Stranded on a desert island: What would you do...?

Forget any Wilson branded volleyballs to talk to, nor are any Lord of the Flies style rules likely to help. Captain Jack Sparrows rum will only last you so long, and Gilligan’s marksmanship and amusement are definitely not necessary.

What you can’t live without is a survivors instinct, alongside a ruthless astuteness to escape.

Stranded on a desert island without a Yorkshire water saving pack is a situation that no one wants to end up in. With the chances of a rescue becoming increasingly remote, you are left with nothing except an aptitude to adapt, and a few basic items to keep you going.

Items:

• One litre of Water



• A Swiss army knife



• A lighter



• A Nylon sheet



• A 10ft rope

The question is how would you use these few precious items to give you the best chance of surviving your ordeal?

Yorkshire Water in Zambia

Yorkshire Water employee Matthew Armitage from Goole is about to witness the work that WaterAid does in Zambia, one of the poorest countries in Africa.

On Sunday 12 February, Matthew will set off for a week in Zambia, where life expectancy is among the lowest in the world and the death rate is one of the highest. He will see how WaterAid operates, and the challenges and opportunities faced by the charity and its partners in the country.

Acting as an ambassador for WaterAid, Matthew will go on various excursions to see both rural and urban projects. These range from a ‘model village’ where WaterAid’s project work has been completed, to seeing what life is like in communities that have had little or no intervention from WaterAid.

Zambia is a large, landlocked country and is sparsely populated by over 70 ethnic groups. Despite large fresh water resources, rainfall has declined in the last 30 years, impacting on farming, the economy and nutrition.
It’s estimated that only 60% of people have access to safe water and 49% have sanitation in the country, so Matthew will see for himself what conditions are like for those who have no access to water and how they live.

Tadcaster-based mechanical fitter Matthew comments: “Yorkshire has some of the best quality water in the world, so we take it for granted. Sadly, millions of people have no choice but to drink dirty water that will make them or their children sick.

“I was shocked to hear that 4000 children die every day from sickness caused by water related diseases and poor sanitation, so I’m grateful for the opportunity to really make a difference.

“This trip will be both challenging and eye-opening. I donate regularly to WaterAid so I’m excited to witness first-hand the difference that the organisation makes to people’s lives. I also realise the importance of the fundraising that companies like Yorkshire Water carry out – this can also make a huge difference to the work WaterAid’s able to do.”

Matthew believes his skills learnt on the waste water side of the engineering department of Yorkshire Water, will help him during his week in Zambia. He has an appreciation of how essential it is to have functional water systems, and an understanding of the practical side of physically getting water to a village.

Bradford based Yorkshire Water were joint founder members of WaterAid and since it was set up 30 years ago, colleagues have helped to raise a staggering £4million for the charity. Last year, the company received the President’s Award from Prince Charles at the charity’s Annual Supporters Meeting. From WaterAid balls and coastal walks to quiz nights and bike rides, Matthew’s colleagues really get behind the charity and the work that it does.

Matthew will be writing a blog about his travels to keep his colleagues and supporters updated on his progress. To follow him, simply visit http://www.wateraidandmeinzambia.blog.com/

For more information on what Wateraid do, visit http://www.wateraid.org/ , follow @wateraid on Twitter or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wateraid

Century-Old Holmfirth Reservoir To Receive Safety Boost

Vital safety work to the overflow structure at one of Yorkshire’s oldest reservoirs in Holmfirth is set to begin as part of Yorkshire Water’s £60 million programme of work to maintain and modernise the region's reservoirs.

The work, which is set to begin in February, will see engineering specialists Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB) build a new state-of-the-art spillway to replace the current ageing structure at Yateholme reservoir, which dates back to 1878.

It follows similar work conducted at three other reservoirs in the area by the company to ensure that these mammoth structures continue to meet the high levels of safety legally required.

