WET News

4 WET NEWS JULY 2017 News+ Data analytics will be key to overcome water sector challenges, says report • Black & Veatch's annual strategy report reveals that maintaining or expanding asset life is the most significant sustainability issue for water utilities. C ustomer education, infra- structure modernisation and the use of data analytics will be key tools to overcoming the water industry's perennial challenges posed by aging infrastructure. According to Black & Veatch's 2017 Strate- gic Directions: Water Industry Report, a combination of invest- ment and new business process approaches will also be critical to closing the gap between costs and consumer expectation. The report also addresses the increasing focus on sustainabil- ity, as well as the equally diverse strategies used by industry lead- ers to achieve it. Cindy Wallis-Lage, president of Black & Veatch's water busi- ness, said: "Sustainability has different meanings to different segments of the industry. We pursue sustainable water sup- plies that can serve residents for decades to come. We look for ways to become more economi- cally sustainable by balancing system and user needs with available capital. At the same time, we pursue a kind of social sustainability by engaging con- sumers as full partners in the pursuit of a supply that's safe and resilient against weather events and long-term climate change." The report reveals that main- taining or expanding asset life is the most significant sustainabil- ity issue for water utilities. Sur- vey respondents, however, are showing significant interest in uniting data from once-siloed systems to increase operational efficiencies and inform smarter asset management. Mike Orth, executive manag- ing director for the Americas in Black & Veatch's water business, said: "Data analytics provide new levels of system intelligence that can address many of the problems hampering sustainable water supplies. Smart meters and new so"ware- based management tools enable us to turn all that data into understandable, useful insights that can address everything from water safety, asset perfor- mance and leak detection, to integrated planning and energy efficiency." The report finds that financial challenges associated with sus- tainable systems have shi"ed, with fewer providers selecting finance-driven topics as their top issues on the path to sustainabil- ity. This may reflect growing confidence in funding from two important channels: the Water CONTRACT WINS • NI Water has awarded a new £3.25M contract to Duncrue-based Heyn Engineering to supply and maintain essential safety and maintenance equipment over poten- tially the next six years. • Severn Trent Water has awarded contracts to install Nereda technol- ogy at two more of its key wastewater treat- ment works, making the company the biggest supporter of the cutting- edge water purification system in the UK to date. • Diehl Metering has secured a three-year contract extension with South West Water to supply its ALTAIR volumetric water meter for domestic metered customers. The company will supply 50,000 meters per year to be installed by South West Water. Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) and greater confidence that govern- ment leaders and customers may be more prepared to accept rate increases as a means to pay for critical improvements. "Sustainable and resilient systems will depend on industry leaders who can both collabo- rate and innovate as the water sector attempts to modernise its assets, optimise existing resources and convince custom- ers that upgrades are impor- tant," Wallis-Lage said. Fewer providers select finance- driven topics as their top issues on the path to sustainability "Data analytics provide new levels of system intelli- gence that can address many of the problems ham- pering sustainable water supplies" Mike Orth, Black & Veatch Good monthT- Bad month For bats as Wessex Water's environmental services team has embarked on a project to visit and assess bat roosts across its region. For leak detection Down Under, where utility Water Corporation is trialling the use of two specially trained sniffer dogs to detect hidden leaks in below ground water mains. For Scottish Water, fined £3,250 by Hamilton Sheriff Court for supplying water unfit for human consumption in June 2015 to more than 6,000 properties in North Lanarkshire. For Thames Water, penalised by Ofwat to the tune of £8.55M for missing its leakage target. Arup and IWA form Water- Wise strategic partnership • Organisations team up with the aim of advancing the knowledge available to city leaders and urban professionals. A rup and the International Water Association (IWA) have joined forces to empower urban leaders to bring about a paradigm shi" in the way water is managed, to make cities more sustainable, resilient and liveable. The new strategic partnership was announced at Embrace the Water: A Cities of the Future Conference in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Water-Wise Cities Initiative brings urban professionals together with water professionals to ensure water management is fully integrated in city planning and design. Key areas of collaboration between Arup and the IWA include advancing the knowledge available to city leaders and urban professionals to support the transition towards water-wise cities; empowering Young Water Professionals to play a significant role in driving this transition; and influencing agents of change to take action towards designing water-wise cities. Corinne Trommsdorff, IWA Cities of the Future Programme manager, said: "This is the first key strategic partnership that supports the IWA Water-Wise Cities Initiative. This partnership will help accelerate the transition to water-wise cities throughout the world. It will enable us to reach and engage more key urban stakeholders towards impact-oriented actions to improve urban water as part of urban development. IWA is about using the power of the network to inspire and catalyse change. Arup is a champion of water-wise cities, supporting the IWA network instigating champions amongst urban leaders and professionals." Mark Fletcher, global water leader at Arup, said: "The rapidly growing population in cities is putting increasing pressure on already scarce water resources. As a result, we need to think and act wisely to find ways to do more with less, while ensuring that cities are resilient to floods, droughts and the challenges of growing water scarcity. Through our partnership with the IWA we can help civic leaders ensure that cities continue to have access to safe water and sanitation, putting water at the forefront of all future design and development." Arup's partnership with the IWA's Water-Wise Cities Initiative aims to inspire collaborative action, underpinned by a shared vision, to drive long-term solu- tions to the future of cities. 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. Stonbury_Advert Wet News_March 2017_185x131.indd 1 07/03/2017 12:01 Need to know Nearly half of survey respondents (47%) indicated that key stakeholders and the public understand the need for proposed rate increases, but still want water providers to "do more with less" Despite increased public scrutiny, when asked about lead and copper corrosion, 55% of water utilities indicated it has not been an issue in their distribution systems The report survey found that integrated planning trends higher among larger communities; the larger the population, the greater the rate of adoption. Of the respondents who already use the approach, 49% are from communities of two million people or more, and the acceptance rate drops as the community shrinks in size More than 30% of utilities have indicated plans to implement advanced operational technologies such as advanced metering infrastructure and enterprise asset management

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