Green innovation for the water sector is needed – here’s how you can help

The water sector uses up to 3% of the total energy in the UK (source: Environment Agency) because water and wastewater require much energy to transport through pipes. The sector’s complex infrastructure is crucial to delivering clean drinking water. However, it is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including droughts, unpredictable weather and storm deluges.

Urgent adaptations are necessary to make the water system resilient, efficient and sustainable while ensuring the natural environment is enhanced and protected.

To this effect, Ofwat Senior Director, John Russell recently spoke at edie’s #SustyTalk podcast about the urgency for new ways of innovating in the water sector. Green innovations, in particular, will be instrumental in making the sector fit for the future.

A transcript of the interview is available here (PDF, 99 KB)

Our new competition, the Water Discovery Challenge, will support bold and ingenious innovations that can help solve these and other pressing challenges facing the sector today and in the future.

Discovery invites innovators from all sectors and backgrounds to bring their new perspectives and expertise to bear on these challenges. Up to 20 teams of the most promising innovators from outside the water sector will be awarded £50,000 to develop their ideas, with expert support and mentoring from water companies. Up to 10 will go on to win £450,000 to turn ideas into pilots. The competition is open for entries until 5 April 2023.

Find out more and enter