Institute of Water Magazine Spring edition 2021

SPRING 2021 ISSUE209

IN THIS ISSUE WATER QUALITY WATER RESOURCES C-MEX/ODI’S LEAKAGE INVESTIGATION TECHNIQUES ENGINEERING PROJECTS

INSTITUTE OF WATER MAGAZINE

EC&I SPECIALISTS

WE’RE STILL FIXING THINGS! z-tech.co.uk

24/7

EMERGENCY RESPONSE SERVICE

Helpline: 01223 653500 engineers@z-tech.co.uk

WE FIX THINGS!

WATER POWER RAIL

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Welcome to the 2021 Spring Edition of the Institute of Water Magazine.

30

51

60

64

Water; redesigned. We all know it. Climate change and a growing population are putting ever increasing pressure on water resources and the environment.

In the highly water-stressed South East this challenge is acute. Managing the balance of maintaining life’s essential of a reliable public water supply, whilst preserving and enhancing the precious natural environment, presents challenge, and opportunity, at a scale not seen since Victorian times. Innovative, resilient and sustainable sources of water supply are needed and solutions can only be delivered by moving onwards from decades of conventional thinking.

An adaptive pathway approach, integrating a large existing utility asset base into a flexible system of systems, is the revolutionary approach being adopted in a new “Water for Life” programme in Hampshire. The first of its kind at scale in the UK. Currently, the majority of the county’s water supply comes from its two main rivers – the Test and Itchen. They are among the finest examples of chalk streams in the world but their delicate ecosystems are under pressure from changing weather patterns and abstraction. Southern Water, as the incumbent water provider, is therefore turning to new technologies and ways of thinking to provide a solution. Central to plans is a desalination plant capable of producing up to 75 million litres a day of drinking water from the sea during periods of drought. Other technologies in the supply mix include water recycling, bulk transfer of winter storage water

captured in the newly announced Havant Thicket Reservoir (the first to be built in the UK for more than thirty years) and a bold proposal to top up the reservoir with recycled water in the future, creating all year round storage.

These supply solutions are added to by a ground-breaking Target 100 programme (designed to reduce average per capita consumption to 100l/d by 2040 from around 128 l/d at present), a 50% reduction in leakage by 2050 and an eco-system services based approach to improve environmental resilience and water quality. The latter achieved by collaboratively working with farmers, businesses and environmental groups to protect and restore local water sources.

It is without any question an enormous challenge; truly water; redesigned.

Success will need the collective will of consumers, business, regulators and land owners. However the Water for Life Hampshire programme could perhaps be the biggest evolution in water thinking since the Victorians.

By taking advantage of the learning opportunities offered through the Institute of Water Magazine, Journal and events, you will be better prepared to face this and other challenges.

Features

26 Water Quality 48 Water Resources 58 C-MEX/ODI’s 60 Leakage Investigation

Techniques

66 Engineering Projects

Regulars

6 Environment News 8 Engineering News 10 Science News 14 CPD / Mentoring 16 Rising Stars 22 Diversity 24 IWA 77 Area News

Ian McAulay Institute of Water Board Member and CEO, Southern Water

instituteofwater.org.uk

3

NEW JOB ROLE FOR FORMER NATIONAL CHAIR At the beginning of February, Natalie Akroyd joined South Staffordshire Water as their new Head of Water Strategy.

Natalie spent over 15 years at Severn Trent but chose to take a break from her career over the last 2.5 years to spend time with her young family. During this time, Natalie maintained her link with the Institute of Water by continuing her work as a Midlands Area Committee Member. Natalie became a member in 2003 when she joined Severn Trent and was National Chair in 2016-17.

Regarding her new role, Natalie said “I’m thrilled to be joining South Staffs Water in such an exciting and critical role.

The future of water resources is a key topic for us all, and we have some interesting challenges, particularly in our Cambridge Water region.I’m looking forward to working with others across our industry to develop collaborative and innovative solutions to

these challenges, and so ensuring security of supply for generations to come. I’m also eager to drive further environmental improvements in our catchments and enhance our role as environmental stewards for the areas we serve.”

DID YOU KNOW THERE IS A FAST TRACK ROUTE TO CENV REGISTRATION? If you are already a Chartered Engineer or a Chartered Scientist we are now offering a streamlined route to becoming a Chartered Environmentalist.

You can hold your CEng or CSci through any professional body to apply. You’ll still need to have a Professional Review (application and interview) but it will focus on the competence areas not covered by CEng or CSci.

We are running this offer as a pilot so don’t delay visit www.instituteofwater. org.uk/become-a-charteredenvironmentalist-cenv/ to download our guidance notes and application form.

QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS We were delighted to learn that South East Area committee member Dr Jim Marshall was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the water sector.

Jim was crucial in coordinating the water industry’s response to Covid-19, working collaboratively to ensure the essential clean water services continued despite the many challenges thrown up by the pandemic.

The South East Area said: “We are so proud of Jim’s achievement and it is well deserved. He is a true asset to our committee with his wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm. We can’t wait until our first face to face committee meeting – we’ve all been practising our bows and curtseys!”

4

instituteofwater.org.uk

There were other notable water industry figures on the honours list, some of whom have been involved in the Institute of Water.

■ Richard Flint, former Yorkshire Water CEO - for services to the water industry and environment.

■ Chris Jones, former Welsh Water CEO – for services to the water industry in England and Wales.

■ Liv Garfield, Severn Trent CEO – for services to the water industry.

All became Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). Congratulations to all!

MEMBERSUPDATE

SPREAD THE WORD This Spring we have launched a Trial Membership scheme to enable prospective members to experience the great benefits of being part of the Institute of Water.

Trial memberships last for 6 weeks and during that time those taking part can enjoy most member benefits, including access to Institute of Water events at member rates, access to our CPD portal as well as digital copies of our quarterly Magazine and Journal. We hope that this will encourage more members to come and join us, broadening our membership base and enriching the membership experience for us all.

Help spread the word amongst your colleagues and contacts to let them know about this great opportunity.

For more information about the scheme, please visit our website or get in touch with us at info@instituteofwater.org.uk.

RECOGNITION FOR CPD CHAMPION MATT BOWER, FIWATER Matt Bower has been made a Fellow of the Institute of Water in recognition of his leadership as CPD Champion.

Matt joined the Membership & Standards Committee in June 2015 and by December that year had agreed to take on the role.

Building on the work of predecessors, Matt has taken our CPD offering to another level. In five years he has developed and overseen major improvements to our CPD web portal, updated our CPD monitoring procedures, introduced an online meeting for CPD assessors for training and sharing experience, updated CPD assessment sheets and written guidance for assessors and members, ensured CPD receives regular coverage in our Magazine and been a guest speaker at Area CPD events and

at the last Science Conference. During lockdown he staged an online presentation to our CPD Award winner and delivered a CPD webinar.

Matt learned of the award at the end of a recent meeting of the Membership & Standards Committee. Admitting to being a little overwhelmed, Matt recovered to say it was a lovely surprise and really is a great honour. Congratulations Matt on a well-deserved award.

GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK We are very sorry to be losing Michelle Hardie who joined us in September last year as Membership Engagement & Development Manager.

Whilst Michelle said everyone had been as welcoming as she could have hoped for she didn’t feel the role was a good fit so she leaves on 1st April for another job she

feels will suit better. Michelle has made a difference in her time here and we wish her well.

instituteofwater.org.uk

5

ENVIRONMENTNEWS

SIX REASONS NOT TO BECOME PROFESSIONALLY REGISTERED Every quarter you open the Magazine, glance at ‘Environment News’, see something about professional registration, glaze over, and move on. It’s not for you, for lots of reasons.

But maybe you feel a twinge of ‘Should I be thinking about it?’ and wonder whether perhaps you should?

So, to make you feel better here’s six reasons why you should not become a Registered Environmental Technician or Practitioner, or a Chartered Environmentalist.

1. I’m not an environmentalist.

These registrations aren’t for me. You’re right: your job doesn’t involve planting trees or counting newts. But you do work in the water sector, which has two main purposes: looking after the needs of customers and protecting and improving the environment. Regardless of what your job title is, you are contributing to those objectives. If you are a Works Technician, Network Engineer, Asset Specialist, Process Controller, Project Engineer, Sales Manager, Safety Adviser or Chief Executive there is someone like you who has decided that it is for them. As have lots of other people with an incredibly wide variety of job titles.

2. What’s the point? I’m fine as I am. Maybe you are. Or maybe you’re not… Professional registration demonstrates to your employer (and to future employers) and your peers that your competence has been independently assessed, and that you have a commitment to continuing professional development. Without it, how can you show that you have progressed and developed throughout your career?

3. I haven’t got time to apply.

At first sight, the application process can look a little daunting. But once you get into it, it’s straightforward, because it’s you writing about the thing you know best: yourself.

4. I don’t know anyone who could guide me on what to do.

6

instituteofwater.org.uk

You’re in the Institute of Water. One of its greatest strengths is that there is plenty of help available on professional registration. Sarah Dunn in Head Office is your first port of call, and she will be delighted (she will – I’ve asked her!) to guide you through the process, and help you find someone to support you.

5. OK, maybe I could, but I’m not good enough. Really? Stop and think about what you do. Going through the application process is a great way to think about your knowledge, skills and strengths, and also to identify where you know you need further professional development. Working through the attributes for the different types of registration will help you to realise that there is one for you.

6. I’m already a Chartered Engineer/ Scientist – that’s enough for me.

OK, if you say so. But unless you’ve been asleep for the past few years you can’t fail to have noticed that the word ‘environment’ seems to be cropping up more and more. Mainly because we’re

having more impact on it today than at any time in human history, and are now recognising the value of a healthy environment to support humanity.

As a Chartered Engineer or Scientist you have a crucial role to play, and how better to demonstrate your awareness and competence than by becoming a Chartered Environmentalist? And to make it easier for you, we have agreed with the Society for the Environment a streamlined process, because your existing chartership means that you’ve already proved your competence for many of the key criteria. No excuses!

You’ve read this far, thank you, and might well have recognised the six reasons why you shouldn’t become professionally registered. However, there’s lots of reasons why you should. Just ask anyone who already has those letters after their name, and the sense of pride that came with getting the certificate…

Professor Ian Barker FIWater, CEnv Vice President Environment

ofgem

SUPPORTING YOUR NEVER ENDING QUEST FOR MAXIMUM UP-TIME Whether a water or water recycling facility, your drive for customer service excellence is underpinned by having reliable and resilient power. Your equipment needs to be running 24/7. There is no place for downtime.

Our UK wide, expert service and maintenance team are here to optimise the performance of your combined heat and power, and generation equipment - providing security for your energy supply on demand.

With almost 20 years of technical expertise and experience, we maintain and operate a wide range of engine sizes from 10kw to 3MW, and everything in between. Our portfolio includes our own class leading bioliquid combined heat and power units, gas and methane engines and of course diesel generators.

So, when you team up with Fleetsolve, you team up with a unique owner/operator in the market, one that understands your specific maintenance needs, adapts to your requirements, and supports your never ending quest for maximum up-time.

Visit fleetsolve.com to find out more.

Institute of Water Company Affiliate

instituteofwater.org.uk

7

ENGINEERINGNEWS

ONLINE ENGINEERING CONFERENCE 2021 AGENDA 21 April 10.30am-12.30pm Running Things Differently

Speakers include: Dammika Vitanage, Sydney Water Paul Haggerty, Capgemini

2pm-4pm Managing Networks Differently

Speakers include: Jamie Jones, Portsmouth Water Diane D’Arras, Académie des Technologies

22 April 10.30am-12.30pm Building Things Differently Speakers include: Paul Sheffield, BAM Simon Loftus, AVEVA

2pm-3pm Workshop 1: Is there a place for Ethics in engineering?

Workshop 2: Deciphering telemetry & IOT Keynote speaker: Jez Palmer, Schneider Electric

23 April 10am-11am Improve your communication skills Keynote speaker: Emma Davis, EMD Inspire

11am-12pm The benefits of Professional Registration and how to achieve it Keynote speaker: Sarah Dunn, Institute of Water

CHANGES The Engineering Council has recently published a new edition of its internationally-recognised UK-SPEC standards of professional competence and commitment.

Their aim in redrafting this document was to provide greater clarity, making the requirements for CEng, IEng and EngTech registration more obvious, while providing better examples of how applicants might provide evidence of having met the standard. No competences have been added or removed in this fourth edition.

8

instituteofwater.org.uk

Institute of Water will be launching our new application forms and guidance to include the new standards in April 2021.

To view the new fourth edition of UK-SPEC go to www.engc.org.uk/

ukspec4th

ETHICS Some professions are well known as working to a code of ethics, the most well known being the medical profession with their Hippocratic Oath.

Both the 3rd and 4th edition of the Engineering Council’s ‘Standards for Professional Competence’ refer to ethics with the latest version requiring all 3 levels of registration to ‘Understand the ethical issues that may arise in their role and carry out their responsibilities in an ethical manner’. Whilst as engineers I am sure we sign up to this, do we really understand what it means?

What kind of ethical issues might an engineer expect to meet during their career and how should they behave?

Sometimes these issues may not always appear to be a question of ethics.

How far can a really positive spin be stretched on a prequalification bid before it becomes unethical? How carefully should a supervisor ensure that the workmanship is to standard when they are under time and cost constraints?

Working in the water industry, engineers can have as much impact on health as doctors. Incidents such as the lead contamination in Flint, USA or the various outbreaks of cryptosporidium have had a huge impact on the health of a community. Whilst we clearly have a responsibility to understand the risks of what we do and ensure that adequate controls are in place, do all of us do enough to understand those risks?

Is CPD an ethical issue?

Engineers are going to be crucial in achieving the net zero target of the water industry. The Royal Academy of Engineers is considering a pledge for engineers to sign regarding their commitment to net zero. Should that be our version of the Hippocratic Oath?

If so, should that carry through to our private lives and reflect in what we buy and how we spend our leisure time?

Join the discussion at the Engineering Conference on April 22nd.

DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY Engineering solutions for the Water Industry

ONLINE ENGINEERING CONFERENCE 21 – 23 APRIL 2021 INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS & INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FREE TO IWATER MEMBERS | £30 NON-MEMBERS BOOK NOW @WWW.INSTITUTEOFWATER.ORG.UK instituteofwater.org.uk

9

SCIENCENEWS

MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BECOME A TRUSTEE The Science Council are in the unique position of bringing together the range of disciplines and sectors which reflect the multi-disciplinary practice of science today and which contribute so greatly to the UK’s economy.

If you are looking for an opportunity to play a leading role in helping the Science Council champion the scientific workforce, then they would like to hear from you.

The Science Council are always on the lookout for fresh perspectives, ideas and diverse experiences in order maximise the impact, value and reach.

This year, The Science Council are looking to fill four vacancies on the Board. They are particularly keen to hear from people with experience and skills in policy networks and influence; employers of the scientific workforce; and in PR and marketing.

Even if you have no previous board/trustee experience they still want to hear from you, as support and development opportunities will be available.

For more information about becoming a trustee and how to apply visit https://www.mi-nomination.com/sc.

The closing date is 1st April.

For further information about the elections and becoming a trustee of the Science Council, please contact Oli O’Hanlon at o.ohanlon@sciencecouncil.org.

STOP PRESS! Could you be our 100th Chartered Scientist? We are really excited to announce that we have just registered our 99th Chartered Scientist - could you be No.100?

Our Vice President Science and Managing Director of Water Resources East, Robin Price said “I was absolutely delighted to become the Institute of Water’s very first Chartered Scientist way back in December 2013. Just over 7 years later, to be on the verge of registering our 100th Chartered Scientist is testament to the dedication and hard work of our registrants, our assessors, the Science Panel and to Sarah Dunn and the fantastic team at Head Office”.

Robin Price

Our first Chartered Scientist

10

instituteofwater.org.uk

Our three Science registrations, Registered Science Technician, Registered Scientist and Chartered Scientist, continue to be as popular as ever, and the Institute of Water is now working with several water companies to provide further support to cohorts of scientists, building on the success of the enduring partnership with Anglian Water.

We’ll hopefully meet our 100th Chartered Scientist in the next edition - there’s no better time to get your application in to us!

Providing engineered solutions for a wide range of water treatment problems

Providing trusted performance We manufacture and distribute a range of products, providing additional value through innovative design, vast experience and focused support.

We believe that customer service is paramount to our success and that of our clients and partners.

Our product range Our product range offers value for a variety of applications within areas covering drinking water, wastewater, leisure resorts, food processing, breweries, mining, power generation, facilities management and mainstream industrial processes.

PolyBlend Polymer Feed Systems Varea-Meter® Variable Area Flowmeters Encore Pumps and Liquid Feed Systems Dry Chemical Feed Systems Bespoke engineering solutions

For more information or to discuss a project please contact us.

Unit 10 Mill Hall Business Estate

Tel: 01622 719 945

Aylesford, Kent, ME20 7JZ

Email: enquiries@waterprocesssolutions.com

www.waterprocesssolutions.com instituteofwater.org.uk

11

SCIENCE Angela Dignan Team Manager (Scientific Services); Scottish Water Chartered Scientist

Ash Robertson

Restoration Technical Training & Development Manager; Anglian Water Registered Scientist

I am currently working as a Team Manager within Scientific Services at Scottish Water.

I look after a team of scientists who operate our microbiology, chemistry and cryptosporidium sections at the Inverness laboratory. My development journey towards Chartered Scientist has been one the best experiences in my career, it really pushed me to widen my knowledge of the water industry beyond Scientific Services which is a real benefit to my role. Having started as a modern apprentice and going on this journey of professional registration (I gained RSci in 2017) has been invaluable in helping me to progress in my career to where I am now and would definitely recommend!

I work as a Technical training manager. I feel extremely proud to now be a Registered Scientist.

For me this represents the person I have become over the course of the last few years of my career. Being professionally registered reflects professional achievements but it is as much about keeping CPD at the forefront of everything you do and as such will push me to keep expanding my knowledge as a scientist.

To anyone considering an application, I would say ensure you have a strong and detailed CPD and then just go for it.

ENGINEERING James Sommerville

Project Engineer; Ross-Shire Engineering Chartered Engineer

Ryan Lackenby

Project Engineer; Northumbrian Water Incorporated Engineer

12

instituteofwater.org.uk

Having worked in the water industry for over 8 years in both technical and leadership roles, it was a great delight to know that I had achieved chartered status through the Institute of Water.

It may have taken me longer than I initially planned, however it is always important to remind yourself that everyone will take their own journey in professional registration as well as personal development. I had a mentor in the beginning who was great at helping me clearly understand the process before I then set my own path and personal milestones. The gratification that comes from chartered status in showcasing my professional and technical development post degree education is the boost that will help me as I continue with a new role and career path within the industry that I am passionate about.

Gaining Professional Registration has been a goal of mine since joining the Institute of Water and I am now delighted to have achieved Incorporated Engineering status.

Having developed from Maintenance Technician, to Maintenance Team Leader, to now Project Engineer, I was able to showcase both my personal and professional growth throughout my IEng application. I found the whole process enjoyable and satisfying knowing my knowledge and skills met that expected of an Incorporated Engineer. I was also able to identify areas where I would like to learn and develop further, as part of my CPD. I would highly recommend anyone wishing to begin their professional journey to do so!

NEWREGISTRANTS ENVIRONMENT Lydia Makin

Policy and Project Manager; Waterwise Chartered Environmentalist

Karen Bennett Risk Scientist; Anglian Water Chartered Environmentalist

Achieving my Environmental Chartership has been something really positive to focus on and work towards in an otherwise strange working year.

I knew it would be more of a challenge to advance my professional development while working from home, but the extra time has provided the perfect opportunity for me to get my application over the line. Special thanks goes to my mentor and friend Kirsty Ayres who generously supported me through the whole process over zoom.

My environmental journey began as child, reading Barbapapa’s Ark by Tison & Taylor. The emotive illustrations in the book are still relevant today, highlighting a real need for passionate environmentalists to drive change.

I believe obtaining my Chartership allows me to showcase, not only my commitment to the environment but, the valuable competencies of an environmentalist.

My role at Anglian Water allows me to flex these competencies. As a Risk Scientist, I support a range of valuable ecosystem services provided by a water reservoir in Ipswich. My portfolio also includes developing network pollution management strategies to sustain the quality of our water resources, drive behavioural change and raising the profile of the pollution risks associated with potable water. The Chartership process afforded me a great opportunity to evaluate my career, reflect on my transferable skills and look to how I can develop and apply them to continue achieving my goals.

BRAND NEW PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION - RENVP We are delighted to announce a brand-new environmental professional registration is available to members with appropriate environmental knowledge and experience – Registered Environmental Practitioner (REnvP).

This registration sits directly in between the Society for the Environment’s two other registrations; CEnv and REnvTech.

To find out more about how to apply go to www.instituteofwater.org.uk/become-aregistered-environmental-practitioner-renvp or contact Sarah Dunn, our Professional Registration Manager sarah@instituteofwater.org.uk

Did you know that until 31 March 2021, the initial registration fees to become a CEnv, REnvP or REnvTech have essentially halved?

ADDITIONAL NEW REGISTRANTS

CEnv initial fee NOW £44.00

ENGINEERING

(reduced from £88.00)

REnvP initial fee NOW £30.00 (reduced from £60.00)

REnvTech initial fee NOW £20.50 (reduced from £41.00)

Chris Seavor

ATC Capital Programme Coordination Manager; Welsh Water Engineering Technician

www.instituteofwater.org.uk/environment-registration

instituteofwater.org.uk

13

CPD

CPD - A MATTER OF RECORD Hopefully all our members are familiar with the concept of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) – participation is a requirement of any corporate membership and professional registration with the Institute of Water.

That said, the Institute takes a flexible view of the sorts of CPD activities members participate in and how they record them.

We firmly believe that learning should be about “quality not quantity” and accept a range of approaches because our membership, while united by working in the water industry, represents a diverse range of professions. This means there is no fixed number of hours of CPD that members must complete each year; however members could be asked to submit their CPD record to the Institute if selected as part of our annual monitoring exercise.

So what does a CPD record need to look like?

It can be pretty much anything that suits you, provided it enables you to accurately record your learning activities and evaluate how effect they’ve been. You are far more likely to persist with a rigorous approach to CPD if you’ve found a way of recording it that suits you.

Matt Bower, our CPD Champion, says “We see a wide variety of ways in which our members record their learning – MS Word and Excel

templates are common.

Sometimes an employer will specify how CPD is to be recorded and provide a template.

Some water companies have excellent CPD templates, and several winning entries to our CPD Award have been on these in recent years. There is absolutely nothing wrong in developing your own recording method, though – and don’t be afraid to adjust if it you find that it isn’t working for you.”

A CPD record is about much more than simply a list of events that you have attended. There are some elements that it needs to contain: ■

■

■

■

A brief, accurate description of what you did or attended Specific details including date and location An evaluation of the learning in terms of how it benefitted you (this is the reflection part that we often refer to in the CPD cycle) An assessment of how this impacts learning objectives – have you met them

■

completely, do you need to do a bit more or change direction entirely?

Any other information that you can usefully include, such as how your learning benefitted others

Most members are aware of the Institute’s CPD portal, one of the benefits of membership. This online tool guides you through the whole CPD cycle to ensure that you don’t miss anything. Using the portal is not compulsory, but it’s a great way of methodically producing a development plan and CPD record that can easily be shared with the Institute if you are selected to participate in our CPD monitoring.

Matt goes on “We do recommend our portal because it sets everything out so clearly – especially useful if you are just starting out with CPD and don’t quite know where to start. If you choose to use your own recording template, that’s completely fine, but it needs to contain all the elements of the CPD cycle and not simply be a long list of training courses.”

The Institute’s CPD Portal – Where Do I Start?

First create your Development Plan. This is where you set out your ideas for how you want to progress and any skills gaps you need to fill. You could make a new Development Plan every year or keep the same one updated.

Add some Development Goals – these need to be quite specific, with completion dates. An example could be “Improve my Communication Skills”. You can then add individual Development Activities, such as speaking at an event or writing an article.

Add some Development Aims – these are quite high level, a way of grouping your more specific goals together. It’s fine to just have a single Aim!

Each activity can be evaluated to record what you got out of it and how it affects your wider development goal. You can mark the activity as “Complete” or ongoing. Each section of the portal is accompanied by clear guidance to help you on the way!

14

instituteofwater.org.uk

MENTORING

5 YEARS OF MENTORING The Institute of Water occupies a unique niche within the UK water sector. It is peer-driven and caters to every profession working nationally to ensure the public are supplied with water.

by Rob Bradley

Chair, Scottish Area Committee Director, Fluid Solutions (Scotland) Drawing on the legacy of the founding of the Institute, where the natural need to share and exchange knowledge and best practices between water officers led

naturally to establishing a virtual mentoring matchmaking platform in 2016.

I joined the scheme in 2017, as I began to become more involved in the Scottish area committee and as both a mentor and mentee, it was one of the best actions I have taken in my water career to date.

The majority of volunteers within the Institute devote our time and expertise because we want to help members get the most out of their involvement. Mentoring simply provides a formal way to speak with each other in a structured setting.

water family in my late 30’s. By sharing my own experiences of transitioning from conservation and hospitality sectors into the sphere of water shows mentees how to value and shape their own routes within their career development.

Initially, I helped mentees with their individual journeys to professional registration, following paths through ample guidance from the Engineering Council and Society for the Environment to help them articulate how to achieve and maintain professional competence.

This activity is particularly rewarding for someone such as myself who came into the

In closing, the challenges of the Covid era have meant total reliance on virtual meeting places. The challenges using these tools has meant significantly more emphasis on gradual trust building with careful listening.

Although I look forward to in-person meetings, it is unlikely that I would have had the good fortune to accept new mentees from across the UK.

Along the way, and under the careful guidance from my own mentor, it has been fulfilling to help people grow in self-confidence, refine and identify their leadership styles through emphasis on the importance of soft skills.

WHY MENTOR – THE BENEFITS Numerous studies show the positive effects of mentoring and benefits to becoming a mentor.

Having the right mentor can help keep employees engaged, productive and motivated. mentor. Having the right mentor can help keep employees engaged, productive and motivated. I worked in the water industry for over 15 years before I realised, I had the passion, industry knowledge and expertise to become an effective mentor.

When Institute of Water introduced a mentoring opportunity 5 years ago, I signed up! It’s a fun informal way to build networks and develop your own skills and experience, but more than anything it is incredibly rewarding to help someone develop their career.

by Ceris Van de Vyver Head of Technology, Isle.

Numerous studies show the positive effects of mentoring and benefits to becoming a

One person I mentored was finding it difficult to build a professional relationship with their boss. I was able to provide support and give them a sounding board.

A few years on and they are thriving - gaining company and industry

standing and even taking on mentoring roles themselves. Another was in a transformation project role that was coming to an end, so we worked together to clarify where their strengths were and focus on their next ideal role. This gave them the confidence to approach senior management to discuss their next career move. It was a success.

