WET News

APRIL "Around 25 years from now, where those [demand and supply] lines cross is known by some as the 'jaws of death' – the point at which we will not have enough water to supply our needs, unless we take action to change things" Environment Agency chief executive Sir James Bevan warns concerted efforts are needed to reduce demand and increase supply in England to avoid running short of water £30M Scottish Water's alliance partners, ESD and CWA, will carry out a £30 million investment to deliver improved treatment processes and more resilient supplies across the Borders £181M Balfour Beatty's underlying pre- tax profit increased 10 per cent to £181 million in 2018, while gross debt reduced by over 40 per cent "We have been challenging ourselves to think differently about the skills we need, how we can connect with a broader range of people who could bring their unique experiences into our business and what we need to do to meet their expectations of a modern workplace" Kier Group's Claudio Veritiero on the company's 'Attracting, retaining and developing a diverse workforce' report "We are close to peak intrusion" Ofwat chairman Jonson Cox says water companies should expect a period of intense regulatory oversight to bring the industry back into line IN A NUTSHELL 2 WET NEWS APRIL 2019 | wwtonline.co.uk 1,000,000 Workers building the £60 million Mayflower Water Treatment Works for South West Water celebrated a million hours worked since construction started at the end of February, with the project due to become operational in the autumn T hames Water has signed contracts worth a com- bined £200 million with some of the industry's leading suppliers to find and fix more leaks than ever before across London and the Thames Valley. The contracts, awarded for an eight-year period, were signed at Thames Water's head office in Reading by its chief operating officer, Lawrence Gosden, and senior leaders from each of the contract partners. It is expected to save the equivalent of 172 Olympic swimming pools of water every day. Under the agreement, teams will be using a range of leak detection methods including traditional sound tests, acoustic logging and desktop modelling to accelerate Thames Water's work to reduce leakage by 15 per cent by 2025. The new contracts have enabled the company to target higher leakage savings for 2019/20 from 370 million litres of water a day (mld) saved to 430 mld – an increase of 16 per cent. As part of the new contract, suppliers will be required to attend quarterly innovation forums to share the latest ideas, techniques and best practice. They will also support Thames Water's ongoing work to trace unaccounted-for water, including the illegal use of unauthorised and unlicensed standpipes. The contracts have been T he Institution of Civil Engi- neers (ICE) has launched a new exhibition on water engineering as it continues to promote civil engineers as the unsung heroes who transform people's lives. 'Water: From Source to Tap', launched to coincide with World Water Day on 22 March, follows on from ICE's 'Invisible Superheroes' exhibition, with real-life engineers from past and present reimagined as cartoon superhero alter-egos, fighting fatbergs and flooding, and saving lives through the provision of clean water and sanitation. Through highlighting the stories of individual engineers as well as examples of water- related projects around the world, the exhibition hopes to inspire children and young people to consider careers in civil engineering. C lancy Docwra and Kier have been awarded a con- tract to carry out leakage detection services for Anglian Water as part of the IMR Water alliance. The two companies will jointly assume responsibility for the new contract, with Clancy Docwra carrying out leakage detection work across the western area of Anglian Water's network and Kier handling the eastern section. The move to integrate the contracts reflects Anglian Water's focus on driving down leakage across its network. The company reported its lowest recorded level of leakage over 2017-18, at 183 mega litres per day (ml/d) – significantly below its regulatory target of 192 ml/d. The contract will see around 50 roles transferred over to Clancy Docwra and will place an increased emphasis on technological innovation to tackle leakage. One of the leakage detection avenues currently being utilised sees the deployment of noise-logging devices across the network on a temporary basis, using audio technology to identify anomalies in water flow. Clancy Docwra will also work with Anglian Water to roll this technology out on a • Contracts prompt leakage savings target to increase by 16 per cent • Water engineers reimagined as cartoon heroes at free exhibition • Companies to carry out work as part of the IMR Water alliance