WET News

4 WET NEWS JUNE 2016 News+ Good monthT- Bad month For taxpayers as the government expects to reduce the public sector's water bill by 30% a year having awarded a licence to AquaFund. For the red earthworms eliminating 99% of contaminants as part of the BioFiltro BIDA biological wastewater system installed at Californian winery Fetzer Vineyards. (Hiccup!) For UK students who, according to Lanes Group research, waste the equivalent of more than two bathfuls of water a day. For Miller Homes, fined £100,000 over a pollution incident that involved water containing silt and sediment being discharged into a watercourse in Huddersfield. Totex challenge requires sector suppliers to up their game • Selecting the right equipment and maximising their lifecycle could yield major efficiency gains, according to new research by Talis. A pplying a true Totex approach to the selection and procurement of valves could result in significant efficiency gains for water utilities, according to a report from Talis UK. The True Cost of Substandard Valves, which looks into the implications of choosing the right valves, found that if water companies begin to purchase items based on an assessment of their influence on future outcomes, rather than price, it could yield efficiency gains of over 15%. As well as highlighting the importance of selecting the right valves and maximising their lifecycle to reduce long-term costs and the impact of disruption, the report demonstrates the need for suppliers to work closely with water companies to improve investment in the water network. For instance, the research found that by making the right decisions in relation to valves it could reduce leakages in the system by around 20%, which would in turn help to save approximately 227,249 mega litres of water every year. In addition, it revealed that every time the lifespan of a main line valve is doubled it saves the total network £2.1M. Mark Hodgens, managing director at Talis UK, said: "The introduction of Totex will have a major impact on thinking when it comes to selecting valves. Water companies need to make the leap from this being a contractor-led decision based on price, to an engineer-led decision based on the overall performance of the system. "And to help create long term savings, suppliers now need to up their game. Product manufacturers need to offer their consultancy and know- how to help select the best valves to meet the current and future needs of each application. "The companies that are able to best embrace this approach will therefore be at an enormous advantage. Not just delivering www.teekaycouplings.com tel: +44 (0)1494 679500 CONTRACT WINS • ECS Engineering Services has secured a contract for the manufacture, supply and installation of replacement screw pumps at Severn Trent Water's extensive Mansfield Sewage Treatment Works. ECS has been recognised by NMCNomenca for its specialist expertise in this area. • Veolia has won a new contract with Irish Water which includes a €2.16M upgrade of the wastewater infrastructure at Kingscourt, County Cavan. The work will enhance the performance of the plant to treat the increased demand over the next few years. • Drainage contractor Flowline has been awarded a new six-year contract by Anglian Water. The company has been delivering liquid waste tankering services for Anglian Water since 2012. units for Cryptosporidium inactivation. Restoration of Pennines moorland and peat bogs gets underway • Five-year scheme gets financial backing not just from the EU but three water companies as well. T housands of acres of South Pennines moorland and peat bogs will be better protected as a new EU-funded restoration project gets underway. The MoorLIFE 2020 project – which received €12 million (£9.25M) funding from the EU – will restore and preserve areas of blanket bog developed over thousands of years which are internationally rare due to their high concentration of carbon-storing peat. The project, which is co-financed by Severn Trent Water, Yorkshire Water and United Utilities, will improve water quality in reservoirs and rivers, while reducing flood risk in towns and villages as re-vegetated moorland retains stormwater for longer. The project will also provide new habitats for birds and other wildlife, reduce the risk of wildfires and provide new facilities to boost local tourism. The five-year scheme is run by Moors for the Future Partnership, which brings together partners including the Environment Agency, Natural England and MoorLIFE project. On a visit to mark the start of work beginning, environment minister Rory Stewart highlighted the benefits of the UK's membership of the EU which makes provides access to additional funding to support environmental conversation. Stewart said: "EU membership provides clear benefits for our natural environment, both at home and abroad. Funding provided from the European Union to the Moors for the Future Partnership, will ensure the protection of our distinct landscapes and priority international habitats across the South Pennines. "Through partnership working, crucial conservation and scientific work, alongside innovative techniques, we can fully understand and protect our moorland habitats for future generations. We can protect and enhance the environment far more effectively if EU countries continue to work together as part of a reformed European Union." The EU's LIFE fund supports environmental, nature conservation and climate action projects throughout Europe. better value for their shareholders, but also building their reputation and gaining the ability to pass on savings to end-users, which will become increasingly important. "Totex has the potential to massively improve the overall efficiencies in UK water supply. However, everyone involved in the sector needs to embrace the spirit of the new regime and play an active part in its success." Every time the lifespan of a main line valve is doubled it saves the total network £2.1M "Water companies need to make the leap from this being a contractor-led decision based on price, to an engineer-led decision based on the overall performance of the system" Mark Hodgens, Taliks UK

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