Institution of Civil Engineers publish State of the Nation Water Report

Civil engineers are by nature a conservative bunch but in the ICE State of the Nation Water Report published this week they pull no punches. They describe a situation not unlike that in Ireland where the severity and urgency of the nation’s water problems are still not properly understood. They rate the current water security situation in the UK as level 4 on a 1-10 scale, which would be slightly better than Ireland which in some regions is higher. The report offers many possible solutions including the development of new water storage facilities, the removal of regulatory barriers that discourage water sharing between neighbouring companies and collaborative investment in new infrastructure. Among the issues that come as no surprise to us here in Ireland is the recommendation for the phased introduction of phased of universal metering, but with social tariffs to protect the poorest in society.

The grim fact is that if positive action is not taken quickly then water security in the UK could reach level 8 or 9 by 2025. Download a copy of the report at www.ice.org.uk/sonwater2012.

Water Meters...A Holistic Approach to Water Conservation



Copyright Plymouth Water

 Quite of few people have been asking for my opinion on the introduction of water meters in Ireland. To be quite honest I am not generally in favour of universal metering simply because of the cost. I would favour a temporary flat rate charge in areas where supplies are not at a critical level, but the introduction of meters in areas where alternative supply side investment is being planned, such as Dublin. However, I feel that the introduction of meters as planned is very crude and that a more integrated approach is needed for water conservation.  A more ambitious plan, which would secure our water supplies for at least the next fifty years, would be to include the householder more directly in this process. I would like to see every household have their supply pipe checked when the meter is installed for leaks, that it is not lead and that the electricity system is not earthed via the pipe. Also, every householder should be given the option to have all their taps and shower heads, and possibly also their toilets replaced with conservation low-flow units at a discounted rate to ensure maximum conservation of water. This installation of meters and household upgrades should be carried out by registered plumbers trained for this task. I would also subsequently like to see all households given the option to buy into some form of service arrangement so that they can have their household system checked regularly for leaks and repaired where necessary for a small annual fee. This would make water conservation savings well in excess of 40% possible as well as ensuring higher quality water. We need to tackle the lead issue, promote the sensible use of water and to reduce leakage on the supply side of the service pipe.

Water Restrictions Could Spread to Ireland

Shower timers can be tradtional egg timer
design or digital alarm systems

I am feeling rather depressed at not being issued with a waterproof four- minute egg timer for use in my shower as a simple tool to conserve water.  These are being issued throughout south-east England in an attempt to conserve supplies. South East and Anglia Water areas are especially at risk as are the midlands, including Birmingham.  However, with hosepipe bans inevitable, it appears that we are heading for a very dry year…as dry as 1975 which I remember very well.  It was the first and only time I have seen lawns and agricultural grassland simply wither and die.  Ireland may also be facing a similar situation this summer and as supplies are always at a critical level in the East, especially in the Greater Dublin area, it is perhaps time to seriously consider conservation measures and issuing waterproof egg timers here as well.

Ice on tap...icebergs as a source of drinking water?

Bulk transportation of water either by bulk tanker  or water storage balloons towed by tugs is now fairly common place, but the problem of finding sufficient water supplies to fill bulk containers remains problematic.  The idea of towing icebergs from the arctic or Antarctic has been a dream of many engineers since the 1970's Link, with a  relatively small 7 million tonne iceberg sufficient to supply 125,000 people for a whole year.  Using new 3D predictive technology it now appears feasible to transport icebergs up to 7 million tonnes by using a geotextile skirt placed around the iceberg to insulate it and collect melt water which is then towed by tugs using the sea’s natural currents to help.  Without employing sea currents then it is simply not feasible.  In theory this will produce a high quality water using far less energy hence saving money.  Trials are planned to start next year when smaller bergs will be towed from Antarctica to Australia. Link However, there remains many logistical problems to be solved in recovering the water from the iceberg once it arrives in Australia.

