Water Industry Journal 20

SEPTEMBER2021

Pipeline Rehabilitation • Data & Analytics in the Water Utility Sector • Clean Water Networks Pump Technology and Innovation • Wastewater Treatment and Technology

ISSUE20

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Welcome

Refreshing the targets for a clean, green environment With both the Government’s new draft Strategic Policy Statement for Ofwat, containing the ‘protection and enhancement of the environment’ as one of its four key directives, out for consultation and the Water Industry National Environment Programme under review, environmental responsibilities are at the forefront of the collective consciousness right now.

Editor Helen Compson

While the WINEP has delivered significant benefits in terms of water quality, biodiversity and water resources over the last 30 years, the improvements being made have plateaued, say ministers. Reforms are needed to reset the targets and revitalise the ambition to drive up the overall quality of the water environment.

Christine McGourty, chief executive of Water UK, said: “Water companies are already playing a leading role and are investing more than £5bn on environmental improvements over the next few years, as well £2.7bn on Green Recovery projects.

“However, we know there is much more to do and the WINEP and SPS represent an incredibly important opportunity to set in train the ambitious reforms we need to see in the next price review and beyond.”

www.waterindustryjournal.co.uk

In another article this issue, we take a look at an Anglian Water project designed to ensure sustainability of supply to Lincolnshire, the driest part of the country. This multimillion-pound investment in hundreds of kilometres of interconnecting pipeline – which together will be longer than HS2 - is being rolled out using the latest ‘digital twin’ technology designed to cut carbon, minimise environmental impact and build the water network of the future.

We also pay a visit to Yorkshire Water’s new integrated wetland at Clifton wastewater treatment works, near Doncaster. Covering an area the size of three Olympic swimming pools, the wetland will remove phosphorus from millions of litres of treated water in the most natural, sustainable and low-carbon way possible.

And we learn a bit more about the Wessex Water vehicles powered by sewage and food waste. Each one, converted from diesel to biomethane, achieves a carbon saving that’s equivalent to removing more than 100 cars from the roads. Their poo-powered trucks are not to be sniffed at – they signal a transport revolution that could slash greenhouse gas emissions!

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44 WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

Contents

4-5

Contents

6-18

News

22-29 Pipeline Rehabilitation 32-35 Data & Analytics in the Water Utility Sector

38-45 Clean Water Networks 50-53 Pump Technology and Innovation 56-63 Wastewater Treatment and Technology

56 64

Editor

Helen Compson helen.compson@distinctivegroup.co.uk

Design

Distinctive Publishing, 3rd Floor, Tru Knit House, 9-11 Carliol Square, Newcastle, NE1 6UF www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk

Advertising

David Lancaster Business Development Manager Tel: 0191 580 5476 david.lancaster@distinctivegroup.co.uk

66 www.waterindustryjournal.co.uk

Distinctive Publishing or Water Industry Journal cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies that may occur, individual products or services advertised or late entries.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or scanned without prior written permission of the publishers and Water Industry Journal.

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News

United Utilities unveils plans to transform its wastewater network monitoring Maintaining a network of 78,000 kilometres of wastewater pipes, the equivalent of four flights from Manchester to Sydney, a growing population and the impacts of climate change, has meant the demands on United Utilities infrastructure has never been more challenging.

This pioneering approach will be supported by the installation of over 19,000 sensors in manholes across the North West region and will include enhancements to the company’s monitoring at both powered and nonpowered sites.

This has led the company to overhaul its approach on how it manages its vast sewer network, by introducing a new innovative approach, which will use real-time data, and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to process data to help identify issues such as blockages and the rise of water in the sewer networks, quickly, so proactive action can be taken before they impact customers or the environment.

Known within the company as Dynamic Network Management, or DNM, the approach has been created to help United Utilities manage the wastewater networks and the challenges they bring, in a much more proactive way.

Mike Wood, Water and Wastewater Network Director from United Utilities said, “Due to the vast nature of the wastewater network, we often don’t know that there is an issue until it is experienced first-hand by our customers. This is something we want to change.

DNM sensor instal “Our aim is to move away from the traditional reactive approach and to address problems proactively as much as possible, to ensure that we are managing the network, not the other way around!

“We want visibility as to what is happening on our wastewater network and when, so we can detect and prevent any unnecessary issues before they become a problem for customers or the environment.”

JUNE2021 ISSUE19

ISSUE18

The data captured will be sent back to a unique digital platform that has been designed specifically for United Utilities, using artificial intelligence and machine learning to process the information to identify patterns in the performance of the company’s drainage systems, helping to predict the future performance.

The project is underway and the company will be responding to the alerts from the new digital platform and developing the new ways of working.

“This is a really exciting time. The project is now moving at a rapid pace and our aim is to have all the sensors installed in 2022”, added Mike.

If you would like to participate in the December edition of Water Industry Journal we shall be featuring:

MARCH2021

Water & Wastewater Monitoring & Analysis Improving Asset Health Sludge Management

Trenchless Technology Pressure Sensors for Water Pipelines Wastewater Treatment & Technology

Chemical Dosing • Flow & Level Measurement • Wastewater Treatme Phosphorus Removal nt & Technology • Improving Drinking Water Quality • Managing Sewer Networks

& Wastewater Monitoring & Analysis Customer Experience • Water & Repair Trenchless Technology • Improving Wastewater Treatment & Technology • Leak Detection Supply • Drinking Water Treatment &

Contact David Lancaster on 0191 580 5476 or email david.lancaster@distinctivegroup.co.uk for more information.

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News

Water policy reformed to deliver ambitious environmental agenda The Government and the water regulators – the Environment Agency and Ofwat - have set out an ambitious programme of reform to build back greener from the pandemic through the review of the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP). for water treatment – in light of growing recognition that these offer lowercarbon solutions and wider benefits for biodiversity.

The WINEP, which sets out the actions water companies need to undertake to improve the environment, has delivered significant benefits to water quality, biodiversity and water resources over the last 30 years, including increasing the proportion of ‘excellent’ bathing waters from less than a third to over two thirds.

Drawing more on the expertise and resources of other catchment partners, such as wildlife trusts, landowners and local authorities which are trying to achieve the same environmental improvements as water companies. This means working on co-development, co-delivery and co-funding of environmental solutions.

In recent years, however, improvements to the overall quality of the water environment have plateaued. The challenges of climate change and biodiversity, as well as population growth and emerging chemical contaminants, are further offsetting progress.

Greater role for the water sector in developing the WINEP so water companies work in closer partnership with the Environment Agency and Natural England to develop the WINEP for their area to give more effective and innovative solutions.

New reforms set out the ambition for a water sector that delivers for customers, the environment and wider society. They reflect the Government’s aims for clean and plentiful water in the 25 Year Environment Plan, which will be enshrined in law in the Environment Bill, better protecting the water environment.

The Government’s new draft Strategic Policy Statement (SPS) for Ofwat is also out for consultation with industry and stakeholders, outlining the key priorities for the independent regulator to deliver on, including: Protecting and enhancing the environment: Better protecting chalk streams and other rare habitats, and delivering the ambition of the 25 Year Environment Plan, with a focus on improving water quality by promoting nature and catchment-based solutions.

Continuing to work on water companies’ day-to-day environmental performance, with a focus on meeting government’s ambitions to significantly reduce the frequency and volume of sewage discharges from storm overflows.

A resilient water sector: Challenging water companies to plan strategically to tackle long term risks of drought, flooding, and pollution. Continuing to work with companies to drive down leakage and improve water efficiency for the benefit of current and future customers.

Serving and protecting customers: Driving companies to treat all customers fairly, including through their complaints processes and wider customer service.

Continuing to press for improved support for customers requiring extra help, both financial and non-financial.

Driving markets to deliver to customers: Considering where markets can play a role in driving innovation, efficiencies, and promote longer term sustainable investment across the sector.

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Environment minister Rebecca Pow said: “We need water companies to take much more robust and ambitious action to improve the water environment and protect the nation’s water supplies in response to the risks posed by climate change. That is why I am clearly setting out the Government’s expectations through our strategic statement to Ofwat.

The Government and water regulators, including Ofwat and the EA, have also undertaken a review of the WINEP. Water company actions driven by this programme have the potential to greatly enhance the natural environment, ultimately helping to protect the health of rivers and waterways in England and support sustainable growth.

Proposed changes include: Moving to a programme that is outcome rather than output focused, meaning water companies will be expected to deliver wider environmental outcomes that go beyond their statutory duties, such as contributing to habitat restoration and sustainable water management. This shift reflects the changing challenges of the environment, and will enable companies to deliver environmental improvements in a more flexible and efficient way.

Allowing a more flexible planning approach, where measures will have up to a 25-year scope for delivery, with an update taking place every five years to account for new information and technologies.

Using more catchment and nature-based solutions – such as establishing wetlands

Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency, said: “The water sector has expertise in nature-based solutions, engineering and raising finance. Over 30 years, the Water Industry National Environment Programme has driven £25bn of investment in the water environment and some huge improvements, notably to bathing waters.

“The Environment Agency urges water companies to move further and faster in delivering rivers that are clean and support recreation. Now is the time for innovation and ambition to deliver a low carbon high quality water environment that promotes nature.

“Ultimately the country will get the environment it is prepared to pay for. We want water companies to use the new WINEP to test themselves and ensure they are delivering clean and plentiful water in a nature positive future.”

The ambitious environmental agenda set out in both consultations follows Ofwat’s approval for a package of £2.8bn investment from water companies as part of their green recovery plans to build back greener from the pandemic.

Water UK chief executive Christine McGourty said: “Water is a precious natural resource, and over the coming decades, society will need water companies and policy makers to work together to deliver the best possible outcomes for our environment, customers and communities. Water companies are already playing a leading role and are investing more than £5 billion on environmental improvements over the next few years as well £2.7 billion on Green Recovery projects.

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

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ChemUK 2021 Preview

CHEMUK BACK IN 2021 – BIGGER AND BETTER The CHEMUK 2021 supply-chain expo and speaker programme returns on the 15th & 16th September 2021 at the NEC in Birmingham.

CHEMUK 2021 will bring together the UK’s chemicals, chemical processing and chemical product formulation industries, providing an intensive 2-day supply chain sourcing, business networking, intelligence gathering, best-practice and strategy development experience.

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300+ specialist supply chain exhibitors spanning 10,000+ sqm of floor, more than 40 hours of free expert conference programmes, panel & feature programmes, unique sector wide networking opportunities and lots more await 2021 attendees, over TWO packed days.

NEW FOR 2021 will be the ‘CHEMSOURCE’ Zone that will see an expansion of the exhibits space and speaker programme coverage, relating to Specialty Chemicals, Ingredients & Raw Materials supply chain & sourcing.

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

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2-DAY CHEMICALS INDUSTRY SUPPLY CHAIN EXPO CHEMUK 2021 will provide visitor groups with a diverse and impressive showcase of 300+ specialist exhibitors showcasing latest plant, equipment, materials and services supporting the chemicals industries, driving product innovation, plant & process performance, future-proofing, supply-chain fulfilment, safety, compliance and more.

Key exhibition focus streams, featuring latest industry solutions, technology, innovations, partners and specialist services include: Plant, Process, Flow & Control

Including: Process Plant & Equipment / Process Engineering / Process Control / Process Automation/ Flow Management / Plant & Asset Mgmt / Plant Optimisation / Process Intensification/ Digitalisation & QC

Chemicals, Ingredients, Raw Materials

Including: Industrial & Supply Chain Chemicals / Chemical & Formulation ingredients & additives / Raw Materials – for Chemicals processing & product formulation sectors/Green Chemistry

Heath, Safety, Environment, Regulatory

Including: HSE/ Process Safety / Hazard Management / Environment Compliance & Regulatory Management / Responsible Care/Risk & Asset Mgmt / Security

Logistics, Storage, Handling & Fulfilment

Including: Logistics & Transport / Supply Chain Mgmt / Warehousing & Storage / Loading & Handling / Industrial Packaging /Contract Processing& Fulfilment Services

Laboratory, Research & Development

Including: Laboratory chemicals / Lab Equipment, Apparatus & Instrumentation / Lab Testing/ Research & Development Services, Sector Innovation

Business & Operations Management

Including: Engineering & Technical Services / Business Support Services / Trade & Business Performance / Operational & Asset Mgmt / Brexit & Regulatory Mgmt

Skills, Training, HR & Recruitment

Including: Chemical /Process sector Careers, Skills, Training & recruitment

More than 150 ‘brand new exhibitors’ join the show floor for 2021 Major industry players through to niche solutions & services suppliers, from all sides of the sector, have joined into the packed exhibitor line up for the CHEMUK 2021 Supply Chain Expo, benefitting from new bigger venue of the NEC, Birmingham.

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

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News

Northumbrian Water funding innovative trial in smart metering

B4T’s Jellyfish device clips on to existing water meters, which are typically in underground chambers and do not easily connect to 4G, 5G or WiFi. Jellyfish gets around this problem by connecting wirelessly over 0G, a low-power technology from Sigfox. presents an opportunity to further our understanding of new and innovative solutions in the smart metering space and proactive identification of leakage.

Data is analysed by B4T’s software to identify and prioritise leakage which helps to prevent damage to people’s homes – and wallets.

Preliminary results showed the device was 96% reliable, even from the most challenging of underground meter boxes.

“Working closely together we can learn quickly and reduce the need to replicate costly large-scale trials so we can deliver value to our customers.”

Northumbrian Water has helped to fund the project – which is taking place in Cardiff and Tywyn, north Wales – and will analyse additional benefits for their own smart water metering programme. The Jellyfish device, a unique alternative to installing smart water meters, is being utilised in Welsh Water’s ‘Cartref’ programme, which aims to reduce instances of leaks in customers’ pipes.

Leakage affects an estimated 30% of English and Welsh households and leads to the loss of 24 million litres of water a day.

Alex Barter, managing director of B4T, added: “B4T are on a mission to redefine smart water metering.

Gary Adams, Head of Smart Programme at Northumbrian Water, said: “This timely collaboration with Welsh Water and B4T

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

News

Judges announced for £40m Water Breakthrough Challenge A judging panel with expertise in a wide range of sectors and disciplines, from open data to sustainability, has been announced for a £40m competition designed to unleash a wave of innovation across the water sector.

that the boldest and most exciting projects rise to the surface and get the support they need to make a tangible difference to customers, society and the environment.”

The inaugural Water Breakthrough Challenge encourages collaboration with other water companies and organisations, including universities, start-ups, local authorities and other utilities, to tackle challenging issues facing the sector.

