NEWS Popular regulator Purcell wins award Milo Purcell, Drinking Water
Inspectorate (DWI) deputy chief inspector, has won an award for Outstanding Individual Contribution to the Water Industry at the Water Industry Achievement Awards 2011. In its nomination, South West Water said that for 20 years “Milo has been a constant figurehead representing DWI and guiding the industry through the principles, processes and the technicalities of successfully delivering the improvements relating to drinking water quality.”
“On top of all of this he is a genuine ‘nice-guy’,” the nomination read.
“Long overdue national
recognition by our industry for a significant contribution.” WWT and sister title WET News announced the winners of its Water Industry Achievement Awards at a ceremony at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham on 29 March (see Page 36). The prize for Outstanding Innovation over all categories went to the family-run start-up Greener Waste. The judges said that the
Asset’s Euro Kitemark
company’s Modular High Efficiency Reed Bed were a pioneering concept, representing a step change in innovation for reed beds with extra benefits in construction and maintenance.
Natasha Wiseman, editor of WWT said: “The awards are a highlight of the sector’s calendar and this fifth anniversary year has been no exception.
Water star: Milo Purcell collecting the award from WIAA compere Paul Tonkinson
“The judges were impressed, not only with the highest number of entries ever, but also with the calibre of those entries.“
South West welcomes bill cut
South West Water has welcomed Chancellor George Osborne’s announcement that public money is to be used to cut its “unusually high” water bills. A £40M bill relief fund is to be established to tackle the issue that arose in the wake of the privatisation of the public utilities in 1989. The issue was highlighted in 2009 by the Walker Report. Some 30% of the nation’s bathing waters are situated in the popular tourist region, which has a low permanent
population. SWW’s £1.5B Clean Sweep programme has
been one of its main outlays and involved a complete revamp of the region’s sewage system to prevent discharge of untreated effluent into bathing waters.
In an announcement, SWW said: “Providing up to £40M per year to cut the average bill of all householders by up to £50 from 2013 would be well received by customers, alongside proposals to target help at those in most need by pegging the Water Sure tariff to the lower national average bill and allowing South West Water to bring forward its own social tariff.”
Jobs threatened at Ovivo Colchester The Kitemark has been awarded across Asset ’s range of plastic pipes
Asset International has become the first plastic pipe manufacturer in Europe to achieve a Kitemark to the new BS EN 13476 standard across its entire Weholite product range. The BS EN 13476 accreditation replaces the WIS 4-35-01 for plastic structured wall pipes used in non-pressure underground drainage and sewerage.
The Kitemark certification is recognised worldwide and gives products a recognised stamp of safety, quality and trust. Asset will undergo regular inspections to guarantee that its large diameter HDPE Weholite product consistently meets the requirements of the standard.
Managing director at Asset, Simon Thomas, said: “To achieve a Kitemark certification across our whole product range demonstrates the quality and integrity of Weholite and reinforces what our existing customers already know. “The accreditation will stand us in good stead as we endeavour to expand our market share in the existing sectors in which we operate, as well as enter new markets. It also offers contractors reassurance in the quality of our product.”
6 Water & Wastewater Treatment April 2011
Ovivo is shrinking its base in Colchester in a restructuring exercise following the rebranding of Canadian water treatment company Ovivo. General manager Angus Willis told WWT that a consultation is under way
and
may mean redundancies at the company’s Colchester base. Colchester is home to the Brackett Green brand, but Willis said that the brand is in no way under threat and is “key to what
we are doing going forward.” He said that there would still be an office in the town with design and technical staff, along with after- market support.
Other members of the 96-strong team would be offered the chance to move to the company’s West Midlands centre. “This is about centralising certain functions, about servicing our customers, more than anything else,” Willis said.
Procurement: Thames appoints Efficio service
Procurement specialist Efficio has signed a five-year contract to manage £500M a year spend for Thames Water. The deal, which started on 6 April, means Efficio
providing a full procurement managed
taking
responsibility for sourcing and contract management of all Thames Water’s direct and indirect spend.
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