Hydro Intl Share Discussion Threads

[rivaldo] 25/10/2007 09:16

Hmmmm....a bit of action here despite what looked like a 25k sell. Is there buying demand in the background?

[rivaldo] 18/10/2007 22:31

Alan, huge pressure is building on the Government - even from Labour supporters, let alone the City:



It wouldn't surprise me in the least if many of the CGT proposals were shelved, or at least postponed. Apparently the Treasury/Civil Service put this stuff in the Budget without consulting anyone in the business community. Unbelievable.

The moral is to do nowt until things have been finalised. Not that decisions on shares should be tax-driven anyway.

[alan russell] 18/10/2007 20:07

Thanks AE. I'm toying with the idea of selling - not a vote of non-confidence just need the cash. Usually I would sell my worst performers but since HYD has been on AIM 2+ years CGT at 10% beckons rather than 18% in future (assuming the gov don't change their minds - they won't do that would they? - unheard of!).

[nhb] 18/10/2007 18:04

GT just sold another 160,000 shares.

[rivaldo] 18/10/2007 16:16

News:



"Hydro`s Downstream Defender® Saves Threatened Wetland
16-Oct-2007

A PRECIOUS part of London's remaining medieval common land has been saved from the threat of pollution from nearby highways with a simple solution using Hydro's Downstream Defender. Mouchell Parkman, on behalf of the Highways Agency, contacted Hydro about the innovative hydrodynamic vortex separation device that saved Shortwood Pond, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, from serious pollution damage.

The precarious wetland habitat at Shortwood Pond off the A308 by the Crooked Billet roundabout is home to endangered species such as the Brown Galingale plant and the Little Whirlpool Ramshorn snail. It is part of Staines Moor, located at the eastern end of Colne Valley Park, which contains many Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Project engineer David Funchal, of Mouchel Parkman, explains: "The Victorian-dug Shortwood Pond is a chalk spring-fed water with no outlet. Road drainage work in the 1970s directed stormwater runoff into the pond and, in recent years, water quality has been declining, with an increase in black globular sediment smelling strongly of hydrocarbons.

"Increasing road traffic contributes to this pollution, and there was also no protection from a major spillage event. Working with Hydro, we have found the Downstream Defender® is ideally suited to protecting the pond, because it separates out and retains the sediments. The entrapped solids and sediments are not washed out by high storm flows as they would be in conventional gully pots. The hydrocarbons and floatable portions are also retained.

"The project was completed within a tight budget and kept to a small foot print. Apart from chamber emptying, maintenance is minimal. In fact we were able to oversize it to allow for up to 50 litres/sec and help to protect the site against future large storm events."

The increase in the fine black globular sediment was causing particular concern. A pond without outlets acts like a sump, and can accumulate sediment which blankets the plants and algae, leading to very poor, oxygen depleted water conditions. The Downstream Defender® and the more recently introduced Up-Flo Filter™ from Hydro International, which targets other micro pollutants, nutrients and heavy metals assist with high rate treatment of stormwater runoff from highways.

Staines Moor is one of the remaining pastures of the manor of Staines, having been unploughed for at least 1000 years and common land since 1065. Given its precarious location between Staines and other conurbations, preservation of the quality of the habitats in this river valley is of high importance to the Spelthorne Borough Council, Plantlife UK, Colne Valley Park, Groundwork Thames Valley and the Environment Agency.

Shortwood Pond, close to the River Ash, was dug in the 1850s to provide water from the chalk aquifer for cattle. In fact, there are many unique SSSIs located within the Staines area, thanks to the rich Thames Valley floodplain and the high water table with good quality water.

Balanced management policies with close collaboration between all interested parties are key to the survival of these unique legacies.

Technical note:
Hydro's Downstream Defender® is designed to provide effective silt and sediment separation at all levels of flow up to its designed maximum, with no power requirements and minimal maintenance limited to sump emptying. It is thus ideal for dealing with first flush and fluctuating flows occurring in high rainfall areas, as the quality of discharge is not compromised by storm flows."

[alter ego] 18/10/2007 15:04

alan russell, according to Sharescope the share price opened and closed at 98p on 12/4/05

[davebowler] 18/10/2007 14:15

Looking at the graph above, it was about 85p

[alan russell] 18/10/2007 14:10

I understand that HYD transferred to AIM on 12-4-05. Can anyone tell me the share price when it started trading on AIM please?

[charlie] 16/10/2007 13:40

While it is very long term it is interesting to reflect where pressure from the insurance companies may drive this.

That is a very good point. I actually don't think the insurance industry (in the shape of the ABI, for example) understands this very well itself yet. They're always bashing the govt. about spending on 'macro' flood defences, but that's a crude approach. WHat the insurers also ought to be doing (but aren't - yet) is to start taking an interest in the technical quality of drainage systems, and differentiating between houses and streets and districts partly on that basis.