The eight-member judging panel has a wealth of experience across industry, academia, policy development and research, consumer representation and engineering – bringing insights from both within and outside the sector. They are: Paul Connell, founder, Open Data Institute Leeds Tony Conway, visiting professor, University of Sheffield and director, British Water Sharon Darcy, director, Sustainability First Paul O’Callaghan, founder & CEO, BlueTech Research

Niki Roach, president, Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management and director of AxiaOrigin Frank Rogalla, director of innovation and technology, Aqualia (Spain) Anusha Shah, director (resilient cities), Arcadis Kalanithy Vairavamoorthy, executive director, International Water Association John Russell, senior director of strategy, finance and infrastructure at Ofwat, said: “The highcalibre judging panel we’re announcing today has the expertise and experience to ensure

Chair of the judging panel, Anusha Shah, director (resilient cities) at Arcadis, added: “Complex dilemmas such as how to respond to the climate and nature emergency and ensuring customer voices are heard mean that the water sector has decisions to make: the sector can make a positive decision to drive bold solutions by thinking outside the box, driving behavioural change and embracing cross-sector collaboration.

“The Water Breakthrough Challenge typifies this positive approach and I am thrilled to be involved.”

The winners of the Water Breakthrough Challenge will be announced in September 2021. Successful entries will receive up to £10 million.

Run by Ofwat in partnership with Nesta Challenges and Arup, the Water Breakthrough Challenge follows hot on the heels of the £2m Innovation in Water Challenge launched earlier this year.

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03.08.2021 22:42:52

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Trust the tap: building confidence in water quality

Water is essential for health and wellbeing, therefore public confidence in drinking water quality is vital. The western world is subject to stringent and robust standards, regulated by independent inspectors, so why is there growing distrust in the safety of tap water, resulting in the increased use of bottled water across the globe? ATi discusses the foundations of this problem and the smart solution that will restore public confidence, increase water quality optimisation and reduce the environmental impact.

The latest reports from UK regulators state that more than 99% of tests on drinking water met or exceeded required standards.

Yet, despite these positive statistics, there is a lack of confidence in tap water quality, due to the perceived risks associated with poorly maintained and failing water infrastructures.

This has resulted in a rapidly growing number of people turning to bottled water.

Plastic bottled water can cost up to 10,000 times more to produce than tap water and takes three times as much water to produce than it can actually hold, yet the vast majority of the time the contents are exactly the same as that from the tap – it is simply marketed differently due to its commercial value.

Marketing campaigns have sowed seeds of doubt about tap water quality and cultivated the image that bottled water is safer. However, financial costs are not the only downside of drinking bottled water. In the US alone, plastic bottle manufacturing takes 1.5 million barrels of oil every year - more than it would take to power 100,000 homes. This is without other externalities including fuel, emissions, landfill and litter, which are all catastrophic to our environment.

Fortunately, there is a simple solution to combat this widespread mistrust of tap water and encourage people to go Back 2 Tap, using digital technology to continuously monitor and safeguard water quality throughout the distribution system - not just within the treatment process. Currently, water companies invest a considerable amount of time and resource to ensure the water leaving the process is safe; but it is the delivery from here to the tap that creates the most concern due to lack of continuous monitoring. During this journey, the taste, odour and appearance of the water can change vastly and, in many cases, results in the complete loss of disinfection. It is inconceivable to imagine utilities delivering even one litre of potable water without it being tested throughout the treatment process with dual or even triple validation monitoring.

So why then do we assume it stays potable all the way to the tap? Despite chlorination virtually eliminating typhoid, cholera and other diseases in the western world, inadequate monitoring within the network

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will not only lead to a decline in confidence, but could potentially result in more frequent water-borne diseases re-emerging. So what critical changes to operational strategies can be implemented to safeguard and futureproof water quality?

actionable insights, MetriNet ensures the efficient delivery of high-quality water in an environmentally friendly way.

Grab Sampling vs Continuous Monitoring

Many forward-thinking water companies are now building futureproof water quality strategies utilising MetriNet, enabling a shift from outdated, reactive practices, to proactive solutions based on real-time data.

With continuous measurement, a choice of up to 16 water quality parameters, measuring the key aspects of water quality, MetriNet demonstrates tap water quality and in turn increases critical confidence.

Despite the development of 21st century technology, there are still a few water companies that employ outdated 1950s paradigms to test the water, manually collecting weekly samples and returning them to laboratories where chemicals are applied for analysis. However, these results take around three days and only offer a snapshot in time, therefore too late to prevent any compromised water reaching the customer. In addition, the reagents used are harmful to the environment.

Alternatively, proactive water companies deploy a neural network of digital smart sensors at critical locations throughout the water distribution system, offering continuous, real-time assurances and evidence-based proof that the water is safe.

When factoring in externalities, these fieldproven systems, such as ATi’s smart water quality MetriNet solution, are around half the cost of grab sampling on whole life cost and create real-time awareness of water quality throughout the network. By using

Futureproofing Tap Water Confidence

Fixing the physical infrastructure and reducing leakage is not enough; we need to restore public confidence in tap water. Only when we have water quality data at our fingertips can we start to educate and reassure the public about tap water safety, supported by real-time evidence, along with the health, financial and environmental benefits over its bottled counterpart.

As custodians and guardians of the journey that water takes, the water sector needs to make a concerted effort to increase public confidence and encourage communities to ‘Trust the Tap’. atiuk.com

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

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News

Capturing new talent to transform water sector Water is at the forefront of addressing climate change and building a resilient economy and, as a sector that connects the global population, is one of the most exciting industries to work in right now.

By Lila Thompson

CEO, British Water Both in the UK and internationally, water is at the heart of the post-Covid green recovery and is embedded in all aspects of development and economic growth, while undergoing its own technological transformation. With an expected skills shortage of 27,000 people by the end of the decade, the sector urgently needs to attract and retain new talent to take it forward.

Data analytics, artificial intelligence and digital development are examples of where parts of the sector lack experience – but they are areas which are critical to addressing water’s momentous challenges. The task now for water companies and the supply chain is to ramp up promotion of the industry to potential employees from different backgrounds and create a wider talent pool.

In July 2021, I had the pleasure of interviewing Phil Higgins, Head of Water, UK & Ireland, at

technical solutions provider Jacobs. During the conversation, part of British Water’s Talking on Water series, Phil discussed how he sees the industry adapting to meet its environmental and regulatory challenges.

He agreed that a fresh approach to recruitment was needed: “We all need to diversify. It could be around ethnicity, gender, cultural but it’s also about people’s skills, background and experiences. We need to embrace diversity and bring in people who see things differently, change the way we recruit and train. We need people who might come at it from a very different perspective.

“We’re moving into IT, we’re moving into tech - we’ve just recruited someone from a gaming background. It’s that kind of diversity we need. We have to go out and promote the opportunities for people to come into what is a great sector and apply their skills and get great satisfaction out of what they do.”

As such, I was hugely encouraged to see a report from the Energy & Utility Skills Partnership, which includes several UK water companies, marking the first anniversary of its Workforce Renewal and Skills Strategy for 2020-2025. The strategy was launched on behalf of the water, power and gas sectors in

June 2020 to ensure they have the workforce needed now and in the future.

One year on, with the launch of new initiatives such as recruitment networks, communications campaigns, including #WorkInWater social media messaging, cross-sector partnerships and a new Energy & Utilities Inclusion Commitment, of which British Water is a signatory, good progress has been made although the partnership acknowledges there is still a lot to be achieved before 2025.

In addition, the water sector is delivering its own collaborative strategies, such as the Innovation Centre of Excellence and Water Innovation 2050, which should also prove be a catalyst for the capture of new ideas and approaches.

My conversations with suppliers and utilities tell me there is an increasing desire to better tell the sector’s story, to raise more awareness of its challenges and successes and to communicate the value of water to the public.

Doing so will not only bring the sector more support with its strategic plans and ambitions, it will engage those who may not have otherwise considered a career in water but who could be key to our future success.

We all need to diversify. It could be around ethnicity, gender, cultural but it’s also about people’s skills, background and experiences. We need to embrace diversity and bring in people who see things differently, change the way we recruit and train. We need people who might come at it from a very different perspective.

Phil Higgins, Head of Water, UK & Ireland, Jacobs

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

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Leveraging the cloud for better design of water and wastewater treatment plants

For many years, the availability of integrated design and process simulation packages has not serviced industrial, reuse and drinking water plant designs as well as it has for biological treatment plants.

Engineers and designers in many cases still rely on manual, repetitive spreadsheet-based processes. Design packages, when available are based on mathematical simulation products that have been repurposed from other industries and difficult to learn and based on desktop pcs that are limited in terms of processing power, data storage and tools for collaboration. Emerging technologies for industrial water treatment and drinking water are often not covered at all.

Cloud-based products have the potential to deliver significant innovations to treatment plant design packages by leveraging ondemand increases in processing power and storage as well as the ability to work simultaneously on designs, work remotely and integrate workflow and audit trail capabilities that are critical in delivering effective designs.

Identifying the opportunity in drinking water and industrial water treatment design, Envirosuite, with a long history of delivering complex modelling solutions through cloud-based platforms, recently integrated an emerging and innovative technology in the process design market into its EVS Water Portfolio through an acquisition of AqMB, an emerging provider of design and digital twin solutions for the water industry.

‘We recognised that there was a real need for better products in the industrial and drinking water design space. AqMB had embedded strong and deep technical knowledge in a product that serviced a clear gap in the market for engineers and designers of water and wastewater treatment plants and Envirosuite has demonstrated success in

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delivering complex environmental modelling solutions that leverage the power of cloud computing around the world. We look forward to delivering this product to engineers and designers around the world over the coming years ’ says Global Head for Water and Waste at Envirosuite, Chaim Kolominskas.

into broader digital twin applications with the ability to process large volumes of real-time information and couple with powerful data science and machine learning capabilities to deliver real-time and predictive management to water and wastewater treatment plants once they have been built.

Cloud-based technology has allowed:

‘The cloud allows us to integrate deterministic models and machine learning approaches, which significantly improves forecast accuracy and speeds up implementation time compared to machine learning only approaches. Having a deterministic model baseline also ensures that the model doesn’t drift, giving our customers better confidence in the recommendations for optimisation. Having spent 20 years in the water sector, we recognised the caution that the water industry has for artificial intelligence only approaches and wanted to make sure that our products are always grounded in strong, leading science and we think we’ve struck the right balance with this approach. The emergence of cloud computing has made that all possible’ Says Darren Szczepanski, founder of the product.

More rapid integration of emerging models for water and wastewater treatment. Plant Designer covers nearly all current drinking water and industrial water treatment technologies and has recently integrated key treatment models for biological treatment. It is unique to see such broad coverage of treatment processes in the one product.

The ability to simulate many models simultaneously. This has led to an innovative capability of ‘automated optimisation’ where 1000s of model scenarios are generated before the best fit for target performance is recommended.

This leads to significant savings in design times.

Easier integration and export of engineering deliverables such as equipment sizing, lifecycle costs, material and energy balances and stream properties leading to further design savings.

Simultaneous design, review and audit trail capabilities facilitating much easier remote working and true collaborative process design.

Importantly, the cloud also makes integration of these deterministic models much easier

Watch the video to learn more www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsxgU7ic4i4 Click here for a free 30 day trial of EVS Water Plant Designer and reduce design times by up to 70%: https://info.envirosuite.com/evswater-designer Authors

Chaim Kolominskas, Global Head - Water and Waste, Envirosuite

Darren Szczepanski, Product Manager - Smart Water, Envirosuite

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

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Pipeline Rehabilitation

The future is trenchless Concern about the state of the United Kingdom’s underground pipe networks emerged in the 1970s with the reorganisation of the Water Industry and the publication of the NWC’s National Assessment’ in 1977.

It became clear that a substantial proportion of the UKs 234,278 km of sewers and 318,415 km of water mains were more than 50 years of age and in need of attention. Annual renewal costs for sewer and water mains estimated at £215.3M sent shock waves through government and ultimately triggered discussions leading to privatisation. NWC urged accurate determination of the scale of problems underground and development of new methods for repair and maintenance prompting investment in CCTV inspection and rehabilitation techniques.

Thames Water’s Graham Cox, at the 1981 ICE Conference ‘Restoration of the Sewerage Systems’, spoke of ‘making use of the hole’ describing new techniques for sewer renovation including slip lining, cured in place lining and GRP panel lining.

In 1985 the institution of Public Health Engineers, now CIWEM, hosted ‘Trenchless Construction for Utilities’. The event, styled ‘No Dig 85’, attracted 378 delegates from 21 countries and 66 exhibitors, was a signal moment for pipeline rehabilitation. Speaker

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of renewal and replacement and should drive innovation towards more and better trenchless methods. No Dig 85 prompted establishment of an International Society for Trenchless Technology, a series of annual awards for trenchless innovation, various trenchless publications and a succession of international No Dig conferences; the 38th International No Dig will be held in Helsinki in October 2022. There are now 27 affiliated national or regional trenchless societies affiliated to ISTT, providing representation for more than 3000 corporate and individual members. Pipeline condition assessment and rehabilitation are the primary focus for at least half of the current membership.

James Thompson of Jason Consultants detailed the scale of opportunities for renovation and renewal in the UK and overseas. He introduced the notion that the costs of the social and economic disruption associated with open cut construction would be many times the direct engineering cost

Cured in place pipe, originally pioneered in the UK in 1971 by Eric Wood, developer of the Insituform method, is unquestionably the primary process for renovating sewer pipe. Wood’s company and its contracting partners have subsequently lined more than 65,000kms of gravity sewer. The annual worldwide investment in cured in place pipe in all its forms is thought to be running close

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

Pipeline Rehabilitation

to £2Billion, about 55% of expenditure on pipe renovation. The method continues to evolve with UV light curing of glass reinforced linings pushing boundaries and growing in popularity. Other methods such as close fit lining, spiral wound lining, slip-lining with PE and PVC pipe and lining with GRP panels and segments account make up the balance, altogether perhaps half of the rehabilitation market.

We should recognise that rehabilitation is a catch-all phrase, defined by WRc, for repair, renovation and replacement. Use of trenchless methods for installation of new or replacement pipe is also well established.

In 2001 the United Nations Environment Programme declared renovation and trenchless installation to be environmentally sustainable. Since that time numerous academic studies have calculated that greenhouse gas emissions are substantially reduced wherever trenchless methods are preferred to open cut construction. GHG’s for trenchless technologies can be as low as 10% of those estimated for open cut. UK Legislation such as the New Roads and Street Works and the Traffic Management Act has been crafted to regulate the disruption caused by street-works. These provisions generally support the use of trenchless technologies and benefit urban dwellers wherever underground utilities need attention. In many cities around the world regulations favour trenchless methodologies for the public benefit by restricting utility works to night working and limiting on-street storage of materials and construction traffic movements.

