Water & Wastewater Treatment

www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | MAY 2014 | 37 the 2009 UKWIR study on the issues regarding the potential adoption of supply pipes: costs, customer service and regulatory impacts, which although providing an estimated cost of adoption of £4 per property per year stated: "improved data (including the lengths, age, and condition of water supply pipes) is essential so the water industry can formulate a robust view on water supply pipes. Even if adoption of water supply pipes does not take place in the near future, this information would be useful, especially in the management of leakage". That said, the water industry has not ignored their supply pipes; in recent years investigation into the economics of supply pipe repair and replacement policies have been carried out to identify how these could be better incorporated into leakage strategies, and there is a current study in the UKWIR programme being carried out by WRc on the economics of customer side leakage that builds on this original work. Further information is available from Mark Smith: mark.smith@ wrcplc.co.uk and Mark Kowalski: mark.kowalski@wrcplc.co.uk Portfolio project ● WRc is currently developing a collaborative Portfolio project to quantify the operational risk and business cost associated with each of the future management options in Defra's consultation ● Specifi cally the prevalence of diff erent supply pipe arrangements will be classifi ed and quantifi ed in an approach similar to that taken by the industry ahead of adoption of private sewers and lateral drains ● Estimates of the management costs of each arrangement will then be made, so that boundaries for supply pipe management can be recommended that represent the best balance between risk and cost ● Guidance will be developed for diff erent strategies that will meet the challenges of rights of access, customer liaison, leakage and water quality ● By the time this work reports, Defra will have proposed a defi nite approach and timeline for its selected option. Whichever option is chosen, with the right evidence in place, the industry will be well prepared for the outcome. A new era of integrated supply pipe management is on its way Customer views ● Companies have been testing their customers' views on adoption, for example in Severn Trent Water's Strategic Direction Statement, Focus on Water, in 2007 it is stated: "Our survey of willingness to pay shows signifi cant support for taking over supply pipes (£5.55 per domestic customer)… supply pipe adoption would also have benefi ts in terms of reducing leakage and reducing the number of customers with lead supply pipes". Other UKWIR research seeking customer views on supply pipe management is also underway ● What is clear is that the water industry currently has a window of opportunity to gather evidence and carefully consider in what circumstances alternative management strategies would be of benefi t both to the company and its customers ● A better evidence base would allow water companies to engage with regulators to ensure a smoother transition to a new management strategy with reduced business risks. One obstacle to this evidence gathering is the variation in approaches currently taken across the industry – from generous repair and replacement policies, to very limited approaches where repair is off ered only to vulnerable homes, or those in enhanced metering areas. Coupled with many diff erent approaches to the customer journey experienced when reporting a leak, the identifi cation of the best way forward is far from clear ● A further signifi cant complexity for supply pipe management lies with the pros and cons of metering at the property boundary. Currently a relatively low metering penetration and infrequent meter reads results in leaks going undetected for very long periods of time. A natural inclination is therefore to promote metering to allow faster detection – and hence fi xing – of supply pipe leaks. However, the disruption to the service pipe through the act of meter installation could result in an increase in the leak break out rate; the natural instinct of a company considering an integrated policy could therefore be to reduce joints in the pipework and, hence, reduce the number of boundary meters in place. "A voluntary code of practice could allow water companies to eff ectively fully manage supply pipes" Mark Smith and Mark Kowalski

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