In July 2022, Redefine Properties, a leading facilities management group in South Africa, shifted their focus to reducing water consumption across 21 office buildings and retail sites. Over the course of a year, they installed 1,400 Propelair toilets with a 1.5-litre flush capacity, resulting in an annual cost saving of nearly R2.4 million.

Saving another 3.4 million litres & it’s cost

Building on that success they then agreed to install the first nine Propelair OneThreeFive toilets on 9 September 2023 at Sammy Marks Square, a high-traffic area. Each cubicle managed up to 135 flushes daily, averaging 50,000 flushes per toilet annually, with some toilets reaching nearly 99,000 flushes over the year!

With such high flush numbers, Redefine Properties would have used nearly 4 million litres of water—the equivalent of 2 million 2-litre milk jugs. However, thanks to the Propelair OneThreeFive trial, they conserved 3.4 million of that 4 million litres, using only 600,000 litres during the one-year trial.  

Trial proves Propelair reduces maintenance cost

Our trial didn’t end with record water and cost savings for Redefine.  Propelair set out to prove the durability of our product. On 9 September 2024, exactly a year later, the UK Innovation team returned to Sammy Marks Square to retrofit the latest IoT technology and remove the trial units for further testing. The results confirmed that all components withstood the high-demand environment, showing no signs of wear. The motor's airflow and other parts tested perfectly, indicating a strong lifespan and guaranteed reduced maintenance costs.

Tom Bonner, Propelair’s Global New Product Development Lead, stated, "Not a single part failed. Our in-house lab and quality tests were validated, proving the reliability of our product in even the toughest environments."  The IoT upgrade not only subjects a new technology to this challenging environment but also empowers Redefine Properties with real-time monitoring of water usage and detailed statistical data. This data enables them to streamline maintenance by identifying precise problem locations, deploying staff with the right tools, and addressing issues promptly without the need for troubleshooting. Additionally, this aligns with their positive ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) goals.

The trial of Propelair's OneThreeFive toilets at Sammy Marks Square showcased significant water and maintenance savings and durability in a high-traffic environment. This success positions Propelair for future installations in high-usage facilities, enhancing both environmental impact, efficiency, and cost savings across water and maintenance measures.

The Environment Agency’s director of water, Helen Wakeham, has discussed plans to increase scrutiny of water companies in England and Wales in a new water sector podcast. 

Targeted recruitment campaigns, more site inspections and enhanced digital systems will drive better performance from the industry, Wakeham told the WiseOnWater Podcast: Conversations in Flow, from media specialist WiseOnWater and technology company Xylem UK & Ireland.

“We’ve an awful lot more investment in water regulation. We consulted earlier this year on increasing our charges for water quality discharges and we’ll use that to increase our scrutiny of water companies,” Wakeham told podcast host Natasha Wiseman. 

Site inspections will increase to more than 10,000, to be supported by new recruits, including “boots on the ground” and data analysts, Wakeham said. “It’s a really exciting time. There are a lot of people around with loads of experience. It’s brilliant for those people to be joined by a new cohort with new ideas. 

“Data can help us. When I started my career in 1990 it really was whack-a-mole. These days we can be a lot cleverer than that. We'll be able to focus our effort on where we know the problems are. We'll be able to visit the places that matter to people.”

Reflecting on the public’s heightened awareness of water quality, Wakeham said: “I think what started off as perhaps quite a narrow debate about storm overflows has brought the value of water to people's attention.  While some of those conversations are hard, it's brilliant to have water very much more in the public consciousness. I think we've realised how central it is for all of us.”

The WiseOnWater podcast, which launched on 9 September 2024, is a monthly deep dive into the ever-changing landscape of the UK water sector. 

Joining Wakeham on episode one is Margaret Read, director of policy at the National Infrastructure Commission, who explores the proposed £96 billion 2025-30 AMP8 investment. 

She said: “We've got a lot of different issues to solve in the water sector. The first one which we've looked at in detail is the water supply question. We haven't built any reservoirs in the UK for over 30 years and we're facing a big gap between supply and demand. 

“Secondly, we've got problems, as everybody knows, with water pollution and that requires a big investment to resolve. Then thirdly, we also need to maintain our existing assets. So, it does sound like a big amount of money, but we will need it - we also need to be realistic about what can be delivered over that period.”

Read urged regulators and government to “speak with one voice” and “be really clear with the public that there is a need for this new infrastructure and that they will have to pay for it”. 
 “That takes some political courage,” she added, “but it's really important.”

For project delivery, Read said water companies need to collaborate more closely with each other and the supply chain to “solve these problems once rather than many times”. 

Pollution reduction, nature-based solutions, smart metering, leakage, drought resilience and bill increases were among other conversation topics in the 30-minute podcast episode.
 
Episode two focuses on skills, recruitment and retention with guests Peter Simpson, chief executive of Anglian Water and Sarah McMath, chief executive of MOSL. Future episodes feature Wessex Water chief executive Colin Skellett and the managing director of Xylem UK & Ireland, Ian Thompson.

Wiseman, founder of WiseOnWater and non-profit news platform Make Water Famous, said: “In each episode of the WiseOnWater podcast we'll bring together the brightest minds in water, from industry leaders and policymakers to engineers, communicators and researchers. These are the people tackling the pressing challenges of today and ensuring the future availability of our most precious resource. 

“We are especially excited to be supported by Xylem UK & Ireland, who have a deep understanding of the needs of this sector. It has never been more important for organisations in water to explore new collaborative communications initiatives if we are to ensure a sustainable water future for the UK and beyond.”

Andrew Welsh, water utility sales director at Xylem, said: “At Xylem we believe that meaningful conversations are the cornerstone of progress in the water sector. Partnering with WiseOnWater to launch this podcast allows us to bring critical discussions to the forefront, driving awareness and collaboration on the most pressing water challenges. 

“By connecting industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators, we aim to not only highlight the issues but also inspire actionable solutions that will shape a sustainable future for the UK’s water infrastructure.” 

Episode one of the WiseOnWater podcast is available now on Spotify.

Ovarro has been a part of FFL’s portfolio since 2019. Under FFL’s ownership, Ovarro has achieved growth organically and through acquisition, expanded its product offerings, and entered new markets. This success is a testament to the collaborative efforts of the management team and the strategic guidance provided by FFL.

Ovarro’s suite of water management and process control solutions serves a global customer base, enhancing customers’ operational efficiency, data analytics, and sustainability. Ovarro’s offerings include sophisticated monitoring systems, data-driven insights, and integrated technology solutions that support the management of critical infrastructure.

"We are proud of what Ovarro has accomplished during our partnership, and we are confident that Indicor is a great partner to lead Ovarro into its next phase of growth," said Greg Long, Partner at FFL Partners.

Ovarro represents a significant addition to Indicor’s portfolio of niche industrial technologies. They are leaders in systems and analytics used to manage critical assets including water and other key processes “said Doug Wright, CEO of Indicor. “This acquisition aligns seamlessly with our strategy to enhance our technological capabilities and expand our reach in the water and environmental sectors.”

“Today is a significant milestone for Ovarro, becoming part of Indicor’s portfolio of innovative industrial technologies,” said David Frost, CEO of Ovarro. “This is a partnership that will propel us to new heights and open up incredible opportunities for growth. This partnership will allow us to leverage Indicor’s expertise, further driving innovation and value for our customers worldwide.”

About FFL Partners 

FFL Partners is a leading middle-market private equity firm that has been investing in high-quality companies since 1997. Based in San Francisco, FFL is a hyperspecialized, thematic investor focused on targeted areas where the firm has deep expertise and broad networks. FFL employs a proprietary sourcing and value creation strategy called the Sector Exploration and Expertise Development (“SEED”) process. The firm aims to partner with exceptional management teams and employs a high-engagement approach to accelerate growth at its businesses. FFL currently has over $6 billion of cumulative capital commitments.

For additional information, please visit www.fflpartners.com

About Indicor

Indicor is a leading diversified industrial solutions company known for its market-leading businesses that deliver specialized, mission-critical solutions to niche markets. Indicor employs a disciplined, process-driven approach to capital deployment and value creation through its proprietary Indicor Business Excellence system (IBEX).

About Ovarro

Ovarro's technology is used throughout the world to monitor, control and manage critical and national infrastructure. 

Our connected technology is always there, always on. Secure, proven, trusted; integrating seamlessly with our clients’ assets. Collecting and communicating data from some of the most remote locations and harshest environments on the planet. Enabling businesses to work smarter and more effectively. 
Ovarro works with customers across water, oil & gas, broadcast and transportation to help monitor, control and manage their assets.

For more information, please visit www.ovarro.com.

The transaction is expected to close in approximately 30 working days, subject to required regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.

Some £2.5 billion of investment in wastewater treatment works was allocated to halving phosphorus discharges in AMP7 - between 2020 and 2025, but this is dwarfed by the government’s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, which requires an anticipated £56-billion capital investment over the next 25 years. The size of the investment indicates that solving this multifaceted challenge will not require a single bullet, but a considerable arsenal. 

Given the scale, extent and site constraints of existing AS installations, a focus on technologies and equipment that can advance site efficiency and increase process volumes will be a pragmatic way to go in many instances. There are proven alternatives, readily available, that can be rapidly retrofitted to upgrade existing sites. 

One such is ACWA-Nuvoda’s MOB – Mobile Organic Biofilm, which uses a unique organic mobile carrier media, derived from the core of the kenaf plant, to achieve a rapid and significant increase in treatment capacity. Retrofitting existing wastewater treatment plants with MOB ensures discharge consents are met by reducing nutrient levels in effluent discharges, while delivering energy, carbon and chemical savings.

According to Ofwat, activated sludge plants (ASPs) in England and Wales may be reaching flow-to-full-treatment (FFT) level, a requirement of their environmental permits, more frequently, and on occasion breaching their permits. This is due to factors including increasing intensive rainfall events, poor maintenance and incorrect operation of equipment. 

Where high flow enters the works, as well as the risk of spills to the environment, the plant can experience washout of the microorganisms essential to the biological processes. These exit the works due to the high hydraulic load and the recovery time for processes can be days and even weeks.

With ACWA-Nuvoda MOB, those organisms are retained as thick biofilm growth on the plant-based biomedia, and regenerated within the system, delivering increased treatment capacity and shortening recovery time to hours. 

The kenaf plant is a multi-purpose regenerative fibre that has historically been used in the production of rope, building materials and animal feed. It has been selected and specifically machined as the biomedia for MOB because of its absorptivity, high surface area, unique cellular structure and longevity in secondary treatment conditions. 

The biomedia is retained within the system using a rotary drum screen installed on the surplus activated sludge line. Screened media is simply returned to the bioreactor, making the process nearly 100% efficient, with very little top-up required.

Reduced costs

Along with nutrient removal, MOB ensures improved settling and optimised process stability, even during fluctuating weather conditions. It reduces the need for polymers, coagulants and phosphorus precipitation technologies, reducing overall capital and chemical cost. It also improves sludge dewatering, significantly reducing tankering requirements.

For the many existing ASP treatment works with little room for expansion, MOB offers a solution. Mobile Organic Biofilm is a ‘no-build’ solution that can be introduced into existing systems, offering significant capital savings and no extra land-take. 

Spill Mitigation

MOB offers facilities an opportunity for spill mitigation by increasing the available hydraulic capacity of an existing treatment works.   Thereby allowing more flow to a treatment works rather than diversion to rivers and streams during high flow rain events.

Headquartered in Yorkshire, ACWA Services has been delivering specialist wastewater treatment services in the UK and globally for nearly 40 years. The company is the exclusive agent of Nuvoda’s MOB patented technology in the UK and Ireland, which is already installed in numerous full-scale municipal and industrial installations across Europe and North America. 

The scale and potential cost of investment required to meet the latest UK targets on environmental discharges means enhanced treatment has a significant role to play. This requires an interrogation of what ‘nature-based’ means, and which solutions can be delivered rapidly and reliably. 

Where site footprint is tight, pollution risk is high and public pressure is on, readily available technologies like MOB are already delivering highly efficient, sustainable treatment; with some of the UK’s most progressive utilities already on board.

Inflow is stormwater that flows into wastewater pipes through faults such as holes, cracks, joint failures, and broken connections. Infiltration occurs when groundwater enters the wastewater network through faults in pipes, compounding the flow. 
 
Magne Eide, chief operating officer at Infotiles, said, “InfoTiles set out to show Håbo municipality what the cost of not maintaining its wastewater network to prevent I&I would be, versus investing money now. Water managers wanted to understand what the maintenance opportunities were, so they could create a wider business case to be put forward for funding during the 2025 budget process.” 
 
Servicing a population of around 18,700, Håbo’s water utility treats about 4 million m3 of wastewater per year. InfoTiles discovered that 18% of that water is incurred through I&I, leading to SEK13 million (roughly €1.3 million) of extra operating costs annually equivalent to almost SEK700 per inhabitant (roughly €61). 
 
Energy use is a significant part of the additional treatment and transportation costs involved in processing I&I, which means reducing energy consumption represents a potential saving on operational expenditure when I&I is remedied. Extra energy consumption also represents a higher carbon footprint, so accurately identifying and preventing I&I can help utilities meet carbon commitments, including net zero targets. 

Compounded flow 

For many utilities and municipalities, I&I can account for an average of 20-50% of the annual flow in sewers, but during snow melt and wet autumns, this figure is much higher. 

It is widely acknowledged that most I&I is caused by ageing infrastructure that requires maintenance or replacement, but some is also caused by erroneous connections such as building drainage and rooftops connected to the wrong pipes. When this water penetrates the wastewater network, it can overload the system, which is a particular risk during periods of heavy rain or storm events.  

In the worst cases, it can lead to the release of untreated wastewater into the environment and pollution of rivers and seas. It also increases the risk of cross-contamination of drinking water, where polluted water from the environment enters through faults in clean water pipes.

Increases in the frequency and intensity of rainfall as a result of a changing climate is exacerbating the problem, making wastewater networks ever more vulnerable to failure and putting the environment at greater risk. If left untreated, pipeline integrity will only deteriorate over time, increasing the volume of ingress water to be treated.

For Håbo municipality, the overall goal of the collaboration with InfoTiles is to gain a better understanding of the causes of inflow and infiltration into sewerage networks and to understand the options for remediation and impact reduction. The municipality hopes it will help policymakers gain a deeper understanding of decision-making around I&I and show how collaboration and digital solutions can be used as a catalyst for positive change. 
 
Accurate pin-pointing  
 
Inflow and infiltration compounds wastewater operating costs as excess water must be pumped, treated and discharged.  
 
The InfoTiles platform uses SCADA control system data together with data from the Swedish Meteorological Institute to analyse historical rainfall and the dry and wet weather behaviour of wastewater networks. For example, how and when water hits the network and how it affects pump heights. 
 
Sensor devices placed at critical points in the network can collect data such as precipitation, problematic thresholds of rain volume, or seasonally varied sensitivities. That feeds into a central dashboard and these detailed measurements can then be analysed by water managers. 
 
By using information from pump stations in real-time, the model calculates the total and excessive volume transported, allowing managers to see not only weather-related trends but also the resulting costs both in terms of treatment and power expenditure.  
 
Once problem areas have been identified, the search area can be narrowed down using compact internet-of-things (IoT) devices within the same platform. Some pump stations have multiple inputs or long upstream pipeline networks. By selectively measuring different branches, it is possible to identify exactly where the water inflows and infiltrates or exclude areas that are not problematic.  
 
Positive proof 
 
Håbo operates 38 pumping stations, in a network where several smaller pumping stations feed larger stations before the wastewater is ultimately transported to treatment. 
 
InfoTiles and Håbo municipality determined that the pumps closest to the treatment stations were receiving the largest net volume of water, meaning that the largest influx was occurring in the parts of the network directly relating to the largest pumps.  
 
With this information, managers from Håbo went searching for damage in the identified areas and were able to quickly confirm the findings of the analysis. Significant breaches of the pipe were found upon visual inspection. In one location, drained surface water from nearby farmlands was penetrating wastewater pipes at high pressure, causing large and continuous volumes of I&I. 
 
Sara Frid, water and wastewater strategist, Håbo Municipality, said, “The new insight into ingress water, such as volumes, likely sources, and the resulting costs really sparked an interest among our operators to go on the hunt for it. 
 
“Within the first couple of weeks, we had found damages to our wastewater pipelines that we could repair to reduce volumes and save treatment costs.” 
 
Now, water managers can not only use data to identify the areas with the highest need of maintenance and repairs but also see the results of their work in reduced volumes of inflow and infiltration. 
Continually reducing the total volumes of I&I remains a high focus for Håbo municipality.  
 
With the InfoTiles solution, they have been able to prove that investments in wastewater maintenance are not only an issue of environmental risk and cost, but in fact, the reduction in volumes will ultimately lead to reduced treatment costs in the long term.

Managers at Mickleton wastewater treatment plant (WwTP) in northern England, with a 300-population equivalent, are in the process of repairing an existing rotating biological contractor (RBC) to keep the plant within consents of 60mg/l of suspended solids and 40mg/l biological oxygen demand.

Northumbrian Water needed to carry out essential works to improve the treatment process and help ensure that the site always remained fully operational. The works involved repair and refurbishment works to the WwTP from spring 2024, taking up to five weeks to complete.

Before the works commenced, it needed to carry out vegetation clearance in preparation for the construction work, as well as setting up temporary treatment units and pumps to allow the work to be undertaken.

WCSEE was contacted by Northumbrian Water contract delivery partner Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB) in November 2023 with the challenge of delivering the WCSEE Hybrid™ units to facilitate the refurbishment of the legacy unit which would fit inside the tight access leading to the WwTP and ensure the treatment of 2.4 l/sec.

WCSEE utility manager, Andrew Haywood said, “When WCSEE was contacted by MMB with the hire needs of Northumbrian Water, we knew we could deliver. WCSEE is a supplier capable of delivering WCSEE Hybrid™ in a 30% smaller site footprint in comparison to other Hybrid-SAF units whilst meeting environmental compliance.

“The units were delivered to site in November 2023 and were in use until April 2024.”

WCSEE Hybrid™ process cells offer the benefit that they can easily retrofit into any onsite existing vessel, regardless of shape or size. This saves on infrastructure costs, minimises disruptions, reduces waste and optimises site footprint.

The units can achieve <0.4mg/l ammonia discharge and remove phosphorus with additional equipment. They can also be configured to provide anoxic conditions for total nitrates and meet high treatment standards for biological oxygen demand, ammonia, and soluble chemical oxygen demand. Units can be installed rapidly and put into operation immediately with fully automatic and continuous pre-set and programmed parameters.

Haywood said, “It was important for Northumbrian Water to be able to bring a unit into operation as soon as possible and WCSEE were able to meet the small site footprint and the peak flow demands. WCSEE have been a dedicated partner and its hire services have provided the flexibility and adaptability needed.”

Tightening environmental standards for sewage and industrial trade effluent means it has never been more necessary for WwTPs to have robust and reliable treatment readily available. Hiring specialist equipment for emergencies or planned refurbishment and decommissioning means water utilities have the capacity to plan permanent fixes and carry out major site works and remediation in a timely way.

WCSEE supports customers throughout the hire process to keep sites in compliance and achieve full environmental protection whatever the challenge.

• Digital and telecoms: Government should consider whether private telecoms networks serving critical national infrastructure require specific resilience standards. Ofcom should also review the accuracy and accessibility of consumer information on the reliability of public telecoms networks.  
• Energy: Government should understand how future changes to the energy system will affect the ability of the system to meet demand, setting a baseline expectation of a level of demand the system should be able to meet. The sector should also set a standard for the future health of physical assets which make up the energy transmission and distribution systems which factors in future threats, including climate change.  
• Transport: Government should set out the levels of resilience expected of key routes and nodes in the transport system. It should also introduce a forward looking standard for the health of the physical assets which make up the transport system which factors in future threats, including climate change.  
• Water: Government should set out targets for the peak short term water supply demand that systems are expected to be able to meet, for the maximum number of households whose supply is at risk from the failure of a single asset, and for reducing the number of customers at risk of sewer flooding in a severe storm. Government should also introduce a forward looking standard for the health of physical assets within water and wastewater systems which factors in future threats, including climate change. 

The report also highlights the importance of considering interdependency risks between sectors, such as between water supply and energy generation. These interdependencies should be identified so that efficient resilience solutions can be developed on a cross-sector basis. 
 
The report is available to read on the Commission website.

A strong performance on innovation, procurement and contractual approach, means Northumbrian Water has risen to the top of the 2024 annual water company survey carried out by leading trade association British Water.

Key findings from the survey include:

• Most significant rise was Anglian Water, from 8th place to joint 2nd with Scottish Water
• Most significant drop was Yorkshire Water, down from 3rd place in 2023 to 11th in 2024 
• Thames Water came 12th due to low scores on innovation, procurement and transition between regulatory asset management plan (AMP) periods

British Water’s annual UK Water Company Performance Survey asks contractors, consultants and suppliers to rate their clients’ performance in 12 areas, including professionalism, contractual approach and communication.

For the third year running, innovation continues to be the lowest scoring area – at a time when there are widespread calls for water companies to find new ways of working to address key challenges.  The average score for innovation was 6.3, which has dropped from last year’s average score of 6.4 out of ten.

Lila Thompson, chief executive, British Water said, “It is frustrating to see innovation continue to score poorly year-on-year, despite the pressing challenges facing our sector. Innovative ways of working and thinking are crucial for the water sector to address challenges such as population growth, climate change, and affordability.

“I would very much like to see an increase in resources for innovation at the core of water company strategies and operations, and a strong culture of innovation embedded within and across companies. Collaboration within and outside the water sector is essential for inspiring new ideas and applications, encouraging innovation, and sharing the benefits for customers, the environment and wider society,” added Thompson.

This year, Anglian Water leads the pack on innovation, with an average innovation score of 8.4 against an industry average score of 6.3, while Thames Water trails other companies with an average innovation score of 4.7.

Northumbrian Water had the highest score for impact on supply chain, with 8.4 against an industry average of 7.2, with high scores for engagement with the supply chain and willingness to absorb inflationary costs, as well as the highest score for AMP transition - 8.8 - against an industry average of 7.1. 

“In today’s resource-constrained market, the supply chain plays a vital role in helping utilities meet customers’ expectations, and failure to engage could result in water companies underdelivering the vast programme of works anticipated in AMP8 – the 2025-30 five-year period, and other significant investment programmes across the UK,” said Thompson.

The second lowest scoring area in the survey was contractual approach, including speed of payment, allowing sufficient time for contractual agreements and terms & conditions, as well as attitudes towards collaboration, flexibility and adaptability.

“The fact we are continuing to see low scores for innovation, contractual approach and AMP transition is a clear indication that work still needs to be done as we approach the next AMP,” said Thompson.  

“The sector will be better able to tackle its shared challenges by bringing together individual companies, including utilities and the supply chain, along with the close engagement of key sector organisations such as Water UK, UKWIR, Spring, The Institute of Water and CIWEM - as well as British Water's UK, technical and international forums and the Water Industry Forum,” she added.

British Water’s annual survey was first undertaken in early 2003 in response to companies asking for feedback on how they were viewed by the industry supply chain, and how they were seen to compare with others. The survey seeks views of individuals working in the industry rather than a corporate standpoint and on this occasion, the majority of responses related to the water and sewerage companies, rather than water-only companies.

The survey reflects a variety of opinions across the supply chain at every level of business. This range of views provides valuable insights for the industry into how water companies interact with their supply chain, how the supply chain feels about this, and the progress water utilities have made over the years.

The 2024 survey results, and those from previous years, can be seen viewed here> https://www.britishwater.co.uk/page/SupplyChainImpactSurveys

The Surrey-based filter manufacturer is supporting the Twilight Runway Challenge organised by its charity partner CMPP, the Community Matters Partnership.

It’s the second year in a row that Amazon Filters has sponsored the family-friendly twilight run, which enables participants to raise money for charities and schools of their choice.

Under the CMPP partnership, the firm has been able to offer a discount to employees who wish to enter and it held a staff draw for five free tickets.

The challenge is open to all ages and abilities and is the flagship fundraising event of the year for CMPP, with around 40 different charities set to benefit.

Ruth Pappadakis, Head of People and Culture at Amazon Filters, said: “Supporting and taking part in Twilight Runway Challenge is a fantastic way to give something back to the community where we live and work.”

Amazon Filters also support CMPP through paid staff volunteering days, with 55 days of hands-on work provided on various community projects last year.

They included beach cleans, grounds improvement in a school playground, maintenance at a hospice and a leaf-clearing day outside a respite centre for families in crisis 

According to CMPP, Amazon Filters’ involvement in 2023 equated to £5,225 worth of help across the multiple organisations it supports.

Anthea Rastall, Fundraising and Events Manager for CMPP, said: “We are thrilled to have the continued support of Amazon Filters as one of the headline sponsors of our Twilight Runway Challenge. 

“Our partnership with Amazon Filters is invaluable and instrumental in the success of this event! 

“The Twilight Runway Challenge truly couldn't achieve what it does without Amazon Filters' patronage.”

The five Amazon Filters staff who won tickets to enter the Twilight Run are: Wayne Spooner, Housing Component Manufacturing Team Leader; Jacqui Morris and Yvonne Hinton, both Senior Despatch Administrators; Aaron Godinho, Internal Sales Engineer; and Michael Etherton, Housing Stores Team Member.

The Twilight Runway Challenge takes place at Blackbushe Airport, Camberley, GU17 9LQ, on Saturday 21 September 2024, with gates opening at 4pm ahead of a start time of 5.15pm. 

For more information, visit https://www.twilightchallenge.co.uk/.

ON THEIR MARKS. Amazon Filters colleagues take part in last year’s Twilight Runway Challenge, from left: Ruth Pappadakis, Head of People and Culture; Jeff Kirby, Director; Dan Scesney, Finance Director; and Karl Pizzey, Operations Director. 

