Water & Wastewater Treatment

Digging deeper "With Water2Business the two wa- ter companies (Bristol and Wessex) will compete with other incum- bent businesses and new entrants for retail services. This is a new area of growth, allowing the two com- panies to target potential clients nationally and explore new oppor- tunities that break the bounds of their regional framework." John Vinson, Water2Business The Solution The work consisted of cleaning and flushing the main water system using a patented ice-pigging technique, a highly effective solution that uses a plug of slush ice to clean larger diameter mains. To complete this work successfully it was necessary to turn off the water supply to the port for a short amount of time. It was therefore of paramount importance that disruption was kept to the minimum for the numerous 24-hour com- mercial enterprises and businesses that were located in the vast area of the port. To ensure that the work went as smoothly as possible Water2Business started planning the work with the port some months in advance. A series of meetings with Bristol Water and The Bristol Port Company ensured that all parties understood the objective of the project, what it entailed and worked jointly to create a compre- hensive contingency plan. A strategy was put in place to ensure minimum disruption to the site and its business tenants. With this in mind, it was agreed by all parties that work would be undertaken at night over a Bank Holiday weekend to ensure minimum inconvenience. Water2Business also secured additional water supplies and standby tankers to the site during this time in case additional water was required. This included a 25,000 litre tanker for fire purposes and a similar tanker and hydrant to feed the port's water supply for the period of the shut off. Some of the tenants included food manufacturing businesses and these companies had bowsers to provide ad- ditional water supplies. For further reading go to wwtonline.co.uk • Problem and solutions ● Water quality: Bristol Port has an ex- tensive water distribu- tion network inside the port area that supplies water to a variety of commercial enterpris- es, offices and factories as well as serving the needs of international ships and liners visiting the port. The mains are very old and natural sediment had built up in the iron distribution water pipes. A programme of flushing and cleaning was needed and ice- pigging was selected as the most appropriate method. Additional technical training was provided to the port staff to enable them to carry out the flushing programme themselves in the future. ● Pressure controlled devices: Water2Business identi- fied several areas of leakage within the loca- tion and is working with the port to install pres- sure controlled devices to reduce this and also identify the location of new leaks. Water2Business also installed automated meter reading meters to identify water con- sumption patterns and give the client auto- mated real-time data on their water supply activity. ● The results: The maintenance work to the port's main sup- ply pipe was carried out with minimum disrup- tion to the port and its residents. Interested parties were informed at every stage of the project and a contin- gency plan was put in place to ensure that work went smoothly for all involved. The sample and flush- ing programme carried out on the port's internal pipelines has resulted in the removal of discolouration from the water. By introducing the pressure controlled devices across the site, as well as automated meter reading, the port is expected to benefit from improved data on its water usage and better information re- garding the quality and efficiency of their water supply. • The service requirements ● Water2Business began working with The Bristol Port Company in order to improve the pipe infrastructure and water quality both with- in the existing Bristol Water supply network feeding into the port and also for the port's own water distribution network. Thanks to Water2Busi- ness' expertise and attention to detail this large scale mainte- nance project was car- ried out successfully, to deadline and with mini- mum disruption to the working life of the port. "We were reassured throughout the whole process and as a result of the training provided, our own staff can now carry out the flushing programme that helps maintain the quality of the pipe work," Bristol port said. Neil Mullins, Water2Business, said: "Water2Business has carried out a number of projects working with the Bristol Port Company. Our process and treatment experts can help businesses and our customers ensure they are using water as effectively and efficiently as possible." ● Innovation Wessex Water have applied to Ofwat for a retail licence for their joint venture opera- tion with Bristol Water, Water2Business, as they increasingly gear up for April 2017 when the retail market opens up to businesses. This is a new area of growth, al- lowing the two compa- nies to target potential clients nationally and explore new opportu- nities that break the bounds of their regional framework. This is not the first time that the two water companies have teamed up – in 2001 they created a joint retail company called Bristol and Wes- sex Billing Services in a bid to gain greater effi- ciencies and economies of scale from serving a larger customer base, and providing a unique arm's length company to focus on delivering good customer service. This joint venture was the first of its kind. Water2Business aims to provide a wide range of water and wastewater services including water efficiency advice, waste water management, flexible and consoli- dated billing options, ac- count management ser- vices and expert advice on leading products, industry regulations and compliance issues. 48 | JUNE 2014 | WWT | www.wwtonline.co.uk

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