the source, december 2011

news for thames water people December 2011

inside this issue

2 Big changes approach for Deephams

5 Banbury sale is prime property deal

8 Get ready for the Big Fat Cheesy Quiz

12 Drought highlights need for wise water use

15 Meet our new Chief Financial Officer

Under pressure: The heat is on at Riverside sewage works p18

2 | december 2011

The SOURCE | www.thameswater.co.uk

Have you got news or views you’d like to share in The Source?

Are there issues you’d like to see more, or less, of in the magazine? Whatever your views, please let us know.

Please write to the Editor at [email protected], or drop him a line at 2nd Floor East, Clearwater Court, Vastern Road, Reading, RG1 8DB

Where’s Wenlock?Well done to all those readers who spotted the three Olympic mascots hiding in October’s issue (on pages 8, 14 and 23). Look out for more Wenlocks lurking somewhere in this issue. If you told us the correct answer last time, then let us know again how many Wenlocks there are in this issue, and which pages they’re hiding on, to have a chance of winning a pair of London 2012 tickets. Just email [email protected] or Andrew Boyd - the names of everyone who answers correctly for this and the last issue, plus the next three before July 2012, will be put in a hat next summer and the first name out will be the winner.

Asset Integrator Rod Kerr (right) with one of our Interserve contractors in front of newtanks fitted as part of Riverside sewage works’ new thermal hydrolysis process.

news for thames water people December 2011

inside this issue

2 Big changes approach for Deephams

5 Banbury sale is prime property deal

8 Get ready for the Big Fat Cheesy Quiz

12 Drought highlights need for wise water use

15 Meet our new Chief Financial Officer

Under pressure: The heat is on at Riverside sewage works p18

Wide-ranging improvements are on the horizon for Deephams Sewage Treatment Works in north-east London.

The upgrade will be second only to the Lee Tunnel in terms of size of capital projects in our next five-year investment period. It will require a major public consultation and involve constructing a brand new treatment process, which could involve either building on the existing site or on a new one nearby.

The upgrade will significantly improve the quality of treated effluent discharged into the Salmon’s Brook. It will also increase capacity to serve a population of about 885,000, which is expected to grow to 941,000 by 2026.

The original works was built in the 1870s, with two new effluent streams added in the 1950s and a third in 1966. Ageing assets and a rising population already make it difficult for us to continue to effectively and efficiently treat the local area’s sewage and to meet future needs.

Mike Carden, Deephams Sewage Works Upgrade Project Manager, said: “A further step change in the discharge consent set by the Environment Agency (EA) will come into force in 2017. This includes one of the lowest ammonia consents in the country to achieve compliance with the Freshwater Fish Directive.

“This and other new standards can’t be met by our existing treatment equipment, despite

the improvements currently being made to the inlet works and storm tanks and ongoing enhancements to meet a new phosphorous discharge consent that comes into play next year.

“We are therefore investigating all options for achieving the new consent, including treatment processes and site location. This makes this a very exciting project to be involved in, with a number of challenges to be met.”

The existing inlet works, storm tanks and sludge treatment process will remain on-site. The EA has also required that the discharge point remains at its current location, to ensure sufficient water levels in the brook and in the River Lee, into which it flows.

Rebuilding the main treatment process at another location would therefore require new pipelines to pump sewage from the existing inlets to the new site and return the treated flows.

The size and significance of the project mean it has the potential to be classed as a ‘Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project’. Depending on the final approach adopted, this could mean the Government making the decision on any planning application.

Whatever the route, a first phase of public consultation is planned for summer 2012 and is set to take at least 12 weeks, with a second phase likely in 2013.

Huge upgrade on horizon for Deephams Tighter discharge limits, a growing population and ageing equipment mean big changes at Deephams sewage works.

www.thameswater.co.uk | The SOURCE

december 2011 | 3

Our new recycling plant at the Olympic Park will help the 2012 Games set the pace for sustainability.

Our newly-opened recycling plant at the Olympic Park is turning sewage into non-drinkable water for irrigating lawns and gardens at the London 2012 Games.

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman formally opened the £7m Old Ford facility, the biggest ‘black water’ treatment works in Britain.

Water from the plant, which is jointly funded by Thames Water and the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), will also be used for flushing toilets at the Games venues.

Taking water from the nearby Northern

Outfall Sewer, it will produce a volume equivalent to more than 80,000 toilet flushes a day.

Mrs Spelman said: “If we want to make sure we have a reliable supply of water in the future, we all need to play our part now. Projects like this, which safely recycle water and prevent the need for fresh water to be used where it isn’t needed, have a crucial role to play.”

The plant produces 570,000 litres a day of recycled water, which is pumped into the Olympic Park’s network of pipes specifically for recycled water – separate from the pipes

supplying drinking-quality water to taps. It will help the ODA far exceed its 40 per cent water efficiency target.

Chief Executive Martin Baggs said: “The plant embodies our innovative and sustainable approach not just to London 2012 but to our whole water and sewerage operation. It is right that on a new site like this we should install a graded system providing water of different standards for different purposes.”

After the new facility is commissioned, it will be handed over to Thames Water to run for the next seven years.

Going for green at new Games plantDirectors Piers Clark (second from left) and Richard Aylard (right) show the Minister water from different stages of the treatment process, with the ODA’s utilities project sponsor, Ruari Maybank.

Innovation’s Marie Raffin and Chris James inside the plant

4 | december 2011


Team bond in gardening get-togetherOur Document Management team got to know each other better and met a familiar face from Thames Water’s past when they exercised their green fingers.

They visited the Ridgeline Trust, which runs a therapeutic wildlife garden in Reading, and renewed acquaintance with former Company Secretary Graham Johnson.

He now occupies the same role for the charity, which helps people with mental and physical

disabilities to regain lost skills and learn new ones, as well as rebuilding confidence and self-esteem.

The seven-strong team from Clearwater Court only formed earlier this year. Document Analyst Dawn Hauge-Brown said: “Our manager, Beth Reeves, joined in July from Water Production. The rest of us had all been part of Technical Information before, but hadn’t worked together so closely.

“We wanted to get to know each other better, while giving something back to the community. Community Investment Managers Liz Banks and Tracy Sacks offered several volunteering opportunities, and we chose this one.

“We were there for three hours, but stopped only once, for a cup of tea. I’d particularly like to thank Gill Grainger at Ridgeline for organising the event. ”

Among their activities, the team reshaped flower beds, repositioned a cold frame and

cleared up after the growing season.

Graham wrote afterwards to thank us for their efforts, adding: “We were delighted to have such a lively and cheerful group helping us in the garden. They organised themselves and got things done very effectively.”

Dawn added: “We’re hoping to go back in the spring. I’m no gardener and had to ask which way up to plant some bulbs, so I’ll be keen to see if they’ve come out!”

More than 100 members of staff, past and present, gathered at two Remembrance Day services at Ashford Common and at Mogden’s newly-renovated memorial garden to honour the memory of employees killed during the two world wars.

The annual service at Ashford Common saw wreathes laid by Chief Executive Martin Baggs on behalf of Thames Water, HR Director Janet Burr for our employees, Douglas Wright representing our retirement association, Alan Yorston on behalf of the trade unions and Tony Gernon on behalf of the Thames Water branch of the Royal British Legion.

The Last Post was sounded by a bandsman from the Coldstream Guards and, following the two-minute silence, those attending the service travelled the short distance to Mogden Sewage Treatment Works for a rededication ceremony of its memorial garden.

Created to honour the memory of

employees who gave their lives during World War Two, improvement work has recently been completed to improve access to the memorial garden.

There are five cherry trees planted around the memorial plaque to remember the five former staff from Mogden and Perry Oaks: Eric Dunkerley, Jack Arthur Yates, John Hartas George Garrick, Henry George Bone and Stanley Cecil Hill.

Wreathes were laid by Martin Baggs and Process Manager Martin Foster, who did so on behalf of our ex-armed services staff.

Martin said: “It’s important for us as an organisation to remember those members of staff who gave their lives during the world wars. The renovation and rededication of Mogden’s memorial garden provided a perfect setting for us to be able to do this on the special date of 11/11/11.”

Both ceremonies were officiated by the Reverend Christopher Swift, Rector of St Mary Magdalene, Littleton & St Nicholas, Shepperton, and were attended by our Executive team, senior managers, retirees and representatives of our ex-armed services staff.

We are keen to involve all members of staff who have served in the armed forces in future events. For more details, please email [email protected].

Mogden memorial garden rededicated on Remembrance DayThis year’s Remembrance Day services saw improvements to Mogden’s memorial garden, writes Adam Butt.

From left, Suzan Porter, Gaynor Haywood, Tracy Kent, Suzanne Camden, Ridgeline’s Graham Johnson, Beth Reeves, Dawn Hauge-Brown and Lucy Watts.

From left: Gaynor Haywood, Suzanne Camden and Lucy Watts

december 2011 | 5


Years of patient work are coming to fruition with the multi-million-pound sale of our largest unused area of operational land, beside Banbury Sewage Treatment Works.

Much of the 45-acre site alongside the M40 has now been sold, and when the total sale is complete it will net over £12m, with only the final phase left to negotiate and sell.

Proceeds from the sale will help fund a new screening plant at the works to deal with storm water discharges after heavy rain.

The deals are a major success for our Property Develeopment team, who over the years have liaised with a range of parties to gain road access to the site and address other concerns.

The land was previously used for irrigation channels, designed to let storm water soak away into the soil before storm tanks were built at the works.

It has been promoted for alternative use since 1995, and over the years has attracted interest from companies including BMW, soft drinks firm Robinsons and Arla Foods.

Our Property team has had to work closely with Cherwell District Council, Oxfordshire County Council, the Highways Agency and the Environment Agency, as well as a local farmer who had been granted access over part of the land when the M40 was built.

They also needed to deal with local planning sensitivities about the capacity of the nearby motorway junction.

The team have been helped by numerous colleagues around the business, including staff in Legal, Strategy and Regulation, Asset Management, Operations and Capital Delivery.

Among them has been Brian McGinley, Team Manager at Banbury, who said: “The new screening plant will modernise things, brining part

of the process that is currently off-site back into our site boundary where we can better monitor it.

“The proposed location of the plant will tidy up a redundant area of the site, which is currently a disused compound.”

Development Project Manager Dipak Goel said: “We engaged with a lot of people to get to this point, and there were many technical challenges to unlocking the site’s potential.”

He and the team also liased closely with Asset Management to ascertain long-term capital Investment needs. As part of the sale, we negotiated a small parcel of land which will be reserved for a terminal pumping station to connect the proposed extension a nearby sewer.

Dipak added: “We are trying to get the best value for the business and at the same time make sure it benefits from the sale, while protecting our reputation. We are also playing a part in economic regeneration by creating business for others.”

Banbury sewage works land sale delivers benefit for our businessOur Property team are marking a major success, with the imminent sale of land for development in Banbury.

A computer-generated image shows what the proposed development could look like. Inset: Dipak Goel (top) and Brian McGinley

6 | december 2011


Forty years’ service at Thames Water began for Ken Davies one summer when he walked into a depot in Brixton and was given a job cutting the grass.

Recently retired, Ken now looks back on a long career which took in a variety of repair and maintenance roles, plus important work in our mains rehabilitation and Victorian Mains Replacement (VMR) programmes.

His family had worked in Covent Garden market for around 300 years but ended their business when the market moved its location.

Ken said: “I was looking for a job and walked into Waterworks Road, Brixton, on the off-chance, and they said they needed a maintenance man. It was summer, and they wanted someone to cut the grass. I just carried on through the company from there.”

After a two-year break from 1973,

he returned and became a reservoir maintenance ganger. The role included inspecting service reservoirs when they were emptied for checks every ten years.

He worked his way up to assistant turncock, and remembers the challenge he and his gangs faced in repairing broken mains.

Ken said: “In those days it was much more difficult. We had no compressor to break through the road surface and it could take six men all day to access a main, using hammers.”

In 1983, a new role saw him move to Nunhead Reservoir, from where he looked after repair and maintenance contracts in the Brixton and Bermondsey areas.

