Water sector reflects on lessons learnt after Beast from the East

In its final report on lessons learnt following the Beast from the East, Water UK has highlighted improvements made in key areas such as communication and weather prediction.

The trade body for the water sector also pointed to better preparations across the board, including the establishment of an expert community to share best practice in planning for how freeze-thaw events could hinder supply. Water UK has also worked with water companies to have a ready supply of bottled water in case of future service interruptions.

The report explored how technology and data analysis can be better used across the sector to predict extreme weather, an area Water UK has been working on with suppliers both within and outside of the industry.

Criticisms of how companies responded to and handled the Beast from the East largely related to keeping customers informed, and there was a call to revise communication protocols across the sector – particularly to vulnerable and priority customers.

Company-specific action taken to prepare included Affinity Water establishing an integrated Rapid Response and Restoration team; Thames Water increased its access to backup clean water tanks by 115 per cent and more than doubled its number of drivers to deliver the supplies.

Meanwhile Yorkshire undertook training of 72 control room staff and provided new IT to manage surge capacity remotely, thus limiting access problems that might hinder staff getting to work.

Wessex Water engaged with the local highways body to develop access plans for essential sites by revising gritter schedules and highlighting where access would be needed.

Actions taken to predict supply levels included Severn Trent developed digital tools to monitor reservoir levels; meanwhile Anglian developed a modelling tool called ICM Live for sewerage systems that uses data to simulate networks with forecasts of potential problems issued throughout each day.

Yorkshire Water worked with weather data service Meteogroup to garner information live from weather stations and receive warnings and monitoring of weather systems.

Bristol Water established a dedicated customer care team for faster response for vulnerable customers.

As well as the joined-up response to extreme weather, Water UK developed a structure of strategic controls for responding to emergency incidents, prompted in part by the threat of a no-deal Brexit.

Sector-wide response included the stockpiling of water treatment chemicals and ensuring a secure supply of the same should transport be interrupted from Europe after October.

Efforts have been underway for more than two years to ensure availability and free passage of supplies plus equipment and spare parts that come from Europe.

Water UK said companies were “well-prepared” for a no-deal Brexit as the sector had been planning for the possibility for many months. It added that companies’ existing mutual aid agreements would further minimise risk.