Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
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www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | may 2016 | 5 Wessex Water has signed an agreement with the Environment Agency (EA) to trial an industry-first catchment-wide permitting scheme in the West Country, with the hope of improving the environment at a lower overall cost. The Bristol Avon catchment permitting trial will begin in earnest on 1 January 2017 and will run for four years. Wessex said the move was prompted by the need to reduce levels of phosphorus being discharged from its sewage works into the River Avon, to meet the requirements of the Water Framework Directive. A traditional individual site permitting approach would have meant expensive capital investment at all 24 sewage works where reduced phosphorus levels are required. But by developing a catchment-wide permit with the EA, Wessex Water said it will minimise the risk of failing to meet the new tighter discharge standards, and therefore be better placed to meet the environmental objectives in the Bristol Avon with less upfront investment. Wessex Water director of regulation and customer services Andy Pymer said: "This new approach helps to ensure we continue to enhance standards in the environment but at an overall lower cost to our customers. "The Bristol Avon is an important river catchment for Wessex Water where, in addition to catchment permitting, we are actively working with many partners on other major influences within the catchment to reduce the level of phosphorus in the river system as part of a wider catchment-based approach." If the trial is successful, Wessex Water plans to roll out the approach more widely in the West Country and the EA will consider its use elsewhere. Application process opens for retail licences Companies and individuals who are interested in providing retail water services to businesses in England under the new competition regime can now apply for a licence to do so, Ofwat has announced. Retail services cover activities such as billing, reading water meters and customer services and advice. At present, businesses based wholly in England and which use more than five mega litres of water per year – which means a water bill of about £9,000 per annum – can choose their water retailer. However, from April 2017 the market will open to the remaining estimated 1.2 million businesses, charities and public sector organisations – enabling them to either stay with their existing supplier, or shop around to find a new one who could deliver more benefits and a better service. Among the first to apply for the new license was new entrant Castle Water, which already supplies 7,000 customers in Scotland and recently struck a deal to operate retailing services for Portsmouth Water. VEGA Water Radar: non contact solution for open water level measurement. No echo loss from wind, rain or surface conditions, even cobwebs! Just reliable level monitoring for any open water or remote site. No stilling tubes, civil works or special mountings. Low cost unit, 15m range, 2mm accuracy and miserly enough on power to use with battery loggers. So, what's stopping you changing the way you measure level? www.vega.com Phone: 01444 870055 E-Mail: info.uk@vega.com Self-contained with GSM data logger Wessex Water agrees catchment permitting trial for Bristol Avon