1. Is 1.35 litres of water really enough to flush a toilet?

Yes, extensive independent testing at various flush volumes has shown that 1.35 litres is sufficient for a clean flush. It also does not increase the risk of blocked drains, even in high-traffic facilities.

2. Can a soft-closed lid be used? 

The lid must be sealed promptly for the toilet to flush and to speed up queuing in high footfall areas. For this reason, we do not offer a slow-closing soft-close lid.  A properly sealed lid (we call it ‘close-to-flush-technology), prior to flushing, also reduces the sneeze effect (and odours!), thereby minimizing the spread of germs.

It pays to save!  Read our https://propelair.com/case-studies/customer testimonials.

3. How are blockages cleared if the lid must remain closed to trigger the auto-flush?

Blockages can be cleared using traditional plungers or rods. However, the Propelair OneThreeFive offers a unique feature: blockages can potentially be cleared through a simple series of latch movements that triggers a dry flush, resulting in continued pressurized airflow to unblock drains, restoring performance and minimizing public washroom inconvenience swiftly.

4. An electric toilet:  is it safe, is it expensive?

Propelair toilets have undergone extensive testing and meet various safety standards.  Propelair offers flexibility in power sources:  it can connect directly to the mains, eliminating the need for a 24V battery, or a 24V battery back-up option is available for electricity stressed countries, supporting up to 80 flushes, every three minutes, for four consecutive hours before requiring a 2-hour recharge. The minimal electricity use is offset by significant water savings and consumes a mere 0.33Wh of electricity per flush.

5. Can anyone install the product?

Our offering does not start with an installation but with a site assessment!  We ensure that your site meet the required installation conditions.  We then install flush counters to calculate your potential water and cost savings, pre-installation, and share the statistical outcomes with you before finalizing the installation procedure.  Our warranty conditions stipulate that only a Propelair trained installer is permitted to install your Propelair toilet.  We have local installers within every region that we operate in.

6. How will I know if a Propelair toilet will fit existing drains?

During our pre-installation assessment, we will ensure that your site meet the required installation conditions. The toilet connects to the main water supply and discharges waste into a standard drainage system of 110mm but also offers flexibility by being able to discharge into a 50mm drainage system.

It Pays to Save! Visit our webpage now to calculate your savings and learn how to purchase a Propelair OneThreeFive toilet.

7. How does IoT work, and can it be retrofitted?

Equipped with a smart IoT-connected system, the toilet’s control unit provides feedback to service engineers through data transmission, streamlining maintenance and reducing downtime.  IoT can be retrofitted, allowing our existing and new customers to benefit from accurate and real-time maintenance diagnostic alerts.

8. Why does a Propelair toilet have a QR code?

The Propelair Asset tracking software (QR code based) streamline operations, allowing facility managers to remotely monitor the status and condition of each installed toilet, in real time and instantly schedule maintenance call outs when issues are reported by the automated system.  Gone are the days of manual tracking and guesswork!

9. Why is a Propelair OneThreeFive toilet more hygienic than a conventional toilet?

The Propelair OneThreeFive offers triple protection for users. It incorporates Polygiene BioMaster additives in frequently touched areas like the latch to prevent germ growth. The close-to-flush technology minimizes the spread of germs by preventing the “sneeze effect.“ A powerful single flush eliminates 99.9% of contaminants in just 1.5 seconds, surpassing conventional toilets which leave up to 6% of previous users’ contaminants.

It Pays to Save! Visit our webpage now to calculate your savings and learn how to purchase a Propelair OneThreeFive toilet.

10. Special toilet, special cleaning procedure?

No. Although our pan and side hinges are rimless and makes previously hard-to-clean areas easily accessible to ensure a high level of hygiene, Propelair toilets can simply be cleaned with water and soap.

Conclusion:  Commercial benefit is key for our customers, but at Propelair we offer more.  By also focussing on "people and planet benefits" our 1.5lt and OneThreeFive products provide environmental advantages and improved hygiene for users. By integrating "people and planet" benefits into our offering, we aim to build loyalty and increase product adoption, leading to greater water savings.  Join us in saving the planet, one flush at a time!

This round of the competition will favour highly collaborative projects which will see water companies working with promising innovators from across sectors and around the world. As in previous rounds, entries must be led by a water company in England or Wales. Take a look at the ‘Everything you need to know about Breakthrough 5’ blog for more information about the competition.

Learn more by visiting the website here.

Inspectors from national standards body BSI recertified Amazon Filters for its management system praising what they describe as a ‘very positive health and safety culture’.

Formally recertifying the firm as compliant with the ISO 45001 health and safety standard, BSI made particular reference to the effectiveness of recent training initiatives for team members. 

Under the ISO 45001 inspection regime, workplaces receive overall re-certification audits every three years along with six-monthly ‘surveillance visits’ on specific requirements. 

The in-person assessment for Amazon Filters took place at its production centre in Camberley, Surrey. 

‘Shopfloor’ interviews and investigations were held across various departments including Housing Design and Housing Component Manufacturing. 

The audit included assessments of how working areas operate PPE (personal protective equipment) and manage the ‘Control of Substances Hazardous to Health’ (COSHH) such as chemicals, fumes, dusts and vapours.        

Rebecca Andrews, Health & Safety and Facilities Manager, said: “This was a highly successful re-certification involving lots of management system analysis which found no ‘non-conformances’ in ISO requirements.

“It is fantastic to have such external, independent recognition of how well we run our health and safety processes and the fact we operate a safe working environment.

“Our successful journey of improvement is only possible through continual engagement with employees, having the best resources and support from top management and by monitoring the effectiveness of initiatives we put in place.

“Conforming to ISO standards is ingrained behaviour, not something we do at the last minute just because we have an inspection.”  

Rebecca, who chairs an in-house health and safety committee with 12 colleagues from across the company, added: “On the training side, we had re-designed our induction processes since the last re-certification in 2021 and the benefit of that was specifically commented on by our latest auditor.

“Employees selected at random for interviews included a colleague who had only been in post for week and yet they answered all the questions fully. 

“The auditor said this showed our training processes on health and safety are operating very effectively.

“Achieving such a vote of confidence through recertification in this way is quite an achievement for a company that is continually growing.”

Amazon Filters’ health and safety audit followed a separate BSI recertification for the environmental protection standard, ISO 14001, successfully achieved in April 2024.   

Other standards held by Amazon Filters include ISO 9001 for quality management and assurance. 

In the municipal water industry, the firm’s SupaSpun II filters comply with Regulation 31 of The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016. 

This is a recognised standard overseen by the Drinking Water Inspectorate designed to safeguard the purification and supply of public water. 

In the food industry, there are formal audits to show that Amazon Filters’ processes and product manufacture comply with rules governing halal and kosher products. 

Certificates are issued following site visits by the Halal Food Authority and the London Beth Din Kashrut Division respectively.    

Being a global exporter, Amazon Filters products also have to meet differing governmental standards laid down in, for example, EU food contact regulations and the requirements of the US Food and Drug Administration. 

And earlier this year the firm became one of the first UK manufacturers to be granted ‘Fit for’ status under a new standards programme for the hydrogen production and carbon capture industries.

This involved a series of assessments, audits and questionnaires under the schemes Fit for Hydrogen (F4H2) and Fit for Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (F4CCUS). 

It means that Amazon Filters can provide a strengthened proposition for supporting regional, national and global engineering projects focused on decarbonisation. 

After a pilot programme in the Humber region in 2023, F4H2 and F4CCUS were approved as extensions of a long-standing ‘Fit for’ model of supplier development led by the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

Amazon Filters had already achieved AMRC’s Fit for Nuclear accreditation in 2016, demonstrating its credentials as a manufacturer for the energy industry. 

As the House of Commons returned on 2 September 2024, water has perhaps never been higher up the political agenda. 

I hope to see a push for sector collaboration from the new Labour government, in particular between water companies and Ofwat. Strong, frictionless collaboration will help drive investment and project delivery, a key priority for the sector.

For the last 10 years, utilities’ budgets have been constrained and progress on infrastructure projects slow. Now, with building blocks in place in terms of funding and political will, there are new opportunities to really deliver improvements.

Some £88 billion has been earmarked for investment in Ofwat’s 2025-2030 draft determinations, a big increase on the previous asset management plan (AMP) period. Much of this investment will be in new digital and data-powered technologies, which have the potential to reshape water.

As with any major transition, digitalisation is not without challenges, a key one being the pace of innovation. The water sector is understandably conservative in its approach, but trying to introduce innovation in the UK can feel like walking through treacle. 

As a country, we can learn from water-scarce places like Spain, California and parts of Africa, where water is precious – and innovation gets embraced more quickly. Now that UK utilities have a wealth of trialled and proven technologies at their fingertips, they can become bolder.

Another digitalisation challenge is understanding how to digitally connect all network assets, so the millions of datasets being captured can be used to their full potential. Currently, the data landscape is like a patchwork that needs to be brought together into a single picture using digital connectivity.

Take the Environment Act 21 (part 5, section 82), for example, which requires utilities to continuously monitor water quality upstream and downstream of all storm overflow and sewage disposal works, which discharge into a watercourse. This is a massive undertaking, which will capture water quality data on a scale we have never seen before. 

If managed correctly, there is much value to be gained from that data. It is not just going to tell the utility that a combined sewer overflow (CSO) is discharging, it will also reveal the resulting impact on water quality.

The pollution may not have come from the utility CSO, perhaps its source is upstream farmland. Data can connect the dots and provide insights that can be shared with stakeholders, communities and river users, underpinning collaborative solutions. 

The rollout of an additional 10 million smart water meters is another initiative that will bring in unprecedented volumes of data. The benefits of leakage detection, customer billing and per capita consumption are well known, but this usage data, if fully leveraged, has even more potential. 

Could schools have digital displays that show children how much water is being used in a day, encouraging them to drink water, wash their hands and then turn the tap off? Such technology-led engagement can be a fantastic resource for educational programmes and help utilities become part of the community.

Overall, I am hugely optimistic about what technology can help water companies achieve over the next five years. 

As well as being transparent about mistakes made, the sector must continue to highlight the progress it is making. One example is the Thames Tideway, which will become operational in 2025. As the largest sewer in Europe, the extraordinary project will have a hugely positive effect on the River Thames and should be celebrated. 

The water community is made up of many different companies with a vast array of skillsets, but we have a shared vision. With close collaboration, the expectations of the public and other stakeholders can not only be met, but superseded – with new technology driving progress.

Spring has partnered with Ofwat to introduce six guiding principles for knowledge sharing, designed to accelerate innovation in the water sector. These principles aim to foster a world-class knowledge-sharing culture, enabling faster adoption of new technologies and solutions. Explore Spring and Ofwat’s knowledge-sharing vision and best practice principles on the Spring website here.

A knowledge-sharing vision and set of best practice principles have been created by Spring Innovation and Ofwat.

Spring, the UK water innovation centre of excellence, partnered with the water regulator for England and Wales to establish the new guidance to support faster scaling-up and adoption of new solutions in the sector. 

Throughout 2024, the two organisations have engaged with senior water company leaders and innovation managers to hear their thoughts and learn from their experiences of knowledge-sharing between companies. 

Views and recommendations gathered during discussions and workshops were used to inform six principles that support the vision ‘Unlock faster adoption by creating a world class knowledge-sharing culture’.

Spring and Ofwat’s six principles for best practice knowledge-sharing are:

• Learn from existing information before committing to innovation projects
• Target innovation insights at the right audiences to meet objectives
• Regularly share insights through multiple channels from day one of the project
• Ensure insights from both innovation successes and failures are shared
• Ensure sector knowledge is open and centralised
• Empower people to receive and embed lessons from external sources

While knowledge-sharing has been a key requirement of the Ofwat Innovation Fund since its launch in 2020, and is one of Spring’s core principles, the sector recognises there is a need for faster dissemination of information from all innovation projects as more technologies are trialled and tested.

In 2022, an innovation baseline report, commissioned by Ofwat as part of its Innovation Fund evaluation process, found there was a need for greater knowledge sharing among companies.

In March 2024, the regulator began its consultation into the Innovation Fund’s 2025-30 approach. The consultation document highlighted knowledge transfer as a key element of the fund that should be prioritised. 

As such, Ofwat has strengthened the application criteria for knowledge-sharing in future competitions - although the new guidance should apply to all innovation projects to encourage a sector-wide culture change.
Ofwat senior director for sector performance Helen Campbell said: "The Ofwat Innovation Fund was created to find solutions with the potential to deliver wide-scale, transformational change for customers, society and the environment. 
“Better information sharing across the sector will support water companies to make informed decisions about the solutions that best meet their needs and accelerate the widescale deployment of new technology, processes and ways of working. 
"The new guidance developed with Spring will be an important tool for senior water leaders and innovation managers and we look forward to continuing to work together to deliver faster, smarter solutions."

Spring managing director Carly Perry said: “Spring and its water company partners know that working together to deliver the sector’s innovation ambitions will accelerate overall performance.

“While some knowledge sharing is already happening, our conversations with water and innovation leaders, told us there was a need to establish guidance to ensure a consistent approach, as more innovation projects get underway. 

“Effective knowledge sharing has wide-reaching benefits - it promotes greater efficiency, reduces repetition and environmental footprint, ensures lessons are learned by the right people, provides project transparency, promotes cross-company collaboration and increases employee satisfaction from sharing insights to help others.

“For a cultural shift to occur and for knowledge-sharing to become business-as-usual, Spring, Ofwat and water companies, all have a role to play. We hope the new vision and principles start us on a journey to faster adoption and support efforts to break down the barriers to moving at pace.”

• Spring and Ofwat will host a joint knowledge sharing event in late 2025. More details to follow.

How did the collaboration between Kraken and Portsmouth Water come about? 

Deepak Ravindran: When Kraken first started looking at water, there was a lot of debate about what kind of customers we were ready to share our technology and operating model with, and Portsmouth Water and Bob’s management team were so exceptional - in having managed to deliver both customer service and much lower cost-to-serve, even without the technology - that we decided they should be the first water customer to bring Kraken to bear.

Bob Taylor: We went through a conventional procurement process. We wanted to partner with an organisation that had significant experience working with smart metering, and were very refreshed by the general approach that Kraken presented to us.

Even though we were taking a new step in the water sector, their experience, track record and ‘can-do’ attitude to challenges gave us a lot of confidence that we that we would succeed.

What are the differences in the way Kraken needs to operate in water over energy?

Ravindran: Almost 70-80% of the processes across the utilities are similar, but there were some major differences. One is the high proportion of unmetered properties in water.

The second big element is that most water companies globally are monopolies, and tend to be property-centric, so we needed to bring into Kraken the ability to have both a property-centric and customer-centric view. In partnering Portsmouth, we also learned how to do social tariffs, which do not exist in energy.

That is a capability that we have developed. 

Given that all water companies have their networks to manage, we have developed quite a bit of capability around that too – such as connecting to the network and managing outages.  

What are the benefits of implementing Kraken at Portsmouth Water? 

Taylor: Once Kraken is fully implemented, we envision using it as a tool to stimulate behavioural change.  
We think of platforms like this primarily as communication tools, providing information to tell customers things they would not otherwise know - how they use water and how to use it more efficiently. That is the basis of both smart metering and Kraken, and it helps in so many areas.  
For example, we can easily identify whether customers have leaks on their own pipes within homes and premises. We can analyse meter readings more frequently - not just twice a year, but every 30 minutes, making it is possible to identify even low-level leaks.  

There are also opportunities for cross-sector billing, putting energy and water billing together for example, or energy, water and wastewater. We need to try and sell the concept of smart metering to our customers around savings through wastewater and energy charges too. The less water you use, the lower your energy and wastewater bills. 

Kraken is known for creating engaging customer interactions by making data more accessible. How are you going about this in terms of water consumption and customer service? 

Taylor: In 2023 Portsmouth Water and Kraken launched The Water Lab, which is a unique opportunity to find new ways to improve the way we deliver water and energy services.  

Ravindran: It is early days, but we have built out the interactive channels for web and app and brought our learnings from energy, where this is more advanced.  
The Water Lab aims to learn from that and experiment and accelerate the experimentation and trials. That includes gamification and loyalty ledgers, and with that comes visualisation tools so customers can see the impact.  
The first thing The Water Lab has tried is using implied data to show customers that if they reduce their water consumption, they will have a reasonable impact on their energy bill. Even showing the estimated impact has led to customers reducing consumption by five percent.  

Was there a risk for Portsmouth Water in being the first water company to trial this solution?  

Taylor: It was a manageable risk because we are working with a company that has a strong track record and has completed the best part of 30 implementations previously, all successful.  The water sector may have a reputation for slow adoption of innovation, but that is changing. For example  we are the first water company to be building a reservoir for 40 years. As a relatively small player we were willing to take on a challenge like that, and the key is to understand and manage the risks carefully. 

Ravindran: I completely agree. In terms of our own experience, the Portsmouth team have all been amazing in terms of adopting and adapting to the speed we work at.   

Taylor: We are starting from a strong place and were well placed in Ofwat’s customer experience measures last year. This will become more challenging when the Institute of Customer Service measures are introduced, but with the customer relationship management possibilities we are developing, I am aiming to stay in the top quartile of performance. 

You are also on the board of UKWIR, Bob, what is UKWIR’s role in driving innovation and research in water? 

Taylor: UKWIR is a collaboration of water companies around the UK and Ireland, who come together on common concerns and issues and common challenges, many of which are totally new. The job of UKWIR is to look at what is coming over the horizon and drive forward knowledge and understanding in those areas.

This involves not just collaboration across the industry, but globally, with similar organisations across the world, which is why it is so important to share this cross-sector story at the UKWIR Annual Conference in October.  As an independent body, UKWIR works very closely with universities, suppliers and a whole range of other funding organisations, to create a scientific and technical basis for the discussions and developments going on in our sector.  

UKWIR’s 5th Annual Conference takes place in London on 3 October 2024. Bob Taylor and Deepak Ravindran are taking part in the session - Learning across sectors: Delivering an innovative customer experience. To register, visit https://conferences.aquaenviro.co.uk/events/conferences/ukwir-5th-annual-conference/

Improving infrastructure planning is essential to delivery

The water sector needs to build infrastructure at scale over the coming decades. Ahead of her keynote address to the Water Industry Forum on 25 September, Sharon Darcy, Chair of the Linear Infrastructure Planning Panel, says competing demands with other sectors over allocation of resources means a collaborative approach is vital.

The water industry faces a monumental challenge: delivering the vast infrastructure needed to meet future demands, while navigating a complex landscape of competing projects in energy, transport and communications.

Projects with robust early stakeholder engagement are more likely to result in success, which is why the Linear Infrastructure Planning Panel (LIPP) works across utility sectors, with representatives from community groups, non-governmental organisations and other external stakeholders, to develop a common language and leading practice on infrastructure planning.  

At the Water Industry Forum’s annual dinner in Leeds on 25 September, cross-sector research and insights from LIPP will be shared, which show how planning consent for infrastructure projects can be achieved, and how critical initiatives can be developed and delivered in a cost-effective way that builds community support.

Balancing needs
Balancing national and local needs in infrastructure planning decisions is notoriously difficult, but it is a challenge that needs to be faced if the water sector is going to deliver on net zero carbon, resilience and other national goals. Founded in 2023, LIPP aims to listen and incorporate the perspectives of key public interest stakeholders, including social and environmental groups, in the development of good practice and ethical approaches to the implementation of new techniques, including algorithms and advanced software tools, in linear infrastructure planning.

LIPP published a white paper in March 2024, ‘Delivering net zero, resilience and nature recovery: How new tools and approaches can transform infrastructure planning’, which has already fed into UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee reporting on sustainable electrification. The report draws on intensive engagement with key stakeholders and looks at the social, environmental and economic metrics used in the spatial planning of infrastructure such as electricity transmission lines and major water pipelines. 

It highlights new technologies and the changes needed to procurement processes to ensure successful delivery of infrastructure that is essential in meeting net zero targets and resilience to climate impacts. The paper also explores ways of managing uncertainty when developing metrics in these areas, including the need for robust data and ways of ranking and weighing-up different metrics.

Informed decision-making
England faces a critical land shortage.  A growing population needs to be housed, while producing enough food, protecting nature and tackling climate change. Despite the intense competition for land, there is no system in place to manage it effectively.

Attendees at the WIF annual dinner will hear a swathe of insights from other industries, such as energy, which can be drawn on to help the water sector navigate current and future challenges. The energy sector is grappling with challenges in grid development, with public opposition to the expansion of power lines needed to transport renewable energy to population centres. 

The water sector can learn from these experiences by integrating technical and spatial planning much earlier in the decision-making process. The recent King's Speech outlining the new Planning & Infrastructure Bill acknowledges the need for advanced spatial planning that considers multiple infrastructure sectors.
By joining up technical planning with spatial planning, learning from other sectors, and through early strategic stakeholder engagement, I believe the water sector will be well-placed to streamline the infrastructure planning process and delivery into the next asset management plan (AMP) period – 2025-30, and beyond.

Sharon Darcy is Chair of the Linear Infrastructure Planning Panel and an independent non-executive board member at Portsmouth Water. She will address the Water Industry Forum Annual Dinner in Leeds on 25 September 2024.

Register here

With a client roster that includes some of the UK’s most prominent organisations in the Utilities and Construction, Defence, Healthcare, Facilities Management, and Telecommunication sectors, Develop has established itself as a trusted name in the training arena. Annually, the company trains over 30,000 professionals, providing them with the skills and knowledge necessary to maintain high standards of safety and compliance.

The newly launched confined space safety toolkit is a vital resource for SMEs, providing them with the information and tools needed to navigate the complexities of the Confined Space Regulations 1997. The toolkit is available on Develop's website and is designed to help businesses understand their legal obligations, identify confined spaces, implement appropriate safety measures, and access necessary compliance training.

"Our goal is to ensure that all businesses, regardless of size, have the resources and knowledge to keep their employees safe," said Kate Denial, Operational Training Manager at Develop Training. "Confined spaces pose significant risks, and it is crucial that employers are aware of their legal responsibilities to recognise these dangers and know how to manage them effectively."

The campaign highlights several key aspects of confined space safety:

1. Understanding Legal Obligations: The toolkit provides a detailed overview of the legal requirements under the Confined Space Regulations 1997, helping businesses ensure they are in full compliance.

2. Identifying Confined Spaces: It offers guidance on how to identify confined spaces within the workplace, which is the first step in managing these potentially hazardous environments. Develop also offer a consultancy service whereby they can visit employers and provide comprehensive guidance and support.

3. Implementing Safety Measures: The toolkit includes best practices for taking appropriate actions to mitigate risks associated with confined spaces, including the use of safety equipment and emergency procedures.

4. Access to Training: SMEs can access a range of compliance training programmes through Develop, designed to equip their workforce with the necessary skills to operate safely in confined spaces.

By launching this campaign, Develop is underscoring its commitment to workplace safety and regulatory compliance, particularly for smaller enterprises that may lack the resources of larger organisations. The company’s in-house expertise and wide range of training programmes aim to create safer working environments across various sectors.

For more information on the confined space safety toolkit and to access the resources available, visit www.developtraining.co.uk/confined-space-safety-toolkit

What is a packaged pumping station?

Packaged pumping stations (PPSs) are factory-built systems that pump wastewater and stormwater from a site into the public sewer network for treatment and disposal. 

Does my development require a packaged pumping station?

The systems are typically used where a development cannot connect to the public sewer system by gravity. It may be situated below the network, in a remote or inaccessible location, or is a considerable distance away from the main sewer, making a traditional gravity-based system unfeasible or not cost effective. 

Do I need to liaise with the local water company before installation?

If you are constructing sewers or pumping stations as part of a new development, it is advisable to apply for an S104 connection in the design phase of a new project. This process allows the local water company to adopt the new sewerage system under Section 104 of the Water Industry Act 1991. By doing so, you ensure that your development complies with industry standards and that the sewer network is properly integrated into the existing infrastructure. 

The station design and installation must comply with the industry’s Sewage Sector Guidance (SSG), a suite of documents that sets out adoption requirements including for location, size, pipework, valve layout, pump types, level and control specifications. The SSG was introduced in April 2020, replacing the Sewers for Adoption guidance.

How long will it take to install a packaged pumping station?

PPSs are pre-assembled units which are delivered to site fully kitted-out with components including pumps, pipes, valves and controls. This means the installation process is simple and can be arranged to suit programmes work, saving onsite build-time and reducing disruption. 

Xylem’s Flygt brand offers a comprehensive range of packaged pumping stations which it aims to specify, price and supply within four to six weeks. To avoid any site-specific issues, Xylem engineers will work with the developer to clarify details such as, where will the station be situated? Does it have clear access? Has the correct access cover been specified? And, importantly, has a groundwater survey been carried out? 

Who will be responsible for the management and maintenance of the pumping station once installed? 

Water companies and New Appointments & Variations (NAVs) - limited companies selected to run water and sewerage services in specific geographic areas, are recognised as the most suitable owners of sewerage networks. Once satisfied the pumping station has been completed to the agreed standard, the utility will adopt the asset and take over its management. 

Before this can happen, a pre-adoption onsite inspection is usually carried out to ensure all works have been completed as per the design. Representatives from the water company, the developer and, where Xylem is the supplier, a member of its engineering team are all involved.

As a turnkey service provider, Xylem offers developers a pre-adoption advisory service and full technical submission to be used to apply for a S104 legal agreement.  

Are packaged pumping stations easy to maintain?

The right packaged pumping station will provide efficient and reliable pumping for new housing, from single dwellings through to major developments. Models with high-end pumps will provide decades of service and, in the long-term, be more efficient than alternatives such as septic tanks or onsite treatment units.

Xylem’s engineers advise at least one service visit per year to lift and check the electrical pumps. If the station is found to receive large volumes of unflushable items, such as wet wipes and nappies, they would recommend up to four visits per year.  

Are smart pumping stations now available?

As urbanisation increases and developments expand into more remote and inaccessible areas, the need to efficiently pump wastewater to treatment works becomes an ever more crucial consideration. As such, the technology is becoming more intelligent to meet changing customer needs. 

