Dear Subscribers,

Thanks for subscribing to CIWEM’s E-News. This is a free electronic version of the monthly newsletter which is distributed to all those interested in CIWEM’s Technical and Policy work. The service is administered through CIWEM’s web site www.ciwem.com where you can subscribe via the top menu button for ‘NEWSLETTER’. If you would rather not hear about our work, you can also unsubscribe there.

This email is being delivered to just under 5000 subscribers in more than 30 countries worldwide.

The following issues are covered in this edition of the newsletter:

1. Staffordshire Farm wins Living Wetlands Award
2. CIWEM Awards deadlines approaching!
3. World Wetlands Day 2004 Conference a success
4. Society for the Environment seeks Royal Charter
5. Young Members’ Forum launched
6. CIWEM Photographic Competition 2004
7. Get your Journal on CD
8. Technical Panels Update
9. Consultations
10. CIWEM Conferences
11. In Brief
12. Forthcoming Conference on Water Meadows
13. Principal Hydrology
14. Faststream Recruitment – Careers on Tap!
15. Yacht – The Engineering Recruitment Experts
16. MAIN Event
17. Join CIWEM

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1. Staffordshire Farm wins Living Wetlands Award

Aston Hall Farm, at Stone in Staffordshire, was announced as the winner of the RSPB/CIWEM Living Wetlands Award 2004 at the recent World Wetlands Day 2004 Conference. The project represents a unique collaboration of farmers, a water company, conservation groups, and a local community.

Over four years, the 300-acre site has been transformed into a floodplain grazing marsh, prompting a huge increase in bird numbers and diversity of bird species. Parts of the River Trent margins have been restored, voles and bats are thriving in the new environment, and a model scheme used as an example by the government brings together farmers and conservation groups to look at sustainable farming methods.

The judges of the annual Award were particularly impressed by the project’s ability to create valuable wildlife habitats within a landscape that benefits the local community and is at the same time a working farm.

The managers of the Aston Hall Farm Project will be awarded a specially commissioned bronze trophy of a snipe (the Mance Memorial Trophy) and £1,500, to boost conservation work on the site. The Award will be presented to Severn Trent Water at CIWEM’s Annual Dinner on 22 April 2004.

To make a submission for next year’s Living Wetlands Award, and for information about other CIWEM Awards, contact Helen Wilson on 020 7831 3110 or helen@ciwem.com.

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2. CIWEM Awards deadlines approaching!

The CIWEM Ken Roberts Award for Technical Innovation in the Water Industry

A reminder that the deadline for entries for the CIWEM Ken Roberts Award for Technical Innovation in the Water Industry is 28th February 2004. The Ken Roberts Award was established jointly by CIWEM and Wessex Water in 1997 in memory of Ken Roberts FCIWEM, a Past President of the Institution (1979-80) and previously Chief Executive and Deputy Chairman of Wessex Water (1974-88), as a means of recognising technical innovation being made in the water industry.

The Award consists of a framed certificate and a cheque for £1000 (to be used to fund a proposal related to technical innovation in the water industry), which will be presented at the CIWEM Annual Dinner in London on 22nd April 2004. The competition is open to all CIWEM members and their employers. A named CIWEM member must have played a leading part in the entry submitted. Entries from the UK and overseas are welcome.

Submissions may relate to projects, research or other relevant work and will be judged on the following criteria:

• Relevance to the water industry
• Technical and environmental excellence
• Innovation
• Practical value
• Presentation

Details of how to make a submission can be obtained from Helen Wilson at CIWEM, by e-mailing helen@ciwem.com and further information on the award can be obtained at www.ciwem.com/awards/

The CIWEM World of Difference Award supported by Black & Veatch

The World of Difference Award is a new annual award established as a means of rewarding the leading proponents of the practical application of science and engineering for environmental improvement. The Award focuses on innovative design in water and wastewater projects. Sponsored by Black & Veatch, a global engineering, construction and consulting company, the first Award will be presented at CIWEM’s Annual Dinner in London in April 2004.

The Award is international and open to all, with the exception of Black & Veatch projects. The size of the project is immaterial: small projects that make a big difference are encouraged to apply. Submissions from younger people are also encouraged. The judging panel will consider the originality of the concepts and take into account the age and experience of applicants.

