Why water companies need a WIMES UPS

A WIMES (Water Industry Mechanical and Electrical Specifications) UPS (uninterruptible power supply) is a must have for water companies who want to meet their AMP commitments.

Water companies need UPS systems to protect critical process control equipment, and critical infrastructure (valves and pumps) in water treatment and wastewater treatment processes.

And UPS systems must meet WIMES (Water Industry Mechanical and Electrical Specifications) requirements.

AMP7 (Asset Management Period 7), planned by the UK water industry, is coming to an end in 2025. As water companies prepare for AMP8, which starts on 1st April 2025, they’re very aware that this will be the final period before the sector’s 2030 net zero pledge.

Part of those preparations will be to make sure they’re using the right equipment. This will help them improve efficiencies, keeping the power on and the water running.

What is WIMES?

The WIMES protocol is a set of guidelines covering the basic specifications for equipment used by water companies and at water sites across the UK.

WIMES gives you a baseline for choosing equipment to help you reach your efficiency targets.

The UK water industry is leading the way with this protocol. It’s forward thinking like this which has the sector on track to achieve net zero two decades before the country-wide target.

WIMES guidelines have been created thanks to the collaboration of these water companies: 

WIMES defines and sets out requirements and key specifications such as: 

• 3.07: Uninterruptible Power Supplies

• 3.06: Diesel Powered Generator Sets and Installations

• 3.11: MV Distribution and Power Transformers (1-22 kV)

To find out more information about WIMES, you can find the descriptions in the WIMES Document Area, or you can download the PDF by registering with the website.

AMP7 is coming to an end

AMP (Asset Management Period) cycles were introduced after the water industry was privatised in 1989. Their initial purpose was to modernise infrastructure and meet EU limits for water quality.

In later years, the focus shifted to minimising operational costs, increasing efficiencies, and making environmental improvements.

AMP7 is due to come to an end on 31st March 2025. It’s the seventh Asset Management Period planned by the UK water industry, running from 2020-2025.

Pledges made by water companies as part of AMP7 included decreasing interruption times, reducing leakage, and helping struggling customers out with their water bills. 

Ofwat also introduced 14 common performance commitments to ensure compliance with AMP7. These commitments cover areas like water quality, supply interruptions, pollution and flood risks, unplanned outages, and treatment works compliance.

To meet these commitments, it’s been imperative for water industry businesses to use WIMES-compliant power supply equipment.

How can water companies prepare for AMP8?

With AMP7 coming to an end soon, and AMP8 due to begin on 1st April 2025, what can water companies do to make sure they’re ready?

The landscape has changed over the past five years due to the fallout from the global pandemic, the impact of Brexit, and ongoing conflicts across the globe.

With rising costs across nearly every industry, there is an added pressure for water companies to adapt to the changing priorities during AMP8.

The priorities for AMP8 are:

• Social value

• Affordability

• Environment

To focus on these priorities, water companies will need to zero in on:

• Innovation to manage risk

• Reducing supply interruptions

• Planning to hit their environmental targets

• Managing customer satisfaction. 

A key part of working towards these goals is to make sure you’re using high quality technology and WIMES compliant equipment.

Choosing a WIMES UPS

Here at Dale Power Solutions, we have a range of WIMES compliant equipment to help you meet your obligations to customers and to the environment. 

Ofwat is clamping down on inefficiencies in the industry. So, to avoid fines for not meeting your AMP7 or AMP8 commitments, it’s really important to look at the compliance of your equipment. 

Our WIMES and Harsh Environment UPS equipment protects your assets by providing critical power systems for extreme environments.

This UPS range is designed especially for WIMES. Catering for rugged and harsh environments, and available for both commercial and industrial applications, we have a range of customisable products. We can adapt them to your needs. So, you’ll get the right UPS to meet your site’s requirements.

Available in both single and three phase, our WIMES and Harsh Environment series offers:

• Batteries with a 10-year design life.

• An ingress protection (IP) rating of up to IP55. So your UPS is fully protected, preventing water and dust ingress, which can lead to damage and system failures. 

• An alarm card, which can connect to multiple alarms, alerting you to power failure, battery issues and system errors.

 Our UK-wide engineering teams are specially trained for dangerous and harsh environments. So, we can also handle all the installation and commissioning. Wherever you are, and whatever your circumstances. 

To find out more, you can read about our WIMES UPS range, email us at hello@dalepowersolutions.com, or call us on +44 (0)330 999 3000.