One example is the Flygt Concertor, which was the world’s first wastewater pumping system with integrated intelligence. The smart system is capable of sensing the operating conditions of its environment, adapting performance in real-time and providing feedback to operators.

Over the last two decades, effluent discharges to rivers have reduced by 67 per cent. However, excess phosphorous remains the most common reason for water bodies failing to achieve ‘good’ ecological status.

In England, new statutory targets set by the Environment Act 2021 require phosphorus from treated wastewater to be reduced by 80% by 2038. Also ongoing is the Water Industry National Environment programme (WINEP), a set of actions all English water companies are required by the Environment Agency to complete to protect the environment.

Having started towards the end of AMP6, the programme has ramped up throughout AMP7, with around 800 wastewater treatment sites upgraded – and there is a significant amount of investment still to be made.

These ever-tightening phosphorus (P-) removal targets are driving development and investment in advanced treatment systems. There is a wide range of opportunities to reduce the presence of phosphorus available to water companies and many have well established catchment management programmes to work with local landowners to protect watercourses at source.

In terms of treatment technologies, as well as chemical dosing, a range of options has emerged in AMP7, with filtration technologies - such as pile cloth media and multi-media - and ballasted clarification being the most widely used. We expect to see even wider deployment of these technologies in AMP8.

Ballasted clarification

While all adopted technologies have been shown to have good solid removal rates, and hence P-removal, ballasted clarification can cope with higher loading rates and offers better economies at scale.

The use of an enhanced ballasted clarification system that uses magnetite (an inert iron ore particle) can massively increase treatment capacity by ballasting - or intensifying - biological or conventional chemical flocs, settling rates are enhanced, increasing the performance of water and wastewater treatment facilities.

This proven technology can be applied where very low phosphorous limits are required, without the need for further treatment. The system has the capability to re-utilise existing assets as part of the solution.

As such, water companies are now increasingly considering it as an effective solution for P-removal.  Working with four UK utilities, Xylem has installed six ballasted clarification systems, with eight more currently in design, construction and commissioning.

The projects have mostly utilised the CoMag process, while some have installed Xylem's BioMag technology, which is used for wastewater intensification in activated sludge systems and is also highly effective in P-removal.

Some of these technologies were among a range of new systems trialled by Severn Trent at its Packington site in Leicestershire. The trial also included alternative solutions based on membrane filtration, nano-particle embedded ion exchange, immobilised algal bioreactor and absorption media reed beds. 

Beyond AMP8

Looking ahead, Xylem is working closely with partners to deliver improvements responding to phosphorous challenges. This includes our Innovation Labs programme, which works with start-ups to bring new technologies – including some in the P-removal space – to market.

Beyond AMP8, Xylem hopes to see an uptake in phosphorus recovery and recycling processes in the UK. Phosphorus is a vital nutrient used in fertiliser for food production but is a finite resource and there is a deficit in many parts of the world. 

A major 2022 study co-authored by Cranfield University scientists, says unsustainable phosphorus use ‘affects food and water security, freshwater biodiversity and human health’ and calls on governments to increase recycling of the nutrient by 50% by the year 2050.

Technology is available – and already widely used in parts of the world such as the US, China and Japan - to recover it from sewage sludge and convert it into a valuable by-product, in the form of slow-release fertiliser.

Currently in the UK, the process is not widely seen as being cost effective, however, in terms of long-term planning and creating a circular economy, there are many benefits to companies getting ahead of the game and moving towards a more sustainable approach to P-removal.

The Blairlinnans SoundPrint Acoustic Fibre Optic System, a joint project between Xylem and Scottish Water - and a European first, was named Asset Management Initiative of the Year at the awards ceremony on 4 July 2024.

The Blairlinnans water main is a 42 inch (1,067mm) pre-stressed concrete (PSC) pipeline that runs from the Blairlinnans Water Treatment Works to a service reservoir in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. The pipeline was installed in 1974 and is critical to the ongoing operation of Scottish Water’s supply network.  

Scottish Water identified the main as a high-risk asset, which prompted a complete engineering assessment to understand its true condition and prevent an unexpected burst.

Inspections using Xylem’s SmartBall and PipeDiver technologies provided the data necessary to conduct a thorough engineering analysis. The insights showed while most of the pipeline was in good condition, several sections had broken pre-stressed wires, which are critical to support operational pressures. If the wires break, a trunk main can lose its structural integrity, with a risk of failure.

In the first project of its kind in Europe, Scottish Water selected Xylem’s SoundPrint Acoustic Fibre Optic (AFO) system to continually monitor sections of the pipeline. SoundPrint AFO detects breaks in the pre-stressing wire that hold PSC pipelines together. 

The system set-up comprises bundled, reinforced fibre-optic cable fed though the water main, which is connected to a data acquisition system to monitor the acoustic activity in near real-time. If a wire break occurs, it is detected by the AFO system, which is connected to Xylem’s AFO analysts via the cellular network. 

Wire break events are investigated by the analysts and with the help of machine learning, the break location is pinpointed. An email notification is sent to the customer and the results posted on a cloud-based system, which displays the pipeline status on colour-coded dashboards.

The monitoring, combined with further analysis by Xylem’s engineering service, enables utilities to make proactive decisions about which sections of pipe need to be replaced or repaired as deterioration continues over time.

Ian Dunsmore, team leader - strategic water infrastructure at Scottish Water, said: “Replacement of major pipelines is often cost prohibitive, extremely complex and causes major disruption - however it is rare that the entire pipeline needs to be replaced.

“Leveraging Xylem’s AFO system and engineering experience enabled us to understand the true condition of the Blairlinnans water main at a single point in time and have confidence that the pipeline is being continuously monitored for any further deterioration. It is great news that the success of this joint initiative has been recognised by the sector.”

Andrew Welsh, water utility director at Xylem said: “Xylem is extremely proud that this innovative partnership with Scottish Water has been recognised by the Water Industry Awards.

“The AFO system has enabled Scottish Water to reduce the risk of failure by pre-emptively repairing areas known to be in poor condition, make significant cost savings by extending the life of remaining pipe sections and minimise disruptions to customers, while maintaining the utility’s reputation as a forward-thinking, reliable service provider."

Major upgrades of ageing water mains are being planned across England and Wales between 2025 and 2030, as part of utilities’ commitments to cut leakage by more than a quarter.

This important investment will help the sector save more than a billion litres of water each day by 2030, says Water UK. It will also bring to the fore the challenge of finding leaks on plastic pipes and further drive innovation in this area.

In the 1980s, polyethylene plastic became the preferred material for new water mains as it was considered more durable and less prone to leaks than metal pipes. According to a UK Water Industry Research 2020 study, around 95,000km of the UK’s drinking water pipe network is made of polyethylene plastic, with the material being used for 90% of new water mains laid. 

While this expansion of the plastic network has helped reduce leakage, it has made traditional acoustic methods of leakage detection – listening for noise outside of the pipe - more difficult. Plastic pipes do leak but sound does not travel as far as it does on metal.

Consider a musical tuning fork – these are made of metal because they continue to resonate after being struck. The fork would not work if it was made of plastic. The same is true for a plastic water pipe - any sound caused by a leak does not transmit as far or as quickly along the pipe wall, so cannot reliably be picked up by acoustic sensing technology.

Technology has evolved to address the challenge. Ovarro’s game-changing hydrophone sensor – Enigma3hyQ – was developed with Anglian Water to pinpoint leaks by measuring sounds generated inside pipes. 

The hyQ sensors were found to be effective in accurately finding leaks over long distances, including on pipes made from plastic.

Development of the Enigma3-BB used the same hydrophone technology but allowed the sensors to be installed directly into an operational meter box chamber, rather than via a fire hydrant or by digging a new pit, giving technicians more installation options. 

Expanding the company’s offering further, Ovarro launched LeakNavigator in 2023, as the UK’s first fully-managed, fixed network leakage service. The as-a-service model comprises Ovarro loggers, cloud-based software and Ovarro’s inhouse leakage expertise.

In late 2022, LeakNavigator, with the Enigma3-BB, was trialled by Southern Water across district metered areas (DMAs) in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. A total of 1,800 Enigma3-BBs were deployed. What began as a trial quickly became business-as-usual, with 47 of Southern Water’s DMAs now covered by LeakNavigator and Ovarro loggers.  

In April 2024, LeakNavigator was recording for Southern Water a leak conversion rate of up to 78%. The system had found 851 leaks, more than 90% of which were on plastic pipes, which may not have been detected using traditional methods. Fifty-nine burst mains have also been confirmed. 
Since LeakNavigator was deployed, leakage levels in 35 of the 47 DMAs targeted by Southern Water have reduced.

Some 32% of leaks found were on communication pipes, which carry water between the water mains and the boundary of private property; 16% were on customer pipes. These figures show that the hydrophone is picking up leaks on a range of pipes and materials.  

Thames Water has also implemented LeakNavigator in a project that saw installation of 3,450 sensors across 106 DMAs, with both plastic and metal pipes. 

Between January 2023 and January 2024, Thames Water had identified 1,364 leaks. Following repairs this had saved in excess of 12 megalitres/day (MLD).

Another UK utility customer has seen similar success, as reported by Ovarro leakage product specialist Paul Holt. The water company deployed the Enigma3BB over a whole DMA, covering a total of 17,800m of mains. The particular DMA had seen a gradual increase of night-time flow, indicating leakage. LeakInsight (part of the Ovarro Atrium suite of software) issued a point-of-interest to a technician to follow-up and a burst on a 200mm plastic main was located. 

Holt said: “The burst was repaired, reducing night-time leakage by 5.5 l/s per second, a low that DMA had not seen for over 12 months. Regular traditional surveying of this area had not located this leak, with no noise on any fittings nearby, despite the nearest fitting being just 7m away. Repairs made from further POIs issued have resulted in a drop in the nightline that has not been seen since November 2019, and brought overall leakage levels in the DMA down to a historical low.”

Of course, leakage is a global challenge, with around a third of the world’s treated water being lost before it reaches customers. Plastic networks will grow globally, as ageing pipes are replaced, and Ovarro is working with partners to ensure water utilities across Europe, Asia and America have access to effective tools for all pipe materials.

Suppliers like Ovarro will continue to develop technologies that enhance leakage detection methods across all network types. Continued investment from water companies and a willingness to collaborate with suppliers and trial new solutions will help accelerate innovation further.

Three UK water utilities have agreed orders for the installation of a total of six conical settlement tanks from wastewater treatment specialist WCS Environmental Engineering (WCSEE). The equipment will be used in the primary and secondary stage of the wastewater treatment process.

The contracts with Northumbrian Water, Southern Water and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water demonstrate growing demand for this adaptable wastewater treatment technology that gives utilities greater flexibility in meeting the needs of growing populations and tightening regulatory standards on phosphorus. 

Utilities are also driven by the need to upgrade final settlement tanks to increase flow capacity or to replace kit that is no longer fit for purpose, having been based on historic designs. Adapting wastewater treatment plants (WwTPs) with modern conical tanks futureproofs sites, ensuring that they keep pace with demand. It also minimises site downtime and reduces the risk of failures. 

WCSEE is working closely with Northumbrian Water and delivery partner Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB) on the installation of two conical tanks at WwTPs in the villages of Wark on Tyne and Slaley in Northumberland. 

WCSEE utility manager Andrew Haywood said, “The four conical tanks installed at Wark on Tyne and Slaley wastewater treatment works are specifically designed for the primary and secondary stage of the wastewater treatment process. Within a week of installation, the conical tanks will be fully operational.”

Both WwTP’s will have one 6m diameter tank for primary settlement and another for the secondary stage humus.

WCSEE is also providing two conical tanks to Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, working closely with Morgan Sindall Infrastructure on the upgrade of WwTPs in the villages of St Nicholas in the Vale of Glamorgan and Clyro in Radnorshire, Powys.

A further tank is being installed at Southern Water’s WwTP serving the hamlet of Forest Green, south-west of Dorking in Surrey. WCSEE is working closely with contractor Galliford Try on project delivery.

Haywood said, “WCSEE is proud that the conical settlement tanks has been selected by these three utilities to meet their challenges on population growth and the tightening regulatory landscape. WCSEE has long been an approved supplier for Northumbrian Water, Southern Water and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, and we look forward to developing these relationships further by working closely with them on these expansion and upgrade projects.”
  
WCSEE’s patented conical settlement tank shape allows easy extraction of sludge that has settled to the bottom of the cone, and the complete drainage also allows for the removal of chemicals used in the treatment process. The tanks come supplied complete with internal launders, diffuser drum, scum board, and piping with the added option that WCSEE can customise the tank design for above ground installation and scrapers to enhance desludging, if needed.

With sizes ranging from 2.4 - 6m diameter, the tanks can handle variable flows and loads, making them ideal for seasonal and variable demands. The modular design, glass-fibre-reinforced plastic composition, and smaller footprint over comparable technologies, make WCSEE conical tanks versatile and flexible for deployment in a wide range of locations.

The 2.4m and 3m diameter conical tanks can be assembled entirely off-site in controlled conditions and are easily transported to site ready for installation to reduce health and safety risks, minimise onsite disruption, and optimise site footprint. The 4m and 5m conical tanks can be partially assembled on site, while the 6m conical tank can only be assembled on site.

Even with the larger tanks, assembly, installation, and commissioning can be delivered in under two weeks.

“The flexibility of the conical settlement tanks makes tailored designs and site-specific configurations possible. It is also possible to rapidly augment or retrofit existing plant processes,” says Haywood.

• Weather event forecasting to predict potential pumped asset failures. 
• Anomaly detection on water and wastewater networks to identify trends, infiltration and blockages.
• Asset optimisation to enhance water treatment operation efficiency including dosing and maintenance cycles, energy use and carbon emissions.
•  Effective performance management and forecasting of operation optimisation.

Johnny Gunneng, chief executive and founder of InfoTiles said, “Our partnership with Arup is an important milestone for InfoTiles. Teaming up with Arup isn't just about expanding markets, but also about co-creating integrated solutions that seamlessly blend digital ability with engineering excellence. 

“This is to support the utilities of tomorrow by offering transformative solutions and creating resilient systems that not only withstand critical challenges but also champion sustainability."  

Arup is a digital leader in the built environment and is committed to innovative research addressing the challenge of climate change.     
  
The firm previously adopted the use of digital tools and AI to support utilities such as Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water by managing storm overflow using Arup’s Fuse web software. The custom-made centralised platform enables utilities to make sustainable investment decisions, efficient collection and management of asset data, performance monitoring and knowledge sharing.     

Bretton Davis, smart water lead at Arup said, “We recognise the challenges the water industry is facing. Customers want and need affordable services, the environment needs to be protected and enhanced, and asset health and the resilience of services needs to be maintained, all within the context of a changing climate.  

“Our partnership with InfoTiles will enable us to deploy our combined digital expertise with in-depth engineering and sector knowledge and support utilities unlocking barriers keeping them from harnessing innovative possibilities through data and insight.”   
  
InfoTiles has already made significant progress in digitally transforming water utilities and municipalities in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland and the UK. Leveraging AI for advanced data correction and analytics, the company’s software streamlines water and wastewater network management processes to deliver data analysis in minutes rather than months.

Water companies in England and Wales are expected to embrace opportunities offered by smart technology to improve leakage performance in the 2025-2030 asset management plan (AMP8) period, according to the regulator, Ofwat. An ongoing focus on cost efficiency means the sector is seeking products to help improve performance while delivering better long-term value for customers.

This continuing need for utilities to achieve more for less is driving development of managed digital solutions that make processes faster and more efficient. Rapidly advancing technology in the field of leakage means smart systems are now more intuitive and can connect to one another, reducing the steps required to find a leak, by completing much of the upfront data analysis for users.

Ovarro’s latest addition to the market is EnigmaREACH, a lift-and-shift correlating hub for rapid non-revenue water (NRW) reductions. It combines either 32 or 64 loggers, a tablet, a single app for logger deployment, retrieval and follow-up, and access to Ovarro’s LeakInsight analytics platform.

EnigmaREACH offers mass logger deployment and expanded network coverage compared to that of traditional lift-and-shift kits. The companion app guides technicians through the logger installation, retrieval and follow-up processes.

EnigmaREACH was developed following conversations with Ovarro clients who wanted to see the high-accuracy results synonymous with the Enigma range on a much wider scale, without the added challenges of recruiting additional skilled leakage technicians. The solution means leak detection teams – including contractors incentivised to find leaks quickly - can work through a district metered area (DMA) faster and find more leaks in a single day.

Typically, a team taking a lift-and-shift approach – deploying loggers in a specific location and retrieving them usually the next day - will use between 80 and 100 loggers, positioned around 75m apart, for approximately 6km of network coverage. One EnigmaREACH kit comprising 64 loggers can monitor up to 16km of pipe network, depending on how far apart they are positioned – more than double the distance with fewer loggers – and perform 256 overnight correletations.

Traditionally, once the loggers are retrieved, skilled analysts use a laptop to assess the data themselves to identify an area of interest, and to review or assign any points of interest (PoIs) to be followed-up. A follow-up technician would then deploy additional correlating kits to pinpoint the leak and place the blue mark on the ground.

In developing EnigmaREACH, Ovarro’s data scientists explored how the analytics process could be enhanced, to allow the system to perform the correlations automatically and use the technology to assign PoIs to follow-up technicians, reducing the reliance on analysts to manually generate them. The pinpointing accuracy of the EnigmaREACH kit also means that the leak verification can be promptly carried out using a ground mic, reducing time investigating leaks.

The system achieves this when the loggers are retrieved by the technician and placed in their associated box, which will automatically upload the data to the LeakInsight analytics platform via a mobile phone or tablet. LeakInsight will automatically complete the correlation and generate the POIs for the user to view when they login to the system. The PoIs can then be assigned to technicians directly through the app.

Having a system that automatically generates Points of Interest (PoIs), as well as having a simple-to-use app to guide technicians through their tasks on the ground, frees-up skilled analysts and technicians. This means they can spend more time validating - another benefit, given the current recruitment and retention challenges in the leakage field.

UK water companies have committed to triple the rate of leakage reduction by 2030 and halve leakage by 2050. Great progress has been made, but reaching these levels remains a mighty task – and annual targets can be thrown off course by extreme weather, such as freeze-thaw events.

In such a scenario, when increased numbers of bursts cause a leakage breakout, EnigmaREACH could be deployed over a large area to pinpoint bursts quickly, cut water loss and reduce customer impact.  The same could apply in a drought, when leakage can occur due to ground movement, and there is an urgent need for leaks to be identified quickly to preserve water supplies.

Mass deployment technologies like EnigmaREACH mean the expectations of the regulator, the water companies and their customers on water loss can now be realised at scale. Water companies’ engagement with the product so far tells us they are ready to work in this way. As systems get ever smarter, a transformation on leak detection in the UK and globally is in sight.

Water companies in England and Wales are expected to embrace opportunities offered by smart technology to improve leakage performance in the 2025-2030 asset management plan (AMP8) period, according to the regulator, Ofwat. An ongoing focus on cost efficiency means the sector is seeking products to help improve performance while delivering better long-term value for customers.

This continuing need for utilities to achieve more for less is driving development of managed digital solutions that make processes faster and more efficient. Rapidly advancing technology in the field of leakage means smart systems are now more intuitive and can connect to one another, reducing the steps required to find a leak, by completing much of the upfront data analysis for users.

Ovarro’s latest addition to the market is EnigmaREACH, a lift-and-shift correlating hub for rapid non-revenue water (NRW) reductions. It combines either 32 or 64 loggers, a tablet, a single app for logger deployment, retrieval and follow-up, and access to Ovarro’s LeakInsight analytics platform.

EnigmaREACH offers mass logger deployment and expanded network coverage compared to that of traditional lift-and-shift kits. The companion app guides technicians through the logger installation, retrieval and follow-up processes.

EnigmaREACH was developed following conversations with Ovarro clients who wanted to see the high-accuracy results synonymous with the Enigma range on a much wider scale, without the added challenges of recruiting additional skilled leakage technicians. The solution means leak detection teams – including contractors incentivised to find leaks quickly - can work through a district metered area (DMA) faster and find more leaks in a single day. 

Typically, a team taking a lift-and-shift approach – deploying loggers in a specific location and retrieving them usually the next day - will use between 80 and 100 loggers, positioned around 75m apart, for approximately 6km of network coverage. One EnigmaREACH kit comprising 64 loggers can monitor up to 16km of pipe network, depending on how far apart they are positioned – more than double the distance with fewer loggers – and perform 256 overnight correletations. 

Traditionally, once the loggers are retrieved, skilled analysts use a laptop to assess the data themselves to identify an area of interest, and to review or assign any points of interest (PoIs) to be followed-up. A follow-up technician would then deploy additional correlating kits to pinpoint the leak and place the blue mark on the ground.

In developing EnigmaREACH, Ovarro’s data scientists explored how the analytics process could be enhanced, to allow the system to perform the correlations automatically and use the technology to assign PoIs to follow-up technicians, reducing the reliance on analysts to manually generate them. The pinpointing accuracy of the EnigmaREACH kit also means that the leak verification can be promptly carried out using a ground mic, reducing time investigating leaks.

The system achieves this when the loggers are retrieved by the technician and placed in their associated box, which will automatically upload the data to the LeakInsight analytics platform via a mobile phone or tablet. LeakInsight will automatically complete the correlation and generate the POIs for the user to view when they login to the system. The PoIs can then be assigned to technicians directly through the app. 

Having a system that automatically generates Points of Interest (PoIs), as well as having a simple-to-use app to guide technicians through their tasks on the ground, frees-up skilled analysts and technicians. This means they can spend more time validating - another benefit, given the current recruitment and retention challenges in the leakage field.

UK water companies have committed to triple the rate of leakage reduction by 2030 and halve leakage by 2050. Great progress has been made, but reaching these levels remains a mighty task – and annual targets can be thrown off course by extreme weather, such as freeze-thaw events. 

In such a scenario, when increased numbers of bursts cause a leakage breakout, EnigmaREACH could be deployed over a large area to pinpoint bursts quickly, cut water loss and reduce customer impact.  The same could apply in a drought, when leakage can occur due to ground movement, and there is an urgent need for leaks to be identified quickly to preserve water supplies. 

Mass deployment technologies like EnigmaREACH mean the expectations of the regulator, the water companies and their customers on water loss can now be realised at scale. Water companies’ engagement with the product so far tells us they are ready to work in this way. As systems get ever smarter, a transformation on leak detection in the UK and globally is in sight.

PFAS are favoured for their durability and useful properties such as in non-stick, water repellence and anti-grease applications.

They also have many and widespread uses in industry, including in firefighting foam. The properties of these substances mean that they are very resistant to biodegradation.

Industrial and commercial activities may result in the inadvertent release of various pollutants including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.

The issue of PFAS contamination has even made it into the cultural sphere. The Hollywood film ‘Dark Waters’ tells the real-life story of Rob Bilott, the lawyer who took on chemical giant DuPont after discovering that the company was polluting drinking water with PFOA (a type of PFAS) in the US.

Drinking water

The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) has just announced that new guidance on PFAS will be issued to water companies later in the summer (2024). There are four key changes that will likely be announced:

1. The DWI has a list of 47 individual chemical parameters of interest, but new requirements will include measuring 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonamide alkylbetaine (FTAB) from January 2025. 
2. Its risk-based three-tier system for detecting PFAS will also be applied to any PFAS chemicals detected in raw and final water where it is not treated.
3. Water companies will also be required to inform the DWI if they detect any PFAS chemicals that are not listed or identified at concentrations less than 0.01 micrograms per litre (µg/l).
4. Guidance which applies to PFOS and PFOA will be expanded to apply to all PFAS chemicals listed in Annex C of the The Water Industry (Suppliers’ Information) Direction 2019 (referred to as the Information Direction).

Currently the Drinking Water Inspectorate requires that drinking waters be regarded as “wholesome”. This means that they must not contain any substance at a level which would constitute a potential danger to human health (as well as meeting the other requirements of the Regulations).

The Environment Act, passed in 2021, incorporates the main tenets of environmental protection into UK law, including the ‘precautionary principle’, the ‘prevention principle’ and the ‘integration principle’ which must consider environmental protection within law making. This is the mechanism the UK can use to impose standards like the levels of PFAS within drinking water.

This swift change in guidance follows hot on the heels of the US when, in April 2024, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced national legally enforceable drinking water standard for six individual PFAS along with a $1B investment to address PFAS in drinking water. This is the first time that drinking water standards have been finalised for a new chemical under the Safe Drinking Water Act since it was updated in 1996.

The EU currently sets environmental limits on PFAS. The Drinking Water Directive limits total PFAS in drinking water to 0.5 µg/l and levels for 20 individual PFAS to 0.1 µg/l.

Wastewater

The behaviour of PFAS in the environment means they tend to pollute groundwater, and this can lead to contaminating the drinking water supply. PFAS leak into the soil, water, and air from sources such as industry, firefighting foams and waste infrastructure. Existing water treatment methods do not remove PFAS due to it being difficult and costly. Because they break down slowly, if at all, they can build up in the environment, leading to the greater likelihood of them passing into drinking water and the food chain.

The Environment Agency (EA) in England  may soon be proposing limits on PFAS discharge levels. It has identified additional monitoring programmes and projects (which started in 2021) to expand its existing evidence base on PFAS, to include:

• Groundwater
• Surface water (fresh and saline)
• Freshwater fish (PFOA and PFOS only)
• Marine fish
• Landfill leachate
• WWTW effluent and sludge (through CIP3)

PFAS are commonly found in influents, effluents, and sludges from wastewater treatment works (WWTW) globally. In the UK, PFOS and PFOA are monitored under the Chemicals Investigations Programme (CIP), now being expanded to include sampling for PFAS in effluent, sewage sludge and groundwater. The 2014 review of the Groundwater Directive (2006/118/EEC) led to a 2015 initiative to identify emerging pollutants, including PFAS, for a voluntary Ground Water Watch List (GWWL). Eleven Member States provided data on PFAS. If sufficient EU-wide data is available, Annex I and/or II of the Directive could be amended to include at least 10 PFAS, with potential future updates to cover all known PFAS.

