraulic modeller, where he gained a good technical background on drainage, sewerage, hydraulics and feasibility studies. At MMB he has worked on a number of sewerage and WwTW schemes for Yorkshire Water Services, gaining experience of engineering design and project management. Attaining CEng will enable Themis to join the International Division of MMB and work in diverse waste water schemes abroad.

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ENGINEERINGNEWS

Nigel Guild elected Chairman of the Engineering Council

Guidance on Risk for the Engineering Profession

Risk is inherent in the activities undertaken by engineering professionals, and members of the profession have a significant role to play in managing and limiting risk. All professional engineers are under a personal obligation to maintain and enhance their competence in their area of practice.

The Engineering Council has issued generic, top level guidance which establishes six principles to help engineers meet their professional obligations, and to ensure that risk is an important consideration in all their engineering activity. The principles are: n Apply professional and responsible judgement and take a leadership role.

Rear Admiral Nigel Guild CB PhD DEng CEng FREng has succeeded Professor Kel Fidler FREng CEng HonFIET as the new Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Engineering Council.

Kel has served on the Board since the creation of the new Engineering Council in 2002 and is standing down following a very successful term as Chairman. Throughout this period, Kel has led the development and implementation of UK-SPEC, which has gained the respect and admiration of many international partners and has resulted in a period of much needed stability for registration activity within the UK.

Nigel is well qualified to take the helm of the Engineering Council as it works up its strategic objectives for 2011-2014, having been an active member of the Engineering Council Board since 2005, and Chairman of the Finance, Audit and Remuneration Panel. He is currently President of IMarEST, a member of the Council of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Chairman of the Fellowship Panel of the IET and a Member of Council of the Institute of Mathematics.

n Adopt a systematic and holistic approach to risk identification, assessment and management. n Comply with legislation and codes but be prepared to seek further improvements. n Ensure good communication with the others involved. n Ensure that lasting systems for oversight and scrutiny are in place. n Contribute to public awareness of risk.

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Uv DISINFECTION ENSURES FACIlITy MEETS STRICT WASTEWATER DISCHARGE REGUlATIONS UV disinfection specialist Berson has helped the Wilsonville Power Systems Development Facility in Alabama, USA comply with strict wastewater discharge regulations. In four years of operation, contaminants have been kept within permit limits with minimal maintenance.

system in 2007 as the last item in the plant process, providing final treatment of the water before it is discharged into a local river.

The state permit required that no single sample of the water leaving the Wilsonville PSDF could have more than 200 faecal colonies per 100 ml.

The OpenLine system has provided the necessary disinfection required to meet the site’s permit. In addition, the system offers a compact footprint and requires virtually no maintenance. The OpenLine has operated for 21,000 hours since installation, meeting disinfection requirements without needing UV lamp replacement.

The Wilsonville Power Systems Development Facility (PSDF) is a research and development centre that tests coal-based technologies before they are implemented at power supply facilities.

In 2006, the growing plant employed 200 people and produced a wastewater flow of about 95 litres per minute. With its size expected to double in the near future, the facility was required by state and local regulators to start disinfecting its wastewater. The existing wastewater treatment facility in Wilsonville was too far away for the facility to connect. Therefore, the PSDF decided to build its own wastewater treatment facility.

After evaluating competing products, Wilsonville PSDF decided that Berson’s OpenLine UV disinfection system most closely met with their specifications and budget requirements. The OpenLine is an open channel disinfection unit, which uses low pressure, high output UV lamps to destroy microorganisms’ reproductive abilities on a cellular level. The facility installed the OpenLine

About Berson

A Berson new OpenLine open channel UV wastewater disinfection system like the one shown here has been installed at the Wilsonville Power Systems Development Facility in Alabama, USA)

Berson (www.bersonuv.com) is a UV disinfection specialist based in the Netherlands, with installations worldwide. The company manufactures UV disinfection systems for municipal drinking water, wastewater and reuse applications. Berson is one of the few non-German UV system suppliers capable of providing a complete range of UV systems with capacities between 10 – 10,000 m3/hour, certified to the newest German DVGW* norm, W294, Parts 1, 2 & 3 – the highest standard currently possible in the world. The company’s UV systems are also validated to the UVDGM** and NWRI*** (for reuse applications) in the USA and Canada.

60 SECOND INTERvIEW Each issue we feature a 60 second interview with a well known figure from the Water Industry. In this issue, Lynn Cooper, Institute of Water Chief Executive takes the hot seat. Lynn joined the Institute of Water as General Secretary in 1997, with 14 years experience as an accountant in the water industry. Lynn has a BA in Accountancy, is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, a Chartered Environmentalist and an Honorary Member of the Institute of Water.

Lynn is a Founder Board Member and an Honorary Fellow of the Society for the Environment and is Secretary to the IWA UK Committee.

My failsafe way to de-stress is going for a run.

I’ve learnt the hard way that sometimes you don’t get a second chance.

I do my bit for the planet by making my husband cycle to work.

My proudest moment was being asked to be Godmother to my Sister’s first baby.

My guilty pleasure is Friday night pizza (and occasionally red wine).

My favourite place is The Scottish Highlands.

If I could be anyone for a day, I would be The Queen.

The best advice I have ever been given is Smile.

14

I work for the Institute of Water because I believe it offers unsurpassed opportunities for personal development to anyone working in the water sector.

My favourite part of last year’s Annual Conference was chairing a session: it was a pleasure and privilege to engage with speakers and an informed and enthusiastic audience.

I believe the biggest challenge for the Water Industry is meeting the increasing expectations of a growing population.

I believe the biggest challenge for the Institute of Water is growing our membership.

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SBWWI – 25 yEARS OF PROvIDING SUPPly CHAIN DElIvERy Happy birthday to us, happy birthday to us ..

By Carol Hickman Executive Director, SBWWI Not a lot of people know this…….the SBWI evolved from the Society of British Gas Industries (SBGI), which for some 80 years had looked after the interests of suppliers to the gas industry. However, with the advent of privatisation, it became apparent that there was a real requirement for an organisation to be developed specifically for suppliers to the water industry.

Following an open meeting in July 1986, the SBWI was officially launched in November. Initially working out of the SBGI offices, the association headquarters eventually moved into its own premises in leafy Holly Walk, Leamington Spa in 1988…..where it still remains… and by 1993 the SBWI had become completely independent of its ‘sister’ organisation. In 1998 the then Executive Director, Anne Kirby, retired and Carol Hickman took up the reins to continue to build on the solid foundations that had been laid and increase the Society’s exposure to the industry.

So, I hear you ask..why the extra ‘W’?

Following a proposal put forward by the SBWI Management Team to members of the Sewer Renovation Federation (SRF) to join SBWI, the SRF members accepted the proposal and in 2001 the SBWWI was formed (there is a clue there somewhere!)…..the extra ‘W’ referring to Wastewater and providing a tongue twister for many of us!

OK…what does SBWWI do then?

SBW(W)I’s long-standing members will be aware that the initial liaison schedule that was developed has grown immensely over the 25 years. The Executive Director, supported by the Management Committee, has travelled the length and breadth of the country and as a result, SBWWI members have

access to a wealth of information gathered from the meetings with water and sewerage companies; the regulators; related industry organisations (E&U Skills, NJUG, etc), as well as direct input to the All Party Parliamentary Water Group (which the SBWWI sponsors) and access to Ministers and MP’s through membership of the Construction Products Association. It is very pleasing to report that the SBWWI now regularly receives invitations to attend DEFRA, Ofwat and EA briefings and has secured places on various Steering Groups/ Industry events throughout the years, providing the opportunity to present the supply chain viewpoint, where in the past this element of the process has often been overlooked.

From small acorns, mighty oaks grow and the Society can now boast 100+ members from across all areas of the water industry supply chain – manufacturers, contractors, distributors, training providers, consultants – ranging from the large pipeline manufacturers and Tier 1 contractors, down to the specialist, niche skill providers and smaller component manufacturers.

All of whom in some way contribute towards making the water sector the successful and vibrant industry that it has become known for today.

Our strength is in the information and initiatives the SBWWI can offer, from detailed SDS and Final Business Plan statistical summaries, to its publications (Products & Services Directory, Newsletters, Supplying for the Future, Procuring for the Future, etc), together with opportunities to ‘pitch’ in front of senior water company personnel as part of our innovative Water Dragons event and for the smaller contractors/suppliers to ‘pitch’ to the Tier 1 Contractors as part of our Innovation, Research and Development Group.

Finally, recognising that the impending transfer of private sewers and laterals in October 2011 could affect a significant number of its members, SBWWI took the unprecedented step to establish the Private Sewers Forum, to ensure that suppliers to the sewerage industry were kept informed of progress made by DEFRA and also on any arrangements made by water companies on how the activity would be undertaken. Comprising representation from 14 industry organisations, the Forum has become recognised as the conduit to relay information to the supply chain and to provide overall views on the different stages of the consultations.

All in all, a very busy and active organisation, representing all aspects of the supply chain and providing a valuable, effective and informative service for its members ….. Happy Birthday SBWWI!!

SBWWI Management Committee: What a handsome bunch!

18

For further details about SBWWI please contact Carol Hickman on 01926 831530 or e-mail hq@sbwwi.co.uk

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FEATURE:UK SUPPly CHAIN

BETTER COMMUNICATION COUlD DRAMATICAlly IMPROvE WATER SECTOR PROCUREMENT

By Martyn Hopkinson (Chairman, SBWWI), and John Batty (Director of Bluejohn Marketing.)

Everyone in water sector procurement needs to communicate better, cut red tape and agree on fundamental principles. Martyn Hopkinson and John Batty explain.

middle ground. The SBWWI has proposed that it hosts a series of seminars for its members addressed by water industry procurement specialists.

The Society of British Water and Wastewater Industries (SBWWI) has just published a white paper that seeks to encourage a dialogue between all parties involved in water industry procurement.

A more radical proposal, which would address both the challenges of improved communications and increased understanding, is the creation of a short course water industry procurement qualification valid for both water company and supply chain executives. Mutual understanding could also be improved through the introduction of exchanges or secondments: water company personnel placed in supply chain companies and vice versa.

Although the organisation promotes itself as the trade association for the water industry supply chain, a fundamental premise of Procuring for the Future is that manufacturers, distributors, contractors, consultants, service providers and water companies are all part of a single supply chain delivering water and sewerage services to private and public consumers. It is not a case of “them and us”. In other words, procurement practices that eliminate duplication, minimise bureaucracy, and deliver better outcomes at lower unit cost would benefit all parties, as well as meeting with the approval of Ofwat.

Procuring for the Future defines a series of challenges, such as improving comunications and minimising waste, and then suggests some initial steps that can be taken to address them.

The challenges and suggestions are born out of a consultation process undertaken by the SBWWI and its members, with input from the wider water industry. This included a questionnaire and a workshop in September.

As in all consultation processes, the challenge was to move beyond tales of woe from the past, to step out of what proved at times to be deep and well-defended bunker mentalities, and focus on collective benefit for the future. One of the first challenges revealed was the need for improved communications between buyer and seller. Water company procurement has a strategic framework provided by the strategic direction statements published in December 2008. In turn, many procurement processes are couched in language that becomes harder to relate to the further down the supply chain tiers you go.

The suggestion put forward in the white paper is that a combination of water companies adopting simpler and clearer English, and SBWWI members seeking to gain a greater understanding of the language used by procurement professionals, would go a long way to finding an acceptable

Some of those who read the draft Procuring for the Future document would have liked to have seen more statistics relating to, for example, the cost burden of AMP5 (fifth asset management plan) procurement on the supply chain. There is no doubt that AMP5 procurement did place a heavy cost burden on many SBWWI members, with some large infrastructure contractors reporting that tendering costs in 2009 reached 5 per cent of turnover or more: the pips definitely squeaked.

There are two reasons - one practical, one philosophical - why statistics are absent from the white paper. From a practical perspective, SBWWI membership is eclectic both in terms of scale (from self-employed to multinational) and function (consultant to manufacturer to contractor). Finding common and easily costed criteria through which the procurement cost burden could be compared was difficult.

Philosophically, as has already been discussed, the emphasis of the report is on the future rather than on past pain.

The absence of detailed cost statistics, however, should not be taken as a reason to infer that there is not considerable scope for greater efficiencies.

All parties would accept that current prequalification procedures are overly bureaucratic, repetitive and deliver very little by way of added value. Far better, surely, that the energy and resource absorbed in pre-qualification be focused on identifying more creative and innovative answers to technical, operational and financial challenges.

Among its suggestions, Procuring for the Future proposes the universal acceptance and endorsement of Achilles Verify by water

companies in return for a major reduction in Verify costs for suppliers and water companies. Universal standard procurement documentation for each major product and service category would also be worth considering with, for example, Water UK playing a key co-ordinating role.

The white paper calls on water industry representative bodies, including Ofwat, to create a forum in which issues relating to procurement can be addressed and resolved well in advance of the next price review. For example, the forum could debate and agree a set of fundamental procurement principles that all parties could adopt. Procuring for the Future puts forward suggestions as to what some of these principles might be. While they are classified in the document under the grand headings of clarity, equity and engagement, most of them could equally feature in a single category under the rubric of common sense.

Finally, our document touches on the hot and volatile topic of innovation.

Each year, the SBWWI runs a Water Dragons event loosely based on the BBC programme Dragons’ Den. Members have ten minutes to pitch their product, service or process to a panel of senior water executives, followed by a 20 minute grilling that provides invaluable feedback for the participants. Water Dragons has highlighted that supply chain members need to significantly improve their market research and build better and more financially robust business cases for their innovations.

By the same token, while the Water Dragons are steadfast advocates and supporters of innovation, water companies themselves are often perceived as being too conservative, stifling the innovators’ entrepreneurial spirit. More “go and show” opportunities for innovators to present their ideas to senior managers would help, as would Ofwat ensuring that innovation was correctly valued and promoted in the price review process.

Water industry procurement practices have in the past frequently left all parties dissatisfied with the outcome, as well as the process: a lose-lose scenario. The SBWWI believes that Procuring for the Future provides a stepping stone to a more productive use of the water industry’s finite procurement resources.

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TALIS

Talis goes from strength to strength.

In September 2010 a number of prominent European brands were sold by their parent company Tyco International. These businesses soon formed the business TALIS, with a global turnover in excess of $200M. The new brand focuses on versatility in all areas of valve engineering for water and includes the European brands of Erhard, Frischhut, Strate, Schmieding, Unijoint, Wafrega, Bayard, Belgicast together with the UK brands of Atlantic Plastics, Talbot, Ebco, UPE and CIS. Due to its international orientation and the different specialisations of the product brands, TALIS is capable of offering a wide range of valves and fittings of all types for controlling water flow.

Applications encompass water flow from the reservoir to the consumer’s front door as well as water supply and sewage disposal for customers in the industrial and public sectors. TALIS designs, manufacturers and supplies all types of valves, hydrants and fittings and offers a broad service package.

20

As part of TALIS, Atlantic Plastics has quickly begun to benefit from the close relationship that comes from being part of a more centralised and customer facing organisation. Although the economy in the UK continues to stuggle, the Bridgend based manufacturer is expanding its operation, taking on new employees for the first time in four years. Managing Director, Saul Godfrey, has said “being part of Talis has energised our business. We are now looking to expand our operations through the introduction of group products; valves and mains fittings will become a significant part of our future product portfolio. With world recognised brands like Erhard, Talis offers the UK water industry a new but stable manufacturing partner.”

Press Enquiries: Sue Gregory Talis UK / Atlantic Plastics Edison Road Hams Hall Distribution Park Coleshill Birmingham B46 1AB tel: +44 (0) 1675 437 951 fax: +44(0) 1675 437 909 E-mail: sugregory@talis-group.com www.talis-uk.com

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Shedding light on your energy use without losing the detail.

Panton McLeod Makes Waves at IWEX Conference Water quality engineering firm Panton McLeod has carried out one of the key presentations at this year’s prestigious IWEX exhibition.

The company’s managing director Iain Weir has made a high profile presentation at this year’s event in Birmingham – the UK water sector’s biggest trade exhibition – showcase the innovative work of Panton McLeod’s robotic division.

During the presentation, entitled Robotic Inspection & Cleaning of Drinking Water Reservoirs, Iain explained how the firm’s robotic team is revolutionising the UK water sector – by providing the most environmentally-friendly method of cleaning and inspecting water storage facilities.

The talk was part of a wider programme of talks about innovation and asset management in the water sector, featuring speakers from some of the biggest names in the industry.

Meet Nick Brown, one of over 50 engineers that make up ABB’s Energy Appraisal Team. In just half-a-day, Nick and the team can identify motor-driven applications like pumps, fans and compressors that can benefit the most from fitting a variable speed drive. An energy appraisal also reveals monthly energy savings, CO 2 emissions reduction and the projected payback.

And with so many engineers on call, ABB is never more than 45 minutes away from most mainland UK sites.

To find out how ABB can reduce your energy bill visit www.abb.co.uk/energy or call 07000 DRIVES (07000 374837) for an appointment.

Iain said: “It was a tremendous honour to be speaking at the IWEX conference.

It is one of the biggest events in the water sector and attracts many high profile names from throughout the industry – so it was a chance for us to strengthen our reputation as the UK’s leading water quality engineer.

“We have been using our robotic equipment for a number of years and it has now become a key component of our work across the UK. We have deployed our ROV and VR600 machines in high profile projects for some of the biggest names in the industry – such as Scottish Water and Severn Trent Water – and we are continuing to showcase the robots for new clients.

“However, there will still be many people who have not heard of these machines before or who may not realise just how beneficial they are when performing routine cleaning or inspection work on underground water tanks.

“By showcasing this innovative work at IWEX, we hope to further promote our equipment and services and spread our influence across the country.”

Panton McLeod has recently used the robots to complete cleaning and inspection work in projects across the Wales and Wiltshire regions, in addition to cleaning a major water storage facility in Glasgow for Scottish Water.

,:2B7RUFKBKDOIBYHUW LQGG

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re o f Be fter A

Not just valves...

Value added solutions & know how whatever your requirement.

For further information visit our website or contact : AVK UK on + 44 (0) 1604 601188 or Invicta Valves on + 44 (0) 1622 754613

www.invictavalves.co.uk

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AvK UK

Added value Know-how from AvK

Supplying the product is just the first of many ways in which a well-resourced manufacturer can help the customer, as AVK UK managing director Paul Jennings explains. with very little room for manoeuvre. In another instance - at Veolia Water’s Iver Water Treatment Works - restrictions were such that there was insufficient access for safe manual operation of plug valves; to solve the problem Invicta reorientated the gearboxes and electric actuators and supplied the extension pedestals and spindles needed for the new layout.

With the technical capabilities and trouble shooting skills of Invicta Valves now within the AVK portfolio, products and services can be brought together to offer final project solutions for our customers both in the UK and overseas.

AVK can now get involved with customers even prior to design stage, especially with existing systems, by providing site audits. By assessing the condition of valves in an existing system and detailing whether they are still fit for purpose, require refurbishment on or off site or need to be replaced completely, we can provide our customers with opportunities to save money and/ or minimise disruption.

before

As an example of both these services at work, consider Invicta’s recent involvement at the Veolia Water Chertsey Water Treatment Works troubleshooting problems with penstocks and valves and submitting a condition report from a survey of filter house and reservoir outlet equipment. The report will form the basis of a valve and actuator refurbishment tender.

Even after equipment needs are finalised, supplying them often calls for solutions which are tailored to the customer’s requirements but aren’t necessarily available off the shelf. If the supplier is also the manufacturer, he can combine his design expertise with his knowledge of specialist subcontractors as Invicta did for a project requiring extension spindles a full 40 metres long, each consisting of 6.8m sections that had to be self-supporting.

In another case the company removed, inspected and prepared a report outlining the condition of two 30” butterfly valves installed at Sutton and East Surrey Water’s Chiddingstone Pumping Station. They also quoted for the cost to refurbish and repair the valves and the cost for replacement valves, complete with hydraulic ram, counter weights and a Rotork actuator override.

Repairs can be just as time-sensitive as installation, of course. When Invicta replaced ten 300mm butterfly valves used for pump isolation duties at a pumping station, for example, the company was limited to changing over only one set of valves per pump at each visit.

And sometimes the company’s involvement goes beyond the product itself, one example being additional civil work on the river intake of a water treatment works to ensure that all of the 38 stop logs it has supplied will fit into any of the existing concrete channels, even though the channels vary in size.

after

All in a day’s work for the supplier who has the resources necessary to add value for the customer…

AvK UK : +44 (0) 1604 601188

Installation is another service that comes within Invicta’s scope, deploying resources that are a match for even the tightest timescale. It has installed replacement 500mm and 400mm gate valves overnight at Southern Water’s Brielle Way Wastewater Pumping Station; and at Hanningfield Water Treatment Works it had only ten hours to replace a 21” gate valve with a butterfly valve for the Essex and Suffolk Water Company.

Sometimes space as well as time can be in short supply, as the company discovered at a wastewater treatment works where the gate and check valves it supplied had to be installed

www.avkuk.co.uk

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23 1/6/11 08:54:27

Made to Measure Asset Management S Cleaning & Disinfection We provide expert staff, specialist equipment and cleaning materials dedicated to the potable water throughout the UK. • Standard washdown and chlorination • Non chlorine PM33 • Fe + Mn Biofouling PM55 • Emergency de-contamination PM88 A 3 man team is capable of cleaning up to a 20 Ml service reservoir in one day.

Before

After

Underwater Robotics Clean

Inspection

Our WEDA VR-600 robot can clean service reservoirs whilst they remain in supply. Our technology allows sediment to be cleared from the floor without causing turbidity. The result is a cost effective way to ensure your assets are maintained to the highest standards with minimum disruption.

Our ROV is capable of using video to inspect reservoirs while they remain in supply. Our detailed surveys allow you to identify cleaning and maintenance priorities and allocate your resources and budget.

