News from clients

Technology from water recycling specialist WPL, a WCS group company, has been selected by DP World London Gateway to deliver enhanced ammonia removal to protect sensitive waters within the Thames Estuary.
 
DP World London Gateway is a smart logistics hub located on the north bank of the River Thames in Thurrock, Essex, 25 miles from central London.
 
WPL will be providing a custom wastewater treatment plant for a new detached warehouse for 150 office workers, currently under construction in the logistics hub. The plant will be able to 7.5M3/d flow for a population equivalent of 100.
 
The package plant will discharge into an environmentally sensitive swale, which feeds into the Thames Estuary, and must meet stringent Environment Agency standards of 15:15:03mg/l for ammonia and suspended solids.
 
WPL will provide one below-ground HiPAF (high performance aerated filter) system to deliver ammonia removal, with one dosing unit and sand filter to further improve final effluent in line with the site-specific consent requirements. The design also includes a small pumping system due to the depth of the incoming drain and a pumped flow return chamber.
 
WPL technical manager Dominic Hamblin said: “DP London Gateway is a major logistics hub, and we are excited to be delivering this onsite environmental solution on its behalf.
 
“WPL’s modular HiPAF range meets stringent European environmental discharge consent standards, without the use of chemicals. The technology is regularly specified by UK water utilities and is an effective choice for sensitive locations such as swales, which are shallow and not heavily diluted.
 
“The compact design of the HiPAF enables units to be installed in locations where space is at a premium, such as a busy commercial site. In addition, our sand filters are designed to remove excess suspended solids and biological oxygen demand where consent standards are above what is normally expected from a biological process.
 
“Once up-and-running, the plant will provide robust wastewater treatment while being low on noise, with minimal visual impact and will be easy to maintain.”
 
WPL’s treatment plant will be constructed by Readie Construction.
 
Giuseppe Orlando, project quantity surveyor, Readie Construction, said: “DP World London Gateway is a high profile site, surrounded by sensitive waters. As such, we are pleased to be working with WPL to install onsite wastewater treatment for the new warehouse building.”
 
Construction is due to start before the end of 2021 and is expected to take 12 weeks.

 Water recycling specialist WPL will present the findings of a significant piece of research into phosphate removal at the European Wastewater Management (EWWM) Conference and Exhibition. The event takes place in Birmingham, UK, and online, on 28-29 September 2021, with challenges around phosphorus as one of its key themes.
 
Around 783 new final effluent consents for phosphate removal are coming into force before 2025 as part of the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), more than ever before.  WPL, which is a WCS Group brand, plays a key role in supporting water utilities in meeting their consents. The company’s technical team has undertaken a substantial review of the requirements imposed by the national regulators in England and across the UK.
 
Andrew Baird, technical director of WPL will highlight the outcomes of the review, which includes an assessment of the technologies suitable for unmanned works up to 5,000 population equivalent (PE), which can contribute to the total phosphate load in the catchment.
 
Baird said: “The regulatory landscape for wastewater treatment is changing and water utilities in England are finding themselves under closer scrutiny for phosphate removal. While wastewater utilities are not the only contributors to phosphorus in surface waters, being heavily regulated means compliance is king.
 
“There is no silver bullet technology for phosphorus removal. Not only are consents very specific to individual sites, they are also wide-ranging in terms of the levels of phosphorus that can be discharged. A holistic approach is required that allows the catchment to be reviewed in its entirety.”
 
The presentation will highlight the latest technological and chemical-free developments being explored by the WCS Group and how existing equipment can help utilities meet their requirements. It will also explore best practice guidance for treatment plant operators and designers, including the value of data sharing and suggestions of how the regulatory landscape can be improved,
 
Another issue is the responsibility given to those local authorities with designated protected waters to restrict planning permission for new developments, unless they are proven to be nutrient neutral. The aim is to avoid impacting sensitive water environments with high levels of phosphate and nitrate from existing treatment works.
 
Further research being undertaken with support from Portsmouth University is looking at further low-impact ways to remove more than 65% of nutrients including phosphates. The aim is to reduce levels for utility, commercial and domestic customers, without the use of chemicals. 
 
