Water & Wastewater Treatment

4 | JANUARY 2015 | WWT | www.wwtonline.co.uk Industry news January Water bills in England and Wales will fall by around 5% over the next five years, regulator Ofwat has ruled in its final determinations to water companies for 2015-20. Ofwat said the water companies had proposed bills dropping by almost 2% in real terms, but it had worked with them to deliver a further £3BN in savings for customers. Under the deter- mination, average annual bills will fall by around £20 from £396 to £376, a saving which will also help reduce bills a†er 2020. As well as challenging on price, Ofwat has sought to make companies stretch themselves on service. This includes larger reductions in supply interruptions, pol- lution incidents, and further improvements to drinking water quality. The water companies are set to spend more than £44BN, or around £2,000 for every household in England and Wales, over the next five years. More Water bills to fall by 5%, rules Ofwat Contract Tracker RJ McLeod wins Selkirk flood defence contract Glasgow-based civil engi- neering firm RJ McLeod has won the main construction work contract for a £31.4M flood defence scheme at Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. The Selkirk Flood Protection Scheme was conceived to protect around 600 vulnerable properties in the town, which has a history of damaging floods from the River Ettrick and the Long Philip Burn. In August 2012, the scheme became the first major flood protection scheme with an environ- mental statement to be ap- proved under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009. The project is set to be completed by December 2016. CSG Valves takes SE Water framework agreement South East Water has awarded a framework agreement to CSG Valves and Actuation, to supply specialist valves across sites in its region. CSG will be supplying valves for mains water distribution includ- ing large bore gate valves (350mm+) for rehabilita- tion and the distribution of potable water across the region through a network of over 14,000 kilometres of water mains. It is the first such framework agreement that CSG has signed. CSG will work with framework holders Clancy Docwra to carry out essen- tial repair and maintenance work across the network. than 370 megalitres per day in water savings are planned through tackling leakage and promoting water effi- ciency, while a 32% reduc- tion in the time lost to sup- ply interruptions has been promised. The regulator has also re- duced the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) - the minimum rate of return that lenders or investors require to support investment in the sector – to 3.74%, down from 3.85% that was initially pro- posed. Jonson Cox, chairman of Ofwat, said: "This is an im- portant step in maintaining customers' trust and confi- dence in the water sector. We set out to deliver a chal- lenging but fair outcome. We are requiring companies to meet higher service stand- ards and deliver on their promises to customers. We are bringing down bills so customers can expect value for money, while investors can earn a fair return. "Companies will need to stretch themselves to deliver much more with the same level of funding as in previ- ous years. We will achieve more resilient infrastructure and better service as a re- sult." Cathryn Ross, chief exec- utive of Ofwat, added: "With bills held down by 5% and service driven up over the next five years, customers will get more and pay less. Where companies stepped up to do the best they could for their customers we did not need to intervene. But where companies fell short we stepped in to make sure customers get a good deal." She added: "Now the hard work begins. Compa- nies will only build trust and confidence with their customers if they deliver. Those who do can look for- ward to fair returns, while those that don't will be hit in the pocket and face a tough five years ahead." The water companies now have two months in which to accept Ofwat's fi- nal determination, or seek a referral to the Competi- tion and Markets Authority (CMA). wwtonline.co.uk The UK's first ever bus powered on food waste and human ef- fluent has taken to the road, in what is being hailed as a major breakthrough for sustainable transport. The 40-seater Bio-Bus runs on gas generated through the treatment of sewage and food waste that is unfit for human consumption. It can travel up to 300km on a full tank of gas generated at Bristol sewage treatment works – a plant run by GENeco, a subsidiary of Wessex Water. Last month GENeco became the first company in the UK to start injecting gas generated from food waste and sewage into the national gas grid network and at the same time installed a gas refuelling plant for the bus. The bus produces fewer emis- sions than those powered by traditional diesel engines. The bus is operated by Bath Bus Company and will run on the A4 service from Bath to Bristol Airport via South Bristol. 1400 The number of flood defence and coastal protection projects to be funded by the government over the next six years. The Chancellor's Autumn statement unveiled £2.3BN in funding for such projects, with the biggest being the Thames Estuary (£196M) and the Humber Estuary (£80M).

• Cover