WET News

4 WET NEWS december 2016 News+ Good monthT- Bad month For england's favourite bathing spots, which the eA says are the cleanest they have been since records began. For Severn Trent, which found a use for pumpkins left over from Halloween – feeding its coleshill Ad plant to produce electricity. For NI Water, fined £13K by Newtownards magistrates court for causing a sewage effluent discharge five times between march 2014 and July 2015. For wet wipes makers as water firms make formal complaint to Trading Standards over flushable-labelled products. Effects of microplastics in sewage sludge on soils 'overlooked' • University researchers reveal concerns that the potential consequences of microplastics emitted from households have not been adequately analysed. R esearchers are concerned about the lack of knowl- edge regarding the poten- tial consequences that micro- plastics may have on agricultural landscapes through the applica- tion of sewage sludge. Until now, the environmental problem of microplastics has focused on their effects in the ocean and on marine life. Luca Nizzetto and Sindre Langaas, from the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) and Martyn Futter, from the Swedish University of Agri- cultural Sciences (SLU) in Upp- sala, say microplastics in soils have largely been overlooked. In an article recently pub- lished Environmental Science & Technology, the researchers said sewage sludge is in principle waste, but it can also represent a resource in agriculture and horticulture. Fertiliser based on sludge contains valuable nutrients, but sustainable use requires that the levels of undesirable substances in the sludge is kept under control. However, they said, wastewa- ter treatment plants receive large amounts of microplastics emit- ted from households, industry and surface run-off in urban areas. Most of these microplas- tics accumulate in the sewage sludge. Today, sludge from municipal sewage treatment plants is applied to agricultural areas as a supplement to traditional ferti- lisers. These applications are generally well regulated as sludge might contain hazardous substances of different sorts. Microplastics are, however, not currently on the regulatory agenda for the use of sludge in agriculture. The potential consequences for sustainability and food secu- rity have not been adequately analysed, said the researchers. Nizzetto said: "We have found figures from the Nordic countries suggesting that a large fraction of all the microplastics generated in Western societies tend to end up in the sludge in wastewater treatment plants. Via the sludge the particles are transferred to agricultural soils." The amount of sewage sludge used as fertiliser varies greatly from country to country. In concrete steel clean water civils waste water FULL REFURBISHMENT SERVICES FOR RESERVOIR & WATER TOWERS, CLEAN & SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS, STEEL/CONCRETE TANKS & VESSELS, SPILLWAYS & AQUEDUCTS, BRIDGES, PIPEWORK, PIPE BRIDGES & OTHER ASSETS. FULL CIVIL ENGINEERING CAPABILITY INC NEW BUILD PROJECTS. PLEASE CONTACT US FOR OUR FULL SCOPE OF SERVICES. CONTRACT WINS • J Murphy & Sons has won a place on a five-year framework deal with Affinity Water. The framework, murphy's first with Affinity, covers minor civils work at treatment plants in Hertfordshire and London. It is anticipated that murphy will work on projects ranging £25K-£250K in value. • Testing, inspection and compliance services provider eSG has been awarded a £25m, seven-year framework to carry out a wide range of specialist ground investigation and geo-environmental services for United Utilities (UU). • ECS Engineering Services has won a contract to redevelop and refurbish the environment Agency's Peakirk Pumping Station, near Peterbor- ough, at the junction of the rivers Welland and Folly. Three water companies set for in-period ODI settlements • regulator consults on draft determinations for water company trio. O fwat has consulted on dra' determinations for three water companies which opted to receive outcome delivery incentive (ODIs) performance settlements bet- ween price reviews – including Severn Trent which is to receive a £18.8M reward. All the water companies in England and Wales have ODI performance targets for 2015-20 but only three of them – Severn Trent, Anglian and South West Water – chose to have some of their financial rewards and penalties applied annually rather than waiting for the 2019 price review (PR19). These are referred to as 'in-period' ODIs as opposed to the 'end-of-period' ODIs which make up the vast majority, and they are now set to receive settlements based on their performance in 2015-6. Of these three, Severn Trent is the notable success as it set to receive a £18.8M reward: this is based on its performance in beating its commitments on pollution incidents by 32%, on internal sewer flooding by 21%, on external sewer flooding by 7%, and on leakage by 2%. The reward means the water company will be able to increase customers' bills by approxi-mately £6 for one year only in 2017-8. Meanwhile, Anglian Water is to receive a £0.5M reward for beating its leakage target by 1.5%, and South West Water is to receive a £1.7M penalty for missing its targets on wastewater pollution incidents. The Anglian reward will equate to a 27p increase in customer bills for 2017-18; Ofwat has agreed to defer a decision on the timing of the South West Water penalty until next year. The regulator said that in-period ODIs are beneficial as they generate a reward or penalty which "is much closer in time than a financial effect which takes place in 2020 onwards and is more likely to focus a company's management on delivering for its customers." David Black, senior director for Water 2020 at the regulator, said: "All water companies have to consult with their customers on setting stretching performance commitments. "Then we use outcome delivery incentives to focus companies' minds on delivering what customers want. This is especially important when there is no competitive pressure on companies." Europe and North America approximately 50% of this sludge is reused as fertiliser on average. According to Statistics Norway, about two thirds of the sludge is reused in this manner. The researchers' estimates suggest that between 110.000 and 730.000 tons of microplas- tics are transferred every year to agricultural soils in Europe and North America. This is more than the estimated total burden of microplastics currently pre- sent in ocean water. These figures are of concern Need to know between 110.000 and 730.000 tons of microplastics are transferred every year to agricultural soils in europe and North America The environmental problem of microplastics has focused on their effects in the ocean and on marine life Sludge from municipal sewage treatment plants is applied to agricultural areas as a supplement to traditional fertilisersfor the region in more than 60 years since the effects of microplastics accumulating in agricultural soils are unknown. There is very little knowledge on the effect of microplastics on soil organisms, and their impact on farm productivity and food safety is unknown. "Clearly further research is needed to get an overview of the problem - and to find solutions - so that the growing need in the community for recycling and so- called circular economy can be safeguarded," said Nizzetto. Sludge is applied to agricultural areas as a supplement to traditional fertilisers

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