The turn of the decade saw him start a ten-year stint as a quality surveyor, overseeing the relining of mains in Godalming and Guildford.

Ken then spent three years as a Network Service Technician in Darent, before he was seconded into his final role, managing VMR work in the Bermondsey and Croydon areas. He also worked as a union shop steward for ten years.

Ken said: “One of my main memories is the brilliant people I’ve worked with. The best thing was the camaraderie – I used to love going to work and had a laugh every day. And Thames have been good to me down the years.

“Some of the winters we had were really bad. I recall working alongside the Thames, and the wind coming down the river at 80 miles per hour.

“On one occasion in the mid-70s, I was repairing a broken main and it was so cold that my gloves froze to me. I had to put my hands in a fire to melt them off.”

Summer of ‘69 began four-decade career for KenGrass cutting led to greater things when Ken Davies got his first job at Thames Water.

Three teams up for national awardsThree of our teams are among the finalists at this year’s Utility Industry Achievement Awards.

The results of the event, held at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, were due to be announced on 15 December, as The Source went to press.

The contenders include the Leakage Event team, who last year helped us reach our target, despite one of the coldest winters on record. We achieved a level of 666 Ml/d, against a target of 674 Ml/d.

Among the team are (pictured from left) Nigel Membury, Anthony Crawford, Nick Harris, Andrew Oakes, Colin Bryant and Rob Hales. They will be hoping to beat other shortlisted companies, including Scotia Gas Networks, to achieve Team of the Year. Our Operational Management Centre Programme Team won the award last year.

In HR, our Talent Management team are hoping to pick up the Staff Development Award, for their wide-ranging initiatives to promote staff development.

These included the ‘Getting Fit for Customers’ training programme, the Foundation,

Advanced and Strategic Leadership Programmes and the recently-launched Personal Development Modules.

The team’s entry said: “We made a key decision that all employees would be targeted in our approach to ensure we developed and then continuously improved a sustainable

approach to staff development.”

The team behind our new desalination plant at Beckton are also among the five finalists competing for the Capital Project Management Award. We triumphed in this category last year, for work to relieve sewer flooding in Brixton.

Karen and co help Crossness avoid the (bul)rushVolunteers donned wellies and waders at Crossness Nature Reserve to help rid a newly-created reedbed of a wind-pollinated wetland plant.

Typha, also known as reedmace or bulrush, has begun to colonise the new area, so Nature Reserve Manager Karen Sutton roped in some help.

Staff from our Tidal Thames Quality Initiative team lent a hand, along with colleagues from East London Process Science. They were also joined by staff from main contractor Tamesis and sub-contractor Thomson Habitats. Plus local residents who are members of Friends of Crossness Nature Reserve.

Nature Reserve Manager Karen Sutton said the group’s efforts would help the desired plant species, common reed, to take hold.

She said: “The team worked tremendously hard in difficult conditions. In addition to pulling from the root, we also snipped the flowering heads in some of the remaining areas. These contain thousands of seeds, and we wanted to prevent further seeding.

“Some people worked around meetings to join us just for the morning or the afternoon. The weather was on our side and, despite the hard work, everybody said they enjoyed themselves and that it was nice to get out of the office and do something physical for a change.”

Among those taking part were Complex Project Assurance Engineer Dave Watts, Asset Integrator Steve Summers, Design Assurance Engineer Matthew Jackson and Bruce McKenzie, a Process Scientist.

Karen didn’t just get her hands dirty. Pic courtesy of Ralph Todd.

Karen shows the team what needs to be removed. All pics, except bottom left, courtesy of David Pressland.

Thomson Habitats’ Gemma Cooke and (left) a local volunteer get stuck in.

Steve Summer (left) and Dave Watts at work.


december 2011 | 7

8 | december 2011


Quiz buffs from across Thames Water and our contractors are gearing up for the ultimate head-to-head competition in the New Year, in the shape of our Big Fat Cheesy Quiz.

The competition will reach a climax with a grand final on Thursday 22 March 2012 – World Water Day – and aims to raise thousands for our principal charity, WaterAid.

Staff are being encouraged to stage their own heats on Thursday 26 January, to select the finalists, who will meet to decide the champions at the Shehnai Banqueting Suite in Reading. The event will feature locally-sourced Bangladeshi-themed food, wine, beer and tap water throughout the evening.

To take part, each company needs to nominate at least one ‘cheese monitor’, who will arrange their company quiz venue, promote it across their business, drum up support and encourage teams to participate.

The official cheesy quiz heat will take place at each company’s own venue in January, to decide who makes it through to the final.

Each company is allowed to enter up to four teams, at a cost of £1,000 per team – which includes food and drink on the night and special customised T-shirts. Thames Water will be entering five teams: one each from Operations and Asset Management East and West, Customer Service, Support Services and

the Executive.

At stake will be the coveted Big Cheesy Quiz Trophy. The single team in the final who have raised the most money in the lead-up to the event will also be presented with a special prize.

Fact fans set to take on the best in quiz confrontationThere’s no question: the Big Fat Cheesy Quiz will identify the best brains in the water industry.

SportHow many countries have won the Football World Cup?In which year did Damon Hill win the Formula One World Championship?In which sport is the Vince Lombardi Trophy awarded?

FilmWhich 1994 film ends with the line ‘I do’?Which was the first Carry On film?Which James Bond film’s theme was performed by A-Ha?

General knowledgeWhich two letters are worth the most in Scrabble?

When does Independence Day fall in the US?Who played the third Doctor Who?

GeographyWhat is the capital of Australia?In which country is the zloty the unit of currency?Which country was previously known as Abyssinia?

HistoryWho was American First Lady from 1961 to 1963?Who was Henry VIII’s last wife?Who preceded James Callaghan as Prime Minister?

MusicWith which song did Status Quo open Live Aid?Whose backing band was the Mothers of Invention?Which band named themselves after a headline reporting Sinatra’s move to California?

Current affairsWho is the Education Secretary?In which city have protestors against military rule occupied Tahrir Square?Ben Wishaw was recently cast as which well-known film character?

Random roundWhat is the nationality of Sepp Blatter and

Why not test yourself in our ‘taster’ quiz?Think you’re up to the challenge of the Big Fat Cheesy Quiz? Then pit your wits against these 30 questions (answers on page 13).


december 2011 | 9

Preparations are in full swing for our next annual pantomime, Beauty and the Beast.

The show, which will again be staged at Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre, will raise money for WaterAid, Blue Cross and Cancer Research UK.

Script writer Paul Aust, a Change Consultant in Customer Service, said: “We have only three rehearsals left after Christmas. The last couple before the festive break are always a slog because we have been doing it for two months solid by that point.

“The script grows as we go along, as people bring their roles to life. I’ve had to rewrite it three times as various people left and joined the cast.”

Rehearsals have also had to accommodate the fact that five of the cast members were involved in another show, which only finished in early November.

In other changes, the cast are filming their own ads and trailers, which will be shown at the theatre immediately before the show.

Paul (pictured) said: “We plan to do four or five ‘mock up’ ads and trailers – although 30 seconds of finished footage normally involves a day of filming.”

The cast includes Caroline Lewis, from the Large Debts team, who plays Belle, while Revenue Complaints Manager Justin Hulbert takes on the role of the Beast. Ugly sisters Le Ding and Le Dong will be played by Revenue Contact Centre Manager Melissa Blake and Team Manager Emma Sarginson.

The January 2011 show, based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, raised cash for WaterAid, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and the Neuroblastoma Society.

The show will be staged on 27 and 28 January 2012. Tickets are £10 if purchased from the Wyvern box office on 01793 524481, or £8 if bought in-house from Paul on ext 62227.

Curtain set to rise on seventeenth panto

The quiz will raise money for WaterAid – in particular, our four-year campaign to raise much-needed funds to provide safe water, sanitation and hygiene for some of Bangladesh’s poorest communities.

By 2015, we’ve committed to raising £2m for the charity, half of which will go directly to four towns in Bangladesh where people have little or no access to safe water or sanitation.

Chief Executive Martin Baggs said: “This is a really important project to me and one I am personally dedicated to making sure we achieve. I’m going out there myself in May to see first-hand the conditions these communities live in, which makes me even more determined to make events

like this a huge success.

“We take for granted the quality of our drinking water here, and flushing toilets are considered a basic human right. Thames4Bangladesh enables us to provide our expertise – and raise money – for a country where there is no such luxury, and where we can really make a difference.”

Roger Fedrer?Which Italian term means ‘the good life’?Which foodstuff was advertised using the line ‘The longer lasting snack’?

LiteratureHow many Harry Potter novels have been published?Which Shakespeare play contains the line: ‘If music be the food of love, play on’?Whose last novel was Sleeping Murder, published in 1976?

Festive roundIn which year did Slade reach number one with Merry Xmas Everybody?Which US comic actor starred in the 1988 film Scrooged?What creatures were the seventh gift in The Twelve Days of Christmas?

The World Cup - see Sport section

10 | december 2011


News in Brief

Farmoor provides venue for Poppy Run Farmoor Reservoir hosted the Poppy Run, an event organised by Eynsham Road Runners to raise money for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.

The five-kilometre sponsored fun run event followed the route of the countryside walk around the site, just west of Oxford.

Matt Prior, Conservation, Access and Recreation Manager for the Thames Valley, helped by acting as a marshal. He said: “This is the first time we have had a running event at Farmoor.

“It was great to see people enjoying themselves and raising money for such a good cause. The camaraderie amongst the runners was brilliant to see.

“We also hosted a fishing match in aid of Casting for Recovery, a charity which supports women recovering from breast cancer. It was a very successful event – 41 anglers took part, helping raise £1,569.”

Get on board the Beckton busA bus service has been introduced which runs between the local rail station and Beckton, stopping at several locations around the site.

The free service, which operates from Gallions Reach on the Docklands Light Railway, can be used by any of the 500-plus staff and contractors working at Beckton, plus visitors.

Buses run during three periods on weekdays: 6am to 9.30am, 11.30am to 2.30pm and 4pm to 7.15pm. They leave the station every 35 minutes for the first of these, then every 40 minutes at lunchtime and evenings.

Operations Manager Alison Williams said: “This now means the site can easily be accessed on public transport, which helps staff, contractors and visitors, as well as reducing our carbon footprint.”

Energy-saving light fittings are being installed at eight of our operational sites, in a new project by our Energy and Carbon team.

The lights work by motion sensors, so they only come on when someone enters a room and switch themselves off when it’s unoccupied. This reduces the amount of time lights are left burning unnecessarily, saving energy.

We currently spend £1m a year on lighting our sites – one per cent of our total electricity bill.

Danielle Brown, Project Manager for the lighting programme, said: “One per cent might not sound a lot, but this project will save almost £100,000 per year, just by replacing old, energy-guzzling bulbs.

“It will also reduce our carbon footprint by 750 tonnes of carbon dioxide – that’s equivalent to the carbon emissions of 250 homes.”

The project is due for completion by Christmas this year, just in time for the dark nights, with more sites planned for 2012.

The team have also been highlighting how easy we could reduce the energy needed to run Reading’s Clearwater Court. They inflated 300 balloons at the site, representing the amount of harmful carbon dioxide released if everyone in the building left their monitor on standby overnight.

Head of Energy and Carbon John Gilbert said: “It’s true that most of our energy is used in pumping and treating water and sewage, but we all have an important part to play.

“For instance, if we turn off lights, monitors and printers at the end of the day, we could help reduce our night-time energy consumption, which is more than twice what it should be for an efficient building.”

Clearwater Court how has champions on the wings of most floors, called ‘nutritionists’, whose role is to highlight ways of saving power. They will be helped by new technology which shows in detail where in the building energy is being used.

The Energy and Carbon team have also launched Captain Carbon, a cartoon character whose heroic advice on saving energy will be used around Thames Water.

The team’s tips include:• Switch off your monitor if you’re away from

your desk for more than ten minutes, and turn it off at the end of the day so you don’t leave it on standby mode.

