A leak detection system that can identify damaged water pipes swiftly and accurately has been developed by engineers at the University of Sheffield in England. Leaky pipes are a common problem for the water industry. According to Ofwat, between 20 and 40 per cent of total water supply can be lost through damaged pipes. Developing more accurate ways of finding leaks would enable water companies to save revenue and reduce their environmental impact.

The system invented at Sheffield tests pipes by transmitting a pressure wave along them that sends back a signal if it passes any unexpected features, such as a leak or a crack in the pipe’s surface.

The pressure wave is generated by a valve fitted to an ordinary water hydrant, which is opened and closed rapidly. The wave sends back a reflection, or a signal, if it encounters any anomalous features in the pipe. The strength of that signal can then be analysed to determine the location and the size of the leak.

Originally developed by a team led by Professor Stephen Beck in the University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, the invention was developed into a prototype device in partnership with colleagues in the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, and Yorkshire Water.

The device has now been trialled at Yorkshire Water’s field operators training site in Bradford and results show that it offers a reliable and accurate method of leak testing. Leaks in cast iron pipes were located accurately to within one metre, while leaks in plastic pipes were located even more precisely, to within 20cm. The results of the trial are published in a paper entitled: ‘On site leak location in a pipe network by cepstrum analysis of pressure transients’, in the Journal – American Water Works Association.

Existing leak detection techniques rely on acoustic sensing with microphones commonly used to identify noise generated by pressurised water escaping from the pipe. This method, however, is time consuming and prone to errors: the use of plastic pipes, for example, means that the sound can fall away quickly, making detection very difficult.

In contrast the device invented by the Sheffield team uses a series of calculations based on the size of the pipe, the speed of the pressure wave, and the distance it has to travel. The device can be calibrated to get the most accurate results and all the data is analysed on site, delivering immediate results that can be prioritised for action.

Dr James Shucksmith, in the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering at the University of Sheffield, who led the trial, says: “We are very excited by the results we’ve achieved so far: we are able to identify the location of leaks much more accurately and rapidly than existing systems are able to, meaning water companies will be able to save both time and money in carrying out repairs.”

He adds: “The system has delivered some very promising results at Yorkshire Water. We hope now to find an industrial partner to develop the device to the point where it can be manufactured commercially.”

Dr Allyson Seth, Networks Analytics Manager at Yorkshire Water comments: “Driving down leakage on our 31,000km network of water pipes is a high priority for us. Over the last 12 months alone, we’ve targeted leakage reduction and as a result we’re currently recording our lowest ever levels of leakage. But we want to do more, which is why, in addition to the existing technologies we use, we’re looking at new ways to help us to reduce leakage. Our work with engineers at the University o f Sheffield is the latest example of this, and we look forward to working with them going forward to build on what has been achieved so far.”

In a survey of attitudes to water, including how to pay for it, 49% of Irish respondents agreed that water users should be charged – but thought there should be measures in place to prevent negative social effects. Sixty-three per cent of Irish respondents agreed that the price of water should reflect the environmental impact of water use. And the survey found that more Irish people drink tap water than the EU average – 68% of Irish people drink tap water only, compared to an EU average of 49%.

Some other highlights from the report are listed below.

* The Irish are least likely to think that all water users should be charged for the volume of water they, use regardless of individual circumstances, at 17% – a further 49% agree that water users should be charged but think that there should measures to offset potential negative social effects.

* Across the EU 42% of people think that water users should be charged for the volume of water they use regardless of individual circumstances and 42% think that there should be measures to offset potential negative social effects. Danish respondents were most likely to agree that water users should be charged for the volume of water they use in all cases at 66%. Greek (58%) followed by Maltese and Portuguese respondents (both 57%) were most likely to think that there should measures to offset potential negative social effects.

* 63% of Irish respondents agree, or tend to agree, that the price of water should reflect the environmental impact of water use, i.e. water should be more expensive if its use has a greater impact on the environment. The EU average is 61% with Swedish respondents most likely to be in agreement at 79% and Hungarians least at 51%.

* A large majority (86%) of Irish respondents think that non-potable water re-use should be generalized provided the lower water quality does not affect people’s health. This is marginally below the EU average of 88%.

Other findings from the survey include:

* Only 40% of Irish respondents feel well or very well informed about the problems facing groundwater, lakes, rivers and coastal waters in Ireland compared to an EU average of 37%. Danish (62%) and Austrian (60%) respondents are most likely to feel well or very well informed and Latvians least at 16%.

* A majority of Irish people surveyed (67%) believe that water quality problems are serious, just below the EU average of 68%. Respondents in Romania (94%), Italy (91%) and France (89%) were most likely to consider water quality a serious problem for their country and respondents in Finland (39%) and Austria (40%) least likely.

