Water & Wastewater Treatment

32 | march 2015 | WWT | www.wwtonline.co.uk In the know Digging deeper: water management five of every litre gathered, cleaned and treated. That's enough water to supply the needs of 22.4 million households. The average water company loses enough water through leaks to supply 34% of its domestic customers (some as high as 50%). If these two areas can be effectively targeted, there is potential to hugely improve our country's position in relation to water management. Our calculations estimate that this com- bined achievement would save 1.99 billion litres of water each day, enough to provide 23% of our nation's daily domestic need. Possible Solutions The introduction of mandatory water meters is the main tool currently being deployed against domestic waste, and there is evidence that they can be ef- fective (Waterwise suggests on average a reduction of 10 – 15% of domestic usage). But what else can be done to meet the 20:20 challenge? Across Europe we are seeing investment in innovation – supported by millions in funding from the EU. Here are some of the front runners for innovations that should be jockey- ing for position as possible solutions to be deployed in the UK. Smart Water Grids: New technolo- gy and big data analysis are combining to help water companies better detect and predict where problems will arise. Projects such as the citywide initia- tive in Caceres in Spain are aiming to create a model for smart water manage- ment across urban areas. This is being organised by SmartWater4Europe, an EU research project that brings together 21 participants, including water utilities, technology companies, universities and research centres. It is investing €2.5 million in a smart water grid in Caceres, designed to detect un- derground leakages, real time control over water quality and remote meter reading. Mobile Apps: Other initiatives such as the ISS-EWATUS project, being co- ordinated by the University of Silesia, are using a number of techniques to try and improve water management. At a household level it is creating a mobile app to provide the public with data on their water usage and information and social networks to encourage water saving behaviour. At a city-wide level it is looking at innovations to reduce leakages combined with a pricing poli- cy to reward water saving behaviour. Intelligent Valves: Such projects are being facilitated with innovation in 'smart' valves and meters such as Ultraf, an Integrated Ultrasonic Meas- uring Unit and Raf Valve, developed by Raphael Values, part of the Talis Group. The Ultraf Valve helps reduce leakage 7 REASONS THE UK SHOULD CARE ABOUT WATER MANAGEMENT by sending an immediate message to any control system that it has detected a leak. It is the only integrated ultra- sonic water meter and control value and is relatively easy to fit as it only requires a small installation space and is virtually maintenance free. Whatever the solutions, as a nation we need to be giving water the promi- nence it deserves. The lack of public awareness is perhaps testament to how well the system has been managed to date, but increasing pressures will soon mean that cracks begin to show. Having a clear plan and strategy in place will be crucial when water does become a hot political issue, as it surely must. About the author: mark hodgens is managing Director at Talis UK, which de- signs, manufactures and supplies a com- prehensive variety of valves, meterboxes and water fittings for all types of pipe. Our country has one of the lowest amounts of water per capita in Europe (on a par with Spain) and faces a number of serious challenges in relation to water management that need to be addressed as a matter of urgent national interest. 1 Our water isn't in the places where it is needed: Rainfall is much higher than average in less densely populated areas (Scotland, Northern Ireland and Northern England) and much lower than average in the southern parts of England. 2 The quality of our water is deteriorating: 50% of the UK's groundwater used for public supply is showing a significant deterioration in quality. Just 29% of groundwater in the UK is rated by the Environment Agency as being 'good' or better. 3 Social changes are putting water systems under strain: In almost every way our society is putting the system that delivers our clean water under strain – e.g increasing populations, more single person households, intensive land use. 4 Our personal levels of water usage are not sustainable: The average person in the UK uses 150 litres of water per day, a figure that has been growing by 1% per year since the 1930s. 5 Water management is important in tackling our energy efficiency and carbon footprint: Producing and distributing clean water contributes 1% of our nation's carbon footprint. 6 The public is unaware of these issues and their implications: Our own research (Talking Water Report 2014) found that the public believes the risks of water shortages, pollution and water wastage are decreasing in the UK. 7 We don't have an established national plan for exploiting water resources: Theories about how to exploit our country's natural water resources need to be developed into practical applications at a national level that balance human needs with the wider impact of the environment and eco-systems.

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