Reducing disruption

Investing in new technology

We're continually testing and using the very latest technologies to ensure we give you the very best quality water and service.

As well as developing our own technologies we've also studied other industries, such as veterinary and food, to identify equipment that we can use to benefit you. We're now pioneering several new technologies - here are some examples.

Leak locating technology

In partnership with engineering firm Vernon Morris & Co. Ltd, we've developed brand new technology which could dramatically reduce the amount of time and money spent on searching for and repairing leaking pipes.

The Incertameter identifies leaks by measuring fluctuations in flow, making it much easier to pinpoint a leak's location and to estimate the amount of water lost.

In contrast to standard water flow meters - which have been used by the industry for decades - the Incertameter can be installed at a fraction of the cost as it requires a much smaller excavation and can also be installed while a water main remains under pressure, which means that there is no need for any disruption to customers' water supply.

Tony O'Shea, water leakage reduction manager

"While there have been many advances in technology used to repair pipes, the process of detecting and evaluating leaks remains a challenge. Most water companies have installed flow meters in their mains to check for leaks in a distribution management area which might include thousands of kilometres of pipe. Unfortunately, while the old devices can detect a leak, they can't identify the location, which means a lot of time and effort goes into locating the leak using traditional listening devices.

The Incertameter offers the ideal solution. It's significantly cheaper to install than the traditional sub-metering equipment and helps us to pinpoint leaks 75 per cent faster. In addition, it requires less maintenance and provides us with a much more accurate picture of the severity of a leak in the network. The future benefits to both the company and our customers are huge, with this technology marking the latest milestone on our journey to become clearly the best water company in the UK."

It's hoped the new technology will assist us to achieve our target of zero interruptions in water supply by 2012.

Whirlwind ^®

To help us to improve the way we work and minimise our impact on the environment, we've introduced an innovative new cleaning system, Whirlwind.

In conjunction with the manufacturer, we developed this process which was originally used in the food industry to clean the water mains. Sediment is removed by blowing a vortex of air through the pipes at speeds of upto 350mph, before introducing pieces of flint and granite. The flint and granite blast the inside of the pipe clean before a relining rig completes the job by coating the pipe with a tough polymeric lining.

By using Whirlwind we complete our work quickly and more efficiently - it's also much more environmentally friendly and helps us to dramatically reduce the length of time customers are without water during our work.

Download diagrams showing whirlwind and other ways of upgrading water mains (160 kb)

Endescope

Endescope is a fascinating camera that's traditionally used in the veterinary and medical industries. It means that we can do non disruptive inspections of pipes - just like they do in the human body.

When a water pipe bursts, sometimes it can be difficult to pin point the exact place along the pipe where the burst has happened. That's because water will take the easiest route to the surface and sometimes it's not close to where the burst is at all. So, water companies need to dig holes along the route of the pipe to find the burst. Using Endescope technology, we're able to quickly identify the exact point of the burst, which means less impact on the roads. The water is still able to flow through the pipe when the camera is down there, which means no need to interrupt your supplies!

In2

The system, developed by drain repair specialist Dyno-Rod, allows sections of sewer to be completely replaced via manholes or small excavations. The technology works by splitting the existing pipe using specialist equipment and then pulling a replacement pipe of a slightly narrower diameter through the old sewer, thereby creating a completely new channel which sewage can flow down freely.

No-Dig technology, such as In2, allows repairs to be carried out without the disruption to customers and traffic that can occur when an excavation is made, and will be used throughout the region wherever possible to minimise our impact.

Destination Open Innovation

This is an event that is held at the University of Hull which aims to encourage cross-business idea sharing.

Run in collaboration with Castleton Consulting, University of Hull, Environmental Technologies Centre of Industrial Collaboration at the University of Hull and us, the project involves taking part in open space technology sessions designed to enable diverse groups to address complex, important and sometimes controversial topics to achieve meaningful results quickly.

How we plan our roadworks

We're always looking at ways to minimise any delays, here are some of the steps we take:

1. We avoid lane or road closures where possible and seek advice about the safest, least disruptive way to manage the traffic.  For example, we may choose to do our improvements when the traffic volume is lowest.
2. For some improvement works, we may employ a highways officer, seconded from the local council, to be part our project team. Having this expertise on hand helps our work in the road run more smoothly.
3. We do all we can to try and ensure that car parking and access to residents' properties isn't affected. If this is unavoidable, we aim to inform affected residents and accommodate their needs if we can.
4. We liaise directly with the emergency services, bus companies and schools if a particular route may be affected by our works.
5. When we're upgrading water mains, wherever possible we work along a route in sections of approximately 150 metres. This means that we don't need to close an entire stretch of road at a time.
6. We'll try to take into account special local events when we plan each stage of an improvement project.

Why we put up signs

We always try to have a sign at our planned improvement works, including brief details of why we're working there, and our 24-hour helpline number, in case of emergency.

We constantly audit our sites to ensure signs are in place because it's important to us to take responsibility for our works and provide our customers with helpful information.

Signage relating to traffic management (e.g. diversion routes) is generally agreed and provided in conjunction with local highways authorities.