I have been lucky enough to have some great mentors during my time in the water industry, and still do. I know I can pick up the phone and discuss any aspect of my work life with them, and in these challenging and changing times, it is so important to talk.Becoming a mentor is my way of paying it forward.

instituteofwater.org.uk

15

2020 SOCIAL CONTRACT SUMMIT As Scotland’s Rising Star 2020/21 I was invited to speak at the 2020 Social Contract Summit: Public purpose in a pandemic.

by Anna Figueras Carril Scottish Water

Since its first staging in 2018, where sectors providing essential services were asked to define what a social contract would look like, this annual event was redefined to be exclusive to the water sector and in 2019 senior leaders across our industry discussed how to address the challenges a social contract would bring.

This year, the Summit looked further into the next steps for the water industry to demonstrate social purpose in times defined by the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s summit comprised three virtual events which took place throughout November, where perspectives from both senior leaders and young professionals were considered on how to tackle this challenge combining economic, environmental and social aspects.

I participated as a panellist in the third event, ‘Fresh eyes: young professionals’ perspectives on the social contract’, held on 23rd November. I was joined by Sam Dawson (Wholesale Services Supervisor and Young Persons’ Board Chair, Portsmouth Water), Jeevan Jones (Senior Economist, OFWAT), Ipek Kaymak (Infrastructure Asset Management Consultant, Arcadis) and Matthew Whaley (Infrastructure Consultant, Arup and Deputy Chair of the International Water Association’s Young Water Professionals’ Network). As someone who works in the scientific services area of the business, under tight regulation, rigorous quality management and relatively removed from front-end customer service, I was unaware of a social contract being developed within our industry and felt completely out of my comfort zone when I was first asked to participate in this event. I am also generally terrified of public speaking but, after my experience in the

16

instituteofwater.org.uk

Annual Conference debate, I decided to give it a go and I am so glad I did!

The session was chaired by Luke Pollard (Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), who set the tone by reflecting on how far the water industry has already come by setting objectives to end water poverty and achieving net zero emissions by 2030.

There is still, however, a lot of work to be done to achieve a social contract and young people will play an essential role in this by bringing new ideas to the table.

My key takeaways from this session are: A future where a social contract is established between water companies and their customers, and where young water professionals lead change is not at all far-fetched – Sam Dawson explained how Portsmouth Water’s new social contract called ‘Our Community Partnership’, designed by the company’s Young Persons Board (YPB), was going to be introduced in December. This is no doubt possible because the attitudes of senior leaders and young water professionals on social contract issues are aligned in terms of ecocentrism, intergenerational responsibility and social equality, which Matthew Whaley expanded on.

Collaboration is key, not only between water companies but also between other utility sectors. Initiatives such as the Rising Stars or the IWA’s YPN, which enable collaboration between water companies and allow young water professionals to raise our profiles should be normalised and part of everybody’s day-to-day jobs.

Ipek Kaymak reflected on how young water professionals who work across different sectors as opposed to a single organisation can positively contribute towards tackling environmental and social contract challenges.

A balance between keeping bills low and tackling climate change is tricky, as well as ensuring that water companies future-proof their assets to ensure intergenerational equity. The role of the regulator is changing to adapt to these challenges - Jeevan Jones touched on how OFWAT is encouraging better collaboration to facilitate this and on how we need to achieve a balance on who pays for what, by how much, and when.

All in all, this was a fantastic event, I learnt so much from the experience and I am delighted to have taken part. It felt very refreshing to have a session where young water professionals exclusively had the floor – I believe that more events should adopt this format in the future as the sector will benefit from the views of new people to drive change. Now is an exciting time to be involved in the water sector, when key issues such as environmental protection, intergenerational equity and working towards achieving a social contract are being pursued. And on a personal note, I feel a bit less scared of public speaking!

The report - Public Purpose in a Pandemic - published in December, can be downloaded from our website news at www.instituteofwater.org.uk/2020/12/07/ public-purpose-in-a-pandemic/

RISINGSTARS

AFFORDABILITY REVIEW Did you know that 3 million households in the UK find water charges unaffordable?

by Kim Rodwell

Thames Water and South East Area Rising Star I was shocked to hear this statistic from Emma Clancy, CEO of CCW, during a recent Rising Stars event discussing the Affordability Review government had asked CCW to undertake.

The water industry has taken steps to support customers over the last few years with a range of social tariffs and schemes.

At the end of 2019, 900,000 financially vulnerable households were receiving support with water bills, a near 30% increase on the year before. However, it is currently somewhat a postcode lottery for our customers as support schemes vary regionally and by company.

We discussed whether there should be a holistic, collaborative approach across all utilities to support financially vulnerable customers. Only 25% of people would contact their water company if they were struggling to pay and CCW has found that only 5% of struggling customers are aware of social tariffs. Perhaps this is not surprising. As a group we felt there is much work to be done internally across the water companies to increase employee awareness of social tariffs and support schemes, so we’re equipped to signpost our customers.

And when we do signpost our customers to available support, it needs to be easy for them to navigate. As an industry, sometimes we speak a foreign language with all our abbreviations and technical terms! Supporting financially vulnerable customers has to be easier than it is

currently with a holistic approach, single message and simplification of processes.

With water companies being called to do more for less, a buy in and opportunity for all regulators to feed into this review is vital. CCW opened their call for evidence so widely, including to the Rising Star cohort!

The event was a fantastic opportunity to feed our input into the review and familiarise ourselves with a topic that, as the economic effects of the Covid pandemic continue, will become more pertinent in our sector.

CCW is expected to publish its findings, conclusions and recommendations in Spring 2021.

CHRISTMAS WITH RISING STARS PAST AND PRESENT Another year has gone past and what a great event to end the year on, especially in COVID times.

by Lewis Orr

Pennon Water Services and South West Area Rising Star Rising Stars past and present got together in an interactive webinar session to hear about the journeys of three amazing past Rising Stars which future stars can aspire to. First we heard from Ben Tam who shared his experience of how pivotal the Rising Star programme was to his success becoming the Managing Director of Isle UK. Next we heard from Tim Wagstaff and the amazing time he had on the programme as he was one of the first cohorts to experience the Rising Star adventure.

He had a great story about how hard it was to meet up with the others that year for the first event due to the technological challenges of the time.

I thought this was quite amusing and shows how far we have come throughout the last ten years. Tim is now working as an Efficiency Manager at Northumbrian Water.

You can see there is a great theme developing here on how the program can elevate you to the next level within the industry. This theme is continued by our last speaker at the event, Sarah Murray. Sarah was a Rising Star back in 2017 which has enabled her to achieve great goals such as being on the IoW board and is also our Board Diversity,

Equality, and Inclusion Champion! She shared a lovely experience about how she has grown in confidence and is able to speak at conferences and events: her presentation at this event was testimony to that. She now works for Affinity Water as an Operations Scientist.

After hearing from these three wonderful past Rising Stars, past, present and potential aspiring Rising Stars got to enjoy a Christmas Quiz in which we had a lot of fun in our breakout rooms. In the end I was on the lucky winning team and gained the bragging rights! Thanks to Kim, Rachel and Mary for setting up this webinar and look out for similar events that we will do in 2021!

instituteofwater.org.uk

17

RISINGSTARS

FUTURE WATER NETWORKS CONFERENCE In November, I was honoured to be invited to attend the Future Water Association’s conference on Future Water Networks. The three days were packed with industry insights, exciting innovations, and one of the most varied range of speakers I’ve ever seen.

Making our sewers smarter?

The second half of day one impressed me with the range of innovations being undertaken in wastewater networks.

Particularly I found the work of Simon Tait at Sheffield University fascinating – who doesn’t love robots that autonomously drive through pipes? My concluding thoughts with this session was how making sewers smarter is not just about exploring as many technology or data-led solutions as possible – it is all about achieving the same common goal and limiting spills from our sewer network into the environment.

by Rachel Powell United Utilities

In addition, I was also invited to chair the final session of the week. This was an invaluable development opportunity (albeit slightly terrifying) that was only possible due to my involvement in the Institute of Water, and their close relationship with the Future Water Association. Thank you to Lynn (IWater) and Paul Horton at FWA for the experience.

Smart networks in an uncertain world Day one explored how covid-19 had impacted on smart networks, and whether it was transformational. Dr Sarah Cotterill opened this session with really interesting findings from a CIWEM survey across the industry. In particular, I found it slightly concerning how the pandemic resulted in unbalanced impacts for women - fewer women reported increasing productivity, whereas more women reported decreased wellbeing.

Sarah’s thought-provoking talk was followed with interesting insights from utility and supply chain companies alike reporting similar impacts on water usage, efficiency, and the significant transformational change the industry has undergone to adapt to the pandemic.

18

instituteofwater.org.uk

Innovation – impacts on supply chain Day two prompted us all to think about why, and how, we can innovate within the industry. The session started with Harry Armstrong from Ofwat explaining how the new Innovation fund will work and how it needs to address 5 key themes (Climate Change, Water environment ecology; Open data/new business models; Resilience; Wider public value). And secondly, James Brewer from Lanes Group showed an often overlooked area of innovation – addressing health and safety by looking at employee wellbeing. Lanes have introduced an app which surveys their employee’s wellbeing.

However it doesn’t just stop there – they also introduced professional mental health practitioners to assist with any problems that are identified. I was so impressed by Lanes Group’s focus on wellbeing.

Achieving net zero?

The final session on day two looked at how we can achieve carbon net zero within water and wastewater networks. In particular, I was interested to learn from Priyesh Depala at Mott MacDonald that in Networks >40% of emissions are from grid electricity from pumping. Therefore, we could significant reduce our impact by focusing on areas that reduce demand (such as SUDS), improve energy efficiency, optimise processes, or increase renewables.

Data-led solutions – new talent and ideas The final day provided a fascinating insight into some ground-breaking innovations using data-led solutions. In particular, I was impressed to learn from Katrina Flavell about the smart water networks trial being undertaken by Yorkshire Water.

The collaborative team have developed an analytics platform using multiple sensors, delivering multiple benefits – including pressure transients, acoustics, smart meters, Water Quality sensors and flow meters. It’s exciting to see the next phase of innovation in action – bringing together previous and current trials and technology into one platform, allowing you to deliver maximum benefits to your company (and customers).

Emerging tech: case studies The final session of the day and the week introduced a new (and slightly terrified) session chair – me! I was very proud to chair this session – highlighting the newest emerging technology that are already gamechangers. This session included James Hargrave from Anglian Water (the role out of hydrophones), Stuart Trow at Invenio Systems (using temperature monitoring to identify leakage), Peter Henley at WRC (re-designed CSO to hydraulically remove debris), Victoria Edwards at FIDO (AI technology which can use outputs from a range of sensors to identify probabilities of leaks), Joby Boxall at University of Sheffield (re-thinking chlorine and discolouration), and Eddy Segal at Utilis (using satellite imagery to identify leaks).

To learn more about this event please do not hesitate to contact me. Or if you’d like to learn about other opportunities available as a result of the Rising Stars programme, please contact myself or any of the other Rising Stars within each Institute of Water Area.

SAVE THE DATE

2021 ANNUAL CONFERENCE 22-24 SEPTEMBER, PORTSMOUTH

Shining a Light on Successful Collaboration ■ ■ ■ ■

■

■ ■

Why is collaboration so important today?

In what ways does good collaboration result in better outcomes?

What world class examples of collaboration have lessons for water?

Where are we getting it right today in water and where do we need to do more?

What leadership and other individual skills do we need to develop to foster better collaboration?

Innovation and collaboration – how do they go together?

What are the barriers to collaboration and how do we remove them?

Save the dates:

22 Sep AGM, Meet the Leaders and Awards Dinner 23 Sep Conference Day 1 and Social Evening in aid of WaterAid 24 Sep Conference Day 2 and Young Persons Network Event

The Introduction to the UK Water Industry course has been designed to develop a detailed understanding of all aspects of the water cycle, its management and delivery.

The Introduction to Water Industry Course is fully facilitated online modular format for interactive learning, in order to increase the learner’s awareness of the UK Water Industry!

During the four-module course, delegates will: ■

Learn about all the functions involved in the delivery of a water service

■

Gain a comprehensive overview of the UK water industry

■

Identify the key regulatory drivers and economic value chain in the water industry

4 virtual modules:

“

Regulation and Financial Cycle

■

Water Cycle, Treatment and Distribution

■

Wastewater and Sludge

■

Expand existing knowledge of the water industry

The Future and Emerging Pollutants

■

Explore issues affecting the future of water service provision

■

Fantastic trainer that was captivating the whole way through!

Especially impressed considering it was done over zoom!

Jasmine

■

”

This course gives delegates the information they need to develop their careers and to better understand the interaction and impact the various stakeholders have on the water sector. Introduction to the UK Water Industry is for all levels including those within the supply chain, the water companies, wholesalers, retailers, regulators, consultants, customers, graduates to managers from all sectors, water, wastewater and construction.

Next course: 24–27 May 2021 4 morning sessions (08.45am – 13.30pm) For further information, or to discuss a tailored course at your workplace, contact Ceris Van de Vyver via email on cerisvandevyver@live.co.uk or visit www.instituteofwater.org.uk/ uk-water-industry-course

Delivered in partnership with

instituteofwater.org.uk

19

STEM

COLLABORATION WITH STEM BUSINESSES PROVIDES A VITAL LINK TO LOCAL COMMUNITIES ENTHUSE Partnerships have inspired thousands of students to follow a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). They also help to improve young people’s attainment, including children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

By interacting with businesses across the UK, STEM Learning has developed a collaborative approach to engagement creating a bridge between employers and schools. This approach has created a connection with young people through working with teachers, effective outreach and the building of new, sustainable relationships.

STEM Learning is dedicated to improving the lives of young people, with specific focus on tackling social mobility, and improving diversity and inclusion in STEM. Recalibrating the gender balance of the STEM workforce of the future will increase the talent pool and unlock STEM career opportunities. This, alongside improved access to STEM careers for young people from all backgrounds, is essential for the UKs future economic and social success.

As the largest provider of STEM education and careers support across the UK, STEM Learning is supported by a unique partnership of Government, charitable trusts, and employers, reaching every secondary school and 99% of primary schools; providing extra support to those young people who are, by circumstance, the hardest to reach.

As a ‘not for profit’, our work is only possible because of our partners, supporters, and funders. The work we do is delivered with highly efficient models of engagement and all income is invested into improving STEM education in the UK. ENTHUSE Partnerships are a proven model for achieving lasting improvement in STEM. Together, we develop a tailored twoyear programme, bringing together schools and colleges to improve STEM knowledge, skills, confidence, and career aspirations.

20

instituteofwater.org.uk

STEM Learning consults with the sponsoring employer and identifies schools and colleges who will benefit most, drawing on our extensive experience with Partnerships plus insight on potential participants from our nationwide network, as well as data on pupil attainment, school performance and socio-economic factors.

Throughout the life of the Partnership, STEM Learning supports the sponsor and participants to build links with the local community. The ENTHUSE Partnership model is a cost-effective, productive way for sponsors to provide proven support for STEM. Each Partnership costs just £20,000, and will engage 4000 young people, across participating schools.

Sponsors benefit immediately from improved links with the participating schools and colleges, and improved understanding by teachers and young people of the career opportunities they offer. Sponsor staff benefit from engaging with the teachers, schools, and young people in terms of job satisfaction and development of their own skills.

The results of ENTHUSE Partnerships are clear: independent evaluation shows that the support they provide improves STEM teaching and teacher retention, tackling the shortage of teachers with STEM knowledge. This increases young people’s interest and attainment in STEM, as well as awareness of STEM careers, and the evidence suggests pupils receiving free school meals benefit even more than their peers.

There are many benefits to a business of becoming an ENTHUSE Partner, including achievement of Corporate Social Responsibility objectives by addressing

specific socio-economic indicators of deprivation or disadvantage.

ENTHUSE Partnerships enable businesses to build a pipeline of young people with STEM skills and to increase awareness of the business as an employer, with young people, teachers, and parents.

The partnerships provide a boost in staff morale and motivation whilst, at the same time, increasing a business’s national and local profile as a STEM employer.

If you are a STEM employer that shares our mission of a world-leading STEM education for every young person in the UK, whatever their background, please contact our employers team at employers@stem.org.uk or visit stem.org.uk/employers/how-yourcompany-can-get-involved.

YOUNGPERSONSNETWORK

STEP INTO ‘21 WITH THE NORTHERN IRELAND AREA YPN’S VIRTUAL CHARITY FUN WALK The Young Persons’ Network (YPN) is here to help you navigate what opportunities are available through the Institute of Water.

We know how daunting an experience it can be for young people joining a new professional body, so we are here to support each other. Whether you are here to gain professional registration, industry knowledge or just to meet other like-minded young people, the YPN is here for you.

The Northern Ireland Area YPN’s first event of 2021 was something a bit different than our usual. We challenged our members to get up and get moving throughout the month of January as part of a Virtual Charity Fun Walk.

The NI Area YPN committee members had all mentioned how during the winter months it was hard to motivate ourselves to get outside and go for a walk, and with the looming news of a Lockdown 3.0 we knew we had to do something.

Our challenge, ‘YPN Step into ‘21’ started on Thursday 7th January and lasted until Sunday 7th February, with 21 of our members taking part, who together have walked 3,068km, the equivalent to 73 Marathons!

This was a great fundraising opportunity for a fabulous charity – WaterAid. WaterAid is an international not-for-profit which strives to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene available for everyone, everywhere - something we take for granted in Northern Ireland. A massive thank-you to everyone who donated and an extra thank you to SAS Utility Services, who generously donated the remaining funds required for us to reach our target of £250!

As an extra piece of motivation for our members, the person who took the most steps during our Charity Fun Walk won a £50 prize bundle from a range of local Northern Irish companies. Congratulations to Laura Elleray, who was our lucky winner

and took an average of 16,626 steps a day, that’s some walking! Laura had this to say about the event, ‘It’s been nice to feel involved in something whilst everything is still so remote’. Keep an eye out for a picture of Laura with her prizes on social media. Thank you to our sponsors, OutForm Consulting, who have sponsored this prize bundle.

As part of this event, the NI Area YPN felt it was important to highlight National ‘Time to Talk’ Day and remind our members how much a good walk can do for your mental wellbeing by improving your self esteem, mood and sleep quality. With the ongoing pandemic and lockdowns, a small walk and some fresh air has never been more important.

a webinar series on CPD and Professional Registration, a virtual Escape Room and some technical ‘Lunch and Learns’ based on innovative water projects across Northern Ireland. Please look out for more information on these in your emails.

If you would like to know more about the Young Persons’ Network and get involved in future events, please get in touch with the YPN NI Area Representative, Emma Webster at emma.webster@veolia.com

Throughout the coming months we have a range of exciting events planned such as

instituteofwater.org.uk

21

COGNITIVE DIVERSITY

colleagues. Insights Discovery helps people understand themselves and their colleagues so that they can have more productive and positive working relationships.

The Insights Discovery Model

by Angela Day

Head of People, MOSL When we think of diversity, the things that often jump into our head are diverse characteristics such as gender, race and age, but how often do we think about cognitive diversity? Cognitive diversity relates to the differences in the way we process information and communicate with others. If we learn to embrace these cognitive differences to build diverse teams, it can led to better ways of working, greater productivity and give our organisations a competitive edge.

Over the last year I have been rolling out Insights Discovery to my MOSL

22

instituteofwater.org.uk

The model is based on the work of psychologists Carl Jung and Jolande Jacobi and uses four colours to represent observable behavioural patterns which are measured by an online evaluator a 25-frame questionnaire of statements from 100-word pairs which complete a personal profile.

From their personal profile, individuals can better understand their own behavioural and communication preferences, enabling them to connect better with colleagues. This can improve collaboration and support a common language to help overcome challenge and conflict. The simple and memorable four colour model helps people understand their style, their strengths, potential blind spots and the value they bring to the team.

I work hard to ensure that people don’t see their colour energies as ‘boxes’ or as a restriction to their potential. All of us

have the four colour energies, we simply have higher preferences in some colours.

We may have an introverted preference, or a thinking preference. We may lean towards a desire to work with facts and data, or a preference towards working with and getting energy from others.

What do we mean by ‘preferences’?

The best way to describe this is to use the following practical example. Cross your arms. Now uncross your arms and cross your arms again, but this time do it so that the arm that was on top is now under and the arm underneath is now on top.

My guess is that you managed to do this, but that it took some thinking about and when you got there it felt strange and you wanted to revert back to the first way.

This is a preference. This exercise demonstrates that you can fold your arms differently, but to do so takes more conscious effort and feels a bit strange.

It is the same with tapping into and dialling up those colour energies that are not our natural ‘go to’ place.

Interestingly however, when we are required to use those behaviours and communication styles that are our least preferred, we often do this very well. Why?

DIVERSITY Because we need to invest energy and time in preparing for and doing something that isn’t comfortable to us, therefore, we tend to give it extra conscious attention.

The downside to this is that although we may do it well, if we were required to do it on a frequent basis, it would most likely consume much of our energy. It may become stressful as we fight with our desire to revert to our more natural preferences.

which I am unaware of controls me.

Awareness empowers me”. Only when we understand ourselves, can we build on what that means for our relationships with others.

The Insights Discovery Journey at MOSL has been part of Building Capability, one of the themes we laid out in our 2020/21 Business Plan.

This is perhaps unsurprising, in an organisation which is at the centre of the non-household water market and works with data on a daily basis to provide meaningful insight. That said, however, MOSL is represented across colour energies. We are proud to say that not only are we a diverse organisation through our characteristics, but we are cognitively diverse too and we continue

A high level of self-awareness is the starting point to personal growth.

To take the words of coaching pioneer, Sir John Whitmore, “I am able to control only that which I am aware of. That

The MOSL team has a strong preference for ‘Cool Blue’ energy. Cool Blue is an introverted, thinking preference. This energy is associated with words such as objective, analytical, problem solving.

to grow as a learning organisation supported by diversity of our thoughts and ways of working.

If you would like to find out more about Insights Discovery or the colour preferences, I recommend the following resources: ■ Find out your preference at www.thecolourworks.com/what-colourpreference-are-you ■ Learn more about the colour energies and their associated behaviours at www.thecolourworks.com/insightsdiscovery-colour-types-guide ■ Really interested? Learn about the history behind the psychology that underpins the model at www.thecolourworks.com/ hippocrates-galen-the-four-humours To find out more about MOSL visit www.mosl.co.uk

SUPPORTING WOMEN IN WATER

Thank to you to everyone who completed our Women in Water survey in November last year.

We had a great response and the results of the survey will really help us to understand the barriers that women currently face in the industry and how the Institute of Water can best support them.

by Clair Dunn

Currently 26% of our members are women and the percentage was found to reduce with age. Therefore, we are in the process of developing a programme to attract women in the water industry to become members of the Institute of Water and through our engagement with them support their careers.

We aim to promote good practice and inclusivity for all across the industry and we hope there will be something in the programme for everyone!

Through events, networks and mentoring forums we want to celebrate the success of women in different roles across the industry. We hope you were able to attend the Eastern Area virtual event - ‘Supporting Women in Water’ on 4th and 5th March, in collaboration with British Water.

Head of Water Quality Anglian Water

THE INSTITUTE OF WATER DIVERSITY, EQUALITY AND INCLUSION (DEI) SURVEY RESULTS ARE NOW IN! Amongst the headline findings are the great strides in members who identify themselves as female, with almost double the representation of the water industry (37.5% compared to 20%).

You can read the full DEI report on the Diversity page of the Institute of Water website.

instituteofwater.org.uk

23

A NEW IWA UK COMMITTEE MEMBER Natalie Lamb is thrilled to be an IWA committee member. She was particularly interested in joining the committee to utilise her knowledge of social media management to bring people together, especially during this time of physical disconnection.

The event was a huge success and is intended to return on 28/04/21 so keep an eye on #IWAPoster for more details.

Natalie is the Institute of Water Rising Star for the East 2021. This distinguished her as one of 8 young people across the UK with the potential and appetite to progress within the water industry. This experience has given her the opportunity to network with and learn from the leaders driving the sector, to springboard her future career.

Natalie approached the IWA to help organise the IWA UK YWP Online Twitter Competition 2020.

Natalie has worked in several technical roles in the water sector, including her PhD research with Anglian Water and The University of Sheffield investigating

the chemicals used to treat drinking water.

Natalie’s latest and exciting chapter is as the National Water Industry Account Manager at QCL. She’s currently working with a technology called SENTRY, a bioelectrode sensor platform that provides real-time microbial performance monitoring in anaerobic and aerobic wastewater treatment systems.

To keep updated on Natalie’s next endeavours, follow her on Twitter @Natnotgnats, LinkedIn @Natnotgnat or read her Blogger @NSTLamb.

ORGANISING COMMITTEE FOR THE IWA YWP CONFERENCE Kirstin Faith Watt

Natasha Giroux

Kirstin is Chair of the IWA YWP UK Chapter. She is a Strategic Planner at Scottish Water, working within the Strategic Customer Service Planning Directorate. She is Publicity Co-ordinator for the IWater Scottish Area Committee.

Natasha works with utilities and innovative technology companies to accelerate innovation and foster collaboration. At Isle she is the coordinator of European TAG, an innovation acceleration programme and she is also coordinator of Isle’s Cross Sector Innovation Group.

Matthew Whaley Matthew is Vice Chair of IWA’s YWP network in the UK and a consultant for Arup based in London. His work for IWA focusses on creating a vibrant community through events conferences and other initiatives. For Arup, he works across infrastructure systems with public and private sector organisations to help address their strategic challenges.

24

instituteofwater.org.uk

Oli Perkins Oli is a wastewater modeller and civil engineer working for Arup developing catchment-scale wastewater network models. He has developed and led a number of outreach projects to inspire young people to pursue careers in water, STEM and the charitable sector.

Jack Huggins Jack Huggins is an Arup Civil Engineer, working for Welsh Water as part of their Capital Delivery Alliance.

INTERNATIONALWATERASSOCIATION

WATER INDUSTRY FILM SHORTS COMPETITION We are excited to announce the launch of the Water Industry Film Shorts competition. These awards are being kindly supported by the IWA, with the ceremony taking place during IWA’s Digital World Water Congress.

Are you a Gram Master? part of the Twitterati? A Tik Toc superstar? Linkedin with everyone? We are looking for you.

Everything from fun memes to super informative “how to” Youtube guides we are looking for the best of the best, worthy of a Palm D’Eau or one of our very own WIF’S.

There will be prizes and awards for the best and plenty of shares. So it’s time to Get Social!

We want videos of your water projects, Top Ops tapping, pump stripping and fixes. We want community water stories from the developed to the developing world, COVID/lockdown working and of course Innovation! The latest best offerings to the sector or the best in customer engagement.

For more information and details see www.waterindustrytv.com or look us up on YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram or Linkedin.

