Water and Effluent Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/892519
6 WET NEWS NOVEMBER 2017 INTERVIEW N ot many people in any field of activity are able to call themselves a world champion, but Jason Barratt, solutions delivery engineer at Anglian Water, is one of them. Barratt is one half of the two-man Anglian Water team which triumphed in May at the Institute of Water's Drilling and Tapping competition, held annu- ally at the Utility Week Live conference and exhibition in Birmingham. His seven victories in the competition over the years have also led to him taking part in the World Water Cup – competing against European and American opponents in Las Vegas and Amsterdam – and along with his colleague Lee Maddock, he has been a world champion of drilling and tapping for the past two years. He has worked on water networks in the Anglian Water region since 1997, for many years as a contrac- tor for Balfour Beatty, before going in-house at Anglian three years ago. While his promotions mean he no longer works with drilling and tapping tools Jason Barratt, solutions delivery engineer, Anglian Water "I've seen a lot of innovations through the competition that I wouldn't have otherwise – whether that's line stopping, or leakage technology" on a daily basis, this has not stopped him training or taking part in the competition – or winning. "When I was on the ground, drilling and tapping was part of the day job," he recalls. "You tap mains to make a new connection, and then when you replace a section of pipe after a burst main, if there's a service in the section you've replaced then you have to tap the main again to put the customer back on water. Obviously, what you do in your working life and what you do in the competition are com- pletely different in terms of speed, but the methods, the equipment and the fittings are exactly the same." Since entering the competition for the first time in 2009, not only have Barratt's times improved – his 2017 time of two minutes and two seconds is a for- midable record – but his career has also moved forward in leaps and bounds. Having worked in water meter installation, pipe repair and maintenance, new mains installation and mains rehab over the years, he recently became a registered Engineering Jason Barratt says taking part in Drilling and Tapping competitions has helped his career World beaters: Jason Barratt (right) and his colleague Lee Maddock in action