Electricity, gas and water workers 'get second highest pay rise' - 07-11-2007 - 15:52

Pay rises among transport and communication sector workers were the highest among the private sector, a new report has found, with electricity, gas and water workers in second place.

According to analysts from the Industrial Relations Services (IRS), the transport communications sector saw average pay increases of 4.5 per cent.

This was up from the three per cent average pay increase recorded last year.

The electricity, gas and water sectors saw the second highest increases in pay, experiencing a 4.1 per cent increase.

Over all, the average pay increase in the private sectors stood at 3.4 per cent.

The IRS's report looked at the pay packets of more than three million private sector workers across a range of industries.

"Higher headline inflation has meant bigger pay rises for workers in almost every area of the private sector this year, but the rail transport, the utilities and the construction industry are the only sectors where above-inflation pay deals have been common," commented IRS pay and benefits editor Sarah Welfare.

"Looking ahead, private sector firms are predicting that pay awards will remain around 3.5 per cent next year."

Water treatment works construction to start 2008 - 28-09-2007 - 11:29

Construction on a drinking water project has been scheduled to start in summer 2008.

Scottish Water, which wants to build the Glencorse Water Treatment Works to replace existing facilities at Fairmilehead and Alnwickhill, has announced that it will be applying for permission to Midlothian Council later this year.

The site, which is on Edinburgh University land, was chosen in part because it is the highest site in Midlothian, which means that gravity would carry most of the water, senior project manager Richard Anderson told the district community council.

He added that the design and construction at the water treatment works, which is expected to be completed in 2010, would work with the environment.

"It will be taking into account its neighbours and views from the Pentland Hills. This is very much building in sympathy with the landscape, which will be discreet and have a low impact on the environment," he said.

Construction of the six-mile pipeline from Midlothian to Edinburgh is to use new techniques planned to minimise disruption to roads.

Water pipeline gets construction go-ahead - 27-09-2007 - 17:33

Construction work on a large water pipeline through Ascot and Bracknell received planning permission last week.

Bracknell Forest borough council gave its approval to South East Water's plans for a 17 kilometre underground pipeline between Winkfield, Bracknell and Crowthorne despite residents' concerns.

The construction work, which is expected to take ten months, was opposed by local residents who feared the works would drive extra traffic through the area.

Although a first application was withdrawn by the company as a result of residents' concerns, the new proposal was seen as adequate for the provision of water for the inhabitants of Bracknell.

Committee chairman Cllr David Worrall told icBerkshire: "This pipeline will provide fresh water to a significant amount of people in Bracknell.

"There will be some disruption during the construction work but it is work that is necessary."

Livingstone opposes construction of desalination plant - 21-08-2007 - 16:01

Thames Water Utilities could have planning permission for a desalination plant revoked if London mayor Ken Livingstone has his way.

Mr Livingstone is opposed to the plant and is lodging the appeal on the grounds that in approving the planning permission, the government didn't give "proper consideration" to his case.

The planned desalination plant is to be built in Becton, east London, and, if the appeal fails, will extract salt from water from the River Thames.

Up to 140 million litres of water a day could be treated by the plant, enough to provide one million Londoners with drinkable water.

Thames Water planned for construction on the plant, which will run on renewable resources, to start in 2009.

However, Mr Livingstone is adamant in his objection to the plant.

In a statement he said: "Thames Water should be fixing more leaks rather than finding expensive ways to spend Londoners' money on making fresh water."

He added: "Adding 200 million pounds to Londoners' water bills to spend on technology more appropriate for the desert is simply a disgrace. I cannot sit back and allow this to happen.''

Floods effects 'unprecedented in water industry history' - 08-08-2007 - 11:08

Severn Trent has estimated that the severe flooding that hit parts of England last month will cost the company between £25 million and £35 million.

The water company was forced to close its Mythe Water treatment works in Tewkesbury as a result of events it called "unprecedented in the recent history of the UK water industry".

In responding to the flooding emergency, the firm distributed 50 million litres of bottled water and sent 2,000 of its staff to help restore water supplies and help communities.

It also called in contractors including Panton McLeod Americas, a water treatment company.

The firm was hired to restore the Mythe Water works so drinkable water could be available to Gloucestershire residents out of their taps.

John Copeland, vice president of the company, said: "England has some of the toughest drinking water standards in the world. It is heavily regulated and this treatment works couldn’t be reopened until it met those exacting standards."

He added that every inch of the works, which amounts to the area of five football fields, had to be cleaned and disinfected to meet those standards.

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