Press release March 2002

Fenland Hydrotech achieves major sewerage maintenance cost savings for South Holland District Council

Fenland Hydrotech, a firm of consulting engineers specialising in water engineering, has helped South Holland District Council to achieve considerable cost savings in the maintenance and upgrading of its public sector housing sewerage systems. Using a carefully focused approach, Fenland Hydrotech has enabled South Holland to upgrade twice the number of sewerage system sites than was originally envisaged from the available maintenance budget.

Fenland Hydrotech was initially appointed to upgrade the sewerage systems on six council house estates. Following detailed inspections, including the use of pipe jetting and CCTV cameras, Fenland prepared condition survey reports that listed necessary work in order of priority. The company then drew up specifications for priority work, acted as consultants to the Council in the appointment of contractors, and supervised each site to completion.

The cost savings achieved by Fenland Hydrotech's prioritising approach allowed South Holland to roll out its sewerage system maintenance programme to a further seven sites earlier than forecast. For example, the CCTV examination indicated that only some ten per cent of pipes needed to be dug up and replaced; others could be more economically relined in situ. The Council's drainage surveyor, Darren Price, says: "Fenland Hydrotech were very professional in their approach to the problem at hand, and their presence on site was discreet. Some consultants can be very obtrusive, but Fenland has worked virtually without supervision, and the projects have just rolled on quietly in the background."

Sewerage maintenance has become an increasing problem for local authorities since 1974, when Water Authorities took over responsibility for the public sewerage network and responsibility for provision of public sector housing sewerage systems was retained by local Councils. Sewerage pipes on post-war council housing estates were commonly laid under back gardens; since that time, sales of various houses to tenants has made access to council sewerage pipes more difficult. At the same time, ageing and degrading sewers increasingly tend to surcharge, and the normally high cost of urgent maintenance and upgrading cannot always be fully recovered from drainage fees collected from council tenants.

South Holland District Council covers the agricultural North Fens area of Lincolnshire, close to the Wash. South Holland District includes the towns of Spalding, Holbeach and Long Sutton, and the Council is responsible for providing sewerage services to 4,183 council houses.

Fenland Hydrotech, based in Thrapston, Northamptonshire, is an independent firm of consulting engineers providing professional services to public and private sector clients in the UK and overseas. The company has particular expertise in the area of water engineering, including pipelines, sewerage, storm drainage, tunnelling, water treatment and distribution, and effluent treatment.

Fenland Hydrotech is a member of the Association of Consulting Engineers, and its Quality Assurance system is accredited to ISO 9001/BS5750 part 1. It provides a complete project management service from initial appraisal, through detailed design and documentation to contract administration, site supervision and cost control.