Pipelines

Onsite Waste Treatment

Our expertise makes us first choice when cleaning and disinfecting, commissioning new or maintaining refurbished pipelines back into service.

We also provide swabbing and pressure testing together with independent data logging.

• Settlement • Pressurised Filtration • Monitored and Controlled De-chlorination • Suspended Solids Measurement • pH Neutralisation &Turbidity Monitoring

Emergency Response Our 24 hour, 365 days-a-year emergency service is on hand to counter the effects of flooding, serious pollution, vandalism and terrorism.

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nt Solutions

Asset Refurbishment tailored to your needs • Protective coatings & structural waterproofing • Reservoir inspection, cleaning & repairs • Joint replacement & overbanding • Valve & ladder replacement • ROV inspection & robotic cleaning • Pipeline pressure testing & disinfection

To receive more information please contact

T 01835 822835 F 01835 822919 E info@pantonmcleod.co.uk Waverley Place Newtown St.Boswells Melrose TD6 0RS www.pantonmcleod.co.uk IOW 170.indd 25

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Global Expertise, Local Knowledge.

Scott Wilson is now part of URS Corporation. Together we provide full multi-disciplinary services across all aspects of the water cycle, including water resources, water supply, wastewater, flood & water management and river & coastal engineering.

For further information contact Sam.Phillips@scottwilson.com or +44 (0)28 9070 5111

URS-SCOTTWILSON.COM

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urs / scott wilson

Light at the end of the tunnel The Thames Tunnel, part of the London Tideway Improvements, will help ensure the UK is compliant with the requirements of the European Waste Water Treatment Directive. This major project aims to protect the Thames by reducing the amount of untreated sewage entering the river. URS/Scott Wilson continues to work alongside the client and project teams providing water, environmental and tunnelling expertise…

The Scheme

Engineering and Scientific Support

The scheme is intended to capture and temporarily store approximately 39 million tonnes of sewage which currently discharges into the Thames each year from combined sewer overflows (CSOs). The tunnel will redirect flows under the river, through the heart of London, from west to east, for treatment at Beckton Sewage Treatment Works. The Thames Tunnel will be up to 23km long, with 22 preferred construction sites along the proposed route.

The ongoing design and environmental impact assessment continues to involve several hundred professionals. URS/Scott Wilson is providing specialist services in Water, Environment and Tunnelling, with consultants seconded to work alongside the project team. Work packages are being completed in tandem, with contributions from URS/Scott Wilson and other consultants on the three project frameworks (Engineering, Environment and Planning).

The horizontal alignment of the main tunnel roughly follows the River Thames. The vertical alignment is based on a shallow hydraulic gradient, approximately 40m deep at its western end and approximately 65m deep at its eastern end. The tunnel passes through a range of geological formations from London Clay, a mix of gravel, sand and silty clay to chalk in the east of the city, all of which present many challenges and resulted in numerous construction techniques being proposed.

URS/Scott Wilson’s involvement goes back to 2005, when it was appointed as Environmental Manager for the EIA on the Beckton Sewage Works extension. The contract was subsequently extended to include the same responsibility for the entirety of the Lee Tunnel, followed by the EIA for the Crossness extension to the south of the Thames, all part of the London Tideway Improvements. During 2007, as the scheme design progressed and shaft sites were assessed, involvement grew. Following competitive tender for environmental scoping studies and then full EIA, URS/Scott Wilson was awarded five of twelve environmental packages including Sustainability, Socio-Economics, Water Resources, Flood Risk and Aquatic Ecology. There are several secondees within the client’s team, including one of the three EIA managers.

The Environment Agency identified the 34 unsatisfactory CSOs that the Thames Tunnel needs to address. Further design work has indicated 13 of these can be managed by local modifications to the sewer network and other connections to the Thames Tunnel, with flows from only 21 of the 34 CSOs requiring direct interception.

On the engineering side, knowledge of shaft

construction, tunnelling design and construction technique is a prerequisite, with URS/Scott Wilson staff seconded in at senior levels for tunnel design, site investigation, groundwater monitoring and CSO designs. Water skills required for the project range from hydrogeological and flood risk assessment, hydraulics and design of hydraulic structures, CSO planning, design and construction, to value engineering and risk management.

Programme

By October 2010, 30 months of design work had been completed involving over 150 professionals.

The first phase of public consultation took place between September and January 2011 on the preferred and shortlisted scheme. At the present time, preliminary designs are being developed for planning purposes and a second round of public consultation is due to start in autumn 2011.

Construction is due to commence in 2013 and for completion in 2020.

It has been stated that at some of the existing combined sewer overflows it takes only 2 mm of rainfall to generate a discharge. Capturing these discharges will bring long-term benefits for the environment and people using the Thames Tideway when the tunnel is complete.

For further information regarding the services provided by URS/Scott Wilson, please contact Sam Phillips at sam.phillips@scottwilson.com

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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.

n 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.

n 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: n Cost savings from the reduction in water treatment and use. n 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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Low Pressure Amalgam and Medium Pressure UV Systems for Municipal Water Treatment From small scale industrial applications to large water treatment works and fully integrated PLC controlled UV packages atg UV Technology can offer a range of UV disinfection / treatment solutions to suit any application.

As industry experts, atg UV can offer standard Low Pressure, Low Pressure Amalgam and high power Medium Pressure UV systems.

Additionally atg UV also offer bespoke ultraviolet disinfection / treatment systems offering clients an individually tailored service to solve the most complex of disinfection problems with flows ranging from a few litres per hour to over 5,000 m3/hr in a single high output low footprint UV disinfection system.

atg UV Technology have been providing UV treatment equipment and packages for 30 years and have provided solutions to some of the world’s leading brands. Municipal clients include; Anglian Water, Southern Water, Surrey & East Sutton Water, Three Valleys Veolia, Welsh Water, and Yorkshire Water. Industrial Clients include; Coca-Cola, Heineken, Nestle, Shell, Total, BP, Texaco, Siemens, Proctor and Gamble, and Royal Caribbean to name but a few. atg UV’s series of Low Pressure and Low Pressure Amalgam UV systems deliver the highest quality and most reliable performance available. These types of systems have been serving a variety of industry sectors successfully for many years.

STATE-OF-THE-ART

ULTRAVIOLET

Water Treatment Systems

Drinking Water Waste Water Process & Industrial Pharmaceuticals TOC Reduction Offshore (ATEX) Marine & Ballast Water Horticulture Aquaculture Swimming & Leisure Building Services US EPA Validation

The Low Pressure system design offers high efficiency, ideal for use in smaller scale applications, although larger scale Amalgam systems and multi-lamp low pressure UV systems are also available.

The atg UV Technology range includes: -

Standard Low pressure UV systems Low pressure amalgam UV systems 800 watt low pressure UV systems Medium pressure UV systems Capacities from <1 to >5,000 m3/hr.

3rd Party Validated - US EPA UVDGM

Municipal applications include: - Drinking Water Systems - DWI UV system upgrades - Waste Water & Final Effluent treatment - Advanced Digestion Applications - Advanced Oxidation Applications - Water Reuse & Grey Water Reuse - Rain Water Harvesting

atg UV Technology’s Medium Pressure UV systems have provided many industries with solutions to large scale and complex disinfection demands successfully for many years. With market leading technology atg UV’s range of traditional and in-line Medium Pressure Ultraviolet systems have provide the benefits of a high-output UV system in the most economical package available.

Pictured above: atg UV mobile containerised UV disinfection/ treatment plant - 6000 m3/hr

www.atguv.com Tel: 01942 216161 The atg UV design delivers the greatest level of process control, monitoring, and performance across a large range of applications. atg UV have provided systems capable of disinfecting up to 5000 m3/hr with a single high output low footprint UV disinfection system. UV packages linking treatment chambers together in either series or parallel to accommodate larger flows are also supplied by atg UV Technology. atg UV’s large flow UV packages include drinking water, waste water and offshore well injection and pipeline packages. Specifications that include: validation, high dose, low transmittance, high temperature fluids, low temperature fluids, and reliable large-scale disinfection are all catered for by the atg UV Medium Pressure UV range.

For further information please call atg UV Technical Sales on tel: 01942 216161 / www.atguv.com

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ENGINEERING LTD

ELECTRICAL INSTALLATIONS LTD

Serving the Water Industry since the mid 1990s Oasis Engineering Ltd Oasis Software Solutions Ltd Oasis Electrical Installations Ltd The Oasis Group, with the three disciplines, can offer a full turnkey solution for all your requirements.

The Oasis Group has vast experience in the Process Control Industry.

From the design and manufacture of Motor Control Systems & Electrical Control Panels to the design and commissioning of DCS & PLC Software. We also cater for all aspects of Electrical Installation work being a NICEIC approved contractor.

OASIS GROUP OF COMPANIES Office 7, Venture Wales, Pant Estate Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil CF48 2SR

Oasis Engineering Ltd. Office 7, Pant Industrial Estate Merthyr Tydfil CF48 2SR

Oasis Software Solutions Ltd. Wyastone Business Park Monmouth NP25 3SR

01685 387541

01600 891582

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OASIS

OASIS SOFTWARE SOlUTIONS ENHANCES QUAlITy AND SAFETy MEASURES THROUGH NEW PROCESS CONTROl SySTEM Case Study

Mynydd Llandygai Water Treatment Works owned

by Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, is located on the outskirts of Bethesda, a few miles south of Bangor in Gwynedd. There are two raw water sources for the works, Ffynnon Llugwy and Marchlyn Bach.

Both raw water sources exceeded the guideline values for total coliforms and E.coli, the Ffynnon Llugwy source also exceeded the guideline value for colour. World Health Organisation Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality requires water exceeding guideline values similar to those above to include coagulation and filtration in the process. Treated water from the Works gravitates into an onsite treated water reservoir and then gravitates into supply via two pipelines to the Pentir Tank and to Bethesda, as part of the networked distribution system, and to the Pant yr Afon local distribution system serving Mynydd Llandygai village.

Cryptospiridium had been detected in the treated water from Mynydd Llandygai Water Treatment Works at low concentrations. The treatment process had not been designed to remove Cryptospiridium so it was expected that the oocysts (the technical term for the cells ) could pass through the treatment process into supply. Presence of the Cryptospiridium organism occurs as a result of faecal contamination in the water caused normally from livestock grazing around the reservoir or from discharges from sewage works or septic tanks. Historically, the works was not considered at significant risk from Cryptospiridium, so no treatment process was originally incorporated to deal with it.

However a Cryptospiridium outbreak linked with the water supply from Llyn Cwellyn, which resulted in around 200 people becoming ill and a Boiling Water Order put in place for customers raised concerns that a similar outbreak could occur from similar catchments. Another problem at the works was that elevated levels of Trihalomethanes (THMs) had been detected in the distribution system from Mynydd Llandygai WTW, particularly at the furthest points on the supply system over the last few years. THMs are formed from the reaction of free chlorine with certain organic precursors present in the raw water and not removed in the treatment process. The two options to reduce the extent of TMH formation are to remove the organic precursors or minimise the contact with a free chlorine residual.

With this background Welsh Water embarked on an £11m project to modernise the works with the objectives to improve the colour, reduce Trihalomethane levels and to remove the Cryptospiridium organisms from the treated water entering supply. The treatment process chosen for the works was a CoCoDaFF plant, which is a proprietary system involving Counter

Current Dissolved Air Flotation Filtration. Prior to this major capital investment at the works, the existing Process Control System in place was obsolete and proving to be problematical with frequent hardware failures of the system resulting in many call-outs.

Oasis Software Solutions based in Monmouth, part of the Oasis Group of Companies, were approached by Welsh Water in September 2008 to do a feasibility study to upgrade the control system at the Works. This resulted in Oasis being awarded the contract to upgrade the DCS system in March 2009, with a contract following on from this in order to design and install the Process Control System for the new CoCoDAFF plant as part of the water quality improvement scheme.

Oasis Software Manager, Neil MacDonald explains “The choice and the design of the control system were crucial as it had to meet the requirements of the system upgrade but also allow for seamless future expansion of the plant as and when required.” With this in mind, the control system was upgraded to a Siemens PCS7 system with a pair of redundant S7-417H AS controllers at the heart of the system providing the performance capability and the high availability that the application required. Two PCS7 single stations were installed in the treatment works control room to provide total and easy visualisation of the entire plant process for operating personnel.

networks then simply adding additional Profibus networks cards to the PCS7 system.

During the commissioning phase of the CoCoDaff project, the new area of plant was commissioned in isolation of the main Works using a temporary S7-416 AS controller. Once successful dry and wet loop commissioning had taken place the CoCoDaff plant was integrated into the main Works simply by disconnecting the CoCoDaff Profibus networks, from the temporary AS controller and integrating them into the existing Works PCS7 system. A whole new area of plant was integrated into the control system within a matter of minutes!

A period of process optimisation followed where Oasis worked closely with Black & Veatch and Welsh Water in order to get the very best out of the control system. The project was completed in October 2010, with on-going aftercare support and training being provided by Oasis staff to Dwr Cymru Welsh Water staff at the works.

Dwr Cymru’s Head of Production, Marc Davies stated that "the project at Mynydd Llandygai Water Treatment Works was a great success and all the Partners involved worked together to deliver the improvements in time to meet the target date agreed with the Drinking Water Inspectorate. The new treatment process and control system have delivered much more effective treatment and security in terms of the quality of water supplies to our customers."

The existing motor control centres and ICA sections were integrated into the centralised AS controllers using distributed ET200M I/O hardware sitting on a redundant Profibus network. The control system solution allowed for integration of the new CoCoDaff plant by ensuring that the new MCC and instrumentation was designed to sit entirely on Profibus DP & PA

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Selwood Group

Building upon the company’s market leading reputation, Selwood Pumps is dedicated to a programme of continuous improvement of its existing range of products as well as developing additional models as part of its strategic pump development.

Last year Selwood launched a new automatic self-priming chopper pump that is the ideal solution for pumping solids, sludge and rags. The chopper pump is a centrifugal pump equipped with a cutting system that allows the chopping up of solids thereby preventing the clogging of the pump itself.

The C150 chopper pump has been designed with Selwood’s key partners in the process, industrial and water sectors. All have a common requirement to pump and condition liquids that contain a high proportion of solids, organic matter or rags. This pump, with its hardened impeller and cutter plus a cutting action giving 3000 cuts per minute, is more than capable of meeting these arduous applications. The pump has a choice of diesel or electric drivers with different chassis options available, including Super Silent, and comes equipped with Selprime – the unique and original Selwood self priming system utilising a water tolerant diaphragm air pump.

Already this year, Selwood has made a significant investment in its own pumps by enhancing its already sizeable hire fleet with £3m worth of new pumps. At least a third of this has been spent on its own range of super silent pumps that are the quietest and most environmentally friendly available on the market today. A considerable amount has also been spent on electric submersible pumps. The company feels that it is important to continue to increase and update its fleet to meet demand and to provide a reliable and efficient service.

Selwood is particularly conscious of its responsibility to the environment and takes every opportunity to implement a ‘green’ policy.

The company has introduced a new generation of super silent pumps recognised as the quietest pumps on the market today. These have been specially designed for applications in noise sensitive areas and, with noise levels as low as 55db(A) at full speed and load, are the most environmentally friendly pumps available. The units come with bunded fuel tanks as standard.

Selwood pumps also incorporate the company’s own unique Selprime self-priming system utilising a water tolerant diaphragm air pump. An environmentally friendly design that has none of the problems of oil vapour emissions and oil emulsification associated with other priming systems.

All the diesel pump engine emissions are compliant to the latest regulations and Selwood has introduced Telemetry and Auto Start systems to its super silent range utilising both floats and ultrasonic level devices that have greatly reduced the consumption of fuel at many sites. The benefit is that the pumps only work when the flows require it and they do not need attendance as they start automatically on demand.

Selwood also has a range of hydraulic submersible pumps and these are all filled with bio-degradable oil and in certain instances Selwood also use vegetable oil in the mechanical seal chambers of its pumps.

Established for over 60 years Selwood has become one of the largest privately owned plant and pump, hire and sales company serving the UK construction and industrial markets and is now the leading contractors pump supplier in the UK and in addition to this is recognised as being one of the leading plant supply companies.

With a commitment to quality, safety and the environment, Selwood is one of the very few companies within the UK that holds all three recognized standards, ISO 9001, BS OHSAS18001 and ISO 14001. Selwood is registered with the Achilles Utilities Vendor database (UVDB) and has been for many years. The UVDB verify and assessment service, used by the UK utility industry to source suppliers of major products and services, focuses on risk critical issues associated with Safety, Health, Environment and Quality requirements.

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CPD

Continuing Professional Development Monitoring The Institute offers members a structured approach to Continuing Professional Development (CPD). We offer advice on planning and recording CPD, and provide a range of templates that can be used.

By Richard Barton Operations Manager (Supply), Sembcorp Bournemouth Water and South West Area Forum Representative

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Car ind

At present we don’t set a minimum requirement on what is expected of members in terms of CPD. Instead our focus is on learning outcomes and the ability to plan future activities with the emphasis on continuous learning.

Sin Op and com

Corporate Members are required to produce evidence of professional development as part of the Institute’s Professional Review process.

Each year a small sample of members are asked to provide evidence of continuing professional development which is used to help us develop best practice and to provide feedback to members. The best submissions are entered for the Annual CPD Award.

This year for the first time the panel’s results were looked at by the National Area Forum to ensure that the reviews were impartial and a fair standard approach was taken. We asked Richard Barton for his thoughts on this process.

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Have you ever been asked to submit a copy of your CPD record to the Institute as part of the annual review? Did it fill you with dread? Did you bother? Did you wonder what on earth the Institute was talking about?

As a member of the Area Forum representing the South West Area I was initially struck by the number of variations in the submitted samples of the CPD records. They varied from single page records to weighty and lengthy records that took some reading and must have taken quite a bit of compiling.

My overall impression of the whole process, as someone who would have cringed had they been asked to submit their record, was it need not be as bad as I had first thought. From this year’s review the best records were some of the shorter versions that clearly demonstrated the main requirements of the following: n Identify and prioritise development needs n Set goals and target dates n Record learning outcomes n Evaluation of achievements and review against original needs In simple terms a table of four columns for each of the main requirements above would satisfy the CPD review process.

Column one is simply setting out what you want to do in the year for your ongoing professional development. What goes into this column is your decision, but could be based on your goals set from your appraisal or goals that you personally feel will enhance your career and development. It can be simple things like better public speaking, keeping abreast of current water industry issues or more specific goals related to areas of your job such as new regulation etc.

Column two is what you are going to do to achieve column one. Again it can be fairly simple but should include specific plans of what you are going to do to realise your development needs in column one. Attending the National Conference must be a key goal that satisfies a long list of development

34

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requirements including keeping abreast of current water industry issues, networking. Chairing a panel or presenting will also fulfil a lot of peoples development needs.

Column three details what you did. Did you attend the Conference? Did you chair a particular meeting as per your column two goal? Did you submit an article for an industry journal? The list is endless. You can also include unplanned opportunities such as Area Events you may not be aware of when you plan the year ahead but which should have some learning outcome worth recording.

sȩ

Column four is probably the most important column. This should record what you actually got out of your targeted goals and should be reviewed against what you actually wanted to get out of them. They may not match entirely and you may feel that you didn’t meet that specific development need but this should still be recorded. Any needs not met can feed into your next CPD. Be honest about what you have achieved as it is your personal review and no one else’s.

De

I think the message here is that it is very easy to feel that the whole CPD recording is an onerous task. It doesn’t have to be. The Institute of Water’s model is designed to make it as easy as possible for you the members. As a result everyone undertaking their own CPD should think about their strengths and weaknesses and develop a plan so they can progress in their future careers within the industry. Please take a look at the website for more information and download the Continuing Professional Development leaflet. There is a lot of information in it that will make the whole process easier allowing you to focus on your goals and your future development.

sȩ

Start the process now in case you are selected next time round; if you return a ‘model’ submission you will be put forward for the Annual CPD Award, presented at the President’s Dinner at the Annual Conference.

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HNC WATER OPERATIONS Cardonald College Glasgow has over 35 years experience in providing training to industry and individuals across the globe.

Since 1990, Cardonald College Glasgow has been the only UK provider of an accredited HNC Water Operations course. Previous contracts have included Anglian Water, Bristol Water, South West Water and Scottish Water with over 600 successful students to date and over 100 in the process of completing it.

HNC Water Operations is a two year course specifically designed for water industry and is delivered by the tutors at a convenient location of your choice.

The HNC Award consists of 12 credits: Year 1 Units

Year 2 Units

sȩ Water Resources sȩ Water Quality Management sȩ Water Industry Structure

sȩ sȩ sȩ sȩ sȩ

sȩ Water Treatment Processes

Engineering Materials & Components Water Distribution Waste Water Treatment Supervision & Management Graded Unit – From Source to Sea

Delivery The Outreach HNC is delivered over two years in the following format: sȩ Year 1: Nine two day tutorials plus one induction day and one exam day sȩ Year 2: Eight two day tutorials plus one exam day sȩ Assessment is by project work on the Units with a single exam covering the Unit material

Next course commences September 2011 in Newcastle.

For further information contact David Holliday 0141 272 3292 trainingsolutions@cardonald.ac.uk www.cardonald.ac.uk/ts IOW 170.indd 35

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DEvElOP TRAINING

Changes and challenges ahead for water industry Tim Walmsley is the new Water Operations Manager at Develop Training. He joins the company at a time of great change, both within Develop Training and the industry as a whole. Here he examines the most significant forthcoming changes, what they mean for the water industry and how companies and organisations can best minimise any negative impact.

2011 is proving to be a busy year for water companies who are facing a raft of legislation changes. New Street Works regulations have already taken effect and throughout the rest of the year we will see the requirements affecting maintenance of sewers and mains and service laying also altering significantly.

