New environmental legislation for England and Wales requires continuous water quality monitoring, says Darren Hanson, environmental solutions director at Xylem UK … and the wins will go beyond river water quality.
With the Environment Act 2021 now in active rollout, the UK water sector is entering a pivotal phase. Part 5 Section 82 of the Act states utilities must continuously monitor water quality upstream and downstream of all storm overflow and sewage disposal works, which discharge into a watercourse.
By 2030, at least 25% of applicable assets must be fitted with continuous monitoring – prioritising high-risk sites like chalk streams, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and bathing waters. All applicable assets must be monitored by 2035.
Progress is well underway at high-priority locations, with companies that are embracing innovation and collaboration already ahead of the curve.
For those still scaling up, now is the time to set sights on the 2035 deadline, focusing on:
Scaling up delivery: expand monitoring to cover all relevant assets
Leveraging hydrological modelling: ensure sensor placement reflects actual water quality impacts
Securing land access: maintain dialogue with private landowners and secure planning permissions for installations
Establishing data governance: strengthen validation, quality assurance and integration with broader asset management systems
Implementing ecology assessments: vital to minimise impact on the local ecosystem
Optimising stakeholder engagement: key enabler to ensure efficient delivery.
Since the act became law in November 2021, meeting requirements of S82 has become a major undertaking for the water sector, with many lessons already learned, including:
Start early: pilot projects and phased rollouts allow for iterative learning and smoother scaling
Hydrology is key: understanding river dynamics is essential for accurate and meaningful data
Tech must be tough: equipment should be built to withstand vandalism, flooding and remote conditions
Prepare for high-frequency data: managing data at this scale requires specialist skills, systems and governance frameworks
Consider management of sonde metadata: this will ensure reliable and traceable calibrations post-handover
In terms of technologies, several have emerged as particularly effective for S82 requirements:
Multiparameter sondes for robust, real-time data across multiple parameters
Cloud platforms to centralise data, enable alerts and support analytics
Data-as-a-service (DaaS) for outsourced monitoring and timely data delivery
Internet-of-things (IoT) and telemetry to enable remote monitoring, diagnostics and maintenance
Systems integration should be considered to ensure effective operationalisation of the data.
Value of data
Data collected under Section 82 should not be viewed as a compliance burden, but as a valuable strategic asset. Properly analysed, it can help water companies understand catchment dynamics, identify pollution hotspots and trends, enable predictive maintenance, prevent failures and inform strategies.
Sharing the data in real-time will also improve transparency and help build customer trust. Encouragingly, we are also seeing this data trigger more collaborative discussions with other catchment stakeholders, such as the agriculture sector.
Paradigm shift
S82 represents more than a regulatory milestone: it signals a shift toward intelligent, continuous and traceable water quality management. As the sector approaches full compliance by 2035, collaboration will remain the cornerstone of success, enabling smarter solutions, faster adoption and a more resilient, water-secure future for all.
xylem.com
