Utility Week

18 | 10TH - 16TH NOVEMBER 2017 | UTILITY WEEK Operations & Assets Analysis M ore than two years have passed since the cryptosporidium crisis of August 2015, when United Utili- ties was forced to issue a boil water notice to 712,000 customers in Lancashire served by its Franklaw water treatment works. For some, the notice remained in place for up to a month. The incident was the larg- est of its kind in Britain since 1989, before privatisation. The event may have cost the company millions, but there are lessons that both UU and the wider industry can learn. Incidents of this nature, although rare, highlight just how important it is for water companies to carry out regular and thorough risk assess- ments to prepare for the worst-case scenario. United Utilities has since installed per- manent ultraviolet disinfection at Franklaw that renders cryptosporidium harmless to humans and will prevent a repeat of the 2015 event at the site. Technology, training, asset management and better processes all have a part to play; but should companies find themselves having to respond to a major incident, communication is certainly key. The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) published its long-awaited report on the incident on 25 October. The 85-page docu- ment sets out the inspectorate's recom- mendations that the company review its procedures – including its emergency and contingency plans – and the way it issues advice to consumers. It also rejects the sug- gestion, widespread in the national media, that a dead pheasant was the cause of the contamination. It says water suppliers must have resil- ience built into their systems, especially where there are no alternative supply arrangements for a large population of consumers. The DWI says: "This may be by connectivity, redundancy of assets or robust protection systems to ensure that con- tinuous supplies of wholesome water can be maintained." Speaking to Utility Week in the wake of the report's publication, principal inspector Sue Pennison condemns the company, insist- ing its response was not good enough. There was "nothing new about this incident", she says, and the company "should have known it was a potential risk and could have done better". "Water companies have to meet regula- tions from a water quality point of view and we're there to hold their feet to make sure they do," she adds. "We audit water com- panies and scrutinise processes and train- ing, and require the industry to tell us when things go wrong. "There are options, including legal pros- ecution and the power of enforcement, to ensure companies uphold standards. It's not necessarily one option or the other, and in the case of United Utilities we used both. We look at the what, when, where and how and consider the most appropriate course of action." The DWI insists the whole water indus- try can learn from the incident, and should "question whether what they are doing is enough". At a recent public meeting held by the Consumer Council for Water (CCWater) in Newcastle, the water watchdog brought together water companies in its northern region along with representatives from the DWI to start sharing learning points from the incident and the investigation. Andy White, senior policy manager at CCWater, says: "Since the incident, United Utilities has enhanced its risk-management processes, checked all 364 water storage tanks it has across the North West, and intro- duced more rigorous structural inspections for storage tanks. "It has also installed ultraviolet treatment at the site as an additional line of defence against the risk of future incidents." And other companies have been putting themselves in United Utilities' shoes to con- template how they would handle such an occurrence. A spokesperson for Severn Trent, explains: "Following the incident, we car- ried out a thorough exercise, looking at what we'd do in this situation, and how we'd respond to a similar issue. "Going forward we're looking at the report in detail, and we'll also be attending all of the seminars that United Utilities is holding in November, to see what further les- sons can be learnt." Meanwhile a spokesperson for Yorkshire Water says: "We have a water quality compli- ance rate of 99.962 per cent and are commit- ted to continuing to provide our customers with water that is clean and safe to drink." United Utilities says it has learnt many lessons from the catastrophe, and chief exec- utive Steve Mogford said at the Utility Week Congress last month that the company had emerged stronger as a result. The cost was dear – about £25 million in compensation payments and a £300,000 fine. "As a consequence", the company has invested another £100 million across its estate "in applying the lessons more widely around systems and networks". Lessons from the crypto crisis The Drinking Water Inspectorate says the entire water industry can learn from the cryptosporidium outbreak that hit United Utilities in 2015 and has set out its recommendations. Katey Pigden reports. The incident On 6 August 2015, United Utilities advised customers in Preston, Blackpool, the Fylde Coast and the area south of Preston to boil water before drinking it aer it identified traces of a poisonous parasite in water sup- plied from its Franklaw site. The boil water notice remained in place for up to a month for some customers. The incident directly affected 712,000 residents and consumers in North Lancashire and was the largest of its kind in Britain since 1989, before privatisation. United Utilities pleaded guilty to supply- ing water unfit for human consumption at Preston Magistrates' Court on 19 July 2017. The honorary recorder for Preston, Judge Mark Brown, concluded at the sentenc- ing hearing on 10 October 2017 that the event had a major impact on the day-to-day consumption of water in Lancashire causing widespread inconvenience and anxiety. The court heard animal waste had seeped into underground tanks and contaminated the water supply with cryptosporidium para- site. United Utilities was fined £300,000 for providing water unfit for human consumption.

• Cover