Water Treatment Works Security | Case Study

Perimeter Security for Water Treatment Works

One of the UK’s largest utility companies required adequate security protection to their portable water sites. At the site, water is treated from the local river supply which then supplies the local area. It is therefore important to ensure that the site is protected from any trespassers or any other miscreants who may be up to no good. It is imperative that sites of this nature are kept safe and secure to ensure that the water supplies to the public are kept as clean and safe as possible. The site is manned 24/7, and required additional security support to ensure the large site is kept safe and secure.

Project Brief for Water Treatment Works Security

The site required to be protected in line with the companies Risk-Based Approach (RBA) and security requirements from DEFRA with recommended security upgrades to the physical perimeter security fencing, video surveillance systems (VSS), access control and intruder detection systems.

Perimeter security fencing was required to be upgraded to at least LPS 1175 SR2 (B3) level with detection and access control and careful consideration to the surrounding forest, which is home to a number of animals, including Wild Boar. This causes a number of problems for the site including damage of the existing fence and potential water quality issues. In addition the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) are particularly interested in the vermin and pest control for the site so designing the security solution had to take this into consideration.

The Solution

Binns Security were appointed as principal contractor for CDM and project managed the whole project from start to finish including the co-ordination of works. Based on the requirements of the site Zaun’s HiSec Super SR2 fencing were selected to upgrade the existing non-rated perimeter fencing and gates to LPS1175 SR2 standards, providing the client with a perimeter fencing system with a guaranteed delay of at least 3 minutes.

Designed with a height of 2.4m as a minimum with a 358 anti-climb mesh configuration makes it very difficult to scale and prevents climbing aids. To combat vermin and pest control, the perimeter
fencing also required to be buried at 300mm, which stops the vermin and also prevents burrowing from any potential intruders.

Both pedestrian and vehicular gates were also upgraded to LPS1175 SR2 to match the fence line and provide operational access without compromising the security of the site. This single layered LPS1175 SR2 rated fencing system was accompanied with Harper Chalice’s perimeter intrusion detection system (PIDS) FenceSecure, which provides an early warning for any unauthorised access. This system provided a full perimeter PID system covering fencing, gates and pedestrian access points.

This PID system then integrated by Argus Services into a centralised monitoring and Security Management System (SMS) and provided an alarm for PTZ cameras to activate and provide a 100% visual verification of any PID alarm. A number of vulnerable points were identified that had no early warning of unauthorised access, despite an existing IDS system on site. All door contacts and detectors were replaced with alarms also feeding back into the SMS.

Access control was upgraded with a new security locking system installed at access points around the site with existing card readers removed and replaced with new access readers. Despite the restrictions forced upon the whole team due to COVID-19 the project (along with 2 others simultaneously) were delivered successfully to the agreed programme, budget and safely without any major impact on the client or solution.