British Water Members' Handbook 2017 2017 Edition | Page 37

TECHNICAL FORUM
The role of the technical forum is to coordinate
all activities on technical and technological
developments affecting the industry. This entails
holding Focus Group meetings, monitoring technical
development, regular dialogue with local and national
authorities, regulators across the UK, standardisation
bodies, and also academia.
It acts as the portal for responses to consultations on
technical issues, and coordinates inputs to standards
and regulatory development. The Forum also prepares
technical guidance, codes of practice documents and
factsheets which are freely downloadable from the
British Water website.
British Water has widened its strategy to include
water-related environmental and sustainability issues
in other industry sectors in its area of influence.
This has expanded the Technical Forum’s range
of activities considerably, requiring challenging
realignments of focus with members’ needs within the
wider remit.
The objectives of the Technical Forum are:
• To promote collaboration, innovation and
communication amongst our members and third
parties
• To publicise our members’ experience on technical
issues affecting the water industry through focus
groups, publications and conferences
• To facilitate our members success and growth by
assisting with technology transfer within the global
water sector
• To raise industry standards through the development
of nationally recognised codes of practice
Focus Groups
The day-to-day work of the Technical Forum is carried
out by Focus Groups, each formed to deal with a
particular technical issue, or range of issues.
www.britishwater.co.uk
The Focus Groups currently operating are:
• Data and Analytics
• Extractive Industries
• Innovation
• Network Management
• Package Treatment Plant
• Surface Water Management
Technology Transfer
The Technical Forum coordinates technology transfer
within a global water sector for the benefit of member
companies, assimilating and processing innovative
ideas, products and services from all over the world.
It also organises outward and inward technology
transfer and study tours to countries which have
innovative technologies applicable to the UK.
The Technical Forum facilitates the dialogue between
academia and industry, through visits, workshops and
periodic communications.
Commercial Activities
The Technical Forum highlights, to an ever-widening
audience, the technical experience of the British
Water membership through conferences, seminars
and other networking events, training courses and
publications.
Raising Industry Standards
The Technical Forum aims to raise industry standards
through the development of codes of practice
that become nationally recognised standards. Our
members have a key role in providing inputs based on
their expertise to those documents.
The Technical Forum has worked in the last years
close to stakeholders across the UK to collaborate and
find a common approach to the problems caused by
Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) in the sewers. Under the
British Water umbrella, the FOG Forum was created,
and lately invigorated, facilitating a co-operative
dialogue across all the parties involved and affected
by FOG. To raise industry standards and help raise
awareness, the Grease Contractors‘ Association was
created and supported from the beginning. Soon,
clarity will be brought to the adverse intersection
between hospitality and water industries.
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