WET News

wwtonline.co.uk | JUNE 2018 WET NEWS 13 NEED TO KNOW RainScape Llanelli achieved the following: • Flood-risk resilience improved to greater than one-in-30-year protection across Llanelli • Local wastewater overflows reduced from 3 million cubic metres to less than 200,000 – a 95 per cent reduction • Forty-two hectares of surface water – 15 per cent of the area of central Llanelli – separated from the foul sewer • Eighty per cent carbon saving and 60 per cent capital cost saving on typical storage and upsize techniques wwtonline.co.uk | JUNE 2018 WET NEWS 13 City of Cardiff Council, said last year: "What we're doing here has nothing to do with flooding. This is all to do with rainwater removal from the sewer system, to enhance the community and save environmental costs." Rainwater in the Grangetown district had to be pumped eight miles to enable it to be treated and put into the sea near Barry. The project, initiated by a part- nership between Cardiff Council, Welsh Water and Natural Resources Wales, has seen trees, planters, grass channels, drain- age kerbs and rain gardens installed across an area of 12 resi- dential streets, cleaning the water naturally and diverting it into the nearby River Taff. It means over 40,000 cubic metres of surface water is removed from the sewer network annually, creating a reduction in pumping and treat- ment costs and freeing up capac- ity for future development. In addition, the blue-green cor- ridors improve the area generally, with the additional intention of regenerating parts prone to crime and antisocial behaviour. "We're using drainage as a tool to improve the whole community and effectively get people to under- stand that water is an asset and not a threat," Titherington said. The project has been imple- mented by contractor ERH Com- munications & Civil Engineering, which had to contend with a sub- stantial number of unmarked utili- ties and poor ground conditions during the installation work. Per- haps the greatest challenge for any retrofit SuDS project, though, is handling community anger over the loss of parking, both during the construction phase and beyond, with Grangetown now accommo- dating 1,700 square metres of new green space. Large public meetings were held along with weekly drop-in sessions, leafleting and social media engagement. Parking per- mits were issued to residents and commuters, and ERH workers were encouraged to communicate the aims of the project to the pub- lic to keep people onside. "We had a 'meet the contrac- tor' event," ERH civils operations director Ken Evans told a confer- ence last year. "We thought about 50 people would turn up but there were about 150-200 really very angry people. We had another one a couple of weeks ago and it's completely changed – only one angry person." Titherington added: "You have to avoid confrontation, con- stantly communicate and make the community feel part of the scheme." The partnership between Welsh Water, the council and Natural Resources Wales has been key to seeing Greener Grangetown to fruition, and the local authority will carry the responsibility for maintenance of the new greenery. Measures have also been taken ahead of time, such as installing root cell sys- tems for the 130 trees planted in Grangetown to help them thrive in the urban environment. The increased focus on nature- based solutions creates new chal- lenges and, as Welsh Water acknowledged in its 'Plan for Main- taining and Enhancing Biodiver- sity', they are intrinsically less pre- dictable than conventional, hard-engineered treatment pro- cesses and networks. However, the changing land- scape is creating a situation where they will oœen be the best or even only option, and the Water Industry Awards successes for Welsh Water and its partners represent recogni- tion of the effective delivery of an approach that is going to play an increasingly important role in the sector's future. "Sustainable drainage plays a vital role in Welsh Water's long-term approach to protecting our customers and improving the environment in spite of the growing pressures from cli- mate change and urbanisation," O'Brien tells WET News. "It does this by enhancing the inherent resilience of our assets and allowing them to cope with the increasing variability of the demands we make on them. "To meet our ambitious plans between now and 2050, we need to work in partnership with stakeholders to share knowledge and invest in areas where our priorities overlap. "The Greener Grangetown project is a great example of how we can work with forward-thinking organisations like Cardiff Council and NRW, and we were delighted when the project was recognised as the Engineering Project of the Year in the 2018 Water Industry Awards in the face of some stiff competition." Dwr Cymru Welsh Water's Rain- Scape project won the the Drainage & Flood Management Initiative of the Year Award, which was spon- sored by the British Precast Drain- age Association (BPDA). It was awarded at the Water Industry Awards on 21 May 2018. PROJECT SPECS RainScape Llanelli: • Alleviate all sewer flooding to greater than one-in-30-year protection • Reduce combined wastewater discharge volume by 90 per cent • Provide infrastructure to facilitate growth for next 100 years Grasscrete engineer designed with unique structural capability. Grass Concrete Limited, world leader in the development and supply of environmental solutions for almost 50 years. To learn more talk to the experts. www.grasscrete.com Grass Concrete Limited Duncan House, 142 Thornes Lane, Thornes, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF2 7RE England info@grasscrete.com Tel: +44(0)1924 379443 Fax: +44(0)1924 290289 @grasscreteworld Innovative environmental solutions Stronger for longer SUSTAINABLE WATER CONFERENCE 18 SEPTEMBER 2018 | BIRMINGHAM BOOK NOW event.wwtonline.co.uk/ sustainable SUPPORTED BY FOLLOW US @WWTlive #suswater Sarah Hendry Director of water and fl oods Defra Ed Mitchell Director of environment and sustainability Pennon Group Pete Fox Director of water, land & biodiversity Environment Agency Diane Mitchell Chief environment adviser National Farmers' Union Alex Plant Director of regulation Anglian Water Hannah James Lead advisor, sustainability Yorkshire Water Yvette de Garis Head of environmental regulation Thames Water EXPERT SPEAKERS INCLUDE: MAKING 2019 A YEAR OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION The fl agship event for water industry professionals investing in long-term sustainability and shaping the future of the sector ● Hear how the water industry is responding to the government's 25 Year Environment Plan ● Find out how the post-Brexit CAP will affect agriculture in the UK ● Learn how the sector is planning to eliminate plastic waste SPONSORED BY WWT-SusWater18-125x176ad.indd 1 21/05/2018 10:30 With one of the largest precast drainage, tanks and water management product ranges in the UK and Ireland, FP McCann has become the first choice for architects, developers and building contractors. All our products are manufactured offsite and provide an extensive range of benefits, including overall life-long cost effectiveness. DRAINAGE SCOTLAND/NI: 028 7964 2558 | ENGLAND/WALES: 01530 240000 TANKS & CHAMBERS: 01789 336960 SALES@FPMCCANN.CO.UK | FPMCCANN.CO.UK/TANKS-CHAMBERS PIPES HEADWALLS PRECAST TANKS & DRAINAGE SOLUTIONS BOX CULVERTS STORM CLEANSER TM HYDRODYNAMIC SEPARATOR GULLIES & SLABS RAIN HARVESTING CHAMBERS MULTI PURPOSE CHAMBER SYSTEMS STORM- HOLD TM STORM WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM STORM- BRAKE TM / CHAMBER VORTEX FLOW CONTROL CHAMBER UNIT MULTI PURPOSE PANEL SYSTEMS STORM- STORE TM STORM & WASTE WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WET News Ad_180x130_270318.indd 2 10/04/2018 14:53

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