Baird said: “Meeting tighter phosphorus consents for England is a huge and costly challenge for the water industry, but the stakes have never been higher. Customers are increasingly aware of the importance of their water environment and their expectations are only going to grow.
 
“Climate change and population growth are only going to add to the challenge. The good news is that the wherewithal to meet rise to these demands does exist and a strategic collaborative approach will produce the outcomes required.”
 
Baird will present the findings of the review in detail at EWWM on Tuesday 28 September https://ewwmconference.com/

WiseOnWater is a specialised PR and strategic marketing partner to innovative companies and organisations operating in the global water industry. We're growing and expanding our client base and our team.

You'll work closely with our clients and build relationships with senior business leaders, in-house marketing teams, journalists and media organisations throughout the global water, energy, technology and environmental industries. You'll connect with engineers, scientists and technical professionals. You'll enjoy building strategies, planning and creating content for press releases, technical articles, case studies, blogs, newsletters, social media and email marketing.

You could be writing about a breakthrough leak detection technology, a major infrastructure project or interviewing a scientist about water on Mars. Or perhaps live-tweeting from an industry event on the circular economy or planning a product launch. You will have good all-round communication skills to respond effectively to our clients’ needs and expectations.

Furthermore, you will be able to get stuck into the creation of marketing collateral, including managing website projects. You’ll also be responsible for managing your own client accounts.

• Minimum 2 years relevant professional experience preferably working in a journalism, PR or communications role
• Hawk-eye for accurate punctuation and grammar
• Ability to make content flow and to turn complex technical information into clear copy
• Comfortable managing own client accounts and projects

Our office is in a friendly co-working space in the exciting North Laine area of Brighton easily accessible by public transport. Flexible working is available.

Some travel required during usual times - mostly London, occasionally international.

Email CV and cover letter to admin@wiseonwater.com

• Excellent all-round communication skills and collaborative attitude
• Interest in global environmental issues and technology
• Good general education with qualifications in journalism, PR & marketing, science and engineering, social science, English, geography all useful

Mounting pressure on utilities to achieve zero pollution events has accelerated sewer investment and action planning but rising main sewers pose a unique challenge. Better analysis of existing data can mitigate risks, says George Heywood, analytics innovation lead for technology specialist Ovarro.
 
Water companies in the UK are working on pollution reduction strategies with a sense of urgency, in line with Environment Agency and Ofwat expectations of more action.
 
Requiring particular focus will be rising main sewers – pressurised pipes that pump wastewater from a pumping station towards a treatment works. These are high risk, critical assets but with many in the UK ageing and becoming more vulnerable to bursts, historic programmes of proactive maintenance and investment may no longer be enough to keep up with the rate of deterioration.
 
Often situated in hard-to-reach, remote locations, including beneath rivers, railways and roads, and in environmentally sensitive areas, a burst rising main can have catastrophic ecological impact, with consequences that are unacceptable in the eyes of customers, regulators and stakeholders.
 
Technical and logistical limitations in rising main monitoring can mean utilities are alerted – often by a member of the public - hours or even days into the event. This is too late to take action that would prevent a pollution, so the likely result is a costly clean-up operation, financial penalties, prosecutions, and long-term reputational damage. 
 
Advances in data science and artificial intelligence, including machine learning, mean the sector is now able to go beyond the basics of, for example, setting alarm thresholds on high flow rates. Sophisticated analysis of readily available data in near real-time means that much more reliable monitoring of rising main activity is now possible.
 
BurstDetect, Ovarro’s cloud-based early-warning system, accepts data at a range of monitoring frequencies with an algorithm being applied to understand and characterise ‘normal’ pumping station behaviour.. If a potential burst is detected an alert is sent to control rooms, often within 30 minutes of the incident occurring, significantly improving historic reaction time.
 
