Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
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www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | XXXX 20XX | 23 which Echologics will carry out acoustic condition assessment using its ePulse technology and Atkins will perform analytical 'health checks' using all the data available for the same areas of the network. "The condition assessment will tell us what state the pipes are in, but the health check is the why and how – why has it got to that point, and how might asset life be extended," Woodworth says. "The project as a whole will marry those two things to- gether on a DMA basis and will help us to make decisions about intervention based on the expected future life of the asset." It is the first time a solution like this has been used on this scale in the UK water industry. SES Water has 300 DMAs overall, and the 30 chosen for the project are those believed to be most in need of intervention, but it would be both feasible and valuable to condition assess the whole network over the course of several years, according to Woodworth. Economi- cally, the project is expected to pay for itself because the evidence of the proof-of- concept trial suggests that it can make the investment in mains renewal significantly more effective. "The work being done this year is going to directly inform our programmes of work for AMP7 onwards. It may even influence it quicker – if we find a big pres- sure transient that's occurring and we can trace it back to a particular cause, if we can go and solve that cause and prevent it, then we will and that could be an im- mediate impact," says Woodworth. "The project is going to be a real collaboration in the way it's going to be managed and run. We're working in full partnership on this one – there will be dialogue between all three parties and a constant feedback of information. We won't finish up with separate pieces of work, it will be one complete piece of work, a real collaboration." www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | JUNE 2018 | 23 • IN QUOTES "We're looking forward to working collaboratively with SES Water on this transformative asset health programme to deliver enhanced value to their customers. Adopting a comprehensive digital approach, we will be using the latest simulation so ware, electronic field testing systems, transient pressure monitors and a range of in-house tools such as our Pressure Management Studio to identify where opportunities exist to further improve their network's performance." Tom Morgan, principal engineer at Atkins "SES Water is taking a trailblazing direction to ensure that they make informed decisions about where to focus effort and spending towards improving their network. Mueller Water Products is excited to embark on this pioneering project to help achieve their vision and delighted that they have selected Echologics ePulse technology which will provide an informative evidence base for asset management and help SES Water to achieve both short and long term goals, reduce water loss and increased network stability for customers." Joseph Finn, area sales manager at Echologics (a Mueller Technologies company) • PROJECT FACTS • SES Water is renewing 0.6% of its distribution network in AMP6 (2015-20), and has proposed in its latest business plan to renew 1% of its network in AMP7 (2020-25). This would return the replacement rate to the levels seen in AMP4 and AMP5. • Its DMA Health Assessment and Mains Condition Assessment project covers 30 district metering areas (DMAs) out of a total of 300 in its region. The 30 chosen are those that probabilistic models have suggested are most in need of intervention • Echologics' ePulse pipe condition assessment technology works by bracketing a segment of pipe, anywhere between 60 metres and 180 metres apart, and transmitting a noise between two sensors along the pipe length. The acoustic properties of the pipe reveal an average pipe wall thickness • The condition assessment is combined with an acoustic leak detection service, so previously undetected leaks can be found and passed on to SES Water's active leakage control (ALC) team. • Atkins will be carrying out 'health checks' on the same DMAs that are subject to the condition assessment, analysing all available data to provide insights which might extend asset life, for example through pressure management and the elimination of transients. • Overall, SES Water's leakage performance is one of the best in the industry: it lost 24.2 ML/day to leaks in 2017-18, which is 83 litres per property served per day, against an industry average of 123 litres.