WET News

2 WET NEWS MARCH 2017 COMMENT "As smart as this new helmet may be, I hope it o ers the right head protection..." MARCH 5 SEPA has launched its Flood Warning Development Framework detailing actions it plans to deliver over the next † ve years to lessen the impact of flooding on communities. Hydro Industries, a water technology company, has appointed Simon Taylor as its new head of business develop- ment. Taylor has held management roles in water and wastewater, including stints with Northumbrian Water, Suez in New Zealand. Kier said its underlying trading performance for the half-year to December 31, 2016 was in line with management's expecta- tions. Its net debt position for the six months was £179M (December 31, 2015: £174M). Each of the group's divisions continue to perform well including the Construction and Services divisions. Total contract awards since mid-November 2016 totalled £1bn-plus. £179M £1bn 1,000 Thames Water repaired more than 1,000 water leaks in a week during last month's cold snap. The † rm took on extra sta to carry out the work. 221K The number of new recruits needed in the energy and utilities sector in the next ten years. "We're well positioned to leverage our global water resources expertise to help deliver sustainable, pragmatic solutions..." Bob Duff, senior VP of buildings and infrastructure at Jacobs, on its selection by Thames Water to provide engineering and environmental consultancy services for AMP6. "We remain committed to delivering our £670M totex e™ ciency target in this regulatory period" Severn Trent chief executive Liv Garfi eld on the news that the group is expecting its net customer Outcome Delivery Incentive (ODI) rewards for the full- year 2016/17 to be ahead of previous guidance of £15M. £70M UU is to start work on the £70M upgrade to its wastewater treatment works in Morecambe. Two large stormwater storage tanks are planned, as are new pumps at Schola Green Pumping Station, the upgrade to Morecambe WwTW, and a new 7km sewer pipe between the two sites. Reaching the heady heights of digital technology S kanska engineers are going all RoboCop. Well, not quite but they are going fututistic looking as the company trials – the DAQRI Smart Helmet! The helmet is a professional industrial grade wearable technology that provides users with instant and relevant information, overlaid on their line of sight. Bene† ts include thermal vision, 3D constructions of buildings, and guided work instructions. But what I like best is that a member of staˆ can connect to the helmet remotely and see through the eye of the user. How brilliant is that? Skanska has become one of the † rst UK contractors to be part of DAQRI's early adopter programme. Thomas Faulkner, executive vice president at Skanska UK, says: This trial demonstrates our commitment to exploring onsite new digital technology, collaborating with technical partners to give us the potential to transform the way we work. "If, as an industry, we are to deliver on the targets set in the Construction 2025 strategy, we need to be innovative in our thinking. It will help us to be more e— cient, delivering projects more quickly while reducing costs and carbon." As smart as this new helmet may be, I hope it oˆ ers the right head protection as well. Water industry 'Oscars' are a great night out! Around 221,000 new recruits will be needed in the energy and utilities sector by 2027 to provide the essential services its customers seek and the infrastructure the UK needs for its economic growth, according to the Energy & Utilities Skills Partnership. The partnership has launched the † rst ever joint Workforce Renewal and Skills Strategy for the sector. This strategy, managed by Energy & Utility Skills, sets out for the † rst time the reality of the challenges faced, immediate initiatives that are underway and the ambitions the partnership shares in moving towards achieving a more sustainable future. The sector needs to get behind this strategy or, as Anglian Water boss Peter Simpson warns, the skills gap "could bring our country and economy to a grinding halt". Water industry 'Oscars' are a great night out! If you're looking for something to do on the evening of May 23 then why not treat your customers to a night out at the Water Industry Achievement Awards 2017? The awards, organised by WET News and Water & Wastewater Treatment, is being held at The Vox Conference Centre, Birming-ham. It's a great event to network with your peers, and celebrate the innovative achievements of the water and wastewater sector. An early bird booking rate is available until March 3. See you there! [Use Taylor pic here] W elsh Water has invested £7.2M in innovation projects in the past 12 months that have improved services for customers and enabled them to continue to protect the environment. This was revealed when Welsh Water brought water and environment industry experts and academics from leading UK universities together to recognise the challenges facing the UK water industry, identify innovative solutions and celebrate pioneering projects that improve performance, boost the environment and bring bene† ts to customers at its 2017 Innovation Conference. More than 350 delegates attended the event to exchange information, ideas and learning and discuss future research needs at Swansea University's Bay Campus. Delegates heard how identifying and embracing innovative solutions to every day challenges has become part ¤ Utility uses innovation conference to flag up the future challenges it faces to academics and industry experts. Welsh Water spends millions of pounds on innovation schemes of everyday life at Welsh Water – from practical 'on the ground' solutions from Welsh Water colleagues to multimillion- pound investments in renew- able energy and research. The company also explained the challenges it is facing and expects to face in the future, such as climate change, to encourage potential partners to share innovative and sustainable proposals that will stretch their future thinking. Over the past 12 months, Welsh Water's spend included: • Invested in a two-year coastal investigations programme at 49 sites around the Welsh coastline. The programme, developed in consultation with NRW, includes † eld oceano-graphic surveys, monitoring river water quality, surface water drains and sewer network • PestSmart encourages land- owners to consider smarter, more environmentally fri- endly ways of weed, pest and disease control that do not impact on people, water or wildlife • Arfon Jones-Hughes, a mem- ber of Welsh Water's Water Distribution team in north Wales, has designed a tool that halved the time it takes to replace a supply pipe † lter Tony Harrington, director of environment for Welsh Water, said: "It's important that we continue this focus on new ways of working if we are to be recognised as an innovator in everything that we do and achieve our aim of being a truly world class, resilient and sustainable water service for our customers. 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