WET News

2 WET NEWS NOVEMBER 2016 COMMENT "The Skills Accord can go a long way to counteract that fact." NOVEMBER 350 Yorkshire Water has taken ownership of more than 350 sewage pumping stations, following the transfer of private pumping stations to water and sewerage † rms. "Clients are facing many complex challenges as a result of population growth, climate change and ever more stringent regulations and I'm looking forward to applying my skills and experience to help them" Mark Mulcahy on becoming principal hydrogeologist at MWH in the UK. GPS has won two contracts, worth £1M in total, to supply PE pipe systems to Thames Water for two AMP6 schemes at New Malden and Axford. The New Malden £5.5M scheme is to upgrade water mains to reduce the risk of leaks and bursts. GPS will also supply the next phase of the £25M Axford scheme to build an 18.2km pipeline to reduce the amount of water abstracted from the River Kennet. £1M 2 £75M Kier has sold Mouchel Consulting to WSP Global for £75M as it simpli† es its portfolio of businesses. Mouchel Consulting was acquired in June 2015 as part of Kier's £265M takeover of Mouchel. 5% The Skills Accord commits to an annual contribution to the utility sector's overall training target of 5%. "IETG and 40Seven represent great brands in their respective markets and, we look forward to cont-inuing to build on the recent historical success of the business. " IETG Group MD Ian Edwards following its MBO from IDEX Corporation. "The removal of lead pipes costs money which too often the public are unwilling to spend. ...as an industry we need to put our heads together and † nd some innovative solutions" Marcus Rink, chief inspector at the Drinking Water Inspectorate. £17M Scottish Water has emb- arked on a £17M project to upgrade the wastewater infrastructure in Paisley. The scheme will improve water quality in two local rivers. The project includes constructing a one-mile long sewer under the streets of Paisley and the installation of CSOs (CSOs). Amey is the contractor. The Skills Accord needs supply chain's full support W ell done to Energy & Utility Skills for its latest initiative – the Skills Accord – which aims to deliver a future sustainable workforce in the utilities sector (see front page). The Skills Accord is a new approach to strategic workforce renewal. The aim is to ensure market contractors remain competitive whilst embedding relevant skills development in their organisations through their commitment to an annual contribution to the sector's overall training target of 5%, and encouraging the same through their supply chain. The idea is that procurement competitions can help enhance skills development through the supply chain. Thne development of the scheme has been driven by † ve asset owning companies, including Thames Water, supported by more than 20 supply chain companies. We all know how serious the skills shortage is in the utilities market. Thousands of employees are expected to retire in the water industry over the next ten years. The Skills Accord can go a long way to help counteract that fact. The industry's contractors and supplier should give the initiative their full support. Gully sensors Amey using new sensors that could end ‰ ash ‰ oods on roads if the company's trial in Hampshire proves a success (see front page). This is innovation at its best, and I'm sure there will be shouts of 'why didn't I think of that?'. I hate to think how many gullies there are nationwide, and it must be a nightmare to keep them clear of leaves and other debris. These sensors seem such a simple solution for a very serious problem – but then the best ideas sometime usually are. WET News Water Industry Supplier Conference Our Water Industry Supplier Conference is just days away – November 10 in Birmingham. We have a fantastic programme lined up covering opportunities, strategy and innovation, as well as how you † t into the supply and demand picture. Some of the water companies will be there revealing their expectations moving forward, as well as discussing their approach to their respective supply chains. It will be well worth the visit – go to events.wwtonline. co.uk/supplier for all the details. I look forward to seeing you on the 10th. S cottish Water Horizons (SWH), the commercial subsidiary of Scottish Water, is to form a strategic alliance with SHARC Energy Systems to expand and accelerate the deployment of sewage heat recovery systems around Scotland. The † rms are joining forces to o˜ er businesses and public organisations the technology, which is able to reduce heating costs and carbon emissions at large premises. The technology works by heating the wastewater from sewers with heat pump technology to amplify the natural warmth of wastewater. This then generates an energy-saving, cost-e˜ ective and environmentally-friendly system for heating, cooling and hot water production in commercial and residential buildings. The UK's † rst Sewage Heat Recovery (SHR) system, developed by SHARC, was installed at Borders College in Galashiels last year. It aims to displace 1.8 GWhs (Giga Watt hours) of natural gas and save 150 tonnes of carbon emissions per year. The innovative SHARC ž Strategic alliance will support the Scottish government's ambitious renewable heat and carbon reduction targets for 2020. Scottish deal to roll out sewage heat recovery technology system was developed by Vancouver-based International Wastewater Systems, the publicly traded parent company of SHARC Energy Systems, and has been deployed in numerous international locations. The new alliance will support the Scottish government's ambitious renewable heat and carbon reduction targets for 2020. It is the result of two years of informal collaboration between SHARC and SWH, which has created a £20M pipeline of potential installations across Scotland that when deployed would generate 170GWHs per year of heating and cooling to displace the fossil fuel currently used. SWH has estimated that up to 750 such systems would need to be installed by 2020 to enable Scotland to achieve its carbon savings targets. Andrew Macdonald, head of SWH, said: "The potential to deploy this technology is signi† cant. "Heat accounts for over half of Scotland's total energy use and we believe that by harnessing the natural resources of our vast waste water network, we can further the development of Scotland's low carbon economy, whilst protecting and enhancing the environment. "Scottish Water treats over 900 million litres of wastewater every year and we are determined to maximise the opportunities presented. "Our alliance with SHARC Energy is an exciting opportunity which will help to accelerate the deployment of this proven technology on a wider scale, providing customers with an innovative and sustainable lower cost heating solution." Commenting on the announcement, Russ Burton, chief operating o¦ cer at International Wastewater Systems, said: "This announcement is a very exciting step for SHARC and represents the culmination of two and a half years working with Scottish Water Horizons to identify opportunities for the SHARC technology. "Having the support from Scottish Water Horizons will give customers the con† dence in the SHARC technology, positioning it as a sustainable and viable wastewater heat recovery solution." www.teekaycouplings.com tel: +44 (0)1494 679500

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