South West Water is launching its Think Sink campaign for businesses this month to remind food service establishments of their responsibilities regarding the proper disposal of fat, oil, grease and food waste.
Parts of North Devon, Exmouth, Plymouth and Truro have a history of sewer blockages and flooding. When disposed of via the sink, fat, oil, grease and food waste can build up in pipes. This causes blockages and flooding, as well as attracting vermin such as rats.
Every year, tens of thousands of litres of waste fat, cooking oil and grease are poured down sinks by people who don’t realise the problems this could cause.
In extreme cases, fat and oil can combine with other material to create fatbergs, as seen in Sidmouth when earlier this year workers spent eight weeks braving exceptionally challenging conditions to break up 64 metres of congealed, fat, oil and wet wipes.
South West Water’s Director of Wastewater, Andrew Roantree, said: “Every year we deal with around 8,500 blocked sewers across our region, which costs about £4.5million. This has an impact on bills, which we’re trying to keep as low as possible. Overall, we spend £35million a year to maintain and upgrade the sewerage network.
“We’re doing our bit – and we’re seeking to enlist the help of businesses in the communities we serve. Our award-winning Love Your Loo and Think Sink campaigns have been encouraging household customers to play their part for several years.
“Over the next couple of months, specially trained South West Water advisors will be visiting hotels, restaurants, cafes and other food service establishments to provide advice on correct waste disposal and the simple changes they can make to help ‘stop the block’ in Devon and Cornwall.”
Drones will be used for the first time this summer to gather information about illegal abstraction in East Anglia’s fenland areas.
The Environment Agency manages abstraction to balance the needs of the environment with the rights of lawful water users during periods of dry weather.
Our regulatory officers carry out high visibility patrols every year throughout the irrigation season to ensure landowners and farmers are adhering to the conditions of their licences and do not cause harm to the environment.
Last year’s heatwave led to a number of licence holders breaching their conditions and this year some illegal abstractions have already been uncovered.
Andrew Chapman, Environment Planning Specialist for the Environment Agency in East Anglia, said:
“Following on from the hot and dry summer we experienced in 2018 our area has not received the winter rainfall we would normally expect and this is placing significant pressure on the water environment.
We have contacted irrigators who have licences that permit abstraction from the Middle Level to inform them that restrictions are likely to be required during the irrigation season.
We will be prioritising our water resources compliance work over the summer period in those catchments that are at risk from this prolonged dry period.
This will be the first time we have ever used drones for this purpose. The majority of irrigators do operate within their licence conditions. However, last year a minority of farmers did not play by the rules and severely restricted other people’s ability to irrigate their crops.”
A third party will be employed to operate the drone, which connects to a web portal, so that an Environment Agency staff member can view the images from a computer and direct the device to fly over certain locations. If irrigators are found to be abstracting illegally, enforcement action will be taken. This can include written warnings, civil sanctions, referral to the Rural Payments Agency or prosecution.
Five new environment officers have been taken on this year to help manage the water resources issue. Their role includes identifying licence holders at risk of water restrictions and making them aware of the possible shortages.
They will also carry out inspections in the riskier catchments where more intense abstraction takes place. In the east of the region, the frequency of compliance checks and patrols is also increasing.
Michael Neale, Land and Water team leader in Essex, said:
“We have an intelligence-led approach to all compliance checks. We will always respond to reports of illegal abstraction. We are going to up our response out of hours to reports wherever they come from. We will have more resources on hand to bolster our approach.”
Anyone suspected of abstracting illegally should be reported to the Environment Agency hotline on 0800 80 70 60.
The Institute of Water (IWater) is delighted to announce an exciting partnership with the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) that enables members to access benefits that span both organisations, including events, professional development and publications.
The organisations have worked together to offer a second membership at a very attractive rate which presents members greater opportunities for their professional development.
IWater members who take up the offer will have full access to all ICE facilities in the UK and abroad, online knowledge, the ICE Benevolent Fund and will be allowed to use the post-nominals AMICE. There will also be opportunities to contribute to knowledge sharing around all aspects of water management and an intention to work together to identify and address issues of importance to the sector and society.
ICE members will also have full access to IWater member benefits and be allowed to use the post-nominals MIWater.
Lynn Cooper, Chief Executive of the Institute of Water said:
“This agreement gives our members access to one of the world’s most respected professional engineering institutions – a wealth of knowledge and expertise beyond the UK water sector – and creates opportunities to work together to identify and address issues of importance to the sector and society. Three of our current Board Members are Chartered Civil Engineers and the current President of ICE – Andrew Wyllie – is a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Yorkshire Water and was previously a Non-Executive Director of Scottish Water: already we have much in common.”