YOUNG WATER PROFESSIONALS UK CHAPTER 22ND CONFERENCE

TAPPING INTO THE FUTURE ( ) WED 7 APRIL - FRI 9 APRIL ONLINE Keynote speakers include: David Graham, Professor of Ecosystems Engineering, Newcastle University Talk: Wastewater-based epidemiology for COVID-19

Pauline Walsh CEO Affinity Water Talk: Social Purpose

Jane Austin HR Director of Wave Talk: Personal Resilience

Marie Whaley Water Development Lead at Arup Talk: Working in partnerships to deliver environmental outcomes

Workshops

Social events

Including ‘Personal Development’ by the IWater Young Persons Network and ‘From Research to Practice’ by the IWA Danish Chapter.

Speed networking, cocktail making, a virtual site tour and a water-themed escape room!

Find our more and book at www.instituteofwater.org.uk/events/

instituteofwater.org.uk

25

LOOKING BEYOND DISSOLVED ORGANIC CARBON TO UNDERSTAND WATER TREATABILITY Cranfield University and Anglian Water have been working together under the umbrella of a strategic partnership to identify what the Water Treatment Works (WTWs) of the future will look like in the current context of water resilience, climate change, variable water quality at source and sustainability. particularly in the presence of alkalinity which discourages pH optimisation from a sustainable and cost perspective.

Our research has focused on the characterisation of these lowland sources and the efficiency of conventional and new processes in removing organic matter.

This effort is based on the evidence collected over recent years showing that the organic compounds in 5 mg/l DOC in a reservoir in the eastern Anglian region are different to those in 5 mg/l DOC in a river in the western part of the region.

by Dr Irene Carra

Lecturer in Chemical Processes, Cranfield University This long-term research is framed by the Water Resources Management Plan and aims at tackling current and future challenges with an integral approach, including organic matter, pesticides and other micropollutants, disinfection and disinfection by-products, biomonitoring and algae, amongst others. Part of this strategic programme is dedicated to the understanding of organic matter at source.

Not all organic matter is the same and this research investigates two connected tracks –organic matter characterisation and its treatability.

Anglian’s surface waters are characterised as lowland sources, where organic matter has input from agricultural and anthropogenic sources. They contain low to medium Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) concentration and high ionic content, including alkalinity. Whilst lowland waters’ organic content may be lower than upland sources, it can be more persistent to conventional coagulation,

26

instituteofwater.org.uk

Sophisticated analytical techniques are used to provide information on molecular weight distribution, size, charge density or fluorescence, which in combination can provide a treatability profile for each source. An additional driver to characterise organic matter and its treatability is the future complex movement of large volumes of water across the region through a strategic pipeline to increase water resilience, with new water blends from different sources that may require advanced treatment.

Suspended Ion Exchange for lowland waters not amenable to conventional treatment One of the water sources that has been studied as part of this research is the River Trent, a lowland river known to be difficult to coagulate, from which Hall WTW directly abstracts water to provide drinking water to the Lincoln area, and which will be part of the new strategic pipeline to move water across the region. A characterisation campaign has been undertaken over three years, capturing seasonality, and creating the fingerprint that represents the River Trent at the point of abstraction.

Due to its challenging water quality, the River Trent has also been used to test new technologies for the removal of organic matter. Suspended Ion Exchange (SIX), patented by PWNT (Netherlands) has been available on the market for a few years as treatment for organic matter, quite often in combination with conventional coagulation. It is based on a fluidised bed process which uses a resin with high affinity for organic matter. The resin is separated in a clarifier due to its settleability properties and regenerated with chloride as a counterion. Although there is an overlap in the organic compounds SIX and coagulation can remove, they also target different organic fractions based on charge, size and hydrophobicity, which is why characterising organic matter becomes paramount to understand a source’s treatability. Although this type technology has been more widely explored for upland waters, SIX’s efficiency for lowland sources such as the River Trent has been less explored, particularly where coagulation is not a suitable treatment.

An 8-month SIX pilot trial was carried out at Hall WTWs to understand the potential of this technology for lowland sources not amenable to coagulation. It ran alongside onsite treatment for organic matter, GAC filters, to treat the River Trent’s water (Figs 1 and 2).

During the first five months of the trial, the GAC filters removed ca 60% DOC in the raw water, with certain variability around regeneration times. SIX removed up to 70% DOC with a consistent treated effluent concentration. Despite DOC removal being only 10% higher with SIX, the specific organic compounds

FEATURE: WATER QUALITY Fig 1. SIX pilot trial set up.

being removed by each process were different, as indicated by molecular weight distribution, hydrophobicity and charge density analysis. This had an impact on chlorine demand, trihalomethane (THM) and haloacetic acid (HAA) formation potentials.

Fig 2. SIX pilot plant.

Despite SIX’s efficiency in removing organic matter from this source, operational challenges have also been identified during the trial. Brine waste for one, with high organic matter and ion content removed from the raw water, raising issues around its disposal. Reuse of this type of brine is under research elsewhere, but far from implementation.

Large-scale plants where SIX has been implemented have opted for sewer discharge as the most practical option.

Another challenge comes precisely from the high efficiency SIX has shown in the removal of anions in water. Sulphate and bicarbonate are particularly well removed

by SIX, while chloride is released during the ion exchange process. This promotes an increase in the Larson corrosivity index, making the SIX treated effluent potentially corrosive and with a subsequent risk to lead release in the network, even after brine optimisation. Based on this finding our research is now focused on using bicarbonate as regenerant to decrease the Larson index and water corrosivity. Shortterm results have been positive, with organic matter removal and THM and HAA formation potential similar to chloridebased regeneration.

More difficult to account for are the potential additional benefits downstream of SIX. Namely, the potential for less chlorine for disinfection; UV-based processes such as disinfection or advanced oxidation would benefit from higher UVT and less organics; if ozone were part of the flowsheet, a possible decrease in ozone demand and lower ozone doses; and potential lower disinfection byproduct formation.

Ongoing research Our research on alternative regenerants continue in collaboration with PWN (water utility in the Netherlands), where

modelling is being used as a tool to estimate long-term responses of SIX when using bicarbonate.

Characterisation of organic matter at source continues and will play a key role in the near future, with the new water blends in the not-so-distant horizon. Moving from DOC towards more sophisticated tools will provide each source with a fingerprint that can be linked to the most suitable treatment strategy and inform catchment risk assessments.

instituteofwater.org.uk

27

ATI UK

CONTINUOUS MONITORING OF SLUDGE BLANKET LEVELS ATi UK’s Senior Service Engineer, Mark Holmes, discusses the cutting-edge technologies available for measuring and monitoring sludge blanket, providing optimum efficiency and flexibility through smart, ultrasonic and continuous, real-time measurement.

Measuring and managing the depth of sludge blanket is one of the most critical challenges in the production of good-quality effluent from wastewater treatment plants. Aside from lessening the environmental impact of human waste, modern wastewater treatment plants have embraced advances in science and technology that allow significant, positive inputs, such as producing energy from biogases, such as methane, and in some cases generating revenue streams from processed biosolids, including nutrient-rich fertiliser for farming. However, for these advanced systems to work effectively, one of the most crucial parameters for plant operators to monitor is the total solids, or sludge, as it moves through the plant.

Although the composition and concentration of sludge varies throughout the treatment pathway, understanding the settling characteristics of sludge is vital to optimise control of the plant and wastewater process.

Primary sedimentation, biological stages, secondary treatment, effluent quality, and subsequent sludge handling are all greatly affected by how well the settling has been achieved and, importantly, monitored.

Effective Automation to Improve Process Control By measuring sludge levels in both primary and secondary sedimentation tanks, operators can ensure sludge extraction pumps are used efficiently and ensure poorly settled sludge does not carry over into effluent paths. By measuring sludge levels, operators can study sedimentation characteristics of suspended solids in the plant, understand sensitivities due to disturbances and manage sludge levels to allow sufficient buffering for incoming hydraulic load variations.

While no two waste-water treatment plants are identical, the push to improve efficiency through automation and improved process control is a common theme.

28

instituteofwater.org.uk

Relying solely on manual sampling means that thorough analysis of plant characteristics and trends is limited to the frequency of sampling, with the addition of labour costs. In a plant with continuous, automatic measurement of critical process variables, there is a wealth of feedback that creates a robustness of system control, capable of rapidly identifying disturbances or operational problems.

Contactless sludge blanket level measurement For measuring the depth of sludge blanket, two conventional methods are widely used; contact and contactless methods.

The contactless method is considered more desirable, as it doesn’t depend on direct measurement by human operation. One leading example of contactless measurement is ATi UK’s EchoSmart, designed for superior sludge level detection in a wide range of water and wastewater applications. The EchoSmart sensor generates an ultrasonic sound wave that propagates through a liquid medium and is reflected back from material that is present in the vessel, which are typically settled solids, suspended solids, or the tank bottom. The sound wave travels at known velocities, providing the ability to convert elapsed time into Range and Level measurements, offering continuous, realtime measurement. The underwater acoustic measurement principle allows the sensor to track well settled blankets, as well as being configured to track dispersed solids, such as ‘fluff’ or ‘rag-layer’.

The EchoSmart sensor does more than just produce a raw signal; it is equipped with an advanced programmable microprocessor and dynamic memory. Through these facilities, the sensor provides all signal control, enhancement and interpretation, and determines the final process measurement.

The smart sensor also communicates with an EchoSmart Controller via digital communication, offering greater flexibility

in equipment configuration options, enhanced communication capabilities and reduced installation costs.

Flexible, smart networked monitoring EchoSmart can be used for a wide range of applications and industries, such as sludge thickeners in wastewater, primary or final settlement tanks, and also within the clean water treatment process, including clarifiers on water treatment works. It is adaptable and can be programmed to suit various shapes and tank sizes, with the additional option for turbidity measurement, offering further insight into tank and solids activity, which is useful for less dense blankets.

There are also options available for a variety of installation requirements, including a remote or local controller, a stand-alone system, or alternatively a network of up to 16 sensors can be added to one controller.

Communication can be achieved through hard wired connections or radio-link network, which can eliminate the need for costly installation. The system comes standard with analogue and digital outputs, as well as Modbus, but other digital communications can be attained if required.

The EchoSmart sludge blanket level monitor is simple to install and operate, providing an advanced yet user friendly solution, offering cost effective, trouble-free and reliable measurement.

EchoSmart and FilterSmart.

Eliminating the guesswork from sludge blanket and gravity filterbed monitoring.

EchoSmart

FilterSmart

The ATi UK EchoSmart controller is an underwater, interface level analyser for sludge blanket monitoring.

It will eliminate the guesswork from sludge blanket measurements in clarifiers, thickeners and anywhere an underwater interface measurement is needed.

The ATi UK FilterSmart monitor is an interface level analyser incorporating a turbidity sensor and configured to the unique requirements of filter applications. Built on our EchoSmart digital technology platform, FilterSmart outputs results that are specific to gravity filters, namely media level and turbidity.

Built on a digital platform with technology which allows users to locate the analyser in the sensor. Our sensors generate and process the ultrasonic signal for continuous, real-time measurement, resulting in greater flexibility in equipment configuration options, enhanced communication capabilities and reduced installation costs.

EchoSmart interface level analysers are unique. Our smart-sensor technology enables users to control up to 16 smart sensors with one EchoSmart controller, with either wired or wireless configurations. These options allow for a field network of sensors to be created, offering support for even the most challenging processes.

The FilterSmart sensor is located in the top of a gravity filter just below the top of the wash trough. During a backwash, the ultrasonic sensor tracks the level of the media and the turbidity sensor measures how clean or dirty the wash water is as it flows into the wash trough.

These two simple measurements produce trends that together provide an extremely accurate profile of the backwash, allowing the operator to ‘see’ into the process like never before.

FilterSmart virtually eliminates media loss and mud ball formation and leads to better filter health and efficiency.

sales@atiuk.com / +44 (0) 1457 873 318 / atiuk.com ATi UK is a leading provider of engineered, analytical sensor monitoring solutions for water and gas applications and data analytics. Our pioneering and industry leading range of Smart Network Monitors, Water Quality Monitors and Gas Detectors provide innovative solutions for the most demanding of applications.

Solutions for a Smarter Future instituteofwater.org.uk

29

IS WATER QUALITY THE POOR RELATION TO LEAKAGE?

We are living through interesting and testing times. One of the silver linings of the pandemic is that the world has become more connected; there is a real spirit of collaboration to tackle some of the issues we face. involve our world of water. What are some of these “wicked problems” (as Will Sarni CEO of the Water Foundry calls them) that challenge us daily? Water scarcity, water inequality, water poverty, water pollution, water contamination are problems all around the world.

Water water everywhere but how much can we drink?

by Michael Strahand

Our world of water is awash, pardon the pun, with talk of digital transformation and leveraging the power of big data and the IoT to make the world of water a better and maybe a fairer place.

This increased connectivity has made it abundantly clear that we as a race face some common problems, many of which

When I survey the drinking water supply landscape from my vantage point as a SWAN Forum Ambassador and SWIG board member, I see some amazing progress in the field of leak detection and leak

SWAN Ambassador and SWIG board member

30

instituteofwater.org.uk

reduction. The price and complexity of leak detection technologies such as noise logging and pressure logging have tumbled in the past couple of years to allow water utilities to deploy sometimes tens of thousands of sensors to locate leaks more efficiently and effectively. AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) harness smart water meters, data communications infrastructure and data analysis to unpeel the leakage onion and identify for example customer side leakage.

Finding and fixing leaks makes sense, why treat water to throw it away?

Amongst all this activity though, what is happening in the vital area of water quality?

In the developed world, the production of water is a well understood and well

FEATURE: WATER QUALITY in a recent webinar run by Aquatech Global Events identified people skills as a key water quality challenge. If water quality sensors require skilled technicians to install them and skilled technicians to keep them working, they can only be deployed in areas where those skills exist and where the skills are not expensive.

controlled process. The measurement of the quality of raw water and of the final water is a vital part of the process. Online water quality monitors control filtration, coagulation and disinfection to high levels of precision and accuracy and with adequate levels of reliability.

Once the water leaves the treatment facility and goes into supply it is a different story.

The only thing we can say with certainty about the quality of water as it makes its way from a treatment facility to a customer’s tap is that it does not improve (secondary treatment notwithstanding).

Water quality deteriorates as the water moves through the system. For example, discoloration caused by flow changes shearing material off the inside of pipes, contamination due to ingress and loss of disinfectant with time all lead to decreasing aesthetics and more importantly to a possible increased health risk.

Why then is there so little investment, relatively speaking, in water quality measurement in water supply networks?

The reasons that fall into three categories.

1. Legislation: Legislation around leakage, especially in the UK, with very demanding targets, drives investment towards leakage measurement. The compulsion to measure water quality in water supply networks is not so strong.

2. Sensors: The current generation of sensors are often too complex, too expensive, too large, too power consuming to encourage deployment in the numbers needed.

3. Business case/ROI. Compared to leakage, it is harder to make a business case for water quality, will measuring water save money or increase revenues?

The good news is that things are changing.

The objective of the Directive (EU) 2020/2184 of the European Parliament and of the Council 16 December 2020 is “to protect human health from adverse effects of any contamination of water intended for human consumption by ensuring that it is wholesome and clean”. The World Health Organisation (WHO) Guidelines for Drinkingwater Quality sets out recommended maximum levels of hundreds of known water contaminants. The EU directive came into force on January 12th this year. All water companies with more than 50,000 connections are now compelled to develop

Most water quality sensors currently deployed in water supply networks started life as analysers that automated a laboratory technique, they evolved out of the lab into the world of process control.

The purpose of most water quality monitors is not to protect health, it is to control a process, these are different things. The next stage of water quality sensor evolution is to make them fit for the purpose of “protecting human health from adverse effects of any contamination”. water safety plans and increase the amount of water quality monitoring.

The directive has “reinforced water quality standards which are more stringent than WHO recommendations.” Some key features are: ■ A preventive approach favouring actions to reduce pollution at source by introducing the “risk based approach”.

This is based on an in-depth analysis of the whole water cycle, from source to distribution.

■ Measures to ensure better access to water, particularly for vulnerable and marginalised groups.

■ Measures to promote tap water, including in public spaces and restaurants, to reduce (plastic) bottle consumption.

This strengthened directive’s objective and the WHO Guidelines are focussed on and concerned with water quality. How do these documents and the appetite for digital transformation come together?

To truly unlock the potential of the IoT and the power of machine learning and AI there is a need for simple, inexpensive, reliable water quality sensors that will act as gatekeepers, as human health guardians.

This next generation of sensor will allow water companies to comply with the law and much more importantly to minimise the risk to public health.

In our rush towards digital we often forget the biggest analogue element of the journey, people. Whatever equipment we deploy must be accessible to all. A poll

Great products are emerging now that fit the need, that answer the “why?”.

Autonomous IoT enabled sensors for catchment monitoring, sensors for river monitoring, sensors for in-pipe water quality monitoring are coming to market.

They are not all coming from the traditional water supply chain. It is to be hoped that innovation initiatives and funding opportunities around the world accelerate the evolution of the much-needed next generation of water quality sensors.

What happens when we have this next generation of monitors? All these products will still rely on people to use them and people to make decisions based on the information and insights they offer up.

Who are, or who will be, “the people”?

More and more the white-haired middle age (mostly men) people are leaving the water industry to be replaced by millennials who want to work for something more than a paycheck and security. Our water industry needs to attract them in bigger numbers and make the water sector exciting and meaningful. Focussing on quality, public health and wellbeing, as well as leakage, is far more likely to bring millennials into the sector.

That is a good enough reason on its own to get water quality up the agenda.

In conclusion, “Is water quality the poor relation to leakage?” Maybe not the poor relation but it is the quiet relation whose voice needs to be heard!

instituteofwater.org.uk

31

IT ALL STARTS WITH A RELIABLE SOURCE OF CLEAN WATER Nearly every part of the world has experienced the effects of climate change through increasingly unpredictable, intense weather.

Despite a fall in carbon emissions last year due to COVID-19 restrictions, the climate crises continued and 2020 was one of the joint hottest years on record. We’ve witnessed wildfires in Australia and the United States, floods in China and Japan, and storms in the Americas, and the UK has not escaped unscathed from the impacts of climate change.

And while the climate crisis manifests in a range of erratic weather, it is through water that its most immediate impacts are felt.

For the billions of people without access to a safe, reliable supply of clean water, these impacts are catastrophic.

WaterAid’s upcoming report to mark World Water Day shows that without a reliable source of clean water, the world’s poorest communities will struggle to withstand the rapidly changing climate. The greatest injustice is that the people who have done the least to cause the crisis are the hardest hit and least able to adapt.

to cope with whatever the future holds.

Collaboration is key The scale and interconnected nature of universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and climate change means these issues cannot be dealt with alone; collective action is critical to tackling these interrelated crises; the private sector, utilities, including the UK water industry, government and NGOs must all work together in a coordinated and collective way.

Through our work with the UK water industry over the past 40 years, WaterAid has been able to deliver reliable water facilities that keep operating through disastrous weather, while ensuring communities are equipped with the skills needed to manage and maintain water infrastructure.

But there’s still more to do to ensure all have access to safe, accessible water by 2030, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, as the more our climate changes, the more challenging this becomes.

With expertise in adaptation and mitigation, WaterAid and the water companies are hoping to fulfil SDG 6 together. And with the world’s most important forum on climate expected to take place in the UK in 2021 COP 26, it will bring the debate closer to home for many of us.

This year, as the world makes big decisions on how to recover from a global health crisis, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a greener, fairer society. This is our moment to amplify the voices of the communities living with the devastating impacts of climate change on their water sources. And bring us closer to a world in which everyone, everywhere has access to clean water that they can rely on, today and long into the future, whatever our changing climate brings.

WaterAid’s annual World Water Day report will be available on washmatters.wateraid.org from 22 March.

WaterAid/ Drik Picture Library Limited/ Farzana Hossen

As water becomes scarcer, people – mostly women and girls – must walk further to access it, affecting education and livelihoods. This exacerbates ever-growing inequalities, within and between countries.

Tackling climate change Many industries are showing a strong commitment to tackling climate change, with the water sector leading the way in becoming the world’s first industry to commit to net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 to help mitigate the extreme impacts of the climate crisis.

While the reduction of carbon emissions is crucial in dealing with climate change, it must go hand-in-hand with developing sustainable climate adaptation plans, enabling communities around the world

32

instituteofwater.org.uk

Nearly five million people in Bangladesh don’t have clean water close to home.

This is a women’s group in Manik Khali village in the Assasuni district. Most of these women have tubewells in their courtyards for their water, but they contain high levels of salt, brought in by rising sea levels caused by climate change.

As a result of coming into contact with the saline water, many women in this group have skin allergies, experience hair loss, and often suffer from diarrhoea.

To get clean water they are forced to walk miles to another tubewell.

WaterAid is working with Severn Trent to improve access to water and sanitation services for 100,000 people in the area.

Up to 80 women will be trained in the operation and maintenance of reverse osmosis Water Treatment Plants and entrepreneurship.

FEATURE: WATER QUALITY QUALITY

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Mobile/contract dewatering

Filter press technology

ONE OF THE UK’s LEADING SUPPLIERS OF LIQUID AND SOLID SEPARATION TECHNOLOGIES TO THE WATER AND INDUSTRIAL MARKETS

Centrifuge technology

Brewery and food grade applications

• SALES • RENTAL • MAINTENANCE • • REFURBISHMENT • SPARE PARTS • T - 01903 69 44 00 E - sales@euroby.com

F - 01903 69 44 77

www.euroby.com

instituteofwater.org.uk

33

HACH

IMPROVED AMMONIUM CONTROL AND ENERGY SAVINGS IN ACTIVATED SLUDGE PLANTS

Thames Water’s Beckton STW in East London is one of Europe’s largest wastewater plants, treating an average flow of 1,150,000 m3/d.

by Russell Baxter,

Process Municipal Sales Consultant

Martin Butterfield,

Application Development Manager (RTC)

& Richard Addison

Municipal Projects Manager It was identified that one section, ASP4, treating 30% of the site’s flow had issues, despite the fact that with 7.5 m deep aeration tanks and variable speed aeration blowers this should have been the most efficient plant out of the three ASPs on site.

Initial performance was disappointing and after several investigations the decision was taken to modify the ASP under a

34

instituteofwater.org.uk

“spend to save initiative” as energy costs at the site were in the region of £8M per annum. The project was carried out in 2 distinct phases to address both the process issues and reduce energy consumption.

The first phase involved refurbishing or replacing existing air valves and automating a number of others in the aeration lanes, increasing the number of dissolved oxygen (D.O.) measurement and control points along with the associated changes to blower controls supplying air to the plant.

As an extension to the first phase it was discovered that the ASP’s anoxic zones were not functioning correctly due to excessive residence times in the pump

wet well. At times this was allowing anaerobic conditions to develop in the ASP’s anoxic zones promoting foaming.

In order to ensure that the anoxic zones functioned correctly these were converted to dual function ‘swing zones‘ which can be either aerated (aerobic) when nitrates are low or just mixed with static mixers (when in anoxic mode) when nitrate concentrations are sufficient.

The project’s second phase involved installing HACH’s N-RTC, measuring inlet and outlet ammonium concentrations and ensuring that the permit conditions were being met at least cost. After implementation it was found that D.O. levels were controlled more precisely and efficiently as each individual zone has its own motorised air valve and associated

FEATURE: WATER QUALITY D.O. probe. The new valves are better suited to process conditions and to date have been trouble free.

Hach’s RTC system responds to incoming ammonium load and Nitrate levels. If insufficient nitrate is available for the anoxic zones to function the zone is aerated to prevent phosphorus release.

If high incoming ammonium load is observed (such as during storms) the anoxic zone is switched to an aerated zone irrespective of nitrate levels to ensure that ammonium compliance is within permit conditions.

When sufficient nitrate levels are available and incoming load allows, the swing zone is run in an anoxic state to recover as much bound oxygen as possible therefore saving energy. Hach’s RTC system continuously calculates actual and possible nitrification rates. This ensures that when conditions allow, D.O. set points are lowered saving on air and hence energy. During high load periods the D.O. set points are increased to ensure compliance with permit conditions.

The baseline starting point before modifications were implemented was 5.3 kwhr/kg Ammonium removed. Following the completion of both phases and commissioning of the RTC, the ammonium removal rate was improved to 3.8 kwhr/ kg representing an overall saving of 28% which equates to savings of approximately £0.5 million per annum and importantly a project payback period of just over 1 year.

the RTC. This should allow further energy savings to be achieved anticipated to be 3.5 Kwhr/kg N removed.

The Success of this project is a result of foresight by Thames Water and making sufficient funds available to enable the modifications to be implemented.

Additionally, the partnership approach between all stakeholders has allowed the goals to be met.

Further work is now in progress to initiate the ‘sludge age’ controller in

Proactive and professional civil engineering design consultancy services.

Our capabilities incorporate various market sectors, including business, industrial and housing developments. We have extensive experience and expertise working within the design of water network distribution & water network trunk mains.

From initial overview and preparation through to detail civil design, while also equipped to provide planning, project management and construction support services.

We would welcome the opportunity to visit you for an initial consultation to discuss your aims and needs.

We would endeavour to incorporate our design and engineering solutions to match your business requirements.

T: 0788 400 4802 | E: u.d.s@live.co.uk

Professional Services: ■ Feasibility studies ■ Site surveys ■ Topographical surveys ■ Geotechnical ■ Soil analysis (UKWIR) ■ CAD resources ■ Ordnance survey mapping ■ ■ ■ ■

Structural engineering Water network design Design risk assessment CDM co-ordination

■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Project co-ordination Health and Safety Public utility records Land registry ownership records Preparation of Statutory Notices As-constructed surveys and plans Project management Construction support Business, industrial and housing developments

“Working to our utmost ability everyday – that’s our standard.” http://utilitydesignservices.co.uk

instituteofwater.org.uk

35

LONG TERM LEAD STRATEGIES Hot off the press from the Drinking Water Inspectorate is a research report concluding three years work, led by WRc, gathering evidence and examining long-term strategies to reduce exposure to lead from drinking water.

by Mark Kowalski

Fig 1 – illustration of the costs and benefits included within the economic analysis

Principal Consultant, Water Research Centre

by Joanne Hulance

Senior Project Engineer, Water Research Centre

by Robert Fairhurst

Project Analyst, Water Research Centre

by Frank White

Drinking Water Inspector, DWI

This research was commissioned to help inform policy development and strategies for dealing with lead from 2025, and is considered to be a major step forward in informing the next steps for the water sector. As Milo Purcell, Deputy Chief Inspector of the DWI commented: “We have been on quite a journey when it comes to dealing with lead – a journey that has been controversial at times, and in many respects frustrating as well – but we have an opportunity now to put greater focus on what remains as a lead problem with the main emphasis as a public health issue”.

