A project to understand the energy consumption of water pumps has led to investments by Northumbrian Water to significantly reduce ongoing cost and carbon savings.
Opportunities that were identified to refurbish, replace or optimise inefficient pumps, across the company’s operating areas in the North East of England, Essex and Suffolk, represent potential operating cost savings of around £1.2m a year, and carbon emission reductions of more than 1,500 tonnes per annum.
The investments being delivered as a result not only contribute towards the company maintaining low bills for customers, but also its ambitions to achieve Net Zero.
The project to understand and identify the opportunities to enhance the pumps’ efficiency was carried out in partnership with Integrated Water Services Mechanical and Electrical (IWS M&E).
A programme of pump testing was carried out in collaboration with Northumbrian Water’s operational teams to ensure minimal risk of impact on day-to-day operations, and the results were analysed to identify the best long term carbon and cost value and outcome from a range of solutions.
These ranged from changes to the way pumps were operated to full replacements.
Further opportunities identified include refurbishments, replacements and a combination of interventions for more than 40 additional pumps, further contributing to significant cost and carbon reductions.
Zoe Frogbrook, Head of Environment and Sustainability at Northumbrian Water Group, said: “The results of this programme of works is a win for both customers and the environment.
“By taking a proactive and methodical approach to understanding the energy consumption of water pumps across our network and assets, we’ve been able to identify and implement a range of solutions to deliver ongoing cost and carbon savings.
“It shows that protecting the environment and driving towards Net Zero by 2050 can go hand in hand with reducing our operating costs, which in turn supports our drive to keep customers’ bills as low as possible.”