This “training and testing” approach to machine learning is becoming increasingly important to water companies, giving them more actionable insight than ever before, utilising data that may not have been fully harnessed otherwise.  With so much available data, it is just not possible for humans to process and analyse the information themselves. By having the correct technology and processes in place, the stage will be set for utilities to rapidly increase their real-time and predictive capabilities.
 
Automated algorithms, such as those created for BurstDetect, can always be improved and as water companies begin to implement the technology, Ovarro’s data scientists will work with them to assess the accuracy of alerts. By growing this dataset, through continuous feedback, BurstDetect’s algorithms can learn and the data science teams can improve the technology continually.
 
Utilities have thousands of pumping stations to monitor but rising main pollution is considered inexcusable by the regulators, with the wider community becoming increasingly sensitive to incidents that impact the environment. Having access to the latest digital technologies puts pollution prevention in the hands of operators and will play a significant role as utilities seek to demonstrate and deliver their commitments to environmental stewardship.
 
For more information: Ovarro.com/BurstDetect

International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) is an awareness campaign which raises the profile of women in engineering and focuses attention on the amazing career opportunities available to women and girls.
 
The 2021 theme is Engineering Heroes, which gives special focus to the women who undertake “everyday heroics”, who recognise a problem and are part of the solution. Holly, legionella risk assessor at WCS and Monica, proposals engineer at WPL, have critical roles to play in protecting communities and the environment, and supporting customers in delivering safe and compliant water and wastewater services.
 
Part of WCS’s specialist SafeCare team, Holly assesses risk in domestic water systems in settings such as leisure centres, care homes and hotels. Through the WCS Group Training Academy, she is working towards being able to assess more complex systems such as hospitals and cooling towers.
 
She said: “I have a logical mind and enjoy identifying issues and problem solving. I particularly enjoy the unknown aspect of the job - you never know what you’re going to stumble across on site. My role is to help the customer achieve compliance rather than criticise what they’re currently doing.
 
“Some sites are straight forward; others are more complicated. I enjoy finding the root of these issues and helping the customer solve their issues.”
 
Holly studied at the University of Portsmouth, gaining a degree in marine biology, and a masters in coastal and marine resource management. Her first full-time position in water was at Kingfisher Environmental Services, which specialises in treatment services for industrial, commercial, health and leisure sectors, and is part of the WCS Group.
 
After two years, she transferred over to SafeCare to concentrate on risk assessing and to take advantage of the opportunities offered through the WCS Group Training Academy. She says she has always felt supported in her career development at WCS and would encourage young women with an interest in engineering to consider pursuing the same path.
 
“The best piece of advice I can give to young women looking at a career in engineering is don’t be afraid to be different. Although this is a male-dominated field, some of the best assessors I know are female. Don’t let the fact that you’re female hold you back, you’re more than capable of doing this. All it takes is common sense, logic and great organisational skills.”
 
Creating proposals for wastewater treatment specialist WPL, which became part of WCS Environmental Engineering in January 2021, Mónica Rodrigues has a similarly vital role in protecting public health and ensuring environmental compliance.
 
She said: “I’m a natural problem-solver with a passion for the environment, water and wastewater treatment. Being an engineer enables me to create solutions which promote a continuous improvement in the relationship between environment and society. I love being part of returning clean wastewater to the natural water cycle.”
 
Mónica’s studies were based between Lisbon and the Netherlands, where she gained an environmental engineering degree.
 
She said: “I find the context of my role in society – protecting public health and the environment – extremely satisfying. Of course, there are pressures and risks that come with innovation and problem solving but challenges are exciting, in my perspective, and allow the development of perseverance and resilience.”
 
Mónica would like to see engineering promoted to women as an exciting and rewarding career option from a young age.
 
“The educational system should teach and encourage these career choices and provide the opportunity to develop the relevant skills, particularly around creativity, ingenuity and problem-solving. Doing so would mean girls understand the potential impact they could have on society and feel inspired from the very beginning.
 
“Unfortunately, engineering can still be perceived as ‘man’s profession’ but diversity is fuel for innovation and extraordinary talent can be found in female engineers. If you find your passion in engineering, pursuing it will be your biggest reward.”