There remain barriers to wholesale adoption of trenchless technologies. Such methods can be more costly when considered solely in terms of direct costs. They often require specialist materials and skills. The trenchless industry has much work to do promoting awareness of its benefits and providing in service training to engineers and managers. No Dig Live, to be held at the Peterborough Arena, September 14-16th includes a 1st European No Dig Conference on Pipe Rehabilitation and related short courses. The technologies www.waterindustryjournal.co.uk

must be regulated with detailed specifications and quality management systems which recognise that a manufacturing process is being undertaken at the worksite. Adequate provision must be made for continuity of consumer services such as maintaining water supply during preparation and timely completion of siteworks including essential quality assessment.

It could be said that over the past 50 years the industry has harvested some of the low hanging fruit, gravity sewer renovation is undoubtedly simpler than similar works on pressurised water or sewer mains. However there remains much to do in gravity and pressurised mains network, our buried pipelines have grown in length from 550,000 to 700,000 km over this period, many are aged, the process of wear and tear is relentless. More than half of our pipes are pressurised and inevitably more challenging. The condition assessment and rehabilitation procedures are more complex; but dig up and replace, with the attendant impact on the environment and the economy, should not be the go-to solution.

We must explore better ways to solve the challenges and speedily install high strength linings without impact on water quality or loss of hydraulic capacity.

In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) sixth national assessment of public water system infrastructure needs shows a total 20-year capital improvement need of $472.6 billion for water systems to continue to provide safe drinking water to the public. The picture must be very similar in Europe. This is the real challenge to materials suppliers, process developers and contractors worldwide, some of whom are now submitting products and processes to regulators and utility owners for trial and approval. We live in interesting times and maintaining our water and sewerage infrastructure is a priority. In the 1970’s we often used to say “out of sight and out of mind”, but 50 years on environmental awareness is more acute and there are no excuses for kicking the problem into the long grass, the future is trenchless.

By Dec Downey Ph.D. C.Eng MIMMM Honorary President ISTT

Dec Downey is a Chartered Engineer, he graduated from the University of Bath in 1970 and obtained his PhD in Materials Science in 1975. He spent fifteen years working in the concrete pipe industry before joining Insituform Technologies in 1987. Since 2002 he has worked as an independent consultant specialising in pipeline rehabilitation providing services to water and sewerage undertakings and their contractors in many countries around the world. He has been involved with the International Society for Trenchless Technology since its formation in 1986, he served as ISTT Chairman in 2007-2010, a Trustee since 2002 and is presently Honorary President.

Together with Prof Sam Ariaratnam, Dr Downey developed the successful ISTT Masterclass Programme, teaching a variety of courses on trenchless technologies around the world. He is a co-author of the NASTT’s Cured in Place Pipe (CIPP) Good Practices Guidelines.

His efforts have been recognised with the Japan Microtunnelling Association’s Kurose Award, the UKSTT’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the ISTT Gold Medal. He is an ISTT Fellow.

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Pipeline Rehabilitation

Race-against-the-clock Kendal water project scoops top award A major race-against-time project to connect four huge water pipes into the even huger Haweswater Aqueduct in Cumbria has scooped the pipeline industry’s most prestigious award.

The Hallbank project, near Kendal, was completed within a tight eight day deadline, in a storm AND during the second COVID lockdown, last November – with three hours to spare.

Now the team of 180 people from United Utilities and its framework contractor Mott Macdonald Bentley have been named Utility Project of the Year, by the Pipeline Industries Guild, one of the world’s most respected pipeline associations.

They beat off stiff competition from pipeline projects across the UK in varied disciplines, including power, gas, both onshore and offshore.

Principal construction manager John Dawson said he was ‘tickled pink’ on behalf of everyone who made it happen and helped boost the resilience of water supplies across the North West as a result.

“This is a fantastic achievement. We were up against some very impressive competition.

I think what made us stand out was the scale, the use of future technology like 4D modelling and digital assurance and the fact that we were really just one team, working collaboratively for a common goal – to build that pipeline safely, on price and on time.

Everyone, from the cabin cleaner to the project director, had their own unique part to play.

It’s was the best I have ever witnessed in my career,” he said.

Connecting the four new 1.6m diameter pipes meant shutting down the aqueduct for the shortest period possible and marked its first major repair in the 65 years since it was built.

Project director John Hilton with some of the new blue pipes which were connected into the Haweswater Aqueduct this month. The old pipes can be seen behind him to the left Project Director John Hilton said every hour of every day had been planned in meticulous detail to make sure it went smoothly.

“This is only the third time in its life that the aqueduct has ever been drained and I’ve been there every time. You’d think it would get easier but it doesn’t. This time we were working during a pandemic and we had biblical rain like you wouldn’t believe. When you’re planning something on this scale it’s right to be sensibly paranoid,” he said.

North connection complete: An aerial view of the four new pipes showing the old section of Haweswater Aqueduct which has been replaced

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“The other big issue we faced was COVID. As well as rigorous round-the-clock cleaning, team distancing and testing, almost 100 extra

trained staff had to be put on stand-by in case an entire work team had to self-isolate. We had hot and cold food brought in and we took over two hotels- one for the night shift, one for the day shift, to reduce the risk of contamination,” said John.

The impressive feat of engineering completed at Hallbank is the first milestone in a much bigger project which will see the replacement of six more tunnel sections along the 109km Haweswater Aqueduct. This £1bn Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme is due to begin in 2023.

The success of the first section at Hallbank will be the blueprint for that future resilience work.

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

Pipeline Rehabilitation

Ovoid-shaped basalt pipework developed for sewer renewal

By Robert Kostolány, Eutit Czech Republic and Ray Moorehead, Greenbank UK UK-based engineering company, the Greenbank Group, is drawing on the experience of its partner in the Czech Republic to provide a unique solution for the reconstruction UK sewer systems in the UK and Ireland. Over the last 25 years Greenbank’s partner Eutit has successfully developed and applied basalt tiling systems to the extent that they are now the preferred choice for many European utility companies looking to build new sewers or refurbish or repair existing ones.

Key to this success has been the development of oval or egg-shaped pipes made from basalt, one of the most resilient natural materials that offers a wide range of benefits when compared to more traditional materials such as concrete.

Development timeline

With a service life exceeding 100 years, basalt has been widely used in European sewer systems, but only for the bottom sections of ovoid ducts. The sides and tops were either bricks or specially cast concrete sections.This began to change in 1995, with the signing of the first contact between Eutit and Central European contractors and designers in wastewater handling. After consultations and design reviews in early 1996, the first basalt moulds were produced and the initial pieces were delivered for the construction of Slavojova street in Prague. The following year, the functionality of the fitted troughs was verified, evaluated and approved for use on future projects.

Basalt designs now come in a range of shapes such as full oval, round and rectangular or

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specials produced to suit the given operating conditions. Prague’s sewers are mainly constructed using an ovoid profile and today the bottom sections are fitted with basalt and the upper arch with materials that can withstand strong chemical stresses (chemically resistant bricks). Therefore, any new sewer designs in this profile must be equally resistant.

Thanks to further research and development

by Eutit, one piece ovoid’s fully cast in basalt have become an attractive alternative to the labour-intensive brick laying method. Basalt can be cast in thinner more handleable sections, reducing installation times with significantly lower overall project costs.

Other materials used for construction of ovoidprofile sewers lack abrasion resistance and time-tested durability of basalt rather than the theoretical claims made for alternatives.

From 1996, Eutit improved on the original 600/1100 designs from 1996 to produce full basalt lining systems and manufactured the shaped tiles within a tolerance to enable watertight bonding of the required pipe.

Ovoid-shaped pipe production technology

To produce the 600/1100 basalt pipes, 35 mm thick tiles are used and designed so that there are no continuous longitudinal joints in the entire profile. After casting, the tiles are ground with modern diamond tools to a precise shape then bonded together on a template to form a 360° profile, with each row being 330 mm long. These are then bonded together to the required length, with the joints between individual segments sealed using fiberglass tape with epoxy.

The connection of the individual pipes is anchored to one end of the pipe with a rubber seal at the other end. Bends are made by bonding segments shortened to the required angle.

All that remained was to verify the functionality of basalt in practice. The first project to utilise basalt segments was the renovation of the sewer in Rásnovka street Prague. The Project leader was PVK and the design company Ko-ka, with Eutit supplying the basalt.

Conclusion

The final construction of this project is due for completion at the end of 2021, however, it can confidently be said that the development from part use to full-profile cast basalt pipework is already proving a success. Due to the basalt pipes being easier to handle the project has resulted in real cost savings during the installation process and their abrasive resistant properties will significantly extend the effective lifespan of the sewer.

The moulds for other profiles of the Prague Standard ovoid shapes, e.g. PN V, are already set for use on other projects across central Europe and can easily be adapted for UK clients.

The combination of correct material choice, a well-prepared project and, most importantly, an experienced installation company produced a finished result that complements the legacy left to the city of Prague by an English genius named William H Lindley who designed the city of Prague’s original sewers in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. www.greenbankgroup.com

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

Greenbank brings Czech sewer revolution to the UK The basalt solution that’s good for 100 years or more…

Thanks to its unrivalled abrasion-resistant properties, volcanic basalt has proved the perfect replacement lining for flood-damaged sewers.

Constantly evolving designs of basalt-based sewer lining systems continue to meet the growing demands of urban growth and climate change in a number of European cities, including Prague in the Czech Republic.

Following devastating floods, the city turned to the most ancient of materials to ensure its waste water management system is fit for the future and the effective solutions developed there are now available in the UK and Ireland.

Since the ‘Velvet Revolution’ in the former Eastern bloc country, Greenbank and its Czech partner Eutit have been leading a basalt ‘revolution’ in the waste water industry.

Their basalt lining systems offer: l Increased flow rates l Reduced installation and maintenance costs l Full and partial lining l Protection from areas prone to abrasion and chemical attack To find out more about our basalt products, water companies, contractors and pipe manufacturers should contact the Greenbank Group on

0845 0707 094 or email info@greenbankgroup.com

Pipeline Rehabilitation

Preventing water loss from water networks Damaged pipelines are a major cause of water loss in the UK and this is compounded by an out-of-date network infrastructure. Billions of pounds in investment annually by the water companies aims to dramatically reduce leakage and improve water quality.

Trenchless technology provides exceptional potential to support utility companies in their quest to renovate and renew the UK’s ageing water pipe network and help prevent water loss through damaged and burst pipes.

Methods such as pipe bursting offer a cost-effective and time-efficient solution for contractors tasked with pipe repair and renewal. A sustainable and ecologically-sound technology, it minimises the need for open trenching and saves the purchase of raw materials. The pipe bursting technique is as simple as it is ingenious; old pipeline is broken up underground and radially displaced into the surrounding soil, whilst new pipe is pulled into the existing bore path. It is particularly suited to outdated pipelines with damage such as cracks, joint gaps, root growth and misalignment that are no longer repairable.

New pipe with the same, smaller or larger diameters can be pulled in to the same space, including cross-section enlargements which are often necessary due to increasing demand for water. Once installed the new pipes have a service life of another 80-100 years.

TRACTO has been pioneering trenchless technology for over three decades and offers a comprehensive range of equipment; whatever the task. Dynamic pipe bursting with the GRUNDOCRACK is an optimum solution for replacing pipes made of brittle material and is particularly suitable for applications from pit to pit. The versatile GRUNDOBURST can be used for renewal of pipes up to 120” in diameter made of cast iron, UPVC, asbestos cement, clay, concrete, ductile iron and steel.

Anglian Water is one utility company that has recognised the benefits of this technique and recently used a GRUNDOBURST 400G to replace 900m of old 3” pipe with 125mm

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MDPE for a mains replacement scheme at Eye Green in Peterborough. This included 68 properties that were transferred onto the new mains during the replacement programme. One of the fundamental factors in the success of the scheme was the use of pre-chlorinated coils which allowed for the immediate commissioning of the main. It also facilitated a process where service transfers could be carried out almost immediately after installation of the main pipe. This enabled continuous progress of the scheme and adherence to installation targets. Backfill and reinstatement teams followed the bursting team to minimise time and inconvenience in the locality and the job was completed over a 7-week period in early 2021.

Minimal dust and noise emissions

As the smallest GRUNDOBURST in the range, the 400G has compact dimensions of just 1420 x 560 x 520mm and pulls up to 40t. It can install pipes up to 6” in diameter. This meant that only small pits were required on site yet the rapid work cycles and high performance of the unit ensured disruption was minimised.

Other advantages of the GRUNDOBURST included:

Safe working – one man operation with remote control

No follow-on costs due to ground subsidence or groundwater impact Minimal civil engineering work Intelligent technology; uncomplicated to operate and quick to handle Low weight for ease of transportation and easy manoeuvrability on-site Supplied as standard with 100M of rods Fast rod pushing through of the old pipe length and fast pulling in of new pipes Exceptional installation quality and high conformity to regulations

No road damages, very little traffic disruption

The 400G is just one machine in the range.

Other models include the 800G, 1250G, 1900G and 2500G for the replacement and renewal of larger pipes. GRUNDOBURST technology from TRACTO is a sustainable solution for water companies that are looking to improve the speed of water pipe repairs and replacements whilst considering the local environment and saving time and resources.

Shorter construction times; saving costs of manpower and materials

Full specifications can be found on the TRACTO website: www.tracto.com/en

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

GRUNDOBURST - PIPE BURSTING SYSTEMS THE RENOVATORS Trenchless pipe renewal using pipe-bursting technology is a costeffective solution for the rehabilitation of water supply networks. It also requires fewer raw materials.

ced or renewed underground within the existing pipe. This includes adapting the network capacity, if required, by installing new pipes of smaller, equal or larger diameter.

With the proven GRUNDOBURST hydraulic bursting rigs, damaged pipes up to 1200mm can be repla-

For more information please email customerservices@tt-uk.com or phone +44 1234 342 566

TRACTO.COM/GRUNDOBURST

Flow Cytometry: An alternative to classic HPC measurement Quantify bacteria in minutes instead of days.

Figure 1: Preparation of the CyStain™ BacCount Viable Kit: The membrane-transparent CyStain™ Green labels all living and dead bacteria and emits a characteristic green fluorescent light.

CyStain™ Red can only stain bacteria with a damaged membrane. Dead or dying bacteria therefore show both red and green fluorescent light when stained with CyStain™ BacCount Viable Quantifying bacterial concentrations in water samples is a necessary process to evaluate and contain microbiological contamination.

Heterotrophic plate count (HPC) measurement is still the standard method to determine microbial contamination, yet a number of more modern methods are emerging. Flow cytometry has proven to be a fast and effective method that can be easily standardized and automated. It has become a vital and relevant alternative to classic HPC testing. The analysis of microbial contamination in water samples is of significant importance across a variety of sectors, for example assessing the quality of drinking water from different sources or for the control of industrial water. A quick and reliable assessment of bacteria concentration will ensure early preventative action can be taken.