• Print documents in batches, to reduce idling time for the printer.

• Unplug mobile phone chargers from your desk when they’re not in use.

• Turn the lights off when you leave a meeting room.

Carbon team make light work of energy challenge Motion-sensitive lighting is being fitted at several of our sites, cutting carbon emissions and reducing our energy bill.

These balloons in the Clearwater Court cafe promoted the need to reduce carbon emissions. Inset: Some of the new motion-sensitive lights at Farmoor.


december 2011 | 11

Interest has been high in the second phase of our consultation on revised plans for the Thames Tunnel.

Interest has been high in the opening weeks of the 14-week consultation on our revised plans for the Thames Tunnel.

It is the second stage in our consultations on the tunnel, which will help tackle the 39m tonnes of sewage that annually overflow into the river in London.

The proposals have been revised in a number of cases to reflect further technical work and views expressed in the first stage of consultation.

The planned tunnel would be 15 miles long and would convey flows to Beckton Sewage Treatment Works in east London. It is aimed at tackling the 34 most polluting combined sewer overflows that were originally built into the capital’s Victorian sewerage system.

ChoicesWe hope to submit a planning application in late 2012 and start initial construction in 2016, with construction expected to take six to seven years.

The first month of the re-opened consultation saw over 6,200 visitors to the dedicated website – www.thamestunnelconsultation.co.uk – 736 visitors to five exhibitions and a total of 525 phone calls to our Customer Centre.

Phil Stride, Head of London Tideway Tunnels, said: “There are no easy choices when it comes

to selecting construction sites, but our focus during this latest phase of consultation will be to work with communities around our revised list of preferred sites to ensure we understand and address their concerns effectively.

“It is particularly important that we listen to local people’s views on what individual sites should look and feel like after construction work has finished.”

On the opening day of the consultation, 154 people attended a drop-in at the

Beormund Community Centre, near the proposed major construction site at Chambers Wharf, Bermondsey.

Visitors included representatives from ‘Save Your Riverside’, a local group opposed to the Chambers Wharf proposals. Residents from Lewisham also wanted to find out more about the smaller combined sewer overflow interception site proposed for Deptford Church Street.

RevisedRevised plans for a work site based in the river foreshore next to King Edward Memorial Park in Shadwell also came under scrutiny at a drop-in held nearby in Cable Street, Tower Hamlets.

Over 250 people, including local MP Jim Fitzpatrick, attended the event, which was staffed by a variety of specialists from the Thames Tunnel project team.

They included engineers who have amended the original plans proposed at the phase one public consultation stage, which ended in January. Changes include a smaller construction site, a revised access road through the park and much smaller ventilation structures.

Work is required at this location to intercept the combined sewer overflow located directly beneath the park, which in an average year discharges 780,000 tonnes of untreated sewage into the River Thames after rainfall.

Public exhibitions will continue into 2012, with the consultation closing at 5pm on Friday 10 February.

Views aired on Thames Tunnel proposals

Local resident Oliver Seal provides feedback in Deptford

Allen Summerskill explains the proposals to a Putney resident

12 | december 2011


A second consecutive dry winter could see a drought threatening south-east England next summer, highlighting once more the importance of changing the way people think about water use.

The Government’s long-term target is for people to use an average of 130 litres per head per day, but that’s a long way below last year’s figure of 163 litres in our region. And we’re about 20 litres per head above the national average.

That’s why the work of our Water Efficiency team is so important.

Water Efficiency and Customer Education Analyst Heather Aitken says: “The south of England is classed as ‘water stressed’ and the supply-demand balance is coming under pressure. The situation is likely to worsen in the future, with population growth and climate change.

“It’s important that we get the message across to our customers that we need to reduce water wastage all year round, and that this can be done by simple behaviour changes such as taking shorter showers.”

Our regulator Ofwat is also putting increasing

emphasis on water efficiency. Last year was the first in which it introduced a target – 4.42 million litres per day – but the team expect things will get even tougher from 2015.

Water Efficiency and Customer Education Analyst Manager David Grantham says: “In the next five-year period, we are expecting that

the way we do water efficiency will change completely. There will be less free giveaways, as we’ll have to prove to Ofwat the volume of water that we’ve saved. At present, we’re allowed to claim a certain amount for each product we give away.

“It’s also likely that new toilets and white goods will become more efficient, so we’ll have to concentrate more on changing people’s behaviours and attitudes towards their water use.”

One of our main projects is in Swindon, where we began a year-long partnership with Waterwise and the WWF in 2010. This encouraged local people to save water and help benefit the nearby River Kennet, from which much of the town’s water comes. Local housing growth means more could be needed in the future.

Water Efficiency and Customer Education Analyst Karen Simpson says: “It’s the UK’s first large-scale town-wide water efficiency project, focusing on ‘retrofitting’, where householders are offered free water-saving devices which they can fit in their home themselves or benefit from a trained installer.”

She admits that the first year’s results were

Using water wisely tops agenda as dry weather continues across region The work of our Water Efficiency team – already managing industry-leading research – will be increasingly important if we face a second dry winter.

Martin Baggs presents the Purposeful Team award to (from left) John Sullivan, Pete Saunders, Karen Simpson, Heather Aitken and Rosie Rand.

Washing your can with a bucket, not a hose, helps save water.


december 2011 | 13

disappointing. But we have now taken over the project management for the second phase, and recent results have been encouraging.

Karen says: “This summer, we carried out research to inform project improvements. This showed most customers think it’s important not to waste water, and that saving energy and money is a key motivator, with the environment being a secondary factor.

“We’ve used these insights to improve our communications. In late August, we wrote directly to 5,000 customers in south Swindon, and will have written to the whole town by Christmas.

“We’ll be using a number of different letter types to compare the impact of different messages to continuously improve them. This has increased the customer response rate from 2 per cent to 7 per cent, and we hope to improve it further with supporting advertising.

“All the information will be collected for

analysis by Lancaster University, which has a history of research into behavioural change. This will help inform our future engagement with customers, providing insight for the future of this and other water efficiency projects.

“This research-led approach has improved results. We’ve had a greater response in two months, with people asking for free devices or a visit from a plumber, than we had in the entire first year.”

But it’s not just about household customers. The team have also joined forces with the Government-backed agency WRAP – Waste & Resources Action Programme – which helps businesses reduce waste and use resources more efficiently.

The partnership will see us pilot an online training course for commercial customers, supplemented by fitting ‘smart’ meters that allow companies to take control of their on-site water use.

The team are also looking to work with some of our larger businesses customers, to see if access to real-time metering data encourages them to reduce their usage.

In addition, we are aiming to target Swindon schools, and rewarding those that include water efficiency as part of lessons and help save water in their buildings and in the homes of pupils and teachers.

Heather says: “We’ll award them points, and when they reach a certain total they will win a state-of-the-art weather station for their school. We hope it will be a really cost-effective way to encourage schools’ involvement, as we won’t be paying a contractor to deliver lessons because we already have lots of lesson plans and resources for teachers on our website.”

The results from Swindon, both in the short and long term, will help inform our strategy for AMP6 and beyond, as well as helping lead the way for water efficiency in the UK.

But Water Efficiency and Customer Education Analyst Rosie Rand adds that it’s important we do our bit too: “Our customers and stakeholders aren’t going to respond well to our water efficiency messages if we can’t practise what we preach.

“That’s why we’ll be starting work over the next year to further integrate water efficiency into everything we do as a business. We’re hoping to roll out a large-scale internal campaign to promote water efficiency to our own employees and make them advocates for water efficiency.”

In addition to their recent work helping set up our Waterwisely water efficiency website, the team have long promoted devices such as tap inserts, trigger nozzles for hoses and Save-a-flushes, which reduce the amount used by toilet cisterns. But they are always on the look-out for more, and plan soon to spotlight a device called the Baby Dam, which reduces the amount of water needed to bathe a baby or toddler in a bath.

The Save Water Swindon campaign aims to help the River Kennet.

Members of the Therapeutic Work InGardening in Swindon (TWIGS) charity use watering cans given to them by our Water Efficiency team.

Quiz answers (see pages 8 and 9) Sport: Eight; 1996; US football (awarded to winners of Super Bowl)Film: Four Weddings and a Funeral; Carry on Sergeant; The Living DaylightsGeneral knowledge: Q and Z; 4 July; Jon PertweeGeography: Canberra; Poland; EthiopiaHistory: Jackie Kennedy; Catherine Parr; Harold WilsonMusic: Rockin’ All Over the World; Frank Zappa; Frankie Goes to HollywoodCurrent affairs: Miachael Gove; Cairo; Q in the next James Bond filmRandom round: Swiss; la dolce vita; TwixLiterature: Seven; Twelfth Night; Agatha ChristieFestive round: 1973; Bill Murray; swans


14 | december 2011

The first teams to use WAMI are now up and running, with more exploring the benefits of the new system week by week.

The changes brought by WAMI – short for Work, Asset Management and Information – will change how we plan and complete work through new systems and processes.

Among the first teams to go live on 14 November was Customer Management in Kemble Court, Reading, where more than 200 people were using WAMI.

The Operational Contact and Water Scheduling teams used it in the Central North region, while the Customer Correspondence team began using the new correspondence system. The Demand and Forecasting team also provided enhanced information on our field teams and their availability.

Tony Drummond, Water Scheduling Manager, said: “The ‘go live’ was well supported by floorwalkers and superusers. Banners, balloons and T-shirts all helped promote the day, and prizes were given to agents who took the first call within the new system.

“WAMI will help us send the right person with the right skills to the right location. This will make sure that we complete activities the first time we attend.

“The use of one system means that all of our teams are looking at, and can share, the same information. This is not just an IT change – we have also introduced changes to processes and office and field cultures, which will help us improve our customers’ experience.”

In our Swindon Customer Centre, WAMI Business Readiness Manager Michele Hall-Barnett said Revenue staff so far affected included Complaints and Escalations, Key Accounts and 139 staff based offshore in India.

She said: “The adoption of the system has been good, and staff have been well supported by superusers from within Revenue, who have done a tremendous job. We have had some early problems, as you’d expect with a new system, but by good teamwork these are being resolved.”

Regional Performance Manager Peter Cotton said NSTs and gangs using WAMI in the Central North area had been working hard to eradicate teething problems.

He said: “Ninety per cent is fine, but ten per cent isn’t quite right. The resolution team are working hard to sort the issues, and it will get smoother as we go along. Soon we will be talking about how we can get the best out of the system.

“It’s been a bonus to have this phased introduction – by the time we roll it out across the network in March we should have a really slick deployment.”

Around the time of the launch, Functional Analyst Helen Main took WAMI to new heights in a 13,000-foot sponsored sky dive to raise £500 for robotic assisted surgery at Reading’s Royal Berkshire Hospital.

Helen has been heavily involved with WAMI, helping ensure it met the needs of the business, testing it and supporting the training team. Since ‘go live’, she has been supporting the Customer Relations team, floor walking and finding solutions to problems as they arise.

The WAMI team also celebrated ‘go live’ with a dinner dance on 30 November, raising more than £6,000 for WaterAid.

Mick Clarke, Senior Programme Lead, and Jon Regan, Senior Workstream Lead, thanked the team for their relentless hard work and continued commitment.

They also presented awards to those people who had gone above and beyond to deliver our values, and a ‘lifetime achievement award’ to Functional Analyst Les Bonnyman.

Suppliers IBM, Accenture, Click, SAP and Panasonic attended and sponsored the raffle.

Take-off for WAMI as business starts to explore benefits The long-awaited ‘go live’ for WAMI took place in November, and is already affecting hundreds of colleagues.

From left: Customer Service Manager Anna Hodson, with Customer Service Agents Michael

Ormerod, Lisa Berry and Liz Creighton, who were the first three agents at Kemble Court

to take customer calls using the new system. Also pictured (right) is Customer Service Agent

Manager Tracey Vella.


december 2011 | 15

When our new Chief Financial Officer first joined us in September, he admits that he didn’t give his water supply a second thought – a mindset he’s now rapidly changing.

