An innovative new product is helping to keep taps flowing across Essex and Suffolk, even during leaks and bursts.
Essex & Suffolk Water has unveiled its latest invention to improve things for customers – a mobile pressured water supply unit, also known as ‘MoWBi’.
It can be delivered to the site of burst pipes and leaks, and connected into customers’ homes to keep their taps flowing, in the event of an interruption to their normal water supply – similar to a back-up generator when power outages occur.
The idea first came about in 2020 in collaboration with specialists, Furst Technologies, while looking for ways to help protect those who are most in-need if their water was to go off.
Working together, the organisations designed and built an initial prototype before turning it into a legitimate version to be used on site.
The MoWBi unit holds about 120 litres of water – enough to see a household through for about six hours if they’re using it to flush the toilets, have a drink or make a cup of tea.
MoWBis can be used individually, but when linked together, they can support the larger water demand needs of lots of customers. This was tested earlier this year when a nursery of more than 80 children in Chelmsford was kept open and in supply using a set of MoWBi units during repairs to a burst pipe.
Essex & Suffolk Water and Furst Technologies have now also developed the ‘ToWBi’, which is a large-scale version of the MoWBi and designed to support the water needs of whole streets of houses, apartment blocks, and commercial properties.
Stuart Sullivan, Customer Field Services Area Manager for Essex & Suffolk Water, said:
“MoWBi and ToWBi are game-changing ideas which mean we can keep our customers’ taps flowing during work to fix a burst or a leak. It’s particularly useful for those customers who are on our Priority Services Register and are vulnerable or have specific medical requirements.
“We know how distressing it can be when water supplies go off and we’ll always do what we can to reroute water through the network to prevent this from happening. Sometimes though, it’s just not possible and it’s in cases like this that we can deploy MoWBi and ToWBi directly to the site to continue to support our customers.”
Conrad Baxter, Managing Director of Furst Technologies, said:
“I am delighted to have worked closely with the dedicated team from Essex & Suffolk Water in developing this pioneering product.
“It totally meets the design criteria we set out to achieve. Both MoWBi and ToWBi are able to be deployed quickly in an emergency and maintain a drinking water supply when and where it’s required.”
Essex & Suffolk Water continues to operate a Priority Services Register, which means it will also deliver bottled water during a lengthy interruption to supply to those customers signed up to receive extra support.