Looking at the larger Hydro shareholders some of them may well have a view on this.

[rivaldo] 15/10/2007 14:11

Yep, yet another new institutional holding (including an Eco Water Fund) :o))

KBC Asset Managenent now have 6.23% (881,000 shares). Looking at the 10 over 3% holders and directors, these now own around 71% of the company - the free float is getting pretty tight!

[gac100] 15/10/2007 12:42

Just on my way out for lunch when this interesting development arrives

[davebowler] 12/10/2007 13:20

Anyone looked at Amiad -AFS another water play?

[rivaldo] 12/10/2007 08:17

Significant to see little ol' HYD quoted in a major US water pollution report. As this issue becomes bigger the federal authorities will have to address the funding shortfall:



"Report: Ohio among nation's top water polluters
By STEPHEN MAJORS | Associated Press Writer
6:20 PM EDT, October 11, 2007
COLUMBUS, Ohio

Ohio ranked first in the nation in the number of times its major factories and cities released an unauthorized amount of harmful chemicals and untreated sewage into waterways, according to a report released by an environmental group Thursday.

Cities and industrial facilities across the 50 states frequently deposited more pollution into the nation's waterways than the 1972 federal Clean Water Act allows, said the report from the nonprofit group Environment Ohio.

The group looked at 2005 water pollution data from cities and industries that were deemed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to release a significant amount of toxins into major waterways."

"Most communities upgrade by digging up old sewer systems and installing larger pipe, which causes fewer backups. A system that controls backups by temporarily storing runoff and more efficiently removing debris than conventional sewers costs less, said Robert Andoh, director of innovation for Hydro International, which designs such systems.

However, federal funding for replacing systems has dwindled since the Clean Water Act was enacted and cities are scrambling to find the money to upgrade, Andoh said.

"It's more due to political will than anything else," Andoh said. "That source of funding has started to dry up, but the needs have not gone away.""

[rivaldo] 10/10/2007 14:53

Indeed - the same principle as for any other form of insurance (high-crime areas have to pay more for their insurance etc).

Just to clarify, the sums of money to be spent on flood defences PER ANNUM are very large indeed:



"The amount spent will rise incrementally from £600m this year to £650m in 2008/9, £700m in 2009/10 and then £800m in 2010/11."

[alan russell] 10/10/2007 13:41

While it is very long term it is interesting to reflect where pressure from the insurance companies may drive this. At present they maintain a common position averaging out flood losses across the country. It just takes one to decide to charge more for postcodes with a history of flooding for the common position to fall apart. If one charges more for such buildings then they can charge less for flood free areas, everyone there switches their business to that company and the other insurers must follow suit or sustain big losses. Screams from householders in flood risk areas - flood defences become the number one political issue - who knows where that would lead?

[rivaldo] 10/10/2007 12:56

Not really alan, my comment was in relation to the post about the meaning of "flood relief"!

Comment today seems to be that the increase to £800m is less than was expected or required. Nevertheless, it only needs a few crumbs from this table at any time to have a profound impact on HYD's profitability.

Incidentally, there was a one hour discussion on Radio 5 Live this morning about flooding and insurance riska, and one contributor actually mentioned SUDS and the necessity for overflow systems to be introduced for new developments etc. This was obviously extremely technical/highbrow as regards this programme and the presenter was impressed!

[alan russell] 09/10/2007 22:39

Rivaldo, tsk tsk, you're being a wee bit harsh on ae.

To quote from the Treasury Report, page 10

"This includes increasing funding for flood and coastal erosion risk management from £600 million in 2007-08 to £800 million in 2010-11"

So the increase is £200m, less impressive than "£800m by 2010". More to the point anyone who thinks this means it will be spent in that timescale really hasn't been paying attention in the last 10 years. The words, as ever, are "increased funding" not increased spending. This enables a big number headline without having to spend that much, or indeed any, actual money. In all fairness this probably means some increased spending in say five years time, scarcely likely to impress the market tomorrow, and indicates things are continuing to move the right direction for HYD.

BTW anyone reading above and panicking over the annual CGT allowance can relax; it remains in place.

[rivaldo] 09/10/2007 16:40

Eh? How does one relieve potential flooding without investment or defences?!Alter ego, hope you don't mind me saying, but you seem perhaps a little too quick to post - perhaps wait a little bit and consider your answers a bit more deeply?

Right, here's confirmation:



"The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs budget will rise to £4bn in three years' time, including £800m by 2010 for flood defences."

[alter ego] 09/10/2007 16:15

"relief" doesn't sound like "investment" or "defence" but as you say, wait and see.

[rivaldo] 09/10/2007 15:50

Our Darling Chancellor has just announced money for flood relief, have to wait to see the detail.