The old standard: HPC testing

Currently, most countries perform bacterial quality control analyses with by HPC. This method dates back over 100 years to Robert Koch, who established the microbiological status of drinking water by counting bacterial colonies on agar plates. Today, limitations of this method have become apparent: Not all microorganisms in water grow and build colonies on solid growth media. These bacteria are considered ‘viable but nonculturable ‘.

Only about 1% of the total amount of bacteria in water samples can be detected by this method.

Evaluation of culture plates requires a considerable amount of labour.

HPC tests vary with regards to their user-defined testing conditions. This creates a wide range of quantitative and qualitative results and thus

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complicates the standardisation and comparability of analyses.

However, the biggest limitation is that results are delayed due to incubation times.

Depending on the chosen conditions, the incubation period can be anywhere from one to 14 days.

State-of-the-art: Flow Cytometry

In 2012 the Swiss authorities began recommending flow cytometry as a suitable method for detecting microbial contaminants in fresh water, in response to the limitations of HPC testing.

Flow cytometry is a procedure that allows for the detection or identification of particles in a suspension such as water. Flow cytometry analysis is carried out through the analysis of scattered and/or emitted fluorescent light while the particles pass through a laser in the flow cell.

The laser beam illuminates single cells and the resulting forward and side scattered light, as well as the emitted fluorescent light, are recorded and used to characterize the measured cells. Using fluorescent dyes, all bacterial cells can be identified and separated from non-biological particles. Quantitative staining of DNA (Figure 1) enables the differentiation of bacteria with a high nucleic acid content (HNA) from those with a low nucleic acid content (LNA). Flow cytometry not only counts the bacteria that can grow on agar plates, but also dead, or non-viable bacteria. Therefore, HPC results and the total cell count (TCC) or viable cell count (VCC) results in flow cytometry analysis can differ by a factor of 100 to 10,000. Flow cytometry has been shown to be a versatile method for these applications. Its strengths include:

Figure 2: CyFlow™ Cube 6 V2m flow cytometer with autoloading station and CyStain™ BacCount Viable Kit High sensitivity of the methodology due to the fact that all bacteria are counted.

Rapid results (< 20 mins) High reproducibility (< 5% SD) High throughput and ease of implementation The ability to differentiate between viable and non-viable bacteria.

To simplify implementation of flow cytometry water testing, Sysmex Partec have developed a coordinated solution: the CyFlow™ Cube 6 V2m flow cytometer and the CyStain™ BacCount Total and CyStain™ BacCount Viable kits (Figure 2). An auto loading station – the CyFlow™ V2m Robby – can be added for rapid, automated processing of 96-well or 48-well microtiter plates. The solution is completed with standardised software, powerful reporting capabilities and quality control.

A glance into the future

Automated monitoring of water samples by flow cytometry opens up new possibilities for the industry. The advantages of flow cytometry compared to HPC testing, such as analysis speed and standardisation, can be further increased by introducing automation into the workflow. Flow cytometry has the potential to consign traditional bacterial water analyses to the past by providing a faster and more reliable method of water bacterial detection across a variety of sectors.

Web: https://uk.sysmex-flowcytometry.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ sysmex-uk-flow-cytometry Contact: flowcytometry@sysmex.co.uk

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

Data & Analytics in the Water Utility Sector

Digitising engagement to support a collaborative approach Severn Trent

As our drainage and wastewater systems face ever increasing pressures they need to become more resilient. Whilst sewerage companies already carry out wastewater catchment planning to mitigate future risks, these wastewater assets interact with other drainage systems, which are the responsibility of other stakeholders. To support the development of long-term collaborative catchment strategies, sewerage companies are developing Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMP). In an industry first, Severn Trent has developed an innovative, digitised approach for multiple flood risk management stakeholders to work together, through an interactive, map-centric platform based on Esri’s ArcGIS Hub.

The Challenge

In May 2018, some areas of Birmingham and the West Midlands experienced over a month’s worth of rainfall in one hour. This was not an isolated event. As a result of climate change, extreme weather conditions are becoming more frequent and more intense, and the nation’s drainage systems need to adapt to cope.

The requirement for new housing to accommodate population growth is set to add even more water to the current systems, as well as the surface run-off from this new infrastructure. Ambitious Water Quality requirements for England’s rivers mean that wastewater will need to be treated to a higher standard. Customers and stakeholders also expect continuous improvement in the level of services that Severn Trent provides.

responsible for main river flooding and the sewerage companies responsible for the rainfall which overloads wastewater capacity. All risk management and environmental organisations therefore need to look at collaborative ways to improve the development of catchment strategies and plans such as the DWMP.

Responsibility for managing such intense rainfall events and surface run-off is split across several organisations, with Lead Local Flood Authorities responsible for water above ground, the Environment Agency

Previously, Severn Trent would invite organisations and stakeholders across all areas of its wastewater network to attend a series of in-person, interactive workshops. The advent of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions meant that

If we can work with organisations more collaboratively to identify how to solve possible flooding issues, then we can potentially solve other problems. Digitising the process with ArcGIS Hub has not only made this possible but has many other crossovers that it could lend itself for in the future.

Paul Hurcombe, Strategic Asset Manager, Severn Trent Water

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these meetings were no longer possible. What Severn Trent needed was a means to engage with its stakeholders in a socially distanced fashion, where they could provide their input in a structured way.

The Solution

In an industry first, Severn Trent has developed the DWMP Stakeholder Engagement Hub, a multiple-party engagement platform. A seamless extension of its own in-house GIS system, the DWMP Stakeholder Engagement Hub is based on ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Hub Premium, digitising the previous face-to-face approach.

The company has been a long-standing customer of Esri since 2007 and this latest advancement came about from discussions with Esri around the specific requirements of the DWMP, and how the business could present it to its stakeholders, engage with them and solicit their feedback before considering strategic options.

All or most of the data needing to be embedded in the DWMP already existed on premise or on GISSTOnline, Severn Trent’s ArcGIS Online platform. The team simply needed to configure the data into presentable information products, ie maps, dashboards

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

Data & Analytics in the Water Utility Sector

Setting up the DWMP Engagement Platform with ArcGIS Hub has been great.

It’s intuitive to work with and easy to setup, visually engaging and easy to access.

We can now get everyone in a room, digitally” Jack Robinson, Strategic Catchment Planner, Severn Trent Water

and surveys, and embed it into their DWMP Hub initiative.

The Hub enables Severn Trent to engage with local stakeholders in a socially distanced fashion. Engagement with stakeholders is done in a very structured way and it has direct control over how stakeholders can access the DWMP information and how stakeholders can submit their input. The data presented in the Hub comes directly from the company’s core systems on top of the common geography, and the feedback comes in pre-defined forms which makes follow-up modelling much easier. Users simply log into the Hub and can make their input in as little as ten minutes.

Severn Trent was aware that other organisations are facing constant resource challenges which had been exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic and so wanted to ensure the Hub was simple to use, with flexibility to allow stakeholders to access the Hub at a time to suit their busy work schedule.

The uptake has already been significant, seen as an important marker of success, given there is no statutory obligation for stakeholders to respond. The first consultation was shared with over 200 stakeholders with an uptake of almost 50 per cent, an unprecedented figure. Previously, no more than 25 per cent of

www.waterindustryjournal.co.uk

Benefits

can then be presented as the Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan and published out to stakeholders and other parties including Ofwat. It is Severn Trent’s intention that this Hub platform will ultimately be used to share the findings of the DWMP process, with the draft being published for consultation in Summer 2022.

Speedy set up

Collaborative approach

stakeholders would have attended a face-toface meeting, meaning the company now has twice as much data from initiating this digital approach, which will ultimately enable Severn Trent to identify the most impactful options across all types of drainage.

The DWMP Hub was quick to set up, as all or most of the data already existed in the company’s ArcGIS Online account. The data was easily configured into visually engaging maps and dashboards, its UI design being acknowledged as a key element in the Hub’s success.

Digitising data collection

Severn Trent has exact control over how stakeholders can access the DWMP Hub empowering feedback in a more structured way. Stakeholders can submit their feedback digitally, rather than having to travel to and attend meetings out of the office. Since inception, responses have more than doubled.

Bringing together invested stakeholders digitally and identifying ways in which to solve flooding and wastewater issues, drives participation and engagement. Presenting information via charts and maps makes it easier for everyone to have a shared understanding of the goal, which can pave the way to action and potentially solving other problems.

To find out how ArcGIS enables organisations to collaborate more effectively with stakeholders in the water industry, visit esriuk.com/water or contact Craig Hayes, head of Critical National Infrastructure at Esri UK on 01296 745599 or sales@esriuk.com

Sharing of Information

With feedback coming through in predefined forms, follow-up modelling by the Severn Trent team is much quicker. This content

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Data & Analytics in the Water Utility Sector

Smart sewer network pilots to enable systematic approach to Yorkshire’s wastewater Yorkshire Water is planning three innovative smart wastewater network pilots, which will better inform a systematic approach to the management of Yorkshire’s wastewater.

The pilots will be use cutting edge monitoring and communications technology, Digital Twins (DT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Operational Technology (OT) solutions to improve understanding of sewer network performance, to reduce sewer flooding and pollution.

This approach will enable Yorkshire Water to proactively intervene, protecting customers and the environment.

One pilot will be conducted in Ilkley, where the smart monitoring, analytics and control solutions will be used to manage the flow of sewage from homes to treatment works and, once treated, discharges back into the environment. The pilot will ultimately offer real-time, end-to-end management and control of wastewater flows and assets, reducing intermittent discharges from CSOs, sewer flooding and improving energy efficiency to reduce carbon emissions. In conjunction with a range of wider initiatives the smart wastewater pilot will contribute to planned river water quality improvements in the River Wharfe.

Two further areas have been identified.

The first in Hadfield, Sheffield will build on the existing smart water distribution and metering scheme to reduce water leakage and detect bursts.

The smart wastewater network will use the same communication technology to monitor wastewater at an individual property level.

The data will be used with water consumption data to help determine the normal function of the sewers in a small area. This brand new approach will detect unexpected fluctuations in flow and level, enabling blockages and other network problems to be quickly attended and resolved, reducing the potential for sewer flooding in homes and gardens.

A further pilot scheme in Holbeck, Leeds will focus on predicting sewer network problems before they occur using increased monitoring and rainfall data, ensuring Yorkshire Water’s teams can provide a pre-emptive response and reduce sewer flooding incidents.

“Each project will tackle specific issues that are important to our customers locally, but they will each offer important learning for how we manage our network in the future and provide value to our customers throughout the region for the long term.”

Richard Kershaw, Yorkshire Water wastewater innovation programme manager, said: “The technology available to us now means we are better able to access and analyse data from multiple sources. Ultimately, this provides us with greater visibility of what’s happening within the wastewater network so we can manage and control it better and respond to changes quickly and efficiently.

Claire Green, Yorkshire Water’s manager of environment and wastewater strategy, said: “These pilot projects will increase our understanding of the performance of the sewer network and could lead to a wide range of measures to improve the systematic approach we take to managing wastewater flows from sinks and toilets, through our networks and treatment works, and back to the environment.

The technology available to us now means we are better able to access and analyse data from multiple sources. Ultimately, this provides us with greater visibility of what’s happening within the wastewater network so we can manage and control it better and respond to changes quickly and efficiently.

Richard Kershaw, Yorkshire Water wastewater innovation programme manager

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

Data & Analytics in the Water Utility Sector

The digital innovator harnessing the power of data Houston, we have a problem!

You may remember that iconic quote from the movie Apollo 13, which centred on NASA’s near-disastrous moon mission. Fast forward 50 years, and the ingenious solutions to that problem have become the basis for a superb technology that is reaping rewards for industry.

Digital technology solutions have evolved light years since Mission Control’s frantic experiments on a replica of the stricken space module ultimately succeeded in bringing the crew home to Earth.

Keen to use lessons learned, NASA promptly moved the module’s physical replica into digital representations of future space missions, so they could simulate a multitude of problems and solutions in super-quick time, and come up with best outcomes. Hence the concept of digital twinning was born.

Digital technology specialists Avanade have built on this brilliant early work and developed their own high-value – and quick – digital twinning solutions to help companies leverage value from data by connecting data sources from disparate systems in ways that model the real-world more closely.

For example, as we all know, people are no longer content with simply receiving and paying bills in return for a service. They want value for money and they want to know how they’re getting it, which could mean anything from demanding a real-time response to complaints and queries, to actual contact with field crew.

This is where Avanade steps in. They help clients harness the once largely hidden value of data by applying new and innovative approaches that enable companies to focus on a ‘real world view’ of their assets and information.

Simon Turner, Avanade’s chief technology officer for Data and AI, explains: “We can re-create real world environments for water companies, produce real world data, and model specific solutions with a high degree of accuracy. For instance, monitoring water flow through pipes, or consumer demand on networks and resources, and simulating outcomes. The data can be used to watch for drops in water pressure and flow, spot leaks, and offer timely solutions.”

“With the speed of change in technology, particularly during the past few years, it has become almost impossible for organisations to keep abreast of developments if technology

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isn’t their main focus. This is where we can really help make a difference.

“Digital twinning is a particular boost for water companies with lots of legacy infrastructure. For example, Victorian sewerage works simply can’t be replaced quickly. We ask, ‘How can we digitise this infrastructure, how can we put sensors in to understand the health of the network without wholesale replacement and disruption?”

He continues, “We don’t expect water companies to be at the ‘bleeding edge’ of the latest developments. That’s not their job, their job is to make sure water is used effectively. Our role is to help our clients tackle pressing issues and very real business needs, and choose and use technology to their best advantage. Our end goal is to become their trusted adviser.”

“We can approach the challenge holistically or look at a specific problem, but always with a value driven and prioritised perspective, and then deliver using the appropriate and the right level of innovation.”

“Our work has shown proven value within 4-6 weeks for previous clients. We adopt an agile approach that allows us to innovate, experiment and deliver incremental value quickly; but it also allows us investigate and to ‘fail fast’ so that we don’t invest a lot of time and money in something that will ultimately not create a return.”

regarded company has a breadth of experience and services spanning modern data platforms, the modern workplace, infrastructure, and application development. Its highly advanced and innovative solutions include artificial intelligence, process automation, big data and analytics, virtual and augmented reality and internet of things.

Simon concludes, “We are very focused on Microsoft technology – it’s part of our heritage - but our goal is to stand shoulder to shoulder with our clients, and be technical advisers and thought leaders in this space.

“If a company has a number of business scenarios and preferred outcomes, and already gone through a value analysis, that’s great. If they have not, our advisor team can help them with that; we can also look at areas that would benefit from innovation. This could be in the form of brainstorming, workshops, working with in-house IT, and drawing up a priority list to show them how and where this can add value.”

