SMART WATER SPRING 2016 REGULATORY LIAISON & NEGOTIATION • WATER SUPPLY EVALUATION, DESIGN & MANAGEMENT• FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT • DEWATERING • ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT • POLLUTION CONTROL • CONTAMINATED LAND ASSESSMENT • WASTE DISPOSAL HIA • WATER TREATMENT • RENEWABLE ENERGY WHAT’S NEW... Our 2015 Employee of the Year is Armelle Bonneton, who joined Envireau Water in February 2015 and has demonstrated a highly professional attitude and an ability to consistently deliver high quality technical work. Our nominated charity, Calvert Trust Exmoor, received a welcome boost for their equipment budget from Envireau Water’s annual charity donation. The BHUC2016 is on 26 October 2016. Keep the date free in your diary and look out for details as we publish them through the Spring. CHANGES TO WATER ABSTRACTION LICENSING EXEMPTIONS The long awaited or feared, depending on your view, response to a 2009 consultation on licensing exempt abstractions has been issued by the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales. Despite many years of procrastination by DEFRA and the Environment Agency the process now appears to be on a fast track. Consultation ends on 8 April and it is expected that new regulations and transition arrangements will be in place by October 2016. The “proposed” changes affect you if you are currently abstracting, or plan to abstract water, for the following purposes: • All forms of irrigation (other than spray irrigation) • Dewatering of mines, quarries and engineering works • Dewatering of oil and gas reservoirs to enhance production • Abstraction of water into internal drainage districts • Abstraction within currently exempt geographical areas (in Wales and England) and some rivers in England close to the Scottish border • Remaining Crown exemptions and visiting armed forces abstractions There are a couple of other current exemptions that have relatively minor relevance. Abstraction licence reform has been on the cards for some time – it was first mooted in about 1998. DEFRA are still keen to implement a share based scheme but in the latest response are scaling the scope of the scheme back, concentrating on catchments which are under the greatest stress. While there is a need to manage water resources in a better way, Envireau Water still believes that a share based system designed to facilitate short term trading is over complicated and will be under used by the vast majority of licence holders. Of even greater concern with current proposals is the effective exclusion of groundwater resources. These are addressed in a very superficial way in the current document and many questions remain unanswered. Through involvement with various trade associations, Envireau Water is close to these changes and the decision making process. We will keep you updated via Envireau Knowledge with key developments. If you have any questions please contact Envireau Water’s James Dodds or Tamsin Morey. IS THERE A NEED FOR BOREHOLE CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS? The afternoon session of the 2015 Borehole Users Conference was given over to a debate on this question. Presentations from AFNOR (the French equivalent of the BSi) and the Drinking Water Inspectorate gave some background to the discussion and outlined how the French have addressed poor quality borehole construction through the development of a formal standard. A number of questions were debated relating to construction problems, possible solutions and what the ‘operator’ really needs to know. In discussing these questions there were differences between operators and contractors. However, a common theme was the lack of knowledge by the operators, leading to low construction budgets and subsequent sub-standard completion. Equally, operators were frustrated with a lack of quality or standards in the borehole construction industry and that there didn’t seem to be “a go to place” for independent advice. Envireau Water certainly fills that gap. Problems associated with below ground wellhead completion and lack of maintenance were commonly cited as the basis for operational problems, and frustration with regulation was clear. In identifying solutions, contractor accreditation and improved operator knowledge reflected the two different sides of the industry. It was clear that the industry as a whole recognised that the confidence in the borehole development industry needed to grow and that this could be achieved by identifying the stakeholders across the breadth of the industry, pooling resources and knowledge, and being transparent in the work that is done. The development of an independent water supply is more than the drilling of a borehole. It involves hydrogeology and siting; design; material selection; pumps and electrics; control systems; water treatment; maintenance; abstraction licensing; Environmental Health risk assessment; to name a few. The group recognised that there is a clear need for improved standards in the UK, so the industry must develop and maintain their own guidance and standards. A full report of the session is available at the Envireau Knowledge section of our website.
Transcript
SMARTWATERSPRING 2016
REGULATORY LIAISON & NEGOTIATION • WATER SUPPLY EVALUATION, DESIGN & MANAGEMENT• FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT • DEWATERING • ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT • POLLUTION CONTROL • CONTAMINATED LAND ASSESSMENT • WASTE DISPOSAL HIA • WATER TREATMENT • RENEWABLE ENERGY
WHAT’S NEW...
