WET News

Wet NeWs WATER AND EFFLUENT TREATMENT NEWS News+ Thousands of cable strikes occur in the utilities sector, but a 'sheep dip' approach to health and safety training is not the answer, p7 Onsite: Pipework installation Work to improve safety at Eccup Reservoir presented a huge technical challenge – from design and build through to commissioning, p9-10 Insight: Health & safety Limited space proved a logistical challenge for contractors working on the Oxford STW upgrade, p14-15 • • Selecting an independent provider for the Tideway Tunnel is proving a difficult choice, but it is also delaying the project's construction contracts. a spokesperson for the Thames Tideway project said: "It's a live procurement process and we can't comment on the speculation out there. Our timescale in terms of what we've been saying is that we're hoping to complete the procurement process this summer. That's still the case but I can't be any more specific than that." The procurement process for the IP was launched a year ago following a ruling by Defra that the 25km sewer, one of the UK water industry's largest ever projects, would be financed and delivered by an independent infrastructure provider. At the time, the successful bidder was expected to be announced in early 2015. On Thames Tideway's website, the company states: "The project will be financed and delivered T hames Tideway has refused to confirm or deny speculation that the preferred bidder to finance and deliver London's 'super sewer' has been extended by a month because the two competing bids are too close to call. According to the Sunday Times, the competition to become the £4.2bn project Infrastructure Provider (IP) is between two groups – one led by Borealis, and the other featuring insurance firm Allianz, fund manager Dalmore Capital, Amber Infrastructure and the Dutch DIF fund. The report says the two investor groups lodged offers by the May 15 deadline, and are competing on how much of the cost will be passed on to Thames Water's customers. Commenting on the report, Thames 'super sewer' IP contest 'too close to call' Black & Veatch in water quality trials JUly 2015 Volume 21 • Issue 07 Turn to the experts in emergency,turnkey pump and power rental solutions. Call: 0800 146 763 / Email: info@sldpumpspower.co.uk / Visit: www.sldpumpspower.co.uk Your complete rental solution... SLD provides market leading, specialist pump and generator rental equipment and services. Get in touch today to fi nd out more... ...when you need it most − Diesel Pumps − Specialist High Head Pumps − Electric & Hydraulic Submersibles − Wellpoint Dewatering − Generators − Heating & Cooling Solutions Northumbrian picks Esh and Seymour E sh Construction and Seymour (Civil Engineering Contractors) have been selected by Northumbrian Water to maintain its sewer network. The frameworks, worth up to £247M over nine years, came into effect this month. As part of the deals, Esh and Seymour will carry out improvements to nearly 30,000km of underground sewer pipes, including repair and maintenance, blockage clearance and the provision of a 24/7 emergency call out cover. Kevin Byrne, managing director of Seymour CEC, said: "The award of the framework is fantastic news for Seymour Civil Engineering. It secures jobs and our position as a market leader and specialist in the water sector, whilst offering future employ- ment opportunities and enhances potential community benefits." Stephen Wilkie, regional managing director of Esh, added: "We are both proud and delighted to have been reappointed to carry out this important work for Northumbrian Water and to serve the region in this way." Need to Know The Tideway Tunnel will run 25km along the River Thames between Acton and Abbey Mills and intercept 34 combined sewer overflows It will be connected to the Lee Tunnel, which will transfer the sewage to Beckton Sewage Treatment Works It is estimated that by 2031, 8.6 million people will be living in London, with 600,000 new homes needed to meet that rise Commissioning of the tunnel is scheduled for 2022, with all works completed in 2023 The project will be spread across 24 construction sites There have been calls for the project to be scrapped, including from Professor Chris Binnie, who led a study group recommending the tunnel B lack & Veatch is investigating different technologies to manage levels of pesticides, particularly metaldehyde from agricultural practices in raw water. The investigation is part of a contract that the company has won at Affinity Water to help manage water quality at a water treatment works in Hertfordshire. The key objective of the project is to gather the data necessary to make a technology selection for an innovative treatment process. Conceptual and then detailed design will follow, resulting in a planning application for the new-build phase of the project. The project will initially see Black & Veatch carrying out a pilot and jar testing programme, comparing two technologies' effectiveness at removing metaldehyde from raw water. Once the trials are complete, the information will help Affinity Water develop a treatment strategy for the site. by an independent IP, with its own licence from Ofwat. Procurement for the IP started in June 2014, and licence award is expected in July 2015." The appointed independent Infrastructure Provider will be licensed by water regulator Ofwat, and will also take on the contractual arrangements with the construction companies. Construction of the tunnel, which is scheduled to start next year, will be split geographically into three main works construction contracts worth a total of around £1.6bn – west (£300M-£500M), central (£600M-£950M) and east (£500M-£800M). The winning contractors are expected to be announced in July 2015 to coincide with the completion of the Infrastructure Provider procurement. "...the failure of a supplier can have potentially devastating effects" Tom Grand, Achilles "We are always on the hunt for new innovations and solutions.." Richard Harrison, Stonbury, p8,

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