Aquam’s combined lead pipe lining and overland water supply service has reached the finals of the Water Industry Achievement Awards. The initiative, which was first trialled with Yorkshire Water, is shortlisted for the Customer Satisfaction category of the water industry ‘Oscars’, which take place in Birmingham on 23 May.

In a first for the industry, Aquam’s Overland Supply Vehicle (OSV) was used to keep customers supplied with water while a programme of lead pipe lining work was carried out in the town of Malton in May 2016.

The OSV, developed by Aquam and originally pioneered by Yorkshire Water, helps maintain water supplies to customers by creating a stable temporary network. Once the temporary supply is established, the company’s innovative blown-in polyurethane Serline system is used to internally coat the lead supply pipes.

The main benefit to customers is that there is no need for interruptions to supply. Previously, lead-lining work could involve a four-to-five-hour interruption, but using the OSV can avert interruptions during planned works. From 2020, Ofwat will require water companies to report all customer interruption exceeding three hours so there will be huge financial benefits for meeting targets.

The combined service is now being used to reline lead pipes in 1,000 council-owned properties in Rotherham in a trial supported by the water industry regulator Ofwat.

Aquam managing director Richard Coffey said, “We are delighted to be finalists in the Water Industry Achievement Awards, which is always a stellar event. Aquam is the only company to offer the combination of the OSV and advanced Serline pipelining system and utilities are already very interested in the multiple benefits it can offer.”

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