Sean Harris, Director of Membership at ICE said:
“I’m delighted that ICE and IoW have agreed to work more closely by signing this agreement of cooperation.
“By bringing together water professionals from both our respective organisations, we can share knowledge and best practices across a range of issues that matter to society.”
In addition, ICE and IWater will collaborate in ICE Communities of Practice and part of Project Groups. You can explore ICE’s Water Programme here.
How it works
For Institute of Water Members
ICE will offer Associate Membership (AMICE) to Institute of Water Corporate Members, Fellows and Technicians who are not currently members of ICE at 50% of the regular AMICE fee paid in the UK. This is £102.75 as opposed to £205.75.
IWater members who take up the offer will be invoiced by ICE at the time of joining (pro-rata, depending on when they join) and thereafter each October.
GO HERE join ICE at the discounted rate.
For ICE Members
IWater will offer Corporate Membership (MIWater) to ICE Corporate Members, Fellows and Technicians who are not currently members of IWater at 50% of the regular Corporate Membership Fee. This is £57.50 as opposed to £115.
ICE members who take up the offer will be invoiced by IWater at the time of joining and annually thereafter.
If you are interested in the second membership with IWater and ICE, please email info@instituteofwater.org.uk
Water companies trying to create financial arrangements otherwise prohibited by their licence, which might include things like intercompany loans up to the parent company, will have to clearly show how the arrangements serve customers’ interests or they will be blocked by Ofwat, new guidance shows.
Water companies’ licences set out that if they want to enter into certain arrangements that are otherwise prohibited, they must get consent from Ofwat first.
Ofwat is consulting on new guidance around this process and setting out more clearly that such consent would be given only if these requests help the company to remain financially resilient and work in customers’ interests.
As an example, in the future, it is very unlikely that Ofwat would give consent for water companies to make a loan to their parent company.
This is the latest step by Ofwat in its programme of work to make sure water companies are financially resilient and act in customers’ interests.
Following Ofwat’s interventions, companies are already unwinding some such arrangements. Anglian Water has ensured the repayment of a £1.6bn intercompany loan, Southern Water has arranged the repayment of £628m of an intercompany loan, Thames Water of £250m of an intercompany loan and South Staffordshire Water the repayment of a £15m intercompany loan.
Ofwat’s Chief Executive, Rachel Fletcher, said:
“There is a clear framework in place to protect customers and their interests. Occasionally, water companies have reason to want to stretch beyond those conditions. When they do, we need to review it and consider the implications for customers.
“Today we are setting out guidance, which is very simple: we won’t allow companies to take on financial arrangements if they are not in customers’ interest and do not help the company’s financial resilience. There is a high bar for companies to clear and we want to set it out plainly for
all to see.”
Ofwat welcomes thoughts on its proposed guidance on approach by 3 September 2019. GO HERE to download the guidance and how to respond to the consultation.
Ofwat has today set out a major package of investment to signal a new era for what the water sector delivers for customers and the environment.
Proposals unveiled today involve water companies investing an additional £6 million each and every day over the next five years – over and above investment to maintain existing assets – to improve the environment and services for customers, at the same time as cutting bills by £50.
The announcement is laid out in Ofwat’s price review draft determinations for 14 of the 17 water companies in England and Wales.
Three water companies, Severn Trent, South West Water and United Utilities, have already been fast-tracked through this stage of the price review in recognition of their high-quality plans for the next five years.
In what is the most far-reaching price review the regulator has ever undertaken, there are ambitious new targets to drive water companies to do even more for customers and the environment.
These include:
• cutting pollution incidents by more than a third,
• reducing supply interruptions by almost two-thirds,
• helping 1.5 million customers who are struggling to pay, and;
• cutting leakage to save enough water equivalent to the needs of the population of Manchester, Leeds, Leicester and Cardiff.
Extreme weather events, climate change and population growth mean that water companies need to make sure they are doing everything they can now, so that they continue to provide safe and reliable water and wastewater services whatever the future brings.
Ofwat’s draft determinations provide more money for new and improved services with an additional £12 billion to be invested over and above business-as-usual costs and investments.
This extra funding is to improve services for future generations, including by building reservoirs, moving water to where it is needed most, and protecting the environment. The additional expenditure is the equivalent of £6 million every day for the next five years.
Falling financing costs and Ofwat’s insistence on more efficient business–as-usual from companies, mean that alongside better services and rising investment Ofwat expects water bills to fall by an average £50 before inflation.
Ofwat Chief Executive, Rachel Fletcher, said:
“The package we are unveiling today signals a brighter future for customers, with better services, a healthier natural environment and lower bills.