Reflecting discussions in Europe regarding a recasting of the Drinking Water Directive on lead and following the scientific opinions of leading organisations including the World Health Organisation, the research has sought to quantify the impact of (a) reducing the lead concentration in drinking water to 5 µg/l by no later than 2040, and (b) achieving no detectable lead in drinking water by 2060 at the latest. The baseline year was set at 2025, and all policy options were evaluated against a reference scenario which is – broadly speaking – the status quo that is designed to achieve compliance with the current 10 µg/l standard.

36

instituteofwater.org.uk

Analysis of recent compliance sampling shows that doing nothing more is not an option: a significant minority of water supply zones would not currently comply with a new water quality standard for lead of 5 µg/l or better.

Continued efforts to reduce lead in drinking water are being driven by the need to protect human health. In a recent webinar on the topic, Project Technical Lead Mark Kowalski explained that there is good awareness of the link between lead and neurodevelopmental effects in children – but there is also a growing body of evidence that chronic low-level lead exposure can have adverse health effects in the adult population, including chronic kidney disease, raised blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. The research explored the prevalence of environmental lead, including the contribution from drinking water, and used that to assess the health impacts of reducing lead concentrations in drinking water from the current baseline.

Biokinetic models translate the lead concentrations found in environmental sources to a Blood Lead Level (BLL).

The uptake of lead by the human body is a function of age, so two separate models were used to represent children and adults. Project Analyst, Robert Fairhurst comments, “although blood lead is dominated by exposure to dust and soil, the results of the project demonstrate that changes to the small contribution from drinking water can have a significant impact on the health of a population”.

Options for addressing lead in water were explored and a set of policy options that incorporate practical and achievable strategies for meeting a lower lead standard were defined. Economic modelling for both England and Wales was completed to look at the cost effectiveness of each option. Of these options for controlling lead, the project team reached the conclusion that the only feasible and enduring way to guarantee compliance with a 5 µg/l or better standard for lead in drinking water is to remove the lead service

FEATURE: WATER QUALITY Fig 2 – Modelled costs and benefits of lead pipe replacement in high risk zones in England and Wales (optimistic remediation outcome)

pipe – with replacement needed to either the property wall or, preferably, to the water quality compliance point (usually the kitchen tap).

For the study, the principle of materiality was used to restrict the economic analysis [Fig 1]. Contributing to costs are the cost of lead service pipe remediation (replacement) as well as the embodied carbon cost of new polyethylene (PE) pipe.

Contributing to benefits are the avoided adverse health effects, a reduction in cost of upstream conditioning (including orthophosphate dosing), the cost of water saved from reduced leakage, and the lead scrap value of removed pipes. These avoided costs included both a direct and carbon component when applicable.

The research was keen to explore a variety of lead remediation options. However Senior Project Engineer, Joanne Hulance, explains many intervention options had to be rejected as their benefits could not be sustained or guaranteed for the longer term.

Lead pipe replacement to the property wall does not eliminate all lead, and this gives lower health benefits as a result, making this

a much less cost-beneficial approach than lead pipe replacement to the kitchen tap.

The research concludes that lead pipe replacement to the kitchen tap should be cost-neutral or better in water supply zones at high risk of non-compliance, as well as for most medium- and low-risk water supply zones in England. Provided that lead pipe replacement to the kitchen tap reduces lead concentrations to below the limit of detection, replacement to the kitchen tap would also be cost-neutral overall in Wales. Baseline lead in water concentrations in Wales were found to be lower than that for England – which is why the same lead exposure mitigation policies appear less cost-beneficial in Wales compared to England.

Rather than defining a roadmap to compliance, the research outputs have been designed to inform the debate about the standards, approaches, pace of delivery and priority actions. The research has been made possible with contributions from many organisations including water companies, Public Health England and Public Health Wales, DEFRA economists and water policy advisors, water industry economists and UKWIR.

DWI has supported preparatory investigations in the current price control period for many companies in England and Wales and there are now proposals for pilot studies coming forward under the Green Recovery Programme – some of which will be significant over coming years. These will further inform the evidence base for the enormous programme of work that is anticipated to be needed. The hard work has begun with the planning and provision for this work to be done now so that it can be included in the PR24 business plans.

In concluding remarks at the report launch event Milo commented: “We have the foundations of something special here and indeed we consider that this asset management programme is likely the most significant contribution to public health that the water industry in the UK can take for a generation”.

The full research report can be viewed here https://www.dwi.gov.uk/long-termstrategies-to-reduce-lead-exposure-fromdrinking-water/

instituteofwater.org.uk

37

GROUNDBREAKER

TAKE THE LEAD ON LEAD

Awareness of the potential health problems caused by lead in the water supply, particularly in infants and children is growing.

Houses built before 1970 would have been constructed with lead water supply pipes and if still in place can be causing developmental harm to young occupants.

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. In some areas of the UK up to a third of these older properties are still receiving their water through these original lead pipes1.

In properties with lead supply pipes, the only totally secure method to reduce

38

instituteofwater.org.uk

lead levels in the water supply is to replace the original supply with modern plastic pipe. These new materials can also provide the additional benefits of improving flow rates and reducing pipe noise.

Replace lead water supply pipes in under 2 hours…no major excavations, minimal disruption with INSUduct®

Traditionally, any lead replacement program requires major excavations outside a property and causes huge disruption within. Resulting in mess and disturbance to householders over several days. This disruption has often been the cause of users’ reluctance to have the work undertaken.

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. In multi-occupancy properties INSUduct® allows multiple supply pipes to be installed, as it is

INSUduct® is an innovative solution.

Minimising disturbance, time and cost.

FEATURE: WATER QUALITY designed to provide frost protection for up to three 32mm OD water pipes installed to the exterior of the building.

INSUduct only requires one simple core drilled hole through the wall, at an appropriate point to connect with the internal plumbing. This enables most water supply replacements to be completed within a couple of hours, without the traditional mess and disruption to the householders or occupiers. The improvement in work efficiency and reduction on the impact to occupants is a win for both contractor and customer.

There is also little impact to the exterior appearance of the property, as the INSUduct system provides a neat, clean finish to the job.

Groundbreaker products are designed to provide long lasting and effective thermal protection to water pipes and fittings outside the thermal envelope of a building. They offer frost protection for 3 days or more with temperatures as low as -15°C, temperatures we rarely reach in the UK - even with today’s erratic climate!

Carefully fabricated to provide long lasting and effective thermal protection to water pipes and fittings in external situations, the products exceed British Standard 5422 and all relevant Water Regulations for frost protection and is on the “approved list” of most UK water companies.

Steve Leigh, developer of the range and Managing Director of Groundbreaker, has over 40 years’ experience in the Water Industry. “We’ve been putting pipes in holes in the ground to protect them from frost for decades,” he explained. “Although it works, todays new materials allow for a much better solution. Keeping pipes on the surface reduces the risk of leaks developing and allows for easy repair and maintenance. It’s just a must better method of working.”

This isn’t just Steve’s opinion in 2018 Groundbreaker were recognised by the HBF (Home Builders Federation) as the Utility Company of the Year for their innovative range that meets the highest standards in both product specification and leak free installation design.

The company is also a contributor to the recently launched BPEC (British Plumbing Employers Council) Groundworker, Service Pipe and Meter Housing Installation Training course2. The course highlights the elements of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, relevant to groundwork and ensures contractors have met the minimum competency requirements for entry into WIAPS Approved Contractors Scheme (Groundworker Section).

Lead Water Supply replacement has become a priority for water companies across the UK. Systems such as Groundbreaker can overcome user reluctance and provide and time and cost-efficient methods of water supply pipe reluctance.

For more information and applications, sign up for our occasional newsletter for up to date industry information and product news via email or online.

1. https://www.lovemoney.com/news/19726/themost-common-home-insurance-claims 2. https://bpec.org.uk/qualification/groundworkservice-pipe-and-meter-housing-installation/

instituteofwater.org.uk

39

SMART THINKING, SMARTER WATER

ATi UK’s Technical Performance and Data Analyst, Derek Leslie, discusses why putting the customer’s individual needs first has never been more important for the future of smart water.

Digitalisation is bringing new possibilities for managing water utilities more efficiently and resiliently to proactively safeguard water quality and create intelligent, optimised, Smart Water networks. As the emphasis on the future of Smart Water rises, water professionals are becoming more focused on finding the right, tailored solutions that help to improve water quality, by extracting deeper insights on pipeline networks and enhancing operational efficiencies.

40

proactively manage water quality, however, advances in digital technologies are now enabling better knowledge, system hygiene, more efficient monitoring, diagnostics and targeted investments, along with intelligent system management.

The entire water industry has been entrusted with the responsibility of supplying vital water services to communities, safeguarding water at all points on its journey from source to tap.

As custodians of this journey, we are also responsible for continually developing innovative solutions to manage these systems efficiently, effectively and in a transparent manner.

It has already been proven that collaborative, intelligent, networked systems are the key to the future of water management, assisting in identifying and predicting water quality issues. But they also improve operational tactics, promote conservation, minimise consumption and offer 24/7 reassurance that safe and wholesome water is being delivered to communities and this is what is helping to drive the industry towards becoming truly smart. However, as is the case with most problems, there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ solution. This is where technical innovation and collective expertise play a vital role.

Until recently, utilities lacked the tools to manage our ageing water systems and

As an example, if a car dealership revealed the last 20 cars that they sold, very

instituteofwater.org.uk

few would be the exact same model or specification. This is because customers buy a car based on their specific requirements and budget limitations, essentially selecting a bespoke model fit for individual needs.

So why should the water industry be any different, forced to follow the crowd when it comes to what defines Smart Water? The simple answer is, it isn’t.

New technology enables the bespoke design of water quality monitoring systems for a variety of applications.

Like cars, the basic monitors are similar, as all water companies monitor leakage and pressure pretty much as standard, but different options are then available to build modular systems to suit individual site requirements. This is what makes the systems truly smart. By taking the time to listen and understand what each water utility’s individual needs and challenges are, working together with skilled, multi-technology partners to create tiered options, results in bespoke solutions tailored to specific needs.

FEATURE: WATER QUALITY However, it is important to remember that one water professional’s ideal Smart Water solution will differ from another’s, depending on the application and the ‘pain’, even from within the same water company.

Scalable, smart network solutions that can be customised for different applicational needs are fast becoming a prerequisite, rather than a luxury. These solutions require a truly smart approach, one driven by data, innovative technology and collaboration, allowing utilities to select the functions they need to tackle the problems they are facing, adapting to meet their changing needs over time.

Network Automation Control Systems While Smart Water offers untold benefits, utilities are still working to understand how to gather, manage, analyse and action the data being generated by ever-evolving new technologies. The only problem with Big Data is that we can often become overwhelmed by the amount of information we receive. Understanding and interpreting this data is an essential part of the puzzle if we are to achieve true Smart Water.

This is where network automation is needed to be able to progress from what is currently being badged as Smart Water to the next advance in technology. To combine the controls of flow and pressure with water quality data, offering early warning alerts to events, must be the goal ahead. The end result does not have to be a singular, a one size fits all, much like the choice of car and model. A modular approach to control systems is what the industry requires.

At the moment, the understanding of this complex data and ensuring you get the best value from your investments comes down to people. People within water companies, academia and consultants that can tell you what this all means and when things are happening within your networks.

With the right sensing technology, tailored to specific needs and detailed data analytics, there is sufficient and accurate information to optimise treatment, cost, protect assets and predict the future, whilst avoiding issues in the present, but only if you have the correct focus on ‘data to decisions’

Collective Expertise The final piece of the Smart Water jigsaw is empowering water companies and the supply chain to be bold enough to turn innovations into business-as-usual processes and streamline activities to ensure effective collaboration. The challenge moving forwards is to learn from each other by sharing best practice, information and expertise for mutual benefit. What wisdom is there in several companies repeating similar trials and tests only to produce the same results?

Sharing must also involve people and skills. This includes academia, such as The University of Sheffield, Manchester University, and Imperial College, that work alongside the water industry to carry out independent studies and trials. There are manufacturers of sensors, loggers, control systems, data analysts, IOT and water consultants, all of whom have an immense repository of skills and knowledge for us to tap into and develop. Sharing experiences would quickly enable the industry to foster best practice in both Smart Water quality solutions and processes, encouraging the much-needed formation of multi-layered, multi-faceted, strategic partnerships rather than working in silo. Transparent collaboration, with shared values to improve the industry, is what will help us to achieve the goal of true Smart Water.

The onset of the digital revolution is bringing the possibility of comprehensive Smart Water networks ever closer. It is essential that, as an industry, we innovate

and grasp this opportunity with both hands; this will lead to greater efficiency, improved network performance and enhanced customer service in an everdemanding business environment.

The challenge now is to keep evolving and work smarter, developing new, innovative, customer focused technologies, with inter-disciplinary ways of working that are motivated by the goals of each individual project, tailored to the applications they are used in. Digital innovation will be the key to success and survival, enabling organisations to build a connected workforce, modernise operational processes and deliver enhanced customer service.

Smart Water is changing the water industry as we know it and embracing innovation and digital transformation is not only enabling utilities to address today’s unprecedented challenges, but also invest in the future.

instituteofwater.org.uk

41

BRITISH WATER ENGINEERING COLLEGE

ARE YOUR PEOPLE TECHNICAL ENOUGH? When I was doing my A levels, Chemistry, Physics and Pure Maths, I had to know and be able to answer questions about electronic orbitals configurations and the order they were filled in, the equations of motion and be able to differentiate and integrate equations from first principles. And I still can to this day. Truly gifts that keeps giving.

Today an level 3 qualification is held to be the equivalent of A Levels. So why am I not seeing topics like I studied when delivering L3 courses? Also why is there a move away from the broader courses like the Water Operations s HNC and the Cabwi L4 diplomas in favour of shorter, more specialised courses?

One argument is that the current L3 technical courses are more practical, focusing on the “what” rather than the “why”. I disagree with this.

My first reason is personal. I feel I perform better because I have a wide-ranging technical background, and both a Cranfield MSc, which has whole new meanings for the word “technical”, and an MBA. Together they give me a wide variety of problem solving tools.

Does it actually work? Well, for nearly five years in the last eight I have been doing nominally full-time interim roles on three days a week contracts. And did other work, had days off and enjoyed a sensible worklife balance.

My second reason is that I see individuals who delve into the “why” seem to have better career outcomes than those who are just happy to pass tests and exams. This is subjective, but I stand by it as an opinion.

I also see something similar for those who take an interest in what goes on in other parts of their organisation.

Sadly, organisations are increasingly employing people in narrower, more specialised, roles in the interest of efficiency. I argue that this is a false economy in the medium term. I foresee the most talented individuals becoming

42

instituteofwater.org.uk

frustrated by narrow job roles and looking to broaden their experience elsewhere.

Remember, we are in a period where something like a third of the utility sector workforce is reaching retirement age in the next five years. Yes, a third. Also, there are fewer young people in the population and the young people in the jobs market are turning away from STEM studies.

This is not a great time to risk losing your best pest people. And it is your best people who will find it easier to get another job.

What can you do about it? Think about what your people want from a job, typically wanting it to be fulfilling and rewarding, and above all to be appreciated.

Studies have shown that wider ranging jobs and offering development opportunities helps with attracting and retaining staff.

For example, graduates consistently put development opportunities ahead of salary when considering potential jobs.

BWEC can help you, too. If you have an idea for a broader based approach for the training and development of your workforce that current qualifications don’t cover, give me a call.

I’m currently doing this with a new qualification on Reverse Osmosis for the AquaGib, aka Gibraltar Water. With a newly developed unit, an adapted unit, and an existing unit they have a training pathway that really suits their situation.

Why settle for what you are being offered?

Give your people what they really want.

About BWEC

At BWEC (www.bwec.org.uk) we love creating a course or development programme which is exactly what you want. It’s straightforward and inexpensive, and you get the benefits for years to come.

If you are interested in finding out more, please get in touch for a chat.

M: 07554 994855 E: bob@bwec.org.uk

FEATURE: WATER QUALITY

instituteofwater.org.uk

43

TRADE EFFLUENT: THE DARK ART EXPLAINED When I was presenting a webinar recently Trade Effluent (TE) was introduced as the ‘dark arts’.

So, this article attempts to shed some light upon the subject, demystify it and make it accessible to all.

Water UK worked with DEFR in 2010 to modernise the legislation under the ‘Red Tape Challenge’ (RTC) initiative but, so far, the legislation remains unchanged. Perhaps more important matters came along!?

There is a right to discharge domestic sewage to the PFS. Domestic sewage is not legally defined but ‘domestic sewerage purposes’ are and refer to the removal of the ‘contents of lavatories’ and ‘water used for cooking and washing’.

by Nick Womack

Trade Effluent Specialist, Blackwell Water Consultancy A Little History TE has a long history. Sewerage Undertakers (SU) are the statutory regulators of TE services in their licenced area with powers set out in the Water Industry Act 1991.

This carries forward legislation contained in 1937 Public Health (Drainage of Trade Premises) Act which was the first to deal specifically with authorising industrial discharges to sewer. However, the contents of that Act can be traced back to the Public Health Act 1890 which first introduced prohibitions on discharging certain substances into sewers, developing the earlier Public Health Act 1875. So, the current legislation harks back to the Victorian age and still contains clauses relevant to then, Section 111 specifically prohibits the discharge of ‘carbide of calcium’ to the public foul sewer (PFS).

For those of you who don’t remember … dripping water on to calcium carbide (Ca2C) produces acetylene (ethyne) gas which was then burnt to provide light in lamps.

Presumably this was included in response to incidents of sewers exploding due to careless disposal.

44

instituteofwater.org.uk

TE however can only be discharged to the PFS with the SUs permission.

What is Trade Effluent?

TE is wastewater derived from industrial processes. However, it is not tightly defined in law although over time legal opinions have been offered and judgements made which have made the interpretation clearer.

For example, it was determined in 1980 that effluent from a launderette was TE even though its contents are identical to that from a washing machine at home.

The key principle established was that the water was produced as part of a business and so was TE. In many cases it is clear that a discharge is TE, for example wastewaters from food factories or rinses from engineering plating shops. Others such as the discharge from fish pedicure tanks or the water from the emptying of ornamental fountains are a grey area whilst discharges from take-aways and restaurants are not determined to be TE by all SUs.

Why do we need to control it?

The 4 Ps - People, Plant, Processes and Products/Permits.

Unregulated discharge of industrial wastes can harm those working on the sewerage network or at receiving sewage works, most

often reported is staff being impacted by the release of noxious gases.

Chemicals can also damage or corrode pipes and pumps in sewer networks or at sewage works. Chloride (salt) is a good example, particularly if associated with warm discharges.

Sewage works rely to a significant degree on biochemical processes to clean wastewater and these are impacted by toxins. There has been a recent case of a discharge of cyanide effectively ‘killing’ a sewage works. Potentially disastrous environmental damage results from both the toxin itself and the pollution caused by untreated sewage. Such discharges can also harm staff working on the sewerage infrastructure.

Lastly sewage works have permits to discharge which will contain a variety of chemical limits set to protect the receiving water course. For example metals which, although they may be partitioned in sludge and reduced in concentration, are not in any way destroyed during treatment.

Regulating metals helps to ensure compliance against both final effluent permit levels and limits in sludge.

How is it regulated?

People who wish to discharge TE to the PFS must therefore seek permission or consent from their SU, in legal terms they are required to ‘serve notice’ on them.

The permission granted is commonly known as ‘a consent to discharge’, or simply ‘a consent’. The RTC work recommended that the archaic term ‘a consent’ be changed to ‘trade effluent permit’ or similar wording to bring it into line with other environmental legislation terminology.

The law requires the SU to decide whether or not they can accept the effluent and

FEATURE: WATER QUALITY what conditions they will apply to the discharge such as a total volume and rate of discharge and a range of chemical limits. These will depend on the nature of the discharge but normally include chemical oxygen demand, settled solids, pH and temperature. Food wastes which are high in fat should contain limits on fats oils and grease but probably not heavy metals whilst those from a galvanising plant will not require a fats oils and grease limit but will require a limit on zinc and perhaps associated metals. The art of the TE practitioner is to set limits that a fair to the discharger whilst protecting those 4 Ps. In reality most companies producing TE have little alternative other than to discharge it to sewer. A direct discharge to the environment may be too far away and anyway will only be allowed by the EA if there is no suitable alternative route for disposal and even then, the conditions applied are necessarily likely to be more stringent than those applied to a discharge to sewer. Tankering away may be a solution for small volumes of hazardous waste but not for most where the costs will far outweigh the charges applied by the SU (charges are discussed below).

As TE dischargers will normally be reliant on obtaining a TE consent to operate profitably allow, it is important that SU’s apply consistent rules in determining a request to discharge. Their decision should be fair, equal to all and transparent.

In reality an application may require discussions and perhaps compromises for it to be accommodated. If no agreement can be reached (eg the SU perhaps wants tighter flow or load limits than the discharger is able or willing to meet) then the discharger has a legal right of appeal to OFWAT who have the powers to set consent conditions. It is rare that they intervene so radically, but it is important that all TE dischargers are aware of their right of appeal and that the SUs can be called to account.

When working as a regulator I was once told by a barrister: “You have the power to criminalise and bankrupt my client.

You must use those powers carefully.”

She was of course correct. It is not a phrase I have ever forgotten and it is very useful to have in your mind when considering TE applications.

Enforcement

Charging

Failure to meet conditions on a consent or discharging without a consent is a criminal offence. If serious enough offenders can be tried in Crown Court and face unlimited fines and/or a prison sentence. The offence is one of strict liability which means that intent does not have to be demonstrated, only that the offence has been committed.

In practice most breaches do not result in court appearances, SUs will try to draw up action plans or similar so that compliance can be assured. When deciding what action to take in discovering a breach the SU would normally take into account all the circumstances, for instance was the discharge serious, deliberate and repeated a single event, or an oversight which had little impact?

A significant element of TE work is the raising of charges for discharges. These charges are regulated by OFWAT and reflect the cost of transporting and treating the discharge. Different SUs vary slightly but generally the charge is related to the volume and strength using forms of the Mogden formula (so called because this method was first used at Mogden sewage works in SW London).

If a company is discovered discharging without a consent an SU would usually ensure the discharge was properly regulated going forward rather than immediately prosecute, although being a strict liability offence they could do so if the situation warranted it.

TE practitioners will normally draw up a plan of random inspection visits based on the risk the discharge represents for the SU. At these visits a sample will normally be taken which not only determines their compliance with quantitative limits on their consent but can also be used to raise charges. These visits also enable TE practitioners to cast an eye over the wider site. One eagled eye member of staff spotted that the company was using fire hydrant water to supply to their process which is unmeasured so not charged and illegal!

Most SUs calculate strength using the chemical oxygen demand and suspended solids in the discharge.

Market Separation In 2017 competition was introduced for non-household customers (NHHC) including TE charging.

The NHHCs choose a Retailer to whom they pay charges, the Retailer then pays a wholesale bill to the SU. The principle is that the NHHC does not interact directly with Wholesaler. However, as TE is primarily a regulatory function and the consent is still a direct link between the SU (wholesaler) and NHHC, this does not fit within the wholesaler/retailer model.

This leads to difficulties as there are various contradictions and tensions between the Market Codes and the law.

I hope to explain these issues and possible solutions more fully in a later article.

Finally, is it ‘Trade Effluent’ or ‘trade effluent’? I am afraid that is a mystery that has as yet not been revealed to us mere mortals.

instituteofwater.org.uk

45

CHANGES IN THE NEW EUROPEAN DRINKING WATER DIRECTIVE REQUIRE UPDATES IN PORTABLE WATER SENSING PLATFORMS Hand in hand with population growth and industrialisation comes increased resource requirements, most critical in perpetuity has been safe drinkable water.

by Dr Alejandro GarciaMiranda Ferrari

Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University and KTP Associate with Aquacheck Engineering In early history, settlements were typically built next to water sources, later within civilised urban conurbations water was supplied from an external source using a pipe network. With one of the earliest known water networks dating by to Mesopotamian times (3000 BC). The industrial revolution further improved and complicated water supply networks with the implementation of water treatment plants. One of the major challenges for the UK in the coming century is the maintenance and improvement of the dated, malfunctioning and incredibly complicated water infrastructure found within many cities. Failing to tackle this problem will result in a wide variety of severe issues, some of which are healthrelated. Heavy metal contamination within household water supplies is a ubiquitous problem, arising from the existing water distribution networks, but also from human, industrial, mining and/ or agricultural activities. Some of the most common metal contaminants in drinking water are mercury, lead and cadmium, which are toxic to humans when entering the body in high quantities.1, 2 Heavy metal toxicity within fauna arises from their capacity to bind with certain protein sites blocking the original essential metals, bio-accumulating and becoming dangerous. In humans heavy metal poisoning is typically characterised by damage to the nervous system, hard

46

instituteofwater.org.uk

tissue and particularly kidney and liver function.3-7 The European Union (EU) first tried to limit the harmful effect of heavy metal water contamination in 1980 with the establishment of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) by setting limits as to the acceptable concentrations of heavy metals within water supplies. The WFD was published to ensure the protection of water bodies, environmental groups, nature itself and every sector of society that uses water. Later in 2015, Drinking Water Directive (DWD) was updated to include new monitoring systems, sampling methods and parameters.

Thanks to the pressure generated by the popular ‘Right2Water’ campaign, which achieved more than 1.8 Million citizens’ signatures, in 2020 the EU has passed the latest updated of the DWD. The 2020 DWD update now specifies 48 different parameters that must be controlled by water suppliers and regulators, such as heavy metals, pesticides and microbes.8 A heavy metal contaminant that is of particular concern due to its acutely negative impact upon health is lead (Pb2+). The presence of Pb2+ within drinking water is mostly a result to its use in the plumbing/distribution system.

Lead solder and fittings were standardly used until their ban in the UK in 1970, however they are still present within many plumbing systems installed before their ban. The cost to replace lead containing systems is calculated to be ca. £7 billion for British properties alone, with the global cost being a significant barrier to tackling the problem of lead within water supplies globally.9 The new Pb2+ limit in

drinking water, designated by the DWD, is 5 parts per billion (ppb) rather than the previous limit of 10 ppb. EU water suppliers have the next 10 years to meet this new target.

In order for a typical water supplier to analyse the concentration of Pb2+ within the water they supply they need to send a specialist to collect a sample, which has to be transported to a centralised lab overnight where they are analysed.

Unfortunately, the chemical, biological and physical composition of these samples change during transportation, handling and the analysis itself of the samples, leading to potentially mistaken results.10 The normal analytical methods that water companies undertake uses bulky, complicated and costly laboratory-based techniques to analyst the presence of heavy metals such as atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), inductively coupled plasma (ICP)-mass spectrometry (MS), atomic emission spectrometry (AES), X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) and a variety optical techniques. The protocols for these techniques might also need pre-treatment/pre-concentration and/ or separation techniques, which need to be performed by a highly qualified technician in order to be able to perform the chosen analysis. A water company needs to analyse thousands of samples in this manner in order to build an accurate representation of the lead contamination within a specific area.

