South Staffs protects water intake with cutting edge systems

South Staffs Water (SSW) has Improved the security at one of its main reservoirs as part of AMP6, the latest Asset Management Programme in the water industry, using state of the art detection, alarms and fencing systems.

SSW appointed electronic and electrified perimeter security system experts Harper Chalice to secure the pier that allows engineers to access the reservoir intake.

Harper Chalice worked with steel fencing manufacturer Zaun for its HiSec Super10 fencing system – believed to be the first single mesh to be certified to Security Rating 2.

Designers, engineers and installers from Harper Chalice and Zaun worked alongside SSW’s main contractor, Integrated Water Services, to deliver the complete solution.

Zaun designed bespoke raked panels on the approach to prevent intruders from using the bridge handrails as climbing aids to scale the fencing, along with specialist design for Binns Fencing to install the panels from the inside at the water’s edge.

The fencing was further protected with Harper Chalice’s FenceSecure Perimeter Intrusion Detection system (PID), a CPNI approved PID system for protection of government specified sites of Critical National Infrastructure.

The 100% British solution was integrated into existing on-site security management systems and Galaxy alarms.

SSW resilience manager Kate Wilkes said: “We have used Harper Chalice PIDs on several sites across our estate and they have performed really well with low false alarm rates. This solution provides exceptional security for the reservoir intake.

South Staffs Water was formed in 1853 and now supplies high quality drinking water to 1.6 million people predominantly in the Black Country and Staffordshire, and since 2013 and a merger with Cambridge Water, in East Anglia.

Super10 was certified to LPS 1175 SR2 (certificate number 1164a/01) by the Loss Prevention Certification Board and entered into Issue 7 of the Red Book.