Stuart Siddall says: “I had no preconceptions. In fact, it was worse than that – I’m probably like many of Thames’s customers in thinking that water was just something that came out of the tap.

“I’ve learnt that the water industry’s work is very under-valued, and there’s a real exercise to educate people. The current threat of a drought is an opportunity to do that and raise awareness.”

Stuart is working hard to build his own knowledge, but admits he needs to do a lot of home work.

“The regulation of the water industry has been more of a challenge to get my head round than I’d anticipated, but Financial Controller Stuart Ledger and Nick Fincham and his regulation team have been very patient in educating me.”

However, Stuart already has a firm grasp of engineering and construction, having spent eight years as CFO of Amec. After guiding them through a major restructure, he became Chief Executive of the Association of Corporate Treasurers.

He says: “I really enjoyed it, and when I was approached about this role after three years, I had no thought of leaving. But once I started to talk to Thames, I began to see there were real challenges in terms of a new industry for me. The temptation to take on a new challenge − perhaps my last major one before I head off into the sunset – became too great.

“For example, the Thames Tunnel is a huge project, more than five times bigger than any previous project in the UK water industry. We need the tunnel, but whoever finances it will be taking on significant construction risk.’

“Navigating our way through that, to address the legitimate concerns of all stakeholders, is going to be a challenge, but one that it’s essential we deliver on.

“The industry has a very good credit rating, meaning it has been able to raise money on good terms to fund improvements in the UK’s water infrastructure. There is no doubt that privatisation of the water sector has been a success.”

Stuart is clear, though, that the Government’s new Water White Paper, and moves by Ofwat to look at the structure of the industry, could have implications for investors.

He says: “Care is needed, to ensure that regulators or the Government don’t increase risk to an extent that the ratings agencies that assess the creditworthiness of the sector downgrade the industry from its current very high credit ratings.”

But Stuart has already seen that Thames is in good hands: “The people here are very committed and have a good understanding of the industry – many have worked in it for a long time. “

There’s no doubting own Stuart’s commitment to the long haul, as a veteran of a dozen London Marathons. A self-confessed running addict, he admits to getting grumpy if he can’t run four or five times a week. Despite not having completed a marathon for five years, he has agreed to run another – “very slowly” – next March with Commercial Director Piers Clark, as part of the Iron Man Challenge.

But Stuart is also happy to confirm that he knows how to relax too. He says: “My wife is South African, and I spend a least a week each year in the wilderness, which is just the most amazing place – and one where there’s no BlackBerry reception!”

Stuart focuses on true value of waterMarathon veteran Stuart Siddall has hit the ground running after taking over as Thames Water’s Chief Financial Officer.

News in BriefAwards entries invitedThere’s still time to put forward nominations for one of the six awards in our AMP5 Excellence in Health and Safety Awards, now in their second year. This year’s awards are open to Thames Water staff, as well as to all contractors, suppliers and consultants working for us. Entries can be made up to 30 December, and the winners will be announced at the March 2012 Health and Safety Conference. Entry forms can be found on our online safety hub at www.onesafetyhub.co.uk.

Bike ride total announcedThirty bike riders who cycled 40 miles from Beckton to Hampton on 2 October raised £4,502 for WaterAid. Health and Safety Support Manager Gary Knights (pictured), who helped run the day, said: “It was a fantastic amount.”

Health and safety winter focusDecember has seen the launch of a new campaign, ‘Keeping you safe and sound this winter’. The initiative involves sending staff new safety equipment, checking existing gear and even a fun competition to write new words to a Christmas song. Health and Safety Manager Keith Taylor said: “We’re totally committed to achieving our vision of ‘zero accidents, zero harm, zero compromise’, which is why we’re placing special emphasis on the need to take care at work and at home.”

Part of the campaign involves sending staff winter driving packs, including a torch, a high-viz jacket and an ice scraper.

Keith said: “We’re encouraging everyone who works outside to check their PPE and make sure it’s fit for the winter. If anyone needs replacements, they should order them promptly.”

The campaign also asked employees to write new safety-related words to a favourite carol or Christmas tune.


16 | december 2011

“Astounding” was the verdict when managers from Capital Delivery’s Thames Valley Process and Network team helped create a new wetland feature at Farmoor Reservoir.

The idea was first hatched when Senior Contract Manager Antony Rippon and other team members were given a tour of the site’s nature reserves in the summer. He was impressed, and offered to provide help later in the year.

Matt Prior, Conservation, Access and Recreation Manager for the Thames Valley, said: “Antony kept his word and brought along a very highly motivated Contract Management team on a particularly murky autumn day.

“Their task was to dig out plugs of reeds from an existing reedbed and replant them in a new wetland feature that we completed digging in the summer. This will create habitat for birds such as reed buntings and reed warblers to nest in and will benefit a wide range of insects as well.

“The team spirit and enthusiasm was quite astounding. Rarely have I seen a team work so hard and in such unity – they were a real credit.

“They completed the task and did about twice as much work as I originally expected. They are welcome back any time!”

Antony commented: “It was so rewarding doing something where we could see the positive impact we’d had at the end of the day and something that will benefit the public, many of whom will be our customers.

“It’s fantastic that Thames Water allows people ‘Time to Give’, and I would encourage everyone to do their little bit. Like most ‘charitable donations’, the experience is that

satisfying combination of fun and hard work at the same time.”

Matt said he had since had a call from a member of Oxford Ornithological Society, who congratulated him on the reed planting, saying it would soon grown into an excellent feature.

Later that week, a second team from Project Definition in Capital Delivery visited the site for a team building session, where they tried their hand at fly fishing.

Matt said: “Ranger Mark Loughray taught the team the rudiments, with a particular focus on casting.

“They had a very brief lunch, as they were exceptionally keen to get out fishing. The afternoon was spent with everyone having a go, expertly guided by Mark and local fishermen Stan Dell and brothers Mike and Nick Hall.

“Natasha McMahon, who arranged the event for her team, turned out to be the star of the show, using her newly acquired skills as she hooked and landed a stunning 2lb 9oz rainbow trout (pictured).”

Natasha said: “I was the only member of the

team to land a fish. I hadn’t been expecting it, as the cold weather means the fish tend to stay further out in the water.

“It’s an addictive activity, and when the afternoon ended it was quite hard to persuade the rest of the team that it was home time.

“Everybody really enjoyed it. None of us had ever done it before and it was quite therapeutic. We could talk while we were doing it, and were in a peaceful and beautiful setting.”

Farmoor fun for Capital Delivery in twin teambuildTwo groups from Capital Delivery took varying approaches to teambuilding when they visited Farmoor Reservoir.

Hard at work are (from left) David Blake, Ray Proto, Richard Lewis and Wai Fong Suen

Pictured at the end of the event are (from left) Richard Lewis, David Blake, Andy Popple, Antony Rippon and Ray Proto

Geoff Dunk (in red) and Mark Loughray (obscured) help support Natasha McMahon, while Vince Lavigna nets the fish for her.

Natasha McMahon shows off the rainbow trout she caught.


december 2011 | 17

The WaterAid Annual Supporters’ Meeting never fails to be an inspiring occasion. But this year, in its 30th anniversary, it proved especially moving and stimulating, and another great reminder of why I, and so many others, support the charity.

WaterAid CEO Babara Frost began by reviewing a tremendous year in which WaterAid has brought safe water to a further 1.5 million people and sanitation to 1.6 million, raising over £48m in 2010/11. A significant part of that was from the incredible fundraising machine that is the British water industry.

A series of short films reminded us how, in 1981, it was a few visionary water authority staff who, appalled by the water and sanitation crisis highlighted by the United Nations, decided to do something about it. Since then, WaterAid has brought safe water to 16 million people and sanitation to 11 million.

A respected international body, it now influences the World Bank and the British Government and has separate organisations in Australia, America and Sweden. We heard from Jan Eliasson, formerly President of the UN General Assembly and Foreign Minister of Sweden, who has established WaterAid in his home country.

Jeremy Heath, from Sutton and East Surrey Water, gave a rousing talk explaining how WaterAid changes people’s lives. I was lucky

enough to visit Bangladesh with Jez and ten other supporters last year. His high-energy and captivating talk brought home to everyone how truly transforming WaterAid’s work can be. Then followed a highly amusing talk from octogenarian Anthony Smith. Last year – inspired by seeing our Raft Race and WaterAid’s banners on Caversham Bridge – he formed a team of other retired adventurers and built a raft out of water pipes to sail across the Atlantic to raise money. He recounted his travels and challenges in very irreverent and humorous style. I think we now need to get him and his raft to join our Raft Race next year!

It was a great day and, combined with the regional reps’ meeting prior to the ASM, was a good chance to catch up with what other companies are doing for WaterAid and discuss how we can share ideas to improve the effectiveness of our fundraising.

Supporters’ meeting was an inspiring reminder of WaterAid’s vital workWaterAid Representative Mark Wickstead launches our new page on the charity’s work, with a look at their recent Annual Supporters’ Meeting.

Mark (right) and Events Representative Tom Ray(left) were presented by WaterAid CEO Barbara Frost with the charity’s highest honour, The President’s Award, personally signed by HRH The Price of Wales. The award was presented to all UK water companies in recognitionof their fundraising work.

Foursome’s giant leap nets £4,000Gilly Bates, Document Controller for London Network, achieved a long-held ambition when she made her first sky dive for WaterAid. She was one of four staff who took the plunge, raising £4,000 in sponsorship.

Adhishek Arya, Adam Crysell and Liam James joined Gilly in Northampton, along

with participants from Anglian Water and the Environment Agency.

Gilly took part in a tandem jump. She said: “It was superb. I was strapped to a lovely young male instructor, in glorious sunshine, with clear 360-degree views. I know this because when I took control of the parachute, we spun round! We were in freefall for 22 seconds and I thoroughly loved it.”

She enjoyed it so much that she is now planning to do another jump next spring.

Gilly said: “I’d like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who sponsored me, and for all their encouragement, though many questioned my sanity!”

News in Brief

Congratulations to HJ Masters, who won the £800 first prize in the November WaterAid lottery draw.The runner-sup, who each receive £25, were E Wilkins, DJ Savory, Jason Beasley, Lawrence Gosden, Patrick Sexton, Mohsin Palekar, Nikki Soutter, Harry Mistry, SD Frewin, VN Keningale, LR Sharpless, Magi Kutlu, Carol Hamilton-King and Nick Sumption.CM Standen won the first prize in the October draw, while the runners-up were SM Symes, CG Harries, Simon Brooks, RS Pople, IM Larkins, AJ Field, R Pratt, JE Cornford, Steve Rock, Jason Beasley, AJ Searle, AP Hatton, WHJ Selby and Anthony Simons. In September, first prize went to Robert Nockolds and the runners-up were ID Warner, Jason Beasley, J Joseph, Paul Sykes, David McCann, David Thompson, John Stradling, J Hay, Darrell Landsell, Mark Willcocks, AJ Easton, LR Sharpless, AH Gray, Alan Daw, Paul Bridgens, DM McKinley and David Thompson.

Lottery winners

18 | december 2011


Pressure is the name of the game at Riverside Sewage Treatment Works – in more ways than one.

The £85m upgrade of the east London site has so far been run on a tight timescale to meet the expected completion date of June next year, which will make it the first of our five Thames Tideway sewage works upgrades to be finished.

The small site is also hedged in on most sides, and the improvements have attracted attention from the operators of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, on its northern boundary.

In addition, it will be only the second of our works to use the ‘pressure cooking’ sludge treatment process of thermal hydrolysis, which is set to make it our first net exporter of renewable energy to the National Grid.

Complex Project Delivery Manager Patrick Smith said: “Traditionally, we’ve allowed the sludge basically to rot in an atmosphere that’s free of oxygen. In the enhanced sludge process, it is first pressure cooked to break down the walls of the organisms within the sludge, in particular the cell walls, so that more of the nutrients in the sludge are released, hence

producing more gas.