There is a clear need to develop a new generation of state-of-the-art in-situ sensors that are able to eliminate the transportation step, decrease sampling times and reduce the associated costs.

FEATURE: WATER QUALITY Figure 1. Schematic representation of electrochemical hand-held device for lead in drinking water, developed by the KTP at Manchester Metropolitan University and Aquacheck Engineering.

This will enable an increase in the monitoring studies and tackle the heavy metal presence in our water network.

Identification of areas that are likely to be most at risk of high exposure (i.e. schools and hospitals) using affordable, massproducible, in-situ and accurate methods is recognised as one of the top priorities of the water industry.

Current commercial heavy metal test kits exhibit high sensitivities, but require complex image analysis or molecular recognition probes11, 12 at high price levels. Given this, these kits are not a cost-effective solution for large scale insitu water monitoring. Electrochemistrybased methods in comparison are more suitable options for in-situ heavy metal analysis13-15, offering small and portable equipment size, low-cost, lack/easy sample preparation and the possibility of multi-elemental detection.

Manchester Metropolitan and Aquacheck Engineering currently have a Knowledge Transfer Project (KTP) developing a handheld sensor device for lead in drinking water, as depicted in Figure 1, setting the first stone in the path for a

larger aim of developing a series of multielemental detection that can be performed within minutes at the client’s tap. The collaborative project between Aquacheck Engineering and Manchester Metropolitan University has recently published a tutorial review explaining the latest advances in portable sensing solutions based in electrochemical methods in the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Journal “Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology”.16 The tutorial review titled “Recent advances in portable heavy metal electrochemical sensing platforms”16 comprehensively introduces and explores the current advances related to electrochemical methods, material selection and development that researchers have to consider in order to develop a portable electrochemical sensors capable of meeting the newly EU introduced legislation.

If the DWD thresholds for heavy contamination within water are to be met, it is paramount to improve our current detection techniques and transition from rather large, complicated and

expensive laboratory-based methods to in-situ, miniaturised, user-friendly and less chemical reagent waste heavy metal monitoring devices.

References 1. H. Kim, G. Jang and Y. Yoon, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2020, 104, 907-914.

2. P. B. Tchounwou, C. G. Yedjou, A. K. Patlolla and D. J. Sutton, Exp Suppl, 2012, 101, 133-164.

3. G. Aragay, J. Pons and A. Merkoçi, Chemical Reviews, 2011, 111, 3433-3458.

4. J. W. Hamilton, R. C. Kaltreider, O. V. Bajenova, M. A. Ihnat, J. McCaffrey, B. W. Turpie, E. E. Rowell, J. Oh, M. J. Nemeth, C. A. Pesce and J. P. Lariviere, Environmental health perspectives, 1998, 106 Suppl 4, 1005-1015.

5. B. L. Vallee and D. D. Ulmer, Annual review of biochemistry, 1972, 41, 91-128.

6. T. Partanen, P. Heikkila, S. Hernberg, T. Kauppinen, G. Moneta and A. Ojajarvi, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health, 1991, 17, 231-239.

7. M. Jaishankar, T. Tseten, N. Anbalagan, B. B. Mathew and K. N. Beeregowda, Interdisciplinary toxicology, 2014, 7, 60-72.

8. E. C. I. ECI, Right2Water, https://www.right2water.eu/, (accessed 04/02/2020).

9. S. Potter, Journal, 1997, 97.

10. Z. Zou, A. Jang, E. T. MacKnight, P. Wu, J. Do, J. S. Shim, P. L. Bishop and C. H. Ahn, IEEE Sensors Journal, 2009, 9, 586594.

11. G. G. Morbioli, T. Mazzu-Nascimento, A. M. Stockton and E. Carrilho, Analytica Chimica Acta, 2017, 970, 1-22.

12. N. Ullah, M. Mansha, I. Khan and A. Qurashi, TrAC Trends in Analytical Chemistry, 2018, 100, 155-166.

13. J. Wang, in Encyclopedia of Electrochemistry, 2007, DOI: 10.1002/9783527610426.bard030203.

14. G. E. Batley, Marine Chemistry, 1983, 12, 107-117.

15. Y. Lu, X. Liang, C. Niyungeko, J. Zhou, J. Xu and G. Tian, Talanta, 2018, 178, 324-338.

16. A. García-Miranda Ferrari, P. Carrington, S. J. Rowley-Neale and C. E. Banks, Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, 2020, DOI: 10.1039/D0EW00407C.

instituteofwater.org.uk

47

DEVELOPING STRATEGIC RESOURCE OPTIONS TO TACKLE INCREASING WATER STRESS The Environment Agency (EA) has recently launched a consultation into the determination of water stressed areas in England.

Figure 1: UK Map showing proposed changes to classification of areas of water stress.

by Jon Darwent

Principal Consultant, Stantec In an update to its 2013 classification, using data from water businesses across the UK and the National Framework for Water Resources, seven new company areas are proposed to be classified as being water stressed. These fall under the scope of Severn Trent Water, South Staffordshire Water, Wessex Water, Portsmouth Water, Cambridge Water, South West Water’s Bournemouth and Isles of Scilly areas, and are in addition to areas already classified by the EA as under serious water stress.

The Environment Agency’s publication also includes an update to its forecast for the longer-term environmental water needs.

This projects that under the enhanced scenario, with a greater protection of sensitive river flows, there would be a need to recover 2,900Ml/d of abstractions.

The scale of this challenge and need for a joined up, national strategy led Ofwat to allocate up to £469m in its PR19 final determination to investigate 17 Strategic Water Resource options with a total capacity of up to 1,500 Ml/d to help achieve security of supply. This will enable the nine water companies to develop

48

instituteofwater.org.uk

‘construction ready’ solutions for AMP8 that protect and enhance the environment and benefit wider society. The solutions being delivered through a formal, gated process comprise 11 source-type solutions (reservoirs, effluent reuse) and six transfertype solutions (river, canal, and pipeline routes).

To facilitate the development of a best value set of options, the Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID) has been formed

by Ofwat, the Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate. RAPID is responsible for appraising the 17 Strategic

Resource Options (SROs) through a gated process and has, to date, evaluated the Gate 1 submission on an accelerated timeline for Southern Water’s pressing need to reduce abstractions in Hampshire.

Designing in Value The SROs are to be considered alongside other options within regional plans. This new level of planning, which sees the water companies of England grouped in to five regions, will assess how existing and new resources can be best shared to meet long term needs. As many of the SROs involve transfers between regions, the plans will be reconciled between the regions, to

FEATURE: WATER RESOURCES Figure 2: Example Benefits of Innovative Pipeline Route Optimisation

ensure they are joined up and reflect the needs, opportunities and alternatives across the country. The proposal is that regional solutions are then adopted by the companies in their Water Resources Management Plans (WRMPs). These planning processes are seeking to produce solutions which go beyond maintaining water supplies and to deliver stakeholders’ wider preferences for environmental improvements, increased resilience of supplies to climate change and shocks and to enable wider societal prosperity. It is therefore important that these objectives are incorporated within the next stages of SRO developments. The challenge is to deliver these wider benefits efficiently, not expanding scope and cost as a secondary, supplementary phase.

With many of the SROs involving transporting water long distances, they have the potential to provide value en route. The development of a new source and/or a transfer system could provide improved resilience for those customers supplied by systems in the vicinity. Cross connections could enable the new system to provide an alternative means of supply during planned outages or asset failures.

Benefits could even extend to greater use of sources as drought conditions may well not be experienced simultaneously across the country, such that a resource could meet events in both the donor and recipient areas.

The planning of schemes to contribute towards Net Zero carbon and environmental improvement targets will require that they minimise their own whole life impacts whilst also providing a more sustainable source of water such that existing abstractions impacting the environment can be reduced or stopped. The operational carbon of moving water long distances can be high and therefore it is important that routes are found that minimise pumping requirements.

Maximising the value of a scheme against these criteria requires a systematic approach to capturing the opportunities.

To realise this and to ensure the scheme is efficiently developed and progressed requires the use of digital planning tools.

With a vast array of datasets available in GIS layers, key information on needs, opportunities and constraints can be assimilated and algorithms developed to generate solutions that optimise them.

For example, Stantec’s Automated Route Selector is a powerful GIS tool which will produce an optimal pipeline route with the example benefits shown in Figure 2 above.

Through these innovative techniques we can design solutions that when selected as part of regional or company plans will deliver the requirements for biodiversity net gain and net zero carbon as well as providing a resilient water supply.

Optimising solutions within a portfolio Once the options have been considered within their regional plans it will be interesting to see how the selected portfolio operate and perform in combination. Options will have been designed in response to certain needs within the region, however, this higherlevel planning may identify wider use opportunities. Needs arise at different times over the planning period and the options have different timescales for their delivery meaning that their individual usage may vary over time. Resulting operational changes will need to be considered in the next stage of SRO developments to ensure the option delivers the best possible value.

This may include extending pipelines to connect to other zones of deficit or increasing certain components to meet higher combined demands.

To answer these questions, it will be important that the predicted use of all components of the plan, across the range of forecast scenarios, is carefully considered and presented. This will provide the focus for further refinement of schemes, to form regional and company plans that do not only answer the supply resilience question, but deliver a lasting legacy for customers, the environment and communities. www.stantec.com/uk

instituteofwater.org.uk

49

A RAPID EXPLANATION OF OFWAT’S ACCELERATED GATE ONE FINAL DECISIONS The Regulators Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID) received submissions for four potential strategic regional water resource solutions on 28 September 2020. With water shortages forecast to be most acute in the South and South East of England, the solutions put forward by Southern are intended to address its very urgent need to plug the gap between supply and demand, and to end the use of drought permits and orders to keep taps running in all but the most extreme drought events by the end of 2027.

RAPID and its purpose is to ensure at each gate that: ■ progress is being made on the solutions that have been allocated funding; ■ costs incurred in doing so are efficient; and ■ solutions merit continued investigation and development.

by Magda Styles

Principal in RAPID - Water Regulators’ Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development Can you tell us about the Final decisions that were made by Ofwat for Accelerated Gate 1?

First of all, a few words on what the gated process is about.

In the final determination for PR19 Ofwat allowed £469M for 9 companies to investigate and develop 17 strategic water resource solutions. These are regional solutions and the aim is to strengthen the long term resilience of our water resources, protect and enhance the environment, and benefit wider society. This funding allows companies to accelerate the development of solutions to be ‘construction ready’ for the 2025-2030 period and it encourages joint working.

Delivery of these solutions is subject to a formal gated process, overseen by

50

instituteofwater.org.uk

RAPID’s role in this process is to assess this, and to provide advice and recommendations to Ofwat, so that Ofwat can make decisions on continued ringfenced funding for solution progression.

There are two tracks in the gated process: standard and accelerated. The timing of submissions for standard gates is aligned with WRMPs and regional plan timetables, and we expect the solutions to be construction ready early in the next PR period, 2025-2030. Most of solutions progress on the standard track.

The accelerated gate timings are for solutions that are most likely to provide Southern Water with additional supplies for their Hampshire area by end 2027, because Southern’s need for the additional supplies occurs earlier than for the other regions.

The accelerated gate one was the first checkpoint – it’s a completely new process for both RAPID and the companies. This is early in the development of the solutions, the investigations are in their preliminary feasibility stage, so it is not a point where major decisions are made on whether a given solution is better than an alternative one – there is simply not enough

information for that yet. It is, however an important checkpoint to ensure that an appropriate progress is being made in order for all solutions to be at the same stage of development by gate two, which is the point at which decisions will be made on which solutions may be better and how to streamline the whole portfolio of solutions.

So, at gate one, we don’t expect any solutions to be eliminated unless they are clearly demonstrated to be unsuitable, no longer require further development funding or will not benefit from the structured gate process.

Southern Water had three solutions funded under the gated process. They were Fawley desalination, which was the preferred solution in their WRMP, Itchen recycling (which was the WRMP alternative), plus West Country North Sources - a joint solution with Bristol Water and Wessex Water which relied on a water from a new reservoir at Cheddar plus transfer from there, through Wessex Water’s area and into Southern’s Hampshire supply area.

Southern also submitted a new solution.

This was a raw water transfer from Havant Thicket, the new reservoir being developed by Portsmouth Water to cater for Southern’s needs. This proposed transfer would be in addition to the potable water transfer already agreed with Portsmouth. This submission was subject to additional assessment to determine whether it should be added to the existing programme and receive additional funding.

FEATURE: WATER RESOURCES So, onto decisions. On our recommendations Ofwat, decided that: ■

■

■

The Havant Thicket raw water transfer should be allowed funding to join the accelerated gate programme. However, it should be a collaborative solution with Portsmouth Water, given they own the reservoir.

- The funding allowed is £5.110 million (for gate two to four activities). The allocation of funds is 100% in favour of Southern Water up to gate two. The companies will jointly agree a contractual mechanism that compensates Portsmouth Water for any costs arising. We expect both companies to review this allocation at gate two and each subsequent gate (taking into account activities that need to be completed in order to comply with timescales) and provide a recommendation to RAPID. Desalination and recycling should progress to the next gate on the accelerated track.

- However, we found that not all expenditure have been efficient, so some have been disallowed.

Efficient costs allowance for desalination is £1.937 million (of £2.72 million claimed). For water recycling solution, it is £2.347 million (of £3.13 million claimed) – so 1.66 was disallowed.

- We also concluded that the submissions quality ‘Fell short in some areas’. For desalination and water recycling solution, this meant a potential delivery incentive penalty of 10% applied to efficient and appropriate expenditure. Southern Water has the opportunity to avoid the penalty if it addresses all the priority actions we listed, and does it in full no later than 3 months before their next gate deadline.

West Country North Sources should progress, but on the standard track.

This is because the companies has clearly shown that this solution cannot be in place by 2027. The expenditure for this has been allowed in full and with no penalty.

What does this mean for the sector – is there headway being made?

The accelerated gate was a useful checkpoint to establish what progress is

being made, if it’s sufficient, and if the companies’ efforts are in the right areas.

We have suggested a number of remedial actions to ensure that the final goal – which is that a solution is in place and operational by 2027 – is met. We also offered a number of recommendations to help improve future gated submissions.

I think that following the process and the decision-making was also helpful to see for the other water companies, the owners of solutions progressing on the standard track, whose gate one submissions are due in July 2021. They could see what the focus of our decision-making was, and ensure they are making progress in the right areas, and spending money efficiently.

Did you come across any challenges along the way?

Oh yes. Quite a few lessons learnt for both RAPID and the companies. The first, and the most important, is to avoid surprises.

The whole experience reiterated the need to work together throughout the process.

This benefits both the companies and the regulators, and helps keep the focus firmly on what the process is mean to achieve – which is to have the best solutions in place in a timely and cost efficient manner.

The gate is not an exam and should not be a big reveal. It’s a checkpoint to make sure that progress has been made and the money has been well spent; we don’t want companies to treat the gated submissions as the goal in itself, but to keep an eye firmly on the outcomes – having a solution in place by when it’s needed.

There is a lot of value for both sides in maintaining an ongoing engagement– companies make the required progress and RAPID and its constituent regulators are not swamped by a deluge of documentation to review and gates.

We worked with companies to collate and to act on the key learnings. Many have been already addressed through the updated guidance and submission templates, which was a collaborative effort. We are making headway on the rest, and plan to publish a summary lessons learnt document, and how we plan to address them. The whole point is to make sure we learn from each gate and each interaction, and the process is as smooth as possible and leads to what it has been designed to do –which is to accelerate the development of the strategic regional water resource solutions.

What’s next for RAPID? We have just published the updated guidance and the submission templates for the gates in 2021. We plan to publish the lessons learnt summary by 31 March. We are also working on our internal processes in readiness for the next gated submissions.

The standard gate one submission is on 5 July. There are 14 funded solutions but there may be more submissions – we are actively encouraging new solutions that would benefit from accelerated development. We then have the accelerated gate two in September, with the 3 submissions that made it through the accelerated gate one.

Throughout this, we have regular meetings with each of the solution owners, as well as liaison meetings where all of them, and the key stakeholders, meet together.

These are really helpful to make sure we are learning from one another, the process is as smooth as possible, and we understand all the barriers and risks, and address them promptly. We want to maintain the focus on achieving outcomes, we the best way to do this is to work in close collaboration.

instituteofwater.org.uk

51

““Following the success of our annual Water Industry Asset and Quality conference, we are excited to host a flagship event to promote carbon thinking across clients, consultants, contractors and supply chain, and build upon our established reputation for extending asset life as we deliver low carbon solutions through AMP7 and beyond.”

Iain Weir, Sales & Marketing Director

Wastewater solutions for a resilient future

NEW BUILD ASSETS Stonbury understands that population growth, significant asset deterioration and evolving industry standards means it is sometimes necessary to expand

As an established contractor within the wastewater sector, Stonbury is excited to provide environment-conscious methods in maintenance, refurbishment and new build solutions.

existing sites or build new wastewater infrastructure.

Stonbury understands that continuing to deliver

for Stonbury on new build projects where ‘Building

responsible wastewater management is as crucial

Less’ or ‘Building Nothing’ are not viable options.

as providing clean drinking water, and is excited to

Stonbury’s experience in environmentally-conscious

be working hard to tackle contemporary wastewater

building techniques offers a portfolio of solutions

challenges whilst championing the UK 2050 Water

including foundations and groundwork, service

Innovation Strategy to build resilient infrastructure

reservoirs and tanks, inlet and outlet structures,

systems that keep society’s vital services operating.

connecting pipelines and general fabrication.

Following the success of previous frameworks,

Stonbury’s new build portfolio offers both ‘green’

Stonbury have begun work on a number of new

and ‘grey’ solutions that address the Water Industry

wastewater build, refurbishment and maintenance

National Environment Programme (WINEP) and

projects across the country and is pleased to

promotes reed beds as a natural system that

deliver a range of raw water, grey water and sewage

provides a low-carbon and low-cost alternative

processing solutions that provide value for both

for tertiary treatment of domestic, industrial or

people and the environment.

agricultural wastewater.

52

instituteofwater.org.uk

Using the Carbon Curve to inform viability of all proposed projects, Stonbury can confidently tackle all aspects of a design and build whilst reducing carbon emissions at each stage of the construction.

Building ‘Cleverly’ by maximising the use of off-site construction and on-site waste recycling is a priority

REFURBISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE

natural systems, advocating an annual regime to

Stonbury continues to deliver regular maintenance

remove senesced organic material and repair pipework.

programmes as well as large scale refurbishment schemes in order to satisfy the ‘Build Less’ carbon

A CARBON NEUTRAL FUTURE

curve objective and budget constraints from clients.

The water industry faces critical challenges as the

Such schemes promote optimal performance and

effects of climate change and natural resource decline

increased longevity of assets; reducing the need for

amplify. Putting the carbon agenda at the forefront of its

expensive, carbon-heavy new build interventions.

business operations, Stonbury is proud to offer solutions

Stonbury’s previous wastewater refurbishment projects have demonstrated considerable reductions

to wastewater challenges whilst following Water UK’s Net Zero 2030 Route Map to a carbon neutral future.

in construction time, financial cost, and an asset’s

With an urgent need to decarbonise the process

carbon footprint over its lifetime — in some cases

and delivery of long-lasting and resilient wastewater

delivering savings of over ninety per cent compared

solutions, collaboration and knowledge-sharing

with the cost of a new replacement, whilst

between water companies, supply chains, regulators

significantly increasing both immediate capacity and

and other innovators is imperative, and will play a key

operational lifespan.

role in Stonbury’s inaugural Carbon Conference for the

Wastewater structures are required to withstand

Water Sector.

demanding conditions and therefore ongoing

“Following the success of our annual Water Industry

maintenance is essential. With expertise across

Asset and Quality conference, we are excited to host a

a range of wastewater asset types and materials,

flagship event to promote carbon thinking across clients,

Stonbury provides restoration to eroded and

consultants, contractors and supply chain, and build

chemically degraded surfaces; repair and realignment

upon our established reputation for extending asset life

of pipework; and specialist application of polyurethane

as we deliver low carbon solutions through AMP7 and

and epoxy waterproof coatings.

beyond”. Iain Weir, Sales and Marketing Director

In addition to conventional systems, Stonbury’s

Stonbury is looking forward to working with

experience in reed bed management ensures that

clients, suppliers and contractors alike to provide

they are also well-placed to design and maintain long-

wastewater solutions that halt carbon output, protect

lasting biological systems correctly. As a Constructed

and enhance natural systems, and enable the water

Wetlands Association member, Stonbury provide

industry to not only stand up to, but become part of

assured maintenance for continued functionality of

the solution to the climate crisis. instituteofwater.org.uk

53

WATER RESOURCES RESILIENCE FOR CARIBBEAN SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES (SIDS) The Caribbean region consisting of picturesque tropical islands with pristine, idyllic beaches and reefs, and vast areas of unspoilt and protected rainforest, surrounded by water, yet sustainable water resources and potable water shortages still plagued many.

Figure 1: Coconut and Palm trees at Pigeon Point Beach, Tobago, West Indies.

(Credit: Getty Images)

by Dr. Kiran Tota-Maharaj Reader in Civil & Environmental Engineering, Aston University

Caribbean countries enjoy relatively high standards of living with most countries defined by the United Nations as upper-middle income (Fraser, 2021).

This excludes the Caribbean region from much international development funding, simultaneously, high levels of public debt combined with the region’s vulnerabilities to climate change makes it difficult to secure funding and investment for critical infrastructure. For many small island developing states of the Caribbean, where climate change-related pressures, such as drought and extreme weather, compound geographic, industrial and infrastructural issues—water scarcity is a way of life.

Access to clean drinking water is the most threatened right of Caribbean people today. Variations in temperatures and lower rainfall patterns have been making matters worse. The region is acutely aware of the environmental risks and the need to invest in more resilient water services to safeguard its economic growth and development.

Several communities and villages across the Caribbean consist of storage tanks,

54

instituteofwater.org.uk

evidenced that the region is not immune from water-stresses. Several people across the Caribbean still rely on filling their tanks from the water distribution main pipes to use during scheduled outages or frequent breakdowns by the various water utilities.

Water supply is often unreliable is some villages and remote communities and further impacted by low water pressures and flow distributions. Despite day-to-day water supply shortages, breakdowns and outages in the water distribution network, a 2017 UN water report stated that most people in the Caribbean have access to safe potable water supply but irregular in some cases (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, 2020; Fraser, 2021).

Climate change has increased water scarcity and is exacerbating water problems across the Caribbean region. Climate risks facing each Caribbean island’s water resources availability and utility services sector are unique. Building Water Resources Resilience for Small Island Developing States (SIDS): Water Security Challenges and Strategies in the 21st Century is urgently needed.

A Regional Integrated Approach: Sustainable Water Resources Management Approach with Climate Change Adaptation with regional approaches in tackling the complex challenges of Small Island Developing States

(SIDS) across the Caribbean region. Whilst most Caribbean people outside rural areas across the region have a good connection to potable water supplies, they frequently experience major loses of drinking water supply due to outdated infrastructure in the need of constant repair and maintenance.

A recent report by the United Nations classed Antigua and Barbuda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as St. Kitts and Nevis as water scarce (countries with less than 1000 cubic metres per captia of renewable and sustainable water resources per year) (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, 2020; Fraser, 2021). Furthermore, the Barbados Water Authority states that the country has only 350 cubic metres per capita. Climate variations has already significantly impacted on Barbados’ water supply. All of Barbados’ internal renewable water resources come from rainfall and in 2019 the country saw its lowest recorded levels since 1947 (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, 2020; Fraser, 2021).

The European Investment Bank has agreed to support priority water investment across Barbados, to improve water supply across the country. A USD $12 million loan from the European Investment Bank to the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) has been

FEATURE: WATER RESOURCES secured to rehabilitate the island’s drinking water distribution network by improving efficiency, service quality and resilience to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change (Figure 2). The investments will also lead to improvements to the deteriorated wastewater treatment facilities in the water-scarce country (European Investment Bank, 2020). This funding will allow for the modernisation of water supply and sewerage systems on the island of Barbados, leading to substantial energy savings, reducing water losses in networks and an improvement in wastewater treatment operations. The investment will focus on the rehabilitation of aged and deteriorated leaking infrastructure, pipes and reservoirs.

The new investment will better protect water supply in Barbados from climate change and more frequent extreme weather (European Investment Bank, 2020).

Trinidad and Tobago is the wealthiest in the Caribbean region and the fifth-richest by Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in the Americas, recognised as a high-income economy by the World Bank (World Bank, 2021). Unlike most of the English-speaking Caribbean countries, Trinidad’s economy is primarily industrial, and the country’s wealth is attributed to its large oil and natural gas reserves. Nevertheless, Trinidad and Tobago’s water distribution systems, water supply and shortages are out of sync and out of step with the country’s development status (Tota-Maharaj, 2019).

Technological giants have brought Trinidad and Tobago one step close to achieved developed nation status with the launch of a 5G network. Trinidad and Tobago have joined other developed countries like the United Kingdom, Spain, and territories in the Middle East and Asia, where leading operators have been working aggressively to make 5G deployment a reality. With all these technological advancements across the country’s telecommunications infrastructure, there is still very little advancement in the water and wastewater sector. Across Trinidad and Tobago, the water utility is owned and operated by the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA). They (WASA) loses as much as 60 million gallons of water each day from leakages and poor infrastructure, which accounts to more than 45% of the daily water supply. Across Trinidad and Tobago, it is challenging to quantify the impacts of climate change, however they have experienced reduced precipitation levels in range of 10-20 % in the dry season (January-May) and is

Figure 2: Water Infrastructure in Barbados (Credit: Shutterstock)

Figure 3: The availability of clean water has become a major issue in the Caribbean region. (Adapted from EwingChow (2019).

symbolised by a tropical maritime climate, with rainfall mostly in the form of showers due to daytime convection. According to 2019 figures, Trinidad and Tobago gets approximately 12% of its water supply from desalination and expanding this maybe the future direction of the water utilities (United Nations-UN WATER (2021).

The Jamaican scenarios and experience are quite similar with the country’s Water Resources Authority experience major loses of water that has been produced and is supposed to be delivered but it not teaching the end uses because of aging infrastructure (leaking and perforated pipelines). This past summer in Jamaica, there was a significant drought period and was extremely challenging for the water supply providers. There are two dams or large water resources in Jamaica with 650 different water supply systems (Jamaica Observer, 2019). In the absence of sustainable water resources for either dams or alternative sources, Jamaica’s water supply would constantly be in crisis mode.

The residents of Kingston, Jamaica and the rest of the island have perennial problems getting potable water supply to their taps, partly due to an aging and overburdened water system. To make matters worse for Jamaica’s Water Resources Authority, the island has been suffering from drought conditions due to the El Nino effect in the past. Water “lock-offs” or outages as referred to in Jamaica are quite frequent

occurring without warning (Kebede, 2015).