Individually these changes would be substantial - altogether they represent an immense challenge for the industry, which is having to cope with new qualifications, manage additional workloads and understand revised guidelines, not to mention absorb the additional cost.

It is therefore not surprising that companies are keen to do whatever they can to manage the changes and minimise any unexpected costs and negative effects and in this regard, preparation is key. Ensuring that workers have received the relevant training well in advance helps to reduce the likelihood of enforced downtime and the costs and logistical challenges associated with this.

So what do Water Companies need to be aware of in order to prepare properly?

The first change to come into effect is the new qualification requirement for Network Construction Operations (NCO), which is due to come into force on 30 June 2011. From this date anyone required to lay water mains and services will need to hold an NCO qualification in Main Laying or Service Laying to at least Level 2. This includes â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;experienced workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; who have already been subject to an extended deadline.

There are just two exceptions that companies should be aware of: new applicants are covered under the category of NCO(W) Trainee for a fixed duration of 12 months, to cover the period allowed for them to work under supervision and complete their NVQ assessment and anyone who has previous qualifications that satisfy the full NCO(W) entry requirement can continue to gain registration as at present.

The process of introducing the new standards began three years ago, when it was recognised that many operatives employed by contractors to lay mains and services may have been considered competent by their employer but were not formally qualified to undertake their role. Given the timescales involved therefore, it is to be hoped that most water companies would have trained their workers to meet the new standards by now. However according to records there are still around 1,000 candidates needing to gain the qualification.

The second change that companies should be aware of is expected to take effect from October 2011 and involves the transfer of responsibility for the maintenance and repair of private drains and sewers to the Water and Wastewater companies in England and Wales.

36

The transfer has come about as a way of managing the national infrastructure in a more efficient and integrated way and improving wastewater management but at the moment the true impact of this on the industry remains somewhat of an unknown entity. The condition of the 200,000km of private sewers and lateral drains is unconfirmed but it is expected that their condition will be worse than the public sewers, meaning that bringing the entire network up to standard will be a sizeable task.

Water and Sewerage companies will not know the full extent of what they are taking on until the transfer has taken place but there is no doubt that it will mean a dramatic increase in the amount of work companies undertake on sewerage and in some cases could mean a doubling of a companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wastewater network.

For this reason it is vital that workers and contractors are fully up to speed on the latest techniques and hold all necessary qualifications in both wastewater treatment and associated fields such as working in confined spaces.

It is those that recognise the importance of these legislation changes and are most prepared that will reap the rewards - with better qualified and more efficient workers, less downtime and minimal disruption.

For further information on the legislation changes and how Develop Training can help ensure workers hold all the required qualifications, call 0800 876 6708 or visit www.developtraining.co.uk

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Are you compliant with new mandatory training requirements?

l We offer Nationa n io Construct O) Operations (NC HPUZ 4 PU UZ X\HSPÄJH[PV JL 3H`PUN HUK :LY]P

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by Wat SS :LSM Regulators MVY H

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Water Industry Training Solutions We offer a comprehensive range of Water Networks, Leakage Detection, Sewerage and Water and Wastewater Treatment courses to meet the specific training requirements of your organisation.

Water Networks Trenchless Technology Water Engineering Apprenticeships Confined Spaces (Water UK)

Sewerage Networks Wastewater Treatment Health and Safety Streetworks

For more information call: 0800 876 6708 or visit: www.developtraining.co.uk/waternetworks training that transforms

HUBER Technology supply stainless steel equipment to treat wastewater.

The equipment supplied is suitable for both municipal and industrial applications.

The diverse product range contains a wide range of equipment suitable to treat all applications ranging from inlet works to tertiary treatment.

The range of products includes: Inlet screens Course screens Storm screens Sludge thickening and dewatering

Units C&D Brunel Park Bumpers Farm Ind. Est. Chippenham Wiltshire SN14 6NQ

Sludge screening

Tel: 01249 765000 Email: hr@huber.co.uk Website: www.HUBER.co.uk

Membrane Filtration Disc Filters All products are customised to suit individual site requirements and specifications and can be supplied complete with control panels.

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‘2011 International Best New product’ (ISTT) ‘2009 Innovation award winner’ (UKSTT)

The Typhoon

Our mission is to improve the quality of drinking water by developing new technology to clean water mains.

The Typhoon jetting system marries engineering know how from the oil and gas industries to a team with over 30 year’s experience in the UK water industry.

A subsidiary of Kilbride Industrial Services, Hydrascan’s tethered pig technology can be used with equipment already widely used throughout the water industry, requires little training and less support infrastructure than current systems.

Key benefits

Specially designed to solve the problems of water mains cleaning and surveying, the Typhoon jetting system achieves better results in a shorter time frame, requires less support on site and radically reduces cost.

Footprint Requires only a single point of access Agile Cleans around bends and up valve faces

Typhoo

New water m cleaning tech

www.hydrascan.co

Environmentally friendly All waste water is filtered and reused by the Typhoon Excellent cleaning results Exceeds standards demanded by the Drinking Water Inspectorate Flexibility Cleans 4 inch to 60 inch diameter mains Range Up to 1km from a single access point Speed Travels at up to 3m/s along the pipe before returning and cleaning at 0.5m/s to 0.1m/s No winching Requires no additional winching machinery

No settlement tanks No need for large lagoons as water is pumped immediately to recycling vehicle perfect urban environments Non abrasive cleaning Does not harm the internal integrity and lining of pipe infrastructure

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*Enquire about a site demonstration now at www.hydrascan.co.uk or call 0191 487 9667

How it works

Each vehicle uses hydro jet propulsion as its motive force. High pressure water (up to 250 Bar) is fed to the rear of the vehicle and expelled through small nozzles to produce thrust – in a similar manner to a jet aircraft except water is used as opposed to expanding hot gasses to produce the thrust.

The vehicle is propelled at a speed of up to 3 m/s through a pipeline that is open to atmosphere and at a predetermined distance the vehicle is drawn back to the entry point whilst cleaning the internal bore of the pipe at a speed of approximately 0.5 m/s.

For cleaning to begin, a switching valve is activated remotely changing the system from propulsion to cleaning mode.

The high pressure water is directed to a radial array of fan jets which allows complete internal cleaning of the pipe wall. The angle and pressure of jetting can be altered depending on the level of build up and the different material linings of the pipe wall.

All water is washed in to the excavation, pumped to a supporting vehicle, filtered and reused.

hoon

ter mains pipe g technology

scan.co.uk

“The Hydrascan system has proved well suited to working in urban environments due to its small site set-up, the achievement of high specification cleaning over long lengths and the ability to negotiate bends, valves and fittings in the network. The environment is at the core of what Northumbrian Water does – an added benefit to this technology is that the water re-cycling feature clearly contributes to the low carbon footprint of the system.

“I’d like to congratulate the team on their well deserved award and look forward to working with them in the future.”

- Stuart Tilley Northumbrian Water project manager

Excellent cleaning results

Currently the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) is driving a mains water cleaning program to which all water authorities must adhere.

The Typhoon cleaning results are excellent. In 2008, Hydrascan won a contract to supply its cleaning technology to Lumsden & Carroll Civil Engineers to clean Northumbria Water pipelines.

The water company was delighted with the cleanliness of the pipes and subsequently used the results obtained during trials in 2007 to set their own in house cleaning requirements in conjunction with the standards laid down by the DWI for Aluminium, Manganese and Iron deposits.

Drinking water Inspectorate max. ‘PCV’ allowed levels

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Northumbria Water in-house specification limits

Levels following cleaning by Typhoon system

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Newcomers to the industry A number of high profile appointments have been made over the last year at some of the UK’s water companies. We caught up with some of these new faces, and asked some questions about the progress they have been making and their long term views on the industry.

We also set up an in house Project team to review our customer facing operations. The objectives are to deliver industry leading levels of customer satisfaction and operational efficiency combined with the lowest levels of debt. It is already delivering improvements – such as easier contact arrangements for customers.

The implementation phase of the Project is well underway and will focus on our people, processes and technology.

It will embed innovation and continuous improvement in the way we deliver customer service. We are aiming to be the highest performing company under Ofwat’s SIM and this will be a key measurement of success on the project.

One of our most important regulatory outputs is our leakage target and this year has been a challenge. Our target of 24.5 Ml/d is already more than 10 per cent below our Sustainable Level of Leakage (SELL) and has always been met. But the coldest December on record resulted in leakage leaping more than 30 per cent.

By increasing our leakage teams and due to magnificent efforts by their management team, we believe we will achieve the target. But, as Water UK has pointed out, this episode highlighted flaws in the regulatory requirement to comply with leakage targets regardless of the circumstances.

Anthony Ferrar, Managing Director, Sutton and East Surrey Water plc

Anthony joined Sutton and East Surrey Water in 2008 after 15 years as the Finance Director and Company Secretary of the then Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water plc. He had previously worked in the UK and overseas contracting, manufacturing and service industries.

Can you provide an update on the progress that Sutton and East Surrey Water has made in delivering its five year investment programme?

be completed by 2015 and will increase the capacity of our treatment works at Bough Beech to between 50 and 55 Ml/d.

I took over as Managing Director in January 2010. We had just completed our review of Ofwat’s Final Determination (FD). Since the regulator had responded positively to most of the issues we raised the Board decided to accept the Determination.

The FD has presented us with some significant challenges. The biggest is meeting the assumptions Ofwat has made regarding our operating expenditure and how efficient we can be over the AMP5 period. Our Management Team has responded positively. The target is tough but we believe it is achievable.

A key aspect of the FD was the inclusion of our revised scheme at Bough Beech reservoir which will assist in securing water resources long term by extending our abstraction licence and increasing the treatment capacity.

This is the second phase of the project and includes network improvements to enable better distribution of the increased supply over a much wider area which will improve the resilience of the network, allow us to better optimise the resources available to us and provide back-up support for groundwater sources during periods of peak demand. Work on this phase is programmed to

40

All areas of our business have been scrutinised to ensure we can deliver what is expected and, if possible, create some headroom for the unexpected and unfunded costs that inevitably come along, such as the Carbon Reduction Commitment.

A significant element of our cost base is electricity. We fixed the commodity price for the five-year period by hedging approximately 70 per cent of our price risk – a good example of risk management and governance.

Along with other companies, we have spent a great deal of time, money and effort reducing leakage to achieve a target that bears no resemblance to our SELL with little or no customer, resource or level of service implications.

It is encouraging that Ofwat has been receptive to calls for a review of the process involved in meeting leakage targets.

We have undertaken a wide range of measures to reduce water consumption by our customers by an estimated 300 cubic metres per day. We have achieved the new annual water efficiency target ste by Ofwat for 2010/11 and are well on course to achieve it t for the five-year period to 2015.

Tap Into Savings was our largest water efficiency project and is one of only three supported by Defra’s Greener Living Fund. We took a leading role in the first, located in Redhill, working with Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and Raven Housing Trust. Retrofit water and energy saving equipment has been installed in more than 750 properties. Estimated water savings are around 47 litres per household per day.

We offer customers a range of free devices to help save water and have improved bills with the addition of water use graphs and tables. Metered customers can more easily assess trends in their water use, and compare their consumption with typical and water-efficient households of the same size.

We aim to be a good corporate citizen and have developed closer working relationships with local councils and charities and continue to enhance our industry leading educational programme. As part of our support for WaterAid, one of our engineers, Jeremy Heath, visited Bangladesh to see projects that had benefited from the charity’s work in urban slums and rural villages.

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FEATURE:WHO'S WHO? You have publically set out your long term aspirations for the company in the Strategic Direction Statement.

What do you envisage will be the main challenges in delivering your vision?

Looking forward, our Strategic Direction Statement in December 2007 set our objectives for the next 25 years which included: n to maintain the supply of the highest quality water to our customers and to achieve 100 per cent compliance with water quality standards; n to maintain an adequate, continuous supply of water to our customers; n to improve the resilience of our resources so we reduce the frequency of supply restrictions; n to maintain high levels of service to our customers;

n to carry out our operations in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way; and

continue to build on these successes – but future changes should be evolutionary not revolutionary.

n to maintain an appropriate level of return to our shareholders.

Like most of south-east England water resources are limited in our supply area so our plans to increase meter penetration and to employ more sophisticated tariff structures are key to helping us deliver a sustainable supply.

It is implicit in achieving the above that we manage our water resources with a view to the long term future; ensure our charges represent fair value for money; minimise our burden on the environment and are a good and progressive employer.

The regulatory landscape is changing and we are mindful of this as we strive to deliver our objectives.

Past solutions will not necessarily suit the future. We are focussed on ensuring we contribute to the ongoing regulatory debate with policy makers and “shapers” to ensure changes benefit all our customers. The regulatory system has delivered huge benefits to customers and the environment in the past 21 years and the industry will

We are looking at many aspects of water efficiency and plan to continue to build on partnerships with other organisations such as local authorities, housing associations and energy companies. The involvement and co-operation of our customers is critically important and therefore we will continue to use our schools programme to encourage the next generation to be water wise.

Our business must be innovative, agile and fit for a fast changing and challenging environment. I am pleased with our progress – but it is only the start of the journey.

they do and see themselves as providing a public service albeit in a privatised regime. This is how I see it too.

A modern misconception is that large organisations or monopolies are not entrepreneurial which is totally untrue.

We are doing something which is really important – water is vital for a healthy life and transport networks keep an economy alive and employees are hugely passionate about this.

Whilst both industries do have tight rules, such as very strict quality assurance on water standards, we are still able to look at our processes and I love to find new and innovative ways to make things easier, more efficient and save money which we can then pass on to our 4.4 million customers.

Having come from a regulated industry I was surprised at how much more regulation there is in water.

Clearly there is a need to provide the highest standards in water quality, customer service, safety and environmental care and I am totally committed to achieving those aims, but ideally I would work with all our regulators to ensure we are putting the greatest focus on the key issues and where the greatest risks are and to ensure we don’t create a regulatory burden where one isn’t needed.

Heidi Mottram, OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Northumbrian Water Group

Heidi Mottram was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Northumbrian Water Group on 1st April 2010. Heidi had previously been Managing Director of Northern Rail Limited for more than five years after a long and successful career in the rail industry that spanned 24 years.

In 2009 Heidi was named Rail Business Manager of the Year at the annual Rail Business Awards for "being an inspirational leader who makes a huge personal difference to passengers and staff." And she was awarded an OBE in the New Years honours list 2010, for services to the rail industry Have you enjoyed the role to date and is it what you expected it to be?

This has been a fantastic year for me and I am delighted to have decided to join Northumbrian Water. It was a big decision to leave an industry I had known (and loved) for 24 years, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the learning and new challenge.

I expected Northumbrian Water to be a very well run company, and it is, and together we are moving forward on an ambitious agenda to be the best in our industry.

I think that together Northumbrian Water have created a really strong set of goals, values, vision and mission through a very proud culture. And they are not just something that people see on our website or letterhead or literature; hearing employees at every level repeating back, and believing in, our values is very rewarding.

What have you found to be the main differences between the water and rail industry?

There are many similarities as well as differences. The people who work in rail and water care a lot about what

In this year of working with Ofwat, the DWI, the EA and CCWater in particular, I believe this spirit of partnership exists and there is a desire for us to work towards the most beneficial agenda for all.

What have been the most challenging parts of the job to date?

The steepness of the learning curve about water and waste water treatment and how everything ‘works’.

Although I‘m quite strategic by nature, I like to build that strategy on a base of knowledge, understanding and a healthy sense of practicality.

In my rail career I had had many years to build up my knowledge and as a result it was very deep.

Since joining Northumbrian Water I have had to take a huge amount of information in very quickly, but I am also very lucky to have a lot of very knowledgeable and experienced people to work with in the team.

At the end of my first year I feel my knowledge has grown hugely, but it is a big challenge still to get to ’24 years worth’!

As I work with the team to build our strategy for the future the combination of my ‘new eyes and new perspectives’ is working very well with experience, and together our joint ambitions for Northumbrian Water give me great confidence for the future.

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FEATURE:WHO'S WHO? continued from page 41

Richard Flint, Chief Executive, Kelda Group and Yorkshire Water Services Ltd

Richard was appointed Chief Executive of Kelda Group and Yorkshire Water Services Ltd in April 2010. Prior to that he was the Chief Operating Officer of Yorkshire Water (2008-2010) and Director of the company’s Water Business Unit (2003-2008). He is Chairman of Kelda Water Services and a member of the Water UK Board.

We asked Richard for his views about the future of the water industry: The environment in which the water industry operates is changing. It is increasingly complex and participants are being challenged to think as much about global water issues as they are about local management issues.

Population growth expectations, the drive for sustainable solutions, the growing strain on the public purse and growing customer value and quality expectations mean that we need to think differently and evolve the water industry - we need to consider how we can balance the twin objectives of sustainability with achieving even better value.

We think it is important to consider and debate a number of key issues that would help create a sustainable and highly effective water industry for the future. Some of the key issues that we are considering include enhancing the industry’s environmental performance, supporting vulnerable customers and integrated water management.

We need to consider how we can balance the twin objectives of sustainability and achieving even better value.

A story of industry success The privatisation of the water industry has been a tremendous success; stable, yet progressive regulation, facilitating massive investment that has led to greater value for money for customers, improved water quality and higher environmental standards.

But after years of progress, the industry now stands at a crossroads. The environment in which the industry operates is changing and, to continue to provide high quality, high value services in a sustainable manner, the industry itself also needs to evolve.

Given the water industry’s success over the last 21 years, it would be unnecessary and unwise to embrace the dangers of radical reform. The system is not broken.

However, the industry needs to evolve with clearly signposted regulatory change that gives customers, the environment and investors an even better long-term deal The industry and policy makers need to look to the future and make changes to the system that are necessary without throwing away the real strengths of the current system.

Enhancing the industry’s environmental performance The industry is currently facing a dilemma: balancing the need to reduce our carbon footprint whilst maintaining the quality of treated water released into our rivers and seas. Joined up policy and joined up regulation are vital to achieve this. For example: It is right that tough standards are in place to ensure, amongst other things, the cleanliness of water discharges. But these standards can sometimes have perverse consequences. For example, they can force water companies to use a lot of energy (with the associated environmental costs) to clean water to a standard far in excess of standards required to actually sustain environmental excellence. The key here is to be able to respond to prevailing river conditions at any given point in time. We need to think about a more flexible regulatory environment that recognises the trade off between water quality and carbon impact.

Separating surface water from waste water networks would allow water companies to make better use of rainwater through sustainable drainage systems, rainwater harvesting whilst also eliminating pollution incidents from sewers and combined sewer overflows.

New incentives from the economic regulator are the first essential step to achieving this.

Supporting our vulnerable customers Managing a high quality, secure water supply and distribution is not cheap. It requires good leadership and billions of pounds of long term investment. Not only must the focus be on ensuring all customers receive good value for money, but that financially vulnerable customers are appropriately protected.

Following the significant debate within the water sector about the role of social tariffs in protecting vulnerable customers, we believe that water companies should now bring forward social tariffs to support vulnerable customers.

Not only must the focus be on ensuring all customers receive good value for money, but that financially vulnerable customers are appropriately protected.

Integrated water management We believe the water industry has a bigger role in addressing the sustainability of water whilst achieving even better value for money for customers. However, we will have to think differently and be more innovative to achieve these dual goals.

Flood defences could be an example of this. Water companies playing a greater role in the provision of flood defences could enable a more coherent flood management approach and release other valuable public sector resources to be spent in other priority areas.

Allowing mergers and acquisitions would enable the transfer of best practice delivering a high quality experience to all customers and help protect the natural environment.

Water is a precious resource Without a clear programme of actions, the UK’s long term water security is at risk. The challenges are complex.

A growing demand for water in some regions has to be balanced against the impact of climate change.

Consumption needs to be managed and there needs to a clear programme of investment and development to enhance the supply and distribution of this most precious of resources.

There needs to be greater incentives to encourage water trading between companies where there is an excess of water. This already takes place within the industry and should be encouraged where trading will deliver a more sustainable route to meeting water demand.

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We need to explore the potential for surface water and rain water to be used to meet domestic customer needs in order to reduce the pressure on clean water and sewerage networks. For example, some customers already use rainwater for toilet flushing and grey water is often used to water gardens.

The water industry in England and Wales is a success story and delivers good value services to millions of people throughout the country. But the environment in which we operate is becoming more challenging and we need to take pragmatic steps now in order to provide a sustainable water industry for the future.

To read more about Yorkshire Water’s contribution to the debate of the future of the water industry visit www.yorkshirewater.com/publicaffairs

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From left to right:

Jack Carnell, Helen Edwards, Kathy Auld, Nick Ellins, Sam Phillips, Lynn Cooper, Neil Morton, Tim Boldero, Michael Fowle, Bob Mills, and Maureen Taylor

The Institute of Water Board of Directors As a membership organisation, the ultimate ownership and direction of the Institute of Water resides in the hands of members.

Regional activities are run by Area Committees made up of volunteers drawn from local membership. There are eight areas covering the UK. The Institute has a small Board of Directors and an Area Forum. The Board are responsible for managing the business, policy implementation and legal compliance. The Area Forum concentrates on sharing best practice whilst retaining the ability to influence overall strategy and policy-making.

In this issue we look at who was elected to serve on the Board of Directors at the 2011 AGM. 44

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FEATURE:WHO'S WHO? Nick Ellins President

Nick Ellins has more than 25 years experience in the water industry, covering EU and UK water policy and regulation, consumer policy and research, organisational strategy and management, manufacturing and contracting and corporate affairs and communication.

He has had a unique insight in to water price setting, having worked closely on PR99 from within the supply chain, on PR04 as a representative of the water companies at Water UK and with PR09 as the Deputy Chief Executive of the statutory consumer body for England and Wales, the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater).

