Wastewater treatment specialists HUBER Technology are anticipating further interest in their wastewater technology solutions following the recent announcement that water companies will no longer be able to self-monitor their operational performance.

Operator Self-Monitoring was first introduced in 2009, requiring the water and sewerage companies (WASCs) to inform the Environment Agency if they are in breach of their permit conditions.

A report in The Times on 24th January said that at a meeting with the CEOs of the WASCs on 23^rd January, Environment Secretary Steve Barclay informed them that responsibility for monitoring would be handed over to the Environment Agency at some point during the next year.

Pressure is continuing to mount on the companies to improve their performance in tackling storm overflow discharges.

On the back of the updated Government’s Storm Overflows Discharge Plan published in September 2023, Steve Barclay wrote to the water company Chiefs in December telling them to go “further and faster” to secure a measurable reduction in sewage spills in the next 12 months. The letter specifically flagged up the need for better maintenance programmes to be put in place.

Unsurprisingly, HUBER has been seeing a growing level of interest in its screening solutions from both the water companies and their supply chain partners alike.

Photo: Traditionally Constructed CSO screen Chambers

Talk to HUBER about the alternatives

The updated Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan makes specific reference to screening requirements for storm overflows – all the water companies will be required to ensure all inland, coastal and estuarine storm overflows have screening controls by 2050, with some sites prioritised for early action.

HUBER keeps a keen eye on regulatory and policy developments with regard to wastewater treatment on the basis that requirements that directly impact the water companies will have implications for their supply chain partners.

The updated Impact Assessment published by Defra to accompany the Reduction Plan which highlights a number of key assumptions/sensitivities/risks says that “adequate supply chain capacity is assumed.“

Dale Foster from HUBER points out that while the Impact Assessment says “we have set targets which we think are deliverable based on engagement with Industry and trade bodies”, it also cautions that “some concerns remain about deliverability of the targets” and that “the supply chain surrounding the water industry will also be impacted in the delivery of the targets.

The IA also warns that “in the consultation on the proposed targets, water industry stakeholders did raise supply chain capacity as a potential risk to delivery given the size of the programme. However, it has not been possible to fully quantify this risk at this stage beyond anecdotal evidence.” but that “the supply chain will need to expand to be able to deliver these targets.”

According to Dale Foster, with some 15,000 storm overflows across England alone, the water companies are looking to access a significant increase in supply chain capacity to help deliver on the demanding targets.

Dale Foster explained:

“The majority of the water companies– if not all – will already have HUBER inlet screens in place and many storm overflow screens. The HUBER ROK 1 Storm Screen was first installed in 1995 into a Scottish Water site and then the HUBER ROK2 Storm Screen in 2003 in Yorkshire Water. So, the HUBER storm screens have been available for just under 30 years. To date we have around 1400 storm screens installed across England, Wales, Scotland and N.Ireland.

“Now the water companies and their Tier 1 delivery partners alike are already discussing the possibility of securing future production capacity at HUBER’s factory in Germany with us to meet this increased level of demand.

“With the prospect of these considerable levels of volume between now and 2030 firmly in mind, HUBER saw a major expansion of its factory In April 2023 with a state of the art 6,000 m² P3 production hall.

“We are now already involved in the development of another new production hall, with completion of the new 6,000 m² P4 assembly and logistics hall scheduled for the second or third quarter of 2024.

“Ramping up of our production capability means we are well placed to meet their needs in the required timescales, and we are looking forward to early supplier engagement and working collaboratively to get these storm screen delivered and installed. There is still lots to do to streamline the delivery process and we have some exciting ideas as to how this could be achieved – a huge dose of pragmatism is at the heart our thinking.”

For further information contact Dale Foster, Business Development Manager-HUBER Technology 07980 316059

Click here to read The Times article