Conclusion

The widespread use and persistence of PFAS present significant environmental and public health challenges globally. Known as 'forever chemicals' due to their durability and resistance to degradation, PFAS have infiltrated various industries and products, from non-stick coatings to firefighting foams, resulting in inadvertent environmental contamination.

The absence of specific regulatory standards for PFAS in drinking water in England and Wales highlights a critical gap in current legislation, albeit mitigated by the requirement that water remains "wholesome" and free from substances posing potential health risks. In contrast, the United States has taken a proactive stance with the establishment of enforceable drinking water standards for six individual PFAS, accompanied by substantial financial investments for remediation—a significant step forward in safeguarding public health. The EU similarly has taken action and set limits on PFAS in drinking water.

Looking ahead, the UK may follow suit with potential updates to its regulatory framework under the Environment Act 2021, reflecting growing concerns and advancing scientific understanding of PFAS contamination. The Environment Agency's expanded monitoring programs underscore efforts to gather comprehensive data on PFAS presence in groundwater, surface water, and wastewater treatment works, essential for informed regulatory decisions and effective environmental management.

As PFAS continue to pose complex challenges due to their persistence and wide-ranging environmental impacts, international collaboration and robust regulatory frameworks will be crucial in mitigating their spread and protecting both ecosystems and human health from these enduring pollutants.

Read more in our whitepaper here: https://www.adlerandallan.co.uk/knowledge/white-paper/comprehensive-exploration-business-relevant-pollutants

What you might have missed

Across our series – 'Transforming performance of major programmes' – we have explored the investment opportunities in infrastructure and celebrated best-in-class examples of organisations spearheading major programmes while leaving a positive, lasting legacy.

Chapters two and three have since drawn to a close, but if you missed any of the content, you can catch yourself up via the links below.

Investable infrastructure

Delivering sustainable infrastructure: bridging the gap between demand and funding

A new era of global infrastructure investment emerges - one that is focused on overcoming the major challenges we face in modern society.

Creating investable infrastructure: key insights from industry experts

We sat down with industry experts to discuss the incredible power investing in infrastructure has to transform the lives of people around the world.

Lasting legacy

Raising the bar for inclusive infrastructure: insights from global leaders

Our expert panel talked to the importance of being proactive around diversity and inclusion across major programmes. Watch it back!

Interview: how the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is working for a more inclusive future

An interview with the Port Authority of New York and Jersey reveals how its projects and services give the opportunity for all to make their mark.

Interview: how Sydney Metro is championing diversity and inclusion

An interview with Sydney Metro showcases how Australia’s biggest transport project is increasing diversity in its workforce and supply chain.

Interview: how our US team is pushing for enhanced diversity and inclusion

An interview with our Director of Supplier Diversity in the US, celebrates the work we are doing to make our supply network more inclusive.

What's next?
      
We will now turn our attention onto driving commercial performance, and explore whether the industry is ready to meet the high expectations being placed on programmes, when it comes to the impact they can have on communities around the world.

We are delighted to announce that Sharon Darcy, Chair of the Linear Infrastructure Planning Panel (LIPP), will be the keynote speaker at the Water Industry Forum Annual Dinner in Leeds on September 25, 2024. This event also offers a great opportunity to meet our directors and colleagues from across the UK water sector.

Keynote Speaker - Sharon Darcy, Chair, Linear Infrastructure Planning Panel

The Linear Infrastructure Planning Panel is an innovative engagement mechanism which is developing good practice in infrastructure planning. Sharon is also a Non-Executive Director of Portsmouth Water, and Chair of CHEM Trust, a charity which seeks to prevent synthetic chemical pollution, including from PFAS.

Until 2022, Sharon was Chief Executive of think tank Sustainability First where she led multi-party projects on fairness and the public interest in the energy and water sectors. She has previously Chaired the Ofwat Breakthrough innovation panel and been a member of Ofgem’s energy innovation panels, the National Infrastructure Commission’s climate resilience panel for National infrastructure Assessment 2 and the UK Regulators’ Network Expert Panel. An ex-Council member of Which? Sharon has over 20 years board experience in not-for-profit organisations. She began her career working on value for money studies in the privatisation and regulation department of the National Audit Office.

Date: Wednesday, 25 September 2024

Time: 19.00 - 22.30

Location: Leeds

Register here.

We are delighted to present our next British Water Thought Leadership+ interview with David Black, Chief Executive, Ofwat - the economic regulator for water across England and Wales.

Following the publication of the draft determinations on 11 July, David discusses the key takeaways that Ofwat would like the industry to focus on. He also shares his views on areas for the sector to address and opportunities for greater collaboration to safeguard our environment and deliver for customers.

‘We've set out the biggest ever investment package in the water sector, a 300% increase in investment that will enable and drive action on contentious issues such as sewage discharges, but also in terms of securing the nation's future water supplies.’ - David Black, Chief Executive, Ofwat

Hosted by British Water's Chair, Dr Mark Fletcher FREng, Thought Leadership+ focuses on expanding our understanding of key challenges to help shape the future of the industry. Mark will be speaking to a range of key influencers in the water industry as part of British Water's commitment to create a common, sector purpose.

Watch now here.

We are looking for a Technical Officer to work collaboratively with British Water’s Head of Forums, the Assistant Technical Officer, members and key partners to deliver the activities and events of the UK, Technical and International Forums.

About British Water:

British Water is a dynamic trade association with a varied membership of companies covering all sectors of the water and wastewater industry. Our member's design, build, operate, maintain and provide critical solutions, technologies and research for water and wastewater assets at home and internationally. We work to bring a leading and coherent voice on behalf of the supply chain and ensure our members have access to the information and contacts they need to enhance their business. We do this by representing our members’ interests to key stakeholders, connecting them to contacts to raise their profile and grow their business, and promoting best practice in the water and wastewater industry.

Reporting To:

The Head of Forums

Responsible for:

• Running 4 Technical Forum focus groups - Innovation, Data & Analytics, Sustainable Water Management, Micropollutants, and the UK Forum’s Asset Management Focus Group supported by the Assistant Technical Officer
• Establishing and building relationships with existing and new key stakeholders to identify opportunities to raise British Water’s profile and develop engagement plans.
• Project managing the organization and delivery of the Annual British Water International Reception 
• Assisting in the tracking of public consultations, legislation, and policy updates related to UK, Technical and International opportunities
• Assisting in the delivery of other British Water meetings as and when required
• Sit on BSI and other technical and/or standards committees representing British Water
• Assisting, strengthening and increasing the delivery of UK and International engagement opportunities for British Water members
• Helping to identify opportunities for cross-sector and cross-forum collaboration
• Supporting the development of British Water services

Main Tasks Of Job:

• Responsible for organising the delivery of Forum services incorporating global best practice and expertise
• Coordinating and supporting programme initiatives and partnerships: event partnerships, blogs, etc. which help share best practice, foster collaboration and support our members business development plans
• Assist with the organisation of Technical Forum conferences
• Respond to enquiries and ensure the focus remains on British Water’s priority areas
• Oversee the maintenance of the forum database
• Follow up and document activities in which British Water is engaged: e.g. the memorandums of understanding and contra-deals
• Helping to represent the UK at International trade shows
• Support UK, Technical and International initiatives, events and meetings including:
  
  • Arranging meetings, registration and distribution of agendas/papers etc.
    
  • Following up with attendees and implementing actions as required after meetings
    
  • Carry out administrative duties when required
    
  • Coordinate activities with other British Water colleagues
    
  • Assist in the communication (social media, email, press release, etc.) of the work of the International Forum in collaboration with British Water’s marketing team

The above job description contains the main duties and responsibilities for this position. However, in a relatively small organisation as British Water, staff members are expected to show flexibility in their approach to work and be willing to undertake other tasks that are reasonably allocated to them, but which are not part of their regular job description. Where any task becomes a regular part of an employee’s responsibility, the job description shall be revised in consultation with the employee and their direct line manager.

Required Skills, Qualifications & Experience 

Skills & Knowledge:

• Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills, both verbally and in writing in English
• Professional knowledge of and interest in the water, wastewater and environment sector
• Highly organised and methodical, with strong project management and time management skills
• Ability to work to deadlines and under pressure, multi-task, and demonstrate flexibility
• Skilled or able to demonstrate the ability to build stakeholder engagement and build relationships, with an understanding of or interest in multi-cultural economies and international markets

About You:

• Aligned with British Water’s values - Collaborative, Authentic, Trusted and Approachable 
• Self-starter, action-oriented, and results-driven 
• Committed to professionalism and delivering high-quality work 
• Proficient in building and maintaining good working relationships and fostering collaboration 
• Effective in or able to build influencing and negotiating skills, contributing to successful programmes and partnerships
  

Qualifications & Experiences:

• A degree in a relevant area (e.g. water/environment/civil engineering) and/or a minimum of three years water and wastewater sector experience. A master’s degree is desirable 
• Adept in the use of MS Office, particularly Excel and Word
• Ability to work across various digital and communications platforms (Teams, ZOOM) 
• Language: English (Fully Professional). A second language is desirable
  

Candidates Must Be:

• Eligible to work in the UK full-time 
• Able to work from home full-time 
• Able to travel to UK based meetings and events overseas as and when necessary

This is a full-time (35 hours), permanent position.  

Salary range £30,000 - £35,000 depending on experience and qualifications. 

To apply for this role, forward a cover letter explaining why you are suitable for the role (no longer than 1 page) and a CV to Hannah Martin at hannah.martin@britishwater.co.uk. 

The deadline for applications is 12.00pm, Wednesday 14 August 2024. Candidates must be available to attend an online interview on either the afternoon of 21st or 22nd August 2024. 

British Water is an Equal Opportunities Employer and is committed to having an inclusive workforce.

Have you spent substantial experience living and/or working in any of the key global water markets that British Water operates in? Then you could be the perfect fit to become a BW International Business Mentor (IBM) for any of the following regional/country water markets:

North America (1),

Latin America (1),

The Caribbean (1),

Sout East Asia (1),

The Middle East (1),

Francophone Africa (1),

Anglophone Africa (1),

Europe (1),

China (1),

India (1),

Oceania (1).


By becoming an IBM, you will play a pivotal role in enabling BW to continue to engage with, and call upon the expertise of global water players, entities, and organisations to help boost the export of British Water member expertise, products and services. 

You can read more about the previous mentors here.

For BW members only.

Please find the Terms of Reference for information on the role and responsibilities of the International Business Mentor (IBM).

Submit your application here by 6 September. 

We are excited to announce Victaulic as our new UK Forum sponsor for 2024-2025 and we look forward to work closely with them to develop opportunities for enhancing our members’ success.

“Victaulic is proud to sponsor the British Water UK Forum, supporting industry innovation and collaboration to address challenges in water management and infrastructure. By sponsoring the forum, we are reinforcing our commitment to advancing sustainable and efficient water solutions in the UK.”, Stuart Rothery, Vice President - Water & Infrastructure, Victaulic


➡️‘Victaulic is a global leading producer of mechanical pipe joining, flow control & fire protection solutions for the most complex piping applications.’


➡️The UK Forum supports members who are interested in the UK municipal, retail, and industrial markets and identifies potential areas of business growth. 

Following Ofwat's £88bn Draft Determinations, British Water is seeking the following:

• An embedded culture of collaboration
• Visibility of programmes
• A balanced work profile over the whole 5 years
• Sufficient availability of resources 
• Contract terms that do not pass down onerous risks to the supply chain
• Standardisation of solutions across water companies and  
• The faster adoption of Innovation

"British Water and its members stand ready to be a vital partner in these discussions and to contributing to positive change across the industry."

British Water will be reviewing the Draft Determinations and will be providing a substantive response in due course.
 
Ofwat has today proposed allowing a spending package of £88bn by water companies.
£35bn of the expenditure reflects the investment needed to reduce pollution, improve customer service, river and bathing water quality, and deliver greater resilience to the impact of climate change. This is more than a trebling of the level of investment in the 2020 to 2025 period.
The total expenditure proposed is £16bn lower than in companies’ business plans. This reflects Ofwat’s analysis of those plans, removing or reducing costs where expenditure is insufficiently justified, inefficient or for activity for which companies have already been funded; customers will not pay twice.
 
Ofwat has signaled that Thames Water will go into special measures with the appointment of an independent monitor in a new oversight regime.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate annual report Drinking Water 2023 provides an overview of the quality of public and private water supplies in England and Wales.

The reports cover England and Wales and summarise the testing and results of water quality tests, events and technical audit activity.

https://dwi-content.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/09111859/E03067866_DWI-Public-water-supplies-in-England-2023_Accessible.pdf

The collaborative PumpInsight project was a finalist in the Asset Management Initiative of the Year category at the ceremony, which took place in Birmingham, UK, on 4 July 2024, and celebrates best practice in the industry.

PumpInsight is a monitoring platform that uses artificial intelligence (AI), including machine learning, to support predictive maintenance of wastewater pumping stations.

Anglian Water, like all water companies, faces significant challenges with reducing pollution events. Wastewater pumping stations are a major contributor to pollution and flooding, but previously their maintenance was time-based or reactive.

Working with Ovarro, Anglian Water sought to use existing data in new ways to transition to a more proactive, data-driven maintenance strategy to enhance pump performance, proactively reduce pump failures and blockages, minimise discharges from combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and ultimately reduce the risk of pollution events.  

PumpInsight analyses fill times of wet wells before and after a pump run, normalising and comparing datasets. This method, allows for a unique evaluation of pump performance, going beyond traditional practices.

Its ability to flag discrepancies enables end-users to pinpoint issues like blocked pumps, non-return valve problems, impeller wear, control issues or failing pumps. The data is presented through a combination of system alerts and data visualisation, facilitating easy identification of reduced pump performance or prolonged running periods.

Following a successful trial, more than 18,000 assets are now monitored by Anglian Water, facilitating a shift from reactive and time-based maintenance, to proactive. PumpInsight data has notably helped to reduce pump replacements from 10% to 2%, with teams now focussing on in situ repairs such as impeller adjustments, over outright pump replacements. This shift signifies a more cost-effective and sustainable approach to asset maintenance.

In addition, a first-time fix rate of 95% means that operational and maintenance teams are successfully addressing issues on the initial visit. These early outcomes highlight the tangible advantages of adopting PumpInsight in terms of cost savings, operational efficiency, and environmental impact mitigation.

Tom Rust, technology development manager, Anglian Water, said: “It’s an honour for the collaborative PumpInsight project to be selected as a finalist at the Water Industry Awards 2024.

“Anglian Water's expertise in asset behaviour was combined with Ovarro's AI algorithm expertise to transform existing data into actionable insights. This iterative process, from concept to trial and now widespread implementation, demonstrates the successful deployment of technology and collaborative efforts in revolutionising pump station monitoring at Anglian Water.

“The PumpInsight system has already demonstrated significant benefits, particularly in fostering a proactive approach among operational and maintenance teams. The initiative represents a comprehensive, forward-thinking approach to water management and environmental sustainability.

“Furthermore, the initiative aligns with Anglian Water's commitment to carbon neutrality and the company's Get River Positive commitment.”

Gavin Russell, regional sales manager, Ovarro said: “The development of PumpInsight stemmed from the existing relationship between Ovarro and Anglian Water. 

“Recognising the potential of leveraging existing telemetry data from pumping stations in a novel manner, the goal was to repurpose data to gain insights into asset performance. The anticipated outcomes include a reduction in pump failures/blockages, CSO spills and flooding/pollution events. 

“PumpInsight's ability to optimise asset performance using existing data is a gamechanger for improving environmental performance and meeting regulatory requirements.

“As the initiative gains traction, its application may extend beyond the water sector, potentially influencing other industries seeking efficient and data-driven solutions for infrastructure optimisation and environmental sustainability.

“We are proud that this collaborative project was recognised as one of the best asset management initiatives of 2024 by the Water Industry Awards."

For more information please visit www.Ovarro.com

Thames Water has warned shareholders that it only has enough money to fund operations for the next 11 months following the decision by shareholders not to commit new equity in March 2024.

The Times reported this morning that Thames has published full-year results which showed that statutory net debt rose to £15.24 billion in the year to March 31, a year-on-year increase of £1.28 billion. Net debt used to calculate its covenants rose to £16 billion. Thames said its efforts to raise new equity to ensure its survival continued but there would be no conclusion until the regulator made a final decision on how much it could raise bills for the next five years. The water company, Britain’s largest, swung back into the black, reporting underlying profit of £140 million for the period, having reported a loss of £132.3 million last year.

Chris Weston, CEO of Thames Water, said: “The challenges we face are well documented, but our operational and financial performance for the last year show good progress, and these positive results provide the right foundations on which to build and improve.”

‘Next level’ after sales service through QR code asset tracking

Gone are the days of manual tracking and guesswork. With the new QR code asset tracking software, facility managers can now remotely monitor the status and condition of each toilet in real-time and promptly schedule a maintenance call out the minute they are made aware of a breakdown or maintenance issue, using the Propelair Connect mobile app. This innovation maximizes operational efficiency and convenience and allows savings to be measured with precision, on an ongoing basis.  

Resource management and tracking at its best

Efficient resource management is crucial!  By simply downloading and logging on to the Propelair Connect App, facility managers can log faults and schedule a maintenance call out instantly, utilising a user-friendly interface.  Alert notifications keep managers on top of maintenance needs, cleanliness concerns or unit warrantee expiry dates whilst a full asset history log keeps all data in one shared platform, accessible to all relevant parties.  A comprehensive, customised report ensures that that valuable information is just a click away.  This invaluable data enables timely interventions, minimizing downtime and maximising customer satisfaction.

A Propelair technician is a ‘push of a button away’

Propelair has further enhanced customer convenience by bringing its maintenance process in-house. Our expertly trained team can respond to a facility manager’s app notifications instantly whilst the facility manager can view the maintenance log, call out frequency, response times, repair details and cost, all within one platform. The automated system also handles instant invoicing, eliminating the need for manual invoice processing. Additionally, in-app vendor and client registrations contribute to a paperless system, helping us and our customers optimize environmental efforts.

This system not only streamlines operations but also offers competitive plumbing rates and wholesale prices for repair parts, providing a cost-effective solution compared to traditional plumbing services. With a national presence in each operating territory, our quick call out response times ensure minimal disruption to your facility, allowing it to resume normal operations without significant inconvenience.

ESG impact

This innovative solution comes at a time when efficient resource management and ESG reporting is crucial for both public and private sectors. Offering an accurate water savings measurement, this technology conveniently aligns resource management with ESG goal tracking, ensuring that the impact of sustainability efforts is effectively documented and reported for transparency and continuous improvement.  Propelair is committed to driving positive change through technology, and the asset tracking software is a prime example of this dedication.

• European Wastewater Management Conference, in Manchester, UK, on 2-3 July 2024.

• ALT-P conference hosted by United Utilities at Haweswater Conference Centre, Lingley Mere, Warrington, on 17 September 2024.

Spring will also host a project knowledge showcase event and three surgery sessions, as part of its best practice knowledge-sharing initiative. More details will be released soon.

Lisa Mansell, chief engineer (innovation and carbon) at United Utilities, said: “Through the ALT-P project, we aim to determine what can be achieved using alternative approaches and the climate benefits these could deliver for the water sector. 

“The project is really opening up new opportunities and we are now understanding, in more detail, what is required from us as water companies to incorporate these processes and move away from our fossil fuel-based standard solutions.”

Phosphorus can enter watercourses from various sources, including wastewater treatment works, agricultural land and urban run-off. High levels are damaging to water environments, promoting excessive algal growth and depriving fish and other aquatic animals of oxygen. 

In England, excess phosphorous remains the top reason for water bodies failing to achieve ‘good’ ecological status, and water companies are working to achieve ever-tightening targets for its removal from wastewater. 

Chloe Tooth, knowledge and communications manager at Spring said: “Spring is delighted to be the knowledge-sharing partner on this collaborative project to find alternative approaches to phosphorus removal at rural wastewater treatment works.

“We are extremely proud of how our knowledge transfer service is helping to disseminate knowledge from these innovation projects and accelerate learning across the sector.”

Interactive IWM Workshop Scoops Award

British Water announces winners from the fourth annual Water Industry Forum Team Challenge, a competition bringing together young water professionals to form multi-stakeholder teams to work on a key sector challenge.

Organised by the Water Industry Forum (WIF) which operates as a neutral and independent subsidiary of British Water, the theme for this year’s challenge was ‘The importance of Integrated Water Management (IWM) for the UK’s future water resilience’. Teams were asked to identify and pitch ideas to convey the importance of IWM to stakeholders.

Nineteen organisations took part in the competition. The winning team comprised George Chandler (Skanska UK), Katrina Cullen (United Utilities), Charlotte Huntley (Aqua Consultants) and Ben Nicholson (RSE).

The team survey of utility workers revealed a limited understanding of Integrated Water Management (IWM) and its advantages across different sectors. In response, the team created an interactive workshop to raise awareness of IWM and delivered this to different audiences. This interactive workshop aimed to improve awareness of IWM's benefits.

“IWM moves away from piecemeal solutions towards a holistic approach to water challenges, promoting responsible use, conservation and resilience for a sustainable future,” said competition judge Louise Elliot, strategy & business growth director for the UK water business, WSP. 

“The winning submission demonstrated that before we start to solve the problem of integrated water management, we need to get back to basics and understand it. The winning team’s solution was actionable, achievable and rooted in sound research. Although it was focused on training water sector workers on IWM, it was also adaptable for different audiences.”

The entry also won most innovative presentation due to the use of interactive elements, and dynamic presentation skills.

In addition to a cash prize, the winning team receives lunch with the WIF board, gaining valuable insights from industry leaders and a mentoring session with a WIF board director. The team will also be seated at the prestigious winners' table at the WIF Annual Dinner in September and have the chance to share their experience and inspire others with a speaking opportunity at next year's WIF team challenge event.

In second place was Claudia Frate (Skanska UK), Scott McKirdy (MWH Treatment), Harri Moncrieffe (Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water) and Tom Webber (Mott MacDonald) with a Water Footprint initiative that would measure the total volume of fresh water used to produce an infrastructure project - including water used in every stage of the production chain. The scheme would then provide a tiered Water Footprint accreditation aligned with the level of uptake of integrated water management solutions and techniques.

In third place, Mark-Anthony Hanrahan (Galliford Try), Imogen Chastell (Affinity Water), Georgia Clews (Ofwat) and George Parsons (WSP UK) created a multi-generational communications campaign to increase awareness of the importance of integrated water management and encourage positive behaviour change through targeted communications to key demographics. The judges praised the team's “logical approach” to engagement and the importance of clear, imaginative, targeted messaging.

“The Team Challenges plays a critical role in supporting the next, and possibly the most crucial, generation of water professionals,” explained Tony Conway, WIF chair.

“Taking part in the challenge offers some of our industry's passionate and talented people the chance to build skills in communication and collaboration and enhance their understanding of the perspectives and needs of other stakeholders in the sector.”

Nominations for next year’s Team Challenge will open in January 2025. For more information on the Water Industry Forum's upcoming events and competitions, please visit https://www.britishwater.co.uk/page/WaterIndustryForum 

EPS Water UK has been working with Nuove Energie as a tertiary solids filter supplier for over a decade and the two companies are now joining forces to enhance their joint technical and commercial offering to customers and clients in the UK and Ireland. The arrangement will bring the innovative Ultrascreen® disc filter technology to the forefront of the UK and Irish markets, as well as promoting the Biostrainer® MBR screen and the Conoscreen® industrial filter system.

Joining forces has already proven to be a winning combination for the companies as Nuove Energie’s Managing Director, Gianmaria Massignani explains. “With operations in the USA and worldwide, we have been extending our reach in the UK in recent years and this joint venture is just the latest step in that direction. We have recently delivered Ultrascreen® solutions to two NAV-operated plants, and the technology was also selected by Thames Water for their current Tertiary Solids Removal Framework”. 

“With 13 years’ experience installing and operating Nuove Energie’s Ultrascreen® solution at wastewater treatment plants, we can stand by the efficiency, effectiveness and quality as a tertiary treatment solution”, says EPS Water UK’s General Manager Shaun Stevens. “Our combined experience, teamwork and understanding of the market led to the successful Thames Water framework win, something we hope to replicate in the coming years as we provide an even higher level of service to our UK clients and frameworks as we move towards higher demand levels and tighter consents in AMP8”.

Meanwhile, EPS renewed its partnership with Salsnes Filter at the recent IFAT Exhibition in Munich, and now exclusively offers Salsnes Filter’s primary belt filter product to the UK and Irish municipal markets.

The technology has traditionally been used as an alternative to a primary settlement tank, especially on sites where footprint is at a premium or where budgets do not extend to full tank construction. It is also used for ‘peak lopping’ applications, providing short-term primary treatment capacity under peak flow conditions. More recently, the products have been successfully used for the treatment of storm overflows, removing solids and organic matter from excess flows arising from network CSOs and treatment plant storm tanks.

“The agreement between EPS Group and Salsnes Filter is both logical and very exciting”, according to Salsnes Filter’s CEO, Johan Sellaeg. “We are two companies that share a great commitment to wastewater treatment, and the values and the way we work fit together very well. In EPS we have partnered with a highly competent and dedicated organization with ability to support customers with advanced and innovative solutions.”

“Salsnes Filter has a perfect fit within our extensive product portfolio,” says EPS’s UK Technical Manager, Alan Ford. “Alongside our market-leading offering scraper bridges, it gives us a complete solution toolkit for primary and stormwater treatment applications. This arrangement ensures we can deliver Salsnes Filter products more effectively for our customers and provides the integration, commissioning and aftermarket support services that our customers are demanding.”