At CCWater, and in addition to his role as Deputy Chief Executive, Nick managed the research and policy teams and the business strategy function. He joined CCWater as part of a three and a quarter year secondment from Water UK, where he worked as Head of Consumer Strategy, providing policy leadership on consumer strategy and affairs.

Prior to his consumer role at Water UK, Nick led the industry’s investor engagement and research strategy through to the 2004 price determination, managed the water industry’s UK and EU public health policy work and national stakeholder alliance, acted as Water UK’s lead adviser on Northern Ireland and Scotland water policy, managed Water UK’s strategic and annual business planning and facilitated the first industry-wide corporate social responsibility report. He came to Water UK after roles as National Sales and Marketing Manager and Utility Frameworks Manager in private sector manufacturing and contracting.

In addition to being President of the Institute of Water and a Board member, Nick is a Freeman of the City of London and a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Plumbers.

Sam Phillips Past President Director of Water & Infrastructure Engineering, URS Scott Wilson Ltd Sam is a Graduate of Queen’s University Belfast in 1981 where he won the Goodyear Prize for the Best Final Year Honours Project in the Engineering Faculty for a Wave Study on Carrickfergus Harbour. Prior to University he had worked for three years, after A Levels, as a Technician with Kirk McClure & Morton Consulting Engineers. In 1981 he joined Ferguson McIlveen LLP, Consulting Engineers and worked mainly on water engineering projects both in water supply and on flood alleviation.

Sam became an Associate in the firm in 1988 and a Partner in 1992. When the consultancy was acquired

by Scott Wilson Plc in 2006, he became a Director with Scott Wilson. Scott Wilson Plc was acquired by the URS Corporation, a global engineering and consultancy business with some 50,000 staff, in November 2010. Sam is a Director on the Environment & Natural Resources Sector Board and currently leads the URS Scott Wilson Water Engineering business in the UK and Ireland.

Sam has over 30 years experience as a consulting engineer in the water industry and has worked on projects across the full industry spectrum from being a Resident Engineer on a major Dam stabilisation project to undertaking the detailed design and contract supervision of major wastewater treatment schemes and sea outfalls. He has been responsible for the design of water mains, pumping stations and new water treatment works together with new wastewater plants and sludge treatment facilities including a new sludge incineration plant. He has also worked as Infrastructure Engineer on overseas teams on industrial and tourism projects in the Russian Far East near Vladivostok and in Benghazi, Libya.

Sam was National President of the Institute of Water from 2010 until May 2011 and has been Northern Ireland Area President for four years until April 2011. He has also been actively involved with the Institution of Civil Engineers and is a member of the Professional Reviewers Panel. He is a member of CIWEM and is former Northern Ireland Branch Chairman and Secretary. He is a member of the Association of Project Safety and is incoming Chairman of the Northern Ireland Branch of the Association of Consultancy & Engineering.

Sam has a passion for the work of the North West Zambia Development Trust and is a member of the Board. The Trust has raised funding for and managed the construction of 0.75MW Hydro-electric Scheme on the Zambezi River, 45km from its source, which serves a 150 bed mission hospital, an orphanage, and several schools all connected to a 30km grid. The scheme has been operational since July 2007 and was built almost entirely by local people most of whom have never previously had a paid job in their lives. The Trust is seeking to develop further industry in the region to help the development of this remote part of Zambia and further benefit the local people.

Sam is married and has one daughter at University.

To relax he enjoys travelling and has visited over 90 countries and has just recently fulfilled an ambition to complete a round the world trip. He also enjoys the occasional round of golf but says he doesn’t get enough time to be any good at it!

Michael Fowle

Vice President Engineering Man of Kent, 60 something, married to Janet for more than 40 years with 5 children and 3 grandchildren and lives in rural Worcestershire.

Joined the Institute in the early 80s when managing rivers maintenance in the Lower Severn estuary and was Midlands Area President in 1995.

A Chartered Engineer he is currently Chair of the Engineering Board and an Assessor for Engineering Registration.

Tim Boldero Vice President Environment Initially I worked in local government, dealing with the engineering and development consequences of an overspill agreement King’s Lynn Borough Council had with the then GLC. This included the provision of large housing and industrial estates together with the creation of one of the first large scale pedestrian precincts anywhere in the UK. This was followed by a period in contracting throughout East Anglia and a further spell in local government before joining the water industry, where I spent the next twenty five years including a short period before privatisation.

My experience covers the management of engineering, operational (water, sewage and wastewater treatment) and customer service. I was part of a small team which helped Anglian Water become the first water company to secure accreditation with ISO 9000.

I also served on many committees within that company, covering strategic planning for growth, waste minimisation, effluent re-use applications, urban waste water impact on large industrial customers, automatic metering and demand management.

Institutional life: Institude of Water: After holding various posts in Eastern Area, I became National Chairman in 1998/99; VP Engineering 1999/2004 and have been VP Environment since 2004.

I was made an Honorary Member in 2002 and have been a Director since 1996. During this time I created the business plan for the IWater Engineering Board and helped secure the ability to register in all sections of the Engineering Council Register.

The Society for the Environment: I am a Founder Board Member; former Chair of the Technical Committee (now the Policy Forum); former Chair of the Management Committee and Chairman of the Society in 2006 /08.

I also chaired the group which produced the first specification against which applicants are assessed to become Chartered Environmentalists. I currently chair the Honorary Fellows Panel.

For the past 5 years he has also represented the Institute as a Liaison Officer with the Engineering Council, working on registration and assessment issues with other licensed professional bodies.

Other Interests: Travel, photography - oh and golf when time permits!

He was recently appointed to the main Quality Assurance Committee of the Council for a 3 year period.

Helen Edwards

Began his career as a Civil Engineering apprentice in local government before moving to Swansea University where he gained a BSc in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science degree.

Optimal Planning and Performance Manager, Yorkshire Water

A brief spell in consultancy with WS Atkins was followed by 30 years with Severn Trent Water, mainly as an Operations Manager delivering both clean and wastewater services.

A keen follower of most sports he is one of only 3 known supporters of Gillingham FC (the other 2 are his brothers).

Played cricket and rugby before turning to golf which is now a major pastime and hobby (respectable 15 handicap).

He is a keen jazz fan ( modern not traditional) and it is rumoured that for the past 2 years he has been learning to play alto sax but as yet no sightings have been made.

Chairperson

Helen joined Yorkshire Water in 1991, after graduating from Huddersfield Polytechnic with an Honours degree in Applied Chemistry. The 12 month graduate training scheme involved placements in many of the science based teams. A memorable early job involved digging sewage filter beds and counting the resident worms – she wondered if she’d made the right decision!

Helen then moved in to the research and process development department, where she increased her knowledge and understanding of both waste and water treatment processes through the operation of pilot plants and process modelling. It was during this time that she was sponsored by Yorkshire Water to study for a Masters degree in Public Health Engineering at Leeds University.

Her next role was in the strategic network operations team, where she was first introduced to Yorkshire Water’s production planning process. Helen has been involved in production planning and water resource management for more than 10 years,

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FEATURE:WHO'S WHO? continued from page 45

ensuring that the company can optimise its production whatever the weather throws at Yorkshire.

During this time she also had responsibility for the management of the company’s energy contract, this proved to be extremely valuable experience for later energy optimisation roles.

Helen’s current role is Optimal Planning and Performance manager within the Production Business Unit.

Managing a team of specialists, she is responsible for the optimisation of water production assets across the county, both through remote interventions and on-site process optimisation. The optimised water production is then used to produce the company’s daily production plan, which meets regional customer demand, at the lowest overall cost without jeopardising raw water resources.

Helen has been an active member of the Institute of Water for 14 years, serving on the Northern Area Committee for 10 years and as the Area Representative for 6.

Outside of work, Helen enjoys playing badminton – enthusiastically rather than very skilfully, walking and gardening. In recent years she has experienced the wonder of long haul travel, having visited India, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Japan. It is the experience of different cultures, environments and wildlife that she find endlessly fascinating.

Kathy Auld

Vice Chairperson Project Delivery Co-ordinator, Scottish Water Kathy achieved a degree in Chemistry and Management in 1992. She started her career by testing water in the laboratories at Tayside Regional Council Water Services.

After the realisation that this was not for her and wanting a challenge, Kathy went on to set up the first Call Centre for a Water Department in Scotland in 1994 and managed it thereafter. In 2002 she moved into Technical Support within the Call Centre carrying out training, coaching and monitoring quality. Kathy transferred to North of Scotland Water when the authorities were set up and then into Scottish Water when these merged in 2002. From April 2003 to March 2004 she became Business and Community Liaison Manager for the Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Angus areas and from March 2004 she became Regional Manager for the Business and Community Relations Team covering the whole of the North of Scotland, including the Islands.

This team carried out the face to face consultation and communication for Scottish Water within the domestic and business communities. More recently she has taken up the Project Delivery Co-ordinator’s Role, firstly within Scottish Water Solutions and now in Scottish Water, Capital Investment Delivery, East Area.

Kathy has two sons, 10 and almost 15 and enjoys spending time with them when not at work. She enjoys reading, music, socialising and baking – much to the delight of the office. Life is hectic at work and at home, and as if it wasn’t enough Kathy is currently studying for an HNC in Water Operations.

An Institute of Water member since October 1994, Kathy has been very active in organising events and has served for many years on the Scottish Area Committee. She has previously held the position of Area Chair and is currently National Area Forum Representative. Kathy is a Corporate Member and Chartered Environmentalist.

46

Maureen Taylor Past Chairperson

New Connections Manager, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water Maureen was born in London and moved to Wales in 1988 when her two daughters were small. She joined the Water Industry in 1990 working for Welsh Water.

During this time Maureen has worked in many different disciplines, which has made her time at Welsh Water extremely interesting. Her roles have ranged from Admin Supervisor, Finance Officer, Conservation Officer, Training Delivery Manager for an I.T. project called SWITCH and is now the New Connections Manager.

Maureen joined the Institute of Water - or IWO as it was then - in January 1995. For most of that time she has been an active and committed member of the Welsh Area Committee where she has undertaken several roles.

These include Secretary, Events Co-ordinator, Area Chair and Area Rep, which saw her appointed a director of IWO in 1994. She was elected National Chair in 2010.

Maureen enjoys spending time with her 4 grandchildren and still regularly plays netball.

jack Carnell Past President Jack is the former Managing Director of South Staffordshire Water Plc, 2004 to 2010 and has over 37 years experience in the water industry. Jack was President of the Institute of Water from 2008 – 2010 and is currently the Chair of Energy & Utility Skills. He is a visiting lecturer in Human Resources and Construction Law at Aston University and has just been appointed as a Board Governor of Wolverhampton College.

Neil Morton Area Metering Manager, South East Water Neil Joined the Water Industry in 1982 as a reinstater and grass cutter. He progressed through the ranks of the Distribution Department of South East Water where he is currently the Area Metering Manager for the Western Region.

In 1994/5 Neil completed an ONC Civils at Tonbridge College of Technology and registered as an Eng Tech in 1996. Neil joined the Institute of Water in 1995 and has served time as a Committee Member, Area Representative and National Chairman in 2007. Neil has been a Director of the Institute since 2003 and has chaired the Audit Committee for the past two years. Neil was made a Fellow of the Institute in 2010 - an honour of which he is extremely proud.

Neil is married to Val and has two children - both boys.

Neil enjoys socialising and DIY.

Bob has been associated with the Institute of Water for the past fifteen years. Bob has been a Board member for approximately ten of those years, and currently serves on the Engineering Board.

Bob has a busy social life and has even been sailing in a canal narrowboat. In a past life Bob was also associated with amateur operatic societies taking various lead roles in appearances across the UK.

lynn Cooper Chief Executive, Institute of Water I was born in Glasgow and lived there (seven miles north) for the first 22 years of my life. Determined not to follow my two sisters into the teaching profession, I joined the army but realised the error of my ways before it was too late to get out. I opted for a career in accountancy - because my Dad was an accountant and I was good at maths - and graduated with a BA in Accountancy from Glasgow College of Technology, where Gordon Brown was my politics lecturer for one year. After 10 months of jobhunting I was employed by Sunderland & South Shields Water Company as a Trainee Accountant. I had heard of Sunderland because of its football team but Water Companies were as strange to me as the accents of my new colleagues. Following three years’ part-time study in Durham I qualified as member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy in 1987.

In 1991 our company merged with neighbouring Newcastle & Gateshead Water Company to form North East Water. I moved ahead of the merger and was introduced to cycling by one of my new colleagues who persuaded me to enter an organised ride from Morpeth to Berwick (around 50 miles). He brought a mate - Rob - on our first training ride and I don’t think he ever imagined that Rob and I would marry 11 years later. Running was my first love and was the main reason we waited 11 years to get married. I retired from competition in 2003 but I coach at our local harriers and I still run most days. Work came a close second, particularly when North East Water became part of Northumbrian Water and I left to join IWO. After a three-month secondment I was offered a 12-month contract so I took voluntary redundancy from a secure and comfortable environment into an uncertain and challenging position: it was the best move I ever made.

I have maintained my accountancy qualification although only a fraction of my time is spent on accounting matters.

I worked hard to achieve it and would be reluctant to let it lapse. I am also a Chartered Environmentalist and an Honorary Fellow of the Society for the Environment where I have served as a director for almost 10 years, seven of them as Treasurer. I was made an Honorary Member of IWO in 2003 – an award which delighted and surprised me. I never planned to still be here after 14 years but I still find work both challenging and rewarding and can’t imagine a better job. I am proud to be part of the Institute of Water and I plan to be here as long as I still think I can make a difference.

Bob Mills Director, GA Valves Bob has worked in the valve industry for over 40 years, initially in the oil and petrochemical /marine markets, moving then to companies supplying the water industry.

Bob has held appointments in two major valve manufacturers before forming GA Valves in 1989, having purchased intellectual property rights for selected products from Blakeborough Valves. He expanded the business further in 2005 by developing DDS Technology and securing the UK distribution/agency for DOROT Valves (automatic pressure control.)

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VIKINGJOHNSON

UltraGrip Helps Tsunami-Hit Japan UltraGrip couplings are the preferred method in Japan for joining plain ended pipes of differing pipe materials, especially for existing cast iron, ductile iron, asbestos cement, steel, PVC and PE to new pipes. They are a wide tolerance product and can accommodate pipe outside diameters up to 44mm in variation. Importantly, they are very easy to install, requiring only a single spanner for tightening.

Viking Johnson UltraGrip has been supplied, via Kutotec, its distributor in Japan, to repair water mains damaged in the recent catastrophe.

The rice growing season begins in earnest in April and although Japan is prepared for earthquakes and tsunamis, this eruption was on an unprecedented scale. Many locations have been affected. In flat areas, like the coast of Sendai city, 70% of the tsunami salt water still remains on farmland and consequently cannot be planted. Associated Press has estimated that 8% of Japan's 4 million acres of rice farms have been hit, affecting about 4% of total production.

Earlier this month, the Japanese pipework system was crippled by a huge earthquake, measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, followed by the subsequent tsunami that swept much of the infrastructure away in NE Japan. UltraGrip, in sizes varying from DN50 to DN300, has been specified for repair work, including the critically important reconnection of water supplies needed to irrigate the rice fields.

Mr Suzuki, General Manager for Kubotec said “Many places have been devastated by the tsunami - the coastal prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima, Ibaragi and Chiba have been swept away.

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Viking Johnson, a leading water utility brand of Crane Building Services & Utilities, whose parent Company, Crane Co., through the Crane Fund for Widows and Children, has donated $35,000 to The American Red Cross National Headquarters/Japan Earthquake & Pacific Tsunami Disaster Relief. This donation will be used to provide immediate relief and long-term aid through supplies and technical assistance.

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110428.IOW_WaterTreatment_4c_.pdf 4/28/2011 5:31:08 PM

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BRENNTAG

Brenntaplus VP1, a carbon source for biological denitrification The presence of nitrate in effluent discharged from a treatment plant into a receiving stream may not adversely affect water quality, particularly if the nitrogen content in the stream is low and the flow of water is greater than from the treatment plant. However, should the stream have high concentrations of nitrates, it may be advisable to control the nitrogen content of the effluent to avoid algal blooms and other issues such as the proliferation of blanket weed. Should treatment plants discharge into still water such as reservoirs or lakes then the risks may be greater.

A successful method of treatment of nitrogen is the biological nitrification and denitrification of wastewater. The water industry has recently seen a growth in the installation of plants designed for the treatment of sludge, contaminated soil, or leachate at land reclamation sites. This two stage process involves firstly nitrification, which is the conversion of ammonia to nitrate by nitrifying the bacteria and secondly, denitrification or nitrate conversion which is carried out under aerobic conditions. For this to occur efficiently and for sustained periods, a carbon source is required.

Whilst carbon may be available in solids which are present in the treatment water, in many cases, the addition of further carbon is required.

production and availability of synthesis material.

Alcohol duty and licensing create issues for end users and there is certainly a premium on price when compared to methanol. Additional safety concerns and price uncertainty on all alcohols has led to other carbon sources being considered.

There are several commercially available carbon sources which have been produced for many years by the chemical industry. These include alcohols, organic acids, and by products from industrial processes such as glycerol products from biodiesel production. As an internationally traded commodity, methanol is freely available, and is seen as not only the alcohol of choice but the most prevalent carbon source used.

This is certainly the case for UK and German users. Methanol is clean, does not contain any suspended solids or nutrients and is a good source of carbon.

Fatty acids such as glycerine and glycerol byproducts provide excellent carbon sources but each have their own challenges. Glycerine, which is widely used in the pharmaceutical and food industries, is expensive when pure and the supply of by-products from, say biodiesel production is variable in quality and availability. What is more, the product is viscous and prone to freezing, giving rise to dosing difficulties, particularly experienced in recent UK winters.

Other alcohols, such as ethanol, have known technical strengths but possess some disadvantages in supply due to fluctuating crop yields of fermentation grades and irregular

Amongst the organic acids available, acetic acid is the product of choice for many designers of denitrification facilities, but it too is considered harmful and difficult to handle. Furthermore, whilst an internationally available commodity, limitations on supply currently exist across Europe. With only one European producer, this inevitably has the commensurate effect on price.

The ideal carbon source should readily available, be non flammable, non harmful, and with a long shelf life, which would make storage simple and inexpensive. It should possess the ability to remain fluid, so it can be pumped at low temperatures, and be a quick and effective carbon source within the process. It was the presence of these positive characteristics in one single

product that was the building block for Brenntag to develop Brenntaplus VP1, which is specifically designed for use in denitrification.

The product is a combination of natural ingredients which is easy to store, is low cost, and can be handled safely, without the necessity for expensive intrinsically safe installations. Raw materials are sourced and blended specifically for Brenntag, and price stability can be offered for six month or annual contracts.

Brenntaplus VP1 was successfully launched in 2007 by Brenntag in Germany, where the product has experienced significant growth, primarily at locations where methanol had previously been used. Brenntaplus VP1 is now available from Brenntag UK & Ireland from raw materials sourced locally and blended to specification. Initial trials within the regulated water industry and in the industrial waste treatment markets are imminent.

Brenntag UK & Ireland is the largest supplier of chemicals to the water industry and it sees Brenntaplus VP1 as an important new product initiative and an integral part of the Group’s commitment to developing solutions for water treatment.

Richard Ward, Commercial Director said that “Brenntaplus VP1 is high performing, safe to handle, environmentally sound and sustainable.

These factors and the competitive position we have developed against alternative products will offer end-users a real long-term solution for their denitrification requirements.”

“Brenntaplus VP1 is high performing, safe to handle, environmentally sound and sustainable. These factors and the competitive position we have developed against alternative products will offer end-users a real long-term solution for their denitrification requirements.”

Richard Ward, Commercial Director

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While some companies in the sector still seemed to regard meeting the needs of the economic regulator as their primary day to day function, Ronnie encouraged them to think again, and to meet those regulators expectations whilst focussing primarily on delivering a first class service for their consumers.

Barbara Frost, the Chief Executive of WaterAid and a Patron of the Institute of Water, brought a new perspective to the discussion, agreeing with the previous speakers on the rising expectations of consumers in the UK, and comparing the high standards here to the 884 million people (one in eight) who live without safe drinking water and 2.5 billion (two in five) who do not have adequate sanitation globally.

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For the Health of the Nation

By Nick Ellins, President, Institute of Water

For the opening session of the Conference, the new National Chair, Helen Edwards, led a discussion to look at the role that water companies perform for their communities and the public health credentials of the industry.

The Keynote speaker Nigel Annett, Managing Director of Dwr Cymru Welsh Water gave his experience of the significant challenges faced when delivering water and wastewater services to Wales, and provided the audience with a fascinating insight in to the constantly changing environment that the modern water company and its management team are required to adapt to.

Nigel explained the importance of companies focussing on the public health and other key social outcomes they deliver successfully each and every day for their

52

The session ended with an enthusiastic panel discussion immediately after Craig Murray, Asset Management Graduate at Scottish Water and one of the younger Institute members, talked through how his company had brought the River Clyde back to life, and the importance of that project to the people and the environment of Scotland.

Communicating your value to your customers and community

The Institute of Water Conference in Swansea showcased the vital public health role that the water sector fulfils each and every day. Leading industry and public health speakers discussed the key strategic, engineering and human resource challenges that we face; how we can maintain the achievements made to date and what must be done to successfully communicate the value of water, and the companies that provide it, to our communities.

Pride in our industry – Making a difference for public health

WaterAid were celebrating their 30 years of operation at this Conference, and in those years have raised many millions of pounds to bring good health in to people’s lives. The Institute of Water had played a significant part in raising the money that delivered those life changes.

Barbara thanked the Institute for dedicating the 2011 Conference fundraising solely to WaterAid in its 30th year, explained to the newer water sector audience members that WaterAid was the industry’s own charity, talked through the contribution of the Institute and its members to date and showed how continued work by us all will make a real difference. Simply finding ways to raise £15 will buy a family in the developing world a fresh water supply for life. No effort to raise funds is wasted.

communities. The company would ultimately be judged on these outcomes. In Wales, expectations continue to rise and the people, and government, rightly expect to have the highest levels of water and sewerage services at all times. Dwr Cymru had changed its structure and approach to ensure it will be able to meet these changing expectations in the most efficient and cost effective way.

