SAGB CONFERENCE May 2012

1. CSO Communication &
Catchment Characterisation
Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Communication
Notification to shellfish operators when ‘significant’ waste water spills have occurred
Catchment Characterisation
What is the relative impact of this discharge upon my shellfish water?

2. What are the Problems?
Classification Status
• E. coli issue
• Potential for Class downgrade
-reduced market value
-reduced investment confidence
Public Health
• Primarily Norovirus issue
• Forthcoming new regulations?
(Source: IFREMER)

3. Classification -
How are Improvements Going?
Shellfish Hygiene Directive Shellfish Waters Directive
• Food Standards Agency • Environment Agency
• E coli monthly sampling • Faecal coliforms monthly sampling
Shellfish Waters Directive - Guideline Flesh Standard Compliance
Shellfish Hygiene Directive - Classification Status
• ~370 beds (E&W) • ~130 areas (E&W)
100% 40%
90% 35%
80%
30%
70%
25%
60%
50% Class C 20%
Class B
40% 15%
Class A
30%
10%
20%
10% 5%
0% 0%
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Future Impact of Water Framework Directive / Harvesters own Sampling?

4. Norovirus
European CODEX White Paper (2010)
• Focus on Pre-harvest removal of load
• Call for x4 log reduction from sewage treatment
DEFRA/WRc Study (2011)
• Only ~ x2-3 log reduction from sewage treatment
FSA/CEFAS Baseline Study (2011)
• High frequency of occurrence
• Marked seasonality
European Food Safety
Authority Report (2011)
• No safe dose
• Probability of infection dose dependant
(Source: Syvret, FitzGerald, Pyke, Hamilton 2010: Report for SARF)

5. Sustainable and Affordable CSO Spills?
Shellfish Spending: CSO – I command you to
stop discharging
(Source: Periodic Review Determinations OFWAT & EA)
• AMP3 & 4 2000-2010 £75M
• AMP5 2010-2015 £86M
Predictions to meet existing spill conditions
(Source: ICF, 2007: Report for EA)
-x6 increase storage to meet the 10 spills/yr standard for shellfish waters
-Cost for Shellfish and Bathing Waters using conventional technology
• £15 Billion
• Or ~£1 Billion/yr
Are there more cost effective alternatives – role for better CSO reporting?

6. Beach Live: The Project
CSO Data is now successfully trialled for BWs
Cornwall Pilots 2010:
• Real time’ reporting
• 3 bathing waters
• Water quality monitoring
Defra’s Cleaner Seas Forum:
• Defra led partnership
• National voluntary BW trial
• 6 water companies (55 bathing waters)
Qualified Success & Positively Received (2011 REVIEW)
• Beach managers give management information 2012 trial:
•185 BWs included
• Web site won Best New Environmental Site
•7 companies involved
• Beach Live won Water Industry Award for ‘Community Project of Year’

7. The Outcome
"As a mother with three young children, it's great to be able
to check BeachLive before I head to the beach.
The UK and in particular the South West has transformed
the quality of its bathing water over the last two decades
and I'm glad to see the region is again at the European
cutting edge when it comes to offering live water quality
updates."
• Vicky Garner, Chairman of the South West Bathing Water Liaison Group,
which promotes beach and water cleanliness.

8. South West Water
SWWL Region (a Water Utility in the Context of Regional Shellfisheries)
Objectives
• To help achieve environmental quality targets
through effective asset operation
• Explore potential mitigation measures to
address future shellfish drivers
• To voluntarily provide relevant information to
facilitate informed business decisions by the
shellfish industry • x25 designated Shellfish Waters
• x98 designated Shellfish beds
• x228 shellfish related CSOs (inc. AMP5)
Role: • x31 STWs with disinfection for SFWs (inc AMP5)
• Phase 1 provision of CSO (x60 STWs with disinfection in total inc. BWs)
communication protocol.
• AMP5 spend on SFW = £7.9M in SWWL region
(£1M: investigations & £6.9M: asset improvements)

9. Seafish Industry Authority
Objectives:
• Long term strategic security of shellfish sector
• Minimise risk to reputation of sector
• Help provide solutions for industry levy payers
Role:
• Seafish to act as broker between shellfish and
water sectors
• To help devise solutions which are practicable,
realistic and achievable

10. Aquatic Water Services Ltd
Objective:
• Develop a range of ‘tools’ to help
shellfish/water sectors
(Courtesy of Jersey Electricity Company)
Role:
• To provide analytical solutions
• To provide on-site investigations
• Interpretive consultancy

11. Phase 1 – CSO Communications
BeachLive Reporting Protocol:
• Estimation of 50m3 significant spill using duration data
• 12hr rolling period (configured for tidal phasing)
• Aggregation of constituent catchment CSOs (where relevant)
Notifications:
• Automatic email generation with standard text
• Notifications are generated at site so data is not quality assured and
information is therefore precautionary
• Circulated internally to shellfish operator and agreed registered partners
-CSO ‘spill’ signal telemetry -Text alert provider -Registered user(s)
-SWW System output

12. Phase 2 – Catchment Characterisation
Catchment Selection : -Assimilate previous studies
• Proactive shellfish operator co-operation
• Relatively simple catchment
• Limited number of CSOs
-Comprehensive Monitoring
• In SWW Region
Scope Components :
• Mobile impedance -Capture new ‘events’
(rapid microbiology for flesh, waters, sediments)
• Microbial Source Tracking
• NoV in waste water and shellfish -Update operator
• Biomonitoring,
• Rain gauges and storm event monitoring
• CSO Ground truthing with OS8000 real time flow monitors
• OTT real time multi-parameter WQ measurements

13. The Future?
-Classification: FSA Harvesters Own Sampling Protocol Made Possible
-Norovirus: Enhanced HACCP – evidence based viral risk management
-Accreditation?
• Increased consumer confidence
• Increased market security
• Better prices
BeachLive participation KBT criteria for ‘Blue Flag’ for Bathing Waters
Is there a parallel for Shellfish Waters?

14. OR
Thank you
Andy FitzGerald, Paul McNie, Mandy Pyke and Linda Skeats