Established in County Cork, Ireland in 1968, EPS Group has grown from a modest electrical and pumping services business into an innovative, internationally exporting product and service provider, focused upon the water, wastewater and clean technology sectors. It employs over 630 people and has regional bases and subsidiaries spread across the UK and Ireland.

Following this milestone, they have received further positive news. One key commitment under Ofwat’s funding rules is to share their learnings and transfer knowledge across the industry and beyond.

Lina Nieto, Water Net Zero Manager at Affinity water said:

“We are pleased to see our project results and insights being considered and adopted across the industry and at a national level. Through innovation, we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in demand management.”

Sustainable Growth and Environmental Protection

The Affinity Water innovation project is focused on enabling sustainable growth and protecting the environment. They recognise the critical importance of demand management and, by being data-driven, they can demonstrate the effectiveness of their interventions.

Two-Pronged Approach to Water Neutrality

Affinity Water achieved this success through a two-pronged approach:
• Reducing consumption in existing non-household or business sites via Water Efficiency Audits.
• Reducing consumption on new housing sites through Behaviour Change and technology.

Building a Sustainable Future

The learnings from their Bidwell site have informed the next steps to develop a sustainable, long-term solution: the creation of a “Water Trading framework.” This framework would allow households and non-household customers to trade their water savings with housing developers or businesses seeking high Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards.

Affinity Water are dedicated to continuing collaborating across the industry to share their insights from Project Zero, helping to shape a national framework.

Supporting Government Commitments

The government’s Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) includes a commitment to develop Water Positive guidance for housing developers and local authorities. Recent announcements regarding Cambridge’s evidence collection efforts confirm progress towards this goal.

Through Project Zero, Affinity Water have the opportunity to support the government in delivering this commitment by sharing our experiences from creating the first Water Positive housing development in the UK. While there is still much work to ensure the sustainability of these interventions, they could form the foundation for a national rollout.

Future Opportunities in Water Management

The Water Positive development at Bidwell showcases what can be achieved through behavioural change campaigns and the use of water-saving devices. 
These steps below show just how it works:

But the question remains: how can Affinity Water make this sustainable and scalable?

Project Zero is making significant strides towards creating a water trading framework, encouraging households and businesses to trade their water savings and reduce consumption. 

It’s exciting to see this concept featured in the Government’s announcement under the name of a ‘water credits system,’ potentially opening new opportunities for water companies.

Legislative Changes to Foster Innovation

One of the current regulatory barriers to further success is the restriction preventing water companies from managing water reuse systems. However, recent announcements suggest changes are forthcoming, with a legislative consultation to allow water companies to own and manage both potable and non-potable water mains.

Pioneering the Future of Water Management

Affinity Water are incredibly proud of their pioneering work in water positive developments. While there is still plenty to do, they have expressed their excitement in continuing to share their learnings with the industry and contributing to a sustainable future for water management.

For more information about our projects and initiatives, please visit our website.

As part of the framework Jet Aire Services will deliver CCTV, jetting, and remediation services to tackle issues such as blocked drains, flooding, surcharging, pollution, infiltration, and exfiltration across the Northumbrian Water Group area from Sunderland, Newcastle up and across to the Scottish and Cumbrian borders.

A team of around 50 drainage experts will deliver the framework from Jet Aire Services newly opened depot at Hebburn in Newcastle. The contract began on 1st May 2024 and runs until 30th June 2025.

Darren Pavan, Managing Director, Jet Aire Services, said: “We are delighted to announce this contract with Esh Construction. We are looking forward to co-developing innovative solutions, such as CIPP lining, to enhance capacity, extend asset lifespan and reduce capital overheads across the Northumbrian Water Group network.

“Jet Aire Services is part of the Adler and Allan Group, a national environmental services business which means we can deliver more services and pool resources from a national base of over 30 depots. We are a large company but not large corporate – we care about the local community. We help customers raise the bar on health and safety through our transparency and diligence.”

Jet Aire services enhances drainage infrastructure to prevent pollution by helping clients to understand their network, improve capacity and extend lifespan.

David Pratt, Divisional Director at Esh Construction, added: “Esh’s supply chain plays a vital role in our successful delivery and we are passionate about developing long-term relationships that all parties can rely on to ensure mutual success. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Jet Aire and working collaboratively to enhance our service to Northumbrian Water Group.”

Learn more here.

Staff from various departments at filter maker Amazon Filters were in Farnborough to revitalise a patch of ground at Guillemont Junior School which will become part of a sensory garden designed to support children living with autism. 

Colleagues also carried out a day’s grounds maintenance at Reg’s Garden, a community space by the Farnborough North railway station.

The days marked the latest volunteering opportunities co-ordinated through Amazon Filters’ HR team and volunteering partner CMPP, the Community Matters Partnership Project.

Two of Amazon Filters’ welders spoke of their satisfaction in helping at Guillemont Juniors.  

Dariusz Geron said: “I really enjoyed the day and would love to do another one in future. It was great working as a team and seeing the change that we were making. It just made you want to work even harder.” 

Dan Wenderlish said: “It was a really great day, making a difference to the children by helping create their sensory garden. It was also great working with different people from the business who I had never met before.”

There were similar sentiments expressed by those at Reg’s Garden.   

Dan O’Sullivan, Housing Production Manager, said: “The garden relies on volunteers to maintain and carry out essential upkeep. It’s a sanctuary for many people, offering a chance for students and locals alike to enjoy outside space, socialise and be together. 

“The volunteering was such a rewarding experience, all of us local and giving back to our community. Thank you to Amazon Filters for giving us this opportunity to contribute and put a smile on many people’s faces.”

Chris Lambert, Senior Welder/Fabricator, said: “It was a really good productive day with a great bunch of lads.”
Frimley-based Amazon Filters has been a business partner of CMPP for the past two years, providing 275 hours of hands-on voluntary work at different locations in 2023. 

They include the respite centre Frimhurst House, the Challengers play centre for disabled children in Guildford and the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice in Farnborough. 

The firm aims to do even more this year, making 2024 a record year for company volunteering. 
Ruth Pappadakis, Head of People and Culture, who leads on the engagement with CMPP, said the work at Guillemont Juniors had particular significance for her. 

She said: “I absolutely love our volunteer days but this one felt a little more special as it was at my son’s school. 

“Working with the team really made the day, and seeing the impact of what we achieved as well as the look on the children’s faces was amazing. 

“Some of the children were brought out with a couple of the teachers and they commented on how nice the space was looking.

“I have also since heard from a couple of the parents who have said what a difference it makes.” 

Founded in 1985, Amazon Filters is a manufacturer and supplier of filtration products that underpin essential processes around the world including municipal water treatment. 

Working with Northumbrian Water Group, the University of Sheffield, as well as a number of other universities, WASC’s and suppliers, this project aims to find a way to proactively detect build-ups before they become a blockage, eradicating spills and sewer flooding and its devastating impact on customers. 

The innovative technology will see a truly autonomous pipebot that will live in the sewer for 30 days at a stretch, patrolling to understand the network and detect blockage build-up, alerting maintenance teams.

There are over 40,000 incidents of internal and external sewer flooding in the UK every year which cause devastating damage to customers properties. A significant proportion of these are because of blockages in sewer pipes.

Dean Blackburn, North East Area Manager, Jet Aire said: “Current approaches using smart networks are reactive, based on detecting rising water levels in sewers to estimate where blockages might be. However, it is often too late to allow maintenance teams to locate and clear the blockage before flooding occurs. Pipebot makes this process proactive. We are very excited to be supporting this project which could be the first step in delivering the world’s first blockage clearing pipebots.”

Helen Campbell, Senior Director, Ofwat said: “There are big challenges in the water industry that must be solved, some are well known and others are less so. In our fourth Water Breakthrough Challenge we called for solutions with potential to deliver wide-scale, transformational change for customers, society and the environment – and that’s exactly what today’s winners have done. From raingardens to prevent flooding to green energy from treated sewage, innovations to cut the water sector’s carbon footprint to robots that patrol the pipe network, the winners are all helping shape a more sustainable and efficient water sector.” 

The Water Breakthrough Challenge is part of a series of competitions from Ofwat, run by Challenge Works with Arup and Isle Utilities, designed to drive innovation and collaboration in the sector to benefit individuals, society and the environment.  

It supports initiatives that help to tackle the biggest challenges facing the water sector, such as achieving net zero, protecting natural ecosystems and reducing leakage, as well as delivering value to society. 

For more information, please click here.

The partnership between WCS Environmental Engineering (WCSEE) and Juliots Well Lodge Retreat has set a precedent for ongoing design and energy-saving standards on the wastewater treatment specialist’s HiPAF - high-performance aeration filter - system.  

Energy costs 

The HiPAF packaged wastewater treatment system was installed at Juliots Well Lodge Retreat in Camelford, North Cornwall, in 2019 to custom design specifications and environmental consents. This included a stringent Environment Agency effluent discharge permit for biological oxygen demand, suspended solids, and ammonia.  

The plant is sized for a population equivalent of 1,230 and consistently processes loads up to 181m3/day wastewater. While the HiPAF operation was highly effective throughout the year, retreat park managers found that rising energy prices meant bills were higher than expected, especially during the peak demand periods of summer and weekends. 

Air blowers are an integral part of the HiPAF system, providing oxygen to the bacteria during the aerobic process. However, without timers installed, blowers typically operate 24/7, which can account for more than 90% of the energy used in a HiPAF. 

While energy efficiency has always been a key design focus of the HiPAF system, the engineering team at WCSEE took the opportunity to work closely with Juliots Well to identify ways to further reduce energy consumption. This included gathering and analysing data to assess how seasonal variability affects wastewater flow rates into the HiPAF and how dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in the aerobic digestion tank affect the need for blower operation. 

Analysis of the data helped in understanding how cost-effective timers placed on the blowers could be used to reduce energy consumption and bills. 

Trial period 

Over the two-year trial period, two timers were retrofitted on the HiPAF at Juliots Well, one on each blower alternating each week to ensure even wear. It is possible to start and stop the blowers up to ten times per hour, so the WCSEE team started with 15 minutes on-off intervals as a baseline.  

When the blowers were off, DO levels in the aerobic digestion tank were measured to ensure that 5-6mg of DO per litre of effluent were maintained as a minimum level, as is required for efficient treatment and operation of the HiPAF. 

By incrementally tweaking and extending the timers, it was possible to identify the optimal time period for the blowers to be off, while remaining within the DO limits.   

By the end of the trial, it was confirmed that Juliots Well can now safely operate the HiPAF blowers at intervals of 10-minutes-on and 20-minutes-off to maintain minimum DO limits. This optimised solution has led to considerable energy savings while fully meeting the requirements of the Environment Agency discharge consent. 

Rick Ackroyd, general manager at Juliots Well Lodge Retreat said, “With energy costs rising steeply, we were looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint and energy use across the site.  WCSEE has been a dedicated partner in helping with that goal.  

“We value their patience and determination in helping us find an effective solution, ensuring we have a robust and efficient wastewater treatment system with the lowest possible energy consumption, especially during peak periods.” 

Setting a precedent 

High energy prices and net zero carbon commitments mean energy-efficient wastewater treatment is an increasing concern for owners and operators of packaged systems. To meet rising expectations, blower timers pre-set to 15-minute intervals are now fitted to all WCSEE HiPAF wastewater treatment systems as standard, ensuring the most cost-effective, energy-efficient system possible, and forming part of WCSEE’s standard control philosophy. 

The company’s experienced technicians can work closely with clients post-installation to further enhance the HiPAFs functionality, with timers already delivering efficiencies on multiple sites. 

WCSEE technical director, Andrew Baird, said, “By working in close collaboration with Juliots Well Lodge Retreat, we have been able to deliver the best value whole-life cost for the client as well as improving the design and operation of the HiPAF wastewater treatment plant.  

“Given the rising cost of energy, and governments’ net zero ambitions, we look forward to working with our existing and future clients to rollout this energy-saving enhancement to our highly effective biological treatment technology.” 

Anglian Water pledges in its 2025-2030 draft business plan to eliminate serious pollution and reduce total number of pollution incidents by 40%, with a strategy that includes bringing in machine learning. 

In spring 2022, Anglian Water became the first utility to adopt BurstDetect, Ovarro’s artificial intelligence (AI) led system that uses machine learning to detect rising main sewer bursts before pollution occurs. Following this, the utility purchased BlockageDetect which analyses data from the same assets to alert to sewer blockages.

In February 2024, it adopted PumpInsight, a secondary component platform that uses AI, including machine learning, to monitor telemetered pumping stations and detect performance issues to support predictive pump maintenance. 

Anglian Water and Ovarro’s PumpInsight project has been shortlisted in the asset management initiative of the year category at the Water Industry Awards 2024, taking place on 4 July in Birmingham. 

Preventative decision-making

Water companies in England and Wales will rollout a major investment programme in 2025-30, with ambitious plans to cut sewage spills and pollution. There will be a particular focus on reducing rising main sewer bursts. 

Rising mains are pressurised pipes that carry wastewater from pumping stations to treatment works. They are high-risk, critical assets - if they burst, large volumes of high-pressure wastewater can spill into the environment quickly, risking significant ecological damage.

Technical and logistical limitations in monitoring have meant that utilities have often been alerted to bursts and leaks by members of the public. This reactive, alarm-led approach means it is often too late for water companies to take early action to limit impact.

Advances in technology mean water companies have already begun the move to proactive network monitoring to reduce pollution events. Their asset management plans for the period 2025-30 - AMP8 - commit to accelerating this transition by implementing new tools, in particular systems that use data to support preventative decision-making.

Anglian Water is the largest water and sewerage company in England and Wales geographically, managing a sewer network of 76,000km, which includes 6,000 rising mains. The company’s 2023-2025 pollution reduction plan reports that in 2022, 9% of pollution incidents were attributed to burst rising mains.  

Unique algorithms

BurstDetect and BlockageDetect are cloud-based platforms that use unique algorithms to detect rising main bursts and blockages. The systems do this by using existing data from wastewater pumping stations, for example, by analysing filling and emptying times of a wet well in relation to the pumps and identifying any deviations from normal behaviour. 

If data suggests a potential burst or blockage, an alert is sent to operators for early response. Data is presented on a dashboard accessed by the Ovarro Atrium platform.

The technology can be applied to nearly all pumping stations – even those with just basic pump status monitoring – and requires no additional hardware, making 100% network coverage possible. The system accepts data at a range of monitoring frequencies with algorithms being applied to understand and characterise ‘normal’ pumping station behaviour.  

In 2022, Ovarro wastewater systems helped Anglian Water detect 50 bursts on rising mains, each time preventing a pollution incident. To date, more than 2,000 alerts have been generated by Ovarro predictive systems with an accuracy rate of around 70%.  In addition, the insights have helped inform a rehabilitation programme of 42 rising main sewers.

The systems are self-learning and as the algorithms continue to improve over time, so will the accuracy of the alerts. 

Pump monitoring 

With the same advanced AI and machine learning capabilities, Ovarro’s PumpInsight platform monitors pump efficiency changes over time, analysing data anomalies and tracking performance trends. By enabling proactive maintenance strategies, PumpInsight significantly reduces the risk of unplanned pump failures and associated environmental pollution incidents.

Paul Louth, head of water recycling networks at Anglian Water, said: “BurstDetect and BlockageDetect have been successful in identifying rising main incidents and there is potential to do more to support our drive to eliminate serious pollution events. 

“The solutions can self-learn with feedback, enabling us to further refine the success rate of the alerts alongside our own learning of how to use the insight. Operationally, we have honed our response to large rising main events and have been able to prevent significant impact, as a result of the processes. We are pleased with the impact this combined work is starting to have. 

“Moving onto PumpInsight, we’ve had brilliant success during a trial of this work that gives us confidence in the approach. Like the algorithms, we are continuously learning how we can best utilise the information produced, and find new applications which will give us greater visibility of the health of our assets. 

“Our focus continues to be the implementation of new smart technologies and integrating these with our business-as-usual approaches in our quest to become preventative rather than reactive. BurstDetect, BlockageDetect and PumpInsight will be a key part of this.”

Gavin Russell, regional manager at Ovarro, said: “Our suite of proactive wastewater solutions - BurstDetect, BlockageDetect and PumpInsight  - was developed in collaboration with UK water companies, in response to the sector’s challenge to cut pollution in a sustainable and cost-effective way.

“We worked closely with Anglian Water on the implementation of the systems and we’re pleased the technology is effectively supporting pollution reduction goals. By adopting our full suite of AI-driven wastewater solutions, Anglian Water proves its commitment to cutting pollution by embracing innovation and machine learning.”

Surrey-based Amazon Filters provides containerised systems and mobile skid rentals to help with planning, emergency response, turbidity control, chlorine reduction and the removal of contaminants and chemicals.

Based on flow rates and projections, its cartridge filtration has seen more than 350 billion litres of water filtered by UK water companies in the past year, ensuring a safe, clean and consistent supply to tens of millions of homes and businesses.

In recent weeks, the 39-year-old firm has highlighted how its ‘quick and able’ manufacturing of process filtration equipment can support customers’ sustainability, compliance and savings on capital expenditure.

In the days after the Devon parasite outbreak, a series of enquiries came in and engineers turned round two confirmed orders for skid rentals in the south of England including one they readied for emergency collection on a Sunday evening. A third order is awaiting confirmation.

At the same time, a rental skid that had been in use and returned for refurbishment was purchased by a water company for permanent deployment.

As well as highlighting the benefits of good quality filtration to the water industry in the UK, experts from Amazon Filters reiterated the message to global customers when they exhibited at IFAT Munich, the world’s largest trade fair for environmental technologies.

On their stand was a specially-shipped ‘plug-and-play’ skid containing three housing vessels and 40 filter cartridges.

It became a major talking point for visitors to the exhibition booth keen to discuss potential applications in times of flood, drought and other emergencies and supply disruptions.

Since the show, held in mid-May, Amazon Filters has received multiple enquiries for cartridge filtration solutions from water companies in Germany and Austria which it is now following up.

Head of Marketing David Ridealgh, who was on the IFAT stand, said: “We’ve seen a marked rise in enquiries and orders since we reiterated our message to water companies here in the UK and elsewhere that we have a range of critical filtration solutions to support them that can go straight into action on site.”

Among products commonly used by water companies is Amazon Filters’ absolute-rated depth filter SupaSpun II.

This is officially approved for use in the UK public water supply under the Drinking Water Inspectorate’s Regulation 31.

A sustainable polypropylene version of SupaSpun II has just been released and in March, after extensive testing, it gained KTW DVGW certification for safety in the gas and water sectors under German regulations by the standards body DVGW.

The various product improvements and certifications comply fully with the recasting of the EU Water Directive (DWD) 98/83/EC and its new rules on cartridge filtration. 

The directive revised down the previous indicator level of turbidity at the tap from <1NTU to <0.3NTU, something Amazon Filters had already achieved. 

For more information on Amazon Filters’ support for the municipal water sector, visit www.amazonfilters.com/water-filtration. 

Women Punching Through Water Sector Glass Ceiling 

British Water chief executive Lila Thompson has cautiously welcomed a rise in the number of women working in the UK water industry. but warns retention is an ongoing issue for the sector.

According to a recent report from Energy & Utility Skills, women now make up 33% of the water workforce. The highest rise in female water workers includes plant, process and machine operatives, which saw a 10% rise; associate professional and technical occupations (11% rise) and skilled trade occupations, where a 4% rise means women now represent 4% of the workforce, having been marginalised historically. 

Meanwhile, women make up the majority of administrative and secretarial occupations in the water sector at 80%, against a UK average of 72%.

Speaking after the trade association’s Women on Water conference, which took place at WSP’s office in Birmingham on 23 May 2024, British Water chief executive Lila Thompson said, “It’s encouraging to see the pace of change quicken, with a significant rise in the number of women working in water after a period of near stagnation."

“The need for diversity of thought and talent is critical – and while the sector is making progress, I am concerned that across utilities, women and those from black and minority ethnic groups are leaving at the same rate they are joining. We therefore all need to understand why some people from underrepresented groups are choosing not to stay and make room to enable the conversations that will bring about action and change."

“British Water’s mission continues to be ‘empowering empowered women’ - to help women see and seek out opportunities that will support them in their careers and personal development. Together we can dismantle obstacles and barriers to increase diversity across the water and wastewater sector.”

Champion boxer and water network optimisation consultant Tanya Dady, director of Dayworth Consulting, was the keynote speaker at Woman on Water.  In her keynote speech, Dady - who has 20 years' experience in the water sector, drew on her experiences representing England as an elite boxer to focus on empowering women across the industry. 

Dady said, "I learned so much from boxing that I have taken into my working life. To other women working in water, my advice is: you must work hard, don't take no for an answer, embrace every chance you get even if you’re afraid, and learn to live with imposter syndrome. You won’t regret it."

In 2018, British Water launched its ongoing Women on Water campaign and in February 2020, set out a series of promises to ensure equality for employees from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds and gender balance in recruitment and appointments to the board. In June 2020, British Water signed the Energy & Utility Skills Inclusion Commitment.

British Water is committed to empowering women in the water industry through initiatives, events, and partnerships to drive growth, promote diversity and advancement, and support career development through providing tools, advice, and support. 

For more information on the Women on Water campaign and upcoming events, please visit: https://www.britishwater.co.uk/page/WomenonWater

The firm’s reminder comes after traces of the waterborne parasite cryptosporidium were found in the public water supply in south Devon, causing illness among some consumers and the need for deliveries of bottled water.   

Amazon Filters provides containerised plug-and-play systems as part of its range of critical filtration solutions for the water industry.

In emergency situations, plug-and-play filtration skids can be offered on a rental basis. 

The mobile units are equipped with multiple housing vessels and filter cartridges which can go straight into action on site. Cartridges validated for cryptosporidium removal are available. 

As well as combating cryptosporidium, Amazon Filters’ solutions help with turbidity control, chlorine reduction and the removal of iron, manganese and other contaminants and chemicals.

Among the Amazon Filters products commonly used in the water industry is SupaSpun II, an absolute-rated depth filter that is on the approved list for use in the public water supply under the Drinking Water Inspectorate’s Regulation 31.

Neil Pizzey, Amazon Filters Managing Director, said: “We have made and supplied filtration solutions to the water industry in the UK and Europe for nearly 40 years.

“Our products and equipment enable water companies to guarantee a consistent, cost-effective level of quality for safety and regulatory compliance.

“This message has only become more prescient with the scrutiny that the water sector is under due to the extreme weather events we’re seeing, whether flooding or drought.

“Sudden, unexpected conditions can easily overwhelm the essential infrastructure behind the water supply.

“Water quality management is all about resilience and strategic planning and what we do is use our ‘quick and able’ manufacturing capability to help companies guarantee a consistent level of quality for safety and regulatory compliance.

“Our aim is to help them safeguard precious water resources right the way through from source to tap.”

Based on flow rates and projections, cartridge filtration from Amazon Filters has seen more than 350 billion litres of water filtered by UK water companies in the past year, ensuring a safe, clean and consistent supply to tens of millions of homes and businesses.

For more information on Amazon Filters’ support for the municipal water sector, visit www.amazonfilters.com/water-filtration. 

The event will be held at Newcastle Racecourse & Conference Centre, alongside our Innovation Festival, between 8th – 11th July 2024.

With Suppliers already enjoying the 100% success rate for funding applications for projects ranging between £20,000 and £20 million per annum in 2022, this year we want the challenge to be even bigger and better. We are on the hunt for your innovative proposals with a 3-year return on investment (ROI), irrespective of the area of the business or impact. It could relate to anything, from office supplies to large scale water supply network management. Innovation, speed and scale is the focus this year!

The event will see businesses pitching for funding in an exciting innovative challenge which takes inspiration from BBC’s hit show Dragon’s Den.
Although our judges are nowhere near as scary as a Dragon, they will be looking for ideas that will support innovations for Northumbrian Water as a business in all areas.

If you’d like to be a part of the Innovation Connect Challenge, all you need to do is submit a proposal to us. Your proposal should include the following:
• an overview of your business (No. of employees, Annual turnover, Geographical locations)
• details of the innovation you are proposing
• details of the funding you are requesting (we are looking for ROI within 3 years)
• if successful, details of people presenting your pitch

While we’d love to see you in person, you can also participate remotely- don't let distance stop you from sharing your great ideas!

Please note: We are looking for genuine innovation and are not seeking general sales pitches. The winner could receive funding directly from NWL for a small-scale proof of concept (PoC), working with NWL to achieve speed of delivery and, if successful, scale of application.

Make sure to send your proposals to responsible procurement @nwl.co.uk and mark your submission in the email subject as ‘Innovation Connect Challenge 2024’ followed by your company name.

The deadline for submissions is Friday 7th June 2024.

Microsoft Sustainability Chief Highlights Link To Water

Moving water into an artificial intelligence (AI) and data-powered future was the theme of a keynote speech from Lewis Richards, Microsoft’s chief sustainability officer for the UK, at British Water’s 2024 Spring Reception.

Speaking at the event hosted at the House of Lords on 27 April, he said: “Why does Microsoft care about water? We are intrinsically linked to water, there is no cloud computing without water, no data centre without water, no PCs without water. 

“The entire world works on the fact we have a very finite resource, so it’s in our collective interest to work as closely together with the industry to make sure we do the right thing.”

As well as speaking about AI trends that will impact the water sector, Richards also talked of the importance of upskilling and digitisation and the need for both sectors to work together to protect resources.
“Our global mission to empower every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more is predicated on us protecting the resources we need to help power the cloud. As we move into an AI-powered future, it is even more important that we work together to protect people and the planet by conserving resources.”

Richards highlighted the importance of skills as technology develops, saying, “We’re in a time of unprecedented change in technology. It is rapidly expanding all around us and we have to be really careful we don’t leave people behind. 
“The skills investment is massive in bringing people along. We have to make sure that as the technology that helps us and guide us evolves, we teach people critical thinking, especially in the world of AI. It is really important that humans keep that critical thinking capacity.”

