Author: Scott McCarthy

The water regulator Ofwat has released its draft forward programme of what we can expect from water companies in the UK between 2020 and 2021.

There are three strategic goals laid out in the document, which Ofwat Chief Executive Rachel Fletcher describes as an “ambitious agenda” ahead of an “important and exciting year”.

For consumers, the most eye-catching aspect of Ofwat’s 2020-21 forward programme is to deliver greater value for money and to keep water affordable even for those on low income.

This ties in with the demand laid out in Ofwat’s PR19 review of the industry that water companies in the UK reduce bills by 12% before inflation over the next five years, an average saving of £50 per customer.

Here’s what else is set to happen over the coming year.

Transforming water companies’ performance

Ofwat wants to greatly improve the performances of the United Kingdom’s water companies over the course of the next year.

The regulator is vowing to use the powers that it possesses to take swift and targeted action against companies who it feels are not delivering and it wants to make smarter use of markets to benefit customers and the environment.

Ofwat is also reviewing itself by looking back at the way it conducted its PR14 and PR19 reviews into the water industry. If Ofwat can improve its own regulatory performance – particularly with regards to the five-yearly analysis it carries out – then that too can help deliver improvements across water companies in the UK.

Addressing long-term challenges

Climate change, population growth and other environmental issues will all provide significant challenges to the water industry over the next five years.

Ofwat has already begun to investigate and address these issues by carrying out joint projects with the Environment Agency, the Department for Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs and Natural Resources Wales.

Water companies in the UK will be expected to better manage their assets with a special focus on how climate change could impact on supply and demand.

Ofwat have also confirmed that their eagerly-anticipated innovation fund will launch its first competition in 2021.

Water companies will be encouraged to work with other companies and industries to find innovative solutions to problems facing the sector, including leak prevention and reduction.

For a company like Sylmasta who specialise in easy-to-use and permanent pipe repair solutions, this is a particularly exciting development.

Data and partnerships

As well as their joint projects with the Environment Agency, the Department for Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs and Natural Resources Wales, Ofwat will build partnerships with other regulators, consumer bodies and policy makers within both the UK and Welsh Governments.

A dedicated Ofwat office has opened in Wales and the water regulator is working with other industries and organisations to learn how they can become more effective.

Data will also play an increased role in the water industry over the next five years. Ofwat has developed its first data strategy, which will allow it to carry out more effective analysis into the UK’s water companies, becoming a more efficient regulator in the process.

You can read the full Ofwat consultation here with the regulator inviting comments on the document until Friday 21st February. The final document will be published at some point between April and June this year.

Sylmasta are hitting the road in 2020 with our first ever nationwide Pipe Repair Roadshow taking our composite repair technology into companies the length and breadth of Britain.

Burst and leaking pipes are problems which afflict a wide range of sectors. The roadshow aims to introduce cost-effective pipe repair solutions to water companies, waste treatment works, pumping stations, power stations, quarry wash plants, petrochemical plants, tradesmen and any other industries who deal with pipelines.

Those working around pipework know how easy it is to drill through a pipe or damage a buried pipe during excavation. When accidents happen, repairs can be costly, time consuming and, depending upon the severity of the leak and the fallout from it, potentially embarrassing.

Sylmasta technology helps resolve such problems, whether a leak be caused by damage, corrosion or fatigue. Our solutions are quick and easy to use, allowing for permanent pipe repairs to be made inside of 30 minutes, with no formal training required.

Each stop on the Pipe Repair Roadshow is given a live demonstration of how Sylmasta composite repair solutions work and a question and answer session from our industry-leading technicians.

The demonstration is carried out using our mobile test rig, which is quickly set up onsite. The rig exhibits how SylWrap Pipe Repair products are effective at stopping live leaks on pipes of varying diameters and with different damage types.

Demonstrations are carried out using the products available in the SylWrap Pipe Repair Contractor Case. Each case contains enough equipment to carry out up to six live-leak repairs, making it ideal for regular users.

The Contractor Case has been designed so that it can be easily stored on site at plants and facilities which contain pipework or on the vans of contractors who may be required to carry out a sudden and unexpected repair.

