Welcome to Valveacademy®
Your premier destination for mastering valve technology and infrastructure in dam and reservoir management. Our courses are tailored for consultants, engineers, operators, and students alike, providing you with the practical knowledge and skills necessary to excel in the industry.
Water companies in the UK are embarking on a transformative journey between 2025 and 2030. A staggering £96 billion is earmarked for the replacement and upgrading of the existing water infrastructure. This monumental investment represents the largest water infrastructure renewal programme in Europe, reflecting the urgency of modernising assets to ensure resilience against growing climate impacts and population pressures.
The central goals of this initiative are multifaceted. By upgrading ageing pipes, treatment plants, and reservoirs, water companies aim to reduce leakage, enhance water quality and sustain the environment. This programme represents not just an investment in the network, but a commitment to a sustainable future, ensuring that the water system can support communities and industries long-term.
Additionally, the PR24 framework outlined by the water sector underscores the importance of innovation and efficiency. By integrating cutting-edge technologies and adopting best practices, water organisations can achieve these ambitious objectives more efficiently and effectively
Our courses are taught by Dr Aadil Rafiq, a highly experienced design engineer and PhD holder. With over 10 years of experience, Dr Rafiq has led the design, manufacture, and testing of valves for sectors including water, oil and gas, energy, and cryogenics. He was instrumental in the design and installation of the world’s largest gate valve for TRWD-USA.
Ideal For
ValveAcademy courses are carefully curated for professionals across the water, dam, and engineering sectors. Whether you're managing infrastructure or advancing your expertise, our programmes offer practical insight tailored to real-world needs.
- 🔹 Reservoir Panel Engineers (ARPE)
- 🔹 Supervising Engineers (SE)
- 🔹 Valve Keepers/Operators
- 🔹 Valve Owners/Undertakers
- 🔹 Consultants/Designers
- 🔹 Enforcement Authorities (EA/DEFRA)
- 🔹 Student Engineers
- 🔹 Blackhall Valvologists®
Courses We Offer
(VA001). RIGHT FIRST TIME
Audience: All Reservoir Panel Engineer (ARPE)/Inspecting Engineers (Design & Inspection, S10), Designer/Consultant, Blackhall Valvolgists ®
Synopsis: For consultants and professional engineers who are involved with new dam construction, valves and pipeline systems, as well as modifications and increasing draw down capacity. The course also includes design considerations of syphons as well as end of life replacement philosophies. The course shows the true cost of failure with true life examples.
Key Themes: DAM & RESERVOIR VALVES: SELECTION STRATEGIES AND FAILURE PREVENTION
Modules:
- Correct Valve Selection
- Failure Modes
- Replacing old valves with new- the pitfalls.
- Upgrades and modifications.
- Syphon design and principles.
(VA002). MISSION CAPABLE
Audience: All Reservoir Panel Engineer (ARPE)/Inspecting Engineers (Design & Inspection, S10), Designer/Consultant, Owner/Undertaker, Student Engineer, Blackhall Valvolgists ®
Synopsis: An insight into the evolution of water valve standards highlighting the current inadequate national and international standards. What we can learn from our legacy assets and recent failures of modern standards used for framework valves. This course provides guidance to the industry on how to specify longevity, sustainability and achieve carbon reduction targets from intelligent valve specification and procurement.
Key Themes: EXCELLENCE IN DAM & RESERVOIR VALVES: STANDARDS, LONGEVITY, AND CARBON EFFICIENCY
Modules:
- Standards
- The 100 Year Valve®
- Carbon Savings
- Examples of valves on test!
- Current reality – Valves Not Tested to destruction but operated to destruction!
(VA003). KNOW THE LIMITS
Audience: Keeper/Operator (Resource Engineer, Headworks Controller, Ranger), Supervising Engineers (SE) (Annual Inspection by SE, Reports to EA/ARPE (S10C), Visit & Submit Statement), Blackhall Valvolgists ®
Synopsis: This course seeks to educate the operators and keepers of critical valves, including supervising engineers. With the aim to reduce the risk of unsafe operation, either resulting in partial failure or potential catastrophic event or an uncontrolled release. A must for new and experienced operators for the undertaker’s peace of mind.
Key Themes: MASTERING VALVE OPERATIONS: SAFETY, COMPLIANCE, RISKS MITIGATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AVOIDANCE.
Modules:
- Safe operating Practice for operation and maintenance for dams & reservoir valves.
- How does it fail?
- Mitigation in events of Failure
- Regulation compliance failure.
- Environmental Impact
- Sequence of Operation.
(VA004). MISSION READY
Audience: Keeper/Operator (Resource Engineer, Headworks Controller, Ranger), Owner/Undertaker, Supervising Engineers (SE) (Annual Inspection by SE, Reports to EA/ARPE (S10C), Visit & Submit Statement), Blackhall Valvolgists ®
Synopsis: We are regularly being asked by Dam professionals “what does good look like?” With a lack of clarity in the legislation this course provides clarity and practical advice on how to maintain your valves based on over 50 years of experience. The purpose of this course is to shift current “reactive” mind set to a cost-effective “preventative” regime. Aimed at any owner or operator of valves this module delivers the key for compliance to surpass current and meet new impending new. The course also educates in the do’s and don’ts of various freeing up devises.
