DAY 1 – 5 September

ENSURING A SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT AND SAFE WATER SUPPLY IN A CHANGING WORLD

09.00 Conference Welcome and Introduction

Chair’s Introduction to Day 1
Chair: Paul Horton, CEO, Future Water Association

Global warming has created extremes in weather conditions - and these are occurring more frequently.  In UK there have been two big events in the last year – a record breaking drought last summer and a freeze/thaw event lastwinter.  But advances in network operations  to meet these challenges are also evolving. Smart programmes, breakthrough technologies and collection of data from multiple network sources are helping water companies to maintain sustainable networks and meet their goals for resilience – ‘Managing Data in a Digital Age’

OPENING KEYNOTES: HOW HAS THE UK WATER INDUSTRY COPED IN THE FIRST THREE YEARS OF THIS DECADE?

09.10 UK Keynote 1. Building Resilience Into Our Networks  - Making It Business As Usual (BAU) 

• Goals: Building resilience of resources andresistance to climate change, droughts and water shortages and natural disasters            
• Main influences onthe water network: Drought, water usage bans, political  and media influences, freeze/thaw phenomenon, investment in infrastructure
• Funding implications: Capital programmes, affordability, inflation              
• Positives: Collaboration, communication, research and innovation – the Ofwat Innovation fund is leading to technology applications worldwide             
• Actions: Reduce abstractions, new storage and transfer options, other sources (reuse, desalination) 

Peter Simpson, Chief Executive, Anglian Water Group, UK

09.30 UK Keynote 2. ‘Smart Is At The Heart’ – How Do We Adopt And Implement Smart Programmes In A Changing Landscape?

• An overview of Anglian Water’s Smart programme and how it has been adopted and implemented into the network 
•  ‘Safe Smart’ – embedding resilience for the future through automation and AI - one of the largest programmes sponsored by Ofwat’s Innovation Fund
• Barriers to Smart – legacy systems, poor data communication in a rural network and little collaboration with other industries
• Embedding Smart technology, systems, and practices into existing and changing workforces

Andy Smith, Head of Smart Water, Anglian Water, UK
James Hargrave, Regional Leakage Operations Manager, Anglian Water, UK

09.50  Q&A

BUILDING RESILIENCE WITH TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION – AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

ACTIONABLE AI - TRANSFORMATIVE TECHNOLOGY – FIDO Sponsor Session

10.00 Actionable Data: Scaling AI And Human Partnerships

How did an action led AI leakage reduction service work in practice?

 Seeing how AI enhances the operational efficiency and prioritisation of field leak detection processes

Kieran Ingram, Executive Water Director, Northumbrian Water, UK
Victoria Edwards, CEO and Founder, Fido Ltd

10.20 Involving And Empowering Local Communities In Network Operations:

Over the last few years Auckland has had to contend with disastrous extremes of weather - droughts, floods and and a cyclone.  This case study describes the effects of the floods and how,  with the help of technology, the Auckland water utility, Watercare, maintained supplies to customers in the face of these conditions. As well as pressure management and innovativeleak location  technology, lessons learned included prioritising technology and innovation, as well as empowering the community, in forward planning:

• Lessons from community engagement with Fido Tech equipment – how the community helped during recovery from the floods 
• Smart meter rollout and work to determine theft from fire mains

David Moore, Network Improvement Manager, Watercare, Auckland, New Zealand

10.40 Q&A

10.45 Refreshment Break

ASSESSING ALTERNATIVE SOURCES  TO ACHIEVE  A RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE  WATER SUPPLY IN EXTREME CLIMATE CONDITIONS

11.00 Water Loss Reduction Programmes And Desalination As An Alternative Source In A Water Scarce Arid Region

Dealing with water losses in an arid region is not that simple. Population growth demands new sources of drinking water and the driest desert on earth (Atacama Desert) is not an exception. The combination of raw water from high mountains (Andes Mountains) and desalinated water is a perfect scenario to deploy different techniques in order to reduce NRW. To face those challenges, Aguas do Antofagasta has moved  from routine leak detection to satellite detection and tracer gas detection.

The focus of NRW reduction is on desalinated water because of sustainability, resilience and its cost – and the benefits for other uses from an eventual surplus of it

Cristian Jimenez, Operations Manager, Aguas do Antofagasta, Chile

11.20 Bringing First Time 24/7 Water Supply To A Remote Island Community: Mer (Murray) Island Water Network Management Programme

The remote Mer Island community in the Torres Straits (northern Australia) has endured over 20 years of strict water restrictions. The restrictions are the result of long term water losses, which, due to limited remote monitoring capacity, were not being managed effectively.

Over 90% of the island’s water supply comes from desalination. During times of critical water supply, additional emergency desalination units had to be barged to the island to meet demand.  The operation of desalination infrastructure is both expensive and operationally demanding.