Thames Water agrees leakage contracts worth £200 million ICE launches water 'superheroes' exhibition to inspire new generation Anglian hands Clancy Docwra, Kier leakage detection contract awarded on a region-by-region basis and will be managed by Thames Water's three regional head of water networks: • North London: Hydrosave (reserve supplier: PN Daly) • South London: PN Daly (reserve supplier: RPS) • Thames Valley: RPS (reserve supplier: PN Daly) A separate contract covers a preferred supplier list of five companies: Morrison Utility Services, Teccura, Crowders, Invenio and PN Daly. They will adopt a campaign- based method of leakage detection using innovative approaches to best understand full water usage within specific geographical areas. The individual area issues will be briefed to the five suppliers asking for their proposed solution and financial payment model. The process will be managed by a leakage The exhibits celebrate Sir Joseph Bazalgette's 200th birthday this year and his pioneering work in creating the London sewer system, while also highlighting the modern-day challenge of fatbergs. The free exhibition is being held at ICE's Infrastructure Learning Hub in London until February 2020, and installations include Bazalgette's Captain Sanitation character built of LEGO bricks and a giant Fatberg Monster sculpture. Ayo Sokale, a graduate civil engineer who works in flooding and coastal risk management for the Environment Agency, appears in the exhibition as Eco Angel. "Our profession is responsible for creating solutions to humanity's major challenges, which are growing due to climate change and a rising population," semi-permanent basis, which will allow for earlier intervention when leaks occur. In the long-term, Clancy Docwra will work with the water company to explore additional techniques to improve leakage performance. The business has been working in partnership with Microso¯ to look at how machine learning tools can be used alongside its expertise in the field to pre- empt and respond to likely leakage points across the network. Ronan Clancy, associate director at Clancy Docwra, said: "Bringing leakage detection firmly into the Anglian alliance will allow us to drive greater integration with our maintenance and repair activity. reduction working group. "Reducing leakage is a top priority for the company and our customers, so it's vital we have the very best people working on it," Gosden said. "Our partners will be challenged to be as innovative as possible to find leaks so we can get them fixed, especially those that are hidden underground and not visible from the surface. "We are focused on ensuring our network is fit to serve our customers now and into the future, and I'm confident investment on this scale will help us to achieve our ambitious targets." In the first two months of 2019, more than 14,000 leaks were repaired by the company, which is spending more than £1 million a day to tackle leakage and improve its customer service. she said. "Therefore, we need a diverse range of people with different experiences and ways of thinking to help formulate the answers. "By showcasing the wealth of different roles and the difference they make to society, we can demonstrate how rewarding and creative a career in civil engineering can be." Martyn Harvie, a principal civil engineer who appears in ICE's water exhibition as Drainage Dyno, added: "By revealing the secrets beneath the sewers, ICE hopes to warn people 'Don't Feed the Fatberg' and raise awareness of all the behind- the-scenes work that civil engineers do to manage our precious water resources." l For more information, visit: www.ice. org.uk/events/exhibitions "This will bring efficiencies in resource, as well as enabling an easier transfer of expertise across disciplines, ensuring we are attracting and retaining the best talent in the alliance overall. "It will also mean that with Anglian and Kier, we can drive greater innovation in the methods and tools at our disposal to tackle the critical challenge of leakage – improving quality, consistency of supply and affordability." Sean McCarthy, head of leakage at Anglian Water, added: "We're successfully driving down leakage volumes across our network but at the same time recognise that we must do more to safeguard our resources. "With Clancy Docwra we look forward to continuing our work in this crucial area – and to investing in new technology to build a more resilient and secure network." The IMR alliance was founded in 2015 with a 15-year contract, consisting of three five-year terms. Last year, Anglian announced that it had jointly awarded a £40 million agreement for leak detection products to 10 suppliers for a five-year period until 2023. Thames Water's Lawrence Gosden at the contract signing

• Cover