CSC Services attended their first Institute of Water event yesterday as sponsors of the Institute’s Northern Area.
Industry leaders, students and suppliers visited the Sheffield Water Centre for a technical visit of the Centre’s laboratories and to hear about the work of the centre in particular the TWENTY65 programme.
TWENTY65 will address the grand challenge of providing sustainable water for all by working in partnership across the water sector to tailor water systems so that they deliver positive impact on health, the environment, the economy and society. An overview of the disruptive socio-technical research that will achieve this result was given and students presented on a range of specific research projects.
Finalists of the Institute of Water’s Northern Area Innovation Awards 2016 also presented on their innovative projects with Northumbrian Water’s Fellgate Flood Alleviation Scheme voted as the winner. This collaborative project between Northumbrian Water and South Tyneside Council will significantly reduce the risk of flooding on a South Tyneside estate thanks to a new sustainable drainage system.
Tony Hanson from South Tyneside Council and Meshi Taka from Northumbrian Water clearly demonstrated how vital a partnership approach is to reduce the risk of flooding. The flood defence was recently put to the test when constant heavy rain hit the north east earlier this month. The newly created basins and ponds at Fellgate successfully held back the rain water which otherwise would have put local homes at risk of flooding, showing how successful the collaboration had been.
Image from left to right: Vanessa Speight (Sheffield Water Centre), Richard Sears (President, Northern Area, Institute of Water), Meshi Taka (Northumbrian Water) and Tony Hanson (South Tyneside Council)
Mick Flounders, Contracts Director at CSC Services summarised the day:
“This was an excellent event that clearly showed the value of a collaborative approach within the water industry. Water companies, academics, suppliers and contractors need to work in partnership to advance the sector. As a contractor to the water industry we are keen to learn about the bigger issues facing the industry from other perspectives and look at how we can play a role in providing solutions in some of these cases through the specialist work that we do.”
“Dynamic Demand” by United Utilities and Northumbrian Water’s “Water Rangers” Project were runners up in the Innovation Awards competition.
Image: Mick Flounders (left) and Mark Lemon (right) from CSC Services at the Sheffield Water Centre