* 42% of Irish respondents think that the quality of groundwater, rivers, lakes and coastal waters has deteriorated over the past ten years compared to 27% who think it has remained the same and 26% who think it has improved. These figures are similar to the European average: 44% think that the quality of groundwater, rivers, lakes and coastal waters has deteriorated over the past ten years, 25% think it has remained the same and 23% think it has improved. Dutch respondents (46%) were most likely to think that it had improved in their country and Bulgarians and Romanians least at 5%. Similarly, Romanians were most likely to think that water quality had deteriorated over the past ten years at 67%.

* The number of Irish people who see chemical pollution as a main threat to the water environment in Ireland has dropped 3% to 75% since the previous survey was carried out in 2009. Ireland is one of only two countries (the other one being Hungary, which is down 5%) where the numbers of people seeing chemical pollution as a threat is declining. Across the EU, the number is up 9% to 84%.

* Around three-quarters (73%) of Europeans think that the EU should propose additional measures to address water problems, and about half of this group (37% of total) would like to be able to express their views on these measures. Fewer Irish people (66%) think the EU should propose additional measures to address water problems and more of them (41%) would like to be able to express their view on these measures. Support for EU measures is lowest in Estonia (55%) and the UK (56%) and highest in Germany and Slovakia (both 81%)

* More Irish people drink tap water than EU average, 68% of Irish people drink tap water only compared to an EU average of 49%. 20% of Irish respondents drink only mineral water and 11% drink both tap water and mineral water.

* Consumption of tap water only is highest in Sweden and Denmark (91%) and lowest in Cyprus and Luxembourg (21%). Consumption of mineral water only is highest in Malta and Cyprus (both 64%) and lowest in Denmark (2%), Sweden and Finland (both 3%).

* 61% of Irish people surveyed think industry does not do enough to use water efficiently. This is a little below the EU average of 65% and also well below Greece at the top of the scale where 77% think industry does not do enough. Respondents in Cyprus and Estonia (both 38%) are least likely to think that industry does not do enough.

* Irish people most likely to agree that households are not doing enough to use water efficiently – 75% of Irish people think that households do not do enough to use water efficiently compared to an EU average of 61% and just ahead of Greeks (73%) and Bulgarians (72%). At the other end of the scale, Estonians (39%) are least likely to think that households are not doing enough.

One thousand people in Ireland were interviewed for the survey between 5 and 8 March 2012 by IMS Millward Brown.

Dublin-based Nines Photovoltaics has been awarded €1.2 million in funding through a highly competitive European Framework Programme 7 (FP7), to further develop its innovative sustainable solar cell manufacturing technology.

Nines Photovoltaics has developed a potentially highly disruptive methodology for the manufacturing process of photovoltaic (PV) solar cells. This new technology will reduce the cost of production and the overall environmental impact while increasing the speed and degree of process control required for the production of Photovoltaic (PV) solar cells.

“From a cost and environmental perspective the current solar cell production process is unsustainable and limits the ability for Solar PV to compete with traditional energy sources,” explains Edward Duffy, chief executive of Nines Photovoltaics. “In 2010 there were roughly 10 billion solar cells produced worldwide, consuming over 25 billion litres of water and other chemicals. The heavy environmental footprint of solar cell manufacturing is strangling the ability of the PV sector to grow and meet the growing power demand. There is enough solar energy available to power the whole planet 100 times over but we must learn to harvest this energy in a sustainable and cost effective way.”

The technology that Nines has developed enables solar cell producers to dramatically lower their water consumption and enables investment in further scaling of their manufacturing facilities. Nines Photovoltaics is the first company to offer a process solution which uses a fully dry process using only Zero Global Warming Potential chemicals.

The FP7 funding enables Nines to collaborate with a consortium of European partners, Research institutes and SMEs, with specific expertise and domain knowledge to further develop the technology and bring the end product to the global market. Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development (FP7) promotes R&D collaborations amongst European countries. Nines Photovoltaics is leading this project from the front and will collaborate with the Fraunhofer IWS Institute in Dresden, Germany, the Fraunhofer ISE Institute in Freiburg, Germany, Vestlandsforsking in Norway, Alyxan in France, Solartech in Czech Republic, and Zimmermann & Schip Handhabungstechnik GmbH in Germany.

Nines Photovoltaics is currently going through a second round of funding in order to finance further product development and ensure global market penetration.

Irish manufacturers must increasingly be able to measure and reduce their carbon footprint if they are to succeed on export markets, according to the latest BearingPoint Green Supply Chain Monitor 2010-11. The report finds that about two thirds of European companies surveyed consider green supply chain as a strategic priority now or in the short term.

