Innovation in Water Challenge
What was the Innovation in Water Challenge?
Run by Ofwat in partnership with Challenge Works, Arup and Isle Utilities, the Innovation in Water Challenge was the first in a series of competitions funded through Ofwat’s Innovation Fund that aimed to create new collaborations in the water sector so it can meet the needs of society and the environment in England and Wales.
Why did we help run the Challenge?
The primary objective of the first IWC was to encourage new ways of working that go beyond business-as-usual innovation practices in the water sector, in particular, increasing and improving collaboration and building partnerships from within and outside the water sector.
What were we looking for?
We were looking for your ideas that address the big challenges facing the water sector – guided by Ofwat’s five strategic innovation themes, innovation principles and the objectives of the UK and Welsh governments. We aimed to fund a wide range of entries that showcased a diverse mix of innovative ways of working and solutions.
We were looking for all types of projects – be they technology, culture, business practices, commercial models or something else. Initiatives could be at any stage, as could the technologies, practices and models that could be used within them.
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The winners
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AI & Sewer Defect Analysis
The AI & Sewer Defect Analysis project will use artificial intelligence and machine learning to automatically recognise features in CCTV inspection of sewers. This will give a better understanding of sewer deterioration and reduce the cost of inspections.
Project partners: Dŵr Cymru (Welsh Water), Scottish Water, Severn Trent Water plc, Thames Water Utilities Limited, Water Research Centre, and Yorkshire Water Services Ltd. Led by United Utilities.
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CatchmentLIFE
CatchmentLIFE will build bespoke software that volunteers and experts can use, showing the impacts of habitat degradation on wildlife and ecological communities.
Project partners: Bristol Water plc, Earthwatch Europe, Environment Agency, Loughborough University, Natural Resources Wales, SES Water, The River Restoration Centre (RRC), University of Huddersfield, and Wessex Water Services Ltd. Led by South East Water.
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Enabling Whole Life Carbon Design
This innovation project will deliver the tools and processes required to support the cultural and behavioural changes necessary to deliver low whole life carbon and cost solutions and ultimately ‘zero carbon emissions’ as a water industry.
Project partners: @one Alliance (Anglian Water, Balfour Beatty, Barhale, MMB, Sweco, Skanska and MWH Treatment|), Dŵr Cymru (Welsh Water), Skanska UK PLC, and Sweco UK Limited.
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Industrial Symbiosis
Industrial Symbiosis will look at new ways waste or by-product materials from one company can be used as the raw materials for another.
Project partners: International Synergies Ltd, Dŵr Cymru (Welsh Water), Jacobs, and Severn Trent Water plc. Led by United Utilities.
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Leak Detection using Dark Fibre
This initiative will use unexploited optical fibre strands in existing telecoms cables to detect and therefore prevent leaks in water and wastewater networks.
Project partners: Costain Ltd, Dŵr Cymru (Welsh Water), and Focus Sensors. Led by Hafren Dyfrdwy.
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Organics Ammonia Recovery
The initiative will recover ammonia in wastewater and turn it into green hydrogen fuel – a first for the industry.
Project partners: Anglian Water Services Ltd, Cranfield University, Organics Group, Warwick University, and Wood Group UK Ltd. Led by Northumbrian Water.
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Reservoir water community monitoring for algal associated risk assessment
Reservoir water community monitoring for algal associated risk assessment will build on environmental DNA monitoring methodologies to detect algae in drinking water so as to improve the taste and smell.
Project partners: Bristol Water plc, Cardiff University, United Utilities, and Yorkshire Water Services Ltd. Led by Dŵr Cymru (Welsh Water).
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Seagrass Seeds of Recovery
Seagrass Seeds of Recovery will restore seagrass and improve estuaries and coastal waters by increasing biodiversity and absorbing carbon and nitrogen emissions.