SODIS Solar drinking water disinfection



Transparent PET bottles exposed to

sunlight to passivelytreat drinking water.

Copyright CNN

 SODIS is short for solar water disinfection and is perhaps one of the simplest and safest ways of treating water in developing countries. Transparent plastic bottles (PET) are filled with settled water and left in the sun for 6 hours. A mixture of temperature and UV-A rays inactivate viruses, bacteria and protozoa making the water safe for consumption. It also works in cloudy conditions although it is recommended that the bottles are exposed to light for 2 consecutive days. 5 million people rely on this method for safe water. Find out more about the SODIS project and how you can help. Link

Dublin Water Supplies Restricted Due to Cold Weather

Disruptions to water supplies to homes and businesses supplied by the greater Dublin water reservoirs, which includes the four Dublin local authorities and parts of Wicklow and Kildare, are set to continue until next week at least.  This is due to low levels in supply reservoirs caused by unprecedented demand caused by the very cold weather during the past two weeks .  With another cold spell forecast for the next six days many supply zones will be cut off from 7pm to 7am  while others will be subject to pressure reductions leading to a possible loss of water, especially to storage tanks.  The cuts have been rotated amongst the 19 City supply zones and those serving surburbs and outlying towns.  However, many businesses, especially restaurants and cafes are finding it hard to survive.

Leakage Remains a Challenge for Suppliers

Leakage is the starting point in the conservation of drinking water supplies. In the UK leakage reduction targets are monitored by the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat). However a number of companies have failed their targets for 2009/10 including Yorkshire Water who lost on average 295 million litres a day (ML/d) over this period. The target for 2009/10 was set at 3,275 ML/d for all companies in England and Wales and this was almost achieved with reported loss for the period of 3,280 ML/d. However, the overall trend is still downwards with 8.4 and 34.2% reductions since 2005/6 and 1995/6 respectively. Thames Water still are losing the most via leakage at 670 ML/d with Severn and Trent Water close behind at 495 ML/d, but both within their targets of 685 and 500 ML/d respectively. Where targets are not meet then Ofwat can force companies to invest even more money in achieving leakage reduction. For more information about company leakage and performance in general see Ofwat’s annual report: Service and delivery – performance of the water companies in England and Wales 2009-10: Water today, water tomorrow.

Fog Collectors in Action

Fog collectors are now widely used in highland and coastal areas where water is sacrce.  This video shows the application of fog collectors in a number of regions.  Their simplicity and low cost make them an ideal water harvesting system.  The leaders in this field are FogQuest  which is a Canadian charity dedicated to planning and implementing water projects for rural communities in developing countries.

One cup of coffee is equivalent to 130 litres of water

The Water Footprint Network is based at the University of Twente in the Netherlands whose mission is to promote the transition towards sustainable, fair and efficient use of fresh water resources worldwide (Link). This remarkable organization is doing this via a number of interesting initiatives including the development of a water footprint model. Water diaries are widely used to construct how water is used within the home from a supply source. However, they do not take into account how much water we consume indirectly through the manufacture and preparation of food, clothes and other goods. It takes 6,800 litres of water to make a single pair of denim jeans for example. The calculation of virtual water usage has proven to be very difficult to calculate until recently.  However, the WFN have produced an on-line calculator for this very purpose. This calculator is based on an impressive research base with a large number of their reports and refereed papers available as downloads. From our exploration of the model, it is very accurate. The calculator can be accessed via this link.

Melbourne Water



Melbourne Water's conservation measures have
led to a significant reduction in household water usgae

 Melbourne Water is one of Australia’s largest water authorities and is owned by the Victoria State Government. It manages Melbourne’s water resources, supplies drinking water and treats wastewater. Their website gives a unique and interactive overview of the complexity of managing the human water cycle and provides an enormous amount of detail on their activities including reports and other downloads. The web site provides a fascinating insight of how water shortages are being successfully addressed in Australia. Link The website is really worth checking out.