Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1191698
20 | JANUARY 2020 | WWT | www.wwtonline.co.uk Damian Crawford, head of smart networks & leakage at Stantec, discusses how becoming data-rich and knowledge-smart can help the industry meet AMP7 leakage targets. T he UK water industry stands at a precipice. Never before has it been under such political and regulatory scrutiny, leav- ing water companies with two clear options going forward: either carry out damage limita- tion or embrace the challenges and innovate. Ofwat has set very chal- lenging expectations, as most of the industry is required to reduce leakage by 15 per cent or more by 2025. However, the UK Government believes this target for water compa- nies is not ambitious enough. Instead, it believes Ofwat should be setting a long-term target for water companies to reduce leakage with the Environment, Food and Rural A‡ airs Committee pushing to achieve a 50 per cent leakage reduction by 2040. This is supported by customers who expect leakage reduction to be a top priority, especially as they are being individually challenged to reduce water us- age to help conserve resources and minimise damage to the environment. If this challenge was not big enough, Ofwat has made it clear following PR19 draŒ determination, that the in- dustry must achieve its leak- age targets for little-to-no ex- tra money or face signiŽ cant penalties. This is concurrent with the ongoing challenge to reduce operational base costs and signiŽ cantly reduce bursts and supply interrup- tion or risk facing further penalties. How do they square this circle? Some companies may Pressure management Most companies have mature pressure management strate- gies and have exhausted further leakage reductions, with the focus now being on optimisation through network reconŽ guration and advanced control systems. However, less focus has been put on pressure management at source, which could deliver both leakage and operational budget savings through economies of scale and by reducing condition- based monitoring and mainte- nance costs. Mains rehabilitation Currently, the industry is split on whether mains reha- bilitation provides genuine leakage reduction or, as more commonly suggested, it prevents the natural rate of rise. However, most companies have mature mains rehabilita- tion programmes and have already targeted the low hanging fruit which had the best cost-to-beneŽ t ratio – be that expected leakage saving, reduction in bursts per km, in- creased resilience or reduction in WQ incidents. The challenge has always been the leakage or resilience beneŽ t against the cost and disruption, while considering the impact of poor installation practices, and the sense that mains are being replaced despite having signiŽ cant life leŒ in them. Solutions for the future The industry needs to think di‡ erently; to think smarter with the focus being on net- work asset health, customer side leakage management and smart water networks: Network asset health Network asset health is about taking a more holistic approach by using well- established asset management assessments, such as the Common Framework for Capital Maintenance Planning. This is founded on risk-based principles, so that in most cases capital maintenance will be justiŽ ed on the current and future probability of asset failure and the resultant consequences for customers, the environment and water service providers, including the costs arising. Hydraulic modelling can then be utilised, along with Ž eld-collected pressure transient and water quality data and non-evasive pipe condition analysis to understand the health of the network and understand Meeting AMP7 leakage targets The Knowledge: Reducing leakage feel it is nigh on impossible and all they can do is not fail too badly. However, aŒ er 25 years in the water industry, it is my belief this should be an awakening; a realisation by the industry that we can't keep doing the same old things in the same way. But what can we do di‡ erently? Ofwat has made it clear that the solution lies in innovation. Innovation is about creat- ing a culture and environment that allows for signiŽ cant changes to systems and pro- cesses. In collaboration with our partners, Stantec employs the use of digital tools to facili- tate bottom-up innovation. We also recognise the importance of encouraging and empower- ing all sta‡ to develop ideas, again helping to foster an environment that facilitates innovation. Problems with the past and current model Historically, the three pillars of leakage reduction have been active leakage control, pressure management and mains rehabilitation. However, each of these areas have their challenges: Active leakage control Dependent on the business model, active leakage control can drive the wrong behav- iours. In particular, it can lead to a lot of time being spent detecting low quality leaks, resulting in costly repairs impacting the burst rate and supply interruptions. This problem is further exacerbated by the crippling shortage of skilled leakage detection personnel.