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properties, and the discharge of sewage into the environment. As Director Caroline Ayres confirms: “It’s not always possible to identify what the material is, or what state it’s in, which could be anything from recently installed to badly deformed. Therefore, working pressures for cleaning and clearing blockages need to take this into account and we recommend no more than 1900 psi where materials are unknown, 2600 psi where they are known and their condition is good. There are other factors too, such as keeping cleaning nozzles moving and only using competent and trained operatives to minimise risks to both the sewer structure and to staff and the general public.”
On the matter of trained and experienced operators, our ageing workforce is an increasing issue. Some really experienced drainage contractors and operators with a wealth of experience and valuable expertise are heading for retirement, without that fantastic bank of knowledge and expertise being passed on to a younger workforce. You have only to look at the Facebook forum ‘Sewer Men and Proud’ to see some of the funny, disturbing and frankly incredible questions and comments posted about sewers and
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drains. Some of the people on the forum have amazing knowledge and sound practical advice to offer, compared to those just starting out or new to the industry. The more experienced ones often know the short cuts and ways to make clearing blockages or repairing drains much easier – and they can usually recommend particular types of equipment to do the best job too. There’s a common thread running through all of it: humour. Perhaps it’s essential in such a down and dirty industry that we don’t like to talk about, yet we can’t live without.
Every little helps going forward?
What other help is out there for identifying and caring for sewers? The Water Research Centre (WRc) has just announced a supplement to its 1980 Manual of Sewer Condition Classification. OFWAT funded, it’s a free-to-download sewer assessment tool, containing an extensive library of sewer images that can be used to instruct AI software to assess the condition of sewers. It is aimed at helping to prevent sewer collapses, flooding and overflow spills and should improve data collection and overall knowledge of what’s down there.
There are many ways in which water companies are trying to help revitalise
| August 2024 |
www.draintraderltd.com
our ailing sewer systems, including building additional storage tanks (such as the one being built near the River Avon by Wessex Water to prevent untreated sewerage running through the River Avon that passes the City of Bath, highlighted in Water Industry Journal’s June issue). The storage tank can hold up to 100,000 litres of water/wastewater. It’s the second storage project designed to reduce sewer overflow to the city. Wessex Water is also carrying out extensive sewer pipe relining to reduce infiltration of groundwater (causing flooding) and to keep more of the wastewater within the sewer system.
On the flip side, however, a recent weather forecast for North Yorkshire in early July also warned people about bathing on the Yorkshire coast, as all areas apart from Filey had seen significant sewage discharges into the sea after the recent heavy rain. July in the UK should be the hottest month of the year, but at the time of writing was cool and very, very wet. These are ongoing climate challenges to be overcome by all those operating our drains and sewer networks.
What do those operating in drains and sewers say?
The key question is probably how could
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