Dear Members, It has recently come to our attention that a number of training providers are either offering or developing courses for the drainage industry. This is in addition to existing providers delivering training that is not approved by NADC. As you are aware, the NADC’s training division, the National Drainage Academy, delivers a comprehensive range of well-established courses covering all key aspects of day-to-day operations. These include CCTV surveying, HPWJ, electro-mechanical work, lining, and excavation and repair. All courses are endorsed by Energy & Utility Skills. While the NADC/National Drainage Academy does utilise third-party training providers, every course and trainer is subject to a rigorous vetting process prior to approval. The NADC remains fully committed to raising industry standards through certification and supporting opportunities for our members. To maintain these standards, it is essential that we apply consistent due diligence, ensuring quality is upheld for the benefit of stakeholders, contractors, and, most importantly, their clients. We strongly encourage all drainage contractors—whether current NADC/Drain-Safe members or those considering joining—to verify with us which training courses are officially recognised. It has become evident that some external courses do not meet the required standards and will therefore not be accepted. As many of you will know, the Drain-Safe approved contractor scheme continues to gain significant recognition among key stakeholders, including water companies, local authorities, and professional trade associations. Increasingly, NADC/Drain-Safe accreditation is being specified within tender documents. It is therefore vital that field engineer certification aligns with the high standards and quality associated with the Drain-Safe ethos. A full list of approved training courses and providers is available on the National Drainage Academy website at www.nationaldrainageacademy.co.uk, or by contacting Martin Beattie on 07531 239 372

Calling all Drainage engineers in the Anglian Water Region! Come and meet the NADC & DrainSafe Teams and discover how your drainage business could benefit from the recently announced tie up with Anglian Water. This will be an informal event consisting of a brief presentation followed by an opportunity to network and find out more about NADC membership, becoming a DrainSafe accredited contractor and details of the Anglian Water Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). NADC/DrainSafe Anglian Water Engagement Evening | Thursday 5th February 6-8pmGirton Golf Club (Cambridge) LtdDodford LaneGirtonCB3 0QE Jane Taylor, Head of Customer Service at Anglian Water will be available to answer any questions you may have. Martin Beattie and Peter Stacey will also be there to support with any training/certification advice. Attendance is free of charge with tea/coffee and light refreshments available. Tickets are free, but don’t forget to reserve your spot here: NADC/DrainSafe Anglian Water Engagement Evening Tickets, Thu, 5 Feb 2026 at 18:00 | Eventbrite

Anglian Water announce tie up with DrainSafe New relationship aimed at protecting customers and improving satisfaction levels Anglian Water has announced that they have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DrainSafe, the approved contractor scheme for drainage contractors set up by the National Association of Drainage Contractors (NADC). The MoU provides that Anglian Water customers who have problems or issues with private drains will be directed to DrainSafe to identify a responsible contractor near them.  Jane Taylor, Head of Customer Service at Anglian Water said: ‘we are pleased to be working with DrainSafe to ensure that our customers are dealing with responsible, qualified and competent contractors. DrainSafe sets a very high bar for registration, and it is important for us to know that all their registered contractors have signed up to the DrainSafe Code of Conduct. Mark Jarvis, Chair of DrainSafe commented ‘we are delighted that Anglian water have agreed to direct their customers to DrainSafe when there are problems with their drains. We are confident that DrainSafe registered contractors will provide a consistent high quality service for Anglian Water customers. The MoU will take effect as soon as there is sufficient coverage of DrainSafe registered contractors in  the Anglian Water region. Anglian Water becomes the second water company to work with DrainSafe following the successful arrangement with Wessex Water introduced in 2023. To find out more about DrainSafe please click here

