Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/983816
www.wwtonline.co.uk | WWT | JUNE 2018 | 7 BIG BREAKER: Severn Trent's 'Siege Breaker' tunnelling machine has completed its nine-month journey under the streets of Newark to create a 3-kilometre tunnel. It is part of the company's £60 million investment in the town, where it is upgrading both the water and waste system. QUOTE OF THE MONTH "We take for granted that we will always have a reliable water supply, but despite our reputation for rain, the country risks water shortages... If we are to avoid our taps running dry in times of extreme drought, we need the government to act on our recommendations without delay." National Infrastructure Commission chairman Sir John Armitt on the need for a joined-up 'national water network', new reservoirs and desalination plants, and greater water efficiency Scottish Water is starting work on a major project on its wastewater infrastructure in the West End of Glasgow to improve the environment and water quality in the River Kelvin. In the first stage of the project, the utility company is to invest around £2.5 million in improvements to its key wastewater infrastructure. The project forms part of Scottish Water's £250 million, five-year programme of work to improve river water quality and the natural environment across the Greater Glasgow area, helping the city to grow and flourish. "This work aligns closely with our future ambitions on delivering reliable, resilient and sustainable water and wastewater services, which are the cornerstones of our ongoing Shaping the Future consultation," Ruaridh MacGregor, Scottish Water's corporate affairs manager, said. 10 Northumbrian Water Group is finalising plans to install and operate 10 new solar farms at its sites. The company expects them to generate 10 gigawatt hours of electrical power – enough to power more than 3,000 homes. The project will enable NWG, which earlier signed a deal to power all 1,858 of its sites using renewable electricity for the next four years, to take another step towards carbon neutrality. 600 The number of loggers Yorkshire Water has installed on its underground pipe network in Bradford, Halifax and Huddersfield, saving approximately 86,400 litres of water from being wasted within a month. GOOD MONTH FOR… The water sector, a er the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it aims to eliminate wet wipes as part of its 25- year plan for the environment. While Defra does not yet appear to be planning a ban on wet wipes, it confirmed it intends "to work with manufacturers and water companies to develop a product that does not contain plastic and can be safely flushed". Water UK has said wet wipes – which are usually made of plastics, wood pulp and cotton and are regularly flushed down toilets – make up around 93 per cent of the material causing sewer blockages, while the Thames 21 charity recently revealed it had found more than 500,000 of them on the banks of the River Thames. BAD MONTH FOR… Severn Trent Water, which has been fined £350,000 for polluting the River Amber in an incident that le tens of thousands of fish dead. An estimated 30,000 dead fish and 5km of damaged ecology along the River Amber led to proceedings brought against Severn Trent Water Limited following the release of sodium hydroxide from the Ogston water treatment works. The company was also ordered to pay Environment Agency costs of £68,003 as well as a victim surcharge of £120 at Derby Crown Court, sitting in Nottingham. GETTING STARTED NUMBERS The Talk: roundup