WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2017
z NEWS
Warning follows prosecution Welsh Water is warning people that they could face prosecution if they are caught fly-tipping at any of its sites.
Tunnel crossing begins
Work to build a new sewer pipe beneath the M4 motorway has reached a milestone, with tunnel boring under way at Three Brooks Local Nature Reserve. Part of the £15 million Frome Valley relief sewer scheme, Wessex Water is tunnelling beneath the motorway from the nature reserve in Bradley Stoke, South Gloucestershire. The sewer will provide additional capacity for new developments in the area, diverting wastewater flows from South Gloucestershire to Bristol sewage treatment works in Avonmouth. The first sections of the Frome Valley relief sewer were laid in areas of North Bristol and Yate during the 1980s and 1990s. Wessex Water is now constructing a 5km long, 1.8m diameter pipe that will run from Iron Acton, north of Frampton Cotterell, then westwards to Bradley Stoke.
Project manager Mike Bryant said: “We are currently sinking other shafts on the job, and we will be mobilising additional tunnel boring machines around the Winterbourne and Iron Acton areas in the coming months. “Open excavation in rock around Iron Acton is proving to be tough but we are achieving the estimated outputs per day. “In September we will be crossing the River Frome, which has all been agreed with the Environment Agency and conservation groups.” Wessex Water is taking care to protect the nature reserve with a temporary footpath in place and access maintained at all times.
Company named as business awards finalist SDS Limited has been shortlisted for the Small to Medium-sized Business of the Year category of the 2017 Lloyds Bank National Business Awards.
service incorporating design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of our water management systems.”
Based in Somerset, SDS is a market leader in drainage systems for sustainable water infrastructure and Managing Director Patrick Cullen said: “Being a finalist for this prestigious award reflects the contribution of all our staff to a winning business team. SDS strives to deliver sector-leading performance in everything we do. Our success is based on outstanding customer relationships, founded on the provision of a turn-key
The finalists were chosen from the hundreds of businesses that entered or were nominated across 18 award categories. They will now prepare for live presentations to an expert judging panel who will decide the overall winners. This year’s ceremony will take place on Tuesday 14th November at the Grosvenor House, Park Lane, where the winners will be revealed.
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The warning comes after the company successfully prosecuted a man who illegally disposed of rubbish at the car park of one of its reservoirs in south Wales. The man was found guilty of three offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 at Merthyr Magistrates’ Court. The offences related to waste which he had been paid to collect from a property in Barry but which was subsequently dumped at Pontsticill Reservoir near Merthyr Tydfil. He pleaded not guilty, claiming that the waste had been stolen from the yard at his property and disposed of at Pontsticill to discredit him. He was ordered to complete a 12-month Community Order of 150 unpaid hours and to pay costs of £9,000. Welsh Water’s Managing Director of Water Services Ian Christie said: “I hope this case serves as a warning to anyone thinking that our sites are soft targets for fly-tipping.” To help combat the issue of illegal fly-tipping, the company has recently teamed up with Fly-Tipping Action Wales to use an app which helps identify fly-tipping hot spots. Since joining forces, 24 fly-tipping incidents have already been identified on Welsh Water land. Mr Christie added: “The use of the app is really helping us better understand where our problem areas for fly-tipping are so we know where to focus our activity on tackling it. So, the message to anyone thinking of using our land as a dumping ground is quite simple, don’t do it because we will catch you and take action.”