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As part of this bi-weekly newsletter, we bring you the latest industry news, technology innovations and appointments from across the industry including:
Alfa Laval Appointment, Thames upgrades, and golf for Pfeiffer!
As part of this bi-weekly newsletter, we'll bring you the latest industry news, technology innovations and appointments from across the industry.
To quick things off, an exciting new collaboration with Anglian Water Services and East Mercia Rivers Trust!
Launched in 2022, in partnership with Severn Trent Water, Get River Positive is Anglian Water’s commitment to protect and revitalise rivers, underpinned by five meaningful pledges.
Since Get River Positive’s launch, £7 million of investment from shareholders has enabled the water company to achieve over £9 million in match funding, investing in 53 projects with 44 primary beneficiaries. Anglian Water’s work with EMRT supports the initiative’s third pledge, to support others to improve and care for rivers.
Working with a range of community and conservation catchment partners, the award is supporting EMRT’s ambitious programme on the Witham catchment to accelerate the restoration of Lincolnshire’s internationally rare chalk streams. Suffering from historical modifications and a range of pressures, Lincolnshire’s chalk streams are in poor health. Yet they are critical for the survival of many iconic species such as the water vole.
The funding is also contributing to the landscape recovery plans of the Upper Witham and Limestone Becks, ecologically valuable limestone habitats, which once provided cover for notorious highwaymen. Across the UK, it is estimated that only 3000 hectares of this species-rich lowland wetland remain. With Rutland Water located on the Welland catchment, restoration efforts are focused on improving water quality, enhancing urban riverscapes and reducing the risk of flooding by engaging with landowners to install nature-based and natural flood management measures.
Robin Price said:
We’re thrilled to be working with the East Mercia Rivers Trust on this vital partnership to revitalise our region’s precious rivers. We know how important rivers and the wider environment are to our customers and local communities
At Alfa Laval, Sammy Hulpiau, currently president of the High Speed Separators business unit, will take on the role of president of the company’s Food & Water division from 1 September 2024.
Hulpiau joined Alfa Laval in 1988 and during his 36 years with the company he has held multiple senior leadership positions. In his new role he will join Group Management.
The Food & Water Division accounts for 37% of Alfa Laval’s order intake. The division works with products and systems for food and water applications across industries including food, pharmaceuticals, biotech, brewing, dairy and water treatment. More than 8,000 of the group’s 22,000 employees work in the Food & Water Division.
Sammy has the strong strategic and operational abilities that are needed in the ongoing transformation of the Food & Water division, which has experienced a long period of growth and margin improvements. I look forward to the next leg of the transformation journey under Sammy’s leadership
said Tom Erixon, CEO and President, Alfa Laval. Sammy Hulpiau added:
I am deeply honoured by the opportunity to lead the Food & Water division in such interesting transformational times in the industry and I feel privileged to be working with so many talented colleagues and leaders around the world. I can’t wait to take on this challenge
Christopher Whitfeld and Wenqi (Jonathan) Zhao from the United Kingdom have been awarded the Stockholm Junior Water Prize 2024 for their work on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) pollution reduction.
Focusing on the Thames Basin in the UK, Whitfeld and Zhao developed a geospatial neural network, predicting PFAS values to within 10% of experimentally validated values. For this, they were announced the winners of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, an international competition where students between the ages of 15 and 20 present solutions to major water challenges.
The winners were presented with their prize during an award ceremony at World Water Week by HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, the Prize’s Official Patron. The Diploma of Excellence was awarded to Shanni Valeria Mora Fajardo and Rosa Mendoza Sosa from Mexico for their work on how to reuse inked water with homemade filtration to produce veggie gardens. The People’s Choice Award went to Manoel José Nunes Neto from Brazil, completing the line-up of winners.
Innovation is paving the way to a more water-secure world, and the next generation are accelerating progress. The Stockholm Junior Water Prize competitors are an inspiring example of the ingenuity and passion young innovators bring to the table. On behalf of Xylem, I’d like to congratulate all those who took part in this year’s competition
said Austin Alexander, Vice President of Sustainability and Social Impact at @Xylem.
Pfeiffer Vacuum has once again been awarded the EcoVadis Gold Medal for its site in Asslar, Germany.
This places the company among the top 2% of organizations evaluated over the past twelve months by the world’s largest sustainability rating provider.
The recognition underscores Pfeiffer Vacuum's ongoing commitment to environmental and social responsibility.
In the latest assessment, Pfeiffer Vacuum not only maintained its high standard but also improved its performance, raising its overall score by eight points compared to the previous year. This advancement highlights the company’s continuous efforts to enhance its sustainability practices and exceed industry benchmarks.
We are thrilled with the result as it demonstrates our dedication to advancing our initiatives. Being awarded the EcoVadis Gold Medal for the second time in a row is a great motivation for our entire team to continue driving our efforts even further in the next year
said Thilo Rau, CIO of Pfeiffer Vacuum.
Arqiva, a leading UK communications infrastructure and media services company, is celebrating connecting two million smart water meters to its network.
