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24 | 27TH - 3RD DECEMBER 2015 | UTILITY WEEK Operations & Assets S treetworks are undertaken for four main reasons: safety; security of sup- ply; to connect new customers or enhance existing customers' supplies; or to divert underground equipment to allow major transport or regeneration projects to take place. Put simply, without streetworks the UK would not have access to the safe and reliable essential utility services that underpin so much of 21st century life. Clearly, this creates disrup- tion and we need to ask our- selves whether the industry is doing enough to communicate to the public why these works are needed, and whether we are doing enough to minimise the impact of these works on the nation's productiv- ity. These are just two of the key questions I have been grappling with since becoming chief executive of the National Joint Utilities Group. Utility companies are major contributors to economic growth, but the extent of their investment in streetworks has never really been looked at in any detail. Streetworks and utilities are extensively regulated through the Department for Transport, local highway authorities and respective economic regula- tors. However, these complex arrangements reveal only a fragmented view of the total cost of streetworks. Up until now, we have simply not had robust data. With this in mind, NJUG recently appointed PA Consulting to independently measure the cost of undertaking streetworks and model the estimated cost of possible leg- islative changes to the industry and to Eng- land and Wales. This econometric model will allow NJUG to work closely with the govern- ment and support policymaking with robust data. This information comes at a crucial time, especially with utilities building sig- nificant infrastructure. PA Consulting's preliminary findings make for fascinating reading. Based on data gathered from a cross-section of utility com- panies operating on different scales, within a mix of urban and rural areas across England and Wales and across the four major utility sectors (electricity, gas, water and telecom- munications), the cost of streetworks in the financial year 2014/15 is estimated to be between £1.5-2 billion. The approaches used in the modelling exercises have been extensively scrutinised to confirm their accuracy. The model itself has been reviewed by an independent aca- demic, Michelle Baddeley, professor of Economics and Finance at Univer- sity College London, who has its con- firmed the validity and credibility. The data indicates that in 2014/15 there were around 1.5 million works undertaken by utilities, although this is only a partial picture given that approximately half of all works are undertaken by highway authorities. These works equated to more than six million days of road occupation. It is this statistic that really brings home the need for utilities, contractors, and highway authorities to work together to deliver a step change in minimis- ing road occupation and disruption. I fundamentally believe that the most sig- nificant steps we can take to deliver on this objective is finding innovative ways of deliv- ering streetworks and ensuring that utilities and highway authorities collaborate and co-operate more effectively. We have seen a number of promising case studies in both areas and one of NJUG's primary responsi- bilities is in ensuring that the entire industry – utilities, contractors and others in the sup- ply chain together with highway authorities – are fully informed about these examples. Inevitably, streetworks are going to have a bigger and bigger impact on the nation's roads. The Office for National Statistics pre- dicts that the UK's population will increase to above 76 million by 2045, and the Depart- ment for Transport expects traffic volume to increase by 43 per cent by 2040. We have significant pressures from increasing house building, which needs to be connected to utility services, and the government has pledged £100 billion for new infrastructure projects. All of these are competing for space in a local road network that has little or no room to expand. This is why we must work together better and deliver game-changing streetworks innovations. NJUG's boss calls for closer collaboration between industry and government. Opinion Bob Gallienne, Chief executive, National Joint Utilities Group Drilling and Tapping at Utility Week Live Malcolm Holmes, network ser- vice manager at Anglian Water, is a veteran of the Drilling and Tapping competition that takes place at Utility Week Live. Here, he explains what's involved. How long have you been involved? "I competed in the competition, and was national champion for three years, before going into the judging side of it. Then I ran the competition for about ten years. Now, I am still a national judge but I also look aer the team at Anglian Water." What's the appeal? "It's about getting the people that do this as a day job to an exhibition where they wouldn't normally go, to let other people see their skills. It allows people to understand the concept of us connecting a water pipe to the house, and to see that it isn't as straightforward as it may seem. There is great camaraderie between the teams, so it's good for networking, and you can bring back innovative ideas from the show." What are the key skills that you need to succeed? "You have to show speed and dexterity, and complete the task in a manner that avoids health and safety concerns. In the competition, any safety violation gives you a 30 second penalty, and that generally would mean that you would not win the competition. So the drilling and tapping has to be done in a safe, controlled, speedy fashion." What's the worst that could go wrong? "What you are trying to do is connect all the fittings with the result that you have a supply going through the meter and water coming out of the tap at the back. The worst thing is you overdraw the water main and your ferrule pops out, because then there's nothing you can do, you can't get water out and the competition is gone. It's about getting it right first time." To find out about entering this year, contact: Dan Barton at dan@instituteofwater.org.uk In 2014/15 there were 1.5 million works undertaken by utilities