Avanade’s ultimate aim is to help clients deliver the best customer experience. And, with the added challenges of a shrinking, ageing workforce, their solutions are also key to providing employees with the necessary tools and the right insights at the right time.

Visit Avanade.com for more details.

Simon is keen to stress that Avanade, with its global workforce of over 50,000, is not just involved with digital twins. This highly

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LEAD Pipe Replacement – the impact on the network Throughout the UK water companies are aware of the risk of lead contamination, and the potential of acceptable lead levels in drinking supplies being further reduced from the current 10 micrograms per litre. Lead location and replacement programmes are being ramped up, with the OFWAT Innovation fund announcing funding for several lead water supply pipe replacement schemes last month.

The legacy of lead water supply pipes has led to the recognition of the need to remove all lead from the water network. Although the use of lead in plumbing has been banned in the UK for more than 50 years, there are still many properties where a risk of lead contamination of water is a risk.

Houses built before 1970 would have been constructed with lead water supply pipes. In some UK regions up to a third of these older properties are still receiving their water through these original lead pipes.1 Lead water supply pipes are now at least 50 years old, with many of them much older. The quality of these pipes is degenerating, and the impact they are having on the network and customer satisfaction is increasing.

Impacts on customers

Lead pipe corrosion causes the internal diameter to reduce, impacting on the water supply to the customer. The gradual deterioration in supply, is often not noticed by the customer day to day, but when upgrading heating systems the reduced flow can make the installation of Combi boilers impossible without an upgrade of the supply.

Continued corrosion can lead to customer side leaks, impacting on water provider leakage figures or household consumption averages, especially when they go undetected for extended periods.

Lead replacement is the only long-term solution. However, the scale of the problem, the cost and disruption to customers means that existing techniques for water supply replacement have been a deterrent to implementing large scale replacement programmes.

Post renewal impacts

The reduction in health risks is reason enough to replace lead water supply pipes. However, there are wider implications to the network.

Reduced leakage from old and damaged pipes is a major benefit. However, despite the customer enjoying an improved flow, this may impact on weak spots in internal plumbing systems, and potentially increase average customer usage.

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Innovation pilots to resolve lead replacement hesitation

up to three 32mm OD water pipes installed to the exterior of the building.

INSUduct is an innovative solution.

Minimising disturbance, time and cost.

NRv2 LoFlo minimising post installation impacts

Groundbreaker Systems have been working with the water industry for over 20 years and have been developing, with major UK water companies, programmes for mitigating the negative impacts of lead water supply pipe replacement on customers.

Unlike traditional methods, INSUduct allows the new water service to be routed up the external face of the building and connected to the internal plumbing above ground level, whether this is the ground floor or upper storey.

Requiring one simple core drilled hole through the wall, at an appropriate point to connect with the internal plumbing, using INSUduct enables most lead replacement operations to be completed within a couple of hours, without undue disruption to householders/ occupiers.

INSUduct is carefully fabricated to provide long lasting and effective thermal protection to water pipes and fittings outside the thermal envelope of a building. There is little impact on the exterior appearance of the property, as the INSUduct system provides a neat, clean finish to the job. This method of wate supply replacement also allow multiple supply pipes to be installed in multi-occupancy properties, as it is designed to provide frost protection for

INSUduct is a high-quality product that exceeds regulated standards and exceeds British Standard 5422 and all relevant Water Regulations for frost protection. It is recognised as approved methods of installing new water supply pipes across the UK as part of lead supply pipe replacement programmes.

The patented NRv2 Check Valve system can help modulate the level of flow entering customer premises – regardless of network pressure.

The potential impacts of increased supply following the removal of lead systems, can be moderated to provide an acceptable supply without the negative consequences. A number of flow modulation ranges are available which enable the perfect balance of service provision.

As an added benefit, the NRv2 Check Valve system can also provide whole site protection against contamination by back flow.

The NRv2 can be easily and simply retrofitted to any meter installation - at meter exchange when upgrading or remediating underground meter chambers.

For more information please see our web site www.groundbreaker.co.uk/INSUduct or search “Watersafe/lead in water” or your local water company.

1. https://www.unitedutilities.com/help-and-support/yourwater-supply/lead-pipes/

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

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Clean Water Networks

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

Clean Water Networks

Spades in the ground mark start of UK’s biggest water infrastructure project for generations Anglian Water begins multi-million pound investment into hundreds of kilometers of interconnecting pipelines to prevent water scarcity ‘jaws of death’ Longer than HS2, the project will address the 30 million litre a day water shortage facing the East of England Drinking water to be moved in stages from ‘wetter’ north to ‘drier’ south and east of the region Latest ‘digital twin’ technology used to cut carbon, minimise environmental impact and build the water network of the future

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Clean Water Networks

Anglian Water is breaking ground on the largest drinking water grid project the UK has seen for a generation.

The first pipes of the new network are being laid in Lincolnshire, kicking off a project that will ultimately connect the county with the rest of the Anglian Water region, protecting the driest part of the country from running out of water.

It will be the inaugural scheme for Anglian Water’s Strategic Pipeline Alliance (SPA), which will in total create up to 500km of interconnecting pipelines, making it longer than HS2. This long-term project will be crucial in addressing the predicted future imbalance where demand for water greatly outstrips the available resources in the east of England. This is the most fundamental challenge Anglian Water faces in its region, due to the combined impact of a rapidly growing population, climate change and being located in the most water-scarce part of the UK. The mammoth project is part of Anglian’s Water Resources Management Plan, which looks 25 years ahead to make the East resilient to drought. Without taking this action, the East of England would face a water deficit of 30 million litres a day by 2025. That’s a shortfall of 4,380 Olympic swimming pools of water, every year This first section of water main will run for 24km between Lincoln and Ancaster. It will eventually connect with future pipelines to bring water from the north of Lincoln to communities around Grantham.

Ultimately, these new strategic water mains will take water to the south and east of the region, where it is less readily available. The new pipeline will also strengthen local resilience by reducing the number of homes and businesses which rely on a single water source.

CEO for Anglian Water, Peter Simpson said: “Two years ago, Sir James Bevan, Chair of the Environment Agency, spoke of the ‘jaws of death’ for water supply - the point at which, unless we took action to change things, there would not be enough water available to meet our needs in 25 years.

“The reality is even more stark in the East of England. We operate in the driest part of the country, and receive a third less rainfall than anywhere else in the UK, but are also one of

the fastest growing regions, with 175,000 new homes to be built in the next five years.

Without action we will face a water deficit of millions of litres a day within the next five years – let alone 25 years.

“Our SPA programme is a major part of how we will address this problem, and will ensure we can keep taps running for our customers, and as importantly, without having a detrimental impact on the environment. Water transfer is not new, but something of this scale hasn’t been attempted for generations in the UK. “But this is just one part of the answer to the significant challenges we face - we’re also committed to driving down leakage to world-leading low-levels, and managing the demand for water through installing 1.1 million smart meters by 2025, so our customers can understand their usage better, and work with us to decrease their consumption.”

Cutting-edge technology that won’t cost the earth As a business with environmental and social purpose at its core, Anglian applies green thinking to every aspect of its capital programme. SPA will make use of the latest technology, some never used before in the UK, each one designed to reduce the carbon footprint and any environmental impact associated with the scheme delivery:

Digital Twin technology: the whole scheme is supported by cutting-edge digital infrastructure - a digital twin - which will mirror the physical infrastructure in a virtual world. This will provide the

company with real-time data, helping monitor the network and driving insights that will improve the service for customers.

Virtually waterless pipe testing: engineers will be using equipment and a process never before used in the UK, which allows pipes to be laid to a food grade standard of hygiene and disinfected using a vastly reduced amount of water then in traditional mains laying, further saving this precious resource.

The pipe plough: described as “cleaner, greener and safer,” this specialist equipment will be used on sections of the scheme. It uses a blade to cut through the earth creating a precise trench and immediately lays the pipe within it, so there is no need for digging or re-filling.

As part of the water company’s commitment to reach net zero carbon by 2030 Anglian has already reduced the embodied carbon of its infrastructure projects by 61% since 2010.

Peter added: “Our commitment to protecting the environment is as vital as securing customer supplies. SPA will help meet our targets to reduce the amount of water we take from the environment by 84 million litres a day, but our infrastructure needs to be sustainable too.

“Climate change isn’t just a risk in terms of the challenges it poses us, it is also an opportunity to challenge established practice and to do things differently and more efficiently, for wider gain. This scheme is an excellent example how we’re doing both for the longterm benefit of our region.”

We operate in the driest part of the country, and receive a third less rainfall than anywhere else in the UK, but are also one of the fastest growing regions, with 175,000 new homes to be built in the next five years. Without action we will face a water deficit of millions of litres a day within the next five years – let alone 25 years.

Peter Simpson, CEO for Anglian Water

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

Water & Wastewater Metering Solutions!

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Clean Water Networks

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Large diameter distribution input, trunk main & reservoir metering England and Wales water companies wishing to meet their PR19 Outcome Delivery Incentives during AMP7, need on average to reduce Leakage by 16% and Supply Interruptions by 41% no later than 2025.

In previous AMP periods water companies have often focused on smaller diameter District Metered Area (DMA) pipelines for leak detection and fixes. However, leaks from the larger distribution trunk main pipelines that principally supply water abstracted from the environment, have the potential for far more significant individual leaks.

However, you can’t effectively manage Leakage if you’re reliant on outdated or unproven network flow models rather than real-time dynamic data from in-situ flow meters. And more often than not, there’s no existing flow measurement where you need it.

Potable drinking water extracted from rivers, aquifer bore holes, reservoirs, etc is generally delivered via large diameter pipes carrying the Distribution Input (DI) raw water to the

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treatment plant where the water is treated and disinfected. The water is then pumped to the local distribution system through a network of large diameter trunk mains before splitting into smaller diameter DMA pipes.

lower cost than large diameter inline meters, but they can also be retrofitted during normal operation, without any supply interruption, nor the substantial additional cost of civil engineering work and pipework modification.

Conventionally, large diameter trunk main pipes equated to very expensive inline flow measuring systems comprising large diameter electro-magnetic flowmeters, bypass lengths of pipeline, expensive large bore isolation valves and substantial civil costs to create underground chambers of sufficient size to house everything. Such projects can rapidly escalate to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Fortunately , there is a cost-effective alternative.

Water companies utilising reservoir water sources are frequently incapable of shutting off supply to the network to enable replacement work to take place for failed inline meters. In these circumstances the retrofit of a FLEXIM WD meter is a truly easy retrofit. Transducers sized appropriate to the pipe type and condition, are securely fixed to the pipe with 316ss fittings; so secure you can stand on them without decoupling transducers from the pipe.

Not only are FLEXIM FLUXUS WD Series clamp-on ultrasonic flow meters significantly

IP68 transducers are also available for reservoir pipes in flooded chambers.

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

Clean Water Networks

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6 4-channel meter in reflect-installation mode, producing 8-paths averaging the flow profile for optimum measurement uncertainty

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8 Extensive large diameter trunk main networks can be responsible for potentially catastrophic leakage events. Network modelling can assist, but nothing is better than real-time dynamic metering at point of flow. FLEXIM Fluxus WD Series meters are installed on significant water aqueduct pipelines supplying raw water to treatment works at some of the UK’s most important cities. Once fitted, with no measuring parts within the flow stream, the meters are virtually maintenance-free and can simply be checked via verification software at prescribed intervals.

For one major UK water operator, Distribution Input (DI) flow within 2 pipes, 1.8m and 1.5m diameter was of such critical importance to a significant conurbation, it was decided that the improved uncertainty of 4-channel metering per pipe was warranted for peace-of-mind and optimum leakage detection.

For further information on how FLEXIM can deliver highly accurate metering at optimum cost and without any supply interruption contact: sales@flexim.co.uk | 01606 781 420 | www.flexim.co.uk

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Typical Reservoir Inlet / Outlet clamp-on metering 4

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IP68 transducers installed on reservoir pipes subject to full submersion within chambers

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42” and 60” large diameter trunk main metering within an aqueduct pipeline 9

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4-channel meters installed on 1.5 and 1.8m diameter pipes

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Clean Water Networks

Freeze-thaw report shows that water industry has learned the lessons from the winter of 2018 UK water companies have learned from the winter of 2018 and successfully managed a more challenging freeze-thaw at the start of 2021 with little-to-no customer impact, according to a new report ‘Freeze-Thaw 2020-21’.

The report by industry body Water UK finds that collaboration between water companies, regulators, government and consumer groups, has resulted in the industry going into the 2021 freeze-thaw period in a stronger position to manage an unprecedented winter with minimal customer impact.

Freeze-thaw, a phenomenon which results in water pipes bursting as periods of cold weather are followed by a warming, occurs every winter. In 2018, freeze-thaw was particularly disruptive and prompted the industry to work collectively to ensure that lessons were learned.

Despite the freeze-thaw 2021 bringing burstrates that were 25% higher than in 2018, the improvements by water companies resulted in significantly enhanced resilience and good customer outcomes with learnings from 2018 being adopted across the industry, including: Improved warning systems – Freeze-thaw is now an indicator built into companies’ models for supply/demand impacts Clear escalation processes and procedures within companies – Executive-level

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awareness and involvement in incidents now begins early with the establishment of the industry’s national incident response group Reprioritising staff deployment – When trigger points are hit, companies respond by redeploying staff to focus on operational priorities in order to ensure better customer outcomes Customer communications – All water companies now run customer-facing campaigns via multiple platforms to communicate the impact of frozen or burst pipes and what preventative measures can be taken The preparedness of the industry was made even more imperative given the challenges faced by companies managing the risks posed

by COVID-19 and the end of the EU transition period.

As changes in climate increase the risks of extreme weather variability during the winter, it’s clear that there will need to be further collaboration between the industry, government and the regulators to reduce

burst rates and ensure continuity of service for customers.

Commenting on the report, Charlotte Owen Policy Manager at Water UK said: “The last year has presented water companies with a number of unique challenges including COVID-19 and the end of the EU transition period. This winter saw some sustained periods of freezing temperatures which also brought with it significant challenges.

“Fortunately, thanks to the robust procedures put in place as a result of our learnings from 2018, the preparedness of water companies meant that the impact on customers was significantly reduced. It’s vital that the industry continues to build on these learnings and that’s why the upcoming Leakage Routemap will be crucial to furthering our understanding of freeze-thaw and its impact on our systems.”

You can access the full report here: Freezethaw 2020/21: Recommendations from an unprecedented winter

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

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The Net-Zero mission Short and long-term solutions to decarbonise the UK water sector.