In order to ensure the new structure aesthetically compliments the local environment, Yorkshire Water will be using a special type of precast concrete recently celebrated by TV's Countryfile programme for the way it was successfully deployed in a similar project by the company at its nearby Riding Wood reservoir last year.

During the construction phase contractors, MMB will aim to use the access from Woodhead Road for large construction vehicles as much as possible. As part of the project MMB will also be making significant improvements to Holme Wood Lane and Kiln Bent Road.

Tim Dyke, Yorkshire Water’s Project Manager for this scheme, said:

"Clearly this work is vital but at the same time, as a responsible landowner, we're doing everything we can to ensure the new structure benefits the local environment using the best products and skilled engineers.

To find out more about the reservoir improvements scheme in Yorkshire visit www.yorkshirewater.com/reservoirs

UK's First Energy Self-Sufficient Large Sewage Works

Yorkshire Water are embarking on a multi-million pound project to create the UK's first energy neutral urban sewage plant.

Starting today, this £30 million project will involve installing the UK's first BioThelys Sludge Treatment Plant at Esholt sewage works, which will be used to create energy from human waste and effluent.

The Esholt works has operated a sewage sludge incinerator for many years, but Yorkshire Water is pioneering a more sustainable route for sludge disposal using Veolia's thermal hydrolysis system (Biothelys) combined with anaerobic digestion.

Thermal hydrolysis uses heat and pressure to break down sewage sludge prior to treatment by anaerobic digestion which creates energy rich biogas that can then be burned to produce electricity which in turn will be used to power much of the plant.

As the bio-gas is rich in methane, it means that it can be converted to electricity and directly used to power the site, the process is carbon efficient and means the plant is not reliant on mains electricity, further reducing costs.

Not only does the process create green energy to fuel the plant, but the digested sludge generated following thermal hydrolysis is classified as 'enhanced treated' which means it can be legally applied as a fertiliser or soil conditioner for all crops including cereals, vegetables and salads as well as for horticultural purposes.

Engineering specialists Morgan Sindall and Grontmij will be undertaking the work, with the new plant estimated to take around 18 months to complete, and is expected to be commissioned in early 2013.

Ben Roche, Manager of energy and carbon at Yorkshire Water, comments:

"At the moment we already generate a third of the energy we use on site at Esholt through renewable energy technologies, but our aim is for this huge facility to become fully energy self-sufficient by 2015."

Turning Waste Into House Bricks

Forget clay and concrete! The new innovative project up and running at Yorkshire Water's Knostrop waste water treatment works in Leeds is turning incinerated sewage into carbon neutral house bricks.

With our massive emphasis on driving down environmental emissions, the new product devised by Leeds University spin-out company Encos, hopes to reduce the environmental impact of construction by providing an alternative to traditional cement.

How does it work?

It combines ash from incinerated sludge with vegetable-oil-based binders to create the bricks and blocks. These are classed as carbon negative because the plants used to make the vegetable oil have absorbed CO2 from the atmosphere.

Want to know more about the house bricks?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-15006749

Fat Busting Bugs

The new Yorkshire Water biological weapon has been unleashed! We’ve recently announced an innovative treatment process for helping to remove sewer fat.

Deploying trillions of what we call ‘Fat Busting Bugs’, we’re able to remove the fat, oils and grease that clog the sewer. It works by using organically grown bacillus bacteria, which is commonly found in the human gut, to feast on the fat, oils and grease, with the bacteria being mixed with non-chlorinated water before being poured into the sewer.


People who put fat, oils and grease down their sink often don't appreciate the damaging impact this can have on the region's watercourses.These fats, oils and greases can solidify, causing sewers to back up and spill over into nearby rivers, streams and becks. Also, the worst case is that it could potentially lead to your home being flooded, which is the last thing we want!

Have a look at what you should and shouldn’t put down your sinks.
www.yorkshirewater.com/dirty.

Want to see the Fat Bugs in action?
Fat Busting Bugs Video