NEWS
Dance4WASH: A Creative Approach to Water Advocacy
While attending Water Week online, I became particularly interested in Carolin Stüdemann's presentation on the Dance4WASH campaign. This innovative initiative, launched in 2023, is making a significant impact in Zambia, where access to clean water and sanitation is a...
Thames Water appoints Technical Partner for ‘nationally significant’ reservoir proposal
Thames Water has appointed Arup and Binnies (Arup Binnies joint venture) as its Technical Partner to lead development proposals for a vital new reservoir near Abingdon, in Oxfordshire.
The UK’s largest water company is working on the SESRO project (South...
Watertrain wins Small Supplier of the Year at the NWG GEM Awards
Specialist training provider, Watertrain, has won Small Supplier of the Year at the Northumbrian Water Group ‘Going the Extra Mile’ Awards 2024.
Watertrain, the UK’s leading provider of apprenticeships, qualifications and technical training to the water industry, has celebrated winning...
Embracing change will ensure AMP8 success
Lila Thompson, chief executive of British Water, calls for a new culture of collaboration between utilities and suppliers.
Ofwat’s £88bn Draft Determinations of water company business plans, which were announced on 11 July present a huge opportunity for the water...
How water can stop the engineering exodus
The water industry is battling ongoing skills shortages, with a new report showing that seven in ten engineers are considering taking roles in other fields. How can employers recruit and retain the engineers they need to remain operational? Teo...
How Smart Utilities are rethinking ERP Vendor Mandates
Water companies can redirect funds for business application upgrades towards more important investment priorities without disrupting core business processes, says Coy Wright, VP, Energy, Utilities, & Resources Industry Solutions, Rimini Street.
From maximising the lifespan of existing infrastructure, to delivering...
Addressing water conservation challenges
Quarrying thickeners and advanced automation technologies are a promising solution to enhance water resource resilience, says David Strain, of Technidrive.
underscores the urgent need for new strategies to improve water conservation efforts, advocating the adoption of unconventional water sources and...
Selwood and Siltbuster owner acquires US-based Holland Pump
Workdry International (“Workdry”), the parent company of engineered pump rental solutions and wastewater treatment asset rental providers Selwood, Siltbuster, and Vanderkamp, has announced a strategic expansion into the North American market through the acquisition of Holland Pump Company (“HPC”)...
After growing awareness of micropollutants, now comes action
With a Water ‘Special Measures’ Bill in the pipeline, Howard Marles, of Curio Group, explains how new technologies like ozone and granular activated carbon have opened a new frontier in water treatment.
Two years ago, the UK held its first...
UK water crisis: Why innovative and technological solutions hold the answer
As a country famous for its wet weather, the UK may seem an unlikely victim of an urgent water crisis. But while people pour their cups of tea or turn on their bathroom taps, many consumers remain unaware that...
Protecting the Aln from climate change and population growth
Engineers have installed a new underground tank to help to protect water quality in Northumberland’s River Aln.
The team from Northumbrian Water and its partner, Esh-Stantec, have carried out the work at Whittingham Sewage Treatment Works (STW), near Alnwick, as...
£2.5m investment to reduce storm overflows into River Dearne
Mapplewell, near Barnsley to reduce the number of discharges into the river Dearne from a storm overflow in the village.
Contractor Sapphire Utilities Solutions is constructing a new underground storage tank in private land off Carr Green Lane that will...
Eyes on the enterprise: Reflections on the AMP8 bidding process
As we near the end of the AMP8 bidding cycle, Sam White, managing director of natural resources at Costain, reflects on how water companies have structured tenders and, importantly, what this means for end-users.
The ‘back to school’ analogy is...
Citizen photos train AI to monitor river pollution
Photographs gathered by a Bradford community group have been used to train an AI model to spot visual markers of river health.
The initiative, by the Friends of Bradford’s Becks, is believed to be a world first, and it is...
Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ removed from water with 3D-printed ceramic ink
Engineers have invented an effective, scalable way to remove health-harming ‘forever chemicals’ from water, using 3D printing.
Researchers at the University of Bath say their method, using ceramic-infused lattices (or ‘monoliths’), removes at least 75% of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), one...
