7 4 Symposium on Waste Control: its importance in the planning and management of water supply systems THE INSTITUTION OF WATER ENGINEERS Symposium on Waste Control: its importance in the planning and management of water supply systems LIBRARY Proceedings of Symposium held at the University of Reading, England, from IOth to 13th September 1974 ANY CORRESPONDENCE relating to the papers appearing in this publication should be addressed to the Secretary, The Institution of Water Engineers, 6-8 Sackville Street, London WiX iDD. (Telephone: 01-734 5422.) © Copyright reserved by The Institution of Water Engineers. The Institution is not responsible as a body for the opinions advanced in any of the papers comprising this symposium. The comments made by the authors and by the contributors to the discussions on the papers are the personal comments of the individuals, and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employing authorities. PREFACE IT HAS BEEN estimated that the consumption of water in England and Wales will double in the period up to the year 2000. This arises not only from the needs of an expanding population and industry but also from an estimated increase in consumption per head of the population. It is hardly practicable, even if it were desirable, permanently to limit the rise in consumption by restricting the amount of water available to domestic consumers and to industry, even though such action might be necessary in emergency. There is however one form of consumption which can be restricted without detriment to anyone—waste. "Waste" for the purposes of this Symposium includes all forms of waste wherever and however it is caused. It embraces, for example, on the one hand leaks in trunk mains and on the other undue consumption (extravagant use) on consumers' premises. Although a reduction in losses of water through waste will not in the long term reduce the total of new capital works required it could extend the time for their provision through better use of existing resources. Jt could therefore be of significance not only by post- poning expenditure on new source works but also be reducing the loss of energy associated with pumping over a long period of time. It could perhaps be argued that, where supplies of water are plentiful, the reduction of waste may cost more than the "value" of the water saved. On all counts and particularly on economic grounds it is however undesirable that any natural resource should be used wastefully. Although, therefore, reference is made at the beginning of this note specific- ally to the position in England and Wales, the subject of this Symposium is of importance to other countries in the United Kingdom and overseas. The Symposium was opened by Mr. Denis Howell, MP, Minister of State, Department of the Environment. CONTENTS Page 1. What is waste and why it should be controlled, by S. G. Barrett, CBE, MSc, FICE (Fellow), Director, Newcastle and Gateshead Water Company, and formerly Chairman, Water Supply Industry Training Board I 2. An assessment of the causes and extent of waste and undue consumption in distribution systems and on consumers' premises, by H. J. Giles, BSc, MICE (Member), Training Development Officer, Training Division, National Water Council Synopsis . 9 Definitions . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9 Measurement of waste levels .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 10 Acceptable levels of waste control .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 12 Waste levels in the United Kingdom.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 13 Factors affecting waste .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 14 Where docs waste occur? .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 16 Acknowledgments .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 21 References .. .. .. .. .. 21 Discussion .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 21 3. Waste water and undue consumption in the Netherlands, by Ir. W. C. Wijntjes, Chief Engineer, Head of the Water Distribution Department of the Dune Water- works of the Hague Introduction . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 29 Waste and undue consumption .. .. 29 Quantitative aspects . .. .. .. .. 30 Metering . .. .. .. .. .. .. 30 Water price and meter rates .. .. .. .. .. .. 32 Loss of water and leakage .. .. .. .. .. .. 32 Occurrences of leaks .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 32 Calculation of leakage in service pipes . .. .. .. 34 Leakages in drinking water intallations . .. .. 34 The leakage rate .. .. 34 Waste control .. .. .. 35 Economy .. .. .. .. .. .. 35 Legal aspects . .. .. 36 Undue consumption . .. 36 Savings in water consumption .. .. .. .. .. .. 37 Industrial use .. 38 The domestic cistern . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. jg Garden watering .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 39 Domestic water heaters .. .. .. .. .. 39 Undue consumption—quality aspects .. .. .. .. .. 39 Groundwater .. .. .. .. .. ^0 Conclusion .. .. .. .. 40 Discussion .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 41 VI 4. Waste control in the water industry: an economic approach, by Judith A. Rees, BSc(Econ), MPhil, Lecturer in Geography, London School of Economics and Political Science Introduction . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 45 Waste in distribution .