He went on to talk about digitisation of the water sector ahead of the 2025-2030 asset management plan period (AMP8).
“As we go into AMP8, we cannot behave the same way we’ve always behaved. Every single time we’re building something new, it needs to be digitised and sustainably driven from the get-go, to feed data into enterprise data platforms. If we can’t do that together as a collective, we’re never going to get that en masse benefit, we are always going to be in silos.”

Using the Microsoft Stream open-data platform as a positive example of collaborative progress, Richards said: “We’ve all got the same intent. Everyone wants to work on the same data. The problem is the data, at the moment, is antagonistic between us. 
“As we move forward with this hyperconnectivity element, data sharing is going to be imperative. We’re starting to see that with Stream, and that’s empowering to see.”
Looking forward, Richards said advances in technology mean solutions to some of the sector’s biggest challenges, such as PFAS and microplastic pollution, are within reach. 
“The technology is there now, if we work together. We need the right partnerships between industry, tech, science and government to make those things a reality.”

Over 200 guests attended the spring reception, including member companies, sponsor partners and key industry figures. It was hosted by Lord Wei of Shoreditch, who told attendees:

“It feels like there is a season just around the corner that will be more innovative, more hopeful and more sustainable, with more working together, to give us a water ecosystem for the times ahead. 
“That gives me confidence that we can change the current situation. You are the reformers of today. Be encouraged.”

Now in its 17th year, the British Water Spring Reception is held to help raise the profile of the UK water industry, the supplier community that British Water represents, and address sector challenges. 

Experts from the UK firm will discuss essential products and solutions for the global water industry when they exhibit at IFAT Munich in May.

On their stand will be a specially-shipped containerised skid filtration system, an example of a mobile ‘plug and play’ kit that UK water companies increasingly rent to maintain supply in times of flood, drought and other emergencies.

The skid, which contains three housing vessels and 40 filter cartridges, is set to be a major talking point for visitors to Amazon Filters’ 4.5m by 4.5m exhibition booth. 

They will include representatives from European and worldwide companies and organisations working in municipal water, sewage, waste and raw materials management.

Based on flow rates and projections, cartridge filtration from Amazon Filters has seen more than 350 billion litres of water filtered by UK water companies in the past year, ensuring a safe, clean and consistent supply to tens of millions of homes and businesses.

At the same time, Amazon Filters has just released sustainable polypropylene versions of its flagship SupaSpun II, SupaGard, Contour and VisClear II product ranges.

These are widely used in critical liquid filtration processes in municipal water and other vital industries such as oil and gas, food and beverage, chemicals and coatings, and pharmaceuticals.

Absolute-rated SupaSpun II has long been on the approved list for use in the UK public water supply under the Drinking Water Inspectorate’s Regulation 31.

And in March, after extensive testing, it gained KTW DVGW certification for safety in the gas and water sectors under German regulations by the standards body DVGW.

The various product improvements and certifications comply fully with the recasting of the EU Water Directive (DWD) 98/83/EC and its new rules on cartridge filtration. The directive revised down the previous indicator level of turbidity at the tap from <1NTU to <0.3NTU, something Amazon Filters had already achieved.

As well as turbidity control, Amazon Filters supports the water industry through chlorine reduction and the removal of iron, manganese, cryptosporidium and other contaminants and chemicals.

Amazon Filters’ IFAT exhibitors are Director Jeff Kirby, Marketing Manager David Ridealgh, Senior Sales Engineer Marco Kluge and Manager for Germany Ulrich Bräutigam.

“Our key messages for IFAT this year are around sustainability, compliance and how good quality filtration can save on capital expenditure and be more friendly to the environment,” said Ulrich. “We will explain how our solutions are a viable, cost-effective and sustainable alternative to sandbed filtration, and can be packaged in containerised or skid formats with the option of remote monitoring.

“We will highlight our 39 years of experience in innovating products and solutions for different sectors and how we aim to build on our role as a trusted supplier to the municipal water industry in the UK.

“IFAT gives us a prime opportunity to explain how can export our strengths to more customers both in the EU and around the world.”

Amazon Filters will be at Booth 543 in Hall A1 at IFAT Munich, taking place from 13 to 17 May 2024.

For more about sustainable polypropylene filters, read the blog post at www.amazonfilters.com/blog/sustainable_polypropylene.

Adler & Allan is a leading UK-based environmental risk reduction specialist, supporting organisations in managing, improving, maintaining, and upgrading their critical infrastructure across the entire asset lifecycle. In the last four years the company has more than doubled in size and newly established a water services division dedicated to supporting the UK’s largest water utility companies with services from strategic infrastructure advice, monitoring, data and analytics, frontline operational capability, and environmental consultancy.

As Adler & Allan embarks on its next phase of growth, focused on broadening its service offering to further support clients with a wide range of environmental risk challenges, the partnership with Goldman Sachs will accelerate its growth plans both organically with investment in people, innovation, and technology, and through targeted M&A activity to expand its service offering and geographic footprint. 

Henrik Pedersen, Chief Executive Officer of Adler & Allan, said: “The announcement today is a real endorsement of the critical nature of the services we provide, our dedicated people, and the growth potential in the environmental services market we operate in. I’m deeply excited to partner with the Goldman Sachs team who share our vision on the next phase of growth, enabling us to continue to support our customers to overcome their biggest environmental challenges of the 21st century.”

Jose Barreto and Mihir Lal from the Private Equity business at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, commented: “Adler & Allan has a 100-year heritage in supporting operators of critical infrastructure assets with their most complex environmental challenges including pollution, climate change, sustainability and preventing environmental harm. We have been impressed with their leading reputation for high service quality, deep technical expertise, and the breadth of service offering. We are delighted to partner with the Adler & Allan team and look forward to accelerating the company’s growth trajectory both organically, and through a targeted acquisition strategy both in the UK and overseas with a continued focus on sustainability, climate transition, and water.”

The deal is expected to complete during the second half of 2024, subject to customary antitrust and regulatory approvals.

Leak detection with EnigmaREACH

EnigmaREACH, now on trial and soon to launch globally, is a lift-and-shift correlating hub that can pinpoint leaks across the whole network , It offers mass logger deployment and expanded network coverage with fewer loggers.  The all-in-one solution combines up to 64 loggers with a tablet and a single app for logger deployment, retrieval and follow-up. It includes access to Ovarro’s Atrium LeakInsight analytics platform. 

Ovarro’s regional manager Paul Stute said: “We are looking forward to showcasing Ovarro’s latest developments in the field of water network management and leakage detection with delegates at Ozwater, which is the largest water and wastewater event in the southern hemisphere.

“Ovarro’s focus is to support our clients in maintaining reliable and robust water networks and to ultimately secure future supplies for utilities and municipalities in Australia and around the world. Ozwater provides a platform to discuss recent case studies in more detail, as well as talk about our soon-to-launch next generation products.” 

Ovarro product line manager Etienne Clauw said: “Ozwater 24’s theme is accelerating action, which aligns with our mission to collaborate and innovate to ensure a system of safe and sustainable water management now and in the future. We look forward to discussing new ideas and solutions with the global water community.”

Ovarro will be at exhibition booth P12, Ozwater 24, Melbourne, from 30 April to 2 May 2024.
https://www.ozwater.org/

Around 40% of UK households are expected to have smart water meters by 2030, as the sector moves forward at pace with plans for mass rollouts. According to draft water resources management plans, the figure will reach 65% by 2050.

As Ofwat expects all water companies in England and Wales to consider smart meters as the standard meter type in the 2025-2030 asset management plan (AMP8) period, between eight and 10 million are set to be installed over the five years.

 Concern from utilities about availability of smart water meters is therefore understandable. A number of companies that are developing AMP8 installation programmes have asked Xylem how they can be sure to secure the required numbers.

As a leading manufacturer of smart water meters, through its Sensus brand, Xylem has in place a robust forecasting process which provides an accurate view of future demand and enables effective allocation of components and products. We have already got ahead by investing in additional capacity at Xylem’s three European manufacturing centres of excellence and in May 2023, opened a state-of-the-art test facility for water meters at our factory in Laatzen, Germany.

One of the largest Measuring Instruments Directive (MID) certified facilities in Europe, the site allows Xylem’s engineers to test meters in a range of installation and environmental conditions, including changing water temperatures. The testing and manufacturing expansion has enabled us to increase smart metering production by 50% to an overall capacity of three million a year – and we work closely with our key suppliers to ensure we can increase demand requirements when necessary.

Strong supplier relationships also mean we can build resilience to temporary disruption. The global microchip shortage from 2020-23, for example, is the kind of logistical issue that can be mitigated by long-term planning and continued review of supply chains to ensure dual sourcing for key components. 

Of equal importance is Xylem’s relationships with its water company clients including Thames Water, which is eight years into its smart water meter programme and has installed its one millionth meter.  Similarly, Anglian Water’s programme will see installation of 1.1 million smart meters by 2025. Xylem has supplied Sensus smart meters for both these flagship projects, the two biggest smart water meter programmes in the UK. 
Of course, all companies are at different stages of their smart metering journeys. Those that are in the earlier stages should now be determining the right rollout strategy for them and their customers. 

 This includes choosing partners, including meter installers, that are experienced in what it takes to support your programme. These are long-term programmes that require ongoing collaboration and trust, particularly when challenges arise. 

Looking at internal teams and stakeholders, data management should be a key area of focus for utilities. Smart meters transmit water usage data in near real-time - companies will be moving from receiving two reads a year from standard meters to somewhere approaching 9,000 reads per year for each property. 

The transition to becoming a data-driven utility is major step-change that requires appropriate resourcing and the right mix of roles, including more data analysts and data scientists than most companies have currently. Data captured by smart meters can be used by water companies for far more than just billing. 

Real-time network monitoring enables faster detection of leaks and provides a better understanding of consumption patterns and trends. Such insights will be integral to long-term water resource planning and can inform teams working across the business, including leakage, customer service and regulation. However, the right people and systems must be in place to realise the full benefits.  

Across the water sector, there is a desire to share smart meter knowledge and insights, and we see high levels of engagement between utilities, suppliers and regulators. 

As part of the smart ecosystem, Xylem would welcome the opportunity to share its global experience and invites stakeholders to visit our UK Smart Meter Operations Centre in Hampshire, our manufacturing facilities in Germany or to join us at the Xylem Reach Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, on 13-16 October 2024. More details can be found at https://xylemreach.com

The year 2023/24 was challenging for UK water companies, which have been operating under increasingly intense customer, regulatory and media scrutiny. They should, however, take pride in their draft price reviews for 2025-2030 (PR24) and draft water resource management plans (WRMPs), which demonstrate bold technological ambitions to enable them to rise to future challenges.

As a framework supplier for leakage solutions to several UK water companies, Ovarro has studied the draft price reviews to see how the market for the 2025-2030 asset management plan (AMP8) period is developing, ahead of Ofwat’s draft determinations, expected this May or June. Given the skills and recruitment challenges in the sector, water companies are encouraged to engage at the earliest opportunity with technology providers, so the right solutions can be implemented for AMP8 without delay.

Leakage is measured on a three-year cycle, so any increase in the final year of AMP7 will impact AMP8 year-one targets. Getting on the front foot now will put companies in a far stronger position to achieve future leakage commitments. 

Companies are striving for greater efficiency – delivering better results for the same outlay or less – and there is a direct correlation between technology investment and reduced labour hours.

As such, suppliers are focused on the development of managed digital solutions that make processes faster and more efficient. In the field of leakage, Ovarro will soon launch EnigmaREACH, a lift-and-shift correlating hub that offers mass logger deployment and expanded network coverage, with fewer loggers.

The new solution EnigmaREACH, due to launch globally in 2024, combines up to 64 loggers, a tablet, a single app for logger deployment, retrieval and follow-up, and access to Ovarro’s Atrium LeakInsight analytics platform.

As-a-service models offer another route to greater efficiency and continue to gain momentum in water. The systems are subscription-based, with infrastructure that is entirely managed by an external supplier. 

Launched in January 2023, Ovarro’s LeakNavigator was the UK’s first fully-managed leak-locating model. The product takes complete ownership of the logger deployment planning and day-to-day data analysis, to accurately identify points of interest (PoI) on behalf of water companies.

In the year since it was launched, LeakNavigator trials are delivering positive outcomes for a number of water companies. One example is a partnership with Thames Water, which implemented LeakNavigator in a project which saw installation of 3,450 sensors across 106 district metered areas.

Ovarro is extending LeakNavigator services to European customers outside the UK. Southern Europe is presenting a huge opportunity after the European Commission granted significant funds to areas facing water scarcity – including Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece.

This allocation has a strong focus on leakage reduction, as well as network optimisation through improved telemetry. While Ovarro has operated in these regions for many years, the company is now actively looking for new partners, and LeakNavigator will be at the centre of our offerings.

London’s Heathrow Airport is one of Europe’s busiest airports, with an average of 34,000 flights arriving and departing every month.

Aircraft toilets use a vacuum system – with a fraction of the water of domestic systems – to remove aircraft waste. Therefore, aircraft toilet waste tends to have a higher proportion of non-biological solids, including wipes, plastics and nappies, compared to typical utility network flows.

This was causing one of the Heathrow’s dual pumping stations, which manages aircraft wastewater streams, to experience chronic clogging issues. As well as frequent reactive maintenance visits to address clogging, the pumping station wet well required cleaning on a six-monthly basis.

In November 2015, the airport’s water services department, a Xylem customer for 33 years, installed and trialled Xylem’s Flygt Concertor intelligent wastewater pumping system on the pump station to solve chronic clogging issues. A single Flygt Concertor N6020 pump, complete with intelligent pumping station control system XPC, was set to run the station on its own, with the remaining N3127 pump set to operate just on a high level purely as backup.

A Concertor pump with the XPC system adjusts the pump’s speed and performance to remove liquid and solids, using the lowest amount of power possible for the pump flow produced. The pump also has self-cleaning functionality, which virtually eliminates blockages.

The station and Flygt Concertor is monitored by Heathrow Airport’s telemetry system and Xylem’s Avensor remote-monitoring platform.

As of December 2023, the original trial Flygt Concertor pump had required just one reactive site attendance in the eight years since installation. There had been no requirement to clean the wet well during the same period, delivering significant cost savings of approximately 87.5% of the annual costs in cleaning and site attendance.

Additionally, the energy consumption of the pumping station had reduced by 53% - consistent over the eight-year period. The system had delivered proven reliability at the lowest total cost of ownership, while reducing energy consumption, helping Heathrow to achieve its operating expenditure (OPEX) and sustainability goals. The model has since been built into Heathrow’s new standard for airport wastewater pumping station design.

Having experienced the benefits from the original pilot scheme, Heathrow Airport invested in the Flygt Concertor system across its asset base. This investment includes complete XPC systems and a stock of Flygt Concertor pumps to replace existing submersible wastewater pumps. As of December 2023, the team had rolled out the Flygt Concertor to a further eight pump station assets, replacing legacy submersible pumps.

Adaptive system

The Flygt Concertor system comprises a Concertor submersible electric pump and advanced panel-mounted monitoring and intelligent control system that senses the operating conditions of the pump within the station environment and adapts performance in real-time to provide feedback to station operators.

The system’s patented energy minimiser function, together with patented Adaptive-N hydraulics and a motor efficiency comparable to IE4, ensures that the pumps run at their most efficient duty point. An integrated control system makes it quicker and easier to set-up and operate functions that would otherwise require a very sophisticated monitoring and control system.

Due to Heathrow’s 24/7 operations, its water services department requires a high level of autonomy to address issues quickly. Xylem’s Flygt Concertor enables Heathrow’s engineers to deploy the Concertor Pump quickly and easily at pumping stations when needs arise.

Dan Young, Heathrow senior engineer - water systems technical services, said, “Heathrow was an early adopter of Flygt Concertor. The original pump, installed in November 2015, continues to produce cost savings and maintenance benefits, as it did from the beginning.

“We have rolled out the Flygt Concertor in a further eight stations and it has been adopted into the new standard of foul pump station design for Heathrow. We look forward to what the future brings, as larger Flygt Concertor products are released into the range, which will give us further energy and maintenance benefits, as well as reliability.”

Since running the first Flygt Concertor prototype in 2013, Xylem has received valuable feedback from its global customer base, including Heathrow Airport.  This has enabled the Flygt Concertor development team to continually evolve the technology and new models are currently in development.

Box out content:

• 34,000 flights per month
• 53% energy reduction 
• 87.5% reduction in service and cleaning costs

The retrofit of ageing buildings with high-efficiency pumps and drives offers one of the biggest opportunities to achieve smarter, more efficient buildings. This directly aligns with the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Net Zero Emissions 2050 roadmap, updated in September 2023, which urges the global energy sector to double existing efforts to improve the efficiency of buildings.

Accelerated action will support the UK government’s net zero pathway and, given that the heating of the UK’s 30 million buildings contributes to almost a quarter of all UK emissions. As a result of the Heat and Building Strategy businesses across almost every sector are already taking steps to use less energy in response to rising utility bills, and to achieve environmental goals.

Across the UK are vast numbers of buildings such as office blocks, shopping centres, hospitals and hotels that were built between 20 and 40 years ago, with outdated heating and cooling systems that consume high amounts of energy.

Simply replacing ageing equipment like-for-like is not the solution. This is recognised by the government’s Heat and Building Strategy that says ‘decarbonising heat and buildings will require the adoption of new, smarter technologies and practices’.

Widescale programmes to replace old equipment with high-efficiency technology for heating and cooling, as well as water pressure boosting, would accelerate decarbonisation goals and bring older buildings into a net zero world.

One way to significantly reduce the energy consumption of pumped systems is by switching to variable speed technology. Older pumps typically run at a fixed speed, regardless of demand. Retrofitting with variable-speed drives enables the system to adjust to usage curves.

Upfront capital costs of variable-speed technology may be higher due to their advanced technology, but these costs will be offset over time by expected savings on energy bills. In addition, operational and maintenance costs of variable-speed pumps are generally lower, as they are not running continually and experience less wear and tear.

For large commercial buildings, Xylem’s hydrovar® X is an intelligent variable-speed pump drive, with the highest efficiency IE5 motors, that can cut motor power of pumps by up to 70%. This reduction is achieved by ensuring the pump is only operating at the required speed, depending on demand variations of the system.

The ability to adjust pump speed will have an immediate impact on energy consumption of large buildings, such as hotels, where demand for water and heating fluctuates throughout the day.

Take water pressure in a hotel - in a traditional system, the pumps would be on and the pressure constant. With a variable speed drive, the pumps could run at half their speed during periods of low demand, such as lunchtime when fewer people are in their rooms and increase as guests start checking in and using facilities.

As the evening goes on and demand rises further, the system will automatically adjust to ensure a constant pressure throughout the building. To achieve this, the system takes pressure or flow readings from sensors to adjust the number of pumps running and their speed, ensuring demand is met while maximum operating efficiency is delivered.

Xylem’s ecocirc XL and XLplus variable speed circulators are designed to manage a similar demand curve for heating and air conditioning systems.

Of course, while retrofitting is essential to decarbonise existing buildings, the use of low carbon technologies in new builds is a must - the government’s Future Homes Standard comes into effect in 2025, bringing a set of rules to ensure new homes produce less carbon.

For contractors who are value engineering a project, using cheaper technology may bring down the capital outlay but if they consider the whole lifecycle of the product, high-end low-carbon technology is likely to be more efficient and deliver the most value because of the significant long-term energy savings.

The water sector is at the forefront of the UK's sustainability revolution, but this is not without its challenges. The need for greater investment, underpinned by robust data, was the subject of British Water's second annual Creating a More Sustainable Water Sector Conference in Manchester on 21 March 2024.

Opening the conference was keynote speaker, Mark Lloyd, chief executive of the Rivers Trust, a charity representing 65 local catchment rivers throughout the UK and Ireland. The organisation recently published its State of Our Rivers report, which reveals that pollution from sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial activities has severely impacted the health of rivers.

In his keynote, Lloyd gave an overview of the challenges facing the water sector, the opportunities for integrated and collaborative solutions that can improve river health and increase biodiversity and called for better data to guide and strengthen this vital work.

“The health of rivers is a wicked problem that we are struggling to solve.  The reasons are well known. Agriculture and land management are primary contributors, contributing to 62% of failures, the water sector follows behind at 54% and urban and transport 26%.

“Several other factors are at play, including physical modification of rivers - as by removing the natural functions of rivers, we remove their ability to cope,” said Lloyd.

He explained that the latest Rivers Trust report found that none of England's rivers are in good chemical health, and only 15% pass ecological health tests. According to Lloyd, combined sewer overflows (CSOs) were responsible for 4% of failures and contributed to around 12% of failures to achieve good ecological status overall.

“Land management is an area where we can make the quickest, deepest and cheapest changes. There are huge benefits to society for fixing the way we manage our land and currently regulation is failing to deliver and market approaches are proving difficult because there is a resistance to allow stacking of funding on top of public subsidy."

In March, environment secretary Steve Barclay announced a fast-tracked investment of £180 million to prevent over 8,000 sewage spills in English waterways over the next year. This investment will involve artificial intelligence (AI) systems, in-sewer monitors, specialist staff recruitment, and wetland construction.

The funding is in addition to the existing £3.1 billion investment in storm overflow improvements and ongoing annual investment by water companies - contributing to the largest infrastructure investment in water company history. The announcement also includes a ban on bonuses for water company executives in cases of serious breaches and a quadrupling of the Environment Agency's regulatory capacity.

Lila Thompson, chief executive, British Water said, “The conference was particularly timely given the Environment Agency report today (27 March) that there has been a significant increase in sewage spills into England's rivers and seas, more than doubling from 2022 to 2023. These findings further emphasise the importance of investing in storm overflows, related infrastructure and innovations to protect waterways and promote sustainability.”

Alongside insights and strategies from leaders across the supply chain, including Grundfos, MWH Treatment, Mott Macdonald, RSK and Stantec, the event also reviewed the sustainability blueprints of UK water companies, with participants from Welsh Water, Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water and South West Water. In addition, the Environment Agency provided updates on the sector’s net zero commitments.

“We need to look upstream and what happens when that raindrop first hits the ground. Together we must address the crucial question of how we ensure that water industry investment delivers the greatest value to society by contributing to building resilience to climate change and addressing the biodiversity crisis,” added Lloyd.

The Spring Accelerator 3 focuses on the theme of protecting and enhancing natural systems. Asking the question, ‘How can we enhance and integrate our catchment monitoring capabilities to better protect source water health and the environment?’, the challenge aims to identify solutions that bridge gaps in enhanced catchment monitoring.

Thomas Walker, senior innovation manager for Spring explains: “Spring Accelerator 3 is looking for innovative solutions to help us understand, monitor and act on the challenges and opportunities in raw water sources and their surrounding land to better protect source water health.

“Safeguarding water bodies is a crucial part of the sector’s efforts to protect the natural environment. As such, our focus will be on implementable innovative solutions for water companies to trial, progress and adopt as a collaborative group. 

“Being able to showcase solutions to multiple water companies presents a huge opportunity for innovators, one which may help move their innovations towards market-readiness. We hope to see solutions that provide integrated insights and forecasting abilities, augmenting the capabilities of water utility decision-makers. 

“Data collection will be one element, but the capability to analyse and action the data is also of high importance.”

The Spring Accelerator 3 was set during an ambition surgery in January 2024, when attendees outlined the issues they faced with catchment monitoring.

Walker said: “The surgery told us that while multiple tools exist for water companies to monitor catchment water quality, there are few available which map and model a whole catchment as one system. 

“Additionally, there can be issues with data-sharing – multiple sources of information are often within systems that are incapable of communicating with each other. As a result, there is a lack of data-driven decision-making.

“We know water utilities would like the ability to use data to forecast how a catchment will behave in the future and notify them of likely events, so they can respond proactively.”

The Spring Accelerator 3, sponsored by ECAS - Environmental Compliance and Services, is open to all innovators. Applicants may be individuals, businesses or a partnership between the two. Innovators can be based anywhere in the world and priority will be given to solutions not previously trialed in the UK and Ireland. 

The aim of the Spring Accelerator is to identify implementable innovations that help address a substantial need in the UK and Ireland water sector. The Accelerator challenges are aligned with themes within the 2050 UK Water Innovation Strategy (WIS2050) and focus on bringing the right people together to drive forward the adoption of solutions.

Successful innovators can expect to have their ideas seen by the experts in the UK and Ireland water industry and are guaranteed feedback on their solutions. The accelerator does not offer a direct financial reward – the goal is to facilitate collaboration, resulting in successful applicants' solutions being mobilised with one or more water companies. 

As the custodian of the WIS2050, Spring facilitates the accelerator challenges by bringing successful applicants and water companies together and enables cross-sector knowledge sharing.

The deadline for Spring Accelerator 3 submission is 9 April 2024. Finalists will be notified by 13 May 2024 and invited to a Spring Innovation Exchange later in 2024 to explore the solution with water companies in more detail. Selected innovators will then move on to trial mobilisation with multiple water company partners. 

For more details about Spring Accelerator 3 and to apply visit https://spring-innovation.co.uk/spring-accelerator-3/.

 Channel manager Craig Abbott will highlight Ovarro cloud solutions that analyse network noise to provide actionable information for leakage reduction.

They include LeakInsight, a new cloud-based application that automatically assigns points of interest using data captured from correlating noise-loggers. Users benefit from a reduction in time spent analysing and assessing data, leading to a more efficient process.

Abbott said, “When it comes to leakage detection, there is a need for water utilities to work more efficiently and improve performance.

“Thanks to rapidly advancing technology, systems are becoming smarter. Correlating noise loggers, such as the Enigma3m and Enigma3hyQ, now monitor networks remotely and are capturing more data than ever before. A fixed network could have up to 50 measurement points, performing 2.5 thousand comparisons overnight.

“Previously, this data would be analysed in the morning by a technician who would establish which potential leaks should be investigated first. LeakInsight now completes that upfront data analysis for users, reducing the steps required to find a leak.

“This means technicians can spend less time analysing data and more time on the ground, finding leaks in precise locations, with high levels of confidence they will have success.”

