Engineers from the Water Services Corporation have addressed conferences in the UK and Romania showcasing the research and methodologies used to tackle various problems.

Since it first started to seriously tackle leakage control in 1995, the WSC has managed to reduce water production from just over 60 million cubic metres per annum to some 31 million cubic metres today. This significant reduction became possible through rigorous leakage detection and control, while still meeting an ever-increasing demand in full. This meant that over the years Malta has become internationally recognised as an authority on low water leakage levels, leakage location methodologies and tactics, goal attainment strategies, demand management, energy reduction methodologies and technology as well as studies in meter technology.

A conference on Global Customer Metering Strategies held in London in July was attended by about 100 international participants. Eng. Stephen Galea St John, Chief Officer, Water Operations and Eng. Ronald Pace, North Regional Engineer, presented their research findings about recent field work on mechanical water meters' performance against age, flow profile and water quality.

The two engineers gave details of pilot studies carried out locally on quantifying meter under-registration and the implementation of a number of small-scale automated meter reading systems.

The WSC plans to carry out more tests with new types of meters especially those having non-flooded chambers and non-mechanical meters. Both Mr Galea St John and Mr Pace said that these studies would enable the WSC to determine the best engineering solutions that would enable more accurate metering and easier logging and processing of data and would result in significant savings in time and money.

In Bucharest Romania, Stefan Riolo and Nigel Ellul who are the corporation's Central and South Regional Engineers respectively, addressed the International Water Association's international specialized conference held in September. Around 300 members from all around the world discussed water-loss management as well as any innovative ideas and methodologies.

Mr Riolo gave details of a study that allows real-time analysis of leakage and its advantages as a decision-making tool. He explained that reaching goals successfully within specific time-frames depends on the quality of a number of decisions taken throughout a project's life. Given the severe financial repercussions following a failure to adhere to targets, it is imperative that the worth of each decision can be assessed in real time. Such a methodology allows for the adjusting of tactics and effort towards successful goal achievement within stipulated timeframes.

In the mid-1990s, research was conducted and the corporation stopped using galvanised pipes and fittings and turned to polyethylene materials.

It was soon obvious that although the new material did not corrode like its predecessor, leakage remained an issue with service connections.

Ellul's study found that the lifetime of a service connection depends on operating conditions of temperature and pressure, material used, external pipe loading due to traffic and the type of road build up and reinstatement.

However, quite interestingly other factors also came into the scene. "We found that the environment surrounding the pipe such as chemical loading in contaminated soil as well as the installation conditions and methods affected the lifetime of pipes".

Ellul also gave details of a number of trials that were carried out by the WSC the conclusions of which are still being evaluated.

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