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Award-Winning Vehicle Tracking *Limited Offer. 0870 013 6663 enquiries@quartix.net www.quartix.net Van Fleet World • FREE for first 3 months • Then £22.90/month • 12 month contract • FREE installation • On-site warranty • inc. Driving Style Monitoring "THE QUARTIX SYSTEM HAS HELPED REDUCE OUR FUEL USAGE AND IMPROVE OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE THROUGH INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY AND BETTER RESPONSE TIMES TO REPAIRS." ROB THOMAS, HEAD OF PROPERTY SERVICES, VALLEYS TO COAST HOUSING LTD. 4 WET NEWS MARCH 2014 CONTRACT WINS Five to bid for £485M EA flood deal • The Environment Agency chooses five contractors and joint ventures to bid for its ten-year Thames Estuary flood defence deal F ive bidders are to battle it out for the Environment Agency's (EA) £485M flood defence contract in the Thames Estuary. The contract is for the Thames Estuary Phase 1 pro- gramme including projects to maintain, refurbish, and replace Thames tidal defences in London and the Estuary over a ten-year period. The shortlisted bidders are Jacobs; CH2M Hill; a Morgan Sindall and Grontmij joint venture; Vision4TE, a Volker Stevin and Mace joint venture, with Atkins as strategic sub-consult- ant; and CCU Alliance, a Cos- tain, Capita and URS joint venture. The agency expects to make announce the winning bid for the Thames Estuary Phase 1 programme in October. The Thames Estuary Phase 1 programme including projects to maintain, refurbish, and replace Thames tidal defences in London and the Estuary. Wide ranging studies and investigations have been car- ried out to look at how tidal flood risk is increasing in the Thames estuary due to ageing flood defence structures; cli- mate change and rising sea lev- els; as well as more people liv- ing and working in the floodplain. The Thames Estuary 2100 Plan is the first major flood risk management project in the UK to have changing climate adap- tation at its core. The Plan recommends main- taining, refurbishing, and replacing the tidal flood risk management structures and assets up to the end of the century. The first ten years of this capital investment by the Envi- ronment Agency is the Thames Estuary Phase 1 programme, comprising capital works, including: •Major refurbishment works of fixed assets, such as tidal walls and embankments •Refurbishing works of active assets (including major flood barriers) •Packages of major or complex maintenance works, such as repairing long lengths or fixed flood defence walls or subsid- ence of earth embankments •New assets such as pumping stations •Capital renewals and replacements Commenting on the programme, Peter Quarmby, Thames Estuary Flood Risk Pro- gramme director at the EA, said: "This is a major invest- ment which will create jobs and protect future generations of Londoners from tidal flooding and the impacts of a changing climate. "The Thames Barrier and associated tidal flood risk management infra- structure protects 1.25 mil- lion people, £200B-worth of property, UK government, major infrastructure and busi- nesses. In London, every £1 we invest on protecting communi- ties saves £38 in damage repair." "This is a major investment which will create jobs and protect future generations of Londoners from tidal flooding and the impacts of a changing climate" Peter Quarmby, Thames Estuary Flood Risk Programme director at the EA Blending could remove fracking contaminants www.teekaycouplings.com tel: +44 (0)1494 679500 REALITY CHECK • The London Assembly Environment Committee has sought assurances that London's flood defences are robust and future-proof • During the recent storms, the Thames Barrier was raised at least 11 times • Storm surge from the North Sea, high tides and exceptional fluvial (river) flow are the three factors that make it necessary to raise the barrier • Analysis suggests the barrier will be sufficient protection until 2060-70, even with a rise in sea level YOU WHAT? It's great that the Environment Agency is going full-steam ahead with this programme. During the storms earlier this year, the Thames Barrier was most probably used more than it was ever intended – and in a short space of time. If London and other areas of the country that are at risk from flooding are to be protected from the effects of extreme storms, then investments in long-term projects such as the Thames Estuary Flood Risk Programme is a good thing. The Thames Barrier and associated tidal flood risk management infrastructure protects 1.25 million people, £200B-worth of property • Dukes University study reveals acid mine wastewater could eliminate fracking contaminants by blending them into solids A study by US university Dukes has revealed that much of the naturally oc- curring radioactivity in fracking wastewater could be removed by blending it with another wastewater from acid mine drainage. Avner Vengosh, professor of geochemistry and water quality at Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment, said: "Fracking wastewater and acid mine drainage each pose well-docu- mented environmental and pub- lic health risks. But in laboratory tests, we found that by blending them in the right proportions we can bind some of the fracking contaminants into solids that can be removed before the water is discharged back into streams and rivers. "This could be an effective way to treat Marcellus Shale hydraulic fracturing wastewa- ter, while providing a beneficial use for acid mine drainage that currently is contaminating waterways in much of the north- eastern United States." The study, published last month in Environmental Science & Technology, said blending fracking wastewater with acid mine drainage also could help reduce the depletion of local freshwater resources by giving drillers a source of usable recy- cled water for the the study showed that standard treatment processes only partially remove these potentially harmful con- taminants from Marcellus Shale wastewater before it is dis- charged, causing radioactivity to amass in stream sediments near the disposal site. NEED TO KNOW The theory could help reduce depletion of freshwater resources Fracking contaminants can be binded into solids that can be removed before the water is discharged back into streams and rivers Analysis showed process removed 60-100% of radium Acid mine drainage is contaminating waterways in north-eastern US • Turner & Townsend has been awarded a ten-year framework by Severn Trent Water to support the capital delivery programmes. The deal covers the remainder of AMP5 the five-year AMP6 period and part of AMP7. • AMEC's worldwide framework contract with Eni's Exploration & Production division for multidisciplinary environ- mental services has been renewed. The extended deal includes surface and groundwater assessment. • Black & Veatch has contracted GPS Group to provide process control systems and software for two new water treatment plants under construction for Dwr Cymru Welsh Water at Dolbenmaen and Llyn Conway in North Wales. • Huber Technology has been awarded an order to supply sludge dewaterers and sludge thickeners to a large wastewater treatment works on the outskirts of Belfast. GOOD MONTH BAD MONTH Jacobs; CH2M Hill; a Morgan Sindall / Grontmij joint venture (JV); Vision4TE; and CCU Alliance are vying for the EA's super contract. Thames Water and Scottish businessman John Wyllie have signed a deal that could open the Scottish water market up to serious competition for the first time since de-regulation. Thames Water faced fresh calls for its Thames Tideway Tunnel to be scrapped, this time from Professor Chris Binnie, who led a study group recommending it be built. Thumbs down for Denmark, which is being taken to the European Court for failing to present plans for manag- ing river basins. News+

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