Irish Water, working closely with power company ESB Networks and the local authorities, has made significant progress in getting drinking water back to customers in the wake Storm Ophelia.
From a peak of 109,000 customers without drinking water, this had been reduced to 2,300 customers by Friday. The affected customers are on small schemes including; nine schemes in Cork affecting 488 people; 12 schemes in Waterford affecting 533 people; 5 schemes in Wexford affecting 757 people; and one scheme in Kilkenny affecting 500 people. There are still 100 customers at risk of losing drinking water on one scheme in Tipperary.
Working with the local authorities the water company has also been deploying 50 generators that are keeping water flowing for 51,000 customers. Some of the smaller water treatment plants are not suitable for generators so Irish Water coordinated with the local authorities to ensure that water was provided for the local population with tankers.
Power failure at a number of wastewater treatment plants and a significant number of sewage pumping stations resulted in the discharge of untreated or partially treated wastewater to receiving waters. A total of 148 wastewater plants went off-line as a result of the power outages – this had reduced down to nine wastewater schemes left without power on Friday.
The Irish Water Crisis Management Team has been in charge of coordinating the water company’s response which has been aimed at minimising the impact for customers.
ESB Networks prioritised the restoration of power supplies to the water and wastewater treatment plants where possible during the storm event.
ABB has launched AquaMaster+™, a digital platform for smart water network management, designed to help water utilities monitor, analyze and manage their water networks, preventing pipeline water losses and optimizing operations.
Craig Nienaber, Business Development Manager for Safe Access Solutions (SAS) at HUBER Technology, explores why the company is seeing a growing level of interest in its safe access solutions for critical infrastructure providers, including their application in wastewater treatment assets.
Albion Water, the first NAV (New Appointment & Variation) to have been established in1999 and now under the ownership of SDS Water Group, has appointed Andy Holland as its new Director of Business Development.
UK water companies are invited to join an upcoming webinar which will explore how the sector can take indirect potable reuse (IPR) from concept to full-scale operational reality.
Southern Water has released film and images showing what it’s like to walk inside Hampshire’s expanded Yew Hill underground reservoir for the very last time, before it gets filled with water.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.