Essential Criteria

To be eligible for the Award, projects must:

• Relate to the water cycle
• Be specific, rather than theoretical design
• Be innovative and achievable
• Demonstrate sustainability
• Be beneficial to the environment

Submissions should be in the form of a succinct summary report, maximum ten A4 pages in length, including figures, tables and photographs. A hard copy of the submission should be sent to Helen Wilson at CIWEM at the address below, along with an electronic copy in MS Word format sent as an e-mail attachment (if the file size is under 1MB) to helen@ciwem.com or four individual copies sent on CD.

The Award winner will receive a trophy, a framed certificate and a cheque for £1000. The winning project and one runner-up project will be outlined in the CIWEM magazine.

The closing date for entries is 15th March 2004, and the Award will be presented at the CIWEM Annual Dinner on 22nd April 2004.

For further information about the Award, or to make a submission, please contact Helen Wilson at CIWEM, 15 John Street, London, WC1N 2EB (Tel: 020 7831 3110; E-mail: helen@ciwem.com).

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3. World Wetlands Day 2004 Conference a success

The World Wetlands Day Conference 2004, held on 2-3 February, was again a major success. In response to feedback from the inaugural event in 2003, delegates were given far greater opportunity to network and share their experience. The first day of the conference featured afternoon technical tours of the London Wetland Centre and an evening wine reception at which English Nature reported on the success of their LIFE in UK Rivers projects. The conference itself attracted around 230 delegates and was very well received.

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4. Society for the Environment seeks Royal Charter

Eagle eyed readers of previous editions of E-News will know that the new umbrella body, the Society for the Environment (SocEnv) has just petitioned the Privy Council for a Royal Charter. The petition will now go through a consultation phase during which time other organisations can comment to the Clerk of the Privy Council on the Charter Petition. The Petition can be accessed via the London Gazette website, www.london-gazette.co.uk. In the meantime, the Society will welcome a new member, when the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) joins sometime in the Spring. Other professional bodies are also preparing to join the Society.

Once chartered, the constituent bodies of the Society can apply to become licensed which will empower them to confer the qualification of Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) on those of their members who meet certain criteria. For more information please contact CIWEM Director of Membership, Rosemary Butler at rbutler@ciwem.org.uk or by visiting the SocEnv website, www.socenv.org.uk.

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5. Young Members’ Forum launched

Following discussions at last year’s successful CIWEM Young Members’ Study Tour, CIWEM is planning to set up a Young Persons’ Forum which will be run by young people, who may be members of CIWEM or working towards membership. The Forum will work on issues which are relevant to young people in the environment sector and will have representation on CIWEM Council.

Whilst we envisage that the Forum will mainly communicate by e-mail, we feel that it is necessary to hold an initial meeting so that members can meet each other, select a Chairperson and identify what the Forum wants to achieve. This meeting will be held in early April.

If you are interested in attending the meeting, please contact Helen Wilson at CIWEM (E-mail: helen@ciwem.com; Tel: 0207 831 3110). Please tell friends and colleagues who may be interested about the meeting. Please note that we cannot guarantee that we will be able to invite everyone who expresses an interest to attend. However, we will keep all those who are interested updated about progress via e-mail.

We would welcome suggestions of agenda items for the meeting – please contact Helen to suggest issues you think should be addressed. There is also a thread on the CIWEM web site Discussion Forum to which you can add suggestions.

This is your Forum and we look forward to hearing from you!

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6. CIWEM Photographic Competition 2004

2004 sees the launch of the WEM (Water and Environment Magazine) environmental photographer of the year competition. Open to members and non-members, this is your opportunity to display your creative and technical skills. The WEM photographer of the year will receive £150 to spend on photographic equipment.

Entries should be environmental in subject and sent in printed format or saved to disk. All entries must be received by Lead Media Ltd at 6 Harforde Court, John Tate Road, Hertford SG13 7NW before the closing date of 30 April 2004.

Photographers who wish their images to be returned should provide an addressed and postage paid envelope for the return of their entry. Entries may be published in WEM at the Editor’s discretion. No remuneration can be paid for the publication of images but full credit will be given to the photographer should an image be used in WEM.

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7. Get your Journal on CD

Recipients of CIWEM’s Journal are now being offered the opportunity to receive the publication in CD ROM format, either in addition to the printed version (for an additional cost of £96 for UK recipients or £116 for those overseas) or instead of the hard copy.

If you wish to change the format in which you receive your Journal, please fill in the form on the back cover of your Journal and return it to the freepost address supplied.

