INDUSTRY FOCUS WATER & WASTE TREATMENT APPROVED VALVES KEEP CHECK ON SAFETY


The importance of supplying ‘fit-for-purpose’ products for building services applications, especially those that can affect public health, has never been greater. David Keys, managing director at Albion Valves (UK), explains why...


K


eeping up with the flow of regulations that occur in the water industry is


challenging and staying abreast of amendments and legal revisions can be a full time job. Increased knowledge as to the exact causes of dangerous bacteria such as Legionella Pneumophila, and the availability of products to prevent it, means there is no excuse for not introducing the appropriate safeguards. It is fairly common


knowledge that the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations and Scottish byelaws are national requirements governing the design, installation, operation and maintenance of plumbing systems, water fittings and appliances that use water. They are designed to legally protect public health and promote the efficient use of water. It is however, a less well known fact that


many UK water companies, in conjunction with WRAS, have released amendments in relation to installation requirements under the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 in England and Wales, which now means that the water appliances that we all use every day may need an additional double check valve to be installed at the point of connection between the water supply and the appliance.


Double check valves protect the water


supply from the risk of backflow and back siphonage in domestic homes and commercial buildings, ultimately preventing potential contaminants getting into other parts of the system, especially drinking water. Dan Littlewood, senior water regulations technician at Severn Trent Water said: “The presence of double check valves is a legal


requirement in many domestic and non-domestic plumbing arrangements, as is the


requirement for all fittings installed in


such systems to be of an appropriate quality and standard and be suitable for the circumstances in which they are used. The quality made, compliant valves in this range present peace of mind in regards to the prevention of backflow whilst also meeting all regulatory requirements for a water fitting.” Another area of concern


is the spread of Legionnaires Disease which can easily colonise in hot and cold water systems. Recent statistics show that as many as 10% of reported cases result in fatalities.


GASMIX ENSURES DIGESTER CONTENTS ARE FULLY MIXED


As part of its contract for Yorkshire Water’s new energy and recycling facility at Brighouse near Huddersfield, J Murphy & Sons has chosen Landia’s GasMix mixing system for the site’s anaerobic digesters. Externally-mounted, with no moving parts inside the digester, Landia’s GasMix will be installed on 7,000m3


capacity cast-in-situ concrete digesters containing thickened sewage sludge of up to 8% dry


solids (DS). Benefitting from the Landia chopper pump, which together with venturi nozzles ensures that the whole


of the digester is mixed, each GasMix system is low on energy consumption, low on maintenance – and reduces health and safety issues such as working from height. The new facility in Brighouse is central to Yorkshire Water’s commitment to renewable energy investment. A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water commented: “We are extremely excited about the building of the


new facility at Brighouse. Helping the environment is one of our five big goals - and projects like this will go a long way in helping us become net zero carbon by 2030.” In addition to the digesters at Brighouse, Murphy is also providing Yorkshire Water with a new sludge


reception plant, sludge thickening plant and storage, CHP and dual fuel boilers, sludge dewatering and lime treatment, cake storage and a new liquor treatment plant. This all comes at a key phase for the UK water industry that is looking to optimise the use of its sludge


via anaerobic digestion/biogas. Landia


www.landia.co.uk The optimum legionella bacteria


David Keys, managing director at Albion Valves


The public health valve range from Albion includes double check valves (ART 36, 37 and 236), pressure reducing valves (ART 670F and 670M), thermal balancing valve (ART 31, left) and thermostatic mixing valves (ART 33, below, and 33SV)


multiplication temperature is between 32°C and 42°C. HSE L8 requires the temperature of domestic hot-water systems to be maintained above 50-60°C. It also advises that stored hot water is not below 60°C, with a recommended distribution temperature of no less than 50°C, and 55°C in healthcare premises, within one minute of running an outlet. Thermal Balancing Valves are designed for use in circulating hot water systems, by design it provides thermostatically controlled regulation of flow and thermal disinfection, assisting with protection against Legionella. Once the water temperature rises to its set point, the thermal balancing valve will restrict the flow in order to maintain a constant temperature and limit the flow in circulation pipes to a minimum required level. Temperatures in excess of approximately


44°C may result in burns to the skin, so a conflict exists between storing hot water at 60°C and the risk of scalding. As a result, hot water temperatures need to be controlled via thermostatic control devices – such as Thermal Mixing Valves (TMV). TMV’s are available in 2in1 and 4in1 combinations and are designed to blend hot water which is commonly stored at temperatures high enough to kill bacteria with cold water at the point of discharge, this will ensure a constant, safe outlet temperature preventing scalding. Pressure Reducing Valves protect the


whole installation from problems due to excess pressure, such as pipe noise, water hammer and excess wear of other equipment. Pressure Reducing Valves are designed to control and maintain a regulated and constant water pressure. Furthermore, less pressure means less water used, and therefore less energy consumed, which in turn improves the efficiency of the building. UK water regulations classify the range


of domestic and non-domestic uses of water into five fluid categories. These categories are graded from 1 to 5; from the cleanest potable water rated number 1 to water classed as posing a serious health hazard graded as a 5. The range of public health valves at


Albion have been designed to be fully compliant with the increasingly stringent water regulations. All of the valves in this range are WRAS approved providing engineers and installers with the peace of mind that they are complying with the latest regulations.


Albion Valves E: sales@albionvalvesuk.com


28 NOVEMBER 2019 | PROCESS & CONTROL / PROCESS&CONTROL


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