The future of the water sector: Insights from the judges of the Water Breakthrough Challenge 2

Appreciating the value of water

Changes are already in the making of course, and data will undoubtedly have a central role to play in understanding the value of water and driving long-term innovation. Catalyst judge and Knowledge Transfer Manager at KTN, Nicole Ballantyne, said:

“As the data economy has grown, and intelligence of remote systems became ever more prevalent, trusted and understood, the overall understanding of the water ‘system’ has improved massively, and the readily available granular detail helps the continuous drive for ‘productivity’ (by productivity, I mean less energy & less waste to assure consistent quality).  

Why we water our gardens and flush our toilets with drinking water is an enigma, and in 2050, we appreciate more the true COST of water – it’s too cheap now for it to be a sacred resource for most in the UK (a few more water scarce periods in the next decade should raise this up the priority list). The drive for NetZero has impacted the sector, and as energy sources are converted to green substitutes, we appreciate the need for even higher efficiency in our water ‘systems’.  

The data I referred to previously ensures investment is directed at the areas of most need, and consumers have seen their bills rise to cover those costs – so ensuring equity of supply across all users is paramount (but easy, as we understand the system so much more). 

Exciting innovations like autonomous leak detection and repair robots, real time water quality monitoring, and the acceptance that not all water is equal, but it doesn’t have to all be drinking water quality – i.e., higher utilisation of rainwater harvesting supports cost reduction, and decentralised investments assure appropriate water quality closer to point of use.”

And Transform judge Jane Davidson, Pro-Vice Chancellor University of Wales Trinity Saint David shared her vision of a sector successfully looking after our water environments:

“Following Well-being of Future Generations’ Acts in all countries in the UK, Britain’s precious water supplies are carefully managed with very tough regulatory regimes and increasing penalties to prevent all wastage, leaks and pollution. Over 85% of rivers and seas are now in good condition with successful habitat restoration; with plans to achieve 100% by 2060. The UK leads the word in demonstrating that clean water underpins all life by valuing it accordingly.”

Creating a better service for customers

Catalyst judge Adam Scorer, CEO at NEA Wales, focused his forecast on the services that could be made available to customers in the future, which would not only improve consumer experience but also reduce impact:

“The 80 million people in the UK, living as most do in homes with minimal environmental impact, zero carbon emissions and super-intelligent resource management systems, have grown used to services that have brought climate and consumer imperatives together in the most intuitive way. Smart domestic services that do the heavy lifting regarding energy and water efficient appliances, healthy, cost-efficient consumption patterns and that link domestic usage to a profound understanding of the local ecology of rain and water cycles. 

It seems remarkable that we ever spent so much time exhorting people to use water a tiny bit more efficiently with next to no corroboration of value and when their homes, appliances, heating systems, consumer goods and local infrastructure all worked against the goal.  So much has changed. Of course, by then we had also left behind the extraordinary idea that access to the basic essentials for life and health such as water should ever be compromised because of income.”

Transform judge and Data Consultant Steven Steer, CPhys, PhD, also reflected on services and the key aspect of their integration for a more sustainable future:

“By 2050 I hope tackling climate change is old news, or else we’ve all got big, big problems. I want to see a water sector that is trailblazing solutions to the next, bigger and more complex challenge. 

I, of course, look forward to a raft of sustainable water services that make much greater, inclusive, and digitalised application of information and that are integrated with other economic sectors; but, for me accomplishing this is just the basics. 

By 2050, I want to see a water sector that has innovated solutions that make ongoing adaptation to its services rapid and easy to make, so that we are always capable of facing-off the existential uncertainties and challenges that nature will continue testing us with.”

Making the reuse of resources a priority

What could change in terms of approaches and ways of working? Transform judge Frank Rogalla, Director of Innovation and Technology, Aqualia (Spain), shared a wish for full circularity and reuse of resources:

“The notion of waste-water will no longer exist, as the concept of circular economy allows to reduce impacts, reuse the resources and recycle water and materials from our water systems. 

The new approach is based on decentralized resource recovery, separating greywater, yellow water and blackwater at the source – instead of flushing it all down the drain, too far away to be able to reuse it efficiently, and wasting hundreds of liters of clean water in the process. 