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 46 Waste by using an inappropriate water quality . .. .. .. .. 48 Waste as excessive water use . .. .. •. .. .. .. •. 49 Waste as premature investment in capacity .. .. .. 50 Waste by the misallocation of water between users . .. .. .. 52 Domestic water metering and wastage reduction .. 54 Conclusion . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 54 References . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 54 Discussion . .. .. .. .. .. 55 5. Waste prevention legislation: its adequacy and enforcement, by R. B. Tabor, MICE {Member), Senior Supplies Engineer, Metropolitan Water Division, Thames Water Authority Early history of legislation 67 Evolution of legislation -1932 onwards .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 69 The various facets.of "waste" .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 71 Problems of enforcement .. .. .. .. .. 72 Penalties and their effectiveness .. .. 74 Powers to repair consumers' apparatus . .. .. .. 75 The effect of street legislation. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 76 The future . .. .. .. .. 76 Conclusion . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 77 Acknowledgments . .. .. 77 Appendix . 77 Discussion . .. .. .. .. .. .. 78 6. Testing and control of quality of fittings, by R. Y. Bromell, FICE (Fellow), Assistant Director of Operations, Severn-Trent Water Authority Introduction . .. .. 85 Legislation . .. .. .. .. .. 85 Standing Committee on Water Regulations. .. .. .. .. .. .. 85 BWA testing station .. .. .. 86 British Standard Specifications .. .. .. .. .. 88 European Standards .. 89 Control of quality . .. .. .. .. .. 90 Harmonization of regulations .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 91 The future .. .. 91 Acknowledgments .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 92 Discussion . .. .. .. .. .. .. 92 7. Waste prevention: the design and operation of distribution systems, by J. Reid, MIMechE (Member), Manager, Liverpool Water Supply Unit, North West Water Authority Introduction . .. .. .. .. .. 99 Waste detection. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 100 Systems monitoring . .. .. .. 108 Reduction of waste by use of pressure-reducing valves . .. .. .. 111 Conclusions .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 114 Acknowledgments .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 115 References . .. .. .. .. .. 115 Discussion .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 115 Vll 8. Advances in waste detection techniques and equipment, by R. A. Chisholm, MEng, AFRAeS (Member), Senior Principal, Directorate of Resource Planning, Severn-Trent Water Authority Introduction .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .• •. •• 125 Waste meters > 26 Leak detection equipment .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 129 Conclusion .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 139 Acknowledgment . .. .. .. .. .. • • • . • • 140 Discussion .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 140 9. Future measures to minimize the waste of water, by E. F. Voung, BSc, MICE (Member), Directorate General Water Engineering, Department of the Environment Introduction .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 149 DOE working group on waste of water .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 150 The role of RWAs .. .. .. ] 50 Organizational structures for waste control .. .. .. .. .. 150 Future objectives .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 151 The age factor .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 151 Pressure and leakage . .. .. .. .. 152 Ground conditions .. .. 152 Quality of materials and workmanship .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 152 Location of leaks .. .. .. .. J53 Inspection of consumers'installations .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 153 Leakage from supply pipes, taps and ball valves .. .. .. .. .. .. 153 Metering domestic services .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 153 Flushing cisterns .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 154 Concluding remarks , .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 154 Discussion .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 154 1. WHAT IS WASTE AND WHY IT SHOULD BE CONTROLLED BY S. G. BARRETT, CBE, MSC, HCE (Fellow)* WHAT IS WASTE? In the context of water supply [ suppose that everypractising engineer (and inspector) knows quite clearly in his own mind what waste means and although he may apply his own personalized shades of meaning he broadly conceives waste to mean that amount of water which is lost by leakage from his mains and communication pipes systems and also pitylessly allowed to "run to waste" in houses, factories and other premises— water, that is to say, which has been collected, treated and conveyed with infinite care and professional pride. The Oxford English Dictionary succeeds in being a little more expansive in attempting to define waste but is not at variance with the narrower concept given above. These mighty and fascinating tomes introduces such other considerations as waste being related to that which cannot be utilized for the designed purpose, which is a residue, which is left
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