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8. CIWEM Technical Panels update

CIWEM’s Water Resources Panel met in January, and welcomed two new members, Valerie Bailleul of Thames Water and Richard Critchley of United Utilities to their first meeting. The principal focus of the meeting was the ongoing development of the Panel’s impressive portfolio of forthcoming events, including the Water Reuse and Water Resources and Climate Change events, which will run consecutively on 17 and 18 May 2004; Water Framework Directive – River Basin Management; Water Framework Directive – Groundwater and Water Resources, and Regulation of the Water Industry. The Panel also debated material for its forthcoming Policy Position Paper on Water Resources under Climate Change.

Wastewater Management Panel also met late last month and welcomed Peter Pearce of Thames Water to his first Panel meeting. The Panel discussed the range of certification schemes emerging in the UK for the approval of on-site practitioners. Panel members expressed concern at the apparently anomalous rules regarding the qualifications which are being accepted for the schemes. It was noted that some professionals were being hampered by a lack of recognition of their qualifications. The Panel discussed a range of forthcoming events, in particular the CIWEM National Conference, which would this year be held on 13-15 September at Bretton Hall in Yorkshire.

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9. Consultations

CIWEM responds to a wide range of consultation documents as part of its technical and policy output. The majority of technical comment for these responses originates from the Institution’s Technical Panels but if you are a CIWEM member you may register your views with us for incorporation into a response. It is important that the Institution reflects its members’ views as far as possible in these responses. A list of the consultations that are currently being considered, together with an internet address for the papers themselves, feature in every edition of E-News.

If you have views on any of the issues raised in any of the consultation papers listed below we would very much like to hear from you. Contact details for either Alastair Chisholm or Helen Wilson are provided for each consultation paper, along with a deadline for when we need to receive your comments. Please do make sure you have your say.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Consultation paper on Government response to working group report on the review of non-native species policy
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/nnspecies-policy/index.htm
Contact helen@ciwem.com by 23/02/04

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Draft UK National Allocation Plan for the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/eu-etsnap/index.htm
Contact helen@ciwem.com by 04/03/04

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Regulations about public places under section 42 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/public-places/index.htm
Contact helen@ciwem.com by 12/03/04

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Consultation on draft Groundwater Protection Code for septic tanks and other non-mains sewerage systems
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/groundwater-protect
Contact alastair@ciwem.com by 19/03/04

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Dioxins and dioxin-like Polychlorinated Biphenyls in the UK Environment
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/dioxins-two/index.htm
Contact helen@ciwem.com by 22/03/04

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Protecting people and the environment from hazardous chemicals
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/synthetic-chemicals/index.htm
Contact helen@ciwem.com by 13/04/04

Environment Agency
Review of the Water Abstraction Charges Scheme
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/105385/wm_english_640536.pdf
Contact alastair@ciwem.com by 12/03/04

Environment Agency
Ecological risk assessment: A framework and methods for assessing harm to ecosystems from contaminants in soil
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/yourenv/consultations/607183/?version=1&lang=_e
Contact helen@ciwem.com by 16/03/04

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Consultation paper on Government response to working group report on the review of non-native species policy
http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/nnspecies-policy/index.htm
Contact helen@ciwem.com by 23/02/04

Scottish Executive
Strategic Environmental Assessment - A Consultation on Proposed Legislative Measures to Introduce Strategic Environmental Assessment in Scotland
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/environment/seacpl-00.asp
Contact helen@ciwem.com by 01/03/04

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10. CIWEM Conferences

CIWEM’s conferences continue to go from strength to strength. Featuring top-level speakers and yet still representing excellent value for money, the Institution’s events are now attracting bumper audiences and receiving great feedback from delegates. Recent successes include the Water Framework Directive – Ecological Implications event held in November last year which attracted over 250 delegates to an event which tackled this crucial area of the Water Framework Directive. The Mitigation conference again in November used a model which encouraged discussion and debate and received very positive delegate feedback. In January the Institution ran a conference on Soil Management at which Lord Whitty (Minister for Food, Farming and Sustainable Energy) spoke. The World Wetlands Day 2004 conference demonstrated the success that can be achieved in running an event with a large number of partners, and over 230 delegates attended the 2-day event.

Forthcoming events cover topics such as Diffuse Pollution, Fly-Tipping and Environmental Crime, Wastewater Reuse, Climate Change and Water Resources and Phosphorus Removal from Wastewaters. Futher details and a full listing can be found below:

CIWEM’S WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE CONFERENCE SERIES

Water Framework Directive - Diffuse Pollution
5th May 2004, London

This timely meeting will look at solutions to the diffuse pollution problem in the context of the Water Framework Directive, looking at the use of education and economic instruments, as well as regulation, and considering examples from a variety of sectors on an international scale. It will bring together researchers, policy-makers, practitioners and regulators to share experience, as well as providing a valuable learning opportunity for those not directly engaged in the issue. It will end in an open debate about the ways forward, identifying research and technical guidance needs and addressing education and awareness issues.