Jamaica prides itself on the country’s potable water supply, but more than 60% of the island’s water infrastructure is too old to be effective. Although much of the water distribution and supply network was constructed in the 1960’s when Jamaica became independent the United Kingdom there are still small bits and pieces from the original water system built in the 1800s.

There are many problems facing each water sector in the Caribbean region and climate change is aggravating the existing and underlying conditions for the water utilities.

Climate change related challenges such as floods and extreme weather conditions are slowly becoming the new norm for these small island developing states.

Given the complexities of compounding political, economic and environmental issues across the Caribbean, a regional collaboration is urgently required in finding sustainable solutions for the water crisis.

If infrastructure problems and structural integrity of the water distribution systems (pipelines, pumping stations) are left unaddressed to critical infrastructure (for water and wastewater management), things are only going to deteriorate further as climate change increases the pressure.

As innovations continue to address the issue of water scarcity, outdated and obsolete water management systems will need to be replaced and alternative sources found for the Caribbean region.

instituteofwater.org.uk

55

SELWOOD

SELWOOD SOLUTIONS RISE TO THE CHALLENGE OF COMPLEX TASKS Selwood’s pumping solutions teams operate from branches around the UK, supporting customers with complex and challenging tasks. Here are some examples from recent months.

Flooded crematorium Heavy rain, snow and the pressures of dealing with the devastating impact of Covid-19 combined to create a crisis at Kirkleatham Memorial Park and Crematorium in Yearby, North Yorkshire.

The conditions left the site and facilities, which are at the bottom of a hill, overwhelmed by water at the worst possible time. The team were already working round the clock to service an increased number of cremations and funeral services.

Craig Middleton, Framework Manager, led a rapid response out of Selwood’s Middlesbrough branch. The job was the first shout for Middlesbrough’s newlycommissioned installation team, which quickly attended the site and set up three Selwood S150 pumps to divert water into a pond, where it flowed into the stormwater system.

Once the flooding subsided and the job was complete. Craig returned to the site with small gifts for the team. “They told us they felt like the forgotten ones,” Craig added: “So it was nice to do something to show that they are appreciated.”

Sewage solution A burst sewage pipe causes significant inconvenience at any time – but for people living in the small village of Hythe, Hampshire, it was a source of major disruption to their daily lives.

To keep flows under control, 14 tankers had been deployed to remove, transport and dispose of the sewage waste. This system was costly and caused significant noise and traffic problems for locals in the village, which is often congested even without additional vehicles on the road.

Pumping solutions specialists at Selwood’s Chandler’s Ford headquarters were called upon by Cappagh Browne, who were assisting Southern Water in dealing

56

instituteofwater.org.uk

Whitehaven Marina

with the burst pipe, to find a temporary solution which would ease the disruption for villagers until a more permanent repair was carried out.

Because of the limited space available, NZ immersible pumps were used to pump sewage out from the site of the affected pipe. This was connected to a 300mm pipe and a pipe crossing setup which went up and over the car park, allowing vehicle access to the area of the repair.

The solution, from planning to commissioning, took just three days.

Marina maintenance Whitehaven Marina, known as the maritime gateway to the Lake District, Cumbria, was created in 1998 following the installation of a sea lock system designed to protect the town of Whitehaven from regular flooding. It has 400 fully-serviced berths, and is regularly used by commercial traffic including fishing vessels and wind farm boats.

An unexpected mechanical failure on the south outer gate meant emergency support was required. The gate was forced shut and

Hythe could not be operated again until it was repaired – and that prompted the need to pump more than 1.5 million litres out of the lock to allow access for maintenance crews.

The marina team installed stop locks to create a dam to hold back the sea, before Selwood’s teams installed two 21kw electric submersible pumps and began the task of pumping the lock out.

They were able to drain it completely in less than a day, allowing the maintenance teams to get to the gate mechanism and repair the fault as rapidly as possible.

Tony Taylor, marina supervisor, said: “The response from Selwood was absolutely brilliant – they were amazingly quick and did exactly what we needed for the job.” www.selwood.co.uk

Forget the rest……fit the BEST…

Mecana Pile Cloth Media Filters* FEATURE: ENGINEERING PROJECTS

Bespoke off-site construction in stainless steel tanks or into concrete chambers.

• Pile Cloth Media Tertiary Filtration

• Phosphorus and tertiary solids removal - able to deliver to 0.1 mg/l Ptot and Fe typically to 1.0 mg/l

standards. Plus, we keep maintenance records for each site and based on Reliablity Centered Maintenance we can predict and advise on potential failures. As a result, we can replace parts and components at intervals specific to site conditions, helping to prevent unwanted downtime whilst minimising maintenance expenditure.

• Micro-pollutant / Priority Substance removal

No need for chemical cleaning

• Primary & Primary Effluent Filtration

A chemical clean, of any sort, has never been a requirement, nor a necessity, with Mecana filters due to the unique Optifiber® cloth used, a product of careful research, design, construction and development.

• Complete packages with mixing, flocculation & walkways One of the main attractions is the low operating costs – installed power is low, the drum only rotates and the suction pumps only run when the regular backwash is actually needed. In addition, it is recommended that occasionally the cloths are removed for a clean with a pressure washer, ideally every twelve months. This not only keeps the cloth in tip-top condition and hence delivering excellent effluent, but also maximises their life expectancy, often well beyond the accepted 7½ years working life.

The annual cleaning procedure had been specially developed and is unique to Mecana with the ELIQUO HYDROK Service and Maintenance Team - a dedicated group of specialists using a fleet of self-sufficient service vans - will undertake this cleaning process for the customer; a bespoke professional service fully compliant with all H&S on-site, environmental and good practice

As Lewis O’Brien, CEO, Joint MD puts it, “"We provide a bespoke professional service, using procedures approved by the customer and recognising all H&S on site and environmental standards.

This includes providing appropriate protective clothing for our operators and ensuring that the water used is both safe and does not enter the watercourse. Further, we know that Optifiber is the heart of our success and thus it needs to be thoroughly looked after; every segment is therefore carefully removed, inspected, then gently pressure washed from the inside using the bespoke attachment provided with every Mecana contract and carefully replaced.” *Best PCMF in terms of the number of installations worldwide and ultimate levels of performance, arrived on the market to challenge the established opposition e.g. sand filters

, x o B e h t n o A N A C E M t o n “If it’s ” x o B e h t n i a n a c e M T O N It’s ®

OptiFiber® by ME MECANA, CANA, from from The only only PILE CL CLO OTH MEDIA FIL FILTRA TRATION TION ttest ested ed and pro oven in the Nationa Nationall P-Remo P-Remova vall Tria Trials ls pr ELIQUO HYDROK LTD I T 01726 862000 I sales@eliquohydrok.co.uk

www.eliquohydrok.co.uk instituteofwater.org.uk

57

MORE THAN A MEASURE

C-Mex gives a more rounded measure of services that companies deliver to all residential customers

Customers in England and Wales will benefit from a new incentive on water companies to deliver improved services to them during 2020-25 – the Customer Measure of Experience (C-Mex). But how will it work? Rebekah Eden, Director, and Ian Bannon, Principal, from Ofwat explain more.

When Ofwat carried out the 2019 Price Review (PR19), great customer service was one of our four key themes for services for 2020-25. This wasn’t just a theme we plucked out of thin air.

As we said in our strategy, Time to act, together, water is vital for life – not just for people but for the environment and ecosystem on which we depend. This means that customers in England and Wales feel differently about water to other services: they need to trust that water and wastewater companies are serving the public benefit. But, at the same time, customers expect great service, at least comparable to the service they get elsewhere.

By introducing C-MeX, we aim to drive companies harder to continually improve the level of service they deliver to their

58

instituteofwater.org.uk

customers at all stages of service delivery.

We want them to not just strive to deliver the best service in the sector, but among the very best in other sectors. Because being a monopoly isn’t an excuse for poor service; it’s an opportunity for great service.

C-Mex to see more C-MeX should drive the 17 largest water companies in England and Wales to provide an excellent customer experience for the 2020-25 period. It is a relative service target (‘performance commitment’) that is common to all of the companies and comparing them against each other. It is also one of a number of financial and nonfinancial rewards and penalties (‘Outcome Delivery Incentives’ (ODIs)) we introduced to encourage companies to deliver all round better services to customers, the environment and society.

What is an Outcome delivery incentive (ODI)?

ODI’s are the financial or reputational (non-financial) incentives for companies to outperform and avoid underperformance against each of their performance commitments.

Most performance commitments have ODIs that will be assessed and settled on an annual basis during the price control period (an ‘in-period’ adjustment).

C-MeX is one of those that is measured and assessed annually, so it directly encourages companies to do better year after year.

FEATURE: C-MEX/ODI’S C-MeX replaces its predecessor the Service Incentive Mechanism (SIM) judging companies’ performance against each other and driving innovation and competition in a new way. While SIM was effective in driving service improvements in the sector, we wanted C-Mex to go further and: ■ Draw direct comparisons with others to incentivise companies to reach the higher levels of customer service that we see in other sectors.

■ Encourage leading companies to improve customer service standards.

■ Encourage companies to contact their customers and drive innovation, service improvement and customer engagement.

■ Reflect changing communications technology and how customers interact with retailers in the wider economy;

C-Mex reflects changing ways that customers interact with retailers in the wider economy

Surveying satisfaction C-MeX is comprised of two surveys 1. The customer service survey of residential customers who have recently contacted their company in relation to their recent contact 2. The customer experience survey of random members of the public in relation to their experience of their water company.

In both cases customers are asked how: ■ satisfied they are with the service provided; and ■ how likely it is they would recommend the water company to family or friends.

(This net promoter score result is measured and reported separately to the C-MeX score which is used to calculate financial incentives).

It also draws on wider information sources and other external factors such as companies’ performance: ■ in dealing with complaints; and ■ in the Institute of Customer Services UK Customer Service Index (UKCSI).

This gives a more rounded and holistic view of performance.

Companies receive a score based on the satisfaction ratings given by customers in the monthly surveys and we will publish annual league tables for C-MeX. Each company can receive outperformance payments or incur underperformance payments based on how it scores compared to other companies.

Better services, better regulation When we designed the C-MeX incentive mechanism during PR19 we set a number of aims and principles that drew on the lessons learned from SIM that would enable us to get the best outcomes for customers.

of Experience (D-Mex)) in 2019-20.

Congratulations went to Dŵr Cymru – who not only topped our first C-Mex league table, but also became the first water company to break into the UK customer service index (UKCSI) top 50 companies.

These were that the incentive: ■ effectively drives and encourages companies to improve customer experiences and innovate; ■ is simple and meaningful for both companies and customers; ■ is proportionate; ■ is practical to implement; ■ measures performance across companies consistently, reliably and fairly; and ■ reflects customer behaviour changes and market changes.

From 2020-21, as well as publishing a league table of company performance the financial underperformance and outperformance payments apply.

We think that C-MeX helps us achieve all of those aims. It will continue to put pressure on companies to deliver excellent customer service and do this through innovation.

Find out more information on the development of C-Mex at www.ofwat. gov.uk/regulated-companies/companyobligations/customer-experience/

We’ll be publishing our league table in September. But C-MeX is now in full effect, so companies stand to incur significant underperformance payments or outperformance payments based on how they score relative to each other during the year. Proving that for customers and companies, C-Mex is more than a measure.

What next?

We undertook a trial of C-Mex which we called the shadow year (and its counterpart – the Developer Measure

instituteofwater.org.uk

59

UK’S LARGEST SMART WATER NETWORK PILOT SHOWS PROMISING RESULTS FOR LEAKAGE

The UK water industry has challenging targets to improve service for our customers by 2025, including reducing water leakage by at least 15%.

At Yorkshire Water we aim to push boundaries and work collaboratively with our supply chain partners to enable the best outcomes for our customers.

Our innovation team recently began the roll out of the UK’s largest smart water network pilot, in collaboration with 18 delivery partners.

by Adam Smith

Yorkshire Water Clean Water Network Strategy Manager

60

instituteofwater.org.uk

Early results have proved promising, as we have been able to identify that 32% of all leakage in one area could be traced back to just 1% of properties, suggesting that leaks on private supply pipes could make up a significant amount of our overall leakage.

A key part of the pilot was ensuring that we have the right infrastructure in place to connect the meters and retrieve the data. We trialled three network solutions, looking to understand the challenges and benefits of the LoRaWAN®, NB-IoT and FlexNet options.

One of our key partners, Connexin, were engaged to deploy, manage and maintain the carrier grade LoRaWAN® low powered IoT network. Success of the engagement has largely been down to close partnership working to understand the relationship between the characteristics of the LoRaWAN network; where the meters are deployed; and the depth of the meters in the pits.

FEATURE: LEAKAGE INVESTIGATION TECHNIQUES The meters have been programmed to communicate several times a day, each communication transmitting consumption data at intervals of 15 minutes. This granularity of data has been critical to identifying opportunities to improve the leakage performance of our network. We worked hard to ensure that the security of customer-sensitive data was maintained.

We are working to combine this data with other sources, including acoustic and district flow measurements, to refine how it is used and support a better understanding of the network performance as a whole.

So far almost 1,000 meters have been connected onto the LoRaWAN® network and with over 90% of the meters transmitting almost 90% of their transmissions effectively, it represents the most successful LoRaWAN® smart metering trial delivered to date by a UK water utility.

The collaboration of our partners has led to a number of additional innovations; such as developing the optimal transmission pattern to deliver the usage

data at variable times through the day, whilst still delivering an anticipated battery life of over 15 years.

Of working on the project, Rob Bullock, Chief Sales Officer at Connexin said: “Innovation can only be delivered when you have true collaboration between parties working together to create a solution to solve a shared problem. The economic challenge of delivering smart metering is considerable, especially for water utilities that are not classed as being water stressed.

“The engagement with Yorkshire Water has been the perfect example of a true partnership and represents a seminal point in the smart metering industry in the UK, entering LoRaWAN® as a potentially attractive metering option for the water industry, both in the presence and absence of water resource challenges.

“Together we have built a solution that delivers timely data, in a cost-effective manner and that minimizes the battery drain. The project demonstrates that this approach to AMI deployments could be

scaled to both support a smart water network and provide the infrastructure needed for other LoRaWAN® IoT sensors deployed for other use cases.”

By working together with Connexin and Itron, we have co-created a solution which has delivered enhanced outcomes, compared to taking a more rigid contractual approach. We hope the success and insights of the smart meter deployment and wider smart network programme at Yorkshire Water will continue to evolve and help influence investment decisions in the near future.

• DG2 mini and micro boosting solutions CONTINUOUS WATER SUPPLY SOLUTIONS

Planned, Reactive, In-cabinet, Underground, Permanent or temporary.

Helping to make it happen!

For more information telephone: 01672 569986

• Rapidly delivered permanent installs • Next day temporary installations • IP68 chambered solutions • Reg 31 break tank arrays • Remote monitoring • System resilience • 24hr support www.emergencywater.co.uk

instituteofwater.org.uk

61

HWM

USING LEAK DETECTION TO PLUG THE UK’S FUTURE WATER DEFICIT As proved in a recent Water UK study, people in the UK are using a lot more water than they realise.

The research revealed that almost half (46%) of people believe that their household uses under 20 litres of water a day, when in fact, the average daily use per person is 142 litres.

Currently, daily demand for water in England and Wales sits at approximately 14bn litres. However, factors including population growth and climate change are steadily increasing demand to the extent to which, according to the National Audit Office, daily demand by 2050 will exceed 18bn litres.

An additional concern is that, while the demand for fresh water is increasing, supplies are likely to be impacted by the rise in global temperatures brought on by climate change.

Warmer air holds more moisture than colder air meaning greater evaporation rates would negatively affect water stocks in reservoirs, leading to more incidences like Day Zero in Cape Town, where the city was at real risk of completely running out of water.

There is also apprehension that, due to increasing temperatures, less water will be harvested through sustainable abstraction (the process of taking water from the ground or surface water bodies), and with demand growing, not meeting the deficit could cause the risk of drought in South East England, one of the country’s most populated areas.

The reduction of network leakage has been identified as a critical factor in achieving water sustainability and water companies are proactively delivering largescale network monitoring projects in an effort to reduce leaks, which is a hugely complicated undertaking.

62

instituteofwater.org.uk

In the UK, water companies own over 346,455km of mains water pipes, which is enough to cover the equator 8.5 times over! Throughout this vast network, Water UK reports that 2,954 million litres of water is lost each day because of leakage.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 happening in some of the areas most prone to leaks”.

With ambitious targets in mind, water companies are continuing to invest heavily in leak detection solutions, such as PermaNET, to proactively monitor their network.

Developments in technology has significantly improved the accuracy and efficiency of leak detection, which in turn reduces cost, disruption to customers and most importantly, water loss.

FEATURE: LEAKAGE INVESTIGATION TECHNIQUES

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 instituteofwater.org.uk

63

FORWARD THINKING CUTS LEAKAGE FOR TOKYO

Water leakage is not just a waste of water, it also wastes energy and other resources required to treat and distribute potable water. Peter Bamforth from stainless steel manufacturer Outokumpu explains how Tokyo’s water utility cut leakage from 15 to 2.2 percent with a longterm program that included stainless steel service pipes and high-tech leakage detection.

The city’s water utility, the Tokyo Water Board (TWB) draws water from the Tone, Arakawa and Tama rivers to serve a population of more than 13 million people. Regular water shortages prompted the water board’s engineers to find a solution to leakage that was durable enough to withstand the shock of earthquakes.

TWB established a three-point plan: longterm replacement of its 27,000 km network of mains and service pipes with durable materials; proactive leak detection and repair; and high-technology leak prevention.

Between 1980 and 2013, the operator reduced its leakage rate from 15.4 to 2.2 percent. This reduced overall demand in spite of a growing population.

64

instituteofwater.org.uk

1980

2013

Population (millions)

11.6

13.3

Production volume (million m3)

1,692

1,523

Leakage volume (million m3)

260

33

Leakage rate

15.4 %

2.2 %

Reducing leakage also impacts the operations and maintenance budget and by cutting the number of repairs from 69,000 to 10,000 and reducing pumping and energy costs, TWB cut its annual costs

by US$480 million and its carbon footprint by 54,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year. The durability of the pipes also protected water quality.

Selecting alternative materials TWB selected ductile iron to replace cast iron for its largest mains, of up to 2.7m in diameter.

It chose stainless steel for sub-mains and service pipes. Previously, these had varied in age and material. Many older service pipes were based on lead or unlined cast iron, with some steel pipes. Corrosive soil and lack of external coating had led to higher leakage rates in some areas.

Another issue was a lack of earthquakeresistant pipe joints in some areas. Not only did this increase the risk of leakage, but also of public safety in the event of an earthquake.

FEATURE: LEAKAGE INVESTIGATION TECHNIQUES TWB’s evaluation of materials started in 1970, a full ten years before the program started, when it buried test batches of material samples at ten sites. These batches included three grades of stainless steel (two variants of grade 304 and grade 316), as well as carbon steel and lead, which was included as a historic comparison.

100

95

Percentage of ductile iron pipes (%)

And although the stainless steel pipework is planned to last 100 years, it may last longer.

Stainless steel was developed in the 1910s and remains in excellent condition in many places, with one famous example being 1930’s Chrysler Building in New York.

Additional leakage strategies Other leakage strategies include early detection and repair. TWB has divided its network into service areas and smaller blocks. It surveys each block every ten years and has a leakage team that will respond to reports on a 24/7 basis.

And in high-tech Japan, it’s no surprise that TWB also uses the latest technology to monitor its network. For example, it uses night-time flow analysis, acoustic detection and helium gas detection. In this latter method, its engineers inject chemically inert helium into the mains and then track the path of water mains to find where helium has escaped from the pipe with the otherwise invisible leak and seeped up through the ground.

Phased approach With such an ambitious program, it’s no wonder that TWB phased its work and prioritized pipe replacement for zones feeding hospitals, earthquake emergency shelters, railway stations and government

99 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

50

90

45

85 82 79

80

76

40

Percentage of stainless steel pipes (%)

35

72 69

68 65 64

64 60

60

While PVC or PE have good resistance to corrosion, they only last 20 years. This was not enough for TWB, which wanted a 100-year life that would minimize lifecycle leakage and disruption in the long term.

After evaluation of the test samples, TWB selected stainless steel grade 316. Over 100 years, this was the least costly option, representing a quarter of the total lifetime cost of PVC or PE, including replacement and repair. Grade 316 has higher alloy content than the two 304 variants and therefore has a higher purchase price – but that buys additional corrosion resistance and strength.

Once installed, this protects the water supply from corrosion due to high levels of chloride ions in the ground, as well as the seismic effects.

88

97

55

60

58 57 56 50

48 47

47 48

43 42

15 15 15 15

14 14

13 13

35

11 11

10 10 10

16

6 3

28

9

9

8

8

8

Leakage rate (%, right)

15

26

22

11

1

20 33 27

12 12

25

39 38

31 23

20

Leakage repair cases (thousand) 43

38

38 44

40

30

55 48

21 18

7

6

5

5

4

4

4

16 15 14 15 13 3

3

3

3

10 11 10

3

2

5

2

0

0 ‘80 ‘81 ‘82 ‘83 ‘84 ‘85 ‘86 ‘87 ‘88 ‘89 ‘90 ‘91 ‘92 ‘93 ‘94 ‘95 ‘96 ‘97 ‘98 ‘99 ‘00 ‘01 ‘02 ‘03 ‘04 ‘05 ‘06 ‘07 ‘08 ‘09 ‘10 ‘11 ‘12 ‘13

agencies. It also prioritized older pipes and areas with higher levels of corrosion.

During the work, it also made sense to streamline the network. For example, TWB would replace multiple individual lines running in parallel with a single service pipe to feed several properties along a private road.

Flexibility is strength The utility was already seeing success from its strategy in 1998 when it decided to extend its scope all the way to the customer’s stopcock. It had previously stopped at the branching point on the service pipe.

traffic, construction and contractors’ activities can also lead to shock and vibration.

In terms of practicalities, the Japanese Water Works Association has set the standard that these corrugated pipes should withstand up to 1.75 Mega Pascals (MPa) of hydraulic pressure for a minute.

A group of suppliers has sprung up in Japan, Taiwan and Korea to manufacture the pipes. However, the tubes are very similar to engine exhaust coupling tubes in the automotive industry. Several manufacturers exist for these in Europe, which could adjust their lines for the water industry.

The same year, it introduced corrugated stainless steel pipes to address the fact that most leaks arise from pipe joints.

These corrugated pipes come in four-meter lengths and up to 300 mm in diameter and have intermittent corrugated sections that installers can bend around corners or other services in the street before welding lengths together in place.

On the global agenda

A particular advantage is that the corrugations remain flexible underground so resist the shock of earthquakes. This plan proved worthwhile when the Great Sendai Earthquake hit in 2011. Following the event, it was found that only five percent of Tokyo’s stainless steel water pipes were damaged, even though it accounted for the vast majority of the city’s pipes.

With water resources under growing pressure, network operators around the world can learn from the experiences of these cities, both in terms of the materials they have selected, as well as their operational strategies.

Seeing Tokyo’s success, the cities of Seoul and Taipei have followed suit and have adopted stainless steel service pipes. However, they have set their own specifications, with Seoul having chosen grade 304 stainless steel as a lower-cost option as it has less aggressive soil chemistry.

It’s now a question of which city will be next.

Many cities that are not in seismic zones could benefit from this durability. Heavy

instituteofwater.org.uk

65

AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH

Portsmouth Water and Southern Water are collaborating on an innovative approach to secure longterm resilient water resources for the South East of England - a new way of working that provides a blueprint for future planning.

Together, the companies are developing Havant Thicket Reservoir in Portsmouth Water’s supply area, to enable reliable supplies for Southern Water’s customers in Hampshire.

It will be the first new reservoir to be developed in the UK since the 1980s and will play a key role in reducing abstraction from the region’s internationally-renowned chalk streams, the Rivers Itchen and Test.

It will also be the first time a significant water supply asset has been developed in this way, in one water company’s supply area to share supplies with another company’s customers - potentially establishing a precedent for others to follow.

Taking a regional view The Government is currently calling for water companies to invest in more resilience

66

instituteofwater.org.uk

projects to help supply water, such as reservoirs and regional transfers. Projects like this are needed to secure reliable water supplies for the future, alongside reducing the amount of water lost through leaks and encouraging people to use less water.

This will help the country tackle extremes in weather such as droughts, which are likely to happen more often and be more serious, as our climate changes. It will also help provide water supplies to more customers in the future as the population grows in the UK and enable water companies to leave more water in the environment to support habitats and wildlife.

Havant Thicket Reservoir has been enabled through the regional strategy of the Water Resources South East (WRSE) group, which includes six water companies in the region and their regulators. It marks the success

of moving towards strengthened regional planning to identify the best value schemes to increase resilience and deliver environmental improvements.

Portsmouth Water will construct the reservoir in its supply area so it is operational by 2029. Further investigations are also underway as part of the RAPID programme and WRMP 24 planning to explore if the reservoir could play an even greater role in supporting resilience in the future, through new transfers and as a conduit for recycled or desalinated water.

Portsmouth Water and Southern Water have now signed an 80-year Bulk Supply Agreement, under which Portsmouth Water will supply 21 million litres a day to Southern Water, up to a 1 in 200-year drought - an arrangement made possible

by Havant Thicket Reservoir being in place.

FEATURE: ENGINEERING PROJECTS The need for the reservoir The South East of England, as a whole, is under ‘serious water stress’ and water companies are being asked to take less water from some of their sources - such as the chalk streams and rivers in Hampshire to keep them healthy and protect wildlife.

At the same time, water companies need to find more water to cater for the effects of climate change and a growing population.

This major change is going to particularly affect Southern Water, which needs to find new water resources for the customers it supplies drinking water to in Hampshire, to replace water taken currently from the River Test and the River Itchen.

Portsmouth Water is in a better position, as its supply area is only under ‘moderate water stress’.

This is because there are underground springs which provide plentiful, clean water.

In winter, much of this water is surplus to Portsmouth Water’s requirements and flows out to sea, so much better use could be made of some of the water by capturing it and storing it in the reservoir until it’s needed.

This would allow Portsmouth Water to share more water from its network with Southern Water’s customers in Hampshire and increase the resilience of water supplies in the South East.

■ Portsmouth Water already has agreements to share up to 30 million litres of water a day with Southern Water (in West Sussex and Hampshire) ■ It can share a further nine million litres a day from 2024 from other sources (Hampshire) ■ It can provide an extra transfer from a mix of sources when the reservoir is built - 21 million litres of water a day (to Hampshire) ■ The total would be up to 60 million litres of water per day provided by Portsmouth Water to Southern Water.

Overall, building Havant Thicket Reservoir would make the whole of the South East of England much more resilient to droughts, which are likely to happen more often in the future due to climate change.