By Matthew Humphreys National Account Manager, Utilities, Adler and Allan

For the UK water industry, the countdown to carbon neutrality has begun. The sector has committed to reaching Net-Zero by 2030 – an ambitious aim that will save 10 million tonnes of greenhouse gas over the next nine years.

Operators must now develop sustainable CO2 reduction programmes and deliver them two decades ahead of the government’s 2050 decarbonisation deadline. In the face of an ageing infrastructure, strict budgets, and higher-than-ever stakeholder expectations, water companies have their work cut out.

The Water UK Net Zero 2030 Routemap provides a valuable strategic starting point, outlining a ten-step plan and several potential carbon reduction pathways. Along

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each route, businesses can employ specific interventions that provide both immediate impact and lasting benefits. But with only nine years to carry out the industry’s Net-Zero commitments, change must start now.

Adler and Allan recently took an online temperature check of water suppliers’ progress to date. Encouragingly, respondents to our social media survey had already chosen a primary pathway, with 50% selecting a technology-led approach, two sets of 19% opting for demand-led and removals-led strategies, and 12% following combined methodologies.

However, only one member of our focus group was ‘completely confident’ about reaching Net-Zero by 2030. When asked about decarbonisation activity so far, 19% of participants said they were ahead of target, 30% believed they were on target, and 25%

classed themselves as behind. The remaining 26% didn’t know.

The task and time constraints are challenging, but with expert support and a collaborative approach, it’s possible to remove your NetZero roadblocks. Let’s explore the pathways, interventions, and partnership possibilities that can quicken your pace to decarbonisation.

Burning fossil fuels interventions Quick win: Replacing gas oil with HVO

Swapping red diesel for Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) – a 100% renewable ‘drop in’ alternative – is a fast, simple, environmentally-friendly fuel strategy. A qualified consultant will perform a detailed asset survey to ensure HVO compatibility, then oversee tank cleaning, inspection, and fuel uplift and replacement. You’ll also receive a comprehensive maintenance schedule to

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

prevent microbial contamination and fuel degradation.

Proactive planning: Transforming sewage sludge into biogas

A pivotal part of Net-Zero success is smarter waste management. Increasing numbers of wastewater facilities have already installed combined heat and power (CHP) engines as part of broader renewable fuel generation programmes.

These units use the natural process of anaerobic digestion (AD) to transform sludge into biogas, which can be used to power site operations, combusted to create electricity and heat, or sold back to the local grid. In turn, the heat generated from CHP facilities can be repurposed to expedite the AD cycle.

Long-term strategy: Planning for sustainable onsite hydrogen production

While still in its infancy, onsite hydrogen production could emerge as the industry’s NetZero saviour. Electrolysis can extract hydrogen from partially treated wastewater with no carbon emissions. A possible scenario could involve powering your wastewater plant with hydrogen by day, then continuing electrolysis out of hours. The resultant green energy reserves could be: Used to fuel company vehicles Injected into the national grid Provided to local services, including buses, domestic waste vehicles, and police cars Sold to hydrogen consumers, such as chemical plants and refineries

Transport interventions Quick win: Energy efficiency – journey reduction

Every load of effluent and hazardous waste tankered from your site increases your overall carbon emissions. Upgrading your drainage systems minimises wastewater volumes – and the road miles to remove

them. A comprehensive programme of waste reduction, recycling, and repurposing will limit the runoff/removal cycle, curb journey requirements, and bring you a sizable step closer to carbon-free practices.

Quick win: Alternative technologies – electric vehicles (EV) Your fleet is a significant source of emissions – but one of the simplest to address. It’s possible to tick your first box towards Net-Zero within weeks by installing EV charging points across key sites, using ready-to-rollout technology.

A trusted partner can also map your longer-term transition to greener vehicles – from an initial feasibility study through to electrical infrastructure and charging point implementation, commissioning, and sign off.

Long-term strategy: Hydrogen or biogas fuel infrastructures Hydrogen is fundamental to UK water’s Net-Zero future – and green power for your HGV fleet is already available. A skilled environmental consultant will create a point-by-point conversion plan, including interim adaptations, decommissioning guidance, and support on designing, implementing, and maintaining your hydrogen or biofuel-led infrastructure.

Natural sequestration interventions Quick win: Planting trees

The water sector has set a collective target to plant 11 million trees by 2030. While trees take decades to effect measurable change on CO2 levels, planting can still be a low-cost, highly visible quick win for water companies.

Working with an ecologist to survey land and select appropriate tree species, yield class, and management practices will ensure your investment enhances native environments and thrives for generations.

Long-term strategy: Peatland restoration

Restoring degraded peatlands reduces a large portion of carbon emissions from natural systems and provides essential biodiversity benefits. A trained environmental consultant can manage the delicate ‘re-wetting’ process, restoring the land’s natural flow of water and soil saturation. They’ll also offer expert support on peatland feasibility surveys, design, excavation, and planting.

Long-term strategy: Grassland restoration

Grassland restoration encompasses a range of techniques that enhance the natural landscape and preserve biodiversity. Working with an environmental specialist removes costly guesswork, providing guidance on your ideal approach – from spontaneous succession to topsoil removal and transfer – as well as strategies to boost species richness within exarable spaces.

The transition to Net-Zero will take innovation, proactivity, and shared commitment from the water sector, its stakeholders, and supply chain. The clock is ticking, but a combined effort will make positive change achievable.

Working side-by-side with a trusted partner – who understands your risks, requirements, pain points, and opportunities – will speed your decarbonisation journey and help you deliver on your 2030 deadline. www.adlerandallan.co.uk/expertise/sectors/ water

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Delivering water sustainability in the face of rising global temperatures The recently released sixth assessment report by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (described as “sombre reading” by Boris Johnson) delivered a stark warning to policymakers that the target for limiting global heating as set out in the Paris Agreement is slipping beyond reach.

The report, delivered by the IPCC (which is made up of 234 scientists from 66 countries), explains that no nation is safe from the effects of global temperature rises and that the crisis is already affecting every region of the planet.

on Climate Change) suggests that nationwide water shortages are of concern and “we can expect greater water deficits across the country, including in cooler wetter areas like the North West of England.”

When signing the Paris Agreement in 2015, nations were aspiring to restrict global warming to 1.5oC above pre-industrial levels.

However, the IPCC report declared that “it is more likely than not” that 1.5oC will be reached sometime between 2021 and 2040 and that “it is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.”

In response to increasing demand and climate pressures, the reduction of network leakage has been identified as a critical factor in achieving water sustainability. UK water companies are proactively delivering large-scale network monitoring projects to reduce leaks, which is a hugely complicated undertaking.

This is a concern because temperature plays a critical role in both weather patterns and the water cycle, with even small variations having wide-reaching affects. Already, according to UNICEF, around 74% of recent natural disasters are water-related (including drought and floods) and it is predicted that rising temperatures will only increase the frequency and intensity of such events.

Leak reduction is considered so critical that Ofwat has set water companies stretching performance commitments which, when achieved, will reduce leakage by 16% by 2025.

To their credit, the UK water companies have committed to going further, aiming to deliver a 50% reduction in leakage by 2050.

The UK is not immune to climate change and global temperature rises and officials are already conscious of the challenges posed by daily demand for water rising from 14bn litres to 18bn litres by 2050.

However, approximately 90% of all leaks never show at ground level, and as such, water companies are investing in the deployment of advanced technological solutions including acoustic noise loggers, correlators and ground microphones to discover them.

Although the UK is often misconstrued as a wet and rainy country, this is an incorrect assumption according to Sir James Bevan of the Environment Agency, who explained in a recent report that climate change is “causing long spells of dry weather that are putting our water resources under increased pressure.”

United Utilities, for example, is committed to installing an acoustic leak noise logger along every quarter mile of its network and is investing in up to 100,000 PermaNET devices to achieve this. It is United Utilities intention to reduce leakage by 20% by 2025, exceeding the Ofwat target, with this mass deployment set to be the catalyst.

There are also warnings that is it not just the drier parts of the country, like London and the densely populated South East of England that could experience droughts. Kathryn Brown (Head of Adaption at the Committee

Further north, Yorkshire Water has also invested heavily in PermaNET devices in ongoing attempts to save millions of litres of water. Aiming to install around 40,000 devices, Yorkshire Water is using acoustic

Each acoustic sensor and logger is capable of identifying a leak within a very small target area. PermaNET gives us a much greater understanding and visibility of what it is happening in some of the areas most prone to leaks.

Martyn Hattersley, Head of Leakage Operations, Yorkshire Water

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leak noise monitoring to cover the areas of its network that is most prone to leaks.

In Yorkshire, the introduction of PermaNET provides an upgrade to the technology that was previously being used, and as explained

by Head of Leakage Operations, Martyn Hattersley: “each acoustic sensor and logger is capable of identifying a leak within a very small target area. PermaNET gives us a much greater understanding and visibility of what it is happening in some of the areas most prone to leaks.”

Through the mass deployment of PermaNET leak detection devices, both United Utilities and Yorkshire Water are pro-actively demonstrating their commitment to achieving water sustainability.

By achieving these ambitious leak reduction targets, UK water companies are playing an instrumental role in the fight against future water shortages and are helping to combat the effects of global temperature rises. www.hwmglobalc.om

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

PermaNET SU LTE-M & NBIoT-enabled Correlating Noise Logger Our advanced modem is capable of connecting via LTE-M or NBIoT, with a 2G fallback, efficiently delivering consistent and reliable leak noise data.

Map-based display and GIS interface through PermaNET Web ‘Tilt alarm’ if device is removed or tampered with Full audio and correlation facilities www.hwmglobal.com

Pump Technology and Innovation

Energy efficient system delivers optimum savings With energy consumption accounting for nearly 90% of the lifecycle of a pumping system, it makes sense to take advantage of the latest technology to achieve significant savings.

Graphs show energy savings that can be achieved with the High Efficiency System. Images: credit Franklin Electric Franklin Electric, renowned worldwide for excellence and innovation, is helping customers do exactly that with its High Efficiency System (HES), which cuts energy costs by up to 21%.

The system comprises of a synchronous submersible NEMA permanent magnet high efficiency motor, a submersible E-Tech pump and a frequency converter, as well as a matching output filter for systems higher than 230 V. It uses pre-written software to ensure greater efficiency with higher power density.

The permanent magnet motor is critical to the system’s high efficiency abilities, as Mike Deed, managing director of Geoquip Water Solutions, Franklin Electric’s UK strategic partner for groundwater products, explains.

“This sets it apart from current asynchronous technology as it means the windings are permanently magnetised, therefore using less energy when starting and running, delivering both a smoother and faster solution and improving the efficiency of the motor,” he says.

“The permanent magnet motor also has less temperature heat rise and requires lower amps to run at the same pump load, while utilising the frequency converter further optimises energy efficiency.”

A solar-powered option is also available, further increasing energy savings by carefully calculating how much energy can be provided by each day’s sunlight. It uses an algorithm

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to maximise motor and pump performance based on the number of solar panels in place, and its clever advanced voltage boost function makes it possible to size systems up to 2.2kW based on power rather than voltage, saving up to 50% on solar panels compared to a standard system.

A further key advantage of the HES is its easy set up, a step-by-step guide takes users through the drive settings, and once in place, monitoring can take place either manually via a board panel or remotely through Bluetooth and the Franklin Smartphone App ‘FE Connect Drivetech’ (Android and IOS).

Among those to benefit from investing in an HES has been one of London’s major teaching hospitals, which estimates it has saved around £2.5k a month on running costs.

Mike Deed continues: “The ability to access information via your phone or tablet makes a huge difference as you can instantly check usage and data at the touch of a button. You can monitor pump performance and quickly identify any issues, such as reduced water pressure, and take remedial action before the problem accelerates.”

After encountering problems with its existing borehole water supply, St George’s Hospital in Tooting, called in borehole and well drilling specialist Darren Hughes, who determined that a replacement pumping system was needed.

His team worked with Geoquip to install the Franklin Electric HES and Darren explains: “The original 8” pump was pumping 140 cubic litres an hour and would be switched on and off every time the tanks needed filling. The new 6” pump now runs for longer to match peak demand but because it has the permanent magnet system in place, it uses less energy when starting and running, is much more energy efficient and there is no detriment to supply.”

Customers can estimate their likely financial savings and see how long the payback period is likely to be by using Franklin’s online calculator www.fehighefficiency. franklinwater.eu

In addition to enabling operator monitoring, it also provides access to the Franklin Electric support team in order to help solve any issues.

Always at the forefront of innovation, Franklin Electric continually works to develop new products, including the constant-pressure system DriveTech and DriveTech Mini and various controls for submersible and surface pumping systems.

As a strategic partner, the Geoquip team works closely with Franklin Electric and has direct access to its European manufacturing facilities, enabling Geoquip’s experts to provide tailored solutions to meet customer requirements.

For more information, visit www.geoquipwatersolutions.com or call 01473 462046.

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

Pump Technology and Innovation

For the latest Water Industry news...

www.waterindustryjournal.co.uk

Anglian Water announces route map to reach net zero by 2030 Company’s comprehensive carbon plan aligned to raising of £300 million bond investment Anglian Water has published a route map which sets out how the company will reach net zero carbon by 2030.

The net zero target will cover all of the company’s operational activities and those of its supply chain, as well as a commitment to cut capital carbon by 70 per cent against a 2010 baseline.

Last month, the water company made financial history when it became the first utility in the world to launch a sustainability-linked bond connected directly to achieving its interim carbon targets.

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2030. Each year the company will reduce its carbon emissions, and by 2030 its operational emissions will have reduced by over 70 per cent against a 2018/19 baseline – a reduction of over 250,000 tonnes, or the equivalent of filling 55,000 hot air balloons.

By 2025, Anglian has committed to reduce capital carbon by 65 per cent from a 2010 baseline, and operational carbon by 30% from 2018/19 levels as part of its journey to reach net zero.

In 2020, the water industry of England and Wales became the first sector worldwide to work collaboratively on a route map to reach net zero within the decade, with each company expected to publish their individual plans this month.

Anglian’s route map is centred around several key areas of work and outlines the targets the company will reach by

CEO Peter Simpson said: “We are accelerating our progress to net zero and setting out the pathway that will get us there by 2030, based on our three-step hierarchy of reducing emissions, decarbonising our electricity supply and removing or offsetting our residual emissions.

“It won’t be easy – in fact it will be incredibly challenging and we don’t have all the answers. Finding and delivering them is going to take sustained and genuinely collaborative efforts throughout the coming years, not just from us but from our supply chain, our peers, from government and from regulators too.”

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Pump Technology and Innovation

Look – no pumps! Selwood turns to siphons for major canal project Selwood is renowned as the UK’s leading provider of pumping solutions – but one of its most ingenious engineering solutions involved no pumps at all.