Abbott’s presentation will also highlight a case study of a fixed network leakage project in Davao City, the Philippines. Details of soon-to-launch, lift-and-shift correlating solution, EnigmaReach, which offers mass logger deployment and expanded network coverage, will also be shared.

Ovarro will be at booth 99, PAWD annual convention, 27-29 February 2024, alongside its partner in the Philippines, Eastasia Solutions Technologies Corporation. Craig Abbott will present at 10am on 29 February. For more information http://pawd.org.ph/event/50

Davao is the largest city on the island of Mindanao and the third largest in the Philippines. With a rapidly increasing population, the city is considered one of the country’s fastest economic growth areas.

The population’s water supply is managed by Davao City Water District (DCWD), which has been challenged to reduce non-revenue water (NRW) losses by 1% per annum until it reaches a target of 20% NRW. Groundwater has historically been the city’s main source of water, but increasing pressures deriving from population growth and urbanisation means there is a need to limit abstraction and make supplies more sustainable.

 For utilities like DCWD, reducing demand for water by cutting NRW is a key part of long-term supply planning. The district has invested in advanced correlating noise loggers from Ovarro’s Enigma range – 260 of the Enigma3m model and 60 of the Enigma3HyQ model – as part of its drive to secure future water supplies.

Significant savings

The loggers have been provided and are supported locally by Ovarro’s partner in the Philippines, Eastasia Solutions Technologies Corporation. In the week after installation in mid 2022, the Enigma3m correlating loggers identified a point of interest in an area that had been scanned with ground microphones several times before, and where there was no surface evidence of any leak.

Putting the Enigma3m to the test, the DCWD team dug up the road and uncovered a leak with an estimated flow rate of over 1,000m3 per day. Once repaired, the surrounding suburb experienced a 15PSI rise in water pressure.

Further investigation by DCWD showed there had been no significant drop in pressure since records of pressure had been kept. This led DCWD to believe the leak could have been flowing for at least 10 years, costing them more than 25 gigalitres – that is 25 billion litres - in lost water.

The savings for DCWD associated with repairing the leak are considerable. At more than 1,000m3 per day, the volume of water saved allows DCWD to push back plans for the new production well, along with significant financial outlay.

This may have included spending on licencing costs, construction of the well and any water treatment and storage facilities required, along with transmission pump and pipeline assets. Pausing the project means a significant reduction in cost and environmental impact for DCWD.

Correlating noise loggers

Enigma correlating noise loggers gather sound samples for analysis by for analysis by the cloud-based analytics tool LoggerVision, which allows users to visualise and review the data collected. The Enigma3m and Enigma3HyQ are designed for remote deployment, and use an integrated battery and 4G modem to provide daily samples of pipeline noise for up to five years. 

With 50 Enigmas in a district metered area (DMA), up to 1,225 correlations can be performed every day, analysing pipeline noise for evidence of leaks. A leak will generate vibrations in the pipe material that is collected by an Enigma3m via an accelerometer.

In the case of softer plastic materials, noise attenuates quickly, so an Enigma3HyQ, with its integrated hydrophone is preferred. Daily analysis excludes any ambient interference and pinpoints significant noise sources between loggers to provide the precise location of leaks in water distribution networks.

Change in approach

The engineer in charge of DCWD’s active leakage control team told Ovarro he had seen a change in approach towards leak detection in his crew. He explained that his team had previously walked the streets of Davao City with ground microphones.

He said, “Now, with a precise point of interest and evidence from the Engima3m loggers, the team go to the location and do not return until they have an explanation for the noise – usually uncovering a new leak. It is changing the way they look at leak detection, with positive results.”

Ovarro channel sales manager Craig Abbott said, “DCWD’s installation of fixed correlating loggers is a first for the Philippines and we are very excited to be working with Eastasia Solutions and Davao City Water District on such an important project.

“The significance of their change in attitude cannot be understated. DCWD’s team are transforming into a professional leak detection outfit that will benefit DCWD, their community and the local environment. They are setting a fine example for all Philippine water authorities to follow.”

Ovarro will be at the Philippine Association of Water Districts (PAWD) annual convention, 27-29 February 2024, alongside Eastasia Solutions Technologies Corporation. Craig Abbott will highlight the Davao City project during a presentation on 29 February. For more information http://pawd.org.ph/event/50

Technology company Ovarro has partnered with UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR) to update the sector on advancements in non-acoustic leak detection techniques.

The update provides an overview of the current non-acoustic methods that have been trialled and deployed since 2016, when a first iteration of the study was published, and their relative cost and effectiveness. The report identifies successful applications, potential deployment pitfalls and best practice guidance for trials.

Emerging and novel techniques were also investigated, with a roadmap of future tools that may become available, together with a discussion of the issues faced in research, development and innovation and ways to bring new technologies to market more quickly.

The existing non-acoustic methods summarised in the report, which have been trialled or deployed, are satellite and radar-based techniques, pressure transients, in-pipe survey devices, thermal imaging with handheld devices and drones, temperature monitoring, sniffer dog detection, fibre optics and gas detection.

Investigations into the implementation and outcomes of these trials has enabled the project team to create best practice guidance, which forms part of the report. Its key recommendations are for water companies to follow as rigorous and systematic a process as possible and “to be aware of the weaknesses in their current leakage detection technologies, so they can target trials on these weaknesses rather than seeking general solutions”.

The novel techniques and technologies summarised in the report, that are mostly at proof-of-concept stage, include quantum gravimetry, time domain reflectometry and turbidity monitoring.

Alan Cunningham, Ovarro software delivery manager and report co-author, said: “A number of technologies have emerged since UKWIR’s 2016 study into non-acoustic leakage technology, which have been trialled and, in some cases, adopted by water companies.

“It was felt that further investigation into the effectiveness of these methods was required, as well as an overview of individual trials that have taken place, including looking at why some rollouts of non-acoustic technologies had been successful while others had struggled.

“We hope the collaborative study will provide the industry with a better understanding of which existing leak detection techniques are likely to be the most suitable in particular situations, which emerging technologies have potential to make an impact, and where best to channel resources for innovation projects. 

“In terms of the novel technologies highlighted, while they are mostly at concept stage, it is helpful to get a picture of what might be possible in the future.”

Jeremy Heath of SES Water, the UKWIR programme lead on leakage, said: “Water leakages from pipes pose a significant environmental and economic problem and tackling this issue is one of UKWIR's strategic priorities.

"Part of the problem is finding underground leaks which are not showing on the surface. By collecting all the latest findings and best practices on non-acoustic detection methods into a single resource, we can assist water companies in making informed decisions about long-term leakage reduction strategies. 

“This will lead to more successful trials and innovative projects, ultimately safeguarding our water supply."

The project combined the outputs of a literature review and water company questionnaire with the outputs from two workshops, bringing together water company representatives, suppliers and academics.

As part of a refreshed strategy, UKWIR has identified seven mission-based themes which align with the UK 2050 Water Innovation strategy themes, including ‘providing the services society needs, expects and values’. Each research theme has a mission and aims, aligned with UKWIR Big Questions and UN Sustainable Development Goals for global impact.

The report Update on Non-Acoustic Leak Detection can be seen at https://ukwir.org/update-on-non-acoustic-leak-detection-and-location

When it comes to pollution prevention, existing data can deliver surprising results, says Ovarro chief technology officer Matthew Hawkridge, ahead of the World Water-Tech Innovation Summit in London.

With record levels of investment planned to prevent pollutions and sewage spills in AMP8 – the 2025-30 asset management plan period for England and Wales - water companies are scoping out new systems to achieve the ambitious goals proposed in draft business plans.

Across parts of the water sector, there is clear focus on deploying additional sensors to capture more data, which will be useful in managing resources and assets in the coming years. However, the full value of vast quantities of data that is already available is not yet being harnessed and realised. 

At World Water-Tech Innovation Summit, which takes place in London on 20-21 February 2024, I am looking forward to hosting a roundtable on the ways smart technology is being applied to monitor and prevent pollution. The session will reveal, for example, how technology that is already available can use existing sewer network data to pre-empt pollution events and take proactive steps to prevent them.

Ovarro’s BurstDetect, for example, is a cloud-based early-warning system that applies existing data from pumping stations to detect rising main sewer bursts. Two UK utilities have successfully embedded BurstDetect into their operations. In 2023, the system correctly identified 38 burst rising mains across the two companies’ networks.

In several of the cases, the water company was unaware of issues with the rising main and, as a result of the BurstDetect alert, was able to repair the burst before any significant pollution event occurred. In addition numerous other issues were identified including blocked pumps, issues with station controls and blockages in the upstream sewer.

On the clean water technology side, Ovarro’s leakage solutions director Tony Gwynne will be among companies presenting case studies on smart systems that are reducing non-revenue water loss.

He will be joined by Hannah Wardle, head of leakage, Thames Water, to discuss a recent partnership to implement Ovarro’s end-to-end service LeakNavigator, which saw installation of 3,450 sensors across 106 district metered areas.

Since starting the project in January 2023, Thames Water has identified 1,160 leaks. Following repairs this has saved in excess of 12MLD.

Hannah Wardle, head of leakage at Thames Water said: “We’re committed to finding and fixing leaks faster. Investing in new technology is critical to us detecting leaks and Ovarro has been instrumental in helping us to protect water, an extremely precious resource.

“In recent weeks, cold weather has led to a jump in freeze-thaw events, with the number of bursts increasing across our network of pipes. Ovarro has enabled us to locate leaks quickly and prioritise repairs by size and scale.”

This year, World Water-Tech Innovation Summit will focus on proactive asset management and circular solutions as the industry seeks to increase its resilience. Ovarro is well placed to be among those leading the conversations.

I look forward to sharing insights, as well as updates on new leakage and flow monitoring technologies, EnigmaReach and XiLogFlow, which are launching in 2024, with the water technology community.

Ovarro’s Matthew Hawkridge and Tony Gwynne will be at World Water-Tech Innovation Summit, London, on 20-21 February 2024. Roundtable discussion, applying smart technology to pollution monitoring and prevention, will take place on day one. Case studies on combatting non-revenue water will be presented on day two https://worldwatertechinnovation.com/

Three UK water utilities have agreed orders for the installation of a total of 30 Hybrid-SAF modular biological treatment units from wastewater treatment specialist WCS Environmental Engineering (WCSEE).

The contracts with Anglian Water, Scottish Water, and United Utilities demonstrate growing demand for this adaptable wastewater treatment technology that gives utilities greater flexibility in meeting the needs of growing populations and tightening regulatory standards. 

WCSEE is working closely with Anglian Water, and its infrastructure delivery partner @One Alliance, on the installation of 18 Hybrid-SAFs (submerged aerated filters) at Dereham & Swanton Morley Water Recycling Centre (WRC) in Norfolk. This is an area where the population is predicted to grow significantly, requiring new housing developments.

WCSEE utility manager Andrew Haywood said, “The installation of 18 Hybrid-SAFs at Dereham WRC will be configured as three streams of six tanks, with flow splitters specifically designed for the biological treatment stage. Within two weeks of installation, as the biological process becomes fully operational, the 18 units will be able to handle flow rates up to 22.6 litres a second (l/sec) with average flows of 12 l/sec.”

As part of the UK Government’s Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill, Anglian Water could also have a legal duty to upgrade Dereham WRC by 2030 to achieve stricter effluent standards of 0.25mg/l for phosphorus and 10mg/l for nitrogen. The design of the new Hybrid-SAFs is futureproofed to help achieve these higher standards.

 WCSEE is also providing nine units to Scottish Water, working with ESD, for the upgrade of East Linton wastewater treatment works in East Lothian, which is adapting to increased pressure on the plant due to population growth.

The third agreement is with United Utilities and C2V+, which requires three Hybrid-SAFs to reduce ammonia levels in effluent discharged at a small wastewater treatment plant in Cheshire, as part of the company’s capital improvement plan. The upgrade follows a tightening of the Environment Agency consent.

Haywood said, “WCSEE is proud that the Hybrid-SAF technology has been selected by these three utilities to meet their challenges on population growth and the tightening regulatory landscape. WCSEE has long been an approved or framework supplier for Anglian Water, Scottish Water, and United Utilities, and we look forward to developing these relationships further, by working closely with them on these expansion and upgrade projects.”

WCSEE’s patented Hybrid-SAF technology employs a submerged moving-bed and fixed-film reactor, proven to treat wastewater with energy efficiency compared to other submerged SAFs. The flow balancing in the primary tank means it can handle variable flows and loads, making it ideal for seasonal and variable demands.

Historically, the Hybrid-SAF was preferred for smaller populations in rural locations. However, its modular design and smaller footprint over comparable technologies make it versatile and flexible for deployment in a wide range of locations.

Hybrid-SAF treatment units are built offsite in controlled conditions and are easily transported to site, ready for installation. They can be moved between locations as needs and requirements change – minimising onsite disruption, reducing waste, and optimising site footprint.

The flexibility of the Hybrid-SAF makes tailored designs and site-specific configurations possible,” says Haywood. “It is also possible to rapidly augment or retrofit existing plant processes.

“New-build installations are now being specified for higher volumes than ever before, with the process suitable for up to 4,250 population equivalent based on the ammonia load.

PSS has been providing an in-house one stop solution for all aspects of water and drainage including specialist drain lining, traditional open cut excavation, tankering, CCTV, blockage clearance and root cutting for over 25 years. Having invested heavily in innovative no dig technology sourced from around the world, its experienced team can complete patch repairs, structural pipe lining, pipe bursting, impact moling, pitch fibre reforming and directional drilling.

Lee Freeman, Managing Director, Public Sewer Services, said: “We are excited to be joining the Adler and Allan Group. The services Adler and Allan offers, and their established position in the utilities market, allows us to offer our expert no dig technology services into more companies, providing a full turnkey package of frontline operational capability.” 

Mike Williamson, Managing Director, Adler and Allan Water Division said: “Adler and Allan’s mission is to solve industry’s biggest environmental challenges from reducing pollution and preventing harm to the environment, to mitigating the effects of climate change. To achieve this goal, we help organisations manage, improve, maintain, and upgrade their infrastructure. This critical acquisition supports our mission as well as our ambitious growth plans, by further enabling us to deliver our innovative, specialist drain lining services nationally.”

This is Adler and Allan’s fourth acquisition in the utilities sector, and seventh overall in the last three years.

This acquisition strengthens Adler and Allans position as a national turnkey partner to the utilities sector with services from strategic infrastructure advice, monitoring, data and analytics, front line operational capability, and environmental consultancy.

As an Investors in People Gold (IIP) company, Huber Technology are passionate about their people as well as providing 'best in class' water industry equipment and solutions.

Reporting directly to the Managing Director, the E&O Director holds responsibility for overseeing the company's Engineering, Project Management, and Operations functions.

This Water industry Director level job will suit a Technical Director, Engineering Director or Operations Director from the water industry. We are also happy to consider candidates who wish to make that next step to become a Board member and really shape an expanding and successful business. The role operates out of Chippenham Wiltshire (we are happy to look at candidates who may need to relocate).

To apply please send your CV to Eddie Smith

e.smith@europrojects.co.uk or call 01530 519 265 

For more information visit www.europrojects.co.uk

The firm will welcome senior representatives of companies working in all aspects of engineering and manufacturing to its Camberley production centre in April 2024. 

It is the first event to be announced under a partnership between Surrey Heath Borough Council’s Economic Development team and Surrey Chambers of Commerce.

The pair have launched their Surrey Heath Manufacturing Network with a mission to improve collaboration among manufacturing and engineering business, facilitate shared learning, create supply chain opportunities and offer business support.

Founded in 1985, Amazon Filters manufactures filtration equipment that is widely used in critical processes across key industries worldwide such as municipal water, oil and gas, food and beverage, chemicals and coatings, and pharmaceuticals. 

Neil Pizzey, Managing Director, said: “This new network is all about elevating innovation and growth in Surrey. We look forward to sharing some of our challenges and working together to find solutions. We welcome other manufacturers to join us to create a vibrant, supportive network.”  

Councillor Kel Finan-Cooke, Portfolio Holder for Economic and Income Development at Surrey Heath Borough Council, said: “Surrey Heath is fortunate to be home to many manufacturing and engineering businesses and it is important the Council provides support to these industries.

“Through sector-specific events, workshops and tailored support services, we aim to establish this network as a place where businesses can exchange knowledge, explore synergies and collectively address challenges.

“We will also address the local skills gap, work with industry experts to support net zero objectives and look ahead at future technologies including AI to improve productivity within the sector.”

Explaining the involvement of Surrey Chambers of Commerce, Chief Executive Louise Punter said: “Much of the work we do is around bringing businesses and other organisations together so that they can share challenges, best practice and business support opportunities.”

The network has been set up under the Council’s five-year economic development strategy. 

This aims to ensure that opportunities for accelerated economic growth and resilience are identified and maximised. 

For more information, email economic.development@surreyheath.gov.uk or visit www.surreyheath.gov.uk. 

QEM has been providing professional services, technical consultancy, inspections and surveys, management and training, and software for safe systems of work to the highly regulated gas and water industries for over 20 years.

Recognised as a leading consultant and service provider in both process management and engineering QEM supports the management of design processes, assists with procurement or risk management and undertakes third-party inspections and audits.

Rob Graham, Chief Executive Officer, QEM, said: “We are excited to be joining the Adler and Allan Group. The services Adler and Allan delivers, and their established position in the utilities and environmental markets, allows us to provide our expert quality and engineering management solutions to more companies, providing a full turnkey package of process management and engineering solutions.”

Henrik Pedersen, Chief Executive Officer, Adler and Allan, said: “We help organisations manage, improve, maintain, and upgrade their infrastructure so that they can solve their biggest environmental challenges such as managing energy transition and mitigating the effects of climate change. This critical acquisition supports our mission and our ambitious growth plans, by bolstering our specialist quality and engineering management capability and enhancing our range of services to the gas and water sectors, making us partner of choice for utilities companies as they tackle the challenges of energy diversification and distribution through RIIO3 and RIIO4.”  

This is Adler and Allan’s fifth acquisition in the utilities sector, and eighth overall in the last three years. 

This acquisition strengthens Adler and Allans position as a national turnkey partner to the utilities sector with services from strategic infrastructure advice, monitoring, data and analytics, front line operational capability, and environmental consultancy.

South West Water and Water Direct are working in partnership to design enhanced Alternative Water Supply (AWS) delivery services to 800,000 homes and 70,000 businesses across the South West. An industry-first, the project will see South West Water utilising Water Direct’s resources and expertise to design, manage and deliver alternative water supplies during planned and unplanned interruptions to the water supply.

This is the first example of a fully outsourced, turnkey AWS service and will guarantee fast response of staff and equipment to affected areas during an incident, enabling South West Water’s staff to focus on restoring supply to customers. The extensive programme encompasses tactical planning, pre-assessment of locations, onsite logistics, bottled water stock management, traffic management, resource planning and acquisition.

South West Water has long advocated for water companies to have greater ambition, enabling the industry to excel, with targets and incentives aligned to imperative societal impacts and longer-term outcomes. In its latest five-year business plan (2025-30), the water company outlined a strategy targeted at risks and SEMD interventions, where enhanced capability of equipment and personnel and adaptive pathways would ensure a ‘quicker reaction and more effective response to risks out of our control’.

Chris Falconer, Chief Commercial Officer at Water Direct commented: “This pilot project will hugely enhance South West Water’s AWS delivery and reflects its commitment to agile, innovative solutions which exceed SEMD requirements and demonstrate industry-leading customer experience.

“This is a first for Water Direct too, and a significant collaboration for the industry. Water Direct knows the challenges that water companies have in meeting SEMD, and it is our objective to support positive change in AWS nationwide. Ultimately, we all want the best outcomes and by sharing expertise and capability and we believe the project will deliver lasting value to the industry and most importantly, South West Water’s customers."

Mark Hillson, South West Water’s, Drinking Water Services Director, said: “Providing a first-class service to our customers is vital to us at all times and we are always looking for innovative ways to achieve this, so we’re excited to explore how this industry-first collaboration can support us in achieving our goals.

“This project has the potential to improve our service by ensuring our customers receive faster and more accessible alternative water supplies during times of temporary disruption while reducing the impact on our own workforce so our colleagues can focus fully on restoring main water supplies.” 

28 February 2024, UK, Winchester, Hampshire: Leading UK communications infrastructure and media services company, Arqiva, has become the newest member of British Water, the trade association for water and wastewater supply chain organisations together with wider stakeholders across the sector.

Arqiva has been a key provider to the utilities industry for more than a decade. With a total of almost 2 million smart meters connected to our network, we operate the only smart water metering solution working at scale in the UK today.

Arqiva joining British Water demonstrates further our commitment to the industry and the promotion of standards, learning and technical development.

Read more.

The wolf in sheep’s clothing

While advocating sustainable product supply, one must thoroughly assess all the business operations rather than present a façade of sustainability while allowing general wasteful practices to persist throughout the organisation. The exploration of water conservation measures, as an example, should extend beyond water harvesting and greywater reuse. The installation of Propelair toilets to minimize your environmental footprint should be a great consideration rather than permitting the wastage of 9 litres of drinking water with each flush, several times a day!

Cost or water savings?  Why not both?

Propelair offers a swift and cost-effective solution, instantly and permanently reducing water expenses. With a brief investment payback period, you'll soon witness both water and cost savings. Reach out to us for a complimentary site visit where we'll install flush counters in each of your toilets and provide you with accurate statistics after a month. This will showcase your potential water and carbon savings before committing to Propelair installations. We're so confident in the results, that if calculated water savings aren't achieved within the first three months of installation, we'll credit the cost of one installed toilet. 

Propelair is ‘walking the walk”

At Propelair, we don’t just advocate sustainability but are assisted by an independent sustainability organization to monitor our own practices.  Utilizing a sustainability tool, we effectively manage our operations, annually assessing the impact of our endeavours. This approach ensures accountability and fosters alignment with our customers in championing sustainability. Through engagement in this process, we ensure that our initiatives are evaluated across five ESG categories and are in harmony with the United Nations' sustainable development goals.

It Pays to Save! Visit our webpage now to calculate your savings and learn how to purchase a Propelair toilet.

In conclusion, embracing sustainability isn't just about talking the talk; it's about walking the walk. Propelair exemplifies this ethos, integrating sustainability into every aspect of our operations. From our partnership with an independent sustainability organization to our meticulous assessment of our impact and alignment with global sustainability goals, we prioritize accountability and action. Our cost-effective solutions not only save water and money but also significantly reduce carbon emissions, making a tangible difference in environmental preservation. Propelair isn't just a product; it's a commitment to sustainability and a testament to the power of innovation in driving positive change. Join us in our mission to save the plant, one flush at a time.

PSS has been providing an in-house one stop solution for all aspects of water and drainage including specialist drain lining, traditional open cut excavation, tankering, CCTV, blockage clearance and root cutting for over 25 years. Having invested heavily in innovative no dig technology sourced from around the world, its experienced team can complete patch repairs, structural pipe lining, pipe bursting, impact moling, pitch fibre reforming and directional drilling.

Lee Freeman, Managing Director, Public Sewer Services, said: “We are excited to be joining the Adler and Allan Group. The services Adler and Allan offers, and their established position in the utilities market, allows us to offer our expert no dig technology services into more companies, providing a full turnkey package of frontline operational capability.”

Mike Williamson, Managing Director, Adler and Allan Water Division said: “Adler and Allan’s mission is to solve industry’s biggest environmental challenges from reducing pollution and preventing harm to the environment, to mitigating the effects of climate change. To achieve this goal, we help organisations manage, improve, maintain, and upgrade their infrastructure. This critical acquisition supports our mission as well as our ambitious growth plans, by further enabling us to deliver our innovative, specialist drain lining services nationally.”

This is Adler and Allan’s fourth acquisition in the utilities sector, and seventh overall in the last three years.

This acquisition strengthens Adler and Allans position as a national turnkey partner to the utilities sector with services from strategic infrastructure advice, monitoring, data and analytics, front line operational capability, and environmental consultancy.

• What are the specific talent challenges faced by the water industry?
• Delve into the history of recruitment and retention in the water sector: what can we learn, and what opportunities are on hand?
• Understand whether skills gaps and recruitment issues are industry specific or part of broader STEM trends and explore strategies for retaining top talent.

Why attend?

• Gain valuable insights into the specific talent challenges faced by the water industry.
• Understand whether skills gaps and recruitment issues are industry specific or part of broader STEM trends.
• Learn from industry experts and thought leaders through engaging discussions and real-world case studies.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to gain actionable insights and strategies for navigating talent challenges in the water industry. Register now to secure your spot in this webinar.

The panel for this webinar

• Mark Smith (Chair), Director – Water Sector, RSK
• Keri Davies, Managing Director, Watertrain
• Sarah Mogford, Divisional Director – Environment and Planning, RSK
• Robert Bornhofen, Director of Innovation, DC Water (Washington)

Event details:

Thursday, 22 February 12.00 - 13.00 GMT

Register Now

The Midlands Area is partnering with Jacobs to hold its live networking event of 2024 on 29 February in their offices in Birmingham.

The theme for the event is Grow, Connect, Develop: Grow your network, Connect with water industry peers, Develop your knowledge and skills. Join us for a relaxed afternoon of presentations, meeting students, new starters, experts, and other IWater members.

Presentation topics include:

• Transformation in Water – Alex Martin, Head of water resources and regulation, Jacobs
• Why water should be a sector of choice for new starters, & In-demand skills – Amy Anderson, Head of Customer Experience & Affordability, South Staffs Water
• Advice and tips to Grow, Connect and Develop within the Water sector – Holly Beeston, WUN Advocate & Utilities Practice Lead, Douglas Jackson

Event details:

Location: 2 Colmore Square 38 Colmore Circus Queensway Birmingham, B4 6BN United Kingdom
When: 29 Feb 2024
Time: 14.30 - 17.00

Space is limited to 25 people, so secure your place ASAP to avoid disappointment

Register here

Learn more

Investable infrastructure

Delivering sustainable infrastructure: bridging the gap between demand and funding - A new era of global infrastructure investment emerges - one that is focused on overcoming the major challenges we face in modern society.