The technology will become increasingly valuable to water companies in particular over the coming years. As part of Ofwat’s PR19 review into the industry, the water regulator has said that leaks must be cut by 16% by 2025 – a reduction which would save enough water to meet the needs of everyone in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield. At Sylmasta, we have a ready-made solution.

Our pipe repair technology isn’t just suitable for water companies. For examples of where we have already supplied solutions to a variety of clients across a range of different industries, then please see the Case Studies section of our website.

And to find out how the technology can help your company repair leaks, save money and reduce water waste in 2020, then please contact us – we will be pleased to arrange a visit as part of the Sylmasta Pipe Repair Roadshow 2020.

Last week, Sylmasta and Rouden kicked off their nationwide Pipe Repair Roadshow by visiting several water companies in the south of England.

The aim of the roadshow is to introduce utility services to Sylmasta’s Pipe Repair technology. 2020 represents the start of a critical five-year period for water companies in the United Kingdom, who have been told by the water regulator Ofwat that they must cut leaks by 16% by 2025.

That figure was laid down in the PR19 Document, the latest of Ofwat’s five-yearly reviews into the performance of the water industry.

The regulator says that this would save enough water to meet the needs of everyone in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield.

With leaks responsible for 3.17 billion litres of lost water every day in England and Wales in 2017-18, solutions that can either strengthen pipes to prevent leaks from occurring or repair them quickly and easily when they do happen can help to save money and reduce waste.

SylWrap Pipe Repair products do just that. Each company on the roadshow was given a live demonstration of how the composite technology in a SylWrap Contractor Case works.

Sylmasta’s mobile test rig was quickly set up on-site, with repairs carried out to seal live-leaks on pipes of different sizes and different types of damage.

The Contractor Case has been designed so that it can be kept on standby in the van. It contains enough products to carry out multiple repairs, meaning that contractors have all the equipment they need to permanently seal a live leak on any pipe diameter inside of 30 minutes.

Sylmasta’s technicians led the demonstrations, highlighting the benefits of using SylWrap technology as a cost-effective alternative to traditional methods. They also took questions from the water company’s contractors about the products.

With Sylmasta determined to help reduce the cost of leaks to both the economy and the environment, the Pipe Repair Roadshow will be ongoing throughout the year.

If you work in an industry involving the maintenance of pipework and repairs are an ongoing issue, then Sylmasta will be happy to offer a free on-site demonstration to your team to explain how Sylmasta products can benefit your company.

Sylmasta composite repair solutions are not just restricted to water supply companies. Waste Treatment Works, Pumping Stations, Power Stations, Quarry Wash Plants and Petrochemical Plants around the world have all successfully used the technology to repair and strengthen pipework systems within their facilities.

To book your visit, please call or email Sylmasta and we will be pleased to assist you.

Pipe Burst Tape repairs burst pipes, that much is obvious. But did you know that there are many other uses for pipe repair tape aside from fixing leaks?

Take Wrap & Seal for example. Not only will it seal leaking pipes of all sizes and types in 30 minutes even when water flow cannot be turned off, but it can also be used with electrical appliances and to repair and maintain car parts.

You can take even a roll of repair tape into the great outdoors with you, where it can help to improve the prospects of trees and plants.

Here are four alternative uses for pipe wrap tape – aside from the obvious.

Insulating electrical cables

With a dielectric strength of 4000VPM, Wrap & Seal Pipe Burst Tape isn’t just designed for repairing water pipes – it can also be used for electrical insulation applications too.

You might have accidentally cut into a cable and exposed the wire inside. Perhaps the outside casing has become frayed or damaged over time. A mischievous pet could have even chewed their way through it, somehow avoiding a nasty shock in more ways than one.

Whatever the problem with your electrical cabling, pipe repair tape can help solve it. Just wrap it around the damaged area, where it will fuse in exactly the same manner as it would on a water pipe, creating a permanent seal.

Binding cables together

For many people, a jungle of cables tangled up is one of the unfortunate consequences that comes with owning electrical equipment.

If you want that supersized HD television or that powerful desktop computer to work, then having a mess of wires that resembles a plate of electrical spaghetti is a price you think you have to pay.