Using nothing more than pipes, gravity and specialist technical knowledge, Selwood developed an environmentally-friendly siphoning system to assist with crucial works to replace canal gates in Scotland.

Gairlochy lock syphoning

The task

The Caledonian Canal is one of the most popular visitor attractions in the Scottish Highlands, carrying more than 1,400 boats each year. The Gairlochy top gates at its Lock 17 are the largest on the canal and serve as a crucial flood defence, separating Loch Lochy from the canal and the communities to the west. As the gates were 30 years old, they were made a priority for replacement based on age, condition, and risk.

Amco Giffen, carrying out the replacement works on behalf of Scottish Canals, called upon Selwood’s solutions team for support with water bypass of the lock to enable the replacement gates to be installed.

The challenge

In the lock there is a bypass channel which allows the flow to be diverted from Loch Lochy, through the lock gates and into the canal. This is in place to maintain the required water level in the canal and is controlled by a pen stock located on the lock system. Almost 2,000 litres per second has to be forwarded into the canal system to maintain the water levels needed downstream.

A marina below the lock also has to be fed to avoid the damage a drop in water level would cause to boats moored there. Noise was a key concern to avoid disruption to nearby residents, and there was a need to avoid the risk of fuel spillage and minimise the overall environmental impact.

The solution

Using pumps to drain the lock would have been a conventional solution – but the commitment of the Selwood teams to innovation and sustainability resulted in a more environmentally and cost-effective idea. Siphon systems on this scale are rare – especially with such a low head difference between the top and bottom water level.

However, Selwood’s specialists carefully studied and modelled the location, even building a scale model to demonstrate the concept was viable. With the case proven, Selwood ran two 800mm pipes from the top of the lock to the downstream canal system.

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A Selwood-designed priming system filled the siphon to get the water flowing. The siphon was also fitted with an 800mm gate valve on each set-up to regulate flow rates, measured by two 800mm digital flow meters. The vacuum pressure was continually monitored by two Selwood pressure monitoring panels that enabled the system to start automatically if the vacuum started to drop below the required levels. Once the siphon was up and running, it required very little maintenance with only occasional checks on the priming system. 13,000,000m3 of water was moved from Loch Lochy during the operation.

The result

The cost of operating a traditional pump set-up flows required would have been more

than £10,000 a week to run. By comparison, the siphon system cost around £200 per week, saving around £156,000 in total for the duration of the project.

Additionally, 424,883kg of CO2 was saved when compared with a diesel pump set. Noise levels were kept low, which ensured that the local residents were not disturbed.

Amco Giffen said: “Removing and replacing the largest lock gates in Scotland was challenging in so many ways, but with continued support from Selwood, we were able to deliver the works as planned. We were pleased with the level of support from Selwood throughout the project.” www.selwood.co.uk

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

Pump Technology and Innovation

How pump selection can affect total cost of ownership

While considerations should be made on the total cost of ownership (TCO) when specifying a pump, the most important criteria should be that it is fit for purpose, to ensure optimal productivity. Selecting the wrong pump can prevent the pump from performing to its full potential and lead to unnecessary downtime, wear, maintenance and energy consumption, product damage or reduced uptime of the process.

Before: Build-up in the pumps affected the flow, requiring 2-3 hours to clean each pump and equipment being replaced every 6 months When selecting a pump, factors such as the viscosity of the product being conveyed, flow rate or the operating temperature should also be considered. Not all pump technologies are equal. Some are designed to handle low viscosity, others for highly viscous and high solids content products. Shear-sensitive media, for example, requires a pump with low shear action.

After: SEEPEX transfer pumps offer reliable performance, and ease of maintenance due to their simple pump design

the powdered polymer was mixed with water to their daily service tank.

However, build-up around the volute casing and impellers in the pumps severely affected the flow which required the pumps to be dismantled and cleaned – a process which took 2-3 hours per pump, and the pumps being replaced every 6 months.

In wastewater treatment processes, polymers are used to thicken sludge by attracting all suspended fine particles to produce larger groups of solid materials through a process called flocculation. These flocculants are often extremely viscous and shear-sensitive once hydrated. Incorrect pump selection can affect the metering accuracy, damage the polymer structure and potentially the efficiency of the thickening process.

The use of centrifugal pumps to transfer viscous media reduces their performance due to factors such as the effect of viscosity on the impeller, reduction in flow and the increase in horsepower required. But also their pumping action generates high shear, making them unsuitable to handle shear-sensitive products.

Wrong selection affects process performance

The right pump for the duty

A Water Company was using two multistage vertical centrifugal pumps to handle polyelectrolyte for use as a flocculant agent and transfer it from a ‘make-up’ tank where

www.waterindustryjournal.co.uk

To address these challenges, SEEPEX was engaged to offer a cost-effective pumping solution.

Progressive cavity pumps have a low shear pumping action. Their flow rate is directly related to pump speed and have minimal pulsation, producing the lowest mechanical stress and minimising product shear damage.

Additionally, in a PC pump the stator is cleaned by the action of the rotor, eliminating any chance of product build-up and subsequent blockages which would otherwise affect pump performance.

No onward cost since installation

SEEPEX’s intervention has resulted in costsavings for the customer as the new PC pumps have not suffered from blockages, used any spare parts or required maintenance since they were installed in 2018. www.seepex.com

To meet the application’s requirements, SEEPEX selected progressive cavity pumps from their BW range for transferring the viscous polymer. Simple and compact for quick and straight forward maintenance.

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Images ©Thames Water/KCD

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WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

Overcoming challenges on innovative £8.5 million Cotswolds sewer scheme A major new sewer pipeline is being delivered in Gloucestershire in an £8.5 million project by Thames Water to ease pressure on the network created by new homes and the pandemic.

Using ingenious techniques like ‘microtunnelling’, the 3.8km scheme involves the installation of 1,800 individual sections of pipe between Chesterton and Shorncote, and the construction of a new pumping station.

With new houses being built in Cirencester, and more people working from home, the project will increase wastewater capacity and help prevent some of the flooding problems which affected the Cotswolds earlier this year.

The project is being delivered by KCD, a joint venture between Kier and Clancy for the Thames Water Infrastructure Alliance. The combination of innovation and collaboration means the work is due to finish ahead of schedule this autumn.

Neil Titchener, Thames Water’s head of major projects, said: “This is a big investment by Thames Water that will help protect homes and the environment in the Cotswolds from

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the kind of weather-related sewer flooding we saw earlier this year.

“By increasing capacity, our network will be able to handle much larger volumes of water. Thanks to a combination of innovation and collaboration, we have overcome many challenges, and are on course to finish ahead of schedule this autumn.

“This has been a real joint effort between KCD and Thames Water, all the way from pre-design to delivery. It’s certainly set the benchmark for future large projects.”

Some of the challenges presented by the unique characteristics of the landscape included dealing with high groundwater levels in the Cotswold Water Park.

Engineers have also dug out tons of rock, navigated existing utilities and infrastructure – including high pressure gas mains – and tunnelled under roads.

Ian Thompson, head of developer services at KCD, said: “The area has a high water table, so significant de-watering had to be factored in from the outset. In total we’ve had to put in well points for each 500 metres of trench.

“Navigating existing utilities and infrastructure has also been important.

We’ve used a combination of open cut trenching across fields and then microtunnelling under the carriageway and highpressure gas mains.

“Micro-tunnelling is a trenchless technique for pipe installation, which has allowed us to minimise disruption. It’s important to us that the project’s construction has as little impact as possible.

“While many sectors have seen projects delayed due to Covid, the criticality of utility work has meant that we’ve had to keep motoring – safely – through the crisis.”

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Wastewater Treatment and Technology

Innovation driving sustainable solutions to treat Yorkshire’s wastewater Yorkshire Water and its partners Stantec and BarhaleDoosan JV are currently constructing an integrated wetland at Clifton wastewater treatment works to help reduce reliance on energy intensive treatment processes.

Here Yorkshire Water project lead Michael Housby explains the thinking behind the innovative project.

Phosphorus removal from treated wastewater is a particular focus for Yorkshire Water and all water companies alike and we have looked at a variety of innovative ways of meeting our goals in this area.

We are always looking for innovative/ alternative solutions. One element of our programme identified a number of our existing sites where the creation of wetlands integrated into the treatment process could have significant benefits in terms of energy saving, carbon reduction and long-term positive impacts for the environment and local biodiversity while achieve the regulated Phosphorus performance Integrated wetlands are considered to be low-cost, low-energy and low-maintenance in nature, compared with traditional chemicalbased solutions. They are particularly well suited to rural areas, so our innovation and strategic planning teams identified our wastewater treatment works at Clifton – a small site near Doncaster – as the number one site to begin this project. As a result, we are now building a wetland which will be planted with more than 20,000 plants to naturally

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remove phosphorus from treated wastewater before it is returned to the environment.

The £1.2m project is the first of its kind in Yorkshire and will remove phosphorus from millions of litres of treated water in a natural, sustainable and low-carbon process, while also achieving a biodiversity net gain. The project also removed the need for carbonintensive engineering solutions to upgrade the treatment works. The mechanically driven rotating biological contactor at Clifton required replacement and the new 4mg/l phosphorus permit would require the installation of a chemical dosing set up, new settlement tanks and regular deliveries of ferric sulphate to the small rural site.

By reducing reliance on building and grey infrastructure and removing the chemical dosing activity at Clifton, we will be enabling a 58% carbon efficiency in terms of the entirety of the scheme, with reduced operator intervention and next to no energy input, with the additional benefit of being a biodiversity net gain.

Our approach instead uses the natural slope present at the treatment works with construction of a series of shallow natural clay cells, approximately the size of three Olympic swimming pools, planted with a

diverse range of native water vegetation to mimic the natural processes that occur in wetlands to remove pollutants. These cells use a combination of sedimentation filtration via the action of plants, as well as aerobic and anaerobic breakdown of pollutants by microorganisms and insects, resulting in clean water for discharge to local watercourses.

We worked hard with the Environment Agency throughout the planning stages and because of our collaboration this is one of the first projects to be delivered as part of an operating techniques agreement, which is designed to encourage innovation. The flexibility afforded by the agreement has enabled us to use natural clay in the wetland rather than an artificial pond liner, helping us to be much more integrated with nature and deliver real benefits.

To mitigate carbon and cost from significant

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

Wastewater Treatment and Technology

material movements offsite, and to enhance local biodiversity, a material management plan has been approved under the CL:AIRE process to keep all excavated material on site, further reducing carbon emissions and potential disruption to local residents.

The wetland has also created opportunities for engagement with the local community.

We will be engaging with local schools to get pupils involved with the planting process and asking them to build bug hotels for the new biodiversity section of the works that will be completed once the wetlands is in operation.

Not only does this let the next generation play a part in establishing the new ecosystem but also gives them a first-hand opportunity to see the process and the importance of treating sewage.

To enable YW to learn from this project, we have accelerated the delivery of this project

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three years ahead of schedule and it really is just the start for Yorkshire Water when it comes to integrated wetlands and natural treatment solutions. Seven further sites have been identified where wetlands could be implemented and feasibility investigations are underway with our strategic planning

partners Stantec. We hope to use Clifton as a potential template for future nature-based solutions to support our 2030 net zero carbon commitment and change the way in which we consider design and construction within the built environment. yorkshirewater.com

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Wastewater Treatment and Technology

Solution of the corrosion of sewage systems and the release of Hydrogen Sulfide problems

MagTreat-S® is a well-stabilized, non-foaming suspension of magnesium hydroxide which is used as an alkali in marine scrubbers. It is based on the natural mineral brucite and is made in various slurry make down plants which are strategically located near main ports.

The problem of the corrosion of sewage systems is especially severe in some areas. As usual, this is a result of a number of physical and chemical factors.

The first factor has a hydrodynamic nature: as a rule, it is water streams that flow at a high speed or fall fr om a high height that sometimes reaches up to 60 meters. It has been optimized by proper configuration of the sewage system and flows.

The second factor is usually a complex biochemical process. When the initial effluent has an acidic reaction and carries sulfurcontaining compounds, for example, sulfates, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is released from water into the gas phase with the appearance of a strong unpleasant smell. The released gas is adsorbed on the concrete walls of the sewage and is gradually oxidized by thiobacteria to sulfuric acid (H2SO4), which begins to corrode the concrete, as evidenced by a drop in its pH. If this process is uncontrolled, then the result is the destruction of the sewage. The speed of this process depends on the concentration of hydrogen sulfide, the grade of concrete and the presence/absence of protective layer.

Schematically, this process can be represented as follows:

As can be seen at the pH of 8.5, the release of gaseous H2S drops almost to zero. If there is no release of hydrogen sulfide into the gas phase, then there is no biochemical corrosion of the sewage system.

The MagTreat® - S reagent by Brucite+ produced on the basis of natural magnesium hydroxide is the most effective and at the same time safe alkali, giving much more hydroxide ions than caustic soda (NaOH) as example.

The reagent also provides a very high buffering capacity of wastewater, which prevents the loss of alkalinity with time resulting in pH decrease (acidification) after the dosing of reagent into the system.

So how does it work? Typically, the reagent is introduced into sewage system where the wastewaters are collected and start its way to municipal wastewater treatment plant. In this case, wastewater does not emit H2S along its entire way and coming with already optimum pH of 8-8.5 for biological treatment.

One of the most effective solutions to this problem is to adjust the pH of waste water from acidic to basic area. As a result, the equilibrium of the reaction below shifts to the left, contributing to the formation of aqueous 2S and not gaseous H2S. S2- + 2H+ = H+ + HS- = H2S Aqueous phase |

Gas phase

Above you can find a phase diagram showing the concentration of all substances depending on pH:

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Magnesium hydroxide is classified as sparingly soluble in water. Inside wastewaters with an acidic reaction MagTreat® begins to dissolve gradually releasing magnesium cations and hydroxide anions that neutralize the acids. Due to the limited solubility MagTreat® is consumed gradually, providing the system with a “buffer effect”. Divalent Mg2+ cations are involved in the processes of coagulation, compaction of sewage sludge, and are also micronutrients for activated sludge bacteria. Due to the formation of insoluble or poorly soluble salts with various anions, MagTreat® is used to precipitate phosphates, magnesium-ammonium phosphates, fluorides, regulates the content of

sulfides, reduction of odor in the wastewater treatment plant. Hydroxide anions promote the precipitation of heavy metals in the form of insoluble hydroxides. Magnesium hydroxide forms insoluble magnesium-ammonium phosphate with phosphate and ammonium ions, decreasing N and P load in wastewaters.

Moreover, MagTreat®-S is a safe and ecofriendly product. Recently Carbon Footprint Ltd. has provided a life cycle assessment of MagTreat®-S that have been acknowledged as a CO2e accessed product. The assessment was dedicated to the greenhouse gas emissions associated with 1kg of the product.

