UKDN Waterflow, the UK’s leading independent best value partner for water and wastewater services, has just received a new five year accreditation from the Water Research centre (WRc) for compliance with the Drain Repair Book 3rd Edition. The independent certification sets out our compliance with the Book, which has become the recognised standard for domestic drain investigation and repair in the UK. The book was developed by the Insurance Drainage Forum, a group of the largest UK insurance companies and other key industry stakeholders, as the best practice guide for Drain Repair.
The five year certification covers drain investigation, blockage clearance, condition assessment, drain serviceability, drain repair selection and drain installation and covers, for the first time, both the UK wide network of bases and the specialist Technical Services Infrastructure Solutions division, coming under schedule PT/ 343/0913.
Richard Thomas, who headed up the team that worked on the accreditation process, commented “We’ve worked on the approval process since the start of the year, to a demanding criteria laid out by the WRc.
We were first audited way back in 2004 against the first edition of the book, and again in 2007 against the second edition.
The approval against the 3rd edition sets us apart from any other drainage company, as we are the only company currently that has met the stringent criteria. It demonstrates to customers our commitment to continued operational excellence. “
All procedures included in the Drain Repair Book were reviewed including:
• Claims handling and reporting
• Site investigation methods
• Scoping Repair work
• Selecting Repair Technique
• Specification of site work
• Repair systems
The 3rd edition both updates and adds content to the previous edition in keeping with the Drainage Forum’s desire for it to be a ‘living document’. Changes have been made in response to the significant change in legislation covering drains and sewers in the Transfer of Private Sewers and Lateral Drains in October 2011.
The Drain Repair Book covers the repair of 75mm to 250mm diameter drains and is split into four sections, offering guidance on the inspection and condition assessment of drains, a materials selection for cured-in-place repair systems, treatment including septic tanks and a new section on small package treatment plant.
This new accreditation comes six months after UKDN Waterflow’s Technical Services team received a further five year approval from the Water Research Centre for UV Lining, with first accreditation of the iMPREG UV Cure Manhole to Manhole Lining System.
That re-approval followed an audit and assessment against the WRc standards applied under their Approved Lining Systems under reference PT/ 307/0910. UKDN Waterflow has installer approval (PT 336/0313) for the design, handling and storage, and installation of IMPREG Liner in accordance with IMPREG instructions. The audit was undertaken to the requirements of the WRc assessment schedule PT/336/0313.