Project partners: Anglian Water Services Ltd, Cefas (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science), Department of Zoology and Wadham College, University of Oxford, Environment Agency, Natural England, Project Seagrass, Salix River & Wetland Services Limited, Swansea University and University of Essex. Led by Affinity Water.
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Smarter Tanks to build a resilient network
This initiative will explore how to best monitor drinking water and rainwater storage tanks using real-time monitoring and control solutions, to see if more water can be stored when needed most, such as during extended dry periods or drought.
Project partners: Aqua Civils Ltd and University of Exeter. Led by Affinity Water.
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Supporting customers in vulnerable circumstances
The involved partners will use behavioural science in its project Supporting customers in vulnerable circumstances to improve engagement with hard-to-reach customers and communities during planned and unplanned events, including help to manage bills and understanding which forms of communication customers prefer.
Project partners: Consumer Council for Water (CCW), South East Water Ltd and Thames Water Ltd. Led by Severn Trent Water.
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UK Water Sector Innovation Centre of Excellence
A partnership between several water companies will lead the delivery of UK Water Sector Innovation Centre of Excellence (CoE) – a virtual innovation accelerator hub to promote collaboration in and beyond the water sector and drive transformational innovation.
Project partners: Affinity Water Limited, Albion Water Ltd, Anglian Water Services Ltd, Bristol Water plc, Hafren Dyfrdwy, Irish Water, Northern Ireland Water, Portsmouth Water Ltd, Scottish Water, SES Water, Severn Trent Water plc, South East Water Ltd, South Staffordshire Water, South West Water Ltd, Southern Water Services Ltd, Thames Water Ltd, UK Water Industry Research Limited, United Utilities Water Ltd, Wessex Water, and Yorkshire Water Services Ltd. Led by Northumbrian Water.
The judges
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Rachel Skinner, Executive Director (Transport), WSP Global and President, Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Chair
Rachel is Executive Director (Transport) of WSP and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. She is also the President of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). In 2019, she was appointed by the Scottish Government as a Commissioner for the Infrastructure Commission for Scotland. Rachel is a Patron of Women in Transport (a not-for-profit), having been one of its founding board members since 2005. She is a chartered engineer, chartered transport planner and an ICE Fellow and Trustee. Rachel was named in The Telegraph’s inaugural Top 50 Influential Women in Engineering in 2016, then in 2017 she won both “Most Distinguished Winner” and “Best Woman in Civil Engineering” at the European Women in Construction and Engineering Awards. In 2019 she was confirmed by the Financial Times as one of the UK’s Top 100 Women in Engineering. She is regularly invited to give keynote conference presentations and to chair or participate in panel discussions at national industry events. A transport planner and geographer by technical background, Rachel has authored and co-authored several publications, most recently on driverless vehicles, shared mobility and future place-making. She is involved with strategic projects for clients across the public and private sectors, including leadership of a growing portfolio of future mobility projects in the UK and overseas.
Rachel was invited to the panel due to her technical, environmental, and academia expertise and experience.
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Nicole Ballantyne, Knowledge Transfer Manager (Manufacturing), Knowledge Transfer Network
Nicole Ballantyne is a chartered Mechanical Engineer with 3 decades of industry experience in the manufacturing sector, and in innovation support. As Knowledge Transfer Manager in the Manufacturing Team at KTN, Nicole makes targeted links to the right knowledge, partners, facilities and funding with a view to driving productivity, efficiency and economic growth. Nicole’s role in the Manufacturing Made Smarter Industrial Challenge team at InnovateUK is to lead the development of a growing vibrant cohesive community of industrial digital technology providers, developers and users across sectors, supporting manufacturers to embrace digital technology innovation, and technology developers to innovate the best solutions. Nicole started her career as an engineering sponsored student with Metalbox – a 15yr career that led to exciting manufacturing leadership roles throughout Europe. Subsequent varied management roles in the support sector have seen Nicole develop and collaborate in technology & innovation strategies in a whole variety of companies in a plethora of sectors. She holds a M.Sc. from Cranfield, and a B.Eng in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College.
