Water: It’s not business as usual

For the water industry to move forward "a business as usual approach is not an option for the future," said Dr Martin Griffiths, Lead Water Technologist for the Technology Strategy Board (TSB).

Griffiths was speaking yesterday at the All Party Parliamentary Water Group session entitled "Investing in the Future of the Water Sector: Perspectives on encouraging innovation", held at the House of Commons Tea Room.

The Group was Joint Chaired by Anne McIntosh MP and Andrew George MP, to showcase work by the UK water sector in developing technology to combat the growing problems faced by the water industry.

Dr Griffiths attended the session in order to put forward the business case for public money to speed up innovation in the water sector. "The TSB wish to drive innovation by making infrastructure more resilient at an affordable cost and environmentally friendly," said Griffiths. He added that this meant saving water and reducing carbon emissions.

One of Griffith's arguments was that a resilient water sector going forward was important. Griffiths continued by saying that an integrated approach was essential and that business as usual was not an option. There were three factors to consider when adopting such an approach, Griffiths indicated.

He addressed water scarcity and drought, saying that water will become a scarcer resource with population growth and climate change as factors. Another was flood risk mitigation from rivers and the installation of integrated flood defences and drains. The other was maintaining and improving water quality. Businesses had to be innovative when dealing with all three approaches, Griffiths declared.

Additionally, Mike Brockhurst, Innovation General Manager of Balfour Beatty Utility Solutions (BBUS) spoke about the water industry trying to improve its image, which he said was tainted every time a pipe burst and disruptive road works were needed to repair it.

Brockhurst also mentioned BBUS are using innovative technology to locate leaks – through the introduction of miniature cameras into the mains of fire hydrants. It is a process that has eliminated the need to dig up the road and can be done without turning off the water supply.

Innovation within BBUS extended to using a collaborative approach in working with other companies. These include 3M, Viking Johnson, JD7 and Renium, as well as utilising the knowledge of universities and water companies. Yet Brockhurst admitted it was up to the industry to keep on improving.

Forming part of event was a stand from i20 water, showcasing a pressure management system. "When a pipe leaks, if we increase the pressure, the leak gets bigger, [and] it means the quantity of water which is lost, increases," said Ana Meira, Marketing Manager at i20 Water. "The i2O system reduces leakages and bursts, offering the required pressure to the customer," she added.

There were also stands from The Society of British Water and Wasterwater Industries (SBWWI) – representing the water industry supply chain - and BPF Plastic Pipes Group, giving parliamentarians an insight into the water sector and its contribution to the wider economy.

Author: Leroy Robinson | Climate Action

Image: jmv | Flickr