NEWS
Skellett hails top performance for Wessex Water
Wessex Water is the best performing Wessex Water chairman Colin customer service and met its leakage
water and sewerage company in Skellett said: “This report clearly target despite a cold winter which
England and Wales, according to shows that we are leading the way added pressure on water mains.
industry regulator Ofwat. forward and setting a high bench- Mr Skellett said that investment
The company was given its best mark for the industry.” was key to the improvement.
ever score in Ofwat’s ‘Service and Water companies are given a “Since privatisation we have
Delivery’ report (see News, page 6) rating known as the Overall invested billions of pounds to
that assesses how water companies Performance Assessment (OPA) modernise the water and sewerage
deliver services to customers. score so services levels across the infrastructure in the Wessex Water
The report analysed the sewerage, industry can be compared. region and to ensure the overall cus-
water and environmental services During the past year Wessex Water tomer experience meets expectation.
provided by Wessex Water and outperformed all other companies “We will continuously invest in all
measured how it dealt with and achieved the highest ever score areas of our business to maintain our
customers. It revealed that Wessex since OPA was introduced. performance while at the same
Water performed better than any Ofwat’s report revealed how time provide customers with value
High benchmark: Colin Skellett other water and sewerage company. Wessex Water offered high levels of for money.”
United Utilities invests in sludge treatment
Workforce must
be ‘climate ready’
North-west water giant United Utilities the Mersey Valley Processing Centre
(UU) has invested in advanced in Widnes, Cheshire. The Davyhulme The Institute for Public
sludge treatment with the installation facility is expected to be on stream in Policy Research (IPPR) is
of Hydro SludgeScreen™ compacting the last quarter of 2011. warning that decisive
and dewatering screening facilities at “We needed to produce sludge action needs to be taken to
five of the firm’s wastewater sites in that was free from screenings,” com- make the UK workforce
South Manchester and Lancashire. ments Tony Goddard, IA+ South ‘climate ready’ or we run
The 15 SludgeScreen™ units form M&E project team leader for GCA JV. the risk of not being able
part of UU’s Sludge Balance Asset “Screenings-free sludge is required to compete in a low carbon
Programme Enabling Works (2), Advanced work: the Davyhulme site to reduce any potential for equip- global economy.
through a Joint Venture between ment blockages and associated dam- The report was
Galliford Try, Costain and Atkins (GCA). new advanced digestion pre-treat- age or downtime. It will also avoid published in the IPPR’s
The screened sludge will be trans- ment facility will produce an product contamination with unsightly document, ‘The Future’s
ferred to Davyhulme, UU’s largest advanced treated product, suitable screenings for further treatment or Green: Jobs and the UK
wastewater treatment site, where a for land recycling or incineration at land recycling.” Low Carbon Transition’. It
comes as the Government
prepares to publish its
Mott MacDonald launches new CR initiative
plans to overhaul the UK
skills system.
Mott MacDonald, a leading global He added: “Mott MacDonald feels The chief executive of
management, engineering and strongly that CR strategy has to be Energy & Utility Skills, Tim
development consultancy has strategic rather than merely respon- Balcon, said: “Unless we
unveiled a new water and environ- sive, which is what Water and have a workforce that is fit
ment corporate responsibility (CR) Environment in the Community aims for purpose to deliver a low
initiative. Launched at the group’s to do. Rather than responding to carbon approach to
technical hub for its water and envi- social and environmental problems industry then everything
ronment business in Cambridge, as they occur, a proactive approach else that follows could
Water and Environment in the allows us to utilise our skills and almost be piece-meal.
Community is a new strategy that experience to help wider society “Energy & Utility Skills
aims to enhance Mott MacDonald’s cope with and preferably avoid works on behalf of the gas,
focus on CR activities in the sector. Proactive approach: Mott MacDonald such problems.” power, waste management
Jim Perry, the managing director of The strategy sets out four target and water industries and
Mott MacDonald’s water and envi- “Our water and environment team areas to which Mott MacDonald’s through our work, we
ronment business, said: “A responsi- felt that we could strengthen our indi- water and environment team has know that a future
ble and committed approach to vidual commitment to CR and have pledged its support: volunteering workforce covering
corporate social responsibility forms developed a strategic plan which lays with partner organisations, project these areas need to be
a vital part of Mott MacDonald’s out our vision of how our team can related CR activities, schools activities radically different.”
business culture across the group. do more to aid the sector.” and advocacy work.
8 Water & Wastewater Treatment November 2009
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