Nick Haskins has officially stepped away from the UK water industry after 30 years, but the technologies he helped bring into the spotlight are now firmly embedded in water utilities’ operational strategies.
From championing Ice Pigging when it was still in its infancy to supporting the wider adoption of satellite water leak detection, Nick played a key role in turning advanced yet underused innovations into practical tools now transforming how water companies manage their networks. As he signs off, SUEZ’s powerful solutions, Ice Pigging and satellite leak detection technology, are no longer on trial. They have become trusted parts of the industry’s future.
Proven technologies for cleaner, more efficient networks
Ice Pigging, developed at the University of Bristol, uses an ice slurry to clean water mains without the disruption of traditional flushing or the waste of excessive water use. It’s fast, chemical-free and highly effective, particularly for reducing discolouration complaints and extending pipe life. Described by Nick as an ’elegant solution‘, Ice Pigging has proven itself as a clean fix for a dirty job: precise, non-destructive and easier on both the system and the customer.
Satellite leak detection, offered in the UK by SUEZ in partnership with ASTERRA, meanwhile uses satellite radar imagery, highlighting potential leak locations across vast areas of buried infrastructure, often before ay visible signs appear. For utilities, it’s a proactive way to tackle non-visible leakage, prioritise field resources and avoid escalating losses.
Satellite surveillance for wastewater networks is an emerging application of the same technology. It helps utilities detect sewer seepage and prioritise pipe replacement or rehabilitation. By identifying exfiltration early, it prevents pollution of sensitive habitats and neighbourhoods, reduces sewer overflows and associated public health risks, minimises impacts on bathing waters, and supports regulatory compliance, making it a valuable tool for sustainable wastewater management.
Together, these solutions are helping water companies shift from reactive firefighting to strategic, insight-driven asset management.
From cautious trial to confident delivery
Nick, who began his career at Bristol Water, was closely involved in taking Ice Pigging theory to trusted practice. In the early days, he worked alongside operational teams, helping to embed the process, gather results and build confidence internally. Adoption didn’t happen overnight, and it took persistence, field-level proof and trust.
With satellite leak detection, Nick saw a similar need for clarity and credibility. While the technology was already making waves, it was the integration into daily operations – and its ability to link detection with direct action – that unlocked real value.
He notes that trust in innovation in the water industry rarely comes from presentations alone. It comes from results seen on the ground, reinforced by people who understand the pressures of live networks.
“No one ever questions the technologies now, but that takes time and commitment from the teams on the ground and the management of the company,” he explains.
Building momentum for what’s next
Today, both technologies are part of the SUEZ offering, and both are seeing growing adoption not only across the UK but internationally. But Nick, who was Business Development Manager for both solutions, believes there’s still much more value to unlock.
He points out that while Ice Pigging improves flow and water quality, satellite leak detection helps identify performance losses below the surface. One maintains the inside of the pipe; the other finds issues in the system around it. Used together, they create an advanced toolkit for resilience planning, leakage reduction and long-term asset health.
As expectations on water companies continues to rise and with AMP8 in our midst, whether it’s from stricter regulatory targets to carbon and efficiency goals, Nick sees these technologies as fit-for-purpose solutions in an increasingly tough environment.
Lessons from the early days
Nick’s first steps into Ice Pigging involved regular collaboration with the University of Bristol team led by Ice Pigging inventor Prof. Joe Quarini behind its development. He recalls visiting their lab way back in 20026, where lectures often involved hands-on experiments and visual demos. One included flames. Another, he remembers, took place while the fire brigade was on strike.
“It was slightly surreal,” he recalls, “but you could feel the enthusiasm. The science was solid, but it was the way they explained it – clear, practical and engaging – that made it easy to carry into the real world.”
That same practical mindset helped Nick shape the adoption journey from trial to mainstream use, bringing operational teams along and never overselling what the tech couldn’t yet do.
As Nick steps away from day-to-day industry life, the technologies he championed are moving centre stage. Ice Pigging and satellite water leak detection are no longer emerging concepts, but are proven, maturing solutions that are changing the face (and preferences) of the UK water industry.
To find out more about how Ice Pigging and satellite water leak detection are being used across networks, visit www.ice-pigging.com and www.suez.com/en/uk/satellite-water-leak-detection and www.suez.com/en/uk/satellite-surveillance-of-wastewater-networks.