“The surface of activated sludge cells is very much like the little bottle of glue you used to get with Airfix kits as a kid – you could bang them with a hammer and they still wouldn’t burst. But by pressure cooking them, you can get to the inside of the cells.”

In the treatment process used at most of our works, about 45 per cent of the organic material in the sludge turns into water and gas. Thermal hydrolysis increases this to between 60 and 65 per cent.

This means that, on completion, Riverside will generate around 4MW of power per day. Except at times when heavy rain increases pumping, it will use less electricity than it creates.

Until now, only our Chertsey works used thermal hydrolysis, but Riverside is now blazing a trail for installation at several more sites, including Beckton and Crossness.

The work at Riverside has been complicated by the lack of room. At the peak of construction, 250 staff from contractors Interserve have been

on site, compared with the three people normally needed to operate the plant at any one time.

As with the other four Tideway sites, the Riverside improvements will improve the quality of treated effluent returned to the River Thames and to meet new Environment Agency standards.

Patrick said: “The upgrades at Beckton and Crossness probably involve a similar number of people but in comparison our working area is very small. That has meant that in a lot of cases the work has involved digging trenches alongside the existing process units. There probably aren’t many parts of the site that we haven’t dug up.

“One of the challenges has been to actually keep the treatment works operating while we do the work. It’s fair to say there aren’t many bits of the existing process that we haven’t at some stage impacted on.

“The congested nature of the site and the amount of work we have had to do in a relatively short period of time certainly make it one of the more difficult projects I’ve been involved in.”

Tales of the Riverside upgrade set for happy endingRiverside will be the first in a new generation of sewage works to treat sludge using thermal hydrolysis when work is completed next summer.

Asset Integrator Rod Kerr (right) examines plans for the site with Interserve General Foreman Jim Catt, and (opposite page, centreright) maps out the future in front of the tanks where the heart of the thermal hydrolysis process will happen.


december 2011 | 19

Tales of the Riverside upgrade set for happy endingRiverside will be the first in a new generation of sewage works to treat sludge using thermal hydrolysis when work is completed next summer.

Patrick and the team have also had to work closely with the operators of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, who had been concerned that vibrations from piling work could affect the track.

Patrick said: “Working with them required a huge amount of liaison, but our monitoring demonstrated that the biggest vibrations were caused by their own trains.”

Another factor that affected the project was the discovery of a colony of water voles during work on a river bank. These have been removed to a specialist wildlife centre in Herne Bay, Kent, until the work is finished.

Their offspring will then be returned to enjoy a specially-created wetland area, into which the surface water from the site extensions will be channelled – an example of sustainable urban drainage.

Patrick added: “The A13 runs to the south of the site, so every day there are thousands of people who hurtle past either staring at the bumper in front or reading on the train. Very few of them will know that just a few metres away is one of our greenest works.”

20 | december 2011


Melanie’s online tale is seasonal successHer love of the festive season inspired mum Melanie Pearce to publish her own children’s story.

Credit Controller Melanie Pearce has become an author, after publishing a children’s Christmas tale in time for the festive season.

Three Sleeps ‘Till Xmas, aimed at youngsters aged from eight to 12, is available from online book store Amazon and can be downloaded to the mobile Kindle reading device.

Melanie, who is based at Walnut Court, had previously had two bedtime stories accepted by the website Fun-2-Learn and a poem published in a US anthology. She also won a ghost story competition run last year by her local paper, the Swindon Advertiser.

She said: “The inspiration came from the fact that in our family we have always said to my son that it’s so many sleeps to go until Christmas. I also love Christmas and especially the story telling side of it.

“There are some really good stories out there, such as Dr Seuss’s The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, but I felt we hadn’t had a good one for ages so decided to do it myself.”

Melanie (pictured) began writing the book when her son Jordan, now nine, was a baby. She set it aside when she returned to full-time work, then picked it up again last year.

She said: “I have always read a lot, and this helps with my writing. It also encourages my son to read. I started writing when I was school age, although I initially wanted to be an artist.”

The tale centres on the town of Stoney Tor, which marks the tradition of the ‘three sleeps’ before

Christmas. So long as everyone sleeps for each of the three nights, the residents are safe from the Grim Reaper and the Shadow of Death.

But this is thrown into jeopardy when the Grim Reaper gives 12-year-old David Dervish a dose of the flu virus, preventing him and other townsfolk from getting their necessary sleep. The story follows the adventures of David and his friend Maisy as they battle to save Christmas.

Melanie, who works in the Commercial Billing team, said: “My colleagues have been very pleased for me and some have downloaded the book. My son is also very excited and keeps telling me I am an author now! I suppose I am, and I’m extremely pleased.

“Jordan has even suggested I write a sequel called ‘Three Sleeps After Xmas’, and I’m toying with the idea.”

Melanie, who admires children’s authors Dr Seuss and Roald Dahl, hopes to follow up her first book with a fantasy story. Aimed at children aged nine to 14, it centres on two warring villages in the Middle Ages whose imminent battle is averted thanks to the hero and heroine.

The story is available on Amazon’s Kindle pages in the UK, US, France and Germany.

Olympic oarsman Andy Triggs-Hodge showed he’s a real sport when he donned this dandyish disguise to help promote our new London 2012 ticket giveaway.

He dressed up as children’s favourite Willy Wonka, from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, to promote a golden ticket giveaway in our own Thames Water chocolate bars.

In the tale, young Charlie Bucket wins a golden ticket, hidden in a chocolate bar, that sends him on the trip of a lifetime to Willy’s chocolate factory. We’ll be doing the same thing – but the prizes on offer will be a visit to next year’s Olympic Games.

From mid-February, our own chocolate bars will be on sale to staff for £5. All profits will go to WaterAid, but 75 of the 5,000 bars will contain a pair of tickets to London 2012.

A photo of Andy, seen here at Reading Rowing Club with Chief Executive Martin Baggs, will feature on the wrapper.

Andy’s antics are just the ticket for golden giveaway


december 2011 | 21

Thames Water has received formal thanks for the help we gave in tackling a forest fire which became Berkshire’s biggest blaze.

The fire, in Swinley Forest near Crowthorne, burned for a week in May, affecting about 300 hectares (740 acres) of forest.

Thirteen fire services attended, from as far afield as Northumberland, in a disaster which also involved the Army, Forestry Commission and police.

Geoff Johnson, Asset Protection and Fire & Rescue Service Manager, is in charge of our liaison with the 11 local fire services in our region.

He said: “Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service asked us for help, which we were happy to provide, although there isn’t a requirement to do so – the fire actually took place in an area covered by South East Water.

“They asked us to provide drinking water for the fire services tackling the blaze. As part of this, we provided a tanker, bowser and bottled water, which were on site for five days. Network Service Technicians Mark Sawyer and Fred Cross also attended.”

The fire service has since recognised our assistance by writing to Chief Operating Officer Steve Shine and presenting us with two commemorative photos of the incident.

Water Officer Peter Gray wrote: “It is situations like this that highlight what excellent and committed staff Thames Water has.”

Geoff said: “It’s not often that we’re called on to provide ‘ad hoc’ support of this sort. An NST is sometimes requested to increase the pressure in an area if a brigade are on site fighting a fire and need more water than an appliance or hydrant can supply. Our Operations call centre is a 24-hour point of contact in such situations.

“We also notify fire service control rooms if a strategic or large main bursts, so that they know if an area might be affected by low pressure. It’s a two-way communication process, as water is obviously paramount to both organisations.”

Liaison with fire services is an important issue, and also covers our duty maintain fire hydrants in good order. There are 112,000 in London alone – one on nearly every street corner.

We also install hydrants on new development sites and re-fit them as part of our mains replacement and rehabilitation work.

Geoff added: “The fire brigades are a valued paying customer, to whom we have responsibilities in terms of complying with the Water Industry and Fire Fighting Acts.”

Fire service thanks us for helping fight Berkshire’s biggest blazeHelping tackle the Swinley Forest fire is just one example of the support we give local fire services.

Geoff Johnson with a commemorative framed photo presented in recognition of our help with the fire (below)

© Copyright Forestry Commission/Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service

22 | december 2011


Mogden’s massive upgrade now half way to completionImprovements at our third largest sewage works in west London are continuing to make good progress.

The half-way line has been crossed in our £140m project to improve Mogden Sewage Treatment Works in west London, 16 months after the diggers first moved in.

We are on track to finish work in March 2013, boosting the site’s capacity by 50 per cent to help it cope with heavy rainfall.

Nick Fawcett, Head of Programme Delivery, said: “There’s been a huge transformation since we began construction. We’re past the peak of construction activity, and all of the supporting foundations are in place, which has been a massive operation in itself.

“We’re working hard to build the tanks, which should all be formed by summer 2012.”

In spring 2012, half of the new works will be operating – months earlier than planned. This will be both the inlet area, where the incoming sewage is screened to remove large objects; and the primary tanks, where the heavy particles are then removed.

The good progress will allow the project team to start refurbishing the existing primary tanks, which will also be covered and odour-controlled next year.

N-ice work for Acton pipe cleanA new technique for cleaning the inside of water mains, by inserting ice into the pipe, has been trialled in Acton.

It is the first time we have employed the technique, called ‘ice pigging’, rather than using the traditional foam sponge swab.

The work was carried out on a main beneath the A40 which has been out of use for more than three years while Transport for London rebuilt two bridges which the pipe crosses.

The term ‘pig’ refers to the practice of using ‘pipeline inspection gauges’ to perform maintenance operations without stopping the flow of water in the main.

In this case, a thick ice slurry is pumped into the pipe and picks up sediment and other particles as it travels. The ice is then removed at the end of the pipe without the need for digging.

As it is semi-solid, the ice can be pumped like

a liquid, flowing through bends and fittings. The process is run by sub-contractors Agbar Environment Ltd.

Project Manager Andy Jankiewicz said: “Among the benefits, this technique isn’t as aggressive as normal swabbing, as it wipes the surface rather than potentially damaging the inside of the pipe.

“The ice is also inserted via a hydrant, so you don’t have to break the pipe to insert the swab, and it’s a quick process.

“In this case, we are recommissioning an old cast iron main with small bubbles of rust on the inside. Water Quality advised using this technique would be better, to avoid breaking any of these off.”

The work was done at night to avoid traffic disruption and involved staff from our Developer Services (Customer Led), Innovation and Water Quality teams, as well as contractors Barhale.

Senior Research Scientist Tim Evans shows ice inserted from the specialist tanker


december 2011 | 23

Mogden’s massive upgrade now half way to completionImprovements at our third largest sewage works in west London are continuing to make good progress.

A 200-strong workforce remains on site, but the focus of activity has shifted from mainly civil engineering −such as building foundations and tanks − to mechanical and electrical installation, which will help to get the tanks up and running.

Meanwhile, the site is increasing its resilience against power outages, as the team are also installing additional standby generators and a new electrical substation. These will provide enough electricity to run most of the works during those rare occasions when we loose supply to the site.

Delivery Manager Matt Warburton said: “We’ve also commissioned some new equipment which will capture more of the methane gas produced by the treatment process, helping to reduce the risk of odour. We burn the gas to create renewable energy, so this will produce more electricity to help power the works.”

The Mogden scheme is part of £675m worth of improvements we are making at our sewage works along the Thames Tideway, including Crossness, Beckton, Long Reach and Riverside (see page 18).

We are continuing to update local residents with a quarterly newsletter and regular drop-in sessions at Twickenham Stadium.

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Thirteen volunteers from the local community gave up their time to help clear litter at Crossness Nature Reserve.

They tidied the footpath running along the site’s southern boundary, which often gets covered by littler from the busy dual carriageway nearby.

Nature Reserve Manager Karen Sutton (pictured fifth from right) said: “It’s hard to keep clear in the summer, when there are leaves on the trees. I thought running the event at the end of November would mean the leaves had dropped, but that didn’t quite work out.

“The uncharacteristically warm weather meant that it was still green and lush and the litter was therefore hard to reach. But, following morning fog, it meant that we were also treated to a nice sunny day.