Arqiva’s network is the backbone of the two largest smart water meter networks operating in the UK today, and is designed to support water providers in meeting Ofwat’s water leakage and per capita consumption reduction targets for the next Asset Management Plan (AMP) five-year period and beyond.
The two million meters installed to date have achieved industry-leading network connectivity and read success rates.
Mike Smith, Executive Director of Smart Utilities Networks said:
Connecting two million smart water meters is a fantastic achievement from all concerned – our customers, engineering teams and the wider team at Arqiva. Our services provide an uninterrupted supply of the rich data required for a successful smart water meter programme, and it is the data that provides the true return on investment for a rollout. Data helps our customers monitor supply, address consumer needs, demonstrate success to stakeholders and ultimately gain a greater understanding of the use of this most valuable resource.
A huge achievement!
Almar Water Solutions, a leading business in developing and managing water infrastructure and services, and part of Jameel Environmental Services, is expanding its geographical presence in the Asia-Pacific market through a partnership agreement with Moya Indonesia, to jointly develop their water businesses across the region.
The first milestone of this agreement is the acquisition of a 50% stake in Obor Infrastructure by Almar Water Solutions. This marks Almar Water Solutions’ second entry into urban services markets, following the acquisition of 50% of Aguas San Pedro in Chile in 2022. The collaboration underscores Almar Water Solutions’ commitment to supporting local communities by creating regional service platforms with local partners.
Obor Infrastructure, a holding enterprise established in Singapore, owns two water companies, each operating a water treatment plant on the Indonesian island of Java, with a total capacity of 425,000 m3/day, and plans to increase the capacity by an additional 160,000 m3/day in the short to medium term. They supply drinking water to several districts in Greater Jakarta, the second-largest urban area on the planet.
This partnership agreement draws on the value of Moya Indonesia’s extensive experience and knowledge of the local market, combined with the global experience and capabilities of Almar Water Solutions in the development, financing and management of water infrastructure and service enterprises.
Carlos Cosín, CEO of Almar said:
Asia Pacific is a key market for Almar Water Solutions, where we can provide value in infrastructure management, open the industrial market in the region, bring digital transformation to the country and provide solutions based on non-conventional technologies that increase the availability of water resources. Entering the market accompanied by Moya Indonesia is a privilege; the company is a leader in water treatment in Indonesia and is a strategic player in the water sector in the region. This transaction also reaffirms our commitment to the urban water market, improving the supply of drinking water and the lives of millions of people in the region.
An exciting time for both and I look forward to watching the partnership unfold!
Thames Water is moving forward with long-delayed plans for a £240 million upgrade to the Oxford sewage treatment works, following pressure from the local council, which had criticized the company for hindering the construction of thousands of new homes.
The utility company has announced its intention to seek tenders for the much-anticipated capacity expansion next month. Before this, it will conduct an online briefing for potential bidders on September 10, where it will outline plans to enhance the quality of the effluent released and expand the facility's capacity. The planned works include tripling the storm tank capacity, boosting sewage treatment flows by 80%, and increasing power supplies.
This decision to start the contractor selection process comes in the wake of Oxford City Council's strong criticism of the troubled water company, which they accused of stalling development across the county.
Susan Brown, the leader of Oxford City Council, stated:
We have long been raising the major problems created by the historic lack of investment by Thames Water in the Oxford Sewage Treatment Works, and its subsequent lack of capacity. This lack of investment has now led to the Environment Agency objecting to both the City Council’s proposed Local Plan 2040, and to housing and commercial planning applications coming forward in and around the city. This is a very significant environmental and economic issue for both Oxford and Oxfordshire
Concluding her remarks, she said:
It is clear from these discussions that there are shared objectives from all partners to support the sustainable development and growth of Oxford and the surrounding area; to focus on ensuring the necessary infrastructure is in place to protect and enhance the local environment; and to give assurance to the development community that the works will happen in a timely fashion to ensure we continue to deliver much-needed new homes and jobs. We also understand that Thames Water is working at pace with the relevant regulators to develop and put in place solutions that seek to address the situation.
Influx Search are heading to WWEM next month!
WWEM The Water, Wastewater and Environmental Monitoring event is an in person event that focuses on Instrumentation and services for water and wastewater process monitoring. WWEM offers a technical program aimed at keeping you up to date with the latest trends, regulations, methods, techniques and technologies. Furthermore, you can also network with all industry stakeholders including suppliers, regulators and end-users from industry that need to test, monitor and analyse water and wastewater.
Be sure to keep 12:25 on Thursday 10th free for Influx Search secrets to Acquisition, Retention and development: Creating a Talent Strategy for Water Professionals.
See you there!
Europe:
North America:
For more information on any of these opportunities, please get in touch with Lyle King, Will Brockbank, Max Fraser-Krauss, Joe Michie or Sam McMillan.
That's it for Volume 20! Stay tuned for more and don't forget to follow Influx Search for the latest industry news and job advertisements.