As blackwater contains energy, yellow water contains fertilizer and greywater is easy to reuse, the carbon footprint of the water cycle can be made positive by avoiding all the pumping and extracting all the value locally.”

The Transform judge Niki Roach, Director and Co-Founder of Axia Origin, projected a similar idea for the use of water resources, and wastewater in particular:

“Our individual demand for high quality potable water will have reduced and we’ll be using individual and community scale greywater and rainwater solutions to meet much more of our needs. Ownership and maintenance of grey and rainwater solutions is co-delivered by water companies to maintain high standards of public health. 

We’ll understand that our wastewater system couldn’t continue to operate if kept treating it like a rubbish bin. Wet wipes blocking sewers will be a story we tell rather than a reality and we’ll have realised the energy potential from fats, oils and greases and localised recovery will happen rather than disposal. 

Our streets and rooftops will feel like green corridors, enabling improved biodiversity and air quality and allowing us to be prepared for the heavier and more frequent rainfall events that we experience.”

Leading the way through collaboration

Transform judge Dr Anusha Shah, Senior Director of Resilient Cities, Arcadis, envisioned a future where England and Wales have led the way with a new leadership model:

“On the global stage, England and Wales are seen as role models for having helped avert the climate and nature emergency, redesigned systems that have significantly transformed water quality in rivers for better, improved the quality of lives for communities, ended water, energy and digital poverty, and reversed the biodiversity decline.

A big contributor to this has been a strong ethos of placing health of the people and planet at the heart of decision making, by setting up a new inclusive and ethical leadership model, robust governance framework, cross- collaborative systems at every level: from policy to planning, design and implementation and by establishing a single organisation that deals with the entire water system from the catchment where water drops to where it ends in the ocean.”

Indeed, the challenges facing the sector are too great for the organizations in the sector to tackle them on their own. Lila Thompson, Catalyst judge and Chief Executive at British Water, painted an inspiring picture of how stakeholders will have maximised their collaborative efforts:

“Water custodians (the supply chain, water companies, government departments, regulators, academia etc.) are symbiotically working together to deliver water and wastewater services for the benefit of customers and the environment. 

The 5-year AMP cycle is no more with longer-term 20-25 year plans embedded containing periodic stage gates to assess progress. Duplication of effort in procurement practices and the adoption of innovation have been eliminated.  

Spring has transformed the way innovation is adopted: water companies are working effectively with a range of innovators on desired outcomes.”

A similar stimulating vision was shared by Tony Conway, Visiting Professor at Sheffield University and member of both Catalyst and Transform judging panels:

“Our water sector has grown a collaborative innovation capability which is recognised across wider industry as leading edge. Water companies, regulators, supply chain and academia have developed collaboration pathways which have dramatically accelerated the development and deployment of innovative technology and ways of working. 

Our industry has delivered on its net zero ambitions with water companies, customers and the supply chain collaborating together in joint endeavour. The water sector is characterised by sustainable ways of working, from a focus on employing natural solutions, to the recovery and reuse of resources, and more. We have also conquered leakage. 

Adopting a systems thinking approach, the resilience of the water sector’s asset base and ability to deliver services to customers has been enhanced with the capability to adapt to wide ranging challenges, in terms of both severity and frequency. 

Data is freely shared across the sector and leveraged to deliver hitherto unimaginable actionable insight. Exploitation of new digital technologies, with devices interacting across systems, has vastly enhanced operational capability and played a very substantial part in delivering near zero interruptions to water supply and near zero uncontrolled wastewater discharges. 

There are no customers who find themselves in water poverty. Our customers and communities are highly engaged, valuing water for the precious commodity it really is.”

What if this could all be reality in 2050? The Water Innovation Fund is contributing to stimulating innovation and collaboration in the sector to ensure the future looks as close as possible to the snapshots from the future shared by Catalyst and Transform judges. In the words of Paul O’Callaghan, Transform judge and Founder & CEO of BlueTech Research and Brave Blue World:

“Audacious projects were sparked by the Ofwat innovation competitions, which were introduced in 2021 and combined technologies in bold and visionary ways. Utility-led and drawn from multiple vendors, these initiatives were key to stimulating genuine breakthroughs in water innovation in England and Wales, delivering social and environmental regeneration. The real value has proven to be the intensity of collaboration fostered, and how it lets people dream big and undertake transformational action on water to address the climate crisis.”