Water & Wastewater Treatment

NEWS 6 Water & Wastewater Treatment March 2014 wwtonline.co.uk ABB streamlines service provider network Scottish Water awards £360M framework Offsite tank technique enters UK market ABB's service providers on motors and drives in the UK and Ireland have made a considerable investment in training ahead of the company's rebranding of its service networks. The new ABB Authorised Value Provider (AVP) network i n c l u d e s s e r v i ce s s u c h as energy & productivity appraisals, equipment selection, installation & commissioning and preventative maintenance. Companies joining the network, have had to step-up their training activities, with many installing new facilities to skill-up their teams ahead of the launch. Brian Dick, managing director of Coventry-based Sentridge Controls told WWT that the company had invested £25k in terms of time and money in training its eight engineers. "A lot of people had to do these courses," he said at an ABB press launch in London on 23 January. "Providers had to take people off other roles to train them." ABB says the training ensures quality and consistency of technical support across the company's service operations. Scottish Water has announced the appointment of the Caledonia Water Alliance (CWA) to a six-year contract valued at £360M. CWA, a joint venture formed by Morrison Utility Services (MUS) and AECOM, is the public utility's preferred bidder to support the delivery of the water infrastructure element of its future Quality & Standards IV capital investment programme for 2015 to 2021. It is intended that an early-start contract will be in place to assist the transition into the next regulatory period and there is a potential extension for an additional six years from 2021. The CWA's scope of work will include programme management, together with the design and construction of works associated with the water network across the whole of Scotland. Geoff Aitkenhead, director of asset management, Scottish Water said, "We look forward to working with our new alliance partners to build on the investment work of the last 12 years." Charles Morrison, chief executive, MUS, said, "This joint venture with AECOM will provide Scottish Water with a fully integrated business model which is ideally structured to support Scottish Water's relentless focus on driving up standards in safety, customer service, efficiency and innovation." Graham Howells, managing director of AECOM's water practice in EMEA, said, "This is another major appointment for our water business in the UK and further underpins our mission to be the leader in the market.." Infrastructure contractor Balfour Beatty (BB) has signed an exclusive partnership with US pre-cast construction specialist Dutchland to provide concrete tanks to the water and wastewater industry in the UK and Ireland. The partnership, which includes a licence agreement between Balfour Beatty and Dutchland, will see Irish firm Shay Murtagh Precast produce and install the tanks on a framework agreement. The contractor says the benefits from this approach compared to in-situ concrete pouring include fewer vehicle movements and operatives on site, a reduced construction schedule and guaranteed finish quality, which fully maximises the compressive properties on concrete. Terry Williams, head of technical services at Balfour Beatty – gas & water, said, "These approaches provide a host of opportunities and improvements compared to traditional on- site builds. Safety, environmental and community impact, quality assurance, and programme management all benefit from the certainty and control afforded by the managed environment of an off-site build." The London Assembly passed a motion on 14 February urging Mayor Boris Johnson to prioritise funding to restore rivers in the capital, helping to cut the risk of further flooding. The Assembly believes restoring many of London's rivers and flood basins to their natural state would help protect the 24,000 homes at risk of river flooding. Assembly member Jenny Jones, who proposed the motion, said, "River restoration is not the only way to cut the risk of flooding but it does make a significant difference and the projects proposed need to be hurried along, in light of recent events." This Assembly says there is potential for hundreds of kilometres of rivers to be restored, and the River Restoration Centre has already identified 63 projects around the capital which could reduce flood risks to thousands of homes. Remote-control boat aids flood repair A remote control ARC Boat surveys the breached flood barrier in Billingham A remote-control boat has helped the Environment Agency survey and repair a damaged flood bank in Billingham, Co Durham. Extreme weather conditions and the highest tide for 150 years resulted in serious damage to the barrier at Seal Sands near Billingham in December 2013. The boats are A remote-control boat has helped the Environment Agency survey and repair a damaged flood bank in Billingham, Co Durham. Extreme weather conditions and the highest tide for 150 years resulted in serious damage to the barrier and still submerged flood barrier. Shay Murtagh will produce and install a new range of tanks in the UK and Ireland London Assembly passes river restoration motion Fly-fishing in the River Wandle in London For more information, call 0870 264 0773 or email ukmarketing@wago.com WAGO Limited Triton Park Swift Valley Industrial Estate Rugby CV21 1SG. 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