Water & Wastewater Treatment

www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | february 2015 | 7 Comment I f patience is a virtue, it is not a vir- tue that's associated with too many people these days: our consumer society is all about getting everything quicker, on demand, and instant grati- fication. Not only are attention spans apparently getting shorter, but technol- ogy has changed the face of communi- cation: e-mails, tweets and the variety of available social media mean that the days of writing a letter and waiting five days for a reply are long gone. With its emphasis on long-term investment, long-term projects and multi-year contracts, the water indus- try might seem to be the very antithesis of this instant culture. Yet the water customer's expectations have shi•ed just as much of the customers of any Staying ahead of the game other industry. People who find them- selves inconvenienced by leaks, water quality issues, sewer blockages or flooding incidents expect to be able to contact their water company via social media and receive an instant response and updates. In some respects the country's water companies are rising to the chal- lenge. Following the major utilities on Twitter reveals the extent of their con- stant dialogue with customers, with shi•s of employees operating around the clock to reassure the public that their issues are being addressed. But could companies be going further? As Wessex Water chief execu- tive Colin Skellett points out in my interview with him in this issue of WWT (p12) it's still usually the case that water companies rely on custom- ers to tell them about issues in their own network. Wouldn't it be better if the industry knew enough about its own operations that it could be ahead of the game – and make this informa- tion available to customers before they complain? Wessex has implemented such a system when it comes to bathing water quality, with customers considering James brockett eDItor Jamesbrockett@fav-house.com a trip to the beach able to check their website to see whether there has been a recent CSO overflow in the area. Technological innovation means there's no reason why information from the whole network – whether it's water pressure, quantity or quality – should not be made similarly available. Smart metering is another technology that will soon enable instant informa- tion – in this case, the running total of a customer's water use and the cost of it – to be available to customers before they need to ask for it. Real-time monitoring systems fea- ture in many water business plans as we go into AMP6, and for good reason – they can save money by helping to anticipate problems and guide future investment. But the sector shouldn't be content with clever equipment to monitor the network – it should push towards making as much of the real- time information as possible available for customers to see for themselves. That way, the impatient, demanding public can receive the answers they want without even needing to pick up the phone, tweet or e-mail the water company in the first place. Follow us on twitter @wwtmag Pump Hire, Sales & Service Pumps From 50mm To 300mm Auto Self-Priming Pumps Super Silent Pumps From 58db(A) Hydraulic Submersibles Electric Explosion Proof Submersibles Pumping Installations 24/7 Callout Branches Nationwide Selwood has been manufacturing, hiring and selling pumps for over 60 years. Please call for expert advice on all pumping applications. 08450 733835 www.selwood.co.uk

• Cover