South East Water adds pressure management technology to tackle leaks
28 May 2012
London – With temporary water use restrictions now in place to protect water supplies, South East Water has awarded a £1.5-million contract for advanced pressure management systems to technology company i2O Water in a bid to reduce leakage.
South East Water, one of seven water companies in the UK to announce temporary water use restrictions from April 5 2012, has placed an order for 200 i2O Water PRV Control systems.
i2O Water’s claims its technology is one of the few water shortage solutions that can be installed and implemented within two to three months.
The technology tackles the leakage problem by managing pressure on the water distribution network: reducing leakage, as well as the incidence of cracked and burst pipes.
The new systems will also provide South East Water with a remote-control capability over their PRVs. This will enable them to adjust the PRVs to the appropriate pressures at all times of the day and night, depending on the drought conditions.
The systems will be installed in Kent and Sussex, areas that have been particularly badly affected by the drought. i2O Water and South East Water are planning a 12-week fast track installation programme for the PRV control systems.
“Leakage detection and reduction is a top priority for South East Water,” said Keith Hilson, head of leakage at South East Water. “We are excited by the results promised by i2O and are keen to implement the new system as quickly as possible.
“This work is particularly important for South East Water given the severity of the current drought. South East England has had the driest two-year period since records began and in March saw less than half the average rainfall expected for the month.”
South East Water supplies 2.1 million customers in Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire. The company supplies 565 million litres of water per day, taken mainly from aquifers, but also from rivers and reservoirs.