Programme and booking form out now!
Contact Bob Earll, CMS,
Email: bob.earll@coastms.co.uk Tel: 01531 890415

Water Framework Directive – Integrated River Basin Management – 13th July 2004
Contact Bob Earll, CMS,
Email: bob.earll@coastms.co.uk Tel: 01531 890415

Water Framework Directive – Water Resources and Groundwater – 10th November 2004
Contact Bob Earll, CMS,
Email: bob.earll@coastms.co.uk Tel: 01531 890415

FORTHCOMING EVENTS:

Flytipping and Environmental Crime – 5th May 2004
Contact Sarah Hickinson, Aqua Enviro
Email: ciwem@aquaenviro.co.uk Tel: 0113 242 4200

Wastewater Reuse – Recapturing a Waste Resource – 17th May 2004
Contact Sarah Hickinson, Aqua Enviro
Email: ciwem@aquaenviro.co.uk Tel: 0113 242 4200

Climate Change and Water Resources – 18th May 2004
Contact Sarah Hickinson, Aqua Enviro
Email: ciwem@aquaenviro.co.uk Tel: 0113 242 4200

Phosphorus Removal from Wastewaters – Still a Challenge for the UK? – 8th June 2004
Contact Sarah Hickinson, Aqua Enviro
Email: ciwem@aquaenviro.co.uk Tel: 0113 242 4200

Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) – 22nd or 23rd June 2004
Contact Bob Earll, CMS,
Email: bob.earll@coastms.co.uk Tel: 01531 890415

CIWEM Presidential Conference – Science and the Environment – June 2004
The theme being innovative scientific
developments in land, air and water
Contact Sarah Hickinson, Aqua Enviro
Email: ciwem@aquaenviro.co.uk Tel. 0113 2424200

Getting to Grips with Quality at the Tap – June 2004
Contact Sarah Hickinson, Aqua Enviro
Email: ciwem@aquaenviro.co.uk Tel: 0113 242 4200

Young Members’ Study Tour – 20th – 24th September, 2004
Contact Sarah Hickinson, Aqua Enviro
Email: ciwem@aquaenviro.co.uk Tel: 0113 242 4200

CIWEM National Conference – 13th-15th September 2004
Contact Sarah Hickinson, Aqua Enviro
Email: ciwem@aquaenviro.co.uk Tel: 0113 242 4200

Flood Management – 20th October 2004
Contact Bob Earll, CMS,
Email: bob.earll@coastms.co.uk Tel: 01531 890415

9th European Biosolids & Organic Residuals Conference – 14th-17th November 2004
Contact Sarah Hickinson, Aqua Enviro
Email: ciwem@aquaenviro.co.uk Tel: 0113 242 4200

Public Participation
Contact Bob Earll, CMS,
Email: bob.earll@coastms.co.uk Tel: 01531 890415

Developing Themes in Environmental Management
Contact Bob Earll, CMS,
Email: bob.earll@coastms.co.uk Tel: 01531 890415

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11. In Brief

IAgrE Annual Conference
IAgrE, a partner alongside CIWEM in the Society for the Environment, will be running its Annual Conference: Land Use and the Environment – Delivering Solutions on 13 May 2004 at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.

To book for this important conference or for further details, please contact:
IAgrE, Tel: 01525 861096 Fax: 01525 861660 Email: conferences@iagre.org or book on-line at the website: www.iagre.org

CIWEM Annual Dinner
CIWEM’s Annual Dinner on 22 April 2004 is now fully booked. We are pleased to announce three further sponsors of the prestigious evening event: Severn Trent Water, Edmund Nuttall and Wardell Armstrong.

Past publications
A member has kindly offered his collection of various Journals from CIWEM’s predecessor bodies to anyone who can give them a good home. The collection includes:

- All predecessor bodies’ Journals from 1962 – 1989 (ISP, then IWPC, then IWEM – I think!)
- Journal Indexes 1945 – 1970
- Yearbooks 1962 – 1987

If you would like to obtain these publications, please contact Mr Hunt on 01633 440707

Help spread the word!
Please help us to boost CIWEM's profile by mentioning your affiliation when speaking in public, writing papers for publication etc. Every little helps us to raise awareness of the work our members are doing for the environment.

