iv UK Focus - Water / Wastewater
OTT HydroMet Launches Turnkey Flood Warning Stations
OTT HydroMet is excited to introduce new Urban Flood Warning Stations, bundled solutions designed to help mitigate the risks associated with fl ooding in any community. Early fl ood warning systems provide timely data to alert stakeholders and communities of potential fl ood events by quickly informing if a critical threshold has been exceeded. OTT HydroMet designed these turnkey stations to simplify the process of establishing a fl ood warning network with the option to enhance the system with additional parameters.
The station provides you with all the technology needed to establish a real-time fl ood warning network. Notable features of the stations include continuous water level monitoring, advanced datalogging with customized thresholds for alerting, and 2-way cellular communication. The station can be upgraded with an additional sensor for precipitation monitoring, advanced weather measurements, or a high-resolution camera to confi rm sensor readings. As always, if you need a customized project solution beyond these stations OTT HydroMet’s trusted project delivery team is happy to partner with you on station confi gurations for stream gauging, meteorological and road weather systems, solar monitoring and more! Reach out for more information.
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email: © Reaction Engines Only 1 in 10 emergency overfl ows monitored for sewage
A rising tide of public concern over England’s lax monitoring of emergency sewage overfl ows is becoming impossible to ignore, as statistics reveal that a meager 10% of these overfl ows are assessed for sewage spills. Advocates argue that this oversight enables water companies to sidestep stringent control measures, resulting in unmonitored pollution.
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There are a staggering 7,016 emergency overfl ows across England, distinguished from storm overfl ows by their usage restrictions. They are sanctioned only in dire circumstances, such as during electrical power outage, a mechanical malfunction of pumps, a fault in the rising main, or downstream sewer blockages.
Alarmingly, water companies are obligated to track only those emergency overfl ows that seep into shellfi sh waters. As a result, a mere 686 emergency overfl ows—just 10% of the total—have logged data over the past two years.
Analyzing this limited data reveals a worrying trend: 102 emergency overfl ows contaminated shellfi sh waters 635 times in 2021, and 86 were discharged 491 times the following year. These fi gures emerged from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted to the Environment Agency by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS). The request exposed the regular and repeated use of these emergency outlets, contrary to their intended purpose.
Dr. Laura Foster, an MCS representative who initiated the FOI request, remarked: “Emergency overfl ows should serve as a fi nal safety measure. However, the scant data available illustrates that these releases are far from rare, and repeated off ences are commonplace. The absence of preventative steps following the fi rst incident is perplexing.”
Dr. Foster emphasized the urgent responsibility of water companies to manage sewage eff ectively. Failure to institute requisite protocols, she warned, puts both marine ecosystems and human health at considerable risk.
Just last month, The Guardian reported that excessive levels of
E.coli—harmful bacteria found in feces—had led to the closure of 11 shellfi sh farms in Cornwall. Shellfi sh waters, alongside bathing waters, still or sluggish water bodies, sustainable fi sheries, public parks, and sports water venues, are highly sensitive environments. The industry has voiced anger over the government’s delay in addressing these pressing issues.
Water companies are expected to show that their emergency overfl ow usage was due to uncontrollable circumstances, not
neglect or improper maintenance. Further, they are bound to make all feasible eff orts to avert similar situations in the future.
Yet, an astounding 60% of the emergency overfl ows have been discharged more than once. This has raised red fl ags about water companies potentially fl outing permit conditions without facing repercussions.
Henry Swithinbank, the Policy and Research Manager for the environmental group Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), voiced concern over what he called “another grim instance of a rigged system.” According to him, the current lax regulations have allowed polluters to avoid signifi cant penalties. He stressed the need for full transparency to prevent water companies from concealing their misdeeds and persisting in treating our waterways as sewage dumps.
Chris Tuckett, Director of Policy and Conservation at the MCS, underscored the pressing need for improved monitoring of all emergency overfl ows to begin tackling this signifi cant pollution source. “Without more data from these overfl ows, we cannot fully comprehend the extent of environmental damage,” Tuckett warned.
Consequently, the MCS is pursuing legal action against the government for the misuse of emergency overfl ows. Water UK, the water industry representative, confi rmed that companies were developing strategies to monitor and reduce emergency overfl ow usage but stopped short of providing specifi cs.
A Water UK spokesperson stated that the industry is investing £56 billion in the most substantial sewer modernization since the Victorian era and emphasized the commitment to rectify the situation. They explained that emergency overfl ows are used as a last resort to relieve pressure on sewage facilities when an unexpected issue arises.
However, the Environment Agency’s response to the situation was more cautious. They noted that water companies are required to track emergency overfl ows linked to designated shellfi sh waters as per government advice. While an average of 1.5 discharges occurred per overfl ow annually in 2022, over 70% of these overfl ows went unused. The agency pledged to continue investigating and taking action against non-compliance.
This controversy has led advocates to demand stricter oversight of emergency overfl ows and to tighten regulations on storm overfl ow sewage discharges. Emma Dearnaley, legal director at the Good Law Project, stated that the
recent data suggests the sewage dumping crisis is even more catastrophic than previously realized. She pledged her organization’s support to the MCS in its legal challenge against the government to enforce stronger, more immediate targets for water companies to clean up their act.
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TALKING POINT
Watch Philip Dunne MP discuss the Environment Act 2021 and transforming river
pollution monitoring As Chairman of the Environmental Audit Committee since 2020, Philip Dunne MP has been at the forefront of raising public awareness of extensive river pollution. To watch Philip discuss how the new Environment Act proposes to tackle this pollution as well as the innovations in monitoring technology that might be required, go to
wwww.envirotech-online.com Other topics include How does the Environmental Audit Committee work? What were the fi ndings of the Committee’s Water Quality and Rivers Reports?
What are the water monitoring requirements in the Environment Act 2021?
60731pr@reply-direct.com
How long will water companies have to make changes to their monitoring operations?
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60142pr@reply-direct.com
IET ANNUAL BUYERS’ GUIDE 2023/24
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