WET News

6 WET NEWS JULY 2018 | wwtonline.co.uk NEWS+ United Utilities to increase resilience investment to £250M in AMP6 • CEO Steve Mogford says Systems Thinking approach allowing company to set "new performance frontier" U nited Utilities has announced that the com- pany will increase its investment in projects that will deliver "long-term resilience" from £100 million to £250 mil- lion during AMP6. CEO Steve Mogford, speaking as the company released its annual results, said it would continue its "strong track record of sharing outperformance with customers". "We have already committed to investing £100 million of our outperformance in AMP6 and today we are increasing that amount to £250 million, to fund projects that were not part of our original PR14 settlement but that will help deliver long-term resilience for the benefit of cus- tomers and the environment, sooner than would otherwise have been the case," he said. He added: "This takes our sharing of outperformance across the current regulatory period and the last to a total of around half a billion pounds. We believe that it is appropriate to share our success with cus- tomers by reinvesting in resil- ience measures, thereby improving service and reducing future bills." The resilience investment plans involve improvements to the Haweswater Aqueduct, which links water supplies in the Lake District to much of the rest of the North West. UU, which announced it had invested more than £817 million of investment into the pipes, reservoirs and treatment works that deliver water and wastewa- ter services to the North West's 7 million people, said its "radical new approach to running its business is reaping benefits for customers". It highlighted its investment in advanced technology, data management and energy effi- ciency as part of a project labelled Systems Thinking, which Mogford said was allow- ing UU to set "a new perfor- mance frontier" in the industry, adding: "We believe that our Systems Thinking approach is five years ahead of the rest of the sector." UU has seen customer com- plaints drop by a third in two years and it came top of all the UK's water companies in the lat- est quarterly customer survey Mogford added: "The advances we are progressively delivering support ever higher standards of customer satisfac- tion and operational efficien- cies. Our plans for the next five- year period further develop our application of Systems by regulator Ofwat. It has met its leakage targets for 10 consecutive years and has recently announced it is explor- ing methods for further improve- ment, including satellite tech- nology and the UK's first leak-finding sniffer dog. Thinking, underpinning our leadership position and the delivery of the outstanding ser- vice customers deserve." Mogford also highlighted United Utilities' performance during the recent extreme weather event that has prompted Ofwat to announce a review into the water supply problems suffered by customers in many regions throughout England and Wales. "One recent example of Sys- tems Thinking in action is the enhanced capability we demon- strated through management of the freeze thaw event that hit most of the country earlier this year," he said. "Unlike many parts of the country, we had suf- ficient water to meet demand across the whole of our region throughout the event. "The systems and processes we have developed meant that our customers saw no signifi- cant deterioration in service. You will be aware that this was not the case elsewhere and this is now the subject of a regula- tory investigation. "Our use of data and technol- ogy and our Systems Thinking approach is a differentiator and is setting new benchmarks for the industry. In doing so, we are delivering enhanced levels of service and resilience along with sustainable improvements in efficiency." CONTRACT WINS Haven Power has been awarded a contract to supply renewable electricity for SES Water's treatment works, pumping stations and offices, with the water company now only consum- ing electricity that has a Renewable Energy Guaran- tee of Origin (REGO) certificate. Medway Council has handed VolkerStevin a contract to improve flood defences and raise ground levels at Strood in Medway. The Water Supplies Department (WSD) of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has appointed Black & Veatch as one of the inde- pendent inspectors of Hong Kong's reservoirs, with the UK and Hong Kong teams to collaborate to ensure integrity of critical water infrastucture. For Northumbrian Water Group CEO Heidi Mottram, who has been awarded a CBE for services to the water industry and business community in the Queen's Birthday Honours list. Mottram's strong environmental and social ethos has resulted in the business being recognised nationally and internationally. For United Utilities, which has been fined £200,000 after pleading guilty to supplying inadequately disinfected water from the Sweetloves water treatment works in Bolton on two occasions. The charges were brought by the Drinking Water Inspectorate in relation to the events, which took place between 31 March and 3 April 2015 and 19 July and 22 July 2015. Good monthT- Bad month Industrial firms face wastewater clampdown under tightened rules T housands of British com- panies face potential fines and disciplinary action, including the closing of facili- ties, due to the far-reaching effects of new tightened rules for the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), experts have warned. Stricter application of the IED rules is prescribed in the 'best available techniques' BREF doc- ument, which is set to come into force later this year. But water and wastewater management company Alpheus Environmental, a subsidiary of Anglian Water Group, has warned that many companies are simply unaware of the extent and potential impact of new tightened rules. Under the EU Industrial Emis- sions Directive, companies are obliged to reduce harmful industrial emissions, including emissions of wastewater and generation of waste, and these rules are set to be tightened this year. The 'polluter pays' princi- ple also puts the onus on com- panies to upgrade their facilities and for them to pay for any damage done to the environment. EU regulators are currently dra¦ing a series of best prac- tices that will heighten already- stringent obligations on waste- water and generation of waste for the decade ahead. It has, however, raised concerns very few in the industry are aware of this. Experts anticipate that the new EU guidance documents will include increased responsi- bilities in the design, construc- tion, and operation of industrial facilities, specifically including water treatment. And despite Brexit, industry experts believe these regulations will be main- tained in UK law. Companies in water-intensive industries such as food & bever- age, electronics, leisure, alco- hol, manufacturing and phar- maceuticals will be most affected by the new responsibilities. The legislation serves to inte- grate and strengthen existing legislation, broaden the scope of industrial activities regu- lated, establish and prescribe the technologies required in each sector to reduce emissions, and require companies to establish a baseline of emission report upon which licence thresholds will be set and adjusted. It is widely agreed within the water sector that Brexit will likely not affect the relevant leg- islation in the UK, which it implemented along with other EU member states a¦er the current EU Industrial Emissions Directive came into effect in 2013. Water companies make commitment to more catchment management O fwat, Water UK and water companies throughout England are among over 80 high-profile organisations to have signed up to the Catch- ment Management Declaration. The declaration, launched in late May at an event attended by Prince Charles, is described as "a call from business, civil society organisations and the public sec- tor to commit to the water catch- ment-related ambition of the UK Government's 25 Year Environ- ment Plan and support collective activities that will deliver success- ful catchment management". Atkins, Costain, Coca-Cola, The National Trust, ASDA, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Sainsbury's and the National Farmers Union are among those to have signed up, along with Affinity Water, Anglian Water, Bournemouth Water, Bristol Water, Essex & Suf- folk Water, Northumbrian Water, SES Water, Severn Trent, South East Water, South Staffs Water, South West Water, Southern Water, Thames Water, United Util- ities, Wessex Water and Yorkshire Water. By signing, organisations declared the following six principles: l We recognise that water is a valuable and shared resource on which we depend and impact both direct and indi- rectly; we will take responsi- bility to progress sustainable water management, from where we are at present, for all. l We will support action at both catchment and regional scale to deliver multiple benefits through cross-sector partner- ship and collaboration, recog- nising that the environment is a system upon which we all depend. l We will support the improve- ment of existing governance frameworks to facilitate deliv- ery through mechanisms such as the Catchment Based Approach. l We will work together to increase the awareness of citi- zens on their role in delivering water stewardship and encourage positive action. l We will reconvene in 12 months, in the first instance, to share progress, best prac- tice and to demonstrate posi- tive action. l By signing, we commit to including delivery against this Declaration throughout our business operations so that the principles form part of how we will deliver our envi- ronmental intentions. "Under the EU Industrial Emissions Directive, companies are obliged to reduce harmful emissions including wastewater" United Utilities' investment plans include improving the Haweswater Aqueduct

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