Water Loss UK
In May 2005 a seminar was held at the NEC in Birmingham to introduce the UK water industry to the work of the International Water Association (IWA) Water Loss Task Force. A similar event was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, NEC, Birmingham in June 2009. Both events were well received and attracted over 100 delegates.
Since then the WLTF has become a Specialist Group in IWA due to the importance which the subject has gained around the world. Water Loss 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa attracted over 400 delegates, and over 600 people attended WaterLoss 2010 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. With greater awareness of climate change, water scarcity and energy efficiency, water suppliers are under intense scrutiny to ensure they are operating efficiently. The annual volume of water lost from the distribution network with associated increased costs and loss of income to the company, has become a key performance indicator in this respect.
To complement previous events addressing this topic the third Water Loss UK seminar will be held on 27 March 2012, with a Pre-Seminar Workshop on 26 March, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, NEC, Birmingham.
What is the purpose of the seminar?
Delegates to Water Loss UK 2012 will hear presentations from experts and practitioners on the current and emerging issues which could impact on leakage management in the UK.
The seminar on 27th March 2012 has been timed to take place after February’s IWA Water Loss 2012 conference in Manila, Philippines and before the IWA Water Loss Europe conference in Ferrara, Italy in May. It will update delegates on new developments from the IWA Water Loss Specialist Group, and will bring together key speakers from the UK, Europe and beyond, with the aim of:
- Providing an insight into current developments in the European Union
- Outlining the research into leakage management being undertaken outside the UK
- Updating the UK water industry on some of the latest ideas, initiatives, and results from IWA specialist group members
- Considering some of the challenges and opportunities facing the UK industry as household meter penetration increases, and pressure management is used more extensively
- Evaluating the true cost and value of water to be used in economic assessments
- Considering how the possible changes to UK regulation and water industry regulation may impact on leakage targets
- Discussing the implications for the future of leakage management in the UK
Pre-Seminar Workshop, 26th March: Using Smart systems to better understand water loss
In conjunction with the seminar, the organisers have arranged a special half day workshop on the subject of smart systems, and how they can be used to better understand and manage water loss. Leakage cannot be measured directly and its estimation relies on accurate measurement of other variables. The reliability of these measurements can now be improved by using specific values which can be tracked seasonally, rather than average defaults. For leak location, new technology uses mathematical algorithms and relationships to improve the efficiency of leakage detection operations.
The workshop will include presentations from leading edge technology companies and experts with case study results from the UK and Europe.
