NEWS Northumbrian leads UK water companies


Northumbrian Water and Yorkshire Water have once again topped the league table in British Water’s Survey of Water Company Performance. This annual survey gathers views from the water industry supply chain on how the main 12 UK water service providers perform and compare with each other.


about


The trade body’s questionnaire asks companies their


contractual approach, impact


on the supply chain, professional qualities, communication and procurement process. This year, the overall average was up 0.7 of a mark compared to the 2010 survey, from 5.5 to 6.2. There was no change at the top, with


2011 position


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9


10 11 12


Water company Northumbrian Water


Yorkshire Water Anglian Water


South West Water Wessex Water


Severn Trent Water Dwr Cymru Welsh Water Northern Ireland Water United Utilities Thames Water Scottish Water Southern Water


Northumbrian scoring an average of 7.7 in the table, compared to the worst performer, Southern Water, with 4.2. Companies generally scored highest for their ability to follow policy and worst for their handling of the recession and the transition from AMP4 to AMP5. British Water UK director, Paul Mullord, encouraged water companies to use the survey to improve their performance. He said:


“This


survey continues to give water companies the opportunity to analyse their performance relative to the industry average and other water companies. “They can identify areas where the supply chain believes they do well or could improve.”


Severn Trent misses water leakage target


Severn Trent Water (STW) has missed its leakages target for the first time in four years. Chief executive Tony Wray has blamed severe winter weather for rise in the number of burst pipes.


STW failed to meet regulator


Ofwat’s reduced level of 483Ml/d for 2010-11, but the company was keen to point out that the leakage rate still matched the previous


year’s level weather. “It was the coldest December for


100 years and the outbreak of burst pipes was pretty huge,” Wray said. “We kept our leakage as low as last year, which was a record low for us.” The company has also been hit with charges following an audit into its laboratories division Severn Trent Services. Two managers,


De-silting boat’s debut despite the cold suspended last October over


deficiencies identified by the Drinking Water Inspectorate in its Bridgend laboratory, have now left the company with no legal action being taken. Investigations have cost STW £7.7M, which Tony Wray was due to “the incredibly onerous requirement for the provision of data” that has to be legally reviewed. Costs included


an audit of operations at Bridgend at £3.8M, while it was also a further £3.9M charge was connected with a request from Ofwat for information over a Competition Act probe into its laboratories division. STW reported a 24.3% fall


in


annual pre-tax profits to £253M in the year to 31 March. Profits are down across the sector, following the tight 2009 price review.


Fines looming for Ireland on septic tanks


Ireland faces a £2.4M fine, plus a daily penalty of £23,295 for failing to introduce legislation for regular inspection of septic tanks, to ensure householders abide by manufacturer’s


stipulations. The


EC has referred the country to the European Court of Justice, asking for it to make a ruling.


In 2009, the Court ruled that


Ireland had failed to comply when it came to septic tanks. The


requirement


Mastenbroek Environmental has supplied the UK’s first Conver silt-pusher to drainage company ADC (East Anglia). The company says the purchase marks a step-change in watercourse management where organic sediments need to be removed efficiently within increasingly demanding environmental constraints.


Representatives from Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) were among those treated to their first glimpse of the sediment-clearing boat – dubbed the ‘floating bulldozer’ – at Pode Hole pumping station for Welland & Deepings IDB as it worked on a stretch of waterway.


6 Water & Wastewater Treatment June 2011 dates back


to the 1991 Urban Waste Water Directive requirement for domestic wastewater to be disposed of safely. The Republic has some 400,000 septic tanks and poor design and maintenance is polluting groundwater and putting human health at risk.


Irish environment minister Phil Hogan said his government “recently approved the urgent drafting and publication of the necessary legislation.”


Elster wins multi-utility metering contract


Wessex Water, Bristol Water and Sembcorp


Bournemouth Water


have selected Elster to supply up to 150,000 volumetric polymer water meters over the next three years. Elster says the V210 polymer meter is the first water meter to achieve compliance with the UK Water


Industry 4-32-19 making it suitable for all


installations, including land which may be contaminated.


Specification


Bristol Water’s Lee Tanner said: “Wessex Water, Bristol Water and Sembcorp Bournemouth Water have awarded the contract for domestic and small commercial water meters to Elster after they achieved the highest score against our evaluation criteria.”


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