Meeting future challenges Portsmouth Water first received planning permission for Havant Thicket Reservoir back in 1964 and it carried out a lot of

work towards a new planning application in 2008. However, at the time there wasn’t enough demand for the water, either from Portsmouth Water’s customers or across the South East.

Since then, Southern Water has agreed to reduce the amount of water it takes from the rivers Test and Itchen in Hampshire, to protect the environment, so they need to find new sources.

Subject to the planning applications being approved, below is a timetable for how the reservoir scheme would progress through to completion in 2029.

2021-2022: ■

■

■

Portsmouth Water is now working in partnership with Southern Water to go ahead with the reservoir to secure more reliable water supplies for the region as a whole.

■ ■ ■ ■

Havant Thicket Reservoir will also provide a new green leisure hub for communities close to the site, who are both customers of Portsmouth Water (drinking water) and Southern Water (wastewater), promoting better health and wellbeing in a neighbourhood which is among one of the most deprived in Hampshire.

2023-2026: ■

■ ■

■

The development of the project would also include the creation and improvement of a minimum of 110 hectares of woodland and pasture, both on and close to the reservoir site, to create new habitats and corridors for wildlife. A new 10-hectare wetland would also be created on the northern shore of the reservoir and a long-term grant scheme would be established to support environmental projects in the local area.

Projected timeline for Havant Thicket Reservoir Portsmouth Water submitted planning applications for Havant Thicket Reservoir in late 2020, with a decision on granting planning permission expected in Spring 2021.

Ongoing creation of new woodlands and habitats for wildlife migration Prepare planning applications for the detailed design of the reservoir operational and visitor facilities, access and recreational routes and reservoir pipeline route Build the access roads Start work to prepare the reservoir site Divert paths Community engagement.

Dig out the clay on site and move it to shape the reservoir bowl Build the reservoir embankment Lay the reservoir pipeline which will transfer the water from the springs to the reservoir Community engagement.

2027-2029: ■ ■

■

■

Create a new network of paths Pump water from the springs to fill the reservoir (during winter) Build the visitors’ centre and other facilities Open to the public.

Further information For more on Havant Thicket Reservoir and Portsmouth Water and Southern Water’s innovative collaboration to secure future water resources, please visit: www.portsmouthwater.co.uk/havantthicket-reservoir or www.southernwater. co.uk/water-for-life-hampshire.

instituteofwater.org.uk

67

STORMHARVESTER

AI SUCCESSFULLY DETECTS BLOCKAGE FORMATIONS FOR WESSEX WATER

Rainy day in Bath – hyperlocal rainfall was a major input into creating dynamic thresholds used to achieve such accurate forecasting.

Machine-learning technology trialled on part of Wessex Water’s sewerage network has identified early forming sewer blockages in real-time with a 92% accuracy rate, whilst enabling an operational shift to condition-based maintenance. of Bath, Somerset. The technology quickly demonstrated its value, with over 60 early blockage formations detected in real-time and control room alerts reduced by a staggering 97 per cent.

software due to rainfall, reducing the total to 138, of which 124 were genuine blockage formations or sensor faults. This gave the utility’s crews capacity to respond rapidly to each alarm.

The trial took place from June to August 2020 in the wastewater catchment of Bath, which comprises 3,500km of sewerage, representing 10% of Wessex’s total. ISS was applied to an array of 98 level sensors already present in the network - 89 at combined sewer overflow – CSO - sites and the remainder at pumping lift stations.

by Brian Moloney

Managing sewer blockages represents a significant operational challenge for water and wastewater utilities. As well as problems arising from the blockages themselves, heavy rainfall often triggers hundreds of alarms because of high levels within the sewer network caused by runoff. The volume of these alarms during wet weather can be overwhelming for operational and maintenance teams.

Machine-learning

The potential of artificial technology (AI) to transform sewer network management has been demonstrated during a threemonth trial of StormHarvester’s Intelligent Sewer Suite with Wessex Water in the city

The incumbent system operating in the Wessex Water control room generated some 4,500 alarms during the trial period, yet StormHarvester’s Intelligent Sewer Suite (ISS) was able to mute alarms where high sewer levels were predicted by the AI

ISS uses machine-learning, an AI application that enables systems to automatically learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed to do so. The StormHarvester system’s smart machinelearning algorithms and predictive analysis tools were applied to catchment sensor data

Managing director, StormHarvester

68

instituteofwater.org.uk

FEATURE: ENGINEERING PROJECTS and corresponding hyperlocal rain forecasts to predict the wastewater flow levels and detect potential early blockage formations in real-time.

Wessex Water wanted to test the ability of machine-learning to: ■ Predict blockage formations in sewer pipes and pumping stations early and intervene before they became service failures ■ Better separate genuine control room alarms from alarms triggered because of high volume rainfall during wet weather ■ Dramatically improve the response time to service failures ISS took only three weeks to set-up before it started providing usable results.

Safe operating windows for assets in the network were predicated based on factors including time-of-day, day-of-week, rainfall and river levels. These dynamic thresholds are predicted for six hours into the future and are updated every 15 minutes, at asset level, which is one of the keys to such accurate forecasting.

Jody Knight, asset technology manager at Wessex Water said, “The StormHarvester team identified sewer blockages that using our normal working processes we may not have spotted until they had resulted in unwanted sewer overflow events.”

Edmund Willatts, asset reliability engineer, Wessex Water said, “The StormHarvester system used machinelearning to set safe operating windows or thresholds for each asset. Each time these had a significant breach, we received alerts, which in turn were passed to the operations team so that they could respond.”

Wessex Water considered the alerts provided by StormHarvester to be a major improvement on the status quo, where operational staff were regularly overwhelmed by the large number of high-level and overflow alarms occurring during periods of heavy rainfall. It also makes the potential for predictive maintenance very realistic in the near future.

Pollution reduction

Willatts said, “This condition-based sewer maintenance versus the scheduled cleaning regime will be key to making operational teams more productive and efficient going forward.”

The Environment Agency is seeking a zero level of pollution incidents for the water industry in England and puts incidents into four categories, with Category 4 being the least serious and having no impact on company performance. Category 3 incidents can impact on performance commitments and risk breaches of environmental protection and water industry legislation.

They can also lead to significant costs, including emergency response charges and penalties from regulators.

Results from the trial showed significant alarm rationalisation and a high degree of accuracy in blockage detection.

Over 60 early blockage formations were detected, at least two of which were likely to have caused pollution incidents – Environment Agency Category 3 or worse. Over 60 telemetry and sensor faults were also detected.

Multiple capabilities The Wessex pilot revealed that StormHarvester technology has the capability for: ■ High blockage prediction accuracy – 92% of alerts were relevant and required and not a single blockage resulting in a pollution incident was missed ■ Few false positives – 8% of alerts were false positives ■ Long-range blockage prediction - early blockage formations identified up to eight weeks before they would have resulted in service failures ■ Condition-based maintenance - the three-month trial has enabled a shift in approach.

■

Control room alarm rationalisation a 97% reduction in control room alerts was achieved versus business as usual

Knight said, “One of the biggest problems we have serving our customers is not knowing where and when blockages will occur, or are likely to occur, in the wastewater network. During the three-month trial, StormHarvester identified at least two incidents that we are fairly confident would have resulted in Category 3 spillages, or worse, if it was not for the early blockage detection alerts received and the subsequent action taken by Wessex operational staff.”

Neil Macdonald, co-founder of StormHarvester said, “Wessex Water have been great to work with and this trial has proven that Intelligent Sewer Suite is effective at scale. Our technology proves that predictive maintenance is possible, representing a significant increase in the available time for operational crews to recover and repair assets.”

Based on the value brought by the StormHarvester alerts during the proof-ofconcept trial, Wessex Water has maintained the solution running on the Bath wastewater catchment into 2021.

Brian Moloney is hosting two roundtables at the SWAN 11th Annual Conference, which takes place online 24-28 May, visit www.swan-2021.com www.stormharvester.com

instituteofwater.org.uk

69

Z-TECH

HAZARDOUS AREA TEST AND INSPECTION – WHERE IS START! Z-Tech have been working to maintain Hazardous Area compliance, on customer sites, for over 10 years. The following is an insight into how an inspection schedule can be managed to compliance under the BS60079 legislation, and help assist you to managing your approach – particularly under current pressures.

Before we go into too much detail on inspection schedules and the factors that should be considered, it’s important to remember the initial inspection stage, without this the equipment should not be brought into service. Often we advise on the best way to carry out periodic inspections of a hazardous area installation: the problem occurs when we ask to see the initial inspections, the equipment register or current inspection strategy, more often than not the records have been misplaced or archived somewhere with the rest of the project documentation. Sometimes there was not an initial inspection carried out, and no verification dossier was produced for the installation.

There are essentially 10 steps to achieving a compliant hazardous area inspection schedule and it starts with the conception of the project: 1. The design 2. The installation 3. The hand over 4. Implementation of inspection strategy 5. First sample inspection 6. First periodic inspection 7. Review of inspection results, 8. Assessment of inspection strategy 9. Implementation of amended inspection strategy 10. Periodic inspection with a detailed sample 11. Repeat steps 7, 8, 9 and 10 for the life of the installation.

70

Use small remote pumping stations as an example: unmanned 90% of the year with visits for basic maintenance of equipment and inspection only, commonly these sites will still have lighting installed, where with properly documented access procedures, portable lighting would totally eliminate the need for fixed lighting. If this is taken into account at the design stage, then there is significant financial benefit not only from the reduced installation costs but also from the ongoing benefit of a reduced number of inspections having both management and inspection costs associated with them, this also eliminates the risk to the maintenance teams.

2) The installation

It is important at this point to remember that equipment will be maintained during the commissioning process and while the initial inspections have been completed, it is worth a complete close inspection of all equipment to check that no external faults have been introduced to the installation.

This will have an initial financial cost but hugely increase confidence in the compliance of the installation, some of the most common faults are seen where the inspections carried out after commissioning are missing or loose enclosure bolts and covers, this causes issues with both the certification of the equipment and the safety of the installation, but is often forgotten in the pressure of meeting final project deadlines. If this additional verification of the installation is carried out, then it can pay back very quickly by reducing the number of failures picked up at the first sample or periodic inspection.

Some of our ‘tips’ looking at 6 of these steps: 1) The design

In the installation and commissioning process, initial inspections are to be carried out at this point of the equipment life cycle, timing is crucial as these must be done before power is applied to circuits and live commissioning.

Often during the design stage all equipment is selected correctly, but in many cases, a lack of thought is given to the first principle of managing a hazardous area – ‘does the equipment need to be in the area or can it be located away from the hazardous area OR do we really need it?’

3) The hand over

This initial inspection can be utilised by the project documentation team, as an opportunity to identify missing documentation and the accuracy of the asset register compiled as part of the verification dossier for the installation.

This is the stage where most missing documentation or inspection records can be traced back to. The process at this point should be no different for internal or externally delivery installations. In hand over you should be provided with a verification dossier as per BS60079-14.

instituteofwater.org.uk

FEATURE: ENGINEERING PROJECTS One of the most common mistakes that is made here is not incorporating this information into the document management system that is being operated within your organisation. This verification dossier is a live document and without maintenance of the information it is easy to introduce non-conformances.

For example, updating the equipment register to reflect a change in ‘make and model’ of equipment, or updating the descriptive system documents to reflect changes to intrinsically safe systems.

The retrospective compilation of the verification dossier will cost substantially more and consume a vast resource especially in the case of hard to access equipment or IS systems where calculations must be redone.

4) Implementation of an inspection strategy This can be one of the hardest things to settle on but it is key to ensuring compliance of the installation, so what should be considered?

■ The environment: is the equipment outside, is there a high level of UV radiation, are the substances in the process likely to cause an increased rate of corrosion?

■ The Zone or EPL: you may wish to inspect equipment in Zone 1 more frequently than Zone 2 ■ Type of plant: what is the perceived risk level of ignition, taking into account persons exposed, environmental pollution and financial implications. Guidance on this can be found in RG101 published by UKAS ■ Frequency and quality of maintenance: does the equipment require regular calibration?

■ Susceptibility to damage: if the item is in a high traffic area where it is likely to be impacted then you may want to inspect more frequently Once you have decided on the provisional periodic inspection interval, it is important to document the justifications and considerations, as this will be a key part of transferring responsibility should the responsible person change.

Alongside the definition of an inspection interval, you will also need to decide on a sample size, good guidance on the calculation of sample sizing can be found in the Guidelines for managing inspection

of Ex electrical equipment, ignition risk in support of IEC 60079-17 published by the Energy Institute, and key performance indicators linked to the results of inspection should also be set.

It is vital to keep your detailed sample as this will fulfil the requirement under BS60079-17 for equipment to be subjected to inspection of internal and external components throughout it its life cycle.

5) The first sample inspection

It is important to remember that when looking at inspection results different areas of plant can be inspected at different intervals based on location of installation, likely hood of mechanical impact, frequency of maintenance. An example of this would be a junction box that is on a wall 20ft up will be less likely to become damaged than a low level transducer that is calibrated every 6 months and therefore would require less frequent inspection from a risk based point of view.

This is going to be the inspection that confirms or indicates the need for a variation from your inspection interval that is implemented in your inspection strategy. At this point BS60079-17 suggests that a sample inspection at a close grade is carried out, this should be after a time period that allows the plants operation and environmental conditions to take effect but not your full inspection interval, so if you have decided on a 24-month inspection interval a sample at 12 months should give a good indication of the suitability of the interval.

The results of this sample should be compared to the KPI’s that you have been set out in your inspection strategy, ensuring that the time period is taken into account, if you have set out that a 20% failure rate is acceptable over 24 months you would not expect to see more than 7-8% at the 12-month mark. Using this information and by analysing the type of faults you should either confirm or modify your inspection interval to suit.

6) The first periodic inspection This is going to be your first idea of the full condition of the plant. Following the guidance of BS60079-17 this should be a close inspection of all equipment with a sample as defined in your inspection strategy at detailed grade. As per you first sample inspection you should review this against the KPI’s in your inspection strategy and assess whether a modification to the inspection period and sample size is required.

This process of inspection and review can then be carried out for the life of the plant, ensuring that any justification to the inspection strategy is documented and recorded.

Should you be fortunate enough that a justifiable increase of the inspection interval to 3 years has been achieved, you are still finding low levels of failure and can justify a change to the inspection strategy, then you can look to move to a visual inspection of all non-ignition capable equipment and close inspection of ignition capable equipment.

Any increase of the inspection interval after this point will need justification by a specific safety assessment carried out by an expert, this would involve looking into the environment, operation and manufacturers guidelines for maintenance of the asset.

To summarise there are a few key points that you will have noticed throughout: ■ Don’t rush it, in a world where economics drive so much of the way we work and operate it may be tempting to allow the pressure budgetary requirements to lean you towards prematurely increasing inspection intervals, but this will not demonstrate a risk based approach to inspection and ultimately not satisfy the questions raised in the event of an ignition.

■ Document everything, if all modifications to plant are assessed and documented then you will have an accurate verification dossier that will allow you to make clearer decisions around your justifications and be able to demonstrate competence to an auditor.

■ Plan to leave, sounds like an odd one but if you make your records clear so that anyone can pick it up your life will be easier.

■ The better your inspection and maintenance records the easier to justify an increase in inspection interval and therefore more financial benefit.

Finally, bring in the experts as it will make your life a lot easier and help to reduce your own personal risk if things go wrong, but knowing the basic principles helps you become an intelligent customer.

instituteofwater.org.uk

71

SUFFOLK TREATMENT WORKS INVESTMENT TO PROVIDE A LONG-LASTING LEGACY TO THE ENVIRONMENT The drone photo taken on the 8th of March 2019, just 12 working days after breaking ground on site, the progress includes time spent setting up the welfare facilities.

An existing water treatment works (WTW) in the Suffolk countryside has benefited from a £7m upgrade to increase supply resilience to both its residential and commercial customers in the area. The project needed to deliver a new treatment stream capable of treating the site’s abstraction license within an 18-month timeframe.

Hartismere Water Treatment Works (WTW) is located in the Suffolk region. To ensure it could treat its full abstraction licence of 7.8Ml/d, Essex & Suffolk Water needed to upgrade both the treatment works and local network.

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

The £7m investment project delivered a new treatment stream capable of processing the site’s abstraction license, within a tight 18 month timeframe, to provide a resilient supply to both its residential and commercial customers in the area.

■

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

The project scope was focused on the following key areas: ■ Purchase land adjoining the existing site

72

instituteofwater.org.uk

Construction of a new filter building New primary pressure filters New secondary filters Cascade aeration tanks Primary wash tank Secondary back wash tank Chlorine reaction vessel Chlorination upgrade to include a provision to comply with Reg. 26 Motor Control Centre (MCC) Coagulation dosing plant Back wash settlement tank Interface with existing assets Demolition of redundant assets

Essex & Suffolk Water’s engineers were able to base the design of the new

treatment stream on a similar upgrade at its Halesworth WTW on the Suffolk coast.

Utilising designs from the Halesworth WTWs enabled engineers to keep within time constraints and to reduce project risks.

A design envelope was produced by process design engineers which steered the project team to the key parameters that were needed.

When developing plans for future WTWs upgrades, NWG will now use the success of Hartismere WTW as a benchmark.

The total project budget was £7.218m and had a projected time scale of 18 months.

However, the project was delivered in 10

FEATURE: ENGINEERING PROJECTS Base progress made in 28 days.

Taken on the 1st of April 2019.

months having mobilised to site in February 2019 with final commissioning taking place on 17 December 2019. Considering the scale and complexity of the project, this was a great achievement. Further commissioning on three bore sources all with varying levels of iron and ammonia (naturally occurring in the groundwater aquifer) took place between 6 January and 16 March 2020. The time constrained programme was a key challenge and the project team used a variety of tools to achieve the 18-month target, including a design sprint.

The original scope of the project was to utilise the existing secondary filters at Hartismere. However, the condition and viability of utilising these filters was unknown and was considered a significant project risk. During the investigate and define phase of the project, it became clear connecting the new primary and secondary filters would be extremely complex, high risk and costly. However, within the original budget, the project team were able to provide a new two-stage filtration process.

Using a 4D model enabled project managers to walk round the site and allowed them to make changes early so that there was no need for re-work in the project. This meant being able to embrace off-site build techniques.

Engaging with all stakeholders was a crucial element of the project. Customers

View of the new building and area for the tanks, progress achieved in 98 days.

were invited to consultation meetings and received regular updates.

An innovative stakeholder design sprint took place with all key stakeholders to understand the need and expectation of the project. A one-day event, adopting the principles of a five-day sprint took place followed by a scope freeze sprint, to present the revised design solution.

This project will ensure that Essex & Suffolk Water is able to treat its full site abstraction licence daily and annual licensed quantities. This investment has delivered a reliable and resilient treatment works and provides a lasting legacy for Essex & Suffolk Water customers. Part of this legacy is an accessible public footpath that was installed around the local meadow for residents to use.

instituteofwater.org.uk

73

THE REVIVAL OF TERTIARY CONTINUOUS FILTERS Tightening effluent consents due to river water quality drivers require further investment for improved removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from Wastewater Treatment Plants (WwTP).

As a result, tertiary treatment processes have become increasingly important.

by H Wouters

Figure 1 – RFID tag displayed

Brightwork, the Netherlands

G Medley and R Matthews Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, United Kingdom

This has led to a need to gain a better understanding of the process and mechanics of tertiary removal systems in order to remain both compliant now, and for the future lowering of effluent discharge limits.

Efforts have been successfully made to upgrade and refurbish existing tertiary continuous sand filters using the novel Sand-Cycle technology. It has given rise to a better understanding of the relationship between sand circulation and filtration efficiencies. Real-time information acts as an early warning system to consistently meet better effluent qualities through faster reactive measures, as well as proactive analysis of data.

Phosphorus removal in existing treatment plants Meeting annual rolling average total-P levels of 0.25 - 0.50 mg/l may require a primary, secondary and/or tertiary dosing of coagulant. Tertiary sand filtration with inline flow controlled coagulant dosing has proven effective to minimize coagulant dosage and meet residual Fe concentration limits (Wouters, 2018).

80% of DCWW sites are small WwTPs: capacities below 2,000 population equivalent. It is a challenge to manage these plants across a wide and varied geographical area. Additionally, these existing assets are challenged to meet more stringent effluent targets. With operational staff numbers reduced and more process complexity in the treatment process, this paradigm requires a significant shift in monitoring and

74

instituteofwater.org.uk

control strategies. Remote sensing, expert judgement, and big data analytics are key to support asset optimization.

This is illustrated for two recently upgraded tertiary continuous filter plants within DCWW.

Monitoring and control of continuous sand filters Continuous sand filtration, with uninterrupted filtration and continuous media washing, is widely applied in water and wastewater treatment. Various types and makes of continuous filters are used for tertiary treatment of municipal wastewater.

Key features are the homogeneous sand circulation over the full filter area and the simultaneous continuous sand washing.

The actual sand circulation rate affects the filtration efficiency for both solids removal and biological conversion. Real time monitoring and control of sand circulation rates is therefore crucial to optimize plant performance and reduce down-time.

To monitor the movement of sand grains

passive RFID tags are applied (Figure 1).

RFID tagging is an ID system that uses small radio frequency identification devices for identification and tracking purposes.

It includes the tag itself (transponder), a reader and a host system application for data collection, logging, processing, and transmission. The RFID tag is briefly activated by the radio frequency scan of the reader.

Each transponder has a unique code, which cannot be duplicated. Although RFID tagging is used in many applications, such as tracking wildlife and livestock, the use in the water industry is new, creating powerful opportunities in a fluidic environment.

Each transponder is detected while passing the reader, which is integrated in the airlift of the sand filter. The codes, dates and times of the passing transponders are transmitted via a decoder onto the datalogger, transmitting the data to the back end of the online data server. This server is converting the raw field data into relevant output data, using dedicated algorithms. Output is available for the

FEATURE: ENGINEERING PROJECTS operators 24/7 via the data server front office, presented in dashboards.

Figure 2 – Tertiary filter plant at Whitchurch WwTP

Full scale value In 2020 two DCWW tertiary filter plants have been equipped with Sand-Cycle. At Whitchurch four continuous filters (make Colloide, figure 2) have been installed with Sand-Cycle following a successful innovation trial on a single filter in 2018, after which a focused refurbishment took place. From September 2020 onwards all units are operating consistently, meeting effluent targets without interventions.

At Llanddewi Brefi WwTP a single continuous filter has been taken in operation mid-2020, to meet the effluent criteria for iron, solids and phosphorus. The dashboards are showing stable operations under varying process conditions. Any offsets, e.g. an interrupted air supply, causing the sand circulation rate to drop, is immediately picked up and reported to the operator (figure 3). Hence adequate actions can be taken.

Figure 3 Sand-Cycle dashboard (Llanddewi Brefi WwTP)

Boosting filtration performance Continuous sand filters are often operated in non-optimal conditions, and hence its potential is not fully utilised. The key factor is the applied sand circulation rate. If the rate is too high the filter bed is in a “clean” status, similar to starting a conventional rapid gravity sand filter directly after a back wash. To use the full potential the pores should be partly filled with solids to enhance the filtration mechanism. In a continuous filter this is managed by controlling the air flow to the airlift, which determines the actual sand circulation rate.

Figure 4 - Impact of sand bed turnover on filter performance (left Y-axis: frequency

distribution of tags in blue bars; right Y-axis: filter efficiency in red-green line; X-axis: bed turnover in hours)

This is illustrated in Figure 4. The lefthand diagram shows high sand cycle rates, corresponding with a bed turnover of 6 hours in average, causing the filter bed to be consistently too clean. In this operation mode no “solids” build-up is achieved in the filter bed. The right-hand diagram shows lower sand cycle rates (with a higher bed turnover of 10 hours in average), adjusted to obtain optimal filter efficiencies. Now, the build-up of solids in the filter bed is assisting solids removal.

Hence higher filtration efficiencies and/or lower consent levels are achieved.

of continuous sand filters and gain the highest possible removal efficiencies.

process monitoring and control tool in continuous sand filters: two case studies’ HIC 2018 – Palermo

The combination of real time monitoring sand circulation rates and controlling the air flow has proven to be a powerful tool to stretch the operating window

References Wouters, J.W &. Agema. K.J, 2018. RFID technology as cost-effective real-time process monitoring and control tool in continuous sand filters: two case studies, the Netherlands: RFID technology as cost-effective real-time

Rathnaweera, S.S.; Rusten, B.; Manamperuma, L.D.; Gjevre, J.; Tranum, I., Evaluation of moving bed sand filter for denitrification, suspended solids removal and very low effluent total phosphorus concentrations, Water Science & Technology, 2019, p 232-242

instituteofwater.org.uk

75

BUSINESSCARDDIRECTORY MaNuFacTuRERs & suppliERs OF valvEs, FiTTiNgs & siTE sOluTiONs FOR ThE uk & glOBal waTER, wasTE waTER & gas iNdusTRiEs

Northampton Office 8 Rushmills, Northampton, NN4 7YB, England T: +44 (0) 1604 601188 F: +44 (0) 1604 604818 E: customerservice@avkuk.co.uk

www.avkuk.co.uk

Tel: E-mail: Web: Web:

07884 004 802 u.d.s@live.co.uk utilitydesignservices.com utilitydesignservices.co.uk

Proactive and professional civil engineering design consultancy services.

We have extensive experience and expertise within the design of water network distribution & water network trunk mains. From initial overview through to detail civil design, while also equipped to provide planning, project management and construction support services.

We would welcome the opportunity to visit you for an initial consultation to discuss your aims and needs. We would endeavour to incorporate our design and engineering solutions to match your business requirements.

Surge control systems and compressed air engineering from Quantum Engineering Developments Ltd

Tel: 01527 577888

www.surgevessels.co.uk

Windmill Insight Solutions Tailored Training, Real Results Quality Training for the Water Industry -

Personalised for your people Relaxed but thorough training On site delivery Discounts for ongoing contracts

• Leadership and Management • Tailored L4 programmes • EUSR Training

m: 07554 994855 e: bob@windmillinsights.co.uk www.windmillinsights.co.uk

SPRING 2021 ISSUE209

SUMMER EDITION 2021 - PUBLISHING EARLY JUNE • Digital Transformation • Environmental Management • Groundwater • Wastewater Treatment Solutions

IN THIS ISSU E WATER QUALITY WATER RESOURCE S C-MEX/ODI’S LEAKAGE INVE STIGATION TECH NIQUES ENGINEERING PROJECTS

To advertise your company contact Martin Jameson on 07342 850289 or martin@jimjammedia.com

76

instituteofwater.org.uk

INSTITUTE OF WATER MAGAZIN E

Supporting

WOMEN

in

VIRTUAL EVENT 4 & 5 March 2021

On the 4th and 5th of March, the Eastern Area held it’s first Supporting Women in Water event, to commemorate International Womens Day. The event, in collaboration with British Water, featured influential and inspirational speakers who have, and continue to, support the careers of women in the water sector.