Ronnie Mercer, the Chair of Scottish Water, looked in more detail at the role that water companies perform.

He reflected on the evolving role of his company since it formed from the three previous water authorities, and explained the path he believed his team had taken, from considering itself as a contractor to the State, through to being a full and pro-actively managed community provider.

Ronnie explained the wide diversity of activities that Scottish Water now performed, many of which were well away from the older traditional activities of engineering, pipes and assets.

The second session was chaired by Nick Ellins, and looked in depth at the challenges companies face in engaging more closely with their communities, providing the audience with practical examples as to how best to work in partnership and communicate effectively.

A highly experienced panel of John Mowbray, Director of Corporate Affairs, Northumbrian Water; Claire Riley, Head of Strategic Communications, NHS Strategic Health Authority and Chris Lines, Director of Communications, Public Health Wales, talked the delegates through the reasons they felt it was essential to engage with communities, the business benefits of doing so and the techniques that had delivered the best results.

John Mowbray gave extensive examples of the work that Northumbrian Water had done to build its whole business around community engagement, and showed evidence of how their Board’s investment in communication had delivered them hard business and financial benefits.

Claire Riley supported John’s comments on the importance of focussing on excellence in the areas on which the community judges your worth on, and gave an enlightening presentation on the close synergy between the engagement issues faced by the public health and water sectors. Claire and Chris Lines both shared their experience of dealing with initial consumer apathy, and how their work had managed to bring about emotive and valuable engagement. Chris recommended that it was vital for the water industry to gain consumers support if the relationship between both parties was to remain sustainable, and that this would become even more critical when major financial or service choices needed to be made.

Nick Davis, the Managing Director of NDA Wales then developed the discussion, supporting the points made by the panel and explaining how tap water provided the

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FEATURE:CONFERENCE REvIEW

2 industry with an existing, emotive and trusted link to its consumers. Nick felt that despite its premium quality and unbeatable value for money, the public goodwill towards tap water had yet to be fully recognised or nurtured by the water industry. His presentation ‘How to Get the Public to Learn to Love Tap Water and Take your Product to the People’ showed examples of the public trust in tap water and showed the innovative Hydrachill machines that were now being used by Northumbrian Water, Dwr Cymru and Thames Water to supply chilled tap water in high profile locations. An example machine had been fitted within the Liberty Stadium to keep delegates hydrated and every person was given a Conference branded/Dwr Cymru sports bottle.

The Importance of Embracing the Customer in your Business Day two dawned, and the audience took full advantage of the hydration on offer after enjoying another superbly successful Saint Gobain charity night.

After a reminder of the previous days content and the context for day two, Nick Ellins introduced the audience to the Key Note speaker, Diane McCrea, Chair of the Consumer Council for Water in Wales. Diane took the Conference through the results of their research in to consumer’s views of the water industry, which revealed extremely high satisfaction with the basic services provided but a notably lower level of appreciation of value for money.

A number of customers report that they have little idea of what their water company actually does with the money they pay. John Mowbray of Northumbrian Water had also made this point forcefully when he analysed similar sector research during the previous days session.

Diane encouraged the industry to keep building on the solid foundations it had made and to now develop a new business approach to raise that sense of value for money.

Diane indicated that the Consumer Council for Water would be available to work closely with local companies to help them to find the most credible and effective engagement methods.

Maintaining the achievements, protecting public health Martin Kane, the Director of Customer Services at Severn

Trent Water, chaired an active and informative session which begun with an opening speech on the role of public and private partnerships in improving water services by Giles Booth, a consultant at Hyder Consulting Ltd. Jeni Colbourne, Chief Inspector at the Drinking Water Inspectorate, then gave her views on the track record of the water industry in protecting public health, and shared her concerns regarding the risks and potential threats to maintaining that performance in the future.

Jeni complimented the sector on its overall drinking water quality results to date, but there was a great deal more still to be done. The importance of the public health role that water companies perform could not be overstated and they must keep evolving. There could be no let up in standards or room for complacency. In particular, Jeni highlighted her concerns that there should be more investment in industry technical skills for the future.

Pamela Taylor, Chief Executive of Water UK and a Patron of the Institute of Water, gave her views on the important points raised in Jeni Colbourne’s speech, and re-emphasised the vital role that water companies will continue to play in ensuring the health of society. Water companies took their duties extremely seriously and Pamela believed that the companies were alive to the challenges facing them. Pamela gave on overview of the Water UK’s vision for how the industry must now evolve for the future and assured the Drinking Water Inspectorate that they would continue to see excellent stewardship of drinking water by the water companies.

George Butler, the Director of Asset Management for Northern Ireland Water and new President of the Institute’s Northern Ireland area, then finished the session off by providing a highly relevant case study on the experiences his team had when freezing winter temperatures affected their networks and customer services. A particularly lively discussion followed focussing on the benefits and application of mutual aid.

Skills for our future – Nurturing careers to ensure a Successful Industry The final session of the Conference took account of all of the key competence, skills and risk points that had been made over the two days and then debated them in detail with the help of a panel of experienced professionals. Jack Carnell, the Chair of Energy and Utility Skills and former

National President of the Institute, chaired the session which started with a contribution by one of the Institute’s younger speakers, Lucy Johnson, a Distribution Technician from Portsmouth Water. Lucy, one of the Institute's strongest advocates charmed the audience with her honest and passionate approach to her career.

The Conference then heard three perspectives on the key skills and professional development issues from speakers Julian Dennis, the Director of Compliance and Sustainability at Wessex Water; Ian Limb, the Personnel and Safety Manager for Portsmouth Water (and the Continuing Professional Development champion for the Institute) and Tim Balcon, Institute Past National President and Chief Executive of Energy and Utility Skills.

2012 - Changing the Industry for a Sustainable legacy Nick Ellins gave a summary of the key learning points from the last two days of presentations and formally closed the Conference. He invited the Institute of Water membership to join him in Central London next year for the 2012 National Conference and Exhibition, which takes place 17-18 May. The event is entitled ‘2012 - Changing the Industry for a Sustainable Legacy’ and will hear from Martin Baggs, CEO of Thames Water; Heidi Mottram, CEO of Northumbrian Water; Peter Simpson, CEO of Anglian Water; Richard Flint, CEO of Yorkshire Water; Dame Yve Buckland, Chair of The Consumer Council for Water; Marian Spain, Director of Policy and Communication, Ofwat and further representatives from water companies, regulators, environmental bodies and the supply chain. Book your diary now, more information on the event and content will follow shortly.

1 2

John Mowbray, Director of Corporate Affairs, Northumbrian Water Claire Riley, Head of Strategic Communications, NHS Strategic Health Authority continued on page 54

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SOCIAl REPORT 2011

continued from page 53

By Carol Cooke

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1

THE PRESIDENT’S DINNER The President’s Dinner on Friday Evening was held in the lovely Brangwyn Hall in Swansea.

Our arrival was greeted by the Phoenix Male Voice Choir singing a variety of songs, ranging from tracks by Queen to Men of Harlech. President, Nick Ellins, welcomed us all and thanks were given for the food we were about to eat. After a fantastic meal was enjoyed by all it was time for the more serious part of the evening – the Awards.

Two of the new awards were awarded to members of the Welsh Area. Special guest Professor Martin Cave awarded the National Innovation Award to Ashtead Plant Hire for their unmanned, fully-automated unit, designed to be located at customers’ sites, which has the potential to radically change the way in which plant is ordered and managed on site.

The Allen Bolton Award was received by a very surprised but deserving Fiona Jehu for her sterling work on the committee and organising this year’s Conference on our behalf. Past Chair Maureen Taylor also asked guests to raise a toast to Allen. You can read the full obituary for Allen in this Journal.

The Institute of Water Northern Area won this year’s President Cup and the Energy & Utility Skills Business Skills Award 2011was presented to Severn Trent Water Limited. The Continuing Professional Development Award was won by Jeanette Sheldon, an Inspector at the DWI. There were some 15 or so prizes in this year’s raffle ranging from a 22” LCD TV, to a balloon trip, to a flagon of cider from last night’s barn dance.

A very big thank you to all who bought tickets – a fantastic £1,900 was raised for the Institute’s charity WaterAid.

ST FAGAN’S SITE vISIT A trip to St Fagan’s open air museum of Welsh Life was thoroughly enjoyed on the Saturday morning.

There a number of buildings from around Wales that have been taken apart brick by brick and reerected within the grounds of St Fagan’s.

Our tour took us to the Rhyd-y-car houses – a terrace of houses ranging from 1805 to 1995 – showing life in Wales throughout this time. Plenty of questions were asked by the curious members of our group. On our way there we passed the bakery, the clog maker and lots of other shops

54

After all of the formal proceedings, guests danced the night away to music by the Funky Buddha classic funk/soul band. There were quite a few cool moves on the dance floor and lots more drinking and networking. At a later stage of the evening red green and white balloons were released from the ceiling amid lots of laughter, and noise, as people raced to see who could burst the most!

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2

From left: David Hellier (Energy & Utility Skills); Allan Warren (Severn Trent Water Ltd); Jeanette Sheldon (DWI); Tim Balcon (Energy & Utility Skills); Gary Roberts (Severn Trent Water Ltd), and Lynn Cooper (Institute of Water).

Maureen Taylor (right) presents Fiona Jehu with the first Institute of Water Allen Bolton Award.

7

and buildings. We were then taken to join in “granny’s wash day” where lots of photos and joking took place.

By the time we reached the Castle Dining room at 1.00pm we were all more than ready for the lunch that was laid on for us. The table was laid out like a banqueting room and we were treated like local gentry. The service and the food were absolutely superb, including the homemade soup, pate, apple pie and fruit tart with cream.

Despite the weather forecast suggesting that we were to have rain – we didn’t - it was a sunny and very enjoyable day out.

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FEATURE:CONFERENCE REVIEW

Saint Gobain Night: Ghost Hunt and Barn Dance After an extremely informative first day of Conference we were all ready to board our coaches for another action packed Saint Gobain PAM evening.

So at 6.45pm on the dot we departed our hotels and headed with excitement to our venue – with much speculation as to where and what we would be met with. This was further fuelled by Neil Morton’s queries of “is anyone scared of heights?” and “was anyone averse to wearing crampons?”

Much laughter ensued on our particular coach.

issued to the two winning teams – “Alias Smith and Moule” and “Scooby Doo”; and booby prizes to some of the teams that had fared less well, including that of President Nick Ellins.

Following a superb hog roast there was music from the Bear Bones (a popular folk music band) and barn dancing. Even those of us with two left feet were encouraged to join in – with instructions that we could all follow with ease, and hilarity.

If dancing was not your thing then there was a gypsy card reader, a crystal healer and good old networking (drinking). Saint Gobain PAM yet again provided us with a superb evening of entertainment and fun and a very big thank you is extended to them.

3

Upon arriving at the Gower Heritage Centre, which was quite deceiving from the outside and a lot more extensive, we were greeted by a member of the staff who explained that we would be given a free glass of either the local cider (8.5% proof no less) or a soft drink. We were all then issued with an itinerary and vouchers for more drinks.

3

After settling ourselves into the main ‘barn’ the evening commenced with a welcome from David Smoker and some background information on the centre itself. Then the entertainment got underway with some of the locals telling us the stories of Agnes - Lady Malephant’s servant and Will the Mill and his brother Jim.

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4 5

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To the manor born

8

Taking in the sunshine before lunch

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Neil Morton wondering how he could wrestle his underwear off Beti

The goats!

President Nick Ellins and David Smoker Dermot Devaney from team ‘Scooby Do’ and David Smoker

4

We were then invited to take part in a paranormal investigation around the Mill Buildings and along the Mill Leat (brook). We were divided into teams, chose suitable names for them and then given labels to put around the site indicating where we thought the ghosts of Agnes and the brothers were likely to be seen (or if you were lucky you could see them for yourself). With much hilarity the labels were attached to many items, including the goats, other people’s clothing and, more by luck than judgement, the correct places. Prizes were

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The storyteller

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9

10

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George Butler and the new water collection method proposed by Northern Ireland Water should there be problems in the future

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FEATURE:WATER SAFETy

Development of a Plumbing Assurance Scheme

By Phill Mills, Policy Consulting Network

At the Conference delegates heard much about maintaining the achievements made in drinking water quality and in protecting public health. The water industry in the UK clearly has a record to be proud of with drinking water quality compliance measured at the customers’ taps consistently being above 99.9%.

Many water companies across the UK have adopted a ‘water safety plan’. This risk assessment and risk management approach is intended to cover the protection of customers’ water supplies from source to tap. But does it actually do this? Water companies are responsible for a chain of assets from source intakes through treatment works, pumping stations, trunk mains, service reservoirs and distribution networks down to service pipes. But that is where their responsibility stops – at the boundary of the customer’s property. Their ‘accountability’ for maintaining water quality continues though into the property to the tap(s) used for drawing water. This is encompassed in the Drinking Water Directive and in national regulations. But water companies do not own or maintain pipework inside customers’ properties, so how can they ensure the high quality of water they produce is actually received by the customer? This is where other regulations – the water fittings regulations (Byelaws in Scotland) come in. In England and Wales the 1991 Water Act gives the water undertakers the obligation to enforce these regulations.

Much plumbing work is done without reference to the water company. Customers therefore have to rely on the competence of any person they employ for the ‘correctness’ and compliance of plumbing work done in their property. That person can have a direct impact on the safety of the drinking water received by the customer or the safety of their hot water system.

There are a number of trade bodies representing plumbing businesses. The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering represents individuals, and all of these bodies have competency requirements and set business and professional standards. Water companies have also set up schemes to promote competent plumbers.

Severn Trent has a ‘Watermark’ scheme; Anglian Water an ‘A Plus’ scheme and Thames a ‘TAPS’ scheme. Other companies are members of the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS) run Water Industry Approved Plumber Scheme (WIAPS).

Most customers are however totally confused by the proliferation of different acronyms for plumbing schemes. National promotion of the

56

approved contractors’ schemes has not been possible because there are seven different organisations running them across different parts of the UK. It is not easy then for a member of the public to recognise a good (i.e. competent) plumber or to know what to look for. This is reflected in the comments that consumer organisations report.

Which? recently claimed that ‘consumers are confused about trade association membership and accreditation bodies.’

Of greater concern though is that water companies are reporting more bad plumbing practice and increasing non-compliance with the regulations. Serious backflow risks are now being found installed from new. A recent experience in Northampton with water re-use systems that led to contamination of household drinking supplies emphasised the need for better competency by installers and the need for greater awareness from customers of the risks from poor or untrained plumbers.

To tackle these two related issues WRAS and Water UK engaged Policy Consulting Network to work with them and develop a new approach to ensure the safety of drinking water supplies and protection of consumers. The objective was to develop a national plumbing assurance scheme that will: n Promote consumer awareness of the need for a competent plumber. n Provide consumer recognition for designated competent plumbing businesses. n Provide assurance of competency and compliance (with the regulations) to consumers. n Raise awareness of and reduce the number of above ground drainage misconnections.

The drainage issue was included as that is an increasing problem for water companies and the Environment Agency and it is an issue that plumbers can have direct influence over.

WRAS and Water UK have now had two Roundtables with stakeholders to discuss and

develop the proposed Plumbing Assurance Scheme. The stakeholders have included the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering; Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors; Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation; Joint Industry Board for Plumbing, Heating, Mechanical Engineering Services; Defra; DWI; CCWater, the water companies and the Society of Public Health Engineers. Before the first Roundtable in January a number of the plumbing bodies were sceptical. Following further discussion during early 2011 with all stakeholders and with a range of consumer bodies including Consumer Focus, Which? ‘Buy with Confidence’, Trustmark and OFT a follow up Roundtable was held on 13 April with a more detailed proposal and approach.

This won broad and high level support from all stakeholders.

Around the same time the Chair of WRAS, Stephen Kay, presented the proposal to the Water UK Board and won approval from the water company chief executives to progress the Scheme and provide support and promotion once it is launched.

An interim Board will now develop the strategy and programme. It is the intention that the Plumbing Assurance Scheme will have a nationally recognised brand – the working title is “WaterSafe” - and will register businesses that meet the criteria of the existing WRAS approved contractor schemes. These businesses would then be “WaterSafe Assured” and their competent plumbers, with the appropriate qualifications would carry the “WaterSafe” card. The scheme would be promoted nationally through e.g.

Yellow Pages and by the water companies, both through their own customer communications and web sites. In the longer term, with successful promotion and branding, customers will expect and ask for a “WaterSafe” plumber, just as they do a “Gas Safe” installer.

There is more work to do but the launch of the Plumbing Assurance Scheme is planned for 2012.

Phill Mills would like to thank Stephen Kay and Steve Tuckwell at WRAS and Jim Marshall at Water UK for their permission to produce this article.

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Regulation Across the UK Ofwat (The Water Services Regulation Authority) is the economic regulator of the water and sewerage industry in England and Wales. It was set up in 1989 and is here to make sure that the water companies provide household and business customers with a good quality service and value for money.

Ofwat does this by: n making sure that the companies provide customers with a good quality, efficient service at a fair price; n limiting the prices companies can charge and making sure that bills are kept as low as possible; n monitoring the companies’ performance and taking action, including enforcement, to protect consumers’ interests; n setting the companies challenging efficiency targets; n making sure the companies deliver the best for consumers and the environment in the long term; n encouraging competition where it benefits consumers.

Ofwat makes decisions independently of the UK Government but what happens elsewhere? In this article Claire Nichols explains the role that the Water Industry Commission for Scotland takes; and Jo Aston, Director of Water Regulation for the Northern Ireland Utility Regulator looks at the economic regulation of Northern Ireland Water.

Finally Jeanne Golay, Head of Regulatory Policy at the Office of Utility Regulation in Guernsey expresses her personal views as she discusses the economic regulation of state-owned entities so that they work well for consumers and the economy in which they operate.

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SCOTlAND

By Claire Nichols, Publications Manager, Water Industry Commission for Scotland

The Commission’s role The Water Industry Commission for Scotland is the economic regulator of the Scottish water and sewerage industry, with a statutory duty to promote the interests of consumers. It does this by making sure that they receive both high-quality services and value for money. The Commission also facilitates greater value and choice through a competitive retail framework The Commission has adapted price cap regulation (or ‘RPI-X regulation’) – an approach used by all of the UK economic regulators – to the situation of Scottish Water, a public sector water company.

The main elements of the Commission’s approach are as follows: n Every five years the Commission sets prices that allow Scottish Water the resources it needs to deliver ministerial objectives for the water industry at the lowest reasonable overall cost. The objectives include improvements in water quality, environmental performance and customer service. n At the same time the Commission sets challenging targets for Scottish Water to improve, and monitors the company’s performance in meeting these targets.

n At the start of each price setting period Scottish Water signs up to a written ‘regulatory contract’. The contract is transparent, achievable and subject to rigorous monitoring, with managerial incentives closely tied to performance against the contract.

The Commission works closely with other key stakeholders, particularly the quality regulators (the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Drinking Water Quality Regulator) and the customer representative (Waterwatch Scotland).

Achievements to date There has been a remarkable transformation of the water industry in Scotland over the past ten years. n The industry has moved from an unsustainable position where the industry’s value was less than its outstanding debt to a point where Scottish Water is one of the financially strongest companies in the UK’s water industry. n Customer service levels have improved markedly (as measured by the overall performance assessment score, which increased from 132 in 2002-03 to 291 in 200910), leakage has been cut by over a third, and more than £5.5 billion has been invested in maintaining current assets, and improving drinking water quality and environmental performance. n At the same time, Scottish Water has made dramatic improvements in its efficiency, the cumulative effect of which is to have driven down average bills by around £105 a year lower than they would otherwise have been.

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FEATURE:REGUlATION n Household bills compare well with those for customers in England and Wales; in 2011-12 they are around £30 lower than the average bill south of the border.

As this transformation has been achieved, the relationship between the Commission and Scottish Water has moved from a more oppositional ‘regulator versus regulated’ position, to something much more constructive. Scottish Water values its reputation and has come to take real responsibility for its own performance within the broad financial framework set by the regulator.

Taking this responsibility has been made easier by the clarity that exists within the framework on the objectives to be met by the industry. Performance against these objectives is monitored by an executive-level stakeholder group comprising representatives from the Scottish Government, the various regulatory and customer interest bodies and Scottish Water itself. This ensures that there is agreement on progress against targets and a forum for addressing issues with delivery performance.

Introducing a competitive retail market Another key achievement of the framework in Scotland has been the introduction of a competitive market for retail water and sewerage services.

Since April 2008, all 130,000 businesses, public sector and other organisations across the country – from the smallest corner store to the largest international company – have been able to choose the retailer that best suits their needs. More than 45,000 customers (around 40% of the market) have already renegotiated the terms of their supplies – receiving either better prices or more tailored levels of service, and in many cases both.

Competition of this kind, where Scottish Water’s wholesale and retail activities are made separate, is driving a more efficient industry in four ways: n First, new retailers compete for customers by offering more competitive prices and seek out more cost-effective and innovative ways to serve customers. n Second, new retailers place pressure on Scottish Water to improve the wholesale service it provides.

n Third, new retailers are able to identify where inefficiencies exist and can put pressure on Scottish Water to make improvements. n Fourth, there are now clear incentives available to customers and their retailers to innovate and reduce their own and Scottish Water’s costs.

There is now approaching three years experience of the actual costs and benefits of the retail framework. The costs are much lower and the benefits rather more wide-ranging than the Commission originally assumed; the Commission’s latest analysis estimates that the net present value of the benefits in Scotland is more than £300 million.