In 2021 a  collaboration between Torres Strait Island Regional Council (TSIRC) and demand management specialist Asset Life Alliance (ALA) was undertaken  to implement an integrated plan to firstly stabilise the island’s water network and lift water restrictions, and then  to install a range of monitoring technologies to ensure the network can be sustainably managed into the future

Daniel Harrington, Senior Project Engineer, Torres Strait Island Regional Council, Queensland, Australia

11.40 Building a Sustainable And Resilient Water Supply For The Future – Singapore Case Study

As a small island nation with no natural resources, Singapore is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world. Over the years, Public Utilities Board (PUB), Singapore’s national water agency, has led the country’s efforts to develop and secure our water supply. This has been achieved through a diversification of Singapore’s water sources (i.e., imported water, catchment water, NEWater, desalinated water – collectively known as our four National Taps), alongside various concerted efforts aimed at water conservation (e.g., preventing and detecting leaks, public education campaigns, strategic pricing of water etc.). 

Today, against the backdrop of climate change, there is an even greater need to work together across the water cycle to maximize every drop of water:

• Exploring more energy efficient water treatment technologies
• Developing a Smart Water Grid to enhance network operational efficiency
• Unlocking the potential of sustainable energy generation in our reservoirs and water reclamation plants
• Engaging industry stakeholders to increase efforts in water recycling

Ridzuan Ismail, Chief Sustainability Officer and Director Policy & Planning, PUB, Singapore

12.00 Discussion and Q&A 

CONTINUING THE DRIVE TOWARDS ZERO LEAKAGE

ACHIEVING ZERO LEAKAGE – HWM Water/Invenio Sponsor session

12.10 Getting To The Bottom Of Background Leakage

Is background leakage as it has been defined, or are there other explanations for a minimum achieved level?

The concept of background leakage, or unavoidable annual real loss (UARL), which has been in place for over 25 years accepts that there is a minimum achievable level of leakage for any system due to the presence of small leaks below a detectable threshold. However, emerging evidence shows that there are a number of alternative explanations:

• The background to background leakage
• An update on work being undertaken in the UK largely financed through the  Ofwat innovation fund.

Stuart Trow, Director, Invenio Systems Ltd

12.30 Water UK: A Leakage Route Map to 2050

In 2022, the English water companies published the leakage route map. This ambitious route map provides a framework for companies to meet their commitment to triple the rate of leakage reduction and halve leakage by 2050: 

• An overview of the routemap and the leakage reduction framework
• An explanation of the various techniques proposed to reduce leakage
• The need for adaptive pathways and scenarios
• Current progress to date on achieving the route map

Jeremy Heath, Innovation Manager, SES Water, UK

12.50 Aiming For Zero Interruptions

Zero interruptions is one of the ‘Big Questions’ sponsored by UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR). The programme is looking at:

• Asset health and the true root cause of interruptions 
• ‘End to end’ system losses
• The ‘prevent’ strand of PALM – renewal programmes, pressure management and operational  efficiency

Dr Samuel Fox, Head of Integrated Network Strategy, United Utilities, UK

13.10 Q&A

13.15 Lunch

HOW THE DRIVERS FOR LEAKAGE ARE CHANGING FROM ECONOMICS  TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE CUSTOMER

14.15 A UK Perspective On A Global Issue 

The challenges – resilience, security, affordability, environmental impacts, population growth and climate change:

• How Ofwat’s Innovation Fund is driving technology applications worldwide
• Collaboration versus competitiveness
• Reviewing how we report leakage - consistency, international standards and terminology

Ian Pemberton, Principal Engineer, Water Engineering Science and Technology, Ofwat, UK

Marc Hannis, Principal - Ofwat Innovation Fund, Ofwat, UK

14.35 The Scottish Regulator’s View

An overview of the performance of the Scottish water industry from the regulator’s point of view, addressing the universal challenges facing the industry - climate change adaptation, water resources and ageing assets:

• Addressing the effect of regional differences (NE Scotland is dry, other regions are wet), but there is no regional water resources plan
• Leakage levels are down but are now flat-lining - PCC is estimated at 180l per capita per day
• Facilitating different approaches to leak and burst planning, ‘not using  lessons of the past to shape the future’

Michelle Ashford, Chief Operating Officer, Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS), UK

14.55  Q&A 

INVESTING AND INNOVATING FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS AND MAKING PROGRESS

Case studies from three water utilities that have made significant progress, or are embarking on a transformation strategy, to bring down levels of water loss and leakage:

15.00 Four Years Of Progress At Uisce Eireann

Uisce Éireann (formerly Irish Water) has made significant progress with its leakage programme between 2018 and 2022. 500 million euro has been invested up to the end of 2021.  250 million euro will be invested in each future year up to 2030. Innovation and investment in pressure management and leakage monitoring technology, as well as a regulatory policy, have played their part in reducing Leakage from 48% to 37% over the period. Uisce Éireann’s National Leakage Manager explains the strategy behind the improvement: 