It doesn’t have to be this way though. A minimal amount of Pipe Burst Tape can be used to bind cables together, reducing clutter at the back of electrical appliances.

Not only will this help to tidy up the home or workplace, but it can also improve electrical performance by allowing cables to run more freely, reducing the risk of power outage and even fire that comes through unruly wires.

Car exhaust pipe repair

This should be a bit of an obvious one, but yes –pipe repair tape can be used to fix a car exhaust pipe as well as repairing leaking water pipes. Because Wrap & Seal has an operating temperature of up to 260°C, it will provide a permanent repair no matter how hot your car exhaust gets.

As well as exhaust pipe repair, Pipe Burst Tape can also be used to maintain and support wiring and cables underneath the bonnet and fix leaking radiator hoses and power steering lines. Wrap & Seal has good to fair oil resistance, meaning you can use it to repair a leaking fuel line.

Staking trees and trying plants

If you are a keen gardener, then you can even find uses for pipe repair tape in the world of horticulture. Wrap & Seal’s self-bonding super strength makes it perfect for tying trees against a stake. At the same time, it can be applied slackly enough so as not to be too tight around the growing tree.

We’ve also heard of Pipe Burst Tape being used to tie rose bushes and it could probably be used should you have a sunflower that ends up growing to epic proportions.

A bathroom leak can be expensive, messy and disruptive. The problem must be fixed, an expensive clean up operation might be needed afterwards and all that can still pale into insignificance compared to the stress that water damage causes.

Unless you’ve been through it, the real cost of a bathroom leak can end up being a lot more than you think. Here are some of the ways in which the costs can add up – and how you can try and prevent the bill becoming too extortionate.

The cost of hiring a plumber

When a bathroom suddenly starts leaking and you require an emergency repair, the first port of call will normally be a plumber. According to Household Quotes, the average hourly rate for a plumber in the United Kingdom in 2019 was between £40 – £60 an hour.

Many plumbers will have an additional call out charge which will be fixed at around the same price, although this is obviously dependent on when and where you are calling the plumber from. The emergency call out fee of a plumber at 10am on a Wednesday morning will obviously be a lot less than at 6am on a Bank Holiday Monday.

The most important thing to remember in an emergency is not to panic, which of course is easier said than done. Make enquiries to plumbers if you can to try and find the best deal and always clarify the charges upfront to avoid any nasty hidden extras

Depending on the severity of the problem, you may even be able to fix the issue yourself. A SylWrap Pipe Repair Kit for example is easy to use, seals live leaks in under 30 minutes and can be purchased from as little as £18.

Claiming on home insurance for a leaking bathroom

Most home insurance will cover water damage caused by a leaking bathroom. But that doesn’t mean that your insurance company will make it easy to make a claim, which is one of the biggest shocks that homeowners tend to find when pipes start leaking.

According to the Association of British Insurers, insurance companies pay out around £2.5 million every day in water damage claims. Given the vast sums involved, it’s little wonder that some insurers will attempt to wriggle out of paying.

Carry out a quick internet search for water damage compensation and you’ll be greeted by a whole host of horror stories. Many claims are rejected by insurance companies citing “wear and tear” of pipework for the issue rather than an unexpected emergency situation.

If the damage has been caused through a homeowner’s negligence, then insurers won’t pay out. Fail to fix that leaky faucet or take adequate steps to prevent pipes from freezing in winter and your insurance company will have a strong case for rejecting your claim for damage further down the line.

You should read your home insurance policy carefully to know exactly what types of water damage you are covered for and what you must do to maintain your home to your insurer’s standards. If you are unable to secure a pay-out for damage caused by a bathroom leak, then the cost of the problem to yourself can start running into the thousands.

How to limit the cost of water damage

The cost of water damage to your home after a bathroom leak will vary greatly depending on the severity of the problem. Should it cause structural damage, bring down a ceiling or lead to a problem which requires major renovation works, then the costs are going to be much higher than for a simple pipe repair.

