Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) Report - Flipbook - Page 14
Project Sustainability Statements
A key tenet of ESG is the promotion of sustainability not only within our own operations
but also on all our projects in collaboration with our clients. As part of our accredited
Environmental Management System, TOBIN employees complete project speci昀椀c
Project Sustainability Statements. The purpose of the Project Sustainability Statement
is to provide a concise overview of any initiatives on a project which assists in achieving
the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which we have adopted
as a framework to track and record various aspects of sustainability on our projects.
In 2024, TOBIN ran a Project Sustainability Statement Competition, inviting team
members across all divisions to craft a sustainability statement for a milestone project
of their choosing. Each submission is evaluated by our ESG Committee and we are
pleased to have announced our 昀椀rst winner – Matthew Scanlon, who secured the top
spot with his project, “The Leakage Reduction Programme – Hydraulic Modelling.”
Congratulations to Matthew on this achievement.
PROJECT
SUSTAINABILITY STATEMENT
Leakage Reduction Programme - Hydraulic Modelling
Client: Ward & Burke on behalf of Uisce Éireann
Project Description: One of the most fundamental things
Matthew Scanlon
The Leakage Reduction Programme –
Hydraulic Modelling.
we all need day to day is access to clean drinking water. This
simple fact poses a significant challenge to a country To
achieve this, underneath our feet lies an immense and
complex water network responsible for delivering clean
drinking water to homes all across the country, every single
day. Uisce Éireann is tasked with maintaining this network,
and with the help of TOBIN have been designing solutions to
the many challenges this brings.
Project Sustainability
Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation - One potential cause for interrupted service to an area is a watermain burst caused by excessive water
pressure in the network. Often, TOBIN hydraulic modelling projects identify areas where pressures are excessive and offer solutions
including the installation of a Pressure Regulating Valve (PRV) or through small network reconfiguration. This is not only a sustainable
solution to repetitive watermain repairs involving road reinstatement, but importantly improves the consistency and reliability of the water
network that the local area depends on.
Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure - One way TOBIN have contributed to the positive progression of our water network has been
through the use of hydraulic models. These are digital representations of the existing water network that can be used to identify potential
areas for improvement and critical points of interest. Models are constructed using Uisce Éireann’s GIS system which is a database of the
water network details such as the location, size and type of watermains currently in use. The model is further verified using a field test, where
flows and pressures in the network are recorded. When the digital model is produced, it is calibrated to match the recorded operation of the
network to ensure the model’s accuracy. This has been an innovative approach to ensure that the most sustainable solutions are applied, even
in complex city networks involving multiple water sources / reservoir systems. Much time and effort goes into ensuring that water treatment
processes are optimised and produce clean drinking water, however this must be considered in tandem with the water distribution process
that delivers this water to homes. Ireland’s distribution system has been constantly changing and improving to increase its sustainability.
Among the changes to this vital infrastructure has been the reduction of leakage throughout the network. TOBIN have made a sizable impact
on the national leakage rate by developing hydraulic models that help identify priority network upgrades. While the national leakage rate was
estimated to be 46% in 2018, it was estimated to be 37% by 2023 and predicted to be 25% by the end of 2030. Among recent hydraulic
modelling projects, 24 new pressure management opportunities have been identified so far across 8 Water Supply Zones in the last 3 years.
The related water savings are equivalent to half of the size of an Olympic swimming pool every day.
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities - With our ever-changing cities and communities, it is important to ensure that development is
done sustainably and without negatively affecting existing areas. TOBIN have developed “scenario models” that are used to predict the
outcome of making critical changes to the operation of the water network to ensure that existing users are not negatively affected by potential
changes. With a view to create sustainable cities and communities, many small group water schemes that are locally run and supply low
property counts have been rationalised into larger water networks that can be supplied more efficiently and with lower potential for leakage
with the help of these hydraulic models. Similarly, hydraulic models have been used to identify efficient ways of removing “backyard services”.
These are service mains that run through private property that can have significant detrimental effects on the sustainability of local areas,
often in the form of delays to important mains repairs.
Key Sustainability Facts
Approximate 800m3/day of treated
water has been saved.
12
ESG Report
40 model areas completed.
Average of 6 pressure management
options per study area.
Habitat preservation
