Prioritising People … Prioritising Our Customers... 1
PC15 Lead Communication Pipe Replacement Programme David Emmett DG3 Compliance & WMMWF Project Manager Prioritising People … Prioritising Our Customers... 2
Why the need to reduce Human Exposure to Lead? Lead is a dangerous metal which can cause serious poisoning if too much enters • the body. Children, pregnant women and the elderly are especially vulnerable. • Regulations and Byelaws It has been banned in petrol, paint and plastics to reduce human exposure. • The use of lead pipes in potable water supplies were banned in the UK in 1969, • therefore many pre-1970 properties still have lead pipes. From 1987, the Water Supply Byelaws outlawed the use of lead based solders • to joint copper fittings on potable water supplies for domestic hot and cold water systems. The current UK drinking water quality standards state that the level of lead in • any water supply must not exceed 10µg/l (parts per billion). This came into force in December 2013 after the previous standard of 25µg/l was tightened . 3
What is Northern Ireland Water doing to reduce lead in our drinking water? Chemical Treatment To meet the new targets, NIW have agreed with the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) to add a chemical called Orthophosphoric acid to the water supply which prevents lead from lead pipes dissolving into the water supply. This has been used in the water industry worldwide over the last 20 years and is a common additive in many soft drinks at concentrations 100 times higher used in the treatment of drinking water. Orthophosphate dosing was finally introduced across the whole of the province in 2003/04. 4
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Lead Pipe Replacement (LPR) A breach of the 10 μ g/l limit at the household tap is noted as a failure of the Drinking Water Regulations and if lead is present in NI Water’s communication pipe, then it must be replaced as required under regulation 17(9). However, if it can be demonstrated that all lead with NI Water’s ownership has been removed then the assessment will state failure is due to internal plumbing issues within the property. During the current 6-year price control period to 2021, i.e. PC15. NI Water has implemented the following strategies to advance Lead Pipe Replacement: Opportunistic Lead Replacement , when lead pipes are automatically replaced once they • are uncovered as part of NI Water’s £114m Water Mains Rehabilitation Programme. £500k in Reactive Lead Replacement , when a customer replaces their own supply pipe. • NIW will replace the communication pipe free of charge. £6.4m in Proactive Lead Replacement , i.e. targeted lead communication pipe • replacement within known lead hot spots . 6
Identified LPR Hot Spots 2,000 Lead Hotspot Polygons identified; 100,000 properties with lead communication pipes Predominantly located in Greater Belfast Area (~80,000) 7
WMMWF & Proactive Lead Replacement Programme On average over the PC15 period NI Water targets • around 1844 Proactive LPRs per annum. In January 2018, due to delays in the start up of • the new Water Mains Minor Works Framework (WMMWF) over 1250 lead communication pipes still had to be replaced by the end of the financial year in order for NI Water to achieve its annual KPI. With only one working day left in March 2018, • the KPI was met as a result of the successful collaboration between NI Water and its Framework partners. Nuline Coras JV played a major role in helping • NIW achieve its annual KPI and completed 34% of the remaining LPRs in less than 3 months. 8
Innovated Real Time Installation – Set Up, Dig, Install & Reinstate Same Day Nuline Coras JV analysed the LPR production process and broke it down into 18 individual steps/tasks. 1) Drop letters, notification signage; 2) Survey; 3) Mark up existing services; 4) Set up traffic management, 5) Manage parking, 6) Saw cut excavations, 7) Break out surface, 8) Excavate and hand dig, 9) Trial hole, 10) Track excavation or Moling, 11) Ferrule screw down or replace, 12) Pipe and box installation, 13) Sterilise and commission, 14) Backfill, 15) Reinstate, 16) Top seal, 17) Remove traffic management 18) Sweep site. 9
Innovated Real Time Installation – Set Up, Dig, Install & Reinstate Same Day Direct labour was utilised; • Employed a skilled and motivated 7 or 8 person • team; Utilised an integrated grab lorry and hot • box; Increased usage of innovative techniques • such as “Pneumatic Moling” in urban areas 10
Innovated Real Time Installation – Set Up, Dig, Install & Reinstate Same Day In addition, process innovation had two significant intangible benefits: Disruption to the customer was keep to a • minimum; A significant reduction in occurrence of • complaints and the potential from 3 rd party claims for disruption and slips, trips and falls. By the end of October Nuline Coras JV have completed 47% of the LPR Programme in 2018/19. 11
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NJUG Guidelines for the Planning Installation & Maintenance Of Utility Apparatus in Proximity to Trees 13
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embrace KOBUS Pipe Pulling System Advantages : • Use of the system reduces the risk of damage to existing tree roots or to other buried services as the new MDPE communication pipe follows the existing route of the lead pipe. • It eliminates the need to dig separate disconnection pits, highlighted in the previous slide • It minimises disruption to traffic and the general public and can be utilised for road crossings up to 25 metres. Disadvantages : • Time consuming to set up – averaging 2 to 3 LPRs per day; • The steel cable cannot be drawn through a pipe with tight bends or restrictions; • Not practical if the communication pipe has to be relayed to the correct depth; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTJPlA6ziJY • Steel cable needs to be replaced after so many pulls; • More expensive than “Moling”. 16
LPR TARGETS VERSUS CUSTOMER OUTCOMES Northern Ireland Water has already carried out over 7000 Proactive LPRs and we are on target to meet our PC15 regulatory commitments. However, by only targeting the replacement of the communication pipes, we are not providing the right outcome to our customers, i.e. the requirement to remove all lead pipes from water supply systems not just in the public realm but within private properties as well. Strategically we still have a range of difficulties to overcome to meet our ultimate goal, for example: The split legal responsibilities between NIW and property owners; • Reluctance of property owners to cooperate because of disturbance and cost • involved; As we go forward into PC21 the EU have recommended in February 2018, lowering • the value further to 5 µg/l over the next 10 ten years; Stronger legal powers and adequate funding in the future to address the lead • legacy. 17
Customer/Stakeholder Engagement To encourage the removal of all lead pipes outside NI Water’s present remit: We have increased customer awareness of the legacy of lead pipes that • still need to be replaced, via leaflet/letter drops etc; We have publicise other benefits of the LPR programme, i.e. providing • customers with their individual communication supply pipe if previously fed off a “master or servant” or “stringer supply”, hence improving water pressure and flow to the customer; We have collaborated with NIHE and carried out a “Lead Service Pilot • Study” on properties in Larne to substantiate the need for complete removal of lead into the property; and We have engaged our stakeholders concerning the possibility of • establishing a grant scheme within the DfI to enable private customers to access funds for replacement of their private supply pipe. 18
Craigyhill Bungalows - Lead Service Pilot Project 51 No NIHE properties within a known lead hot • spot. Properties had a significant improvement on the • levels on the lead, with a reduction of 75%. However level of leads detected were still higher • than anticipated with average post work figure of 4.4 μ g/l It was not until NIHE replaced the lead internally • within the properties that negligible figure was recorded on average of 0.07 μ g/l. Additional cost to NI Water for replacing the • service pipe within the private grounds was £40k. Average cost of £103 per metre for working within • private property. 19
NIW NI 20
Thank You & Questions 21
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