There are steps that you can take to limit the cost of water damage. If you do notice a leak, start moving objects out of the way of the path of water. This can protect them from being irrevocably damaged and needing to be replaced. If possible, you should also keep any possessions which have been ruined as they can be used as evidence when it comes to putting in a claim.

The best way to limit the cost of water damage however is by repairing problems as soon as they arise. Prevention is always better than a cure, so find suitable pipe repair solutions to fix dripping taps or leaking pipes before they escalate into a far more serious issue. Otherwise, you might discover the hard way just how expensive the real cost of a bathroom leak can be.

Water companies in the United Kingdom have been told that they must cut leaks by 16% and reduce water bills for consumers by £50 over the course of the next five years.

The announcements came in Ofwat’s recently released PR19 document, the price review undertaken by the water regulator every five years into the performance of the industry. Those two figures are part of a £51 billion investment programme from the country’s water companies between April 2020 and 2025.

Ofwat Chief Executive Rachel Fletcher stated that the investment would lead to the transformation of the water industry.

“Water companies need to crack on and turn this into a reality and transform their performance for everyone,” said Ms Fletcher. “They will be investing the equivalent of an extra £6m each and every day to overhaul services, strengthen their infrastructure and improve our natural environment.”

Here’s what the Ofwat PR19 demands of England and Wales’ 17 water companies over the next five years.

Reduce water bills for consumers by £50

The headline grabbing announcement for consumers was that Ofwat expects water companies in England and Wales to reduce water bills by £50 before inflation over the course of the next five years – a 12% drop.

A 2017 report from EurEau revealed that Britain collects more revenue through water billing than any other country in Europe, taking in over €16 billion every year.

Revenue is closely linked to population and how many people are paying for water. While no figures were released for Germany, the United Kingdom’s water revenue far outstrips the likes of France (€12 billon) and Italy (€8 billion) who both have similar populations.

The cost of water in the United Kingdom has been a bone of contention for consumers for some time with £405 being the average annual bill in 2019-20. Ofwat has also told companies to identify and help an additional 2 million customers who may need extra support though schemes like concessionary tariffs. It is estimated that around 3 million people in England and Wales struggle to pay their bills.

Ofwat believes that this reduction in bills can be achieved through greater efficiency, passing on lower costs to consumers and promoting more innovation.

Cut water leaks by 16%

In 2017-18, leaks were responsible for 3.17 billion litres of lost water every day in England and Wales. The Consumer Council for Water criticised three companies for failing to meet their annual leakage targets, warning that they risked undermining wider efforts to encourage people to save and value water.

As a result, Ofwat has told water companies that they must cut leaks by 16%. The regulator says that this would save enough water to meet the needs of everyone in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield. Now, if only somebody had a pipe repair kit that could fix live leaks in 30 minutes…

Invest £13 billion in infrastructure

Over the next 5 years, £13 billion is to be invested in infrastructure, leading to new and improved services to cope with an increasing population and to tackle environmental challenges like drought and flooding.

The money will be used to improve the reliability of critical infrastructure such as aqueducts and water treatment works, reduce customers’ reliance on a single water source to help prevent consumer disruption and to improve the resilience of water mains in vulnerable locations such as under main roads and railways.

More businesses and increased house building means that demand for water is expected to increase over the next five years at the same time as extreme weather makes droughts more likely.

The infrastructure investment will therefore tackle long-term drought and water supply issues. Major new water resources such as reservoirs will be constructed, including a new £100m reservoir in Hampshire.

With population growth expected to impact on the south east of England in particular, a programme of national transfers of water from the north to the south of England will also begin.

A 310 mile pipeline is to connect surplus water in Lincolnshire with Suffolk and Essex, where supply is a problem. It will be one of the largest strategic pipeline projects the UK has ever seen.

Ofwat will launch a £200 million innovation fund

Ofwat have confirmed plans to launch a new £200m innovation fund which will encourage water companies to collaborate with each other and with other companies in their supply chains.

The fund is backed by 8 out of 10 senior executives and managers from water companies. It is set to be awarded to companies who enter an innovation competition, and as a reward for those who have completed the successful rollout of innovative solutions to problems within the water industry, such as leak and pipe repair.

The full Ofwat PR19 report can be found on the Ofwat website.