To support the rollout of Section 82 of the Environment Act, Adler & Allan convened a Westminster roundtable with water companies, regulators, and industry experts. The session explored the challenges and opportunities of continuous water quality monitoring (CWQM), offering strategic insights to guide implementation.
By Mike Williamson, Managing Director, Water Division, Adler & Allan
Strategic investment in learning
Participants agreed that investment in sensor technology is essential, not just to meet regulatory obligations, but to generate actionable data for future planning, including PR29. CWQM also helps demonstrate that water quality issues extend beyond utilities, implicating agriculture, highways, and other sectors. While concerns were raised about inefficiencies and limitations in current technologies, the rollout was seen as a beta phase, valuable for the lessons it will yield, not its perfection.
Unlocking innovation through standards review
A key barrier to innovation is the DEFRA Technical Standards V1 and its companion assurance document. These are viewed as overly prescriptive, favouring SONDE technologies and limiting alternatives. Table 1, which mandates Ion Selective Electrode (ISE) for ammonia detection, was singled out for criticism due to poor accuracy at low concentrations, precisely where ecological impact is greatest. Attendees advocated for the inclusion of emerging technologies like Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) and Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOF) to improve accuracy and resilience.
Data: Opportunity and risk
CWQM will generate billions of data points, but current standards and infrastructure are not ready to manage this volume. Key concerns included:
Validation: Algorithms are needed to detect drift and false positives.
Consistency: Assurance rules must be harmonised across companies.
Public trust: Raw data may be misinterpreted without context, risking confidence in the programme.
The group emphasised that success lies not in the number of sensors deployed, but in the quality and usability of the data. It must be meaningful to regulators, stakeholders, and the public.
Opex implications and efficiency
Poor deployment, or the deployment of inappropriate products, could lead to long-term inefficiencies. Frequent recalibration and cleaning, especially due to biofouling, could consume up to 50% of operational budgets. Safety risks from increased site visits and costly retrofits were also flagged. Strategic deployment is essential to balance compliance with long-term efficiency.
Restoring public trust
With only 23% of the public believing improvements will be delivered, CWQM offers a chance to rebuild trust. But this requires:
Actionable monitoring: Data must lead to interventions that improve river health.
Meaningful transparency: Data should be understandable and contextualised.
Proactive engagement: The public must be involved in shaping how data is presented and used.
Sensor deployment should not be treated as a target. Success must be measured by ecological and human health outcomes.
Enablers for success
Delivering Section 82 will require:
Partnerships: Collaboration between utilities, regulators, academia, and tech providers.
Innovation: Flexible standards to support emerging technologies.
Programme management: Shared learning and consistent delivery across the sector.
Water UK was identified as a potential convening body to support these efforts.
The Cunliffe Report: A mandate for flexibility
The roundtable endorsed Recommendation 26 of the Cunliffe Report, calling for a Government-led review of CWQM to assess effectiveness and value for money. This allows for course correction as technologies evolve. A three-phase model was proposed:
Now: Deploy sensors and gather data.
Next: Refine standards and scale up.
Later: Integrate new parameters and embed CWQM into catchment strategies.
Conclusion
The message was clear: don’t halt the rollout. Proceed strategically, learn continuously, and adapt collaboratively. Section 82 is a generational opportunity to transform water quality monitoring in the UK, success will depend on leadership, transparency, and a shared commitment to improving river health.
