Water & Wastewater Treatment

www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | APRIL 2016 | 5 Ofwat li s in-area trading ban Incumbent water companies have received a major boost with Ofwat's decision to li the in-area trading ban (IATB) from April, allowing them to consolidate in-area and out-of- area business customers ahead of market opening in 2017. The news will be seen as a blow to prospective market entrants, who have campaigned against an early end to the IATB, arguing that its removal would give incumbents an unfair advantage. However, Ofwat said it considered that any concerns around the possibility of undue incumbent advantage "will be dealt with through other licence conditions", including conditions requiring compliance codes that all undertakers must have in place. The IATB prevents the market design envisaged by the Water Act 2014 and it is therefore necessary to remove the IATB in advance of market opening in April 2017, the regulator said. "We have already engaged with stakeholders on our proposal and considered carefully the points made by those stakeholders on the removal of the IATB, particularly the points made by retailers currently operating in the Scottish non-household retail market, and we have concluded that it remains in customer's interests overall for the ban to be removed in April 2016," it added. The removal of the IATB will not have any practical effect in Wales. Ofwat said it had consulted with the Welsh government, and will hold a workshop this month on the application of the proposed market framework for small companies and Welsh companies. Polluters pay VOX POP "There is tremendous pressure for new housing and through our partnership with Albion Water we will be able to help ensure new developments are properly supported with the highest service levels." Wessex Water chief executive Colin Skellett "One way we can communicate the company's strategy and values is through a brand that people connect with… our new brand is Wave." Lucy Darch, boss of Northumbrian Water's new business retail arm, Wave "Most water utilities rely on networks installed in the first half of the 20th century or even earlier and little has changed in the way they are managed." Joel Hagan, chief executive of i2O Wessex in Albion JV Wessex Water has announced a joint venture (JV) with Albion Water, which will see the incumbent take a 51 per cent stake in the independent supplier. Wessex chief executive Colin Skellett, who will be chair of the JV, unveiled the agreement at the Water UK City Conference in London, saying: "There is tremendous pressure for new housing and through our partnership with Albion Water we will be able to help ensure new developments are properly supported with the highest service levels – benefiting developers and residents as well as protecting the environment." Albion chief executive Jerry Bryan said the JV will give his company the "financial and technical strength" to meet a growing demand for sustainable and resilient solutions for new housing. "Many developers are seeking more sustainable and affordable solutions for new housing and the conventional water company approach can oen be unacceptable on the grounds of cost and environmental impact." Albion Water is developing the ecosystem services approach to the provision of a growing range of community services, of which water supply and wastewater management are key components. "The need for new housing provides significant opportunities," said Bryan. "Through our new partnership with Wessex Water, which itself has an excellent reputation for innovation, we will be able to provide new sustainable solutions for developers." Bucks spill costs Thames £380K Thames Water has been fined £380,000 at Aylesbury Crown Court for polluting the Horsenden Stream, part of the River Thame catchment, in Buckinghamshire. The case was brought by the Environment Agency a er Thames Water caused pollution from its site at Princes Risborough sewage treatment works to enter the stream on multiple occasions between February and July 2013. In passing sentence, the judge at Aylesbury Crown Court said the spills were due to "unacceptable management failures" at the "clapped out" site. Shropshire farmer fined over slurry A farmer from Minsterley in Shropshire has been fined a er admitting responsibility for a slurry discharge into a tributary of the Rea Brook in January 2015. Phillip Manning pleaded guilty at Shrewsbury Magistrates' Court to a breach of the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2010; he was fined £725 and ordered to pay nearly £5,700 in prosecution costs. In their investigation, Environment Agency officers found that slurry had been spread on a steeply sloping field which was not appropriate in the wet and snowy conditions. Manning admitted spreading 24,000 gallons of slurry on the field, despite previously receiving advice on safe slurry use by the EA. YW faces odour legal action Yorkshire Water is facing legal action because of ongoing odour issues at its wastewater treatment works at Saltend. Ninety-nine families in Hedon and Preston have instructed environmental solicitors Hugh James to make a private nuisance claim on a "no win no fee" basis. The solicitors said residents living near to the Saltend treatment works site have reported serious odour problems for many years which mean that they are unable to open their doors and windows. Yorkshire Water is currently investing £30M at the facility to tackle the problem.

• Cover