“The environmental impact of goods is becoming an increasing important decision when it comes to purchasing,” explains Claudia Carr, supply chain lead for BearingPoint Ireland. “Over two thirds of companies surveyed indicated that they have implemented, or are implementing, a sustainable purchasing policy. Understanding and managing your carbon footprint is going to become key and Irish companies need to be prepared for this shift.”

Over half of respondents indicated that they did not renew contracts with suppliers who did not respect their green charter, and one third reported a shift from global sourcing towards near or local shore sourcing. “The environmental impact of transportation and manufacturing from some low cost economies is leading to a review of purchasing policies by many organisations. There is a growing opportunity for Irish companies, with good green credentials, to compete for this business,” she adds.

John Whelan, chief executive of the Irish Exporters Association, welcomes the report. “There is no question that Irish businesses which produce transparently environmentally positive products, delivered by carbon neutral logistics services will succeed on international markets,” he says. “At the IEA we fully endorse the reports findings and urge exporters to make the investment in proper carbon labelling based on an accurate supply chain foot print as well as a production process footprint, to gain a competitive edge in our main developed economy markets.”

Fred McDarby, manager, Environment Department, Enterprise Ireland, stresses the opportunity for Irish companies. “We are encouraging our companies to prepare for the impact of Green Procurement (both public and private) on their markets at home and overseas and have put in place a range of supports to help them make savings and enhance the green credentials of their products and services.”

The report highlights the importance of design with at least 80% of the environmental impact of a product being developed during the design process. This not only relates to the way in which the product is produced, but also how it is used and ultimately disposed of. Sectors traditionally active in R&D and innovation have become the leaders in eco-design.

Another finding of the 4th BearingPoint Supply Chain Monitor is that green supply chain initiatives are increasingly being driven by brand image and economics rather than regulation.

“Environmental regulations were the main driver when we last conducted the monitor two years ago. It is significant that boards are now actively promoting green supply chain to enhance their brand reputation and reduce costs,” comments James Govan of BearingPoint.

Indeed, the global economic downturn had accelerated rather than hampered green supply chain initiatives. The study finds that two thirds (66%) of the companies surveyed said that economic conditions had brought forward green initiatives rather than put a brake on them. Many Irish companies, like their European counterparts, have identified cost savings by implementing environmentally friendly initiatives.

Building on its successful relationship with Northern Ireland Water, WYG has won a contract to help improve water quality for residents of east Belfast. The Leeds-based consultancy will be designing, managing and co-ordinating construction design management on a new £750,000 project to reduce out-of-sewer spills to water courses. This project forms part of a larger eight year framework.

For over seven years, WYG has been managing Northern Ireland Water’s Integrated Wastewater Framework which is designed to reduce the risk of flooding and improve water quality for the eastern region of Northern Ireland.

“Since the project is located centrally in the Connswater Greenway scheme, the design and construction work will be undertaken considerately to its surroundings. The Greenway will create a 9km linear park through east Belfast, following the course of the Connswater, Knock and Loop Rivers, which makes the location environmentally sensitive,” comments Ernie Spence, associate of WYG. “Throughout the project we will be focused on alleviating disturbance to the surroundings, working in a sustainable manner through the design and construction phases. Our design involves converting concepts developed using hydraulic modelling into buildable solutions, whilst minimising environmental impact and providing value for money.”

Northern Ireland has inherited a legacy of acute underinvestment in water and sewerage systems, which has led to significant disparity when compared with the rest of the UK’s water industry, in particular in the areas of out of sewer flooding and water mains leakage. However, last year saw some £778m being invested in water and wastewater infrastructure – £174m in water treatment and storage facilities and mains improvement and £614m in wastewater collection and treatment systems.

WYG will be replacing a combined sewer overflow chamber, associated pipework and outfall structures. The project is anticipated to be completed in December 2011.

Four healthcare companies, based at Ringskiddy penisula, County Cork, have combined to develop a Eur30 million wind energy project to cut their electricity costs while also reducing their environmental impact.

Centocor, DePuy, GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis have formed the Cork Lower Harbour Energy Group, which plans to build a total of seven 118m wind turbines on the companies’ four sites along the entrance to Cork Harbour. If successful in gaining planning approval, the new energy generation scheme will reduce the carbon footprint of each of the four factory sites by up to 30% or up to 22,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum.

“Each of the companies involved in this project has a strong commitment to improving environmental performance. This project will reduce each site’s use of electricity generated through carbon generating means by up to 30%, reducing the impact of our operations on the environment,” says Gerry Collins, vice president of Centocor Biologics Ireland.

According to Novartis general manager John Alexander, the project would be one of the first of its type in the world. “The creation of the Cork Lower Harbour Energy Group has taken advantage of the expertise and innovative spirit that exists in Ireland,” he says. “By bringing the four sites together, this project has shown that Ireland remains a centre for excellence in manufacturing, efficiency and innovation.”