“The hard-working volunteers collected 37 bags of rubbish, plus tyres, traffic cones, plastic and corrugated sheets, among other items. Some took the day off work specifically to help out, while others altered their commitments in order to get involved.”

Karen and the volunteers held their own compe-tition to find the most unusual item of rubbish, which was won by a broken-open parking meter from which the money had been removed.

One participant, Ann Turvey, later sent an email saying: “Thank you for helping – every day – to make such an interesting space/nature reserve for us all. It was pure delight, and the sun shone as well!”

Karen added: “As an added bonus, a new volunteer who’s a retired science teacher enjoyed himself so much that he offered to get involved with land management.”

Lucky thirteen at litter pick

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A fisherman’s sandwich was put to an unusual use when Ranger Cliff Cardy sprang into action to help a trapped swan at Walthamstow Reservoirs.

The bird had become caught in an angler’s line, but was soon freed by Cliff, once he’d lured it with the snack.

A local birdwatcher, who was in a nearby hide, was so impressed by his expert intervention that she emailed Thames Water to praise his actions.

Sharon Hunter wrote: “He acted with extreme courage and commitment.

“He took a boat onto the water, caught the swan with a fisherman’s net and put it between his knees, getting very wet in the process. He then removed the fisherman’s line from the swan’s foot.

“All the time he was also negotiating with the swan’s mate who was also there in some distress. The waterline covers some very deep silt, so this is dangerous work from several perspectives, not just from the danger presented by the swans. “No one was there to witness this act of bravery apart from the fishermen and us birdwatchers. I did congratulate your warden on this amazing act but I thought I should share this with Thames Water too.”

Cliff said: “Swans always love a bit of food so I asked the fisherman who’d reported it if he had some sandwiches. As it ducked down for the bread, I put its head in a landing net.

“Its partner was a bit agitated, but another angler helped distract it. I got the swan in a sitting position so it was between my legs and it then relaxed a bit, sensing I was trying to help it.

“I checked its wings and feathers but luckily it wasn’t wounded, so I could return it to the water. The line had formed a loop, and the swan had basically lassoed its foot in it.”

It’s not the first time that the Rangers at Walthamstow have had to rescue birds from anglers’ lines. Cliff’s colleague Myland Monery has also been called on to extract a fox from a 15-foot-deep well.

Cliff, who has worked at Walthamstow for four years and was originally a volunteer there, said: “If we find a creature is badly hurt, we call in an animal rescue centre, who can give it medication.

“We have to take care of the customers who use the site, and the wildlife too.”

Cliff Cardy prompted praise from a local birdwatcher when he came to the aid of a swan in north-east London.

Numerous anglers visit Walthamstow Reservoirs every year.

Snared swan saved by Cliff rescue service

There were plenty of ghostly goings-on at Walnut Court when our Revenue and Operations contact centres took Halloween to the next nasty level with a ‘Freaky Dun Day’ of fundraising.

There were tricks and treats galore as teams pitted their wits against the dastardly ‘ding bats’ quiz, counted creepy crawlies in a jar, composed a curdling spell and created caves, caverns and cauldrons for their teams.

The Transformation team were among the winners, bagging ‘best dressed area’ by disguising themselves as pirates and turning their office space into a pirate ghost ship.

Pumpkins and potions were used to bribe the judges as Head of Transformation and Outsourced Operations Delivery Will Brown toured the contact centres to choose winners for various individual and team challenges.

He said: “Knowing which witch to choose was a devilishly difficult dilemma, and I will no doubt be haunted by my decision for months to come.”

Activities across both sites raised £120 for WaterAid and £800 for a range of charities, including the Neuroblastoma Society, which combats childhood cancer.

Graduate Trainee Emma Norris joins in the freaky fun.

Hats off to spook-tacular Swindon fundraisers


december 2011 | 25

Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman MP saw at first hand some of the most innovative developments in the UK water industry when she visited Beckton.

The visit was part of her preparations for the launch the new Water White Paper, expected this month, which has the main themes of affordability, abstraction and resilience.

Her visit began with a round-table discussion with Chief Executive Martin Baggs, External Affairs and Sustainability Director Richard Aylard and Strategy and Regulation Director Nick Fincham, plus non-executive director Dipesh Shah.

The Minister then met members of our Innovation team, toured the Thames Gateway Water Treatment Works and visited the shaft where work will soon begin to excavate the Lee Tunnel.

Senior Public Affairs Advisor Hannah Sanders said: “It was a great opportunity to tell her about the benefits and protection our innovations are providing to customers, such as our Leakfrog device and sewer alarms. We were also able to discuss bigger issues such as sustainable abstraction and the need for greater water efficiency in and around homes.

“She was well briefed, particularly on our desalination plant and why we had built it,

and clearly listened intently to what we were telling her.

“The visit also included an interview with a journalist from The Guardian, in which the Secretary of State referred to several of the key themes we had been discussing during the day. She has a keen interest in agriculture, so was impressed with our work to turn sludge into fertiliser.”

Hannah said a great deal of planning had gone into organising the visit. “We needed to find a venue near London where we could offer a site tour, and find room for the discussion and to display our Innovation work.

“After visiting several sites, Beckton provided the most suitable venue. As well as being the UK’s largest sewage works, it has our new desalination plant nearby and is the focus of work to start constructing the Lee Tunnel.

“Arranging this visit was a big logistical exercise but certainly very worthwhile and the result of a great team effort from many people across the business. The Minister’s office has since written to say how interesting and informative she found it.”

The Public Affairs team are using visits more widely to help build relationships with MPs and government officials. This month, for example, Defra civil servants held an away-day at Abbey Mills Pumping Station. Presentations by our Strategy and Regulation team prompted them to ask if they could use our materials in their negotiations with European officials on the Water Framework Directive.

Hannah added: “We’ll be continuing to host discussions with MPs and Ministers, where we can inform them about key issues. We’ll also be helping host launch events to which MPs will be invited, such as the lowering of the Lee Tunnel boring machine.”

Environment Secretary sees latest in innovation at Beckton Beckton came under the national spotlight when Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman found out more about some of our highest-profile projects.

Chief Executive Martin Baggs with the Minister and (right) CH2M HILL’s Mark Sneesby. Below left: Rupert Kruger (left) and Leo Kiernan were among members of our Innovation team who met her.

Head of Production Jerry White (left) helped explain how our

desalination plant works.


26 | december 2011

It’s not the winning, but the taking partCompetition was intense for next year’s Olympic-themed 2012 calendar – so here are some of the great photos that didn’t make the final 12.

In HR, our Talent team submitted a shot of their sports day (bottom left), organised by HR Development Co-ordinator Emma Goldsmith.

Talent Development Specialist Kim Danish (third from left, in pink) said: “She arranged everything from the customised headbands to the activities, including sack races, egg and spoon races and even the (foam) javelin!

“We had high-quality plastic medals up for grabs and a great team spirit, with everyone joining in and having fun.

“At one point, a dog gatecrashed the games and tried to run off with a tennis ball, only to find it was stuck fast to a Velcro target. His poor embarrassed owner didn’t seem to find it as amusing as we all did!”

In Asset Management, an idea for a photo came from Planning Analyst Adrian Hurford and Demand and Leakage Analyst Frances Ward, who are the Olympic champions for the Integrated Programme team.

Adrian said: “Several of us are members of the Nuffield Gym in Reading’s Green Park, near our offices. I attend spinning classes so naturally thought it would be a good idea to get as many of us into the room for this photo. Surprisingly, more than 20 were willing to take part.”

The people at the front of the photo are Anna Badowska, Adrian Hurford, Mark Barber (the boss), Catherine Hunt and Andrzej Jaworowski, we are shrinking violets hence being at the front.

From left: Kevin Clark, Paul Dubarry, Bernie Dormer, Carol Keir, Lisa Hale, Katie Hodkinson and Ian Stainer

From left: Catherine Hunt, Andrzej Jaworowski, Mark Barber, Adrian

Hurford, Anna Badowska

The Talent team at their sports day


december 2011 | 27

It’s not the winning, but the taking part

New technology for has been installed at Reading sewage works, in a move which is saving money by using spare capacity for sludge treatment.

The ‘vibrating bed’ system for removing screenings and grit is a first for Thames. It allows us to import liquid sludge from small works in west Berkshire which would otherwise be treated with lime at our Newbury works.

The treatment technology at Reading was originally designed to cope not just with the town’s wastewater, but the vast amount from the nearby Courage Brewery. The brewery’s closure last year left the works with a third of its sludge treatment capacity unused. Asset Planning and Operations have now teamed up to install a new sludge screening system which improves efficiency and removes grit which would otherwise damage the process.

Carl Smith, Wastewater Asset Planner, said: “To enable Reading to ‘import’ sludge from other sites, we needed to ensure it was properly screened so that blockages of mechanical equipment don’t occur and the spare capacity is utilised by sludge rather than screenings.”

Asset Planning Design Specialist John Blake and Operations Area Capital Manager Des Monger visited two sewage works run by

Severn Trent, where the new technology had been installed.

They gave positive feedback on the new screening mechanism, which had been adapted from the aggregate washing and grading industry.

Carl said: “This has allowed us to utilise the spare capacity and make full use of the power generation associated with the digestion of sludge and production of biogas.”

The £300,000 screen was installed in May, since when daily energy production has risen from about 15,000 kWh per day to 18,000 kWh, as a result of being able to import sludge from other sites for treatment. This equates to an energy saving of £240 per day.

As well as saving energy, the move has saved about £400 a day on the cost of lime, which is used to treat sludge at Newbury.

Carl added: “This is a great example of Asset Management and Operations working together to implement an innovative solution. Des not only helped scope and design this project but also project managed the construction and commissioning element.

“The speed and success of this project means that I wouldn’t be surprised if a similar system is implemented elsewhere in the business – there has certainly been significant interest.”

Experts toast success of screening systemSpare sludge treatment capacity is being put to good use at Reading Sewage Treatment Works, thanks to a new screening system.

From left: Tony Newstead, Lee Gerard, Daniel Brackley, Keith Golledge,

Kieren Brackley, Rob Smith

Our 2011 graduates’ entry shows (from left) Holly Banham, Stephanie Davidovitz, Erin Matthews,

Thomas Jacks, Ben Searle-Barnes, Sally Rose, Laura Hall and Amy Seng

From left: Carl Smith, Tom Ray, Brendan Hegerty, Daniel Kennedy, Tim Beech

28 | december 2011


Marshmallows and spaghetti provided food for thought when Field Operations Manager Matt Banks investigated his team’s scores in our annual Q12 employee engagement survey.

Matt got together with his 11-strong team of NSTs, plus three other teams, and helped change the way many of them thought about their responses.

The session was an example of impact planning, in which teams discuss the 12 questions, choose those they will focus on and plan how to improve things.

Matt suspected that some team members were giving low scores because they didn’t correctly understand the questions, and set out to show how they should approach them. He met with his own team – Central North 4 – plus three other teams of NSTs and another group of Waste Network Engineers.

Matt said: “In one exercise, I gave each team two envelopes, one containing ten marshmallows and the other ten pieces of spaghetti. I asked them to compete to build the biggest free-standing structure they could.

“It was a fun way of showing the important thing is that you have sufficient tools to carry out the instructions you’re given.

“Question 2 asks if you have the materials and equipment to do your job right. One NST said he interpreted this to mean the mains network – but that’s something unlikely to be replaced in our lifetime.

“I wanted to show that people should instead ask if they have a robust PDR which they can understand and challenge, if they have a support network and, of course, whether their ToughBook and van work.”

As part of the planning, Matt made a commitment to ensure he always answered calls from his team – something he has done

by ensuring his phone plays the Beatles’ ‘Help’ whenever they ring him.

Matt said: “Having worked in the field, I know it’s a frustration when you call someone for advice and can’t get hold of them. Now, even if I can’t see the phone, I know from the ring tone that a team member needs to speak to me.”

He said that, in previous surveys, scores on some questions had been between 2 and 3, but these improved to between 4 and 5 in this year’s.

Impact planning was also a big plus for Sampling Field Operations Manager Tony DiMaria.

