Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
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26 | XXXXX 20XX | WWT | www.wwtonline.co.uk The Works Trenchless technology W ater companies face a daunting task in AMP7: Ofwat has challenged the industry to reduce leakage by 15 per cent at the same time as raising levels of customer satisfaction and improving cost efficiency. To achieve their targets, companies may have to pay greater attention to trenchless technologies, which promise to address problem pipes far more efficiently. While no-dig approaches have been in common use in the water industry since the 1990s, the pace of adoption lags signifi- cantly behind oil and gas, and many believe there is scope for more widespread imple- mentation. With the new regulatory targets requiring a step change in performance, will the industry now start to seize the full benefits of trenchless technology? Trenchless technologies A number of companies are looking towards smart networks to better monitor and predict leakage problems and optimise their decision-making but, however effective they may prove to be, there will still be a need to fix a significant number of pipes. That presents a sizeable problem, since digging up roads invariably upsets customers and results in substantial costs, particularly if works drag on. In many cases, trenchless technologies could offer a solution. Without the need to open-cut large trenches, jobs can generally be completed far more quickly, far more cheaply and with far less disruption and environmental waste. No-dig techniques vary widely, cover- ing repair and replacement, and many are extremely well established. There are records of 'keyholing' – the process of making small, precisely controlled excavations for location, inspection, repair, maintenance and installation of utilities – taking place in the 1960s, while more specific concepts such as slip lining, cured- in-place-pipe and directional drilling also date back several decades. "Trenchless technology has come a long way since it was first widely introduced nearly 50 years ago," says Matthew Izzard, chair of the UKSTT (United Kingdom Society for Trenchless Technology), a registered charity involved in the development and promotion of trenchless techniques. "The reliability of equipment, range and quality of manufacturers, together with strong supply chains and quality training and support, has seen a huge growth in the market – and still the demand grows." The range of options also continues to grow, with technological developments creating exciting possibilities. For example, the UK Government an- nounced at the turn of the year that it is investing £7 million in research to develop 1cm long robotic devices that use sensors and navigation systems to find and repair cracks in pipes. There have also been efforts to make use of 3D printing, with the Univer- sity of Glasgow's BADGER project exploring the idea of 'printing' the pipe behind a drill head as it bores. "This is an incredibly exciting time for developments in the industry," Izzard says. "The advancements so far using in-pipe ro- botics and smart technology have provided more cost-effective, safer and less disruptive solutions than ever before. "As both hard and so¢ technology develops, the possibilities of what can be achieved increases expeditiously. The possibility of a micro repair robot going up a service pipe, identifying a leak and repair- ing it in situ might not be too far away." Yet while the quality and range of tech- nologies grows, there can be a tendency to persist with traditional techniques unnecessarily, which may come down to a lack of awareness. Could the regulator's leakage and customer experience challenges lead water companies to fully embrace trenchless technologies in AMP7? By Robin Hackett A cut above 26 | JUNE 2019 | WWT | www.wwtonline.co.uk