“To get there we are calling for extra investment of £6 million each and every day to improve the environment and provide services for a growing population. At the same time we expect to see customers’ bills cut by an average of £50.
“These are seriously stretching goals for the sector, but we know they can be achieved. We have seen three water companies leading the way and we now want the rest to show the ambition and drive to deliver this new era for customers and the environment.”
Water companies now have a further opportunity to provide new evidence if they consider Ofwat’s draft determinations will prevent them from delivering for customers and the environment.
Ofwat will consider carefully the responses it receives from all stakeholders before making final determinations in December.
Yorkshire Water announces today (July 15) that Richard Flint is to retire as chief executive with effect from September 12 and that he will be succeeded in that role by Liz Barber who is currently the company’s chief financial officer.
Richard has been with the company since 1992 and first joined the board in 2003 as director of the water business unit. He was appointed as chief operating officer in 2008 and became chief executive in 2010.
Liz Barber has been chief financial officer since 2010, having joined the company from Ernst & Young where she held a number of senior partner roles. Liz is also a lay member and trustee of the University of Leeds and is a non-executive director and chair of the audit committee at KCOM Group PLC. Liz is also a member of HRH Prince Charles’ Accounting for Sustainability network of CFOs, which she chaired for two years.
Anthony Rabin, chairman of Yorkshire Water, commented; “I would like to thank Richard for his exceptional leadership of the company over the last nine years and wish him the very best for the future. Richard has been pivotal in guiding the business through a period of very significant change during his tenure and leaves the company well prepared to deliver in the future. I would also like to particularly thank Richard for his assistance in ensuring a smooth transition to his successor.
“I am delighted that Liz has agreed to take over as CEO, following an open recruitment process through which Liz was the outstanding candidate. She has already made a major contribution to the company in her current role and most recently has led the company’s long term strategy development and its business transformation programme. She has also been central to Yorkshire Water’s work to make our finances more transparent by, for example, the removal of our previous offshore structures.”
Commenting on the announcement Richard Flint said; “As the end of my second five-year price cycle as group CEO comes to a close I believe now is the right time in the regulatory calendar to step down. It’s been a huge honour to serve as CEO for nearly 10 years and after 27 years with the company I wish all our great colleagues, board members and customers the very best for the future.”
Liz Barber said; “It’s a great privilege to be given the job of leading Yorkshire Water. We have an excellent business plan for the next five years and we need to ensure that delivers all it can for our customers and the environment. We have a major part to play in responding to climate change, both by reducing our own carbon impact, and also in changing our operations to deal with its consequences.
“We are central to the fabric of Yorkshire and I am committed to ensuring that we play a full part to contribute to the inclusive growth of the county.”
United Utilities is rolling out the biggest “listening” project of its kind in the world in a bid to tackle water leakage.
The North West water company is installing around 100,000 ‘acoustic’ loggers over the next two years on its underground water supply network.
The vast pipe system – more than 26,000 miles in length – would wrap around the world if the pipes were laid end to end.
Kevin Fowlie is United Utilities’ Network Delivery Director and he said it was a massive undertaking which underlines the company’s commitment to reducing water leakage: “We have one of the largest and oldest water supply networks in the UK and it’s a constant battle to keep on top of leaks. Many leaks never show on the surface, so it is a round-the-clock challenge to find and fix them.
“Following the extreme dry weather last year we’ve seen leakage rates increase due to ground movement. We have doubled our leakage detection and repair resource to meet our leakage targets, and now we need to go even further. Our customers have told us it is one of the issues most important to them, so we have committed to a 20 per cent reduction in leakage over the coming five year investment period, and that means using the latest innovations.
By 2020 we will have the largest estate of acoustic logger technology in the world. Every quarter of a mile on our water network we will be able to glean real-time data, allowing us to respond faster and more accurately when a pipe begins to leak.”
An acoustic logger is a small device that would fit in the palm of a hand, installed directly onto the fittings of a water pipe. The loggers “listen” for the characteristic noise waves that are transferred through pipe walls by a leak, and upon detection of the sound they send an alarm to United Utilities’ integrated control centre. Analysts can then send an engineer to pinpoint the leak and raise work for it to be repaired.
Engineers carried out a trial of the technology last year when 2,000 loggers were installed in Liverpool and Manchester city centres. These are already thought to have saved up to 5 million litres of water a day.
In Phase 1 of the project this summer 44,000 loggers will be installed across the North West at a cost of £14 million. A second phase of 50,000 loggers are in the pipeline for 2020 – a massive investment worth around £30 million in total.
