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continuous battery powered turbidity for network monitoring t. 0800 8046 062 www.atiuk.com NephNet_Advert_265x90mm_Wet News_Final Artwork.indd 1 04/08/2016 22:42 WET NEWS WATER AND EFFLUENT TREATMENT NEWS LGA calls for urgent action so councils can implement rental lanes to prevent tra c gridlock. Kent County Council have been the only ones granted approval to run lane rental schemes. According to the LGA, in the two years since the scheme was introduced in London, it has cut serious and severe disruption from roadworks by almost half. There are also incentives in the lane rental scheme to ensure utility companies get it right • rst time. Companies that do "a shoddy job" can be compelled to redo the work – paying lane rental prices again. Currently 2.5 million road openings a year are caused by utility companies. LGA transport spokesman Cllr Peter Box said: "Councils want to do everything they can to help motorists and small businesses by minimising dis- ruption. We have all experi- enced the boiling frustration of being stuck in rush hour grid- lock or had headaches from deafening roadworks nearby. Many of our towns and cities could face gridlock at rush-hour unless robust and decisive T he Local Government Association (LGA) is call- ing for councils to have new powers to ease tra‹ c con- gestion caused by some utility companies digging up roads. It wants councils to be able to introduce lane rental schemes if needed without having to get approval from the transport secretary, which it said is a "cumbersome and bureaucratic process". The LGA wants urgent action from the government to stop some areas of the country fac- ing gridlock. The lane rental scheme means utility companies, such as water gas and cable provid- ers, are charged a daily rate for work carried out on key con- gested roads during busy peri- ods, such as rush hour. This incentivises companies to • nish faster. Revenue raised from lane rental charges would be used by councils to fund measures that help to reduce future road- works disruption. Currently, Transport for London (TfL) and LGA: ditch 'cumbersome' red tape on lane rental SEPTEMBER 2016 Volume 22 • Issue 9 Scottish Water picks triad for Tier 1 deals O fwat has urged the National Infrastructure Commission to clarify its support for existing regulatory processes a" er the commission referred to "changes to regu- latory or market structure" as a possible option for promoting infrastructure creation. Responding to the com- mission's National Infra- structure Assessment con- sultation, the regulator said: "Given the timescales for our Water 2020 programme, market development and the planning to inform the next periodic review for water and wastewater action is taken right now. "However, local authorities are being hamstrung by a lack of e— ective powers to tackle this issue head on. Councils know their areas best and should be able to make decisions about tra‹ c locally. This means they need the option of being able to introduce lane rental schemes without Secretary of State approval, which is time-con- suming and bureaucratic. "With the increasing demand T hree companies have been awarded Tier 1 alliance partner contracts by Scottish Water to help deliver the utility's infrastructure capital investment programme. Morrison Construction, Co— ey Construction and Fast› ow Pipeline Services will each help deliver Scottish Water's quality and standards IV (Q&SIV) programme, which covers drinking water network assets, for the regulatory period "...it is arguable that having a single stream, conventionally- built plant at these locations does not o‚ er su cient resilience" Rich Matthews, Siltbuster. P7 for new and upgraded services and an ageing utility infrastructure there needs to be powerful incentives to ensure utility companies carry out necessary work in the most e— ective way with the absolute minimum of disrup- tion. The lane rental scheme has been proven to provide this for key roads in London and Kent." "We're probably going to see a tenfold increase in demand for those skillsets" Mark Hanrahan, NM Group. P8-9 "...they need the option of being able to introduce lane rental schemes without Secretary of State approval, which is time- consuming" Cllr Peter Box, LGA O at seeks clarity from infrastructure commission News+ Water company urges more support from the regulators, agriculture industry and pesticide manufacturers to † nd the best solution. P4 Onsite: Trenchless technology Not disturbing the ruins of a medieval castle was just one of the challenges faced on a scheme to install a 390m-long pipe beneath the River Corrib. P13, 15 Insight: Pumps & valves The build-up of iron or manganese related bacteria can seriously, a‚ ecting pump capacity, water quality and borehole service life. P24-25. 2015-2021. They will directly deliver work in the central belt of Scotland and in the north- east of the country, with work elsewhere expected to be sub- contracted to Tier 2 framework contractors in the regions. Seven companies were in the running for the work. The expected • nal value of the three contracts is £50M; there is also the option for them to be extended into the next regulatory period. services we would ask that the commission clari• es its support for these processes early to avoid uncertainty." It said it will provide the methodology statement for its next price review for consultation by July 2017. Anything that would a— ect this would need to be clear "well in advance" of that date. Ofwat insisted its role as an independent economic regulator remains "vital to the provision of a— ordable, resilient and sustainable infrastructure" for water and wastewater services. Need to know Councils spend nearly a † fth of their maintenance budgets – £220M – on tackling poorly done utility streetworks The LGA represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales Roadworks cost the taxpayer about £250M annually, which would † ll in around four million potholes 2.5 million road openings annually are caused by utilities

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