This analysis focused on the embodied raw material emissions, the transport of these materials, the manufacture, processing and limited distribution of the product. Following the assessment it was concluded that the carbon footprint of MagTreat®-S is fairly low.

According to the assessment the emissions caused by extraction of the brucite ore (a raw material for MagTreat®-S) are close to zero accounting for 9 gCO2e per 1 kg which indicates that the ore has very low carbon footprint and it is close to be a carbon neutral raw material.

Use the unique properties of natural magnesium hydroxide to meet your environmental challenges. www.europiren.com info@europiren.com +31 (0) 10 350 6206

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

MagTreat® magnesium hydroxide is a concentrated suspension used for wastewater and exhaust gas treatment MagTreat® is applied for the neutralization of acidic effluents, precipitation of heavy metals, reduction of hydrogen sulfide emissions COD and phosphates, and improving filtration properties of treated sludge, often producing lower levels of solid waste. ⸰ ⸰ ⸰ ⸰ ⸰ ⸰

Is a natural eco-friendly product with an acceptable level of CO2 Predictably increases pH and alkalinity creating a buffering effect Precipitates heavy metals Reduces phosphates and COD Reduces odor, prevents corrosion of water treatment systems Is safe for handling, non-toxic, non-corrosive

MagTreat® is an effective solution to the problem of wastewater pollution

info@europiren.com www.europiren.com +31 (0) 10 350 6206

Wastewater Treatment and Technology

Healthy dosing Good maintenance of chemical dosing systems is essential to meeting increased water quality compliance challenges. Graham Ward of WES has some money-saving and environmentally sound advice on this subject for water companies and contractors The water industry’s current Asset Management Period, AMP7, has seen a tightening of legislation on removal of phosphorus from wastewater. It aims to reduce eutrophication - nutrient over-enrichment of lakes, rivers and other surface waters, which generates algal blooms.

Chemical dosing is a critical element of the necessary treatment. With stricter, lower limits on phosphorus levels, dosing systems are now being introduced at many smaller treatment works which previously had no such requirement. Each needs to be properly maintained if its operation is to remain compliant and cost-effective.

Beware of false economy

Cutting corners on maintenance makes breakdowns, unplanned downtime and extra repair bills more likely. A poorly serviced system may also run inefficiently and measure inaccurately, leading to higher energy consumption and wastefully large chemical doses. In addition, any deterioration which allows chemicals to leak can result in costly damage or injury. While these defects increase operating expenditure, poor maintenance also puts pressure on capital expenditure budgets by shortening the equipment’s lifespan.

The same malfunctions threaten the environment too. Underdosing may leave wastewater insufficiently treated, while overdosing can make discharges chemically

Proper maintenance of dosing equipment is critical toxic. Serious faults in the equipment could lead to significant chemical leakage, or discharge of untreated wastewater, directly into natural habitats. Its impacts might include large fines, enforcement undertakings, remedial works and damaged reputations.

The value of maintenance and audits

Dosing systems need at least an annual scheduled maintenance visit. This should cover planned servicing of pumps and other components, as well as checks on calibration, condition and functioning. Further preventative maintenance measures may include additional ‘health check’ visits during the year, in which components are cleaned and tested to ensure they are in good order and performing optimally.

A good provider will carry out an initial site survey to determine the equipment’s maintenance needs, which vary greatly according to site conditions, applications and set-ups. The operator will then be offered an appropriate choice of service packages, such as one of WES’ Gold, Silver or Bronze schemes.

Dosing systems should have at least an annual maintenance and calibration visit

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In addition, dosing equipment should be audited regularly to ensure its specification still meets the application’s requirements.

There may have been changes in, for example, the volume or content of the wastewater being treated, or the chemicals used. Altering the system’s configuration to suit the new conditions can increase its effectiveness, economy and longevity.

If a system has not been reviewed for some time, an audit should be requested to assess its fitness. This will identify any work needed to rectify damage and deterioration. It should also identify aspects which no longer meet current asset standards. Systems can often be brought up to date by upgrading key components.

Solutions for tricky sites

When choosing dosing equipment for one of the smaller sites which now require dosing equipment, it makes sense to consider the costs of installation and ongoing maintenance.

These sites tend to be unmanned, remote from specialist engineering staff, hard to access, with little space or scope for positioning of equipment, and without buildings to protect equipment from the weather.

Today there are compact packaged dosing systems which overcome these difficulties.

Their low weight, small footprint and preassembled, pre-tested configuration makes installation easy and expands location choice.

They come with inbuilt weather protection and are designed to operate with minimal maintenance intervention, save for scheduled maintenance.

For further information on phosphorus removal and dosing system maintenance, detailed white papers can be found under Resources/Downloads at www.wes.ltd.uk Graham Ward is Business Development Director at dosing system specialist WES Ltd.

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

Design Build Maintain Hire Your chemical. Our know-how.

WES is the UK’s leading chemical dosing systems provider From design and manufacture to service and support - WES builds, installs and maintains chemical dosing systems.

From small packaged systems to large and bespoke installations, our expertise means you can effectively add chemicals to your process.

In an emergency, hiring equipment is the fastest and most cost-effective option. We operate a dedicated fleet that’s ideal in emergencies or to cover planned maintenance.

Talk to our team today for technical advice or discuss our planned preventative maintenance packages to ensure your operation stays safe and avoids unplanned downtime.

For more information or to discuss a project contact: Graham Ward Email: Graham.Ward@wes.ltd.uk Main office: +44 (0)1256 819 777 Website: www.wes.ltd.uk

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Wastewater Treatment and Technology

Wastewater Level Monitoring The notorious Genoa low, also known as “the V(5)-track cyclone”, repeatedly brings catastrophic rainfall in its wake.

The low pressure system extends across the Mediterranean region near the Gulf of Genoa. As it moves above the Mediterranean, it fills up with humid air and then strengthens as it heads in a northwesterly direction around the Eastern Alps. Depending on the path it takes, the front can cause extensive and long-lasting steady rain in eastern and southeastern Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Inefficient wastewater level measurement system

In a wastewater level measurement system that was originally set up with float switches, the first switch initiates the filling of the tank when the level drops to a minimum.

A second switch stops filling the tank when it reaches the maximum level, while switch number three acts as an alarm that also prevents the tank from being refilled.

There is a simpler method, however, which involves using KELLER 26 Y level transmitters instead of several floats. This electronic measurement technology offers clear advantages in sewage applications. For one thing, the piezoresistive level sensors do not detect foam as a level of liquid (as is the case with ultrasonic sensors), which ensures accurate level values. Because the system does not have mechanical components that can get jammed or blocked, it’s also less likely to break down. In addition, measurements are taken continuously and current level values can be read off a display at any time. All in all, it’s a highly reliable and simple solution.

Piezoresistive level transmitters

Series 26 Y pressure transmitters are used in level measurement applications that are price-sensitive but also require a high degree of accuracy.

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These transmitters have a very low temperature error due to digital compensation of what is a purely analogue signal path.

Here, amplification and the zero point can be influenced by digital-analogue converters.

The accuracy of the end product depends in large part on the sensitivity and linearity of the measuring cell and the compensation of disruptive influences. The silicon measuring cell in the 26 Y series is reliably protected from the measured medium by a stainless steel membrane. The latter, in turn, is protected against mechanical stress by a plastic cap, while its large diameter of 17 mm makes it especially accurate and stable. keller-druck.com

Nearly all of the major flooding disasters in recent years on the Oder, Elbe and Danube rivers can be attributed to the Genoa low. In 2010, for example, the Oder catchment area experienced the second-worst flooding disaster since the end of the 1940s. Between 15 May and 20 May 2017, a huge amount of rain fell in the Oder catchment area, with rainfall accumulation as high as 180mm/m2.

The second-highest rate of rainfall since weather services began recording such data – 2,100 cubic metres per second – was registered at the Czech-Polish border.

Poland, which has been among the hardest-hit countries in terms of flooding, has invested a substantial amount of money in flood protection measures over the last few years. Unfortunately, Poland still faces major challenges, as instances of heavy rainfall continue to increase due to climate change. The expansion and monitoring of sewer systems is crucial here – and since 2007, more than 5,000 KELLER Series 46 X transmitters have been installed for sewage applications in Poland. The transmitters are mostly used in newly built or upgraded lift stations, which pump wastewater in so-called backflow loops to a level higher than the downstream manholes in the sewer system. In heavy rainfall, a situation is thus prevented in which wastewater is pushed back into buildings and ends up flooding basements.

The pressure transmitters for level measuring serve as the main sensors for wastewater level monitoring, whereas the floating switches are used as a secondary control element.

The main advantage of the 46 X is a chemically resistant AL2O3 membrane with a gold layer, which is also more resistant to mechanical damage than a steel membrane. Modern digital electronic systems enable free scaling of the 4-20-mA output, as well as the incorporation of the unit into a MODBUS communication network. In addition, the 46 X displays outstanding reliability in this extremely tough application.

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

Wastewater Treatment and Technology

A new approach for implementing vacuum degassing of digested sludge Common operational problems with AAD plants are high loading and partly overloading of digesters - with the high dry solids concentration and high viscosity resulting in gas entrapment. This contributes to direct emissions being the major share of a WwTP’s carbon footprint, with methane emissions higher than the total indirect emissions from a WwTP. Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and ELIQUO HYDROK partnered to test a new approach for addressing operational problems with AAD by the installation of an EloVac®-P Pilot Plant at Five Fords WwTW near Wrexham. The EloVac pilot scale trial ran for around 12 weeks over April-June. The main driver for the trial was to mitigate the excess foaming present in the digesters of the advanced digestion plant.

Problems caused by foam generation meant that the pilot trial had to take place under variable operating conditions. Despite the inconsistency of the digestate density, the sludge discharged from the EloVac® was consistent in quality and of high density with virtually no foam present. The EloVac®-P Pilot Plant has a capacity of up to 20 m3/hour of digested sludge and by removing entrapped

gas bubbles and dissolved gas, increases digestate density, avoids or reduces the use of expensive anti-foam chemicals, increases digester capacity and improves digester mixing efficiency.

Dwr Cymru Welsh Water are a forwardlooking water utility and keen to explore and capitalise on innovative new technologies which improve their service delivery to their customers. The results of the pilot EloVac®-P

trial are being assessed by Dwr Cymru Welsh Water for suitability of incorporation into their process at Five Fords and other AAD sites which they operate.

For further information on EloVac®-P and any of the other Biosolids technologies offered by ELIQUO HYDROK, visit the website: www.eliquohydrok.co.uk or contact Neil Willoughby, neil.willoughby@ eliquohydrok.co.uk

WIJ_ EH h.pg Biosolids Tech Q3_21.qxp_Envirotec half pg 11/08/2021 13:16 Page 1

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EloVac®-P– climate protection and reduced sludge disposal costs

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News

Poo-powered trucks are not to be sniffed at Wessex Water trucks powered by sewage and food waste are hitting the roads this summer, a transport revolution that could potentially slash greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality.

Each truck converted from diesel to biomethane achieves a carbon saving that’s equivalent to removing more than 100 cars from the roads.

Following in the footsteps of the famous Bristol ‘poo bus’, which was the first in the UK to be powered by biomethane, the new HGVs run on Bio-CNG (compressed natural gas) and are helping to reduce Wessex Water’s carbon emissions and fuel costs.

Bio-CNG fuel can either be derived from liquified natural gas or from the bi-product of the decomposition of organic matter.

All fuel used in the trucks comes from the anaerobic digestion of sewage and food waste at Bristol Bioresources and Renewable Energy Park.

Sean Hill, Wessex Water’s director of bioresources, said: “The tankers collecting

sewage sludge for treatment and the trucks delivering the output fertiliser are both powered by the gas generated from this treatment, so we’re closing the loop when it comes to our recycling.

“This will make a huge difference to our carbon footprint and help improve the air quality of communities in our region, as well as improving operational efficiency and bringing cost benefits.

“Two vehicles have been purchased initially and we hope to eventually roll out the use of Bio-CNG across our entire tankering and biosolids fleet.”

The tankers collecting sewage sludge for treatment and the trucks delivering the output fertiliser are both powered by the gas generated from this treatment, so we’re closing the loop when it comes to our recycling.

Sean Hill, Wessex Water’s director of bioresources

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Bio-CNG has several advantages over petrol or diesel, reducing CO2 emissions by up to 84% as well as nitrous oxide emissions by up to 75%. The trucks are also much quieter than their diesel equivalents.

Wessex Water is the first water and sewerage company to transport both sludge and biosolid fertilisers using vehicles powered by gas from the waste it is treating.

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

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News

Thames Water on track to produce new underground map A comprehensive map of underground pipes and cables is being developed

by Thames Water and other utilities to help keep workers safe and reduce disruption for residents and motorists.

The National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) will pinpoint the location of the one million miles of sewers, water mains, gas pipes and electricity cables that criss-cross the UK. Thames Water alone looks after 68,000 miles of sewers and 20,000 miles of clean water pipes from London in the east to Swindon in the west. With so many assets and companies, working underground can be complex, inefficient and dangerous.

The estimated economic cost of accidental strikes on pipes and cables is £1.2 billion a year. Workers who strike gas pipes and electric cables by mistake are also at risk of death and serious injury.

For years, each company used their own maps, but now a taskforce comprising utility firms and the Geospatial Commission is consolidating all the data in one place to make it easier for workers to find out what exactly is beneath the ground.

Gareth Mullen, Thames Water’s head of safety, health and wellbeing, said: “This will not only help the water industry, but it will open up a lot of new information for those looking to carry out work in an area, by seeing exactly what is beneath their feet.

“The sharing of this information will help to enable efficiencies, improve stakeholder engagement and reduce disruption across all works carried out by utility companies – but most importantly it will help us keep our frontline teams safe by giving them more accurate and accessible data.

“We have helped shape what the environment looks like and what format the information will be provided in, and we’ve influenced other utilities to get involved too.”

NUAR replaces a proof-of-concept project in London carried out by Thames Water, TfL and the Greater London Authority (GLA) to map underground assets across multiple London boroughs. Since then, the NUAR team at the GLA has been working with more asset owners

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to map underground data across the entire Greater London region.

Thalia Baldwin, director of the Geospatial Commission, said: “I want to personally say a big thank you to Thames Water and their contractors who have been participating in our NUAR pilot. The expertise, commitment and dedication shown by them was invaluable in creating successful pilots in the north-east of England and London.

“NUAR is a key part of the Geospatial Commission work programme in helping to unlock the value of location data for the utilities sector and the pilots informed our work across a number of areas to improve data sharing frameworks, data security, understand the legalities and how data can be brought together from both private and public sectors for public benefit.”

WATER INDUSTRY JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2021

Securing National Infrastructure

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