WET News

News+ South West Water believes drones with thermal sensors will help reduce leakage detection and repair costs by pinpointing exact leak locations. P4 Onsite: Health & safety Working in con• ned spaces is a common, high-risk activity in the industry. As such it requires e• ective planning, management and control to safeguard workers. P10-11 Insite: Sludge blanket detection has advanced massively over the past few years – from dipping a long tube into the liquor through to the • nely controlled digital signal analysis that is taking over. P17, 18 WET NEWS WATER AND EFFLUENT TREATMENT NEWS Yorkshire Water has invested millions of pounds on aqueducts project to ensure security of water supplies for years to come. Yorkshire Water updates Victorian aqueducts FEBRUARY 2017 Volume 23 • Issue 2 Morrison Utility Services' parent buys Dyer & Butler "It's very new for the Tier 2s and a long journey for them still to go on" Simon Moran, JCP Consultancy. P8 "We have a pipeline system which can demonstrate its value as a reliable asset…" Julia Trew, BPF Pipes Group. P14-15 Two-thirds of businesses 'oblivious' to market opening Y orkshire Water is carrying out work to improve two aqueducts in the Bradford Area that date back to the Victorian era. The utility, in 2014, embarked on a three-year pro- gramme of improvements to the Nidd and Barden aqueducts, which transfer water from res- ervoirs in Nidderdale and Upper Wharfedale to Chellow Heights WTW in Bradford and Grain- cli† e WTW in Eldwick. Barden aqueduct is nearly 160 years old and was commissioned to supply the rapidly expanding city of Bradford during the Industrial Revolution for drinking water and wool processing; it transfers around 30Ml of raw water per day from Lower Barden reservoir together with water collected from the moors near Burnsall to Graincli† e Water Treatment Works (WTW) via 22km of tunnels. Nidd aqueduct was constructed between 1894 and 1902, and transfers 130 million litres of raw water every day from Angram and Scar House Reservoirs in Upper Nidderdale along 40km of tunnels, aqueducts and bridges to Chellow Heights WTW. Detailed surveys by a team of specialist engineers generally showed the structures to be in remarkably good condition, but in places they needed some attention to help provide a reliable future service. Engineers from OVIC, Ken Rodney Construction and Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB) have been involved in this project which has seen £3.6M invested in these assets. The project has involved minor structural remedial works, such as resetting of keystones and re-grouting, to major structural R egional civil engineering and building contractor Dyer & Butler is being acquired by a holding company of First Reserve, a global private equity investment ¡ rm with US$31bn of aggregate capital raised since inception. In September 2016, this same holding company acquired Morrison Utility Services. The new ownership and associated company structure will o† er greater scale and resources to support continued growth. Dyer & Butler builds, maintains and renews infrastructure within both the public and private sector. Its managing director, Neil Edwards, said: "This represents an exciting step in our continued development and, with the additional support of First Reserve and our sister company Morrison Utility Services, we have the opportunity to strengthen and accelerate the growth of our business. To this end, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Jim Arnold (chief executive of Morrison US) to the Dyer & Butler Board." W ith just weeks to go until the non- residential water retail market opens, two-thirds of business customers are "still oblivious" to the changes, according to Ofwat research. The research reveals that only one-third of businesses are currently aware they can switch supplier, but just over 50% of those surveyed said they would consider switching as soon as the market opens. Firms in construction, retail, ¡ nancial and insurance, public administration and defence were signi¡ cantly less likely to be aware of upcoming changes to the water retail market. The survey also found that most participants would prefer to renegotiate with their existing water and wastewater suppliers in an attempt to reduce costs while "maintaining a familiar and satisfactory level of service". Ofwat chief executive Cathryn Ross said market opening is "a real opportunity" for customers, but they need to know more about it. "Then they can use that knowledge to make an informed choice." Ken Rodney Construction engineers working in the Barden tunnel works, like the installation of internal structural bracing and the full replacement of some sections. The work has been carefully coordinated to minimise the impact on the water supply to Chellow Heights and Graincli† e to ensure customers do not go without water. Next month MMB will start working on a section of the Nidd aqueduct near to Skyreholme. Most the structural work in the Barden tunnel was completed last year, but the team will return to Nidderdale Early DfMA deals contribute to Laing O'Rourke pro„ t loss Construction company reiterates commitment to DfMA strategy exception contract losses. L aing O'Rourke has revealed that three Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) construction deals accrued exceptional losses of £43.3M for the year ending March 31, 2016. The company said the losses related to three ¡ rst generation DfMA contracts in the UK. It said: "These projects were sub- stantially redesigned in order to demonstrate the bene¡ ts of DfMA. Signi¡ cant lessons have been learned from these pro- jects, all of which were won in 2013; a particularly price-driven market." Laing O'Rourke is con¡ dent "these unusual circumstances are unlikely to0 recur on new contracts". News of the DfMA excep- tional loss came as Laing O'Rourke reported a £245.6M loss for the year. It is the ¡ rst loss since the company began trading as Laing O'Rourke 15 years ago. Group executive chairman Ray O'Rourke said: "I can reconcile the losses to a number of projects that are now com- plete and handed over and a particularly diª cult large pro- ject in Canada, on which I am pleased to announce we are on track to deliver the project in accordance with the mutually agreed revised timetable." He continued: "We have continued to invest in our peo- ple, manufacturing, digital technology and engineering excellence, based on our ¡ rm belief that this is the future; I am pleased to say we continue to believe in this strategy as the market in the UK dramatically improves with the advent of the New Nuclear Programme, High Speed 2, Heathrow Runway and Terminals, Thames Tideway." O'Rourke said that in Sep- tember 2015 a number of the group's major projects taken during recessionary years in the UK were loss-making. "There were a number of contributing factors, including inadequate pricing, supply chain failures, coupled with diª cult contract conditions, with a number of clients also facing the impact of austerity. "We resolved not to change strategy and to continue our pursuit of DfMA, Digital Engi- neering and Engineering Excel- lence, in order to drive improve- ments in productivity, quality and schedule, " said O'Rourke. He also added that the group had resolved not to change strategy and to continue "our pursuit" of DfMA, Digital Engi- neering and Engineering Excel- lence, in order to drive improve- ments in productivity. Laing O'Rourke's board and Executive Leadership Team resolved to "clear the decks" and focus on a number of key areas, to return the group to pro¡ table trading in its current ¡ nancial year ending March 2017· "Our order book success continues to demonstrate that the market is attracted to our delivery model," said O'Rourke. The addressable pipeline of projects that the group has cov- ering Australia, Middle East, and UK exceeds £45bn, with a £10bn backlog of secured and preferred contracts. "Given we are in this unu- sual place, I feel committed to give our stakeholders guidance on our anticipated revenue ¯ ows for the coming years." in April to continue the programme of minor repairs. Mark Broady, Yorkshire Water project manager, said: "The aqueducts are fantastic feats of Victorian engineering, but they are both well over a hundred years old and needed some repairs. Our partners have been hard at work since 2014 and the project should be complete by the end of 2017." He said: "This project will ensure the security of water supplies to Bradford and surrounding area for years to come." "We have continued to invest in our people, manufacturing, digital technology and engineering excellence, based on our • rm belief that this is the future" Ray O'Rourke, Laing O'Rourke

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