Our 2015 Employee of the Year is Armelle Bonneton, who joined Envireau Water in February 2015 and has demonstrated a highly professional attitude and an ability to consistently deliver high quality technical work.
Our nominated charity, Calvert Trust Exmoor, received a welcome boost for their equipment budget from Envireau Water’s annual charity donation.
The BHUC2016 is on 26 October 2016. Keep the date free in your diary and look out for details as we publish them through the Spring.
CHANGES TO WATER ABSTRACTION LICENSING EXEMPTIONS The long awaited or feared, depending on your view, response to a 2009 consultation on licensing exempt abstractions has been issued by the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales.
Despite many years of procrastination by DEFRA and the Environment Agency the process now appears to be on a fast track. Consultation ends on 8 April and it is expected that new regulations and transition arrangements will be in place by October 2016. The “proposed” changes affect you if you are currently abstracting, or plan to abstract water, for the following purposes:
• All forms of irrigation (other than spray irrigation)
• Dewatering of mines, quarries and engineering works
• Dewatering of oil and gas reservoirs to enhance production
• Abstraction of water into internal drainage districts
• Abstraction within currently exempt geographical areas (in Wales and England) and some rivers in England close to the Scottish border
• Remaining Crown exemptions and visiting armed forces abstractions
There are a couple of other current exemptions that have relatively minor relevance.
Abstraction licence reform has been on the cards for some time – it was first mooted in about 1998. DEFRA are still keen to implement a share based scheme but in the latest response are scaling the scope of the scheme back, concentrating on catchments which are under the greatest stress. While there is a need to manage water resources in a better way, Envireau Water still believes that a share based system designed to facilitate short term trading is over complicated and will be under used by the vast majority of licence holders.
Of even greater concern with current proposals is the effective exclusion of groundwater resources. These are addressed in a very superficial way in the current document and many questions remain unanswered.
Through involvement with various trade associations, Envireau Water is close to these changes and the decision making process. We will keep you updated via Envireau Knowledge with key developments. If you have any questions please contact Envireau Water’s James Dodds or Tamsin Morey.
IS THERE A NEED FOR BOREHOLE CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS? The afternoon session of the 2015 Borehole Users Conference was given over to a debate on this question. Presentations from AFNOR (the French equivalent of the BSi) and the Drinking Water Inspectorate gave some background to the discussion and outlined how the French have addressed poor quality borehole construction through the development of a formal standard.
A number of questions were debated relating to construction problems, possible solutions and what the ‘operator’ really needs to know. In discussing these questions there were differences between operators and contractors. However, a common theme was the lack of knowledge by the operators, leading to low construction budgets and subsequent sub-standard completion. Equally, operators were frustrated with a lack of quality or standards in the borehole construction industry and that there didn’t seem to be “a go to place” for independent advice. Envireau Water certainly fills that gap.
Problems associated with below ground wellhead completion and lack of maintenance
were commonly cited as the basis for operational problems, and frustration with regulation was clear. In identifying solutions, contractor accreditation and improved operator knowledge reflected the two different sides of the industry. It was clear that the industry as a whole recognised that the confidence in the borehole development industry needed to grow and that this could be achieved by identifying the stakeholders across the breadth of the industry, pooling resources and knowledge, and being transparent in the work that is done.
The development of an independent water supply is more than the drilling of a borehole. It involves hydrogeology and siting; design; material selection; pumps and electrics; control systems; water treatment; maintenance; abstraction licensing; Environmental Health risk assessment; to name a few. The group recognised that there is a clear need for improved standards in the UK, so the industry must develop and maintain their own guidance and standards. A full report of the session is available at the Envireau Knowledge section of our website.
Call us on 01332 871882 Or visit our new website www.envireauwater.co.uk to register at Envireau Knowledge for important industry news and updates!
