29/10/10
Sarah Mukherjee, Water UK Director of Environment, blogs from the event on a long-term issue of the moment.
In my previous incarnation as a journalist, leakage was one of those water industry items you always looked forward to. Why? Well, to be honest, it was an easy story to write; you could do it without a lot of research – who’s up, who’s down was in black and white on the press release; editors liked it because it looked like we were holding the industry to account; and there was always a lot of public interest – these companies are wasting our water, aren’t they?
I haven’t been working in the industry long, and I'm only just beginning to realise what a phenomenally complex area leakage is. Multi-faceted modelling is used to assess leakage rates, and new technology employed to reduce them. The Water UK Leakage conference, held in Coventry, has been incredibly interesting, packed with presentations from regulators, water company managers, consultants and others.
And as for the impression I admit I had before, of companies being rather complacent about leakage rates – I can now assure you, nothing is further from the truth. I met men and women who work incredibly hard to keep leakage down; and yet the effects of a couple of very dry – or very cold – months on soil and pipes can be devastating, destroying the best-laid repair plans.
Most customers would say "well, why should we have any leaks at all?" But the pipes that bring us the fresh, clean water we take for granted every day would stretch several times around the Earth if laid end to end. Many are old, and all can be affected by elements outside water companies’ control.
Repairing pipes is costly, and targets are there to ensure customers get a secure supply of water, which the regulator says has happened despite some companies failing to hit their targets. In one case, the conference heard that, although the company knew it was going to miss its target, it was simply unrealistic to try to meet it in time given the totally disproportionate cost of making good damage caused by exceptional weather.
No company likes missing leakage targets – but the reasons are sometimes far more complex that might at first appear.
Sarah Mukherjee
28 October 2010