He said: “I spent time with the North-East and South-East London sampling teams going through the questions and finding out their thoughts on each. I wanted to show how we could use Q12 to improve our working life. I feel this is the main ingredient to inspire teams to listen and take part.”

As a result of discussions, Tony and Sampling Field Operations Manager Anca Joltea formed a plan to provide better chairs, tables and décor. Old and troublesome printers were also replaced and new toolboxes provided, showing the team their opinions counted.

Tony said it was key to choose items within the team’s control and have a constructive plan to get the ball rolling, as well as a Q12 champion willing to follow things up.

He said: “I now feel the teams have a good level of trust and will take part in Q12 much more readily if they feel they will be heard and things will get done.

“Our participation scores went up as well as our overall score – in fact, we were the highest-scoring team of field staff in Operations. We had lunch provided for both teams at one of our newly-painted offices, which went down very well indeed.

“Q12 is a great tool for exploring ways in which our working life can be made better. Now we have a great platform and wish to improve again next year.”

Want to share your team’s impact planning achievements? Email Andrew Boyd or Kim Danish with your successes.

Right ingredients help teams get teeth into impact planningTwo managers in Field Operations have found Q12 impact planning a big help in improving things for their teams.

“Having worked in the field, I know it’s a frustration when you call someone

for advice and can’t get hold of them.”

“Our participation scores went up as well as our overall score – in fact, we were the highest-scoring team of

field staff in Operations.”


december 2011 | 29

Ancient bullets dating back to the First Battle of Newbury in 1643 have been recovered in the Berkshire town.

Archaeologists carried out a specialist survey on the Civil War site in Essex Street before starting essential work on replacing a water main, and found the seven bullets buried in an adjacent field.

Thought to have been shot from a carbine rifle, the artefacts have been studied at the headquarters of Archaeological Surveys, near Chippenham. Specialists there believe the bullets have made contact with solid objects – perhaps trees, or even other soldiers – causing them to be misshapen.

The battle took place when the Royalists intercepted an army under the Earl of Essex as it returned to London following a relief mission to resupply forces at the siege of Gloucester.

The Royalists, personally commanded by Charles I, occupied Newbury and blocked the London road, forcing a confrontation.

Although the battle was inconclusive, the Royalist forces were forced to withdraw, allowing the Parliamentarians to continue their retreat to London and claim a victory. Historians have called the battle the highpoint of the Royalist advance and the turning point of the First Civil War.

Archaeologist Mike Lang Hall, who is working for Optimise on our behalf, said: “This has been a very exciting disocvery. It really is quite rare to find a collection of bullets like this dating back so many centuries in such an urbanised area.

“Most of the bullets are consistent with use of a carbine rifle, a weapon that would have been a popular choice in the First Battle of Newbury, which we know took place on this street in September 1643.

“The number of bullets in such a small area reflects the ferocity of the fighting – it is reported that sixty cartloads of dead were taken into Newbury for burial after the battle, in addition to those buried on the battlefield.”

Andy Popple (pictured), our Programme Delivery Manager, said: “This part of Newbury was identified as having archaeological importance so we had to get permission to work here and to check the area for artefacts before we dug the road up.

“We were quite surprised to find these bullets. They are in good condition and each tells a very vivid story.

“Essential work is now under way to replace a worn-out pipe that has had a history of bursting.”

Bullet discovery is reminder of crucial Civil War clashWork on a new water main has unearthed evidence of one of the most important battles in the English Civil War, writes Natalie Slater.

Theses seven bullets were fired in Newbury 368 years ago.

Colin puts first aid skills to good useTrained first aider Colin Riley came to the rescue when a contractor carrying out roadworks hit a high-voltage cable.

Colin, a FLIP Working Team Leader, was helping remove fat from a sewer which had blocked in Exhibition Road, Kensington, flooding two restaurants.

He said: “We were out on the pavement when we heard a big bang, looked behind us, saw smoke going up and heard a commotion.

“I ran over to find a guy lying there who had been blown 15 feet from the explosion. His shirt and hi-viz jacket were on the other side of the road, still smouldering.”

The man had been using a hand-held breaker to open up the road when it hit the cable.

Colin (pictured) said: “A woman was sending someone to get cold water and cling film she intended to use on his burns, but I told her I was a trained first aider. “His right arm was badly hurt and his chest was burnt. I kept him chatting to ensure he didn’t fall asleep or go into shock.”

The injured man, who worked for Balfour Beatty, was later taken to a specialist burns unit. Colin has since heard he needed skin graft but was making a slow but steady recovery.

He added: “I’ve been trained in first aid for over 30 years. You don’t need to think in an incident like that – the training just kicks in. It’s the sort of thing I’d hope someone would do for me.”

30 | december 2011


A partnership approach with Lambeth Council will provide cost-effective maintenance for vent columns across the borough.

The vents, most as tall as lampposts, allow gases and odour to escape from our sewers, as well as relieving pressure when large volumes inundate the sewers.

Their height allows gases and smells to disappear into the atmosphere with minimal disturbance to local residents.

Field Services Manager Mike Gunn (pictured) said: “Most people don’t even know these vents exist. Across London, we have several hundred on trunk sewers and a similar number on the local network.

“They release gases given off by the sediment in the sewers. Flash floods can also cause a head of air pressure as a wall of water rushes down the sewer, a bit like the rush of air Tube trains cause. Without the vents, this could blow the lids off manholes.

“I’m not sure how many date from Victorian times, but a lot of them have ornate ironwork. They need to be kept in good condition and repainted because the gases can cause erosion, and we need to make sure they are structurally sound.

“We’ve now come to an arrangement with Lambeth where they will jointly fund the work and use their own contractors to carry it out, even completing the gold detailing on many of the vents.

“Elsewhere, this has cost us around £800 per vent, but thanks to this new approach the cost here is likely to be about £200.”

The work will include cleaning and rubbing down all 30 vents across the borough and repainting rusted areas.

Mike added: “Both we and local authorities have an interest in the vents’ upkeep – a number were probably once owned by councils. I’m hoping this is an approach we could explore in other boroughs.”

Lambeth link-up offers sewer vent solutionA local authority partnership is set to smarten up some of London’s streets, by improving vital ‘release valves’ for the local sewer network.

One of the vents before cleaning… and after

Kevan Tilley got the fright of his life when he moved an oil drum and was lunged at by this American corn snake.

The normally docile creature was curled up out of sight when Kevan and fellow Technician Michael Earl went to top up diesel levels during a regular check on engines at Greenwich Pumping Station.

Colleague Scott Allison arrived shortly afterwards and took this picture of the snake, which is thought to be a pet that had escaped from a nearby home.

He said: “Kevan and Michael jumped out of their skins. Obviously, we didn’t know what type of snake it was. We called our supervisor, Tony Green, who understandably wasn’t keen to come over and rang the RSPCA.

“The guy who arrived said it kept going for him and behaving quite viciously, although that’s apparently not their normal temperament. It turns out they are constrictors, which squeeze to death small prey like lizards, mice and rats.”

Our call centres at Kemble Court and Walnut Court will be taking donationsfrom the public for Sport Relief next year – so mark your diaries now forFriday 23 March.

We will be looking for volunteers to help out on the night in the New Year,so look out for more information.

This year’s Comic Relief saw our staff manning phone lines from 6pm tomidnight at both locations, with each centre taking nearly £100,000.

For Sport Relief, we plan to increase the number of lines available at eachsite from 50 to 70.

Kevan and Michael’s snake surprise

Go on – be a sport!

News in Brief


december 2011 | 31

Two young barn owls have been spotted nesting at our Beckton site in east London.

Staff have been aware of barn owls nesting on site for years but the young pair are believed to be the first new arrivals since the current upgrade work began at the site.

Tech 1 and keen twitcher Steve Spurling discovered them and they are now being monitored by a specialist from the London Peregrine Trust with a view to safeguarding their future.

Steve said: “We occasionally see owls here at Beckton but only during the night, probably to avoid the crows in the area. I’d heard these two new birds before seeing them so I knew

they were definitely there.

“As I like watching birds, I was in heaven when I found out exactly where they were roosting, and I now slow down to watch them every chance I get.”

Claudia Innes, our Biodiversity Strategy Manager, said: “It certainly looks as though the barn owls have had their young this year, so we will look into building nesting boxes, as we have done at our Crossness site.

“The engineering work at Beckton obviously isn’t affecting the birds. There is a lot of foraging habitat available, and they perhaps feel safer in an urban environment where they aren’t mobbed by crows, who try to

take away their food.”

Operations Manager Alison Williams has erected specialist fencing near the barn owls’ nest to ensure vehicles and passers-by don’t disturb them. The birds and their nests are legally protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

The work at Beckton also involves improving the Barking Creekside habitat to encourage wildlife, including creating a new nature trail.

London Wildlife Trust are running an initiative called Owl Prowl which invites people to get in touch with owl sitings across the capital. For more details, see www.wildlondon.org.uk.

Barn owls are boost for BecktonA pair of new arrivals have sparked interest at our biggest sewage works, writes Adam Butt.

Checks have been taking place at our Farmoor, Chingford and Walthamstow reservoirs to guard against the so-called ‘killer shrimp’.

Our Ecology and Heritage team made tests to ensure the sites remain free of the invasive species, which has been found at reservoirs in Cambridge, Cardiff Bay and Port Talbot. Tests for the creature, ‘Dikerogammarus villosus’, have also been made in Yorkshire.

This variety of shrimp kills its prey and leaves it uneaten, and thrives on hard surfaces such as boulders, rocks and gravel just below the water surface. Capable of growing up to 30mm in

length, it has spread across western Europe from the Black Sea and Caspian Sea.

Ecology Advisor Rebecca Dale said: “There are fears it could lead to extinctions of insects such as damselflies, mayflies and water boatmen. That would also have a knock-on effect further up the food chain.”

The Chingford and Walthamstow checks were made jointly with the Environment Agency.

Staff should report suspected sightings to [email protected].

Reservoir checks guard against killer shrimp threat

Is your site a haven for herons or a refuge for reptiles? If so, our Biodiversity team want to hear from you. They are busy planning next year’s events for our Wild About Thames initiative, which shows staff and their families the wealth of wildlife that lives on our land. This year’s events were a big success, including a visit to see snakes at Ascot Sewage Works and a ‘walk and talk’ session viewing bats along the River Thames in Reading.

Biodiversity Field Officer Cathy Purse said: “Next year, we want to share with staff even more of the wildlife and plants that flourish at our sites. We’re aiming to plan a full schedule, starting from April, and are eager to hear from anyone who knows about the nature on their site and thinks it could host a visit.”

If you can help, please email Cathy or call her on 07747 644 507.

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32 | december 2011


Our Property Searches business has successfully retained an international quality management standard, despite significant changes that have affected it in the last 18 months.

The standard, ISO 9001:2008 is awarded by external body National Quality Assurance. Their audit focused on service delivery, including reviews of customer-facing processes.

Thames Water Property Searches are our region’s official provider of drainage and water search information. As part of the conveyancing process when people move house, they supply solicitors with the location of water mains, sewers and other assets, plus details such as flooding history and water quality. They can also generate national searches and a range of other land and property information.

Previously employing about 60 staff, they were hit hard when Home Information Packs were suspended in May 2010, leading to the loss of

their market monopoly, followed by a slow-down in the property market. This led to them off-shoring much of their work, reducing their headcount to 26.

Sharon Bredenkamp, Supplier Account Manager, said: “We first achieved accreditation several years ago but now had to decide whether to carry on with it. Having done so, the auditor who reviewed our work has actually given us very few areas in which we could improve

“The off-shoring to HCL was a real challenge and tested just how robust our processes were, as well as our communications. Everyone in our relatively small team was taken out of their comfort zones and had to multi-task, doing things they hadn’t done before.”

Among many checks, the ISO process assessed:• The speed with which they respond to queries• Processes for handling complaints • Key performance indicators for contractors

Sharon said: “We were helped by a key improvement made this year, when we launched an intranet team room, showing working structures and policy documents, which allows any member of staff to pick up a process.”