Nicole was invited to the panel due to her supply chain, innovation and water sector expertise and experience.
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Myrtle Dawes, Solution Centre Director, OGTC
Myrtle is a Chartered Chemical Engineer, with extensive experience in the energy sector. Myrtle has taken on an array of roles, from being an offshore engineer working for BP, designing offshore and onshore infrastructure in the UK and overseas, to driving digital transformation, and now leading the development of technology for net zero in the energy sector. She was elected to the Institution of Chemical Engineer’s Board in 2015 to 2018, and is currently a member of the Board of Governors at University of Lincoln. In 2017, Myrtle received recognition for her contribution to business, having featured in Breaking the Glass Ceiling and being selected as one of 100 Women to Watch in the Cranfield FTSE Board Report 2017.
Myrtle was invited to the panel due to her innovation, digital, and water adjacent sector expertise and experience.
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Chris Newsome, Director, UK Water Partnership
Chris is currently an independent Non-Executive Director at Affinity Water and a Director of UK Water Partnership. He has spent the majority of his career in the water industry managing major asset bases and planning for, designing and delivering innovative programmes of work. Chris’ previous roles include: Director of Asset Management at Anglian Water Services Ltd, Chairman of UK Water Industry Research, and President of the Institute of Asset Management. He is a member of the Government’s Green Construction Board and Chairman of it’s Infrastructure Working Group. In 2017, he was awarded an OBE for his services to civil engineering and carbon reduction.
Chris was invited to the panel due to his water sector, technical and environmental expertise and experience.
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Dragan Savic, CEO, KWR Water Research Institute
Professor Savic is Chief Executive Officer at KWR Water Research Institute based in the Netherlands and Professor of Hydroinformatics at the University of Exeter in the UK. He is an international expert in smart water systems with over 35 years of experience working in engineering, academia and research consultancy. His work has resulted in patentable innovation and spinout companies. In addition to innovation and leadership skills, he is known for believing in and practising of bridging science to practice in the wider water sector and utilities in general. Prof. Savic is elected Fellow of the UK Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) and a member of the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc).
Dragan was invited to the panel due to his academia, water and innovation expertise and experience. Dragan also brings a perspective from outside of England and Wales.
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Adam Scorer, Chief Executive, National Energy Action
Adam is Chief Executive of National Energy Action. He has been a consumer rights campaigner for many years including at Which?, energywatch, Consumer Focus and Citizens Advice. As a consumer advocate he has been a member of numerous advisory boards and committees from civil aviation to insurance fraud. Fuel poverty and consumer vulnerability have been a focus throughout his career and Adam was appointed Chief executive at NEA in December 2017.
Adam was invited to the panel due to his consumer and water adjacent sector expertise and experience.
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Lila Thompson, Chief Executive, British Water
Lila is the Chief Executive of British Water. Lila was formerly responsible for the delivery of British Water’s international services which included leading scoping and business development visits to a wide range of markets including Saudi Arabia, Libya, Morocco, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, China and India. Lila has participated in a number of high-level industry working groups to foster business growth in a variety of sectors and has over 20 years of international experience supporting the adoption of innovation, policy development and stakeholder engagement. Lila has a BSc (Hons) in Economics & Social Policy and a Diploma in International Trade.
Lila was invited to the panel due to her supply chain, water sector, and innovation expertise and experience.
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Rhodri Williams, Wales Chair, Consumer Council for Water
Rhodri is currently the Wales Chair for CCW. Rhodri has extensive experience of working in numerous executive and non-executive roles in both the public and private sector and is currently a non-executive Board Member of S4C. He previously served as Ofcom’s first Director in Wales where he played a leading role in ensuring people – particularly in rural areas – received access to fast broadband speeds and mobile services.
Rhodri was invited to the panel due to his consumer, water sector and regulatory expertise and experience.
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