Opening up water supply to competition for all non-household customers in Scotland was a world first, and the Commission has been keen to share its experiences. For example it recently published a report on the ‘Lessons learned’, which is hopes will be helpful at a time when wider reforms of the UK water and sewerage market are being developed.

The 2010-15 price review The Commission’s most recent price review was published in November 2009, covering the five-year period 2010-15. At a time of continued economic uncertainty the review brought good news for customers, with a freeze on charges for households and businesses in 2010-11 and 2011-12 and prices being kept substantially below inflation for the five years to 2015. Furthermore, Scottish Water should remain in a strong financial position over the next five years, which bodes well for future charges.

The review allowed for a sustainable future for the Scottish water industry – financing an investment programme of £2.5 billion to maintain the assets, improve environmental performance and drinking water quality, and promote a greener water industry.

The Commission’s governance and accountability The Commission is a non-departmental public body with statutory responsibilities, which acts independently of Ministers.

It comprises a non-executive Chairman and four other non-executive members. The Chief Executive is also a member of the Commission.

The Commission’s board structure reflects current regulatory best practice and brings significant relevant professional experience to bear on the Commission’s work.

The non-executive members of the Commission were appointed by, and are accountable to, Scottish Ministers through the Scottish Government Climate Change and Water Industry Directorate. Scottish Ministers also appointed the Chief Executive in consultation with the Chairman of the Commission. In future, the Commission will appoint its Chief Executive with the approval of the Scottish Ministers. The Chief Executive is the Accountable Officer for the Commission.

As part of its accountability, the Commission must agree a corporate plan with Scottish Ministers and submit annual report and accounts. The corporate plan sets out the Commission’s work plans and budget projections for a five-year period.

The Commission considers that it is accountable to those customers in whose interests it is regulating Scottish Water. It achieves this accountability through consultation, explanation and transparency in our work. In particular, it strives to ensure that its published documents are clear, easy to read and relevant.

The Commission’s budget is around £4 million a year, and is set to remain static over the next four years of the regulatory control period. The budget is received as a levy from Scottish Water (around £2.75 million), with the rest provided by the licensed providers of retail water services in Scotland. The Commission managed to reduce its operating costs substantially during 2010-11, through savings in staff salaries, travel and subsistence, and consultancy costs. The Commission is an efficient organisation, with only 19 employees (all of whom are subject to the Public Sector Pay Policy). It recently moved into new smaller offices close to Stirling city centre, saving costs, energy and water and providing better opportunities for staff and visitors to use public transport.

continued on page 60

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NORTHERN IRElAND

continued from page 59

By Jo Aston, Director of Water Regulation, Utility Regulator

NI Water was set up in April 2007 as a Government owned Company (or “GoCo”). The Executive has deferred the introduction of domestic water charges and pays NI Water a subsidy to cover those costs which would otherwise be covered by charges.

At the same time, the Utility Regulator was established and assumed the responsibilities of economic regulation equivalent to those of Ofwat and WICs. In May 2007, the Minister for Regional Development set up an Independent Water Review Panel to review the reform of Water Services. While the Panel made a number of recommendations for funding of water services, no decisions have yet been taken by the NI Executive on this matter.

The Utility Regulator is responsible for regulating Northern Ireland’s Electricity, Gas and Water industries. This span of regulatory responsibilities is unique in the UK. It has been regulating the electricity industry since 1992 and the gas industry since 1996. Its regulatory duties are primarily the same across each utility sector: to protect consumers and ensure value for money.

There are considerable benefits for consumers from this combined regulatory role in terms of providing an efficient, fair and consistent approach. There are also shared learning points across the sectors, for example, from the recent Freeze/Thaw incident, as well as other synergies. Our cross utility focus does provide an opportunity to reflect on approaches to regulating the different industries. It is clear that the relative maturity of the separate industries, their behaviour and performance - both in terms of costs and services - requires a customised approach.

The economic regulation of NI Water relies on the industry model set out in the Water and Sewerage Services (NI) Order 2006 which also describes the associated roles and responsibilities of the principle stakeholders. The Order is analogous to the Water Industry Act and that regulatory regime, and largely reflects the Ofwat controls

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operating in England and Wales. Virtually identical legal requirements apply, for example on Social and Environmental Guidance and Water Resource Management Plans, with the same enforcement powers in place.

NI Water’s operating licence is also a close parallel to licenses in England and Wales. It is worth noting that a regulatory role relating to the procurement of services and works applies to NI Water as with Welsh Water. This was considered necessary given NI Water’s significant Public Private Partnerships, with 50% of water treatment and 30% of waste water treatment being outsourced. There is also an additional requirement for NI Water to submit an Annual Land Disposal Return - the purpose of which was to ensure that consumers gained from the sale of any previously public sector- owned assets.

One key difference in Northern Ireland is the ownership of the company and its source of funding. NI Water is owned by the Department for Regional Development (DRD) which has two fundamental responsibilities, that of water policy and shareholder of the company. Given the reliance on public funding, the regulatory price control process allows for a review of outputs (should public expenditure not meet the funding level - as defined in the price control determination). A Memorandum of Understanding between the Utility Regulator and DRD, sets out the principles to enable the regulatory regime to work alongside the public expenditure constraints. Licence modifications to reflect this are currently being progressed.

the next. This limitation reduces the incentive to outperform targets and restricts the ability to strategically manage delivery.

The Overall Performance Assessment reflecting the level of service provided by NI Water compared to England, Wales and Scotland is a critical indicator. Robust and transparent regulatory processes, together with benchmarking of performance are starting to deliver benefits.

Our first price control PC10 challenges NI Water to deliver a saving of £91m for the consumers of Northern Ireland. Indications are that its first year will see the first element of these operational efficiencies delivered.

In conclusion, the company culture, maturity and the political environment are all significant influencing factors in the development of NI Water as an organisation and the application of a regulatory regime. Processes have had to be developed to fit. Regulatory focus is greatly influenced by where NI Water is at, with our current emphasis on driving efficiency, improving levels of service, and, importantly, requiring improvements in data availability, reliability and accuracy. The Utility Regulator’s challenge will be to fast-track lessons from the seasoned regulatory approaches of England, Wales and Scotland, identify what aspects of new regulatory approaches are right for the water sector in Northern Ireland and continue to devise and develop a regulatory regime which delivers for Northern Ireland consumers.

One downside of operating within the public expenditure framework is that, unlike most other water companies, NI Water does not have the flexibility to transfer budget from one year to

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FEATURE:REGUlATION

GUERNSEy

By Jeanne Golay, Head of Regulatory Policy at the Office of Utility Regulation in Guernsey Economic regulation in Guernsey was instituted with a regulation-specific law – The Regulation of Utilities (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2001 – which set up the Office of the Director General of Utility Regulation. The OUR is an independent body and has the duty to promote (and, where they conflict, to balance) a number of objectives. These include the protection of consumers and other users, the provision of utility services so that they contribute to the economic and social development of the Bailiwick, the introduction of competition, the protection of the environment, etc. The Director General has the usual powers and duties, including those of issuing licences and setting price limits, and he must act in a way that is proportionate to Guernsey’s circumstances.

The law that created the Office of Utility Regulation (OUR) does not specify the sectors to which regulation is to apply. At the same time as the OUR was established, new legislation set up the electricity, post and telecommunications services as state-owned companies which the OUR would regulate. The telecommunications company set up in 2001 has been privatised and bought by Cable & Wireless - it is now part of C&W Communications - but electricity and post organisations are still stateowned.

Water and waste water services in Guernsey are provided by Guernsey Water, which is a business unit within the Public Services Department of the States of Guernsey Government. It has not been set up as a state-owned company and is not subject to the OUR regulation.

It is conceivable that the OUR could regulate other sectors in future than the three it regulates now, including water or transport, but this is not the case now. The OUR will be in charge of enforcing competition legislation when it is in force.

Guernsey and the UK compared The role of an economic regulator is likely to be more successful the more the environment in which it operates recognises that it has a role to play.

The consistent legal framework for economic regulation in Guernsey is an asset but Guernsey seems to lack a public and well-developed culture of customer protection such as that fostered by Which? and similar sectoral organisations in the UK. As a consequence, even when the regulator has obtained clear wins for customers such as customers’ ability to move from one mobile telephone operator to another without changing their telephone numbers, public opinion is still very guarded toward the regulator, weary of its perceived cost, of the risks of competition and of its confrontations with some of the companies it regulates. It is perhaps no surprise that, until recently, the most constructive regulatory engagement in Guernsey was with C&W, a worldwide company that recognises the role of regulators and is used to working with them.

Regulation and state ownership The difference between telecommunications in Guernsey and the other two regulated sectors may also have to do with ownership. A fundamental way in which economic regulation functions – which may not be sufficiently recognised – is that it is one half of a tool only. On its own, it is no more use than half a pair of scissors, not entirely useless but limited in its impact. Regulation sets targets – implicitly or explicitly – for a company’s management but it cannot create the incentives or apply the pressures that are needed to ensure that management sets out to achieve these targets and succeeds in so doing. These incentives and pressures must come from the regulated company’s shareholders. Regulation and shareholders together, in a pincer movement, have obtained positive results from the management of privatised utilities in Britain that, singly, none could have obtained.

Indeed, while one of the purposes of privatisation in Britain was to bring private sector capital into infrastructure investment, another purpose, a critical one, was to bring the management of large organisations to respond to pressures in ways that Government departments seemed unable to achieve.

In Guernsey, as elsewhere, the regulation of state-owned sectors requires the government, in its role as shareholder, to behave as such.

Chris Bolt (newly retired from being the Public-Private Partnership Arbiter) described this imperative in a ‘Beesley Lecture’ that he gave about regulation of a state-owned company in 2010. In it, he referred to Scottish Water and the transport sector in Britain. A government acting as a shareholder must, in particular; n Separate government’s role in setting sectoral strategy from that of a shareholder. Indeed, in Guernsey, the government is developing a strategy for energy separately from exercising its role as shareholder of Guernsey Electricity Ltd. n Impose a hard budget constraint on the companies it owns. This means that state-owned company boards should scrutinise proposed investments with the same attention as if their own money was at stake; this requires specific professional skills and the role of the Office of Utility Regulation in Guernsey should be limited to reviewing business cases that have been assessed well already. n “Ensure that “customers should not pay twice”, as Sir Ian Byatt has said in his role as chairman of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland. This means that, if an investment or an efficiency programme is not bringing results, taxpayers – as ultimate shareholders - should bear the financial cost of failures, not customers. Avoiding such an embarrassing situation should be a powerful incentive on the shareholder-government as well as on the state-owned company board and management.

The next few years in Guernsey will show whether a government can act as an effective shareholder and, in tandem with the Office of Utility Regulation, continue to obtain improvements in the performance of the companies it owns and the services it provides to its population.

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What OMA means for water utilities Tony Hoyle, General Manger for ABB’s UK Measurement Products business, explains how utility companies can comply with tighter standards for self-monitoring.

The Environment Agency’s (EA) Operator Monitoring Assessment (OMA) programme is a key part of ensuring that industrial operators correctly monitor their effluent discharges to the environment, both to air and, more recently, water courses.

OMA is one of the main pillars of the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) and was introduced to strengthen the EA’s auditing of operators’ self-monitoring arrangements. Underpinning this is the idea that water companies will be partly responsible for monitoring their own discharges under the Operator Self Monitoring (OSM) scheme.

Under OSM all effluent must be measured, recorded and maintained within each company’s site permit limits, bringing the ownership of monitoring and compliance back to the water companies. Companies wishing to achieve the maximum score for their assessments will have to use MCertified equipment or the Best Available Technique to be able to score maximum points.

Having passed the Environment Agency’s testing requirements, MCERTified products will often constitute BAT, increasing the likelihood of achieving maximum points and being readily accepted by the Environment Agency’s inspectors.

OMA initially applied only to emissions to air from industrial operations, but in May 2009, OMA Version 3 extended the requirement for OMA to include discharges to sewers and water. It divides the requirements of effective monitoring up into four sections, namely: n Management, training and personnel competence n Fitness for purpose of monitoring methods n Maintenance and calibration of monitoring equipment n Quality assurance of monitoring Each of the four main sections is further divided into five or six elements to form a logical framework for assessing the effectiveness of the overall monitoring regime. Although operators need to address each element, the EA identifies

62

three of them as fundamental. Getting a low score in any of these indicates critical flaws in the monitoring regime and an urgent need for improvements. The three fundamental elements are: n Sampling facilities (section 2A) n Measurement techniques (section 2B) n Acceptability of calibration methods (section 3F) In scoring the individual elements, a score of 1 is poor, 3 is acceptable and 5 is excellent. The scores for each element in a section are added together and an overall percentage of the possible high score is calculated for each section. The overall OMA score is then calculated as the mean of the section scores. The chief aim is to help operators to identify and prioritise any necessary improvements, so there is no absolute pass or fail score.

The EA maintains that responsible companies facing OMA for the first time should not suffer from onerous extra costs and can even save money by reducing their waste and optimising their use of resources. After all, poor waste management often leaves companies losing product and raw materials that might otherwise be recovered and re-used. In addition, OMA results are publicly available, so a high score is valuable social capital in a marketplace increasingly concerned about whether organisations are operating ethically and sustainably and are a good neighbour to local businesses and residents.

So the question many organisations are asking is what they need to do to secure a high OMA score.

Some elements include critical requirements, without which it is impossible to get the highest score, however assiduously an operator applies the remaining measures. One area where there is a definite hardening of policy is in the requirement to use monitoring equipment that has been certified as officially fit for purpose. This is managed under the MCERTS scheme.

MCERTS relies on the independent testing centre SIRA to test and certify measurement and monitoring equipment for use with

environmentally sensitive emissions, including all the waste streams specified in an EPR application.

Like OMA, MCERTS started out on the air emissions side, so there is now a good choice of MCERTified equipment for every aspect of air emissions covered by the EPR. As long as existing equipment meets the required measurement standards it need not be replaced immediately. However, any new equipment must be purchased from the MCERTS list.

The regime is several years behind on the water side, where many equipment suppliers are still working with SIRA to get their instruments certified. But more instruments are being added to the list all the time. This fast-changing situation means that operators should check whether MCERTified equipment is available as and when they need to install new instrumentation for monitoring their aqueous effluent. If it is, they should use it. The current list is available on the SIRA Web site.

Of course, winning a high OMA score is about much more than shipping in the right kit. It also requires the expertise to ensure that the equipment is installed, operated and maintained properly so that it delivers reliable service between inspections. For example, ABB may be best known as an equipment supplier, but one of the related areas that has been keeping ABB busy is providing consulting services to site operators who are applying for EPR permits. This might be an initial application or it might be, say, the result of a site extension or an improvement notice from the EA. This activity used to be confined mainly to helping operators in the process industries, but the arrival of the utility companies in the OMA arena is making life busier than ever for consultants.

Even where operators consider it unnecessary to bring in the consultants, reputable equipment suppliers should offer a good level of technical support through their product service teams. They

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FEATURE:REGUlATION

might help with commissioning and installation, as well as calibration and verification, for instance. This prevents some of the common problems that might otherwise affect monitoring performance, such as installing flowmeters without the correct upstream and downstream straight pipe runs or without the proper earthing. In the case of ABB, for example, opting for ABB engineers to commission instrumentation may also result in a one-year warranty extension offer for some products, in addition to the peace of mind of having a manufacturer’s back-up and support.

The gap between OMA inspections can be up to four years, but the EA expects operators to demonstrate that standards have been maintained in the mean time. Operators should have detailed maintenance and calibration programmes in place and be able to demonstrate that equipment is reliable and available throughout. For instance, some continuous monitoring systems do not require frequent calibration checks, but operators should adhere to the manufacturer’s guidelines if they want a good score. This is another area where the equipment manufacturer can really help. ABB offers a five-year contract to provide an annual electronic verification of its electromagnetic flow meters, for instance.

In short, there’s plenty of advice and support out there for companies that are worried about facing OMA for the first time. The EA, consultants and equipment suppliers are all ready to help. What’s more, companies that span both sewage and water treatment should consider whether the potential benefits of a consistent approach to monitoring mean that they’d be better off bringing all their operations under a similar regime sooner rather than later. After all, it seems likely that they’ll soon be forced to introduce OMA across the board in any case.

ABB has released a comprehensive new guide to the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) and MCERTS, the Monitoring Certification Scheme of the Environment Agency (EA). Entitled MCERTS and EPR – a guide to environmental EPR legislation and monitoring systems and services, the guide is a useful point of reference for anyone responsible for the monitoring of emissions to air or water at an EPR regulated site.

For more about ABB’s offering for MCERTS applications or to obtain a copy of ABB’s new guide, email moreinstrumentation@gb.abb.com or call 0870 600 6122 ref. ‘MCERTS’ or ‘MCERTS guide’

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HTC Management SERVICES LTD HTC PROVIDE ALL YOUR PIPELINE SOLUTIONS The HTC group of companies was first established in 1980 with Hydrostatic Testing Consultants Ltd, since then Air technique Services Ltd and Whirlwind Utilities Ltd have been added to the portfolio, now all three businesses are under the governance of HTC Management Services Ltd which was incorporated to be the parent company and provide a management synergy to all four businesses.

In recent years The HTC Group of companies has become heavily involved in the water industry.

Hydrostatic Testing Consultants Ltd (HTC) HTC’s pedigree was established in the pipeline pigging, testing and cleaning industry. A couple of years ago United Utilities PLC were having problems with manganese in their mains.

They contracted HTC to develop a solution.

A new system was trialled using air to propel a new design of pig through the main. The system utilised a slug of water to clean the main minimising the amount of water used and significantly reducing the amount of waste generated during the cleaning operation. The system has now been further refined and has been widely used by Balfour Beatty in the Yorkshire Water area and more recently in United Utilities with great success. The system is currently under review by Barhale on behalf of Scottish Water.

Whirlwind Utilities Ltd (WUL) The Whirlwind™ Forced Air Vortex Aggregate Cleaning system (FAVAC) is a patented system for cleaning pipes. The system is the result of 6 years of collaboration between Yorkshire Water and WUL to improve productivity, quality and reduce environmental impact when cleaning pipes prior to rehabilitation works.

The system establishes a Low-pressure, warm turbulent airflow in the pipe to be cleaned. A

controlled feed of aggregate is introduced into the airflow, this provides a uniform cleaning patter along the entire pipe being cleaned.

Having removed the water the hot air produced dries the surface of the pipe and the tubercles making them friable. Aggregate is fed from a pressurised hopper into the airflow in a controlled manner. The speed of the conveyor is variable so different application rates can be achieved dependant on the level of contamination. This allows a uniform distribution of aggregate into the air flow and along the pipe being cleaned.

The turbulent nature of the air flow causes the aggregate to be thrown against the pipe wall, impinging and dislodging the tubercles from the inside of the pipe. The tubercles are broken down by the aggregate and are carried along the pipeline within the airflow. As the main is cleaned so the pressure within the system will drop and the airflow increase proving an indication of the effectiveness of the cleaning operation. The system currently has the capability to clean pipes between 10 to 450mm in diameter.

apply a PU lining to the pipe wall. The process has been developed to provide a cost effective solution to reducing the lead content in drinking water in line with the new European Directives.

Air Technique Services Ltd (ATS) ATS is a rental business providing portable dryer hire to customers who's processes require a clean dry air supply. All coatings benefit from being applied to clean, dry and dirt free surfaces to ensure correct adhesion. A requirement that has recently been identified as a potential solution to the poor adhesion of rehabilitation linings within the Water industry.

Whirlwind and Yorkshire Waters latest collaboration has resulted in the SERLINE™ process, a system for cleaning and lining 10 to 50mm service pipes using the patented FAVAC system to clean and using a forced air vortex to

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• Under Pressure CCTV: This can pinpoint a whole range of internal pipe problems.

• Under Pressure Rodding and Crawler CCTV: Ideal for inspecting linings suspected of deterioration + pinpointing connections, hidden or buried apparatus and leakages.

• Under Pressure CCTV via Hydrant: Excellent for use in a pre-design feasibility study to determine if a lining is present.

In can alsocan conduct In addition, addition,Hydrosave Pipeline Services also Under Pressure and Soil and conduct UnderDrilling Pressure Drilling and Water Analysis.

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SERVICE RESERVOIRS

WATER TOWERS

WWTW

INSPECTION, CLEANING & CHLORINATING

CORROSION PROTECTION

STONBURY 27 YEARS AS MARKET LEADERS IN THE REFURBISHMENT OF WATER RETAINING STRUCTURES & ASSOCIATED ASSETS RESERVOIR REPAIR & REFURBISHMENT - STEEL TANK REPAIRS & COATINGS - WATER TOWER REFURBISHMENT SEWAGE TANK REFURBISHMENT - CONCRETE REPAIR - CLEANING & CHLORINATION - CORROSION PROTECTION SECURITY WORKS INC ACCESS COVERS - DESIGN & INSTALLATION OF LADDERS, HANDRAILS & WALKWAYS - EU HYGIENE TRAINING

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IOWJis

FASTFLOW

Cleaning up with new contract wins A pair of contract wins in the first quarter of 2011 has ensured that Fastflow Pipeline Services continues to clean up in the North East.

The two deals with Northumbrian Water, which are worth in the region of £1.5 million, will see Fastflow’s cutting edge trunk mains cleaning system utilised across 12.5km of pipeline at sections between Gosforth and Ponteland and Whittle Dene and Horesley, Northumberland.

The wins are in addition to the existing 80km of trunk mains cleaning contracts the company is currently working on, again with Northumbrian Water.

With an innovative and highly effective approach to trunk mains cleaning, Fastflow utilises a remote controlled spray chlorination unit that uses just a fraction of the water required by more traditional flushing methods, making the process much more environmentally sustainable. Capable of cleaning 2.0 metres of pipe per minute in a single pass, it also scores very high water purity values.