Uisce Eireann’s National Leakage Manager explains the strategy behind the improvement

David Lonergan, National Leakage Manager, Uisce Eireann, Ireland

15.20 Reducing Non Revenue Water (NRW) from 54% to 14% – Strategies And Tools To Increase Efficiency and Sustainability  - Portugal Case Study

Porto has a Strategic Programme  for Management and Reduction of Non-Revenue Water -  a multi-area strategy to cover practically all aspects of water losses and how they can be controlled and reduced.  Two methodologies stand out: 

• Improvements and gains at field operational level  - leak detection, active leakage control
• The digital twins that have been developed  to support the reduction of NRW

Flavio Oliveira, Water Supply Manager,  Águas e Energia do Porto, Portugal

15.40 Rising from the Ashes - Thames Water’s Transformation Strategy

Thames Water has embarked on an ambitious ‘Turnaround Plan’ with three areas of focus: 1. Fixing the basics  2. Raising the bar 3. Shaping the future

The Leakage Transformation programme has been designed to  improve leakage performance and  build solid foundations for the sustainable leakage reductions needed over the coming years

Hannah Wardle, Head of Leakage, Thames Water, UK

Axel Rendahl,  Water Balance Process & Leakage Reporting Lead, Thames Water, UK

16.00 Q&A 

ENSURING DATA ACCURACY FROM LARGE PIPES

PIPELINE LEAK DETECTION - Atmos Sponsor Session

16.10 Embracing The Challenge Of Leak Detection In Trunk Mains And Rising Sewer Mains

The volume of available data in the water industry is at an all-time high. Water utilities have invested heavily in metering in a bid to produce better outcomes such as reducing water leakage, minimising water supply interruptions and mitigating the damage caused by any pollution incidents through the use of data. However, the quality of the data that exists is not as good as it could be and the areas of water networks that attract investment in data are localised, meaning sections of water networks do not give the visibility required to allow some key challenges to be addressed. 

Accurate leakage detection in trunk mains is often not possible due to gaps in data that exist in that part of the network, resulting from a lack of instrumentation, due to a power and communications availability. In rising mains, leakage detection isn’t a common practice despite the fact that power, communications and instrumentation are usually available.

Here we examine  the negative pressure wave method of leak detection that uses high resolution pressure data to identify leaks as they occur, exploring the benefits this brings to undertaking leak detection in trunk mains and rising sewer mains

Martin Duff, Business Development Director, Atmos International

16.30 Q&A

16.35 Refreshment Break

DIGITAL SOLUTIONS AND ASSESSMENT SERVICES - Xylem Sponsor Session 

16.50 A European First: Strategically Managing The Condition Of A Large Trunk Main Through Continuous, Remote Monitoring

Scottish Water used 'SoundPrint' Acoustic Fibre Optic (AFO) System to continuously assess the condition of Blairlinnans Water Main. The technology demonstrates several best practice operational goals:

• A holistic approach to asset management
• Leveraging engineering and technology
• Making smart, evidence-based capital expenditure decisions
• Ensuring reliable water supply and high customer satisfaction

Ian Dunsmore, Strategic Water Infrastructure Team Leader,  Scottish Water, UK

Warren Beere, Condition Assessment Engineer, Xylem Water Solutions, UK 

GETTING THE BEST FROM DMAS –MAKING THEM SMARTER

17.10 How To Really Test Your Smart Network

The UK winter of 2022 followed one of the driest summers on record.  This ‘perfect storm’ of conditions led to a rapid freeze/thaw event in December which had a massive impact on leakage across the entire country. 

This was the worst Leakage outbreak on record – officially worse than the ‘Beast From The East’ event in 2018. We hear how SES Water and its smart network performed in its toughest test yet.

Tanya Dady, Smart Water Strategy Manager, SES Water, UK

17.30 Analysing DMA Leakage Using All of the Evidence

A collaborative project between SME Water and several UK Water Companies is aiming to improve the understanding of customer demand and leakage. 

• Creating a standard approach for demand analysis - Paradigm
• Analysing entire DMA flow profiles over an extended period, rather than just using minimum night flows and total daily flows
• Delivering significant insight into how water is really being used within distribution networks 
• A valuable tool for separating demand from background leakage
• South Staffs Water reflect on why they are using Paradigm, the current benefits and long term goals

Mike Morris, Business Lead, Smart Networks, South Staffs Water and Cambridge Water, UK

Phil Roberts, Head of Leakage, South Staffs Water and Cambridge Water, UK

17.50 Q&A

18.00 Chair’s Closing Remarks and End of Day 1 Followed by Evening Drinks Reception in the Networking Exhibition Area