Read now

Creating investable infrastructure: key insights from industry experts - We sat down with industry experts to discuss the incredible power investing in infrastructure has to transform the lives of people around the world.

Read now

Lasting legacy

Raising the bar for inclusive infrastructure: insights from global leaders - Our expert panel talked to the importance of being proactive around diversity and inclusion across major programmes. Watch it back!

Read now

Interview: how the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is working for a more inclusive future - An interview with the Port Authority of New York and Jersey reveals how its projects and services give the opportunity for all to make their mark.

Read now

Interview: how Sydney Metro is championing diversity and inclusion - An interview with Sydney Metro showcases how Australia’s biggest transport project is increasing diversity in its workforce and supply chain.

Read now

Interview: how our US team is pushing for enhanced diversity and inclusion - An interview with our Director of Supplier Diversity in the US, celebrates the work we are doing to make our supply network more inclusive.

Read now

What's next?

We will now turn our attention onto driving commercial performance, and explore whether the industry is ready to meet the high expectations being placed on programmes, when it comes to the impact they can have on communities around the world.

Keep an eye out for the articles as they're published between February and April!

Get in Touch

Murray Rowden

Global Head of Infrastructure

murray.rowden@turntown.com

Given its increasing importance, Xylem is also scaling its partnership efforts towards the rapid development and deployment of technologies to detect and destroy PFAS by partnering with leading universities and startups through its Xylem Innovation Labs global innovation program. 

It is important the public understands the actions the sector is taking to provide them with safe drinking water and that effective, proven technology already exists to address new challenges, such as PFAS.

Resource planning

The year ahead is also set to see increased communications about water resource planning – water recycling in particular – as companies deploy new technology to address predicted supply shortfalls.

Draft water resources management plans (WRM24) contain proposals for 11 new water recycling schemes in catchments expected to be the worst affected by water scarcity. Recycling – or indirect reuse – sees final effluent reclaimed and given advanced treatment at a water recycling plant before being discharged to a river, reservoir or aquifer, to be abstracted and further treated at a water treatment works. 

While water reuse is new to the UK, systems have been operating successfully for at least a decade in Australia and Singapore, and parts of Africa and North America. Xylem has supported many of these projects and most process technology that can be used to convert wastewater into reusable water is in the company’s solutions portfolio.

Most water professionals understand the urgency of funding and delivering reuse projects, but the public still may not. Promotion of the value of water and early, effective communications to assure customers that water recycling provides a safe source of drinking water will be essential to move projects forward.

Addressing global challenges like climate change, population growth, and biodiversity loss demands a comprehensive systems-level approach. This short course, developed by Cranfield University and global Nature-based Solutions (NbS) experts, equips professionals with the knowledge to apply NbS for enhanced water quality through integrated land and water management. Gain insights into how NbS align with Sustainable Development Goals, making this course essential for designers, regulators, consultants, academics, and NGOs in the evolving landscape of environmental studies.

Secure a 10% discount by booking early! Act before February 26, 2024.

Register here.

Taking a systems-thinking approach to tackle water sector challenges

It’s clear the water sector faces profound challenges in the coming years and decades, from climate change to growing customer expectations, as well as concerns about affordability. With all eyes on PR24, Costain and British Water hosted a series of industry panel events to spotlight these challenges and discuss how the industry can work collectively to deliver more for customers and the environment.

Experts on the most recent panel included British Water CEO Lila Thompson, Jason Jones – strategic development director, Costain, Dan Proud – director for UK regulated utilities, Turner & Townsend, Shaun Stevens - UK general manager, EPS Water, Richard Stuart – director of asset delivery, Yorkshire Water and Martin Kelly, chief systems engineer, Costain.

The topic at the centre of the discussion was: can a systems-thinking approach help improve collaboration, integration, and major project delivery within the water sector? Systems-thinking would require the sector to break down boundaries between actors to ensure it considers the project as a whole system and that it is optimised, forcing the industry to look at ways of working between disciplines.

Defining systems thinking and standard approaches
Panellists explored the concept of systems-thinking in the context of the water sector, highlighting it as an approach to problem solving that considers the overall system as well as its individual parts. According to Peter Senge, it’s “a framework for seeing interrelationships rather than things, for seeing patterns rather than static snapshots. It is a set of general principles spanning fields as diverse as physical and social sciences, engineering, and management” . 
Jason commented, “We must remember the difference here between systems-thinking (considering the wider catchment and the regional water system, including rivers, networks, receptors) and systems-engineering where we integrate all the elements into one overall system. If we apply systems-thinking to the water sector, it requires us to break down boundaries to ensure that we consider the project as a whole system and ensure that it is optimised, forcing us to look at ways of working between disciplines. In this way it can be used to drive catchment nature-based and net zero solutions.”
From there, panellists discussed whether the existing models and frameworks delivered the required outcomes for the challenges the water sector faces, and whether a systems-thinking approach would enable true industry integration and the ability to deliver programmes more efficiently. 

Sector-level collaboration and system co-ordination
In the UK, the water industry, the Government, and its regulators are united in their support for innovation through collaboration. The vision of Water Innovation 2050, an alliance of 19 UK water utilities, is to “create open collaboration opportunities across the water sector and beyond to drive transformational change through innovation”. 
The idea of sector-level coordination for collaborative work across water companies was explored. Overall, there was broad agreement that more collaboration was needed in the industry. However, it became clear that many think a greater level of coordination could prove challenging, and there was a discussion of the importance of engagement, relationship building and trust that would be required to foster a systems-thinking approach. 
Jason asked the panel, “Is a systems thinking approach an enabler to true integration and the ability to deliver programmes more efficiently and effectively? Can the approach improve collaboration across boundaries and optimise outcomes?”
Costain’s Martin Kelly explained, “All systems have structure and interconnected elements and it’s the structure that creates behaviour. That’s the insight that systems-thinking tries to bring out. Over time, that data and insight can help us change behaviour– it’s a long-term strategy for long lasting benefits.”
Suggestions to improve collaboration included the creation of a central coordinating body or industry alliance to drive long-term strategic thinking, with silo-busting to break down potential barriers.  Lila added, “Systems thinking will improve collaboration, but it can’t fix poor collaboration without initial investment in trust and behaviours. We need a mechanism for greater collaboration and a degree of openness and transparency.” 

Integration in Major Project Delivery
The next topic of focus was integration. Integration in systems-thinking is focused on how the sector stitches together each component, creating synergies and ensuring that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The discussion explored how the integration of systems-thinking in major project and program delivery was already being achieved in part, with examples from the water sector, including the use of modern construction methods and production thinking.

Jason commented, “What we need to focus on is coordination and not competition. Should we be thinking about the challenges in the water industry as a national endeavour? Should we be thinking about solutions in a very different way and does that require a delivery authority to drive that?”
Integration is key in other sectors, where good work is being done. The panel explored how in the defence industry, integration was the name of the game and contracts were awarded on the basis of integrating to deliver a product or service. 

Delivering social value
Water companies are being challenged to deliver greater social value and implement solutions that give back to communities. Costain has a Water Social Value forum and team who work across each of our different water contracts, and the panel explored how adopting systems-thinking approaches widen the sector’s horizon on what it can deliver from a social impact perspective. 

Panellists emphasised the role a systems-thinking approach could have in addressing complex challenges and delivering optimal outcomes, particularly in areas such as carbon efficiency and social impact, with a notable example from the Strategic Pipeline Alliance. Here, considering the wider systems has worked well to not only reduce the overall scope of delivery and achieve the project outcomes, but has also reduced embodied carbon by 65%. 
The overall discussion highlighted the progress, challenges, and potential applications of systems-thinking in the water sector. The panel acknowledged that systems thinking alone is not a remedy for all the current issues facing the sector; it will require a foundation of trust, behaviours, and investment in collaboration. 

Nine colleagues from Surrey-based Amazon Filters spent a day outside Frimhurst Family House in Frimley Green equipped with rakes, spades, bags and gloves to do their bit and complete the mammoth task.

It followed a request from community interest company Frimhurst Enterprises which uses the Victorian building as a base to offer adults with learning disabilities a chance to develop life skills, independence and work experience.

Frimhurst House also supports families in crisis by offering respite from poverty, discrimination and social exclusion.

Its grounds extend to seven acres of park and woodland, hence the need to keep on top of a huge volume of leaf debris that can turn acidic if not removed from the grass. 

Amazon Filters’ involvement in the ‘Festive Frimhurst’ clean-up was brokered by the firm’s volunteering partner CMPP, the Community Matters Partnership Project.

It brought the number of CMPP volunteering days achieved by Amazon Filters’ Surrey staff to 55 this year, up from 47 in 2022.

Ruth Pappadakis, Head of People & Culture at Amazon Filters, said: “What better way to spend a cold and rainy day than clearing more than a million leaves from the grounds of a great charity with a great team of people, including from other businesses and organisations.

“We heard heartwarming stories of how Frimhurst House helps vulnerable families and knowing that we’ve contributed to that in some way really is amazing.

“We’re gradually ramping up the number of volunteering days we do each year and are already looking forward to 2024 and seeing where else we can help.

“Volunteering enables our local staff to give something back to the community and that supports wellbeing, workplace values and company culture.”

On another recent CMPP day, Amazon Filters staff helped plant 300 saplings in the grounds of Challengers, a play centre for disabled children in Guildford.

Previous projects have included clearing the pond area at Lorraine Infant School, gardening services at Reg’s Garden in Farnborough, general maintenance at Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice and beach cleans at Littlehampton and Hayling Island.

Community volunteers from Amazon Filters represent a range of departments at the firm’s Albany Park, Frimley, production centre. They include engineering, fabrication and office-based roles.   

CMPP Corporate Volunteer Manager Rachel Austen said: “A huge thank you to the Amazon Filters team for coming to our Festive Frimhurst Annual Volunteering Day.

“Amazon Filters always come fully prepared and full of determination and energy to give back so we can't thank you enough for your support.

“It is so wonderful to see over 100 volunteers coming together from 16 different local companies to give back to Frimhurst Family House, who offer holidays to families in deprivation.

“A simple task of raking leaves but what a difference this has made to this charity and to the families that will stay there.”

Amazon Filters became a CMPP business partner in November 2021.

What is water neutrality?

Water neutrality is a concept aimed at balancing the amount of water a company, household or individual uses with the amount that it gives back or restores to the environment. It involves ensuring that water consumption and water conservation efforts are in harmony, so that the net impact on the local water ecosystem is zero or positive. This can be achieved through water-saving practices such as supporting water restoration projects, water recycling, restoring wetlands or installing technologies such Propelair’s ultra-low flush toilet.

Understanding the facts to move us into action

Water stress and scarcity is truly a global issue, one that is already affecting millions of people all over the world.  Every continent is impacted in some way by this crisis, even those with regular rainfall and seemingly sufficient resource.

Over the last 100 years, water usage and consumption has been growing globally at over twice the rate of population increase.  Water availability is affected by several factors, including population growth, increased urbanisation, climate change, extreme weather events, water mismanagement and ageing infrastructure such as the poor sanitary infrastructure that puts further strain on the sanitary system as a whole and risking the discharge of untreated wastewater into waterways, posing severe, and often fatal, consequences to human and environmental health; and ultimately compromising water neutrality initiatives.

Let’s get practical:  How can you help with reaching water neutrality?

Addressing the situation effectively demands collaborative efforts involving governments, non-government organizations, businesses, non-profits, and individuals. Everyone must work together to reduce their water footprints, both currently and in the long term.

Turning the focus to practical solutions, the first step for businesses to achieve water neutrality is reviewing the direct water consumption (water used for business operation) and indirect water consumption (water used across the supply chain).  Knowing how much water the business uses and where it is allocated, allows for water reductions or finding more sustainable alternatives that can be formalised within an agreed ESG strategy.  With the focus on bigger goals, an organisation can then develop manageable tasks to contribute to the larger goals.

For example, knowing that public and commercial washrooms accounts for up to 90% of water consumption in public areas, with toilets wasting almost half of this grand total, an alternative such as the Propelair ultra-low flush toilet that uses only 1.5lt and 60litres of air per flush, is a practical and quick solution that delivers significant and immediate water and cost savings to companies and councils that manages public facilities; and should be prioritised as a quick impact water-savings solution. 

Propelair toilets installed across the UK, UAE and South Africa until the end of 2022 has collectively saved a whopping 781 668 900 litres of clean, drinking water – that is the equivalent of 312 Olympic sized swimming pools!  With the investment being offset by the savings in water cost, within an average of 24 months, the installation decision is an easy one to make, resulting in water and financial savings for years after the installation.  Propelair toilets enable precise monthly tracking of water savings, a feature embraced by prominent, international brands as an integral part of their ESG strategy.

Anticipating that large corporations will soon be required to account for their water footprint, Propelair provides comprehensive business case studies to potential clients, outlining potential water, cost, and time savings before installation. We are so confident in Propelair's performance that we offer to refund the cost of one installed toilet if calculated water savings are not achieved within the first three months of installation.

CTA:  calculate your savings here:  https://propelair.com/calculate-savings/ 

How does the Propelair toilet save such a significant amount of water?

By replacing water with air, Propelair toilets reduces water usage from the average of 6 to 9 litres per flush to only 1.5 litres, achieving a remarkable 84% water saving!  We believe this to be the world’s lowest water-flush toilet.

Propelair has a two-section cistern; one for air and one for water.  Before flushing, the lid is closed to form a seal, in order to channel the air.  When the lid is closed the flush is activated.  Water then enters the pan to wash the pan, followed by high velocity jet of air from the unique patented pump. The air cannot escape due to the sealed lid. This pushes out the entire contents of the pan to give a powerful, reliable flush.  The remaining water fills the water trap.  The flush is completed in 1.5 seconds with the toilet ready to be re-flushed in 13 seconds.

What if we don’t engage in water savings?

Whilst the problem may seem ‘far off’, the reality is that companies need to become water neutral by as early as 2030 to avoid severe consequences and allow us to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.  But being wasteful now does not only have future implications.  In some countries, the development of new housing and businesses, contributing to economic growth, has been denied in the interest of water preservation and reaching water neutrality.  

While some individuals might initially appreciate the absence of immediate new developments, over the medium to long term, it could lead to substantial future challenges in providing local housing and fostering business growth, ultimately impacting the local economy's vitality. It is therefore very important that we find a solution to water problems and vigorously work toward water neutrality.

CONCLUSION:

The concept of water neutrality is a pressing global concern, demanding collective action to address the impending water crisis. Practical solutions are essential, and Propelair's low flush toilets have proven to be a rapid, impactful solution, saving substantial water and costs.
Embracing water conservation and working toward water neutrality is essential to secure a sustainable and vibrant future for all.

Year on year they have seen small improvements. In 2016 25% of Transport & Infrastructure companies had zero women in their leadership teams and this year that is down to 13%.

What is noticeable, however, is that the Water sector is coming out on top. If we look at the breakdown by sectors, Water companies have considerably higher female representation on their executive teams.

In this report, Newsome Consulting focus on the largest of the Water client organisations and how these companies are performing, the areas that need improvement and practical solutions from experts within the sector.

View the report here.

Smart metering is here - and it is gaining momentum. As of September 2023, the Environment Agency reported that an estimated 14% of households in England had smart meters, a figure expected to rise to around 40% by 2030 – and to 65% by 2050. Implementation underpins the sustainability and demand reduction efforts of the UK water sector and is critical to securing our water future. 

Xylem is a leading manufacturer of smart meter networks and solutions, through its Sensus brand, and is supporting utilities across the UK with their programmes. Water companies are at different stages of the smart metering journey, but they are all moving forward.  

Some are undertaking small-scale trials, while others are progressing at pace with large-scale rollouts - Thames Water is eight years into what is the biggest smart water meter programme in the UK.  Anglian Water’s programme began in 2020 and will see installation of 1.1 million smart meters by 2025. Xylem has supplied Sensus smart meters for both these flagship projects.

The Sensus brand combines smart water meters, advanced sensors and software analytics with multiple communication networks, including FlexNet, Xylem’s own long-range radio network, as well as cellular narrowband internet-of-things (NB-IoT) telecommunications. 

What are the regulatory expectations around smart water meters?

Ofwat expects all water companies in England and Wales to consider smart meter solutions as the standard meter installation type in the 2025-2030 asset management plan period (AMP8). To build drought resilience faster, it has already allowed funding for the 2024 Price Review (PR24) to be accelerated for seven schemes, equating to 462,000 smart meters, from 2023-25 – that is in addition to projects already underway as part of the UK Government’s green economic recovery plan. 

The Environment Agency has similar expectations, asking all water companies in England to install smart meters from 2025. The regulator says smart metering will be “an important enabler” for water efficiency and leakage reduction options set out in the sector’s water resources management plans.

How is Xylem managing the increase in demand?

From 2025, virtually all water companies will be installing smart meters. Xylem is getting ahead by investing in additional capacity and process optimisation at our manufacturing sites, including a state-of-the-art test facility at our factory in Laatzen, Germany. Across Europe we are gearing up to produces millions of meters annually to meet forecast demand with the accelerated roll-out of smart metering projects.

Xylem also works closely with its component and materials suppliers to ensure there is sufficient stock. Over the past three years, a global component chip shortage has been impacting technology manufacturers worldwide, but the good news is usual service has returned. 

Being a large player in the market means we are well placed to ramp-up demand when required. All these measures put Xylem in a great position to meet the 2025 metering challenge.

Is the water sector ready for mass smart meter rollout?

Xylem’s water company partners are working hard to plan for forthcoming large-scale installations. Those with schemes already underway are very hands-on and able to share valuable insights and lessons learned with others across the sector. 
When Xylem started supplying smart meters to UK water companies, we were mainly talking to operational managers. Now, partly due to the strong directives from regulators, the c-suite is engaging, including chief financial officers and chief executives. To have the benefits of smart meters recognised at the highest level in this way is vital – the CEO must be on board as early as possible for a successful rollout. 

What training is required to manage a smart meter network?

Smart meters represent a completely new way of working, which is very different to how metering teams have worked in the past. There is likely to be a skills gap, and Xylem can support by providing additional training to utility customers and, as importantly, their installation contractors. 

This is done via face-to-face training sessions, including hands-on scenarios and workshops. Providing customised training documentation and ensuring timely and ongoing support is also important to reduce wariness that can often be felt when a significant disruption occurs to usual practices which have been established over many years. 

By working together, significant progress can be made. For example, Anglian Water installed over 1,000 meters per day, even during the covid pandemic, and put in place new operational procedures to streamline installation time to less than 15 minutes, from start to finish.

Is continuing to use AMR meters an option?

Some companies may ask whether they need to upgrade to smart meters when their existing processes with AMR meters work well. This is understandable - utilities are juggling multiple investment priorities and are particularly under pressure to improve the sewer network and cut pollution. 

It is also recognised that reducing leakage follows the law of diminishing returns – the better your performance, the more cost is needed to sustain it and make further improvements. Historically, this may have been a reason to delay some actions.

However, water companies no longer have the option to delay. The smart meter direction statement from Ofwat is as strong as it is possible to be, without being a mandate. Any company not wanting to install smart meters would have to provide very strong evidence with its reasons for not doing so. 

Are there concerns about the cost of smart metering? 

Utilities recognise the need to focus on the total cost of smart meter ownership. Total cost models will deliver the best overall value.  One of the biggest costs to utilities is sending engineers out to fix or replace equipment. Xylem’s focus is on supplying the best quality product – meters that will not need repairing or replacing - at a price that delivers the most value.  

Research commissioned by Xylem’s managed network partner Arqiva and carried out by Frontier Economics and Artesia, shows that a coordinated rollout of smart water metering across England and Wales would deliver £4.4 billion in benefits to society against costs of £2.5 billion; a net benefit of £1.9 billion.  Savings would come from improved leakage control and network management, and by avoiding the need for infrastructure for other water resources.

Xylem looks to develop innovative funding models to support utilities and can advise on options, such as reducing upfront capital expenditure and moving it to operational investment.  

How durable are smart water meters?

Water companies are keen to learn about the technical reliability and durability of smart meters – can they withstand weather extremes, for example? Sensus meters are optimised for all conditions.  Where they have been installed in parts of America, hurricanes and typhoons have been known to cause major network outages – but the smart water meters have remained operational. 

If a utility can install a meter and not have to go back for 15 years, that is ideal and is what we work towards.  Battery-life is also a big factor for consideration. We have specific engineers looking at battery technology, it is a big part of making a reliable meter. We have a very deterministic battery usage profile, built around the specific requirements of water meters, with expected operational life of the battery laser-etched onto the meter. 

Companies will want to know when the batteries are to start running out - knowing where they are on the lifetime curve is important. Devices will be fitted in groups or clusters that are easy to manage or maintain, rather than scattered across a huge geographic area. This will avoid a scenario where a technician goes out to replace a battery on just one meter, when the next one along has five years left in it.  

Utilities are acutely aware of meter longevity if purely for economic reasons, usually stating a minimum of 10 years or more operational life in their tenders, although the longer the better. However, often the correlation with ensuring communications power efficiency and effective battery management is not always fully considered. It will not make a difference over the first five years or so, but problems can arise further down the line without these factors being factored in. It should be a major part of designing the whole end-to-end system. 

How should utilities prepare for the increase in data?

Smart metering involves the collection of multiple readings and alarm information for every meter every day - this adds up to a lot of information that needs to be stored and processed. Therefore, a significant investment must be made in the IT infrastructure – datacentres or cloud-service providers, with associated staff, security measures and additional training.

For companies planning their wider rollout, when should they engage their technology provider?

As soon as possible. There will be a number of technology-based decisions to be made and many stakeholders will be involved. Xylem has the experience, and proofs of concept and trials are a good way to understand the technology and we can help plan and explore those. The end-goal should be to integrate the right mix of smart water technologies and applications, to create a reliable, robust and future-proofed network. 

The water sector is at a unique crossroads with some of the oldest water infrastructure in the world, the UK is disproportionately exposed to water risks brought upon by a combination of droughts, leakage, flooding and erosion. As of 2022, investment in the water network has been slashed by up to a fifth over the past 30 years – with the government’s pledge earlier this year to invest over £1.6 billion in new, vital infrastructure only further illustrating the catch up required to overcome these challenges. 

The Second National Infrastructure Assessment1 recently outlined that most infrastructure assets that will be operational in 2055 have already been built. As the UK’s water sector faces arguably the most defining challenge in recent history, tackling issues of an aging water and sewerage infrastructure, it is critical to prioritise much-needed investment for the maintenance and repairs required to support its ageing infrastructure. One recent report found that Thames Water would need over 350-years to replace its network. With pipes having a lifespan of somewhere between 50-100 years, the case for accelerating maintenance and upgrades is stark.  

Rather than risk falling further behind, the water sector now faces a critical juncture to not only rebuild its network but also to rebuild the trust from the British public. Several severe issues – from discharge sewage into water to the rising water bills – has decimated the public’s trust in the sector. With the demand for reliance and efficient water supply an urgent priority alongside rising climate and sustainability pressures, the sector has an opportunity to step forward towards an optimistic future. Through the collaboration across key stakeholders and partners, it is critical to prioritise investment, rebuild infrastructure, and help strive towards a more climate-friendly, water-resilient future. 

We believe we need to go further and reshape our relationship with water – we need to commit to building water resilience in the UK, collaborating to support each other and the wider industry. At GHD, our vision to build a trusted, resilient water sector in the UK includes the following: 

Adapting: Adopting an adaptive management model using smaller and even temporary investments will allow for more flexibility. 

Optimise: Improve the performance of existing infrastructure with advanced technologies and data-driven insights.  

Prioritise: Put regenerative and nature-based solutions first. A circular economy approach to water management is crucial. 

Innovate: Harness innovation to bring the very best digital advances and technically-enabled solutions to design and deliver major projects 

Attract: Nourish talent and prioritise attracting the very best people and skills to the industry by fostering a forward-thinking, diverse and innovative culture to develop a sustainable workforce  

The Future of Water is constantly evolving; we have been helping clients stay at the forefront of the sector for more than 90 years. History has taught us that with profound change comes fantastic opportunity – opportunity we are here to help you unlock. With a strategic, consultative approach and digital smarts, we bring a global perspective and leading expertise to local context. We explore new, creative approaches and new, collaborative partnerships with you, to deliver long-lasting social, cultural, environmental and economic benefit. 

Now is the time for the water industry to harness the opportunity for change. At GHD, we are committed to helping you do that. For more information about GHD’s Future of Water solutions, please visit https://www.ghd.com/en-gb/the-future/future-of-water.  
 
Author: John Hensman – john.hensman@ghd.com  

Arup and WRc are celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Wet Networks, bringing together the water sector to accelerate innovation.

This special edition will see us reflect back on changes in the sector over twenty years, and the role innovation has played – and is playing – in evolving the sector. How has it helped to deliver ever higher levels of customer service, protect the environment and improve the working conditions of all those who are committed to the safe supply of water and sanitation across the uk. We will also explore what the future of innovation could look like – what will be business as usual for the water sector in the next twenty years?

Date: Thursday 16 November 2023
Time: 17.00 - 20.30
Location: Arup - In Person and Virtual

Learn more about this event here.

Register here.

Applicants have until 12pm on 10 November to apply for £10k-£200k of funding for projects that will benefit the market.

As a reminder, to be eligible for the fund, the project must:

• Enhance market functioning and benefit non-household customers
  
• Not be considered 'business as usual'
  
• Not confer any competitive advantage to any trading party or group of trading parties
  
• Be sponsored by at least one trading party or MOSL.

Whilst there is no restriction of types of project bids, those that align with the Strategic Panel's priorities for value creation, improved customer service and water efficiency are  strongly encouraged.

Download an application pack here.

Please send completed applications to MIF@mosl.co.uk. If you have any questions, please email us using the MIF email address.