The European-patented system, awarded the UKSTT Innovation Award, can be operated over distances of up to 1,000 metres – much further than other similar methods. This means fewer excavations and pipe interventions are required, saving time and cost whilst improving safety and reducing environmental impact.

Furthermore, the spray head can be adjusted to fit a number of diameters up to 49in, allowing it

The innovative Fastflow system in operation

The innovative Fastflow system in operation

to easily tackle the problem of uneven pipeline sections common across Northumbrian Water’s network.

Fastflow has worked extensively with Northumbrian Water in the past few years and Neil Armstrong, owner and chief executive, is delighted this working relationship continues.

He said: “These two contract wins so early into the year are great news for Fastflow. We have invested a lot of time and money in developing our unique cleaning system to make it safer, more environmentally friendly and cost effective to our customers.

“The hard work is really paying off now - our trunk mains cleaning system continues to deliver high quality service and strengthen our reputation within the pipeline utilities sector. We are excited about our ongoing work with Northumbrian Water and look forward to extending our operations around the UK.” Fastflow has extensive experience of potable water pipeline operations and conducts a comprehensive range of trunk mains cleaning activities in-house including the design and development of equipment and pipeline schemes, planning and enabling of schemes, customer and stakeholder liaison, civil engineering works, cleaning and decommissioning works.

An independent business with over 18 years experience in the water and gas sectors, it has, over the past five years, invested heavily in health and safety, customer care, employee development, business standards and smart systems - integrated with mobile telephony - for the capture of site information in real-time.

In addition to Northumbrian Water, other key utility asset owning clients include Scottish Water, Anglian Water owned Hartlepool Water and National Grid.

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When it comes to trunk mains cleaning, there are plenty of fish in the sea. But are they all swimming in the right direction?

At Fastflow, our innovative European patented system ensures that we are, because it

Quite simply, we aim to Go Further

� Cleans up to 1000m – requiring fewer excavations and pipe interventions � Needs only a single pass, using just a fraction of the water consumed by conventional spray cleaning methods � Is non abrasive – maintaining the integrity of internal linings � Achieves cleaning standards well within DWI values � Combines with our highly efficient, large diameter spray chlorination process, which can deliver further, dramatic time and water savings In addition � The system is tried and tested over 80 kilometres of 300mm – 1,245mm mains � Our end to end service includes design, planning, civils, cleaning and restoration All of which saves time and cost while reducing risk and environmental impact.

For further proof that this is no fishy tale, visit

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

Stand D1 in hall 3A at IWEX 24th - 26th May

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The cost eĸcient way to join pipes

tel: +44 (0)1494 679500

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www.teekaycouplings.com

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1/6/11 08:59:27

Palintest Launches 9100 UV-Vis Spectrophotometer in its Water Analysis Range The new 9100 UV-Vis Spectrophotometer from leading water analysis company Palintest Ltd. offers accurate, full-power spectroscopic analysis for the lab environment. This addition perfectly complements the company’s existing and extensive range of photometric and sensor based testing instruments.

Capable of stand-alone or PC-controlled operation using the dedicated Palintest Spectrophotometer Software, the instrument performs full spectral analysis across the 190 -1100 nm wavelength range, as well as kinetic measurements and both quantitative and photometric analysis modes for sample assays. Operation is intuitive and simple with the instrument supplied as a complete kit with all accessories required for ‘out of the box’ operation.

Seamlessly compatible with Palintest’s comprehensive range of reagent systems and accessories, the Palintest 9100 UV-Vis Spectrophotometer is ideal for water and environmental laboratories, educational institutions and industrial users who require high quality analytical performance at an affordable price.

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Water Matters (UK) Limited 280 Juniper Way, Bradley Stoke Bristol BS32 0DR e: jbrain@watermatters.biz t: 01454 620072 w: www.watermatters.biz

To find out more contact: Scott McCrae 07748 624874 scott.mccrae@utility-design.co.uk www.utility-design.co.uk

Water Matters (UK) Limited, providers of water leak detection and repair services to Industrial and Commercial customers throughout the UK

UDS Training offers a comprehensive range of services from National Water Hygiene Utility SHEA Scottish Water DOMS Manual Handling IT Training Organisational Development Asbestos Awareness Training

Measurement Products ABB Measurement Products supplies a wide range of equipment and services to help efficiently measure, record and control any potable water or wastewater process.

To discover how to improve your utilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance and productivity, visit www.abb.co.uk/instrumentation

ABB Ltd Howard Road, Eaton Socon, St Neots PE19 8EU Tel: 0870 600 6122 Email: moreinstrumentation@gb.abb.com Web: www.abb.co.uk/instrumentation

Visit us at www.cobasuk.com to view our range of high density tapes and compounds.

COBAS Nickel sealing and anti-seize tapes, are unique for sealing threaded items in extreme environments.

Tel: (01773) 719922 Fax: (01773) 719933

They consist of PTFE (TEFLON*) and Nickel powder giving a material which can operate up to 1000 deg c in most liquids and gases.

It has WRaC approval for use with potable water and is available in both tape form and a compound in a syringe.

Power and productivity for a better world TM

,:2BDG B B [ PPBY LQGG

ECCS Group offers: Hire of butt & electro-fusion plant 63mm -1200mm McElroy TracStars 250 - 1200

Oasis Engineering Ltd Office 7, Pant Industrial Estate Merthyr Tydfil CF48 2SR 01685 387541 www.oasis-engineering.com

Oasis Software Solutions Ltd Wyastone Business Park Monmouth NP25 3SR 01600 891582 www.oasis-softwaresolutions.com

For more information contact: Andy Lamb ECCS Group Limited Lower Bathville Armadale EH48 2JS 01501 733335 (office) 07912 084927 andylamb@eccsgroup.co.uk www.eccsgroup.co.uk

feralco FERALCO (UK) LTD

PE fittings for water, waste & gas industry throughout UK Specialist PE fabrications Training on all aspects of pipe welding Pipe welding & installation division

Ditton Road, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 0PH, UK T: +44 (0) 151 802 2910 F: +44 (0) 151 802 2999 M: +44 (0) 7760 174973 barry.lilley@feralco.com www.feralco.com

Leaders in pump manufacture, installation, service and repair

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Jon Nix Caprari Pumps UK Ltd Bakewell Road Peterborough PE2 6XU T: 01733 371605 F: 01733 371607 E: info@caprari.co.uk

Feralco (UK) Ltd was formed in January 2001 following the merger of the Laporte and Alcan water treatment chemical businesses.

Today it has manufacturing facilities in England (Widnes) and Scotland (R&J Garroway in Grangemouth).

Rapid growth has seen Feralco Group expand its manufacturing base to become a world leader in high performance aluminium chemicals, blends, dispersions and sols. Supply is backed by a first-class support service including application, handling and process optimisation expertise.

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

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

UK distributors and Technical Support of Dorot Flowcontrol valves.

“Recruiting the right people with the right skills within the Water industry is a crucial factor in organisational growth and requires specialist expertise and resources.

Let Capita help you find the best candidates.”

Jennifer Dodd, Marketing Manager T: 01628 408 100 M: 07799 340 791 www.capitaresourcing.co.uk

Gee and Company Holborn Hill Birmingham B7 5JR T: 0121 326 1700 F: 0121 326 1779 www.geeco.co.uk info@geeco.co.uk

Paul Coleman ACII Kingsbridge Risk Solutions Limited Kingsbridge House, Wargrave Road Twyford, Berkshire RG10 9NY

Specialists in Chemical Dosing

Email: water@kibl.co.uk Telephone: 0118 960 2400 Fax: 0118 934 9764 Mobile: 07917 386207 Web: water.kibl.co.uk

Our Solution is Clear Quality Design • World Class Products

Kingsbridge are commercial insurance brokers and we supply insurance and risk management advice for all businesses and professionals involved with water, waste water treatment and environmental risks.

MWH. One of the world’s largest providers of Business Consultancy, Programme Management, Engineering, and Environmental Services to the Water Industry

Manufacturers of valves and fittings for the water, gas, waste water and fire fighting industries worldwide.

T : +44 (0) 1604 601188 F: +44 (0) 1604 604818

8 Rushmills Northampton NN4 7YB England, UK

www.avkuk.co.uk

Contact us Graham Dickinson, Marketing Director Dominion House, Temple Court, Birchwood, Warrington WA3 6GD Tel: +44 (0)1925 845000 For more information please email: mwhuk.info@mwhglobal.com or visit www.mwhglobal.com

MWH-Institute of Water Journal-1010.indd 1

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Paul Henderson Sales & Operations Director

For Aeon’s full product range please visit the website Aeon International Limited Lion Court, Hanzard Drive, Wynyard Business Park Wynyard, Billingham, TS22 5FD United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1740 661236 Fax: +44 (0)1740 661237 www.aeon-online.com contact@aeon-online.com

Water Quality Engineering: Asset Refurbishment, Reservoir Cleaning & Disinfection, Underwater Robotic Inspection & Cleaning, Pipeline Chlorination & Pressure Testing.

1 Waverley Place, Newtown St Boswells, TD6 0RS T: 01835 822 835 M: 07767 653 764 F: 01835 822 919 E: info@pantonmcleod.co.uk W: www.pantonmcleod.co.uk

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BUSINESSCARDDIRECTORy “Your clear solution for treatment of effluent and drinking water”

UTS Engineering Limited

Winstons House, Cartoten Oxfordshire 0X18 3EZ United Kingdom

Tel +44 (0) 1993 843081 Tel +44 (0) 1993 841261 web: www.lansdowneaquatic.com email: andy.duong@lansdownechemicals

6 Albany Business Centre, Wickham Road Fareham, Hampshire PO17 5BD 01329 234 888 martin.topps@pipetech.co.uk www.pipetech.co.uk

The Water Industry’s most comprehensive range of Drilling, Drilling & Tapping and FlowStopping Machines and Pipeline Tooling and Equipment

TM

Connor House 30 Pilgrims Way Bede Industrial Estate Jarrow Tyne & Wear NE32 3EW

Tel: 0191 428 4003 Fax: 0191 428 4004 Email: info@uts-ltd.com Website: www.uts-ltd.com Managing Director: Shaun W Sadler Sales Director: Shaun P Donnelly

VAG are established market leaders in water, wastewater handling solutions.

Think twice before you invest in your next flow control solution VAG Valves UK Limited St James Business Centre, Linwood Road, Linwood, Scotland, United Kingdom PA3 3AT T: 0141 848 1181 F: 0141 848 1187 E: sales@vagvalvesuk.com www.vagvalvesuk.com

Verder UK Ltd T: 01924 221 001 F: 0113 246 5649 E: info@verder.co.uk www.verder.co.uk

Verder manufactures and supplies high quality pumping solutions throughout the world to a variety of industries including: water and wastewater, printing, packaging, chemical, industrial, food and beverage, construction and pharmaceutical.

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

RPS is an international consultancy providing advice upon: the development of land, property and infrastructure the exploration and production of energy and other natural resources the management of the environment the health and safety of people We trade in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, the United States, Canada, Australia and Asia and undertake projects in many other parts of the world.

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www.crossfilters.com email: filters@crossmanufacturing.com

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FUSION PROvIDA

Installing a LDBS on a water main

Fastcut Drill and the LDBS range

lARGE DIAMETER BRANCH SADDlES SAvE TIME AND MONEy Innovation in action: large diameter electrofusion branch saddles for live underpressure water connections. Brian Atkinson explains the benefits.

The last price review undertaken by Ofwat, PR09, factored in substantial efficiency gains. One of the principal ways in which water companies are striving to meet their efficiency targets is to focus on innovation, as witnessed by the numerous seminars, workshops and conferences on the subject.

Innovation is often used almost interchangeably in conversation and in the written word with invention. Whilst there is undeniably a link between the two, invention implies something that is completely new whereas innovation is a broader term which can incorporate, for example, the adoption of products, systems and processes already used in other industries.

In the UK, an abundant and continuous supply of clean water is taken for granted. One of the few times that consumers are genuinely aware of the criticality of their water supply is when it is disrupted. This is also true for other utilities such as gas.

In the early 1970s, British Gas was the first utility to adopt polyethylene as a material for its infrastructure network. Water followed on some years later. For over ten years the gas industry has been making live under-pressure connections on its polyethylene mains network thereby eliminating the need for any service downtime for customers. The water sector is now being offered the same opportunity.

As for all great culinary dishes, the recipe for a live under-pressure water connection is both simple and effective. Firstly, take the top half of a large diameter electrofusion branch saddle

(LDBS), place on the main, and draw round it using a marker pen. Scrape the marked area. Bolt the fitting in place using the sacrificial underpart and electrofuse the joint. Attach a valve to the branch, and connect the specially designed Fastcut drill to the valve. Perform a pressure test on the joint to ensure that it is, literally, watertight. Drill through the wall of the main and then retract the drill: close the valve. The Fastcut drill has been designed to retain the polyethylene coupon and associated swarf removing the potential for contamination. You can now connect the new branch to the valve. Open the valve and you have access to water. Simple.

The cost savings from using the LDBS approach for live under-pressure water connections will be immediately obvious to a water engineer or business manager. No need to close down part of the network; no need for a bypass; only one valve required; a much smaller excavation footprint; a quicker connection leading to earlier billing.

With current connection practices varying widely from one water utility to another, calculating a standard cost saving is impracticable. However, in the gas sector, where practice is more standardised across the country, the cost of a connection using a LDBS is at least 50% less than conventional techniques. The time saving is even greater at 80%.

operate at much higher pressures than their gas equivalents. Understandably, therefore, water engineers tend to be more conservative in the way they approach new construction techniques.

However, over recent years water engineers have gained a far greater understanding of the behaviour and performance of their networks and this has led to a willingness to adopt innovative ideas and processes. My own feeling is that, over time, large diameter branch saddles will start to achieve the same degree of market penetration in the water sector as in gas. On many occasions they will provide engineers with an opportunity to deliver considerable savings on new connections.

It’s an example of innovation in action.’

Fusion’s large diameter branch saddles have been tested and approved on PE80 and PE100 in SDR 11 and 17.6. Outlet sizes range from 150mm to 250mm, on mains ranging in size from 250mm to 500mm.

Full technical details, including a table of pressure ratings and a video showing a branch saddle installation, can be obtained by contacting Brian Atkinson on 01246-262268/07770-643737 or batkinson@fusiongroup.com

According to Brian Atkinson, product manager at Fusion Group, the company that first developed large diameter branch saddles in the late 1990s, water engineers have given the product a warm reception. ‘It’s early days, but the feedback I have received has been very positive. Water networks

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SOUTHEASTAREANEWS

Security Site Visit

By Paul Holton

n HyperVisor: Visualise and Control Operations

On 25 February members were treated to a rare insight into the dark and terrifying world of security as they visited the Thales security site at Crawley.

n Security at the new Thales site Crawley

After a breakfast reception Ross Parsell (Managing Director of Thales e-Security) gave an excellent introduction to Thales. An enlightening guided tour of the Thales site followed which allowed members to view some of the many different security systems that Thales is working on at present. It took us past many of the testing, research and development facilities they use in order to remain at the forefront of security technology today. The tour came to an end at the extremely high-tech flight simulator testing bays. Lunch followed and this gave delegates the opportunity to network and discuss what had been seen.

In the afternoon Thales Senior Management staff gave some informative seminar sessions. The sessions included:

n Situational Awareness n Securing Remote Assets n Thales eSecurity in the global market The event was extremely successful and everyone came away in awe (if not slightly scared) of the new developments in security and security technology. It gave everyone the opportunity to see how new products and ideas could be implemented in the water sector in the future.

It opened our eyes to the ever changing needs of cyber-security and how this may affect all our lives in the future and impact on water providers too. It certainly showed that there is no room for complacency in the water industry when it comes to security. Whether it is with security of pipes in the ground or billing systems on computers; we must not lose site of the fact that there are people out there who wish to break into systems in order

to make money or cause destruction. It is good to know that there are companies like Thales working hard to remain on top of the ever changing security pressures.

The event was organised by committee member Paul Holton but much thanks is owed to Barry Hayes (South East Water Control Room Manager) and Gordon Marchant-Haycox (Thales Security Risk Management Consultant); without their efforts the event would not have got off the ground and would not have been as successful as it was.

Visit to Brighton & Hove Wastewater Treatment Works Construction Site

By Richard Price

After the site tour, networking and further discussion took place over a sandwich lunch and a video of the operation to dredge, position and sink the new long sea outfall.

On a typical January morning on the Sussex Riviera, 25 members negotiated the mist on the South Downs and low cloud over the coast to visit the construction site of one of the largest wastewater treatment projects in the country.

The £300 million scheme, which will improve the quality of the seas off the Sussex coast, includes the construction of a new wastewater treatment works and sludge recycling centre at Lower Hodden Farm in Peacehaven. The delivery partner selected by Southern Water to complete the work is 4Delivery, a consortium of Costain, MWH and Veolia.

The new works will treat the wastewater generated each day by the residents of Peacehaven, Telscombe Cliffs, Ovingdean, Rottingdean, Woodingdean, Saltdean and Brighton and Hove. After treatment the wastewater will be released into the sea, 2.5 kilometres off shore, through a new long sea outfall pipe at Friars Bay. Members were welcomed to the event by Richard Price, Vice Chairman of South East Area. On site Southern Water’s Project Manager Ben Green explained the history of the scheme and the engineering solution. The presentation included a description of the works underway to transfer the wastewater to the treatment works, which incorporates 11km of large bore tunnelling and two massive pumping stations.

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Some great feedback from members was received: “The talk was good and our site tour exceeded expectations, our guides took us in three small groups to every vantage point available with good detail provided.

Ahead of the site tour, and in line with both Southern Water’s and 4Delivery’s continuous drive on health and safety, the daily briefing was delivered and Personal Protective Equipment donned.

Members were then split into smaller groups for a detailed view of the construction, which provided an unprecedented opportunity to see inside such a large scale construction project, with staff on hand to guide and answer questions.

Members were shown how the treatment works at Lower Hodden Farm had been designed to blend into the downland setting, and retain the views of the designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The steelwork building taking shape includes substantial steelwork to support the living grass roof which will blend the works into the landscape.

It was an excellent stage of the project to visit, with the earthworks largely complete and structures literally rising from the ground around us. The main shafts were very impressive and we were able to gain a really good grasp of the construction methods up close.”

“As this is the biggest water related construction project happening in the south east at the moment it was a rare opportunity to see this project at a relatively early stage.”

“This visit was what I had envisaged an Institute of Water visit to be like. Unlike the other visits I have attended we were able to get out amongst the site work and really see a major project in action. I thought it was a superb visit and very well orchestrated by Southern Water.”

A clear and consistent theme in the feedback was a request to re-visit the site once the construction had been completed and hence this will be a forthcoming attraction in the South East Areadiary.

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SCOTTISHAREANEWS

Scottish Area AGM

By Kathy Auld

The Scottish Area AGM was held ahead of the President’s Dinner at the Carlton Hotel in Edinburgh on Saturday 12 March. Paul Sexton (Deputy Head of Construction & Delivery) Scottish Water Solutions was installed as Scottish Area President with Paul Maxwell (General Manager, Operations Service Centre) Scottish Water, taking over as Vice President. Mark Dickson (outgoing President) was thanked for his 2 years of service to the committee. Mark has been a very hands-on President being heavily involved in the events programme and the Autumn Seminar in particular.

Mark is fully supportive of the Institute and has committed to continuing this support.

A minutes silence was observed in memory of Allen Bolton. There were no Scottish area obituaries.

The existing committee members agreed to stay on and there were no other nominations. Niall Darrant advised that due to a change in personal circumstances he will be relocating to England.

However, his offer to remain as treasurer was very gratefully accepted.

In his inaugural speech Paul promised to continue the good work by providing a good and varied events programme; driving recruitment and focussing on retention.

Thanks were given to the committee for their efforts through-out the year, with a special mention made of the Family Day and Autumn Seminar.

Paul Sexton and Mark Dickson

President’s Dinner

By Kathy Auld

As always, this is one of the highlights of the Scottish Area programme, mainly due to the bar and music! The President’s Dinner was held after the AGM and was attended by 126 people. After wining and dining we danced and listened to the music provided by the band “On the Wagon”.

The tables were all named after countries that WaterAid work in, with information on each about the work being done and how much remains to be done. The raffle for WaterAid raised £730; an auction for a ‘Four Ball’ at St Andrews raised £400 and £10 was raised by balancing 20p’s on a floating lemon, totalling £1140. Thank you so much to all who participated and thanks to those who donated prizes for the raffle, particularly H20 for the golf prize.

The food was great, the music fantastic and the staff and service at the Carlton top-notch. Mark presented Kathy Auld and Alison Souza with flowers for organising the event on his behalf. A superb night seemed to be had by all.

Finally, thank you to the companies that bought tables and the sponsors for the evening: Clancy Docwra, H2O, Lightways Logo, SPP, Turriff Construction, Utility Design (Scotland) and Veolia Water. As always your sponsorship and support is greatly valued.

Niall Darrant, Drew Miller and Scott McCrae - the Singin’ Fivers.

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Simon Cyhanko presenting Stuart Tilley with his thank you certificate from WaterAid, as a donation was made in return for his time.

The pressure jetting head, which is favoured for trunk mains cleaning works

Northumbrian Water’s Trunk Mains Cleaning Programme

By Simon Cyhanko

A chilly Thursday in January saw the latest Northern Area evening seminar being hosted by Northumbrian Water at their Durham offices. The seminar focussed on the trunk mains cleaning programme, which is currently taking place in their Tyneside area of supply. But as with all good seminars, before the formal part of the evening, guests were not only treated to a first class buffet, but also to a display of cleaning gadgets, presented by contractor colleagues from Fastflow Pipeline Services and Kilbride Environmental and Industrial Services.

