WET News

COMMENT "Contractors must step up to meet water companies' innovation goals" MARCH €1.4M Biomaterial company CustoMem has received a €1.4M (£1.24M) European Commission grant that will accelerate the pilot phase of its next-generation granular media, CustoMem Granular Media (CGM), which is optimised to capture and recycle speci… c challenging micropollutants found in industrial wastewater "Technology and changing customer expectations are transforming industries all around us... The customer of the 21stcentury expects the same quality of service for everything they pay for" David Black, Senior Director of Water 2020 for Ofwat, on the challenge ahead for utility providers "This is the … rst step in implementing satellite remote sensing as a regulatory data resource and will produce a step change in the way we monitor quality in the UK" The University of Stirling's Dr Claire Neil on the project to use satellites to monitor water quality in Scotland's lochs 10 United Utilities has announced that it has become the … rst water company in the UK to use Robotic Process Automation (RPA). It invested in 10 robots from software pro- ducer Blue Prism and worked with partners Deloitte to monitor its network for faults that could disrupt supply at peak times 2020 The date by which Yorkshire Water plans to make most of its data 'open by default', encouraging new ideas "The use by some water companies of opaque … nancial structures based in tax havens and high gearing is deeply concerning.–I also share your concern that some water companies have for many years been making excessive pro… ts" Environment Secretary Michael Gove in his letter to Ofwat 1,000,000 Yorkshire Water has pledged to plant one million trees across its land in Yorkshire over the next 10 years in a bid to reduce flood risk, o— set carbon emissions and support the creation of a Northern Forest T he rapid pace of technological change is unavoidable, and disruptive innovation in all • elds is impacting the day-to-day lives of people from every generation. At a time when the privatised water industry is coming under heavy pressure to justify itself, the public will demand more and more for its money. At the WWT Wastewater conference in Birmingham on 30 January, David Black, the Senior Director of Water 2020 for Ofwat, talked of the examples of Netˆ ix and the gig economy transforming customer expectations as he made clear that water companies should constantly strive to be at the forefront of what is a fast-changing environment. Emphasising that message, the regulator last month launched a digital innovation campaign, Spark!, to encourage water companies to embrace new opportunities and disruptive technologies. There are clear signs that times are changing for the water companies. Perhaps most notably, United Utilities is operating a dedicated Innovation Centre, which is designed to provide a space for innovators inside and outside the company to grow their ideas and to break down the barriers that make it di' cult to hear pitches from outsiders. As their Head of Innovation, Kieran Brocklebank, has said, the company wants to "encourage some healthy disruption". Contractors are going to have to make sure they heed the message if they are to thrive. Innovation is the route to solving the many challenges facing the industry, with new pressures to improve on cost, environmental impact and quality of service. In the modern world, 'business as usual' is a dangerous philosophy, regardless of track record. In this issue of WET News, we pay a visit to Trant Engineering, a previously traditional contractor that had been focused on quality civil, mechanical and electrical engineering. It has now shi— ed gears to become a multi- discipline contractor, adding more and more strings to its bow so as to not only compete but thrive. "The only way you get e' ciency is by bringing innovation and technology," Trant's Business Development Manager, Brendan Dowd, says. As part of our Utility Week Live series, we have a full three pages of dedicated coverage on disruptive technologies, while SUEZ explains satellite leak detection. We also hear from Caledonia Water Alliance, which delivered its • rst large-diameter pipeline project on behalf of Scottish Water, making use of the PipeDiver technology from PureTech – a free-swimming condition assessment tool that uses electromagnetic sensors. An era of change is here now, and the rewards will go to those who manage to embrace it most successfully. IN A NUTSHELL E nvironment Minister Ther- ese Coœ ey has told British Water members that de- parture from the EU gives UK companies "new opportunities beyond Europe". Coœ ey, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Aœ airs (Defra), highlighted several examples of innovation – including South West Water's Upstream Think- ing and Anglian Water's use of drones to detect leaks – and said that Brexit represented an opportunity to look further a• eld. "Less water being wasted is good for the customer and good for the environment," she told members of the trade associa- tion gathered at the House of Lords in a video message. "In 2014, the UK Water Part- nership estimated that there are opportunities to expand the UK's global market share in water technology innovation. "There are opportunities right now to help in developing nations, including places like South Africa, to manage and channel their water. "Please do speak to DIT [the Department for International Trade], and we may be able to help develop some bids into ¦ Therese Co— ey sees European Union exit as chance to look further a… eld on water technology innovation Minister says Brexit will open up global opportunities overseas aid that could fund technical assistance. "The UK's departure from the EU gives us the opportunity to tap into this global market and build on the UK water industry's expertise and inno- vation to promote new opportu- nities beyond Europe." She added: "We all want a water industry that is resilient, e' cient and innovative – that provides customers with water when they need it and not when they don't. "Exceptional modelling capabilities, innovative leak detection and pipe design, and environmental assessment all contribute to a more resilient water supply network." Coœ ey also emphasised the important role that supply-chain companies will play in delivering Defra's 25-year environment plan and praised the industry's "positive response" to Ofwat's challenge to reduce leakage of treated water by at least 15% by 2025. She also welcomed support of the Re• ll scheme to create a network of places people can • ll up water bottles to reduce waste from single-use plastics. Also at British Water's annual Winter Reception, which took place on 7 February, Chairman Chris Loughlin praised the team for attracting what is "close to if not a record number" of members. Some 30 organisations have joined the association since April 2017, including a number of water companies. companies' innovation goals" 2 WET NEWS MARCH 2018 | wwtonline.co.uk ROBIN HACKETT, DEPUTY EDITOR, WET NEWS MAINTAIN ACCESS DURING UTILITY REPAIR WORK +44 1608 67888 www.oxfordplastics.com sales@oxfordplastics.com Oxford's Original Award Winning LowPro 15/10 Driveway Board "Quick and easy to install. It's a time and money saver... keeping disruption to customers to a minimum." Graham Bond Street Works Manager Wales & West Utilities

• Cover