Searches Manager John Pickford said maintaining certification was a terrific vote of confidence in Property Searches, who are now moving from Customer Service into our Commercial team.

He added: “Buying a new home is a risk for any customer, because they’re investing a huge amount of money, so it’s vital we have processes that help ensure we get it right for them every time.”

Property Searches build on success for quality endorsementProperty Searches have again passed a tough assessment of their processes, despite big changes in the way they work.

Dave has been a Process Control Engineer at Mogden Sewage Treatment Works for 31 years, and will again be spending Christmas Day ensuring the site runs smoothly.

What sort of jobs need doing at Mogden even on Christmas Day?

The usual tasks like monitoring plant and equipment, making routine adjustments and checking the combined heat and power engines.

Why is it vital to have someone there at all times?

Because of the size and complexity of Mogden.

Will you be on site all day?

Each PCE has a 12-hour shift, so two of us will be on duty on Christmas Day – one during the day and one at night.

Does Christmas Day make a noticeable difference to flow arriving on site?

It’s much like a normal Sunday − peak flow arrives later than on a working day, as people tend to have

showers, baths and cups of tea later in the morning.

Will you mark Christmas Day in some way while you’re at Mogden?

We will have Christmas lunch with all the trimmings and a non-alcoholic beverage, complete with crackers.

Will anyone else be there with you?

Two Tech 1s will be on shift with me.

Does anyone on site exchange presents?

No, but we have lots of Christmas decorations in the control room to get into the festive spirit.

Does it feel very different working there on Christmas Day?

No, other than we would rather be with our families!

Have you spent Christmas Day there before?

Yes, I’ve spent around 16 Christmas Days at Mogden.

Dave is on seasonal stand-byDave Cook is the latest participant in our ‘Twitter interview’. Just like a ‘tweet’, Dave is allowed a maximum of 140 characters per answer.

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december 2011 | 33

A ‘role model’ Network Service Technician is among the people put forward for our Employee Recognition Awards.

Neil Findon (pictured) consistently demonstrates all our values, going above and beyond what’s expected of him, says his manager, Faye England.

She put him forward in the ‘Committed’ category, saying: “He is committed to great customer service and receives fantastic feedback from both external and internal customers.

“Neil is supportive to his colleagues, managers and other departments. He has helped train up new NSTs and has taken the time to make mock up examples of paperwork for newer team members.

“He is a very purposeful NST and will question the way we work to improve processes. He also challenges in a constructive manner to ensure no unnecessary spend and to make sure we complete activities in the most efficient manner.

“Neil is very reliable too – he is always in work early and stays on past his shift time to get a job done. He can be relied upon to pick up complex jobs and direct other field staff when required.”

Neil works for the Central North team, based out of Cricklewood. Faye said a good example of his work was when he was the lead NST on a 24-inch burst main in London’s Edgware Road in September.

He began working on the event at 7am and stayed on site till 11pm, coordinating NSTs, planning bottled water distribution and briefing colleagues on the deployment plan.

Faye said: “Neil also took responsibility for taking all the required water samples and ringing round to get out-of-hours NST cover. Doing one of these tasks could be considered above and beyond what is expected of an NST, but the fact that Neil coordinated them all is exceptional.

“He was the key contact on the ground and received commendations from Field Operations Manager Juan Ring and Regional Performance Manager Rob Hales, who ran the event.”

Nominations for the awards, announced next summer, can cover any of our five values – committed, purposeful, reliable, challenging and supportive. We also have awards for volunteer of the year and for excellence in health and safety behaviour.

To make a nomination, visit the ‘Our company’ section of the portal and look under ‘Employee engagement’.

Award entry says service comes first for committed Neil NST Neil Findon could have been nominated for an award under any of our five values, says his manager.

Movember mo-tivates moneyraising fun A total of 141 staff joined forces throughout November to raise an amazing £18,286 for the Prostate Cancer Charity.

They all grew moustaches – or supported the effort as a ‘mo-sister’ – to raise awareness about prostate cancer.

The huge sponsorship total put us 23rd among UK companies that took part in the month-long fundraising initiative, which first became popular in Australia.

Participants begin November clean-shaven and have the remainder of the month to grown and groom their

moustache, encouraging sponsorship from family, friends and colleagues.

About twice the number of staff took part as last year, and are now hoping to get the money match-funded by Thames. Colleagues at Reading’s Clearwater Court marked the final day of the month by gathering in the café to have their moustaches removed by local barber Nick Parikos.

Pictured from left, before losing their facial hair, are Anthony Scicluna, Tom Ray (seated) and Andy Gingell.

34 | december 2011


A crackdown on speeding motorists has helped make Maple Lodge sewage works a safer place to work.

More than 8,500 vehicles enter Maple Lodge each month, with speeds sometimes double or even triple the site limit of ten miles per hour.

Process manager Paul Norman said: “The first requirement was to highlight to drivers how fast they were going, so we installed an electronic speed radar and display to ‘flash up’ the speed as each vehicle approached. It also meant we could record the speed of every vehicle entering the site.”

The initiative at the site near Rickmansworth had a swift impact, with speeds dramatically reducing.

Paul said: “We generate a monthly report for everyone working at Maple Lodge, showing the number of vehicles entering site on a daily basis and their speed.

“We are also able to highlight any vehicles exceeding the speed limit. We utilise a mobile covert camera to identify speeding vehicles’ number plates. Speed camera signs are located on the main routes to warn people about the camera.”

To reinforce the message, speeding drivers are given a verbal warning, which is logged on site records. Repeat offenders are asked to explain themselves to Paul and to their line manager.

If necessary, they can be banned from driving on site for a set period – although compliance with the speed limit means this has so far not been necessary.

Random checks have been made using a speed gun by Paul, Team Manager Ray Wass and Tech 1 Tom Saunders, who Paul appointed the site’s ‘good order manager’.

Three months after the launch, the average speed at Maple Lodge had reduced from

25mph to 14 mph.

Paul said: “It didn’t go down very well at first, but once we explained to everyone why we were doing what we were doing and how dangerous high speed is on a site like this, things changed.

“A lot of people have commented how the roads near the admin buildings have become safer and quieter.”

To aid traffic management, coloured lines have been painted on to the roads to direct drivers to specific areas. This is supported by signs with corresponding colours and locations.

Paul said: “The lines stop people getting lost, improve health and safety and makes it easier to direct people to specific areas of site.”

New pedestrian crossings are now in place around the admin buildings to allow staff to safely cross the roads. To further aid safety, the main car park will also be made a one-way zone.

Speeds have been significantly reduced at Maple Lodge, thanks to random checks made as part of a ‘good order’ initiative.

“A lot of people have commented how the roads near the admin buildings

have become safer and quieter.”

Pumping station is in the pinkOne of our highest-profile sewage pumping stations has been recognised as one of London’s best new buildings.

Pudding Mill Lane Pumping Station won the ‘service building’ prize at the New London Architecture awards.

The pumping station is designed to deal with the foul sewage from the Olympic Park site and Olympic Village, during the 2012 Games and for any subsequent uses of the site.

It will be able to pump sewage at a maximum of around 1,000 litres per second and can be monitored from our Operational Management Centre at Kemble Court in Reading.

The building’s walls feature images of machinery from our historic Abbey Mills Pumping Station etched into the concrete. It also includes striking odour control tanks, which are painted pink.

Senior Project Engineer Paul Sadler said: “The pumping station was designed by the Olympic Delivery Authority’s consultants, with a team from Thames invited to assist. They included Alan Lenander, Jim Harrison, Rob Smith, Martin Unwin, Paul Gunn, Martin Codling and myself.”

Judges at the awards said it contributed to the urban environment and local community through design excellence, and demonstrated innovative and efficient use of resources.

The awards recognise the capital’s best projects - both completed and onthe drawing board - from across 12 sectors. The building, designed by JohnLyall Architects, won the ‘serving’ sector. beating other finalistsincluding Crouch Hill Community Park.

Team Manager Ray Wass demonstrates one of the speed guns.

Maple Lodge speed checks make safer site


december 2011 | 35

New recruit Jasmine Killen joined our graduate programme just a few weeks ago and has already been comparing notes with Biyi Bamgboyé, who arrived here through the same route last year.

Both have so far found their time challenging but ultimately rewarding.

After completing his three-month induction, Biyi went to Crossness sewage works as a Maintenance Team Manager, where he has since moved into Specialist Engineering Services.

Jasmine said: “The selection process is quite rigorous. You complete an online application form and then a series of numerical, reasoning and personality tests, followed by a lengthy telephone interview.

“If you’re successful, you’re invited to a one-day assessment centre in Reading, which is really intensive.”

Feedback

The assessment centre aims to simulate a busy working day for a manager at Thames, and encourages graduates to think on their feet.

Biyi said: “You have to prioritise work against conflicting demands, then present to the rest of the group. At the same time, you’ve got to prioritise new tasks and requests, while showing you know the importance of health and safety.”

Jasmine said: “Different people consider different tasks a priority, so everyone has to debate and justify their decisions in open forum. There’s no right or wrong answer – it’s more about seeing how you handle decision making under pressure.”

The assessment centre is attended by senior management from across the business. This year, around 100 graduates attended and 25 were offered roles.

Biyi said: “I attended assessment centres with other companies. Thames was by far the most comprehensive and the only one that provided feedback on the day as a matter of course.

“I accepted the offer because of the managerial training available and the opportunity to lead a team. It was clear

Thames was looking for good people managers and that really attracted me to the role.”

Jasmine said: “I studied Environmental Geoscience at university and an operational role here will give me lots of opportunities to apply what I learned in a practical way.”

Graduates spend their first three months moving from one area to another, covering all aspects of Thames Water, including roles in Customer Service, Operations and Asset Management.

Passionate

Jasmine said: “It’s been amazing so far. You just can’t fully appreciate a business like this until you see it for yourself. The amount of work that goes into delivering clean water to customers and removing the waste just blows your mind.

“I don’t think I’ve done the same thing for more than a couple of days. I’ve worked on water production and wastewater treatment sites, been out with NSTs and spent time with water quality and operations management. I’ve even been for a walk in London’s sewers.

“The very early mornings can be hard

sometimes and I’ve been up before 5am on several occasions, but it’s a great induction.”

Biyi agrees: “You get dropped in at the deep end and it’s a steep learning curve, but it’s a great opportunity.”

After their first three months, the graduates join their teams for the first time. Biyi said: “Becoming a manager is a great responsibility, but I inherited a passionate and experienced team. No one expects you to know everything on day one and there’s a lot of knowledge out there if you take the time to seek it out. You just have to work hard, trust your team and try to do your best.”

Jasmine added: “I’m looking forward to building a career here. You’re expected to pick things up quickly, but I’m enjoying the challenge so far, and everyone I’ve come across is more than willing to help, teach and support you.

“I take up my post as a Field Performance Manager in the Maintenance team at Ashford Common in January and I can’t wait to get stuck in.”

New role brings graduates degree of satisfactionWhat does it take to join our graduate programme? Martin Anderson asked two graduates, from this year and last year.

Biyi and Jasmine in the pump room at Ashford Common.

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36 | december 2011

Light at the end of the Lee Tunnel This enormous shaft at Beckton marks the entry point for the huge machine that will next year start drilling the route for the Lee Tunnel.

The 1,600-tonne machine is set to start its journey in February, 80 metres below the ground. Progressing at an expected rate of 17

metres per day, it will finish in late 2013.

As The Source went to press, the machine was about to be lowered into the shaft, following a launch event attended by local stakeholders.

They included ten-year-old Ryan Waters, from Newham, who named the 120-metre-long

vehicle ‘Busy Lizzie’ in a competition run for local schools.

The £635m tunnel will help prevent 16m tonnes of sewage entering the River Lee each year from Abbey Mills Pumping Station, which is the site of the capital’s largest combined sewer overflow.

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Documents

riverside sewage

new standards

original works

new effluent streams

brand new treatment

new thermal hydrolysis

wise water use15

thames water people