Having been fed and watered, the guests took their seats and Northumbrian Water’s project manager, Stuart Tilley, took centre stage. Stuart started with the basics and defined what a trunk main actually was, before outlining the background to the trunk mains cleaning programme. The key objective of the programme was to reduce the number of discoloured water contacts received from customers, from approximately 14,000 per year in 2004, to 5,000 per year by 2010. Aided by photographs, Stuart outlined the various conditions of the trunk mains prior to any cleaning taking place, which clearly illustrated the need for improvement, especially if the company was to achieve the target it had set.

Having detailed how each trunk main within the cleaning programme was to be prioritised, Stuart went on to explain how the cleaning would be planned, in order to ensure continuity of supplies and no adverse customer impact.

One major element of this pre-planning work was the installation of various enabling works, which would allow key sections of the various trunk mains to be isolated for cleaning at a later date, whilst maintaining customer supplies.

Almost half of the £38 million project budget was spent on enabling works during AMP4 – a significant amount of money, but also a significant amount of work.

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Stuart then discussed the various cleaning trials that had taken place before any actual cleaning work was undertaken, and how Northumbrian Water had tested the market to identify any suitable and innovative methods of mains cleaning, looking to minimise the use of both water and chemicals. Various solutions had been offered by various organisations, with pressure jetting being the most favoured.

Progress against the initial scheme objectives was then reviewed and the original timescale has been extended, primarily due to the significant enabling works that were required. The current scheme is now due to be completed in April 2011, a year later than was initially planned.

There have been a number of good news stories during the course of the programme, including how the number of discoloured contacts has dropped to approximately 5,000 per year, as per the initial aims of the programme.

Plus a number of innovations have also been revealed, such as the use of spray chlorination, which has helped the company move away from the conventional, but wasteful, chlorination methods.

Finally, Stuart flagged up some of the main (pardon the pun!) learning points and discussed future cleaning works, before taking questions from the audience.

This was a well attended and very informative evening seminar. Thanks must go to Stuart Tilley for doing a “cracking job” outlining the programme, and it is also thanks to contract partners from Fastflow Pipeline Services and Kilbride Environmental and Industrial Services for bringing their various gadgets for the guests to view. Now I just need to make sure I follow up on those attendees who are not yet members!

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NORTHERNAREANEWS

President’s Dinner 2011 2

By Janet Howard

The Northern Area President’s Dinner was held on 12 March, and was hosted by the current President Mark Penny from Yorkshire Water (pictured). The location for this event was the Raven Hall Country House Hotel in Ravenscar, North Yorkshire. This was a stunning location with spectacular views across Robin Hoods Bay.

1 Northern Area were very pleased to welcome some special guests for the evening. Ian Walker, President of the South West Area and Martin Strudwick from Eastern Area joined us on our special evening and a fantastic time was had by all.

The theme of the event was murder mystery, set in the 1920’s in an old country house. There was some serious skulduggery as the normally very astute members of the Institute of Water struggled to find out “who dunnit”. Some shy and retiring members of the Northern Area committee were asked to join in and take up some starring roles and we saw a whole new side to them!

The actors (professional and otherwise) were fantastic and the event was a huge success.

President, Mark Penny, organised a raffle for the evening and an impressive amount was added to the growing pot of money for Mark Penny’s nominated charity WaterAid. A sizeable cheque will be presented to them at this year’s AGM. The AGM and Spring Seminar reports will be featured in the next Journal.

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Mark Penny

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Kath Ayres and John Herdman get into character

Innovative Recruitment Techniques

By Janet Howard

Northern Area Committee pride themselves on having one of the largest and most productive group of members. We are constantly looking for new and innovative techniques to recruit members at the beginning of their careers.

However, Northern Area committee member Neil Hancox really has gone above and beyond the call of duty in this area. A few well placed copies of the Journal at Neil’s home have resulted in potentially the Institute's youngest recruit: Isobel Hancox.

Isobel’s parents Neil and Karen couldn’t be prouder and the Northern Area Committee look forward to working with Isobel in the future!

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Customer First – A RETAIlER vIEW

By Clive Ingram Retail Director Simon Roberts from Alliance Boots shared his managerial experiences and explained Boots’ customer centric approach at a seminar hosted by Midlands Area in January at the Seven Trent Centre. This presentation was part of the Area’s continuing theme of working with customers.

Retailing is a very competitive world and knowing your customer really matters. Boots have embraced this and there is a lot that the utility industry can learn from retail companies. Boots is an interesting example, as their products range from the regulated world of pharmacy to the consumer fashion led world of beauty and cosmetics.

Simon shared his experience and explained the Boots approach to putting the customer first.

Boots opened its first store, an herbalist shop in 1849.

Jesse Boot took over the business in 1877 and developed the Boots brand. Today after the Boots Group merger with Alliance Unichem there are 3000 Boots branded stores in the UK and Republic of Ireland, serving 9 million customers every week. Their mission is to be the world’s best pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer, and to champion everyone’s right to feel good. Boots are continuously striving to make their operations slicker and more efficient, providing their customers with new and innovative products; using well-known celebrities such as Gok Wan and Elle Macpherson in their award winning advertising campaigns and including products such as Mark Hill cosmetics. Boots also strives to support local communities and great causes such as the Fair Trade brand and Macmillan Nurses. Most importantly, Boots places its customers at the heart of everything they do.

A video of some customer survey research was shown and there were some very positive comments from customers.

A few of these positive comments that had been gathered and filmed included: n Lovely people. n If I am looking for something, they already know where it is.

Process & Operations and Leadership & Behaviours had to be addressed in favour of the latter. New strap-lines were developed which included: n To be No.1 for Customer Care.

By Nafeesa Ehsan

n We Will Always Exceed our Customers Expectations. n Drive Loyalty with Friendly, Helpful and Available Teams Everywhere.

Simon then described the Leadership programme: 3,500 Store Leaders were involved in a 2-year programme, which enabled a major cultural change. They realised that customers needed to be at the heart of how they think, lead and act – an initiative called CCM (Customer Care Ambition) Measure was introduced into most of their UK stores. This initiative links staff bonuses to customer satisfaction and not to profit and helps to develop insights into how Boots make their customers feel. After all, customer satisfaction will lead back to profits.

The CCM programme is now up and running in 2600 stores and involves inviting customers to give feedback by completing a short survey. On a daily basis, the customer comments become widely available. Weekly scores become available for a review process and monthly scores are used to build actionable reports. Boots ‘hear’ from 26,000 customers each week and over 10,000 customers leave them with a “feel good moment” every week. In addition, the stores can ‘rate’ the head office support services.

One example of customer feedback highlighted that there was perceived poor service in some stores between 2pm and 5pm on Saturdays – probably their busiest time.

This issue seemed to be attributable to staffing levels and so these were strengthened during these times.

Boots now run a Store of the Year competition, which is quite an event and staff seem proud and honoured to be nominated. I left the presentation remembering a key part of their strategy, which was “it’s not about how you treat the customer – it’s about how we make the customer feel.”

n Always greeting you with a smile. n A good rapport with their customers.

Simon guided the audience through their recent 5-year journey. Five years ago Boots was an operations focussed business with a lack of available people and very complex store operations. They used a Mystery Shopper approach to check on service. This research showed that there was no visibility of ‘real time’ customer service, customers were not enough of a priority, and the leadership teams were not customer led. It was decided that a massive mindset change was needed. The balance between

Once again, Water Industry Professionals (along with their partners) came from across the Midlands area (and beyond!) in March to attend the Midlands Area Annual Dinner & Dance. This was held at the magnificent Stratford Manor Hotel in the heart of Warwickshire.

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Richard Rowson of web-based company ‘thetrainline.com’ delivered a paper on Innovation in Customer Experience in the new Severn Trent Centre, in Coventry in February. Richard is the Product Director for the company who make one fifth of all UK online train journey sales. This was the second Institute of Water event that I have attended, and I have to say it was well worth the experience.

As Customer Focus is this year’s theme, it was interesting to see how lessons learned in a seemingly unrelated industry can be applied to our own; in this case, in understanding how excellent customer service can be provided in an environment where face to face interaction is not an option. Even over the phone your voice can hold a smile, but over the web, this can be very challenging.

After some much needed nibbles and a cup of tea, Richard delivered an informative and interesting presentation. He offered a clear insight into how the ‘thetrainline.com’ website was created using a customer centric approach, which was particularly challenging when as a company, ‘thetrainline.com’ have no control of the products being sold or the after-sales service provided, as they are purely a selling platform. They do however use web analysis and customer comments to feedback and influence the businesses that they work with.

We were also given a great insight into new technologies and how these can help the overall customer experience. You may have used these already if you are a ‘thetrainline.com’ customer.

These include twitter; mobile apps and web chat.

Richard discussed ways to turn a forum such as Twitter, which is often used to complain in a very public environment, and so potentially damaging to a company’s brand, into an arena for positive marketing and the identification and resolution of issues.

The presentation was well received. The audience had lots of questions to ask, and hands were raised as if they were at a fast paced auction.

Thanks for another fantastic event.

Simon Roberts – Boots

ANNUAl DINNER & DANCE

By Jason Ryall

INNOvATIONS IN CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

With over 80 guests attending, who enjoyed a 4 course meal and live music from “Midnite Function Band”, we danced the night away until the early hours! We were also treated to an impromptu performance on stage from our incoming President Frank Daly (of PN Daly Ltd).

With thanks to the generosity of those in attendance, we raised almost £800 for WaterAid, our chosen charity

for the evening. This was raised through a raffle whereby each table won at least 1 prize. Our star prize was 2 seats at Wembley for any England game or any FA Cup semis and possibly the final in 2012, this was kindly donated by Duncan Frazer (of Frazer & Tabberer Ltd). Thanks to all those who donated raffle prizes for the evening.

It was good to see a lot of regular faces who now include this as part of their annual event calendar. We hope to see you and some more new faces next year!

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MIDlANDSAREANEWS

BODy lANGUAGE ON THE CUSTOMER’S DOORSTEP

Clayton Ainger

By Alec Nolan The new President Frank Daly received a warm welcome as he introduced the speaker for the first event of his Presidential Year. Clayton Ainger a behaviour change specialist from Sareos Limited, delivered a presentation and some clever insights and techniques for when coming face to face with customers.

Clayton reminded the audience why there is a need for better customer care moving forward as he talked about the new SIM (service incentive mechanism) DG driver which is a major concern for all Water Companies. The audience then shared experiences of good and bad customer service considering how body language changes depending on the situation. Clayton explained that by looking at this it is possible to raise one’s sensory acuity in real situations.

Simple customer fulfilment techniques were considered and Clayton explained that when an “employee” is going to visit a customer, they tend

to be focused upon themselves and carrying out their duties in a good, timely, accurate manner, whereas customers are focused upon their own needs and wants and they have high expectations on level of service. It was clear that much more emphasis should be focused on the customer, with the ultimate aim of leaving them feeling better than they did before and hopefully with their needs fulfilled.

feel; your body language and behaviour. Studies conducted by Albert Mehrabian conclude that the information processed when speaking to someone is: 55% body language, 38% tone and only 7% of the spoken word. Clayton therefore explained that it is very important that whilst dealing with a customer you should: ‘convey good body language, use a friendly but assertive tone and use the right words that have an impact and are meaningful.’

A tall order you may think, however, using the five “L’s” Clayton explained that this is achievable when dealing with customers on their own doorstep:-

On a final note Clayton shared with us the RIGHT policy (by Roger Steer):

1. Look – look at the customer’s eyes in a positive and friendly manner. Observe their reactions.

I - Integrity (personal views & beliefs)

2. Listen – be positive and assertive but listen to the customer, respect their personal space and smile.

3. Lead by example – have a tidy appearance, show your I.D. card, and make your intentions clear.

4. Leave the customer feeling better than they felt before you arrived. Carry out some research on the customer’s situation before the visit, explain what you intend to do – then do it!

5. Life conditions – focus on the customer and their world; try to understand (by reading body language or other signs) if there is something else going on which may indicate that perhaps this may be a bad time to call. Then act on this.

There were some fascinating facts regarding the amount of information that the brain processes. Somewhere between 2 and 4 million bits of information are filtered per second in three different ways: delete, distort or generalise – these are based on the person’s values, beliefs, attitude and experiences. This then impacts on how you

R -Rules (the rules we follow) G - Good (will our actions be positive) H -Harm (what harm will it do if I choose the wrong course of action) T -Truth (what are the real facts) We then considered whether we felt that we live above or below the following line: Freedom Choices Ownership Responsibility Blame Denial Quit This event left us feeling positive, in good spirits and most importantly – Feeling loved!

Clayton closed proceedings by recommending further reading on body language for those interested: “What everybody is saying” by Joe Naverro.

NEW PRESIDENT FOR MIDlANDS AREA

By Clive Ingram The Institute of Water, Midlands Area, held its 62nd AGM on Tuesday 15 March at the offices of South Staffordshire Water. During the AGM, Frank Daly was installed as President of the Midlands Area and presented with the chain of office. Frank represents the supplier segment of the area and is the

Managing Director of PN Daly Ltd which is a supplier of utilities network design as well as construction, connection, repair, maintenance and support services. Frank has much experience in major civil engineering works and in the utilities sector and is a qualified civil engineer.

During his presidential address, Frank said that it is very healthy that the role of President rotates between Severn Trent Water, South Staffordshire Water and Suppliers. He said that it is a privilege for him to carry out the role for the next twelve months. Frank welcomed Colin Wayper of South Staffordshire Water as the new Vice President.

Frank explained that the theme for this year shall be “The Customer and Technology”, with the first event looking at “body language” at the customer’s doorstep and the second event being a presentation from John Lewis (the retailer) about how they achieve their outstanding customer service ratings.

This year’s President’s Day will be a canal boat trip through the Birmingham canal network with a

Frank Daly

historian on board to give commentary about the history of the canal system, the industries that relied on it and the canal’s connection to the Water Company of the time.

Frank finished by talking about membership and how he will encourage others to join the Institute and try to increase membership levels over the year.

We also took the opportunity to surprise Martin Kane and award him with Honorary Membership of the Institute. The photograph shows Wayne Earp presenting Martin with his certificate.

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WELSHAREANEWS

Lunch & Learn: Managing your Career with CPD If the Institute of Water had ever given an award to the member that needed the most persuading to ‘do CPD’ I would have won. Like a lot of people I suspect I had always regarded CPD as a chore - it was what other people had to do, not me. I hoped that I would continue to get away with just jotting down the details of any technical event I attended (if I remembered even to do that) in case the dreaded day ever arrived when I was told to “present your CPD record”.

By Dave Bayliss So when the opportunity came to hear a lunchtime presentation from Ian Limb, HR Manager at Portsmouth water, on this very subject I went along. Could Ian convince me that I should be doing CPD? I hoped that he could persuade me that it wasn’t the ‘hassle’ I had always believed it to be, and that there might even be some sense to it.

Ian began by talking about the Institute’s professional review process in which a sample of members are asked for their CPD records. I was very surprised to hear that the best submission this year had been a 1-page document! I suddenly thought this could be something achievable after all.

Ian explained that CPD helps the individual to maintain “engagement”, so that they and the organisation they work for can grow together.

He emphasised that is it not just a bureaucratic exercise: it’s not just attending a course, but its thinking about it afterwards and evaluating it – what have you learned, where can you use the knowledge, and how it can help your development. For me using this information to enhance your career is the real value; recording it as a development record is just the part that you need to do to demonstrate your professional development. So how do you go about this?

Ian’s key points were: 1. First, accept responsibility for your own development.

2. Don’t just stumble along with whatever direction your job takes you – it’s your life, your career, so take charge.

3. Decide what you want to do and where you want to be in the future.

4. Plan how you can get there.

5. Get help: request a mentor; ask your manager; make use of appraisals and personal development planning.

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6. Don’t try to plan too far ahead as things could change: 5 years is probably realistic for most people.

By undertaking CPD you can identify skill gaps; establish strengths and weaknesses; plan the experience you need as well as recording progress against a plan. It is important to keep reviewing progress and this will require some personal discipline, particularly if you are self-employed or your employer does not provide adequate support.

What did I learn? It’s not just about recording all of the events that you attend. It’s not even just a record. It’s a proper plan. It’s about sitting down and thinking where you want to be and what you need to do to get there. It’s about monitoring how you are getting on and reviewing if you need to change your plan.

A lot of what you’re already doing is most likely part of the plan, but if you’re anything like me you don’t currently spend enough time thinking about it and perhaps reviewing direction. If you’re lucky enough to have an employer that cares about the development of its people, you will already have a personal development planning (PDP) process with regular reviews. Why not use this as the basis of your own CPD, instead of duplicating efforts? What Ian has helped me to think about is making this existing PDP process work really hard: meeting my employer’s needs for the business, meeting my needs for my own career and satisfying my CPD commitment at the same time. Suddenly it all started to make sense! It now seems worthwhile, and importantly for me at least I’m already doing the biggest part.

So what am I going to do differently as a result of what I learned? I am very fortunate as I already have the basis of my development plan as a result of my employer’s PDP process. The biggest change for me will be to plan and actually take regular time out to review my plan between my employer’s formal annual development reviews. This will mean scheduling a “progress meeting with myself”. It is strange that I am able to effectively

plan and manage progress for a work project but I’ve never done it for myself, and I should!

The next step will be to document and store what I learn in future in a suitable format, so I can access it when I need it. A lot of what I currently do in work is already part of my development, but I need to set this out in the right format. This will also make it easy to present either to support an application for a new job, or simply to meet the CPD requirements of the Institute, or any other professional body. Producing a list of what I have done might at first seem a chore in itself, but with a little thought this should not be as difficult as I had imagined. Again I was surprised to see what can constitute CPD. The Institute’s CPD booklet and web page contain ideas which include: n Attending Institute of Water conferences, seminars and events. n On the job learning. n Academic studies. n Volunteering on an Institute of Water Committee. n Writing papers, articles, and other relevant publications. n Lecturing or presenting. n Distance learning. n Assisting and supporting others.

For me I will think about recording papers, presentations, statements, innovative or novel projects and tasks and participation on special working groups. Looking at an old diary may help jog my memory and identify all these activities.

So many thanks to Ian for his enthusiasm and encouragement. He has shown me that CPD makes sense after all!

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NORTHERNIRELANDAREANEWS

AGM, Presentation and Tour of the Belfast Wastewater Centre

By George Irvine The Northern Ireland Area 50th AGM was held in the Wastewater Centre, Duncrue Street, Belfast on Wednesday 23 March 2011.

A total of 28 members were present. Chairman Dermott Devaney welcomed the members and presented the Chair’s Annual Report.

The committee had met regularly during the year and had a very busy year with the National Conference being held in Belfast in May. The feedback from this was very positive and was enjoyed by all especially our overseas guests.

Dermot spoke about the event highlights of the year which included the Autumn seminar in Belfast on the topic of “Reducing Energy Costs in the Water Industry”. The technical evenings had also been supported well during the year.

Dermot reported how growing membership is an ongoing issue at National level as Water Companies downsize but in NI Area we had 22 new members last year with almost half from outside NI Water. Dermot appealed for members to support this recruitment drive especially in the Supplier, Consultant and Contractor areas.

He reminded members that the Water Network is now up and running and encouraged members to log-in and get involved.

Dermott concluded his report by thanking a number of people including the committee, Sam Philips (National President), George Irvine (Secretary), Carmel Bradley (Treasurer) and Lilian Parkes (Assistant Treasurer) who acted up while Carmel was on leave. He thanked NI Water for their support during the year and the members for supporting and attending the events and seminars during the year.

the last year with the extra work in staging the National Conference. He hoped to continue the good work of the past and increase membership awareness.

This was followed by the election of officers, and Dermott introduced new President George Butler. George is Director of Asset Management at NI Water. George Butler thanked the outgoing President Sam Philips for his hard work and guidance over the past two years, especially

Members were then given a tour of the Terminal Storm Water Pumping Station at Duncrue Street

by Colin McBride. The station was constructed as part of the Belfast storm water scheme including tunnels to deal with periodic flooding in parts of Belfast.

At the close of the AGM Aidain McLoughlin of BPF Pumps gave a talk on the innovative work being done to remove fats, oil, grease and scum from the sewage and industrial processes.

NI Water’s Silent Valley Asset

By George Irvine On a cold wet Wednesday evening in January a presentation was given by Celine Rodgers of NI Water on the tourist facilities at the Silent Valley reservoir which feeds most of County Down and south Belfast.

Celine outlined her vision for the future which she hoped could be include:-

The Silent Valley is over 100 years old and is steeped in history. It is one of Northern Ireland’s best known tourist attractions with 50,000 tourists visiting in 2010. As well as tourists there is an education centre attracting many school and youth group visits.

n New walking trails.

Celine touched on some of the history to the site. The first sod was cut in 1923 by Lord Carson and the official opening was held in 1933. Over 2000 people worked on the site and over this period 8 people died. The mourne wall was constructed around the catchment to curtail animals and is 22 miles long. It passes over 15 mountain peaks and took 18 years to build.

n Mountain Biking.

The park is very much family orientated and the experience is geared to encouraging repeat visits. The day to day maintenance is carried out by NI Water staff but in order to enhance the facility, grants of £507k have been secured for first phase improvements. An application is being made for phase two funding.

The entrance, visitors centre, trails and children’s facilities will all benefit from this funding and add to the experience of the visitor.

Further marketing is required to create awareness about this hidden treasure and to promote the park. Tourist leaflets are widely distributed throughout the province and educational leaflets are sent to all schools.

n A museum including reconstruction of the original site. n Camp Caravan Site. n Adventure Park. n Art and Architecture – Trail of Sculpture. n Canoeing. n Opening up the venue to use for weddings etc.

A programme of events that could include: Winter Wonderland; festival of lanterns; music festivals; opera and NI Water themed events such as family fun days.

After a lively question and answer session including some further suggestions George Butler thanked Celine for a very interesting and lively talk.

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