On Wednesday 26th November 2025, the drainage industry gathered to celebrate its finest at the annual National Drainage Awards, hosted this year at Charlton Athletic FC in South-East London. For many in drainage and civil-engineer trades, day-to-day work is gritty, essential, and rarely publicly acknowledged. The Awards offers a unique moment of recognition. A big thank you to all who attended, all who sponsored the awards, and Congratulations to all of our nominees and winners! Here is the list of the winners! SMALL CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR West Country Drainage Services Ltd REGIONAL CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR BioMarsh  NATIONAL CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR Biomarsh IRISH CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR McBreen Environmental OVERALL CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR Quality Drainage INDIVIDUAL OPERATIVE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Barry Boyd – TW Drainage THE OFFICE HERO/HEROINE AWARD Natalie Ovel, Flowline Limited APPRENTICE/TRAINEE OF THE YEAR Anisha Trim – FM Conway/ Flowline  SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPION OF THE YEAR West Country Drainage Services Ltd SPECIALIST SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR Roadvacs LARGE SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR Bucher Municipal INNOVATION OF THE YEAR AWARD Mc Breen environmental  INNOVATION OF THE YEAR AWARD Mc Breen environmental  LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Damien McBreen THE FOUNDERS AWARD Martin Beattie – London Drainage And here are some more photos of the awards!

One Year On: What’s Blocking Britain’s Drains? Last year, the National Association of Drainage Contractors (NADC) and DrainSafe teamed up to ask our members a simple question: “What is the most common reason you find for a blocked drain?” The 2024 results painted a clear picture: 42.4% blamed fats, oils and grease (FOG) build-up. 40.7% pointed to inappropriate items being flushed — everything from wet wipes to nappies and even underwear. 8.5% cited misaligned pipes. 6.8% said tree roots. Back-ups from the sewer were too rare to register. Now, one year later, we’ve run the same survey — and the picture has shifted! 2025 results: Inappropriate items flushed: 33.3% (down 7.4%) Fats, oils and grease: 37.5% (down 4.9%) Misaligned pipes: 12.5% (up 4%) Roots: 8.3% (up 1.5%) Backing up from sewer: 8.3% (previously negligible) What’s behind the change? The drop in blockages caused by foreign objects could be a sign that public awareness campaigns are working. Over the past year, there’s been growing public discussion about sewer overflows — and how flushing wipes, sanitary products, and other items can make them more likely by restricting water flow and causing blockages. Campaigners have played a big role in getting that message across, using everything from social media to local events to highlight the environmental cost of poor flushing habits. It’s encouraging to see that this message appears to be cutting through — fewer inappropriate items in drains means fewer avoidable overflows and cleaner waterways. While this improvement is welcome, the rise in issues from misaligned pipes and sewer back-ups suggests more structural problems in the network. This could point to ageing infrastructure, shifting ground conditions, or heavier rainfall events putting extra strain on pipework. Roots are also creeping up (literally), showing that nature still plays a role in drain disruption. The takeaway: Education campaigns around flushing habits and FOG disposal seem to be having an effect — but keeping drains clear isn’t just about what goes down them. It’s also about maintaining and upgrading the infrastructure beneath our feet.

We are delighted to announce that NADC has teamed up with Assist Protect to offer their Van Assist product free to NADC members for 12 months. Van Assist provides UK wide accident recovery with a like for like replacement van up to 7.5 tonnes, to include water jetting equipment. Other features include Manufacturer approved repair that preserves the warranty, legal support, private medical care and expert advice from a 24/7 UK based helpline. See here to sign up In addition, Assist Protect offers members fuel cards providing a guaranteed 3p a litre discount on diesel and 2p a litre on petrol on forecourts across the country. The card can be used not only by members and their operatives, but also the family of members and their operatives. See here for more details – where it refers to cars this also includes vans As a final bonus, NADC members can also access all other Assist Protect products at very advantageous terms including motoring, motorbike and cycling cover free for the first year. We strongly encourage members to go to the special NADC Assist Protect web page (here) where full details of all the Scheme products and NADC deals will be found. To find out about more benefits of joining the NADC – Please click here