Water & Wastewater Treatment

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION NEWS £3.8M award for Dutch river research A river-management research project, led by the University of Twente in the Netherlands, has been awarded a £3.8M award by the state-funded agency Technology Foundation STW. The Dutch Directorate-General for Public Works & Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) is undertaking significant measures to help this low-lying country be better prepared for climate change. According to the university, rivers have lost space and many need to be substantially restructured. Furthermore, the ground behind dykes has sunk and it rains more frequently, so the risk of flooding is increasing. Professor Suzanne Hulscher of Twente's Department of Water Engineering & Management (WEM) is responsible for the management of the RiverCare programme. She said, "Managing rivers costs a lot of money. We can tackle this management much more intelligently if we know what happens. This produces enormous cost savings." Dr Mascha van der Voort, from the Department of Design, Production & Management, is working on a 'virtual river' within the project. The model will show what the consequences of certain measures might be and gives insight into future occurrences. The university says the knowledge from the project will build on international Dutch expertise in the field of river flooding and form part of the Government's Space for Rivers programme. The universities of Utrecht, Nijmegen, Delft and Wageningen are also participating in the programme. Into the future - ultrasonic baths and plastics from sludge Self-cleaning bathrooms, ultrasonic baths and consumer goods made out of sludge are some of the highlights of a report published by Veolia Environnement and the London School of Economics. The future-gazing researchers envisage the home of the future with sophisticated water-saving fittings made from smart and recycled materials. Defra estimates businesses in the UK could save £23Bn/ year by improving the way energy and water is used and by reducing waste. In Imagine 2050, materials used in the design of the self-cleaning bathroom would reduce water use by mimicking the behaviour of the lotus leaf. The leaf's surface is highly water repellent, controlling the loss of water, and its rough texture stops particles sticking to it. Further, when rain falls wwtonline.co.uk onto the leaf, it removes all particles and dirt. With the average UK water bill set to rise over £400, and time at a premium, Veolia says the reduction in water-use for cleaning and the time freed up from chores would be the gain from such technology. Similarly, ultrasonic baths using ultrasonic vibrations to remove dirt would also use a minimal amount of water and no detergent. The report also says that sludge could become a key material in manufacturing bio-plastics, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of materials production, and helping a shift from reliance on oil-based products. Biopolymer can now be extracted from plants and biosolids with chemical process and reused to produce plastic materials. INDUSTRY VIEW Keith Hayward UK Sales & marketing manager, wastewater division A New Year's resolution on regulation "If a job is worth doing, it's worth doing well." It is a philosophy that my parents first drummed into me as a small child - and one I hope I am successfully passing on to my own children. In the same way, as a passionate supporter of the water industry, I believe we should all aim for the highest standards of public health and environmental protection. Introducing the second reading of the Water Bill, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Owen Paterson MP, said it reflected his twin priorities of "growing the economy and improving the environment". Later in the debate his predecessor, Richard Benyon MP, reminded the House of the aspirations embodied in the water white paper, including "How do we encourage innovation and dynamism in the water sector while ensuring it remains a low-risk choice for investors?" (Hansard 25.11.13) As we look forward to the year ahead, I believe it is these joint aspirations of environmental protection and engineering excellence that we must make our priorities. Adhering to high regulatory standards is a 'given' in which the performance of critical products and processes can be benchmarked and verified. Independent testing and certification are essential elements of the innovation process that can help operators to manage risk successfully. Whether in the potable or wastewater treatment business, or for stormwater control and treatment, Hydro has spent more than 30 years investing to achieve the highest possible certifications and approvals for its products all over the world. From ISO 9001, to Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) approval, to the WIMES specification guidelines to BBA or WRc certifications, the principles are the same: providing reassurance that a product's performance claims have been verified, while also enabling essential predictability for service and maintenance over the lifetime of the equipment. Yet, all of us in the equipment supply chain know from experience that hard-pressed contractors still find ways of skirting around a specification to save cost with a non-certified/ approved product. Later in the Water Bill debate Richard Benyon reminded MPs of the shaming statistic that only 27% of our rivers and lakes are fully functioning ecosystems. So, among my New Year's resolutions for the water industry would be to ensure that all stakeholders continue to place highest value on product approvals, certification and verification, whether mandatory, or through industry self-regulation. For more information on Hydro's water and wastewater products in the UK, visit www.hydro-int.com January 2014 Water & Wastewater Treatment 11

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