News in brief

Action to prevent 300,000km of public sewers from leaking through the ground potentially into clean water supplies is being frustrated by Ofwat according to independent health researcher Stephen Batterby. Speaking at a conference of environmental health officers, he warned of serious risks to public health through Ofwat’s failure to develop accurate performance standards for the 300,000km network of public sewers. Mr Batterby believes a comprehensive assessment of the physical condition of public sewers, and private sewers not operated by the water companies, is required which analyses how their leakage rate affects the environment.

Source: Water and Waste Treatment

Performance standards for continuous emission monitoring systems required under the Environment Agency’s new certification scheme, MCERTS, were published last month. Copies of the document are available from John Tipping, The Environment Agency, National Compliance Assessment Service, Cameron House, White Cross Industrial Estate, South Road, Lancaster LA1 4XQ.

Source: Industrial Environmental Management

Selwyn Pritchard, sales and marketing director of Klargester Environmental Engineering died last month following a lengthy illness – he was 48. He began in the company’s accounts department some 25 years ago and worked his way to become a director of the company.

Source: Water and Waste Treatment

The UK Environment Agency announced its new water abstraction and environmental protection licence charges for 1999/2000 in March. Integrated pollution control (IPC) and waste management licence charges will be increased by 14.8%. Most of the increase – around 11% – reflects the second a final stage in the removal of subsidy to chargeable costs following the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review. Increases in charges for abstraction licences, discharge consents and radioactive substances authorisations will range from 2-8%, around half the level of increase imposed last year.

Source: Industrial Environmental Management

Readers of WWT can take advantage of the special pre-publication offer that is available for the first edition of the WWT Pump & Valve Fact Finder. Published in association with WWT, the new directory will provide all the information needed to source pumps and valves for applications in water, wastewater treatment and industrial effluent. Designed with the user in mind, the Fact Finder will prove indispensable as a definitive reference source of specialist pump and valve information, To take advantage of the pre-publication price of £37, contact Susan Forsayeth on 0181 651 7100.

Source: Water and Waste Treatment

The Corporation of London has published a report promoting the role the City could play in establishing an international greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme. The report, Trading Emissions Permits, A business Opportunity for the City, explains how tradable permits work, the potential for a UK market and the business opportunity. “London is exceptionally well equipped to run this market,” says report author David Lascelles, “it has the expertise and the infrastructure. But there are competitors, and it should aim to be among the first to start trading because there will not be much room for latecomers.” For a copy of the report contact Mark Pursey on 0171 332 3479.

Source: Industrial Environmental Management

The River Dee has been designated a Water Protection Zone, the first in the UK, to safeguard the quality of drinking water for more than 2 million people. The threat to these supplies was highlighted by two serious pollution incidents in 1985 when intakes were closed for three days.

Source: Industrial Environmental Management