Water / Wastewater - UK Focus ix So what happens to all of this data?


The vast majority of the data that is produced by the sensors and instruments within the modern industry is lost, or is in a form that renders it unusable. This is changing to some extent thanks to Advanced Process Control systems that work as an automation system, wherebythe on-site PLC accepts the data and the control system cuts the operator out of the loop.


When treatment works or networks are designed and built there is a need to incorporate the instrumentation, data and information as an end to end process within the initial design. Unfortunately, the instrumentation is often the last thing to be installed, let alone designed.


This sounds a quite complex process, but it is really just a case of internal stakeholder engagement within the water industry in order to identify what everyone, from the management board, right down to the engineers and operators on the ground, need to see on a day to day basis. Asset managers must also work out when assets need replacing as this further simplifi es the process.


Identifying the right information drives the types of data that are required, which in turn drives the type of instrumentation that needs to be installed.


What are the barriers to instrumentation?


Unfortunately the barriers to instrumentation within the water industry are signifi cant:


• It is diffi cult in the current water industry to get an instrument installed as it is hard to show a return on the investment. Notable exceptions to this are fl ow meters, where there is a regulatory


Whatever meter you fi x you have to maintain. The pictured meter worked for a number of years but without the correct maintenance will fail


requirement to have them installed, and dissolved oxygen monitors with which there is an easily demonstrable benefi t.


• When the decision to install an instrument is made often an incorrect instrument is installed for an application. For example; an area velocity fl ow meter located at the bottom of an inlet channel where it will be covered in debris, or an ion selective ammonia monitor on the outlet to a works where it is more suited to the inlet.


• Where the correct instrument chosen it is often installed contrary to the manufacturer’s instructions or is installed in such a way that it is not operationally maintainable and so falls into a state of disrepair.


• Where an instrument is selected correctly, installed correctly, and is communicating properly with the company telemetry system, the operation and maintenance may slacken off.


It only takes one of these scenarios for the quality of the data to be compromised and trust in the instrumentation lost. With this loss of trust in the data the water industry as a whole loses a valuable source of information that can be used to deliver effi ciencies that the industry so desperately needs.


Moving forward, the water industry has a large number


Choosing the right meter for the right place is essential. The fl ow meter installed in this channel (see if you can spot it) can’t possibly work correctly considering the conditions its expected to work in


of challenges to face, and delivering effi ciency in the way it operates is going to require more instrumentation employed in the correct way, and for the data that that instrumentation produces to be converted in such a way that it is useful to the different stakeholders within each of the WASC’s. This will enable the water industry to take the data it produces and convert it into the information that is needed operationally across the industry, be it for short term operational management, medium to long term asset management, as well as strategic investment plans.


If the industry manages to deliver this then the challenges of operating effi ciently should be easily overcome.


Report Calls for Wastewater Legislation to Maximise Potential of European Shale Gas


As companies at the forefront of the UK’s shale gas industry plan a substantial expansion in the number of drilling sites, a research report from NEL and the UK’s National Measurement System warns that there are many hurdles to overcome if Europe is to replicate the USA’s successful exploitation of unconventional gas (shale gas and coalbed methane).


The report calls for purposely developed European regulations to control the environmental impact of waste water, a by-product of hydraulic fracturing and production. This by-product can contain signifi cant levels of contaminants and is one of the biggest challenges for the industry. The total volume of water required to fracture a typical well can be up to 20,000m3, which may result in up to 600 truckloads of water having to be transported to a well pad. Up to 40 per cent of this water will be returned as fl owback water.


NEL warns that shale gas waste water management is complex; it cannot simply be discharged into watercourses. Also, unless effectively managed, water withdrawal in certain areas may depress aquifers and affect ground water fl ows.


Europe can learn vital lessons from the US shale gas experience, which is regulated by a complex set of laws. In 2011 the US Environmental Protection Agency stated that: “Currently, wastewaters associated with shale gas extraction are prohibited from being discharged to waterways….treatment plants may not be equipped to treat this type of wastewater, resulting in the discharge of pollutants….where they can impact drinking water or aquatic life.”


NEL also highlights that if Europe is to benefi t from the potential economic and ‘alternative energy’ benefi ts of shale gas, waste water transportation must be done economically and sustainably as the emissions from transport could undermine it being considered a greener source of energy.


Dr. Ming Yang, Environmental Consultancy Services Manager at NEL, said: “There is defi nitely an appetite from European operators and stakeholders to be involved at the dawn of this new energy sector. However, companies with interests in the exploration of shale gas must consider the environmental implications and proper water management remains one of the biggest challenges which they must plan for and tackle. The regulatory framework in Europe related to water and waste water treatment & disposal was established without shale gas exploration and production in mind. There is now an onus on European regulators to have clear rules specifi cally in place by which operators must abide.”


Shale gas represents signifi cant potential for Europe, bringing many benefi ts to economies and domestic energy supplies. In the US, shale gas production has increased 12-fold over the last ten years and currently accounts to 25 per cent of total US gas production. The USA is expected to overtake Russia as the world’s largest gas producer within the next two years. Since 2004 the UK has been a net importer of gas as North Sea production steadily declines.


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