CIWEM photo library
CIWEM is amassing a bank of pictures we can use in publications and with the media. If you have dynamic images to contribute (in hard or digital copy) of an appropriate professional and/or environment-related nature, then please contact Ilana Cravitz at ilana@ciwem.com

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12. Forthcoming Conference on Water Meadows

A conference Towards a New Treatise on Watering: The Science, History, Management and Conservation of Water Meadows will be held Friday 26th and Saturday 27th March 2004 at the Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum, The Close, Salisbury, Wiltshire. It is organized by The Friends of Harnham Water Meadows Trust and by Imperial College, London.

There is a pressing need to set management prescriptions for irrigated, bedwork water meadow systems and evaluate their impact on river systems. The conference presents new research and scholarship that sheds light on the historical origins, archaeology, operation and management of water meadows in southern England with field visits.

Full price: £90 two days and £50 for any single day.

Friends of the Harnham Water Meadows Trust: £70 two days and £40 for any single day

Students: £25 two days and £20 for any single day.

The student rate is limited to the first 30 applications. The fee includes refreshment and a light lunch only and not accommodation.

Further Details and enquiries:

Dr Hadrian F. Cook,
Department of Agricultural Sciences,
Imperial College - Wye Campus,
Ashford, Kent, TN25 5AH UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7594 2790
Email: h.cook@imperial.ac.uk

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13. Principal Hydrology Recruitment Agency

Introducing the launch of a new agency www.principalhydrology.com

Principal Hydrology is a UK based recruitment agency serving the hydrology sectors. By this we mean professionals practising in:

• Hydrology
• Hydro-geology
• Eco-hydrology
• Fresh Water Ecology
• Marine Ecology

So if you are looking for a career move or you are an employer looking to recruit staff please do not hesitate to contact Andy Monk by email or tel: 0845 3308366 or visit the website at www.principalhydrology.com

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14. Faststream Recruitment – Careers on tap!

Our dynamic, proactive and dedicated water consultants provide technical staff on a contract and permanent basis to consultants, contracting firms and water utilities alike throughout the UK.

The engineering disciplines dealt with cover office based design including mechanical, electrical, ICA, civil and process and the full range of site services, including commissioning and site supervision. In addition we work with leakage detection technicians through to hydraulic modelers, cad designers, planners and project managers.

Visit our new website at www.faststream.co.uk to register your CV and to view current vacancies for water industry professionals, alternatively please call on 023 8033 4444 to discuss possible opportunities.

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15. Yacht – The Engineering Recruitment Experts

Yacht promise a fresh new approach to engineering recruitment, with a unique service dedicated to finding exactly the right job for you. Right now, Yacht has a number of opportunities in the infrastructure and utilities sector for engineers and environmental professionals.

Visit us now to register your CV and learn how Yacht can help you find a successful career in engineering.
http://www.yachtgroup.com/uk/pages/home/default.asp

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16. MAIN Event

MAIN 2004
The Membrane Academia Industry Network Conference, May 19 -20 2004, Cranfield University

MAIN 2004 represents the final event of the Membrane Academia Industry Network. MAIN was initiated in January 2000, with its principal aim of disseminating information between the industrial and academic membrane communities within the UK. Since then there have been three workshops and the development of a database of UK membrane plant and academic study (www.cranfield.ac.uk/sims/water/mem-net/)

The meeting presents the opportunity to exchange ideas and keep abreast of current trends in R&D, plant operation and performance, and governing regulatory and legislative issues. It comprises a 2-day meeting, culminating in an open discussion on the future of membrane technology in the municipal sector and the associated challenges to be met by the research institutions. Presentations will include keynote papers on membrane fouling characterisation by leading international researchers, along with papers in the general area of membrane science and technology as selected by the Scientific Committee from submitted papers. As well as publication of all presentations in the conference proceedings, papers will appear in a special edition of the CIWEM Journal, subject to the usual Journal peer review process.

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17. Join CIWEM

CIWEM is a vibrant environmental professional body which offers professional development, an impressive programme of local, national and international events, a magazine ten times a year, a quarterly journal, excellent networking opportunities and many other benefits. Contact membership@ciwem.com for more details.

That was the e-newsletter from CIWEM’s Policy Department. Please keep comments and suggestions coming in. If you would like to be taken off the mailing list, please email webmaster@ciwem.com.

Please pass any comments to:

Justin Taberham, Director of Policy, CIWEM, 15 John Street, London, England, WC1N 2EB
Tel: 020 7831 3110 Fax: 020 7405 4967 E-mail: justin@ciwem.com

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