Improving infrastructure planning is essential to delivery
infrastructure at scale over the coming decades. Ahead of her keynote address to the Water Industry Forum on 25 September, Sharon Darcy, chair of the Linear Infrastructure Planning Panel, says competing demands with other sectors over allocation of resources...
November conference on invasive water weed control
A conference dedicated to the control of invasive weeds will examine the impact of aquatic weeds on Britain’s waterways and how best to deal with the problems they pose.
The Property Care Association’s (PCA) 2024 International Invasive Weed Conference (IIWC2024)...
UKWIR’s research programme will ‘transform’ sewerage management
Water industry research organisation UKWIR is leading a raft of innovative sewerage projects designed to transform the way water companies manage the issue in the coming five-year Asset Management Plan period for England and Wales - AMP8, which starts...
Water companies urge Ofwat to reconsider investment cut
Water companies have warned Ofwat that its draft decision to cut proposed investment puts urgent improvements at risk.
In its submission to the regulator’s consultation on draft determinations, Water UK urges Ofwat to back company plans in full and ensure...
£15m pumped into Somerset water recycling centre
A multi-million-pound investment to reduce nutrient impact and improve water quality in the north of Somerset is completed this autumn.
More than £15 million has been invested at the water recycling centre serving the town of Shepton Mallet, to ensure...
Is outsourcing sampling services the shift water utilities need?
By Dr. Mikael Khan
Water and wastewater sampling is a core activity of water utilities around the world. While utilities have traditionally handled sampling in-house, this essential task can be a logistical headache. Managing this complex operation – involving people,...
Watertrain welcomes new Drainage Network Operative apprenticeship
Building on its commitment to enhance knowledge and skills throughout the water industry, Watertrain has become one of the first approved providers of the new Level 2 Drainage Network Operative Apprenticeship Standard.
The new Level 2 Drainage Network Operative Apprenticeship...
NSF REG4: Revolutionising Compliance in the UK Water Industry
By Simon Warburton, Operations Manager, NSF
In the ever-evolving landscape of the UK water industry, ensuring regulatory compliance is not just a legal requirement but a cornerstone of public health and safety. The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations and...
The Watermaster: A Blueprint for a Greener Tomorrow
The Watermaster, a pioneering amphibious dredger, stands as a testament to human ingenuity in addressing these complex issues. The Watermaster's journey began in 1986, born from a need for a versatile and efficient machine to address the unique challenges...
The Seine: A River in Crisis
The Seine River has been a vital part of Parisian life for thousands of years. Its fertile valley supported early settlements, and its navigable waters facilitated trade and transportation. As Paris grew, so too did the river's importance, with...
Unlocking the power of strategic technologies & services for the water industry
By Dr. Mikael Khan and Nick Browning
The water industry faces numerous challenges in safeguarding our most vital resource. Natural disasters, infrastructure failures, and contamination events all threaten to disrupt water services and jeopardise public health and safety. Maintaining and...
AUMA Wins Actuator Supply Framework with United Utilities
A framework for the supply of electric actuators has been won by AUMA Actuators Limited following a competitive tendering process issued by water and wastewater services provider United Utilities.
United Utilities delivers 1.8 billion litres of water a day to...
Water Wisdom: Harnessing Technology for a Sustainable Future
Water scarcity looms as a critical global challenge, intensified by climate change and population growth. To secure a sustainable future, innovative solutions are imperative. Water companies are at the forefront of this challenge, leveraging technology to optimise water use,...
Forever Chemicals: Navigating the PFAS Challenge in the UK Water Industry
By Bill Atkinson, Chief Scientific Advisor, Adler and Allan
PFAS (per-and poly fluoroalkyl substances) is a chemical family consisting of many thousands of individual substances. They are sometimes referred to as ‘forever chemicals’ because of their persistence in the environment.
PFAS...
When painkillers turn deadly – a synthetic opioid crisis
By Hollie Bates and Dr. Mikael Khan
An insidious threat is taking hold across the globe – the rise of synthetic opioids. These manufactured drugs, often far more potent than their natural counterparts, are fuelling a surge in addiction and...