Key Themes: PROACTIVE VALVE MANAGEMENT IN DAMS & RESERVOIRS: MAINTENANCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND REPORTING
Modules:
- Safe Inspection-BOFIN™
- Asset Management-VAMP®
- WACHS/Freeing up devices good practice.
- Preventative Routines and Reporting.
(VA005 – CPD ONLY). DEAD AND BURIED
Audience: All Reservoir Panel Engineer (ARPE)/Inspecting Engineers (Design & Inspection, S10), Supervising Engineers (SE) (Annual Inspection by SE, Reports to EA/ARPE (S10C), Visit & Submit Statement), Keeper/Operator (Resource Engineer, Headworks Controller, Ranger), Owner/Undertaker, Blackhall Valvolgists ®
Synopsis: When is a valve at the end of its life? Your critical valves may appear to be at the end of life but often has suffered the ravages of time, poor maintenance and benign neglect. This course acknowledges the historical significance of these well engineered assets, potentially providing the owner very significant savings over a new valve and potentially doubles the asset life of an installed asset base. Part two of the course delivers ways to upgrade the valve with modification and actuation of your old assets.
Key Themes: SUSTAINING DAM & RESERVOIR VALVES: LIFE EXTENSION, INNOVATION, SUSTAINABILITY, SHORTER LEAD TIMES AND CARBON REDUCTION.
Modules:
- renoV8™
- Modification/Actuation
- End of Life and re-purpose options.
- Sustainability
- Carbon Reduction and…
- Carbon Calculator
- Case studies
(VA006 – CPD ONLY). THE FUTURE- GOING DIGITAL
Audience: All Reservoir Panel Engineer (ARPE)/Inspecting Engineers (Design & Inspection, S10), Supervising Engineers (SE) (Annual Inspection by SE, Reports to EA/ARPE (S10C), Visit & Submit Statement), Owner/Undertaker, Enforcer (EA/DEFRA etc.), Student Engineer, Blackhall Valvolgists ®
Synopsis: The how and why to make your dumb assets SMART. With an aging asset base and lack of finance to replace all aging infrastructure, this course shows us the future. Maximising performance at a relative low-cost using digital solutions to extend the life and predict failure of older assets with continuous monitoring. The course is brought alive with live demonstrations and good debate. The afternoon session provides details of other modern techniques at the engineer’s disposal in assessing the condition of valves and pipes using latest NDT techniques- both internally and externally.
Key Themes: DIGITAL EVOLUTION IN DAM & RESERVOIR VALVES: AI, ANALYTICS, AND PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE. USE OF NDT (Non- Destructive Techniques).
Modules:
- valvematrix®
- IOT/AI
- Putting onto Digital Platform
- Shifting from a reactive/ preventative to predictive maintenance regimes.
- Diagnostics- use of data and Analytics to predict failure and optimise service intervals.
- Remote monitoring and diagnostics.
Become EUSR Accredited
Candidates need to attend courses VA001 & VA002 or VA003 & VA004 back-to-back to be awarded the EUSR card.
Pathway One
VA001 & VA002
VA001 – Right First Time
VA002 – Mission Capable
Pathway Two
VA003 & VA004
VA003 – Know the Limits
VA004 – Mission Ready
EUSR Card Awarded: Upon successful completion of either back-to-back pathway, candidates will be awarded the EUSR card.
Course Details
Duration:
Each course is 1 day in length.
Format:
Courses are delivered live in person, incorporating a mix of hands-on learning and presentation slides for the more technical aspects.
Completion Requirements:
Candidates must complete 3 courses to receive their CPD‑Recognised Valvology® Certification, aligned with professional development standards across the water and utilities sector. This certification is valid for 3 years and can be refreshed through additional CPD training.
Certification:
Upon completion, customers receive a CPD‑Recognised Valvology® Certification, which is valued across the utility and infrastructure sectors as part of ongoing professional development.
Course Schedule
Course dates will be announced soon. Register now to ensure you're among the first to be notified when registration opens. Registered users will receive an exclusive email invitation once the dates are confirmed.
What Our Delegates Say
“The safety-focused modules on operational limits are extremely relevant to our day-to-day roles.”
Catchment Engineer
Environment Agency
“The hands-on experience with the valve setups really helped cement the theory.”
Graduate Engineer
Environment Agency
“A very informative course, delivered well with practical, relevant examples.”
Engineer
Environment Agency
“Great balance between technical depth and practical application. The instructors were outstanding.”
Engineering Manager
Environment Agency
The Smartest Career Investment You’ll Make This Year
Advance your engineering expertise with CPD-recognised valve training designed for the future of water infrastructure. Learn from real-world case studies, prevent failures before they happen, and stand out with a Valvology® Certification trusted across the utility sector.
