BQ3 - How do we achieve zero interruptions to water supplies by 2050?
We are currently working on the approach to answering this Big Question, and more information will be given here soon. Once we understand where the gaps are, we will produce a route map – this is a plan as to how we will answer our Big Question. The route map will have a number of key elements. At the top will be our Big Question and then we will look to see what Outcomes we need from the research programme -if we can achieve all these outcomes we can answer the Big Question. This is the stage we are currently at for this Big Question. The next stage will be to think about the key benefits we want the research projects to deliver to meet these outcomes. Following this, we will plan the research projects to help deliver the benefits.
RESEARCH Outcomes
All work carried out the assets will not increase interruptions risk View key benefits and filter projects by this outcome key benefits Control the activities of third party that can impact our assets Maintain supplies whilst carrying out operational & maintenance tasks Operate & maintain our assets without increasing interruptions risk Predict and prevent pressure transients that occur on our network |
Systems (e.g. group of assets) designed to accommodate the full range of demand scenarios & outages View key benefits and filter projects by this outcome key benefits We have systems that can deal with the full range of demand scenarios |
We can confidently identify assets that pose an increasing interruption risk to initiate a timely response View key benefits and filter projects by this outcome key benefits Improved knowledge of how critical assets deteriorate Improved knowledge of why critical assets fails Monitor critical assets reliably and economically Understand condition of critical assets (now and into the future) Understand consequence of the failure of critical assets |
We can confidently predict the onset of asset failure to allow delivery of short-term preventative mitigation View key benefits and filter projects by this outcome key benefits Ability to promote proactive measures to maintain supplies Interpret real-time data and promote preventative mitigation Receiving real-time data from assets warning of failure |
All water supplies are restored quickly after asset failure View key benefits and filter projects by this outcome key benefits Provide alternative supplies, if necessary Repair assets quickly after failure (e.g. internally using robotic equipment Restore supplies before repair (e.g. smart valve, integrated grid etc) Understand connectivity of customers to assets (i.e. which valves to operate) |
All new assets are problem free when installed, and remain so throughout its economic life View key benefits and filter projects by this outcome key benefits All new materials have been suitably tested by a third party Assets manufactured & designed for inspection, operation & mitigation Better tools and techniques, QA and staff training to prevent fail Improved specifications for new networks We design our assets for zero interruptions (e.g joint free networks) |
Outcome coming soon View key benefits and filter projects by this outcome key benefits Addressing Big Questions achieves Outcomes, which in turn generates Benefits to the water industry. |
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Projects
| Extending SAGIS to include catchment statistics analysis and reporting in preparation for PR24. Project Status - Project Commenced
What is the emerging legislation or other threat that lies behind the proposal? DEFRA and the regulators are reviewing the way in which sector share of pollution is derived. The review is to complete in the Autumn. The sector share allocation approach (whether revised or as for PR19) needs to be embedded in SAGIS for catchment work. Regulators, encouraged by Government (DEFRA in England) are increasingly managing the water environment at catchment scale. In England and Wales catchments mean operational catchments. These have been identified by the regulators and are reasonably homogenous, thereby making it easier to identify the non-water industry sector impacts. (There are over 300 such catchments in England). The SAGIS-SIMCAT system was first used in PR14 and more extensively in PR19, where several billion pounds of investment were based on calculations provided by it. Indirect benefits include a consistent approach across the water Industry for environmental planning and closer, cooperative working with the regulators. The purpose of this proposal is to develop the facilities for catchment scale calculations, analysis and reporting, in preparation for PR24. Why is the Industry concerned about this issue? Water Industry environmental obligations for PR24 will be contingent on sector share allocation, at catchment scale. The absence of the means to compute this Water Industry share could result on undue obligations and hence costs being placed on the Industry. This will support the development of PR24 measures, and allow us to better explore catchment solution options. The specific problem is:
We note that:
The missing parts, to be provided by this project, are:
Summary statistics are the usual mean, standard deviation and percentile concentrations. These are to be provided on a sector by sector basis, thereby providing a clear picture of each sector’s contributions. These statistics will also allow better inter-catchment comparisons. Sector share is derived from these summary statistics. (The details of the sector share derivation will need to be consistent with PR24 guidance, following the DEFRA review.) |
| PFAS and wastewater - prevalence, reduction options and costs. Project Status - Project Completed
The release of the film 'Dark Waters' has only served to highlight a wider concern than the known issue of widespread non-compliance with the EQS for PFOS. There is emerging concern regarding the wider family of PFAS and their toxicity both to humans and in the environment. The EA is currently taking a pragmatic view and effectively relaxing the EQS for PFOS in the light of monitoring data (aqueous and biota) but this leaves unanswered issues of what to regulate and why - and then how the industry should respond, and if compliance is cost-effective. |
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| BQ03-A01-Trunk Mains Preventative Maintenance to Reduce Major Incident Risk. Project Status - Project Completed
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Projects coming soon.
| BQ03- C08- Identifying the root causes of failures that lead to interruptions. Project Status - Project Commenced
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| BQ03-D01-Accelerating Innovation and Development of Effective Early Warning and Event Management tools. Project Status - Project Completed Category - Asset Management |
| BQ03- E02 - Customer communication and managing customer use during supply interruption events. Project Status - Project Completed Category - Asset Management |
Projects coming soon.
RESEARCH IMPACT - CASE STUDIES
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