Water and Effluent Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://read.utilityweek.co.uk/i/805302
4 WET NEWS APRIL 2017 News+ Good monthT- Bad month A groundbreaking ceremony has taken place marking the first construction work on Severn Trent Water's £300M Birmingham Resilience Project For 2.1K homes in Wales, which will benefit from Welsh government funding of £32M to protect them from floodrisk. For Thames Water, now £20M-plus worse off following sewage pollution incidents at six sites in 2012-14. For Devon Tarmasters, Harris and Harris Construction, and Choice Render, fined for illegally taking water from the network in the South-west British Water publishes code of practice for SuDS technologies • Voluntary code allows professionals delivering SuDS to apply a risk-based approach to minimising the environmental impact of the diffuse pollution from run-off. B ritish Water has published a code of practice for assessing surface water treatment technologies. The document, which took more than two years to develop, has been supported by the Environment Agency (EA) and manufacturers of surface water treatment devices. British Water members ACO Technologies, Hydro International and Polypipe joined with the environmental regulator to sponsor an in-depth study of UK rainfall by research consultancy HR Wallingford. The information was key to the development of a robust product testing protocol. British Water technical director Marta Perez said: "Standards are necessary to demonstrate how well proprietary devices used in sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) treat runoff and remove heavy metals from the water cycle. Until now, there was no standard for testing in the UK. "Conducting tests overseas creates a heavy cost burden which was prohibitive for smaller UK manufacturers looking to sell at home. This code of practice defines the process necessary to measure the pollutant capture and retention capability of any device entering the UK market." The voluntary code of practice allows professionals delivering SuDS to apply a risk- based approach to minimising the environmental impact of the diffuse pollution from run-off. Verifying the capture and retention capabilities of different devices for a range of pollutants gives regulators, designers, specifiers and local authorities the information they need to select the most appropriate technology in a given application. The tested devices are typically used to treat runoff from urban and residential hard- surfacing such as roads and car parks. Part of the code of CONTRACT WINS • Stonbury has won deals with SES Water, Portsmouth Water and Dee Valley Water. The contractor will deliver reservoir and water tower cleaning, inspection, maintenance and repair works for the three utilities until March 31, 2020, and there is an option for a five-year extension. • FLI Water has been selected as a MEICA partner on Anglian Water's framework, working with the utility and the @One and IOS alliances. Working across Anglian Water's region, the framework includes all MEICA- allocated work. • Land & Water has landed the multimillion- pound Canal & River Trust national dredging contract. The award came just days after the firm won a place on all four lots of the EA's South-east region minor works framework. Scientists and engineers 'unhappy with Brexit uncertainty' • New international standard offers guidance for identifying, developing and managing collaborative relationships between organisations. A lmost nine in ten scientists and engineers are dissatisfied with government preparations for life outside the European Union, a survey from trade union Prospect has revealed. The survey, completed by 2,750 Prospect members, found that 69% of respondents agreed that uncertainty about the timing and impact of the Brexit process had impacted negatively on their organisation's ability to fulfil ongoing functions and plan or undertake long-term projects. The research was released to coincide with the launch of a booklet spelling out the implications of Brexit for funding, collaboration and skills Sustainable drainage systems reduce flood risk by slowing and storing flood water using natural processes "Standards are necessary to demonstrate how well proprietary devices used in sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) treat runoff and remove heavy metals from the water cycle. Until now, there was no standard for testing in the UK" Marta Perez, British Water in UK science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), and reveals strong concerns about Brexit among STEM professionals. More than six in ten (64%) said they feel less secure in their employment since the EU referendum, while less than one quarter (23%) are confident that their organisation has the staff and skills to inform and support government negotiations on Brexit and take on the new responsibilities that Brexit might bring. Looking ahead, 77% of respondents see continued access to the single market as a priority. Eighty per cent prioritised freedom of movement and 90% wanted guaranteed BSI launches new standard to aid collaborative working B ritish standards company BSI has launched ISO 44001: Collaborative busi- ness relationship management systems – requirements and frameworks. The new inter- national standard replaces BS 11000, and provides guidance for identifying, developing and managing collaborative relation- ships with or between organisations. ISO 44001 addresses the management system of an organisation, and provides a framework for how organisations can establish a management system, as well as the operational process require- ments for specific or individual organisational relationship engagement. The standard also provides guidance on how effective collaboration requires two or more organisations to work well together, with the necessity that a management system needs to accommodate the activities of both parties. Differing cultures in organisations, and the challenges this can pose to synergy, is covered in the standard to ensure organisations have the right template to deliver enhanced benefit to stake- holders through collaborative approaches. David Fatscher, head of market development for sus- tainability and services at BSI, said: "Collaborative business relationships have been shown to deliver a wide range of benefits for organisations of all sizes, enhancing their competitiveness and perform- ance whilst adding value. Collaboration between indi- viduals is commonplace, but collaboration between organ- isations is more complex and demands different knowledge and skills. This standard is aimed precisely at meeting those needs." ISO 44001 uses a high-level structure (HLS) – featuring terms, definitions, headings and text common to all management system standards – allowing easier integration when imple- menting multiple management systems. It also has an increased focus on competence and behaviours. rights for EU nationals to stay in the UK. More than one in ten (11%) said they were planning to leave the UK up to and a¤er Brexit, while a further 22% of STEM professionals said they would consider leaving. Mary Creagh MP, chair of the Environmental Audit Committee said: "The UK gets much more out of EU research funding than it puts in. UK science has benefited from collaboration with European research partners. "The Environmental Audit Committee, which I chair, found that this sharing of environ- mental knowledge has provided significant benefits to the UK environment over the last 40 years. We have called on the Government to replace EU funding for research a¤er we leave, and give clear commitments about how UK scientists can continue to work with our international partners to tackle the great environmental problems of our age, which do not respect national borders." Prospect deputy general secretary Sue Ferns said: "Continued uncertainty for our science funding and collaboration is not neutral. It damages relationships day-by- day and brings a high emotional cost. The government must make tangible commitments to end uncertainty and set a positive path to future economic success." practice is aimed at determining three functional requirements of treatment devices: • Typical pollutant capture efficiency for frequent, sub- annual rainfall events • Sediment retention cap- ability for up to 1:2 year rainfall events likely to cause washout • Capability of filter media to retain dissolved pollutants under the influence of de-icing salt Perez said: "The tests can be completed by the manufacturer or at a commercial test facility but must be witnessed by an approved independent UKAS- accredited third-party. British Water is now seeking a partner in the position to install and run testing equipment." Helen Wake- ham, EA deputy director (water quality, groundwater and contaminated land), said: "At the Environment Agency we encourage the use of SuDS, and recognise that the right operational guidance is important. We have been pleased to work with the industry in creating its own code of practice. I am delighted to see the results, which will further support the imple- mentation of SuDS in England." Approval and certification under the Code of Practice: Assessment of Manufactured Devices Designed to Treat Surface Water Runoff will allow manufacturers to demonstrate that their published capture and retention capabilities have been tested. Continued access to the single market is a priority, say respondents