RADON IN DRINKING WATER – IMPLICATIONS OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2013/51/EURATOM
Water bottlers and soft drink manufacturers are no doubt already aware of the Euratom Drinking Water Directive, which requires monitoring of radioactive substances such as radon, tritium and “indicative dose” in drinking water. Tritium and “indicative dose” requirements have already been partly transposed into UK legislation. Radon requirements have been transposed into the relevant drinking water regulations in Wales and Northern Ireland since late 2015. England and Scotland are expected to legislate the Directive’s radon in drinking water requirements in 2016. Water bottlers and soft drink manufacturers will need to assess whether their water supply used for human consumption is at risk from radon, with the exception of Natural Mineral Water. Where a risk is established, monitoring will need to be carried out at set sampling frequencies and to prescribed limits of detection for radon analysis. Envireau Water recommends a simple “screen, test, evaluate” approach. An initial
indication of the hazard of radon in groundwater supplying drinking water sources can be found on the UK reference site on radon from Public Health England. There is a free map which shows the distribution of Radon hazard based on 1km grid squares.
If the screening demonstrates that the indicator values might be exceeded at the source, a water sample should be taken and analysed for radon. If the analysis results indicate that radon activity exceeds 100Bq/l, then monitoring must continue at the sampling frequencies required by the devolved administrations, which are dependent on production volume.
If radon activity is less than 100Bq/l then understanding the source of radon and demonstrating that it will remain below 100Bq/l can mean that monitoring is not required. If the radon activity is greater than 100Bq/l and considered high risk, options to reduce risk to human health will be required, such as degassing and storage.
As members of British Soft Drinks Association’s bottled water group, Envireau Water are in regular discussions with DEFRA on the introduction of the regulations. While we believe that the regulations are “over the top”, it is important that they are managed sensibly by bottlers and local regulators. If you have any questions please contact Envireau Water’s Anna Hetherington.
FLOW METER CALIBRATION AND VERIFICATION - WHY DO YOU NEED TO DO IT?Let’s be clear what the terms mean. Calibration ensures the measurement accuracy of the meter compared to a known standard, whereas verification ensures the correct operation of the meter according to its operating specification. Incorrect measurement and recording of abstraction or discharge volumes can lead to operational issues, production losses and regulatory penalties.
It is the operator’s responsibility to ensure that their methods of recording abstraction or discharge are robust and the recording equipment is working to required parameters. Most licences and permits carry conditions requiring the accurate recording of bastion or discharge volumes, and many also carry conditions requiring regular calibration of flow meters.
The need for calibration doesn’t mean that abstraction has to be stopped and the meter removed. There is a solution, accepted by the regulatory authorities, which is to use a high quality, precise, calibrated strap on ultrasonic flow meter to validate the readings from the installed mechanical flow meter. This solution is a practical cost-effective way of calibrating the meter and diagnosing any possible faults in the system.
Envireau Water offer a flow meter verification service using our own Siemens ultrasonic flow meter. For more details please contact Alistair Rose.
URBAN FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT – THE BLUE-GREEN APPROACH Urban pluvial (surface water) flooding is one of the principal hazards in modern towns and cities and is caused by intense and/or prolonged rainfall over impermeable areas overwhelming sewers and other piped drainage systems. The primary objective of traditional piped drainage systems, also known as grey infrastructure, is to remove rainwater as quickly as possible from where it falls.
The Blue-Green approach aims to reintroduce the natural water cycle into urban environments whilst seeking to satisfy the demands of urban drainage and landscape planning via holistic, integrated strategies whilst generating a multitude of environmental, socio-cultural and economic benefits. Blue infrastructure includes ponds, swales, basins and wetlands that exist within the drainage network while Green infrastructure refers to natural land such as recreation grounds, parks, woodlands, and gardens.
Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) fall under the umbrella of Blue-Green infrastructure
and are increasingly playing a significant role in reducing the risk of flooding in urban environments by being retrofitted into the existing built environment. One such scheme is a series of 21 ‘Rain Gardens’ which were successfully constructed in 2013 along the grass verges of Day Brook, Nottingham. The Rain Gardens utilise a combination of clean stone aggregate and water attenuation cells to create void space beneath a planted topsoil layer. They are designed to capture surface water runoff from approximately 5,500 m2 of highway.
Blue-Green infrastructure is clearly a viable and practical alternative to traditional grey infrastructure. However, there remain several challenges and barriers to implementation which will need to be overcome in order to increase the quantity and spatial scope of Blue-Green infrastructure. These include finding suitable and socially accepted areas, securing funding, and allocating responsibility for the cost of design and construction and maintenance.
Envireau Water’s surface water management
team are at the forefront of SuDS design and development. Contact Lee Clarke or Michael Underwood for more details.
