A stringent regulatory environment is expected to drive greater demand for certified instruments, third-party inspection services, and technical support, says Vincent Favre, Flow-Tronic.
Advancements in flow and level measurement technology are enabling more precise monitoring of water and wastewater systems.
Instrumentation available today combines data logging, signal conversion, and real-time display into a single unit, giving operators access to accurate measurements for open-channel and full-pipe applications.
In the battle against inefficiency, systems can interface with velocity and level sensors, translating raw signals into standardised units of flow, velocity, and liquid level.
Enhanced data management is a central feature of this technology. Onboard memory systems with configurable export formats provide secure, reliable access to both historical and real-time measurements.
Operators can track trends, generate reports, and share data across teams, supporting better operational decisions and reducing uncertainty in critical monitoring tasks.
Touchscreen displays and intuitive user interfaces make it easier to assess system status and respond quickly to changing conditions.
All these user-friendly and data-centric features allow for more peace of mind and lead to better decision-making when managing water and wastewater flows.
Data export and compatibility with analysis software are also vital. Modern systems generate standardised reports that simplify compliance verification, trend analysis, and identification of inefficiencies.
This capability allows operators to not only observe current conditions but also predict trends and optimise long-term performance.
Challenges and Opportunities in the UK Utility Market
The UK’s updated Monitoring Certification Scheme for Equipment (MCERTS) standard defines how drinking water and wastewater sites must measure and verify effluent and trade discharges.
Introduced under the Environmental Permitting Regulations, it sets a measurement uncertainty limit of +/- 8 percent at 95 percent confidence for effluent flow, while requiring certified equipment, verified installation, and formal management systems for maintenance, data integrity, and internal audits.
Sites must maintain MCERTS certification through regular inspections every five years.
For operators, these requirements bring tighter scrutiny of measurement accuracy and a need for traceable, certified and reliable systems.
Utilities and industrial dischargers must pursue flow-metering solutions and data management tools that meet these precision and documentation standards. This stringent regulatory environment is expected to drive greater demand for certified instruments, third-party inspection services, and technical support, raising the overall standard for data quality and environmental accountability across the UK water industry.
Impacts on UK operators
Many operators still rely on traditional systems like flumes and weirs, despite more recent advances in non-contact radar velocity measurement that have shown to outperform older systems.
When managing and operating a municipal or industrial facility with limited budget and competing needs, cost concerns are often top of mind.
Resistance to moving to a velocity measurement has also historically stemmed from a preference for time-tested solutions and a cautious regulatory culture rather than cost alone. In combined sewer overflow networks, for example, thousands of flow events across the UK are measured each year using level-only systems.
Retrofitting modern instruments can be difficult since many sewer and treatment systems were not designed with flow monitoring in mind.
Instruments are often installed wherever space allows, leading to uncertainty in data quality and compliance challenges.
While these concerns are valid, an increasingly strict regulatory framework and ageing infrastructure can mean that traditional systems require upgrades. At times, the value of greater accuracy and broader insights can outweigh concerns about cost and the resources needed for an upgrade.
Education has become a growing priority within the industry. Engineers and contractors are often responsible for specifying flowmeters after project designs are complete, leaving little room for optimisation.
To address this, suppliers are offering more training and workshops to improve understanding of flow measurement principles. Still, many installations occur only when required by regulation, particularly under MCERTS standards. Compliance pressures can lead to hasty equipment choices, with some utilities selecting certified devices that are not optimised to specific applications.
Ultimately, flow measurement systems must be economical, easy to use, reliable, and compatible with existing SCADA or telemetry systems.
Strong after-sales support and data compatibility with common software are equally important. As monitoring standards rise, suppliers face the challenge of meeting these practical demands while aligning with the higher accuracy and traceability now required under MCERTS.
As these technologies continue to evolve, they offer operators the flexibility, precision, and reliability needed to meet daily operational challenges better than ever before.
Accurate measurement is increasingly recognised as a cornerstone of effective water and wastewater management, providing the confidence and insight necessary for long-term system planning and working towards more efficient management of their water flows.