Session one focussed on the skill of “learn” and the delegates heard from Lila Thompson, Chief Executive of British Water, Shaunna Berendsen, Innovation Engagement Manager at Anglian Water, Dr Vanessa Speight, Professor of Integrated Water Systems at the University of Sheffield and Emily Clarke, Flood Partnerships Manager at Anglian Water. The speakers shared their career experiences and offered unique insight into weathering the storm, the Imposter Phenomenon, alternative career pathways and how it’s ok to ask for help. The delegates learnt how they can reframe, reflect, respond and reinforce to learn from mistakes, the importance of developing and maintaining a broad network, knowing your worth and being, unapologetically, your authentic self.

Session two had the theme of “shape” and featured Angela Nilsson, Operations Director at Z-Tech, Clair Dunn, Head of Water Quality at Anglian Water, Fiona Waller, Affinity Water and Natalie Lamb, National Water Industry Account Manager at QCL Scientific and The Institute of Water Eastern Area Rising Star. We heard about negotiating and influencing using Insights colour preferences, building and maintaining your personal brand, leveraging your difference and personal experiences of developing into an award winning presenter.

The final session discussed how delegates can perform in their careers. Peter Simpson, Chief Executive of Anglian Water opened the session, followed by Rachel Walters, Strategic Engagement Senior Advisor, Environment Agency, Susannah Clements, People and Change Director at Anglian Water and Lynn Cooper, Chief Executive of the Institute of Water. We heard about how the culture of inclusion can be built and maintained, about how to recognise and improve personal resilience, career pathways and the importance of remaining agile throughout your career and about goal setting.

Following each of the three sessions, there was an opportunity to virtually network with the leaders and other delegates, this provided a safe place for delegates to build and grow their network and to share their experience of the event.

Delegates said that they loved how all the presentations have included focus on the personal aspects of what makes them tick and were shared without judgement. Many individuals shared their own experiences and how they saw synergies with the topics that the speakers presented.

continuing progressing in their careers and just to have a little more confidence in their abilities.

The Eastern Area would like to thank all the wonderful speakers and engaged delegates and please keep an eye out for future blogs from the event contributors.

Please visit the Institute of Water website for more information on how you can continue developing in your career.

The sessions were inspirational and motivational, attendees came away with tangible next steps including how they can improve their self-belief, find a mentor,

In collaboration with

instituteofwater.org.uk

77

UNDERSTANDING THE OFWAT INNOVATION FUND JOINT EVENT The South East and Midlands Areas of the Institute of Water teamed up to put on a very well attended webinar event that looked to improve understanding about the £200m Ofwat Innovation Fund.

Rachel Wright, Ofwat, and Naiara Fonseca, Isle Utilities, kicked off proceedings with an excellent overview on what the Innovation Fund has been set up to do and how the Innovation Fund will work. They highlighted that the first £2m Innovation Water Challenge, with an opportunity to win £250k, was open to entries until 26th February. They informed attendees that the second, main competition for funding, was due open in spring 2021; with more details to follow.

Elin Williamson, Southern Water, followed this initial scene setting and fund setup with an explanation on how the fund fits within the wider Innovation Strategy for the Water Industry. It was clear from the presentation that the Fund links in well with the themes and requirements of the Strategy and the main aims for the sector at the present time. Elin also provided some brief outline of the Centre of Excellence being developed; again linking this with the Innovation Strategy and the Fund.

Bob Stear, Severn Trent, and Marie Raffin, Thames Water, provided some much needed insight into how Water Companies are looking at innovation and how they might intend to use the fund. It was clear that there were some great opportunities being looked at to innovate within these water companies including improvements to sludge to land, leakage, in-line ‘live’ water quality bacteria sampling, slow sand filter improvements, trunk main monitoring and much more besides. Both presenters told attendees that all water companies are open to innovation suggestions, they are proactively looking for manufacturing or supply chain support and partnership opportunities. The innovation fund is seen as a real opportunity to meet critical areas of interest such as net zero carbon, climate change resilience, asset resilience, and customer vulnerability.

The final speaker was Paul Horton, Future Water Association, who was able to

78

instituteofwater.org.uk

provide more of a supply chain view of the fund. He noted that it was important for manufacturers and supply chain partners to work with water providers to identify innovative solutions to critical industry problems. These partner organisations are likely to have the expertise and skills to help deliver on these innovations. He very much encouraged further supply chain collaboration in this space.

Paul Holton, South East Area Chair, and Rose Jolly, Midlands Area Chair, worked together to support the question and answer session. It was clear from the questions that the event had been an informative and stimulating one.

To find out more about the Ofwat Innovation Fund, go to: https://waterinnovation.challenges.org/

EASTERNAREANEWS

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION MEMBER AWARD Many congratulations to Catherine Fearon CEnv. CSci. for receiving the Outstanding Contribution Award.

Catherine Fearon

Water Quality Regulation Manager, Anglian Water Catherine has been on secondment to the Royal Navy for the last 7 months. She has worked hard with the Eastern Area for many years and is a champion of CPD. From Membership Engagement, Catherine was nominated to Board as Vice Chair in 2019. We are delighted to present her with this award.

Catherine said “It was a fantastic surprise to receive the Outstanding Contribution Award to the Institute of Water in 2020 from the Eastern Area a few weeks back. I have enjoyed being a member of the Eastern area committee since I moved to the area around 8 years ago and I think the number of events and work that the committee do for Eastern area members is tremendous.

“To be recognised for the small part I have played over this time is a real honour and I look forward to an active year with the Institute of Water in 2021!”

NETWORK IN THE DIGITAL WORLD WITH FIKA TIME We have been running a number of FIKA sessions this year which have been a highly effective way for members to stay connected, feel less isolated and continue to network from the safety and comfort of their own home.

In January, we held our first FIKA event which in one hour, had members speaking to at least three other Eastern Area members.

FIKA time has been described by members as “stripping off the corporate

layer and getting to know the real person”. The networking benefits speak for themselves too. Since the Eastern Area have been running FIKA time, we have had a new member join our committee, two members help run events and one member who had a promotion –

all through the art of networking.

Get involved: Look out in your inbox or on the Institute of Water’s webpage for details of our virtual fika session in March. We look forward to seeing as many members there as possible.

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION SPONSOR AWARD Anglian Water has won the “Outstanding Contribution Sponsor Award” for the Eastern Area.

Their success in this award was based on their continued drive to improve individual’s professionalism at Anglian Water, ensuring teams achieve and are recognised for their high level of competence through the Institute of

Water. In fact, the first Science Registrants at the Institute of Water were from Anglian Water and although the interest has spread, seven years on, almost half of the Institutes Science Registrants are from within Anglian Water.

It’s well-earned recognition to the support they give their employees, and the Eastern Area members, with the continued professional development.

instituteofwater.org.uk

79

NORTHERNAREANEWS

ALEX BOLTON RECEIVES FELLOWSHIP After 22 years at United Utilities, Alex Bolton is being honoured with a fellowship.

Throughout his time at United Utilities, Alex has worked across a number of different positions within the organisation.

He has conquered both wastewater and clean water sides of the business, as well as leading the project delivery arm of United Utilities.

In addition to leaving United Utilities, Alex will be stepping down as President for the Institute of Water Northern Area Committee. He has been a fantastic President, overseeing the committee after

an unprecedented three terms in the position. His work as President, increased the levels of engagement and support that the committee received.

Alex has been described as a mentor, a leader and a great friend to many at United Utilities. His expertise has helped to influence many areas within the sector.

We wish the very best for Alex as he starts his new chapter in life, to pursue other challenges and opportunities.

Everyone at United Utilities would like to express their gratitude to Alex and hope that he continues to successfully share enthusiasm, expertise and drive in whatever challenges he takes up in the future.

FUTURE EVENTS

As we hopefully prepare for the end of lockdown, the committee have begun to organise socials and events to allow members, and non-members to network and get together after such a turbulent 12 months.

April, June and possibly more Mental Resilience

May Innovation Awards

March Race Night Social

June Golf Day at Rudding Park, Harrogate

August Covid Lessons Learnt

IOT WEBINAR In December, the Northern Area Committee hosted a webinar on translating developments in ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) technologies into real value for customers.

IoT is a system of interrelated computers, and machines that have the ability to transfer data over a network without the need for human interaction.

This way of working allows organisations to complete their daily tasks more efficiently, and at a reduced cost.

The event proved popular with over 100 attendees and provided insight into how Yorkshire Water is making use of

80

instituteofwater.org.uk

collaborations with the supply chain to take advantage of these new opportunities and push the boundaries of what’s possible from them. The webinar was hosted by Sam Bright, Yorkshire Water Innovation Programme Manager, and covered the challenges of installing and maximising the battery life of customer meters collecting 15 minute data; as well as the development of a new device designed to monitor the risk of internal sewer flooding

at a property level. New technology will allow not only Yorkshire Water, but other water authorities and organisations to collect data, and update their current strategies to ensure the customer’s experience is improved.

Look out for notifications on future webinars that the committee are hosting.

NORTHERN IRELANDAREANEWS

NEW COMMITTEE MEMBER

by Emma Webster

Process and Performance Coordinator at Project OMEGA, Veolia Northern Ireland and NI Area Young Persons Network Representative.

I joined the water industry in 2017 as a placement student with Veolia and have continued with the company since,

now carrying out the role of Process and Performance Coordinator for Project OMEGA. My role involves providing technical and process support to five municipal wastewater treatment works across Northern Ireland, ensuring optimisation, compliance and technical excellence is at the forefront of the operations team. My day to day varies, sometimes being onsite sampling to lab analysis and now working from home occasionally on data and reports.

I enjoy many aspects of my role but find investigating a problem, finding and implementing a solution the most interesting and challenging part. I work with a great team who puts compliance and innovation first.

Outside of work, I am highly involved with the NI Scout Association and undertake the role of Deputy Northern Ireland Network Commissioner. Through this role, I help develop the final section of Scouts for members aged 18-25 before they join as

adult volunteers. I work with different groups across Northern Ireland to ensure they have the support they need to run fun and interesting events for members. I hope to attend the upcoming World Scout Moot in Ireland next summer, COVID depending and represent NI Scouting!

I became a member of the Young Persons Network in Northern Ireland as I wanted to get more involved in the Institute in my area and meet people at a similar stage in their career. This year I joined the NI Area Committee as Area YPN Representative and, along with a fantastic sub-committee of individuals, have planned and organised a great calendar of events for our YPN members consisting of technical webinars, career focused lunch and learns, socials and many more! I am really enjoying the role and find it a great way to network in the industry.

YOUNG PERSONS’ NETWORK UPDATE We kick started 2021 with a Virtual Fun Walk over January to get our members up and moving, beat those January blues and raise money for WaterAid! Read more about this event on page 21.

Our next event is a two-part webinar series focusing on Professional Registration and Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

The YPN understands how daunting and overwhelming professional registration

can be at first so come along and hear from two fantastic guest speakers; Ross Calder, Interim Senior Programme Procurement Manager at NI Water and Thomas Kelly, Plant Manager with Contour Global for their insight and advice on your journey to chartership.

The webinars will be held on Wednesday 10th March and Tuesday 16th March, both at 12.30pm over Zoom. Please keep an eye out in your email for more details

on how to register and sign up!

If you are a member of IOW already and wish to join your local Area YPN, simply scroll down on your IOW profile on the website and tick the box to be a part of the Young Persons Network.

If you would like to know more about the Young Persons’ Network and get involved in future events, please get in touch with our YPN Area Representative, Emma Webster at emma.webster@veolia.com

NI INNOVATION AWARDS 2021 Applications for our ‘Innovation Awards’ are rolling in for another Dragons Den-style event on Wednesday 31st March, during a live MS Team event, deadline for applications is the 26th of February.

Depending on Co-Vid restrictions we are hoping to offer some of our famous social events later in the year. Stay Tuned!

instituteofwater.org.uk

81

SOUTHWESTAREANEWS

DIPPING INTO THE INTERNET OF THINGS What do you get when you take 1 month, 8 speakers and 425 attendees from across the UK Water Sector? A giant conversation about the weather!!

This is exactly what the South West Area did over the course of December, with 5 webinars organised in conjunction with the Met Office.

We were able to welcome Alex Deakin – one of TVs favourite weather presenters – to kick the series off with a virtual tour of the Met Office, and answering questions from the audience on a host of topics including ‘do you do your own make up’ (answer: yes) through to ‘will it be a white Christmas’ (answer: it was too early to say).

Following this light hearted ‘weather forecast and broadcast’ introduction we leapt into the gritty detail of operational weather forecasting and its use in the water industry the following week welcoming Nick Law of the Met Office, Edmund Willatts and Steve George of Wessex Water and Frank Van De Kleij of Bristol Water who covered topics from stormwater management through to emergency planning.

In our final week before Christmas we shifted focus to long term climate change science and use of projections for demand forecasting, with Dr Joe Osborne of the Met Office and Rob Scarrott and Paul Merchant from South West Water taking us through the detail.

The whole series was Chaired and put together by Carmen Snowdon, of WRc and with enormous support from Nicola Richter of RSKW and Julie Miechowicz of the Met Office.

We had many more people registered and who have subsequently viewed the webinar recordings, making this series one of the most successful events ever put on by the South West Area.

As one of the attendees commented:

“thought this was one of the best webinars I’ve attended through lockdown! All parts informative, interesting and entertaining” – we can’t ask for more than that!

UPCOMING EVENTS Keep an eye on the Institute of Water website for our upcoming events and webinars, in particular a workshop on how to apply stand-up comedy skills to your professional career!

INNOVATION AWARDS 2021 Have you designed, piloted or trialled something that could bring benefits to the water industry?

Pitch it to our panel and be in with a chance of winning the coveted South West Area Innovation Award 2021.

82

instituteofwater.org.uk

The process is open to individuals, teams organisations who are based, or who have demonstrated there idea in the south-west region - covering Wessex Water, Bristol Water, South West Water, Jersey and Guernsey Water operating areas.

The winning entry will go forward to the National Innovation Awards – winners will be asked to produce a short (5-minute) video for the National Judging Panel. Applications close at midnight on 19th March.

MIDLANDSAREANEWS

HOW WE TREAT WASTEWATER IN BRAZIL - A VIRTUAL TOUR OF AEGEA’S SHOWCASE WASTEWATER TREATMENT WORKS When site visits are limited, networking events closed down and we are tied to our desks, what better way to learn from international best practice than a virtual tour of a wastewater treatment plant in Brazil through its sophisticated digital twin.

Founded in 2010, Aegea is one of Brazil’s largest private sanitation companies, serving more than 11 million people within 128 municipalities across Brazil.

Two years ago Aegea embarked on a Smart Infra Program to form a Digital Twin of one of their flagship wastewater treatment facilities. In a worlds first, Aegea ‘opened the doors’ of the treatment facility to the Institute of Water audience through a virtual link. The XR Proj Platform was used for communications and sharing of the BIM model and the 3D model includes real time plant sensor data and process data.

The treatment facility, ETE Bela Vista, is situated in the city of Piracicaba on the outskirts of São Paulo and is operated

by Mirante an Aegea company. Without leaving the comfort and safety of our home offices (spare bedrooms), attendees were amazed by the quality of the detail that they were able to see of the sewage treatment plant, “it’s better than being on site in person, it gives you a totally unique perspective of the treatment plant as you ‘hover’ over a aeration basin, it even has an x-ray feature which allows you to see what’s happening inside the pumps”, says Stuart Moss, IoW Midlands Area President who facilitated the session.

The Digital Twin, a perfect replica made from the cutting edge technology developed through the Smart Infra Program. “You can see the flow of the effluent, how each treatment stage works and the data from the equipment. It was two years of work to reach this level of detail”, says Marco Aurelio P. Silva, Director of Digital Transformation and Innovation at Aegea.

The digital twin at Bela Vista has helped Aegea through the pandemic as they plan asset upgrades, they were able to virtually walk around the plant in project planning meetings, which they would have typically undertaken onsite and with many travel hours to reach the site. Aegea also use the Digital Twin for training of staff to make them aware of the operations at a treatment plant within a safe and controlled environment.

The next steps for Aegea is to factor in Augmented Reality where actual video images and audio from the site can be layered and visualised digitally. This can help with condition assessment and maintenance of the facility.

Wagner Carvalho, Marco Silva and Klaus Paz of Aegea for sharing the outputs of the Smart Infra Program.

Aegea has invited the Institute of Water to follow the developments of the digital twin at Bela Vista, perhaps next time we will be able to witness the remote control of the plant and virtually see the impact of the process changes. Many thanks to

instituteofwater.org.uk

83

SCOTTISHAREANEWS

HYDRONATIONS The Scottish area has kicked off it’s Hydronations Leadership Programme, led by Positive Psychologist Alice Beveridge (what a job title!).

The original intention for the group was to spend 2 days in a countryside setting, but circumstances this year meant it was split to a series of Zoom calls.

The second session involved splitting into smaller groups with an open mind and a promise of confidentiality, to support each other in a current challenge.

This first session introduced the group to the vast topic of emotional intelligence, asking questions around our own self/social awareness and finding out how we can turn our own creativity into flow - those days when the time flies and we’re completely absorbed by the task at hand.

The third session has been all about mindset (fixed, growth and benefit if you’re interested in doing some reading), and how we can recognise these in ourselves and others. We got to know our ‘inner chimp’, even drawing and naming it, to learn how the different parts of our brain come into

play in everyday life.

If you’d like to do a little self study on these topics, some recommendations from Alice were: Carol Dweck’s research on mindset, Martin Seligman’s writing on ‘learned helplessness’, Steve Peters’ book ‘The Chimp Paradox’ and Simon Sinek’s Ted Talk and book ‘Start with Why’.

PRESIDENT MENTORING The Institute of Water Scottish Area is very proud of it’s distinguished past and present President’s, and we are delighted that they have agreed to offer some of their time to help others!

We’ve offered ten one-off one-to-one mentoring sessions with our past presidents, which were snapped up.

Those successful in getting a slot will have the chance to ask a President

about their career and ask for their advice and guidance on setting their own career goals. Luckily some past presidents from other areas got in touch to get involved, and we were able to offer 3 additional slots.

If you’re a past President (any region) and you’d like to offer a session too, please get in touch by emailing lisa.mcKenzie@veolia.com as we have a few members who wanted one but were a little too late!

INNOVATION AWARDS 2021 The Awards are open to all individuals, teams or organisations that operate within the Scottish Area of the Institute of Water which comprises the operational areas of Scottish Water.

Innovation can be: a new idea; a product; an application; a new technology; a new way of working; an imported solution from other sectors or industries – the list goes on!

You do not need to be a member of the Institute of Water to enter.

How to apply?

Download and complete the application form at www.instituteofwater.org. uk/innovation-awards/scottish-areainnovation-awards and email it to Scotland@instituteofwater.org.uk.

The deadline for applications is Friday 2nd April.

84

instituteofwater.org.uk

A panel will evaluate submissions and shortlisted candidates will be invited to present their innovation at an online event where the winner will be announced.

The winning entry will be asked to produce a short video introducing their innovation which will be used as part of promotional material.

Please refer to the video guidelines: www.instituteofwater.org.uk/innovationawards/scottish-area-innovation-awards.

For further information, applicants should email: Scotland@instituteofwater.org.uk.

AWARD WINNERS 2020

Congratulations to our 2020 winners Microvi (www.microvi.com/) with their innovation ‘Changing Biological Water and Wastewater Treatment Using Advanced Biocatalysts ’ and thank you to all of our entries.

To view the winning innovation visit www.instituteofwater.org.uk/wp-content/ uploads/2020/05/IW-Scottish-AreaInnovation-Awards-2020-Application-FormMNE.pdf

Sponsored by the scottish government Hydro nation programme

SOUTHEASTAREANEWS

SOUTH EAST STRATEGY DAY 2020 Ahead of their 2021 business plan submission, the South East Area Committee joined together in December for an online strategy day.

The day was opened with a fun exercise run by Di West from Lofty Giraffe Coaching.

Key words from the coaching session highlighted that our committee Purpose at the moment was: “Contributing; Giving back; Wellbeing; Ensuring females are not a rare species in the industry; Helping others; Continuous improvement; Passion; Spreading understanding; ‘Lighting up’ people’s names; Protecting the environment (for future generations); Service; Compassion; and, Support.”

The end to this session highlighted how the committee feel about the year(s) ahead and highlighted the energy we have in the team for career professional development:

“Excited; Empowered; Enthused; Humbled; Energised; Passionate; and, Awake.”

■

The strategy day allowed the South East Area committee to spend more time looking at key strategic areas such as Diversity, Equality & Inclusivity (DEI), sponsorship, membership, events and other organisational things that you just do not get time to talk about in enough depth at the standard bimonthly meetings.

Outputs from the day included: clear and measurable actions to improve membership numbers and retain existing members in the year ahead ■ agreement that we should link up more ■

■

■

directly with our Sponsors on events and involvement in the Institute the setup of a DEI sub-group to ensure we put more focus on DEI in the year(s) ahead (starting with the formulation of a DEI events checklist) agreement of an initial draft of our events calendar and ‘hopper of event ideas’ for the year ahead agreement on what strategically needed to be included in our business plan for the year ahead

Overall response to the day has been excellent and the committee look forward to putting these strategies and business plans into action in the coming months.

RIVERS TO SUCCESS November’s Rivers to Success saw WSP’s Kirsty Ayres and Thames Waters’ Scott Kenward share aspects of their career journey so far as well as insights from their time with the Institute of Water.

Kirsty - who also hosted the event described her time as a senior engineer at WSP, a Canadian firm offering their consultancy services for all things built and natural. Kirsty shared her career highlights from the nine years she has been with WSP, taking the online audience through a range of topics from lead service pipe replacement with Irish Water all the way to her involvement in HS2.

Scott described his journey through the water industry and his time within the asset management function at Southern Water before joining the frontline world of production at Thames Water.

Scott, who is also rounding up his MSc in engineering at the University of Surrey, discussed some systems he had in place for managing fulltime work alongside further education.

Following the session there was a Q&A where the panellists were able to dive deeper on specifics around career development and on some of opportunities the Institute of Water has provided. The event offers a unique chance for the panellists to really reflect on their career and flesh out the things that helped them, whilst at the same time passing on that knowledge to others.

FELLOWSHIP FOR SIMON EARL Congratulations to Simon Earl for being awarded a Fellowship of the Institute of Water.

handing over his Presidency, Simon has remained a fully engaged committee member, giving his time, input and colleagues’ time from South East Water, maintaining his legacy to get IWater capturing all corners of the country.

Simon was nominated for his role as the South East Area President in 2018. Since

As Simon joined Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water

this year the South East Area would like to take this opportunity to thank Simon for his amazing zeal as our President and Immediate Past President over the last two years. He’s been inspirational to the committee and all the members he connected with during his tenure, and will hopefully continue to be so in Wales.

instituteofwater.org.uk

85

WELSHAREANEWS

EVENT REVIEW: NOVEMBER CPD MONTH November was all about CPD and Professional Development as we successfully hosted our first ever CPD month with a series of four webinars that took our membership right through the CPD and Professional Registration process.

We kicked off the month with a webinar introducing the concept of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) and why it’s important, guiding attendees through taking the first steps in identifying your development needs, and highlighting the importance of having a written set of goals and records to aid them in their progress.

Our second event was all about CPD records, with a more focused approach on how to go about identifying and taking the appropriate steps to meet your identified development needs and showcasing some tools and techniques for recording development and achievements effectively. The tools and aids available to our members were highlighted.

Our penultimate webinar moved forward to the next phase of the development cycle, focusing on the types of Professional Registration, its benefits and how to achieve it. Our presenters took attendees through the requirements and steps to achieve Professional Registration, and how a strong CPD record is key to achieving and maintaining your registration.

Our final event was an open Q&A session with CPD and Professional Registration Champions from Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland & Mott MacDonald Bentley as well as the IW Professional Registration Manager making themselves available to answer any questions our membership had on Professional Development, CPD, Professional Registration, and what the IW offers our membership to assist in these areas.

Each event was extremely well attended with attendees from all over the UK getting involved and getting engaged with the presenters and the topic. We hope to have you all back next year to review how your CPD journey has progressed and ensure we are doing everything we can to keep you growing and moving forwards.

A massive thank you to our presenters (Ashley Moule, Gemma Williams, Matt Bower, Richard Terrell, Sarah Dunn & Yvonne Murphy) for sharing their time, experience, knowledge and advice with our membership.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES As we get closer to our AGM in April it also indicates another new year for sponsorship opportunity.

The key features for our members are Professional Registration, Online CPD, Mentoring and Events. Sponsorship allows the IW to deliver the best possible service to our members, ensuring we cover off all the features to a high standard.

86

Photos of these events will feature in the national magazine as well as being advertised on social media platforms.

The Welsh Area is known for its annual Innovation Awards evening, which is usually a black-tie event with guest speakers and an after awards live band.

Sponsorship contributes towards putting on this event along with many more events throughout the year such as the Autumn Forum, online webinars (which reach audiences all across the UK), social events and a beach clean.

For over 15 years the Institute of Water Welsh Area has partnered with a range of organisations in the water sector to provide them opportunities to support the development of those in the water industry. In return our sponsors have received publicity within the local area.

The Welsh Area Committee continues to deliver a great variety of activities, events and initiatives, which can only be delivered through our network of volunteers and the essential financial contribution made by our sponsors.

Sponsors logos will appear on Welsh Area newsletters, event fliers and banners.

Each year the Welsh Area Committee documents its plans for the year ahead

instituteofwater.org.uk

through which we will support our members. Having completed this plan for 2021 we’re now seeking sponsorship for 2021/22 (1st April to 31st March).

If you would like to learn more about our sponsorship packages then please get in touch with Chris Seavor at Chris.Seavor@dwrcymru.com We would like to thank our sponsor Pump Supplies Ltd for their continued support. Without their input we could not support the members of the Welsh Area in the way that we do.

Securing National Infrastructure

LPCB Security Housings, Doors, Bar-sets, Cages and Access Covers Steel and GRP Buildings and Cabinets Tested to LPS 1175 SR2 and SR3 and SR4 Please refer to Red Book Live for full listings

Morgan Marine Ltd., Llandybïe, Ammanford, Carms SA18 3GY

Telephone: 01269 850 437 Email: sales@morgan-marine.com Web: www.morgan-marine.com

Providing pumping solutions for all At Selwood, we’re proud to be the UK’s number one pump rental solutions provider.

Whether the job is big or small, planned or an emergency, our people are ready to help.

Our experienced Solutions teams operate from 20 branches across the UK, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

They include CAD design specialists, fully trained and qualified in-house installation and electricians and experienced specialist Solutions teams.

For more information call today 03330 142000

www.selwood.co.uk

All are dedicated to providing exceptional service, wherever and whenever you need it.