The new loggers will join a growing arsenal of innovative ideas employed by United Utilities in the battle to reduce leakage, including satellite technology and specially trained water sniffer dogs.
Sara Venning, Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Water, is the new National President of the Institute of Water.
Sara was formally installed as President at the 74th Annual General Meeting which preceded the Institute’s two-day Annual Conference, held at Titanic Belfast.
The National President is the most senior figure in the Institute of Water and is a well-known, well-respected leader in the water sector who believes in the values and vision of the Institute and is willing to actively promote them during their term of office.
Lynn Cooper, Chief Executive of the Institute of Water, said:
“I’m delighted we have persuaded another industry leader to be our President. Anyone who has met Sara will know just how dedicated she is and inspirational to those around her – ideal attributes for our President.
Sara has been involved at local Area level since she took over as CEO at Northern Ireland Water and has been a regular at our Annual Conference since she took part in Meet the Leaders in Cambridge in 2015. Sara has learned from each year’s event and managed to capture the best from each in her own Conference last week.
We welcome Sara to the role of President and look forward to an exciting and challenging year under her leadership.”
Sara Venning said:
“I’m so proud to be the Institute of Water’s President and to join a long list of distinguished figures from the water sector who have had the opportunity to lead this Institute over the years.
I’m thrilled to have started my term as President with such a successful and well received conference.
Since 1945, the Institute of Water has had a very clear vision of developing people to serve in the UK water sector and I will continue that work by ensuring the organisation remains a valuable resource for water sector professionals.”
The National President begins their year by planning and delivering the Institute of Water’s Annual Conference, capturing much of what the Institute of Water offers over two days. As well as providing high level direction to the Board, the President also leads the Rising Stars programme for the following calendar year and supports UK-wide Institute of Water events wherever possible.
Sara succeeds Douglas Millican, Chief Executive of Scottish Water, who will continue a further year on the Institute of Water Board as Past-President, and will be followed in 2020 by Bob Taylor, Chief Executive of Portsmouth Water.
About Sara Venning
Sara Venning started her career as an electrical engineer with Northern Ireland Electricity.
Sara joined NI Water in April 2010, as Director of Customer Service Delivery and was appointed CEO of NI Water in April 2014.
Northern Ireland Water provides water and wastewater services for almost 1.8 million people in Northern Ireland – producing 570 million litres of clean water per day and treating 340 million litres of wastewater.
Uniquely placed NI Water, a Government Owned Company which is publicly funded, has recently celebrated a decade of delivery with substantial customer service and efficiency improvements.
Sara is married with three daughters and loves to get the whole family out for a ramble taking in the beauty of NI Water’s many catchments.
The Science Council’s CPD Awards are back for 2019 to celebrate 5 years of excellence.
Have you gone above and beyond to keep your CPD up to date? Think you have an outstanding CPD record? Consider nominating yourself for the Science Council’s CPD Awards 2019 which are now open for nominations.
The CPD Awards are designed to celebrate outstanding professional development in science. They celebrate the professional development efforts and achievements of registrants across the four Science Council registers: Registered Science Technician (RSciTech), Registered Scientist (RSci), Chartered Scientist (CSci) and Chartered Science Teacher (CSciTeach).
The awards provide evidence for good practice and continuous improvement. There are four award categories in total: one for each register.
Members of <name of Licensed Body> are encouraged to make a nomination to ensure that <type of scientists in the scientific discipline e.g. marine scientists> are represented in the awards. As well as self-nominations, nominations can also be made by Licensed Bodies and employers. All nominations must be made using this online nomination form.
Please take a look at the guidance for nominators before making a nomination. In particular this guidance clarifies the criteria used by the judging panel to assess nominations.
Also, prior to submitting a nomination, permission must be granted from the nominee using the nominee declaration form.
Nominations close at 23:59 on Friday 26th July. Winners will be notified in mid-September and the awards ceremony held on 7th November.
The Institute of Water’s President’s Dinner & Awards night took place on Wednesday 26th June at Belfast City Hall.
The night was chaired by Wendy Austin, BBC broadcaster and featured entertainment from Northern Ireland Water’s choir and rugby referee Nigel Owens.
Alongside the dinner and awards, one of the main focuses of the IWater event is the WaterAid raffle, as guests generously donate in envelopes and are entered into a prize draw.
We can announce that this year’s dinner & awards raised a fantastic £4,000 for WaterAid!
Institute of Water & NI Water would like to say a huge thank you to everyone that donated and to our sponsors and companies who donated raffle prizes for the event!
(Fujitsu, Marsh, Mercer, McAllister Group, Charles Brand, McAdam Design, Portsmouth Water, Geda Construction, Visit Belfast, Belfast City Council)