30 June 2023

• Work on pipeline to help adapt to climate change wins national award

Costain’s work to cut water use by 95% in the commissioning of a new drought-resilience pipeline network has been recognised with a prestigious award.

The work is part of the Anglian Water Strategic Pipeline Alliance (SPA), which also includes Jacobs, Mott MacDonald Bentley and Farrans, and which is implementing an ambitious plan to create up to 300km of pipelines to move water from areas of surplus in Lincolnshire to the drier south and east of the region.

Traditional commissioning methods for the new pipeline would require c.1.5 billion litres of water, but Costain and the Alliance have worked collaboratively to develop a new water commissioning strategy which cuts the water needed by 95% and reduces the impact on the environment. The new method uses the equivalent of 190 baths full of water to commission a 1km stretch of pipe, instead of the 3,800 baths which would be required using traditional methods. The new method meets food safety hygiene requirements by using clean water driven by compressed, clean air.

The project was recognised last night at the annual Water Industry Awards where the Alliance won the Ground breaker Award. The project has also been shortlisted for a British Construction Industry award in the Product Innovation of the Year category.

Rob Slade, Head of Strategic Supply Integration, Anglian Water said:

"We can and we must rise to the water shortage challenge for our region, and this latest technique is another tool in our kit to achieve that, by reducing the amount of water we use, saving cost, carbon and caring for our environment. Low-water commissioning is a game-changing initiative for the water industry."

 

Related links

Low water commissioning case study

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