Public Debate on Water Pollutions "Oversimplified"
Mar 28, 2022
The rise of citizen science is placing increasing pressure on water companies to improve their environmental performance and protect river and bathing water quality. The water sector must get better at communicating the challenges of tackling pollution and why there is an urgent need for better collaboration between utilities, government bodies, regulators and customers.
This was the key message from Philip Dunne MP, Chair of the UK Parliament Environmental Audit Committee, during a keynote address at the Zero Pollutions Conference 2021, hosted by technology consultancy Isle.
Speaking on 14 July to an audience of international water professionals, including utilities, academics, consultancies and suppliers, as well the Environment Agency (EA), Dunne said: “The public is becoming increasingly concerned about the environment in general, and especially around the state of beaches and rivers. Those who have responsibility for managing water need to be aware – it is not going to go away. All those who bear responsibilities need to develop robust strategies to try to manage their contribution to these challenges. Collaboration and cooperation will be key. There needs a united voice to communicate with the public.”
The conference, hosted by Isle to support the UK water sector as it strives to achieve ambitious pollution targets over the next five years, took place days after Southern Water was fined a record £90m after pleading guilty to 6,971 unpermitted sewage discharges between 2010-2015.
During a panel discussion – comprising participants from The Rivers Trust, Environment Agency and a number of water companies - there was recognition from the EA that while passionate members of the public are more engaged with environmental issues than ever - especially in the aftermath of high-profile prosecutions - there is a risk the debate has lost nuance.
Helen Wakeham, deputy director of water quality, groundwater and land contamination, at the EA said: “The public debate on water quality and pollutions is at risk of being oversimplified – generally people do not understand how wastewater systems work. It’s complicated, challenging and there are things people can do individually to help. The risk is we become so focused on water company failings that we lose sight of how everyone can make a difference in preventing pollutions.”
With a focus on how data-driven decision-making and smart technologies can help tackle pollutions, the conference also included presentations from Brian Moloney, managing director of technology company StormHarvester, on how artificial intelligence and smart systems can move us towards zero pollutions. Also speaking was Anna Boyles, head of performance, risk and optimisation at Thames Water, who explained the company’s intelligence-led approach to pollution reduction.
Other speakers included Richard Martin, pollution & flooding systems architect at Southern Water, who presented on proactive intervention measures and how the company have been using their enhanced signals pumping station to proactively identify deterioration before failure. The benefits of using an event duration monitoring improvement approach was discussed by Erica Brown, Head of Environmental Performance at United Utilities. Anglian’s Melissa Tallack, head of data & digital services, and tactical operations manager Colin Usherwood, gave a rundown of their pollution control centre and cutting-edge mobile reporting app for field staff.
Thanking participants after the event, Isle’s UK managing director Dr Ben Tam said: “The industry is working hard to tackle this issue and companies like StormHarvester are out there helping to reduce pollutions. Nationally as a sector we need to engage more with the public - the debate has shifted and evolved.
“There is lots to do, and lots we can do together. With advances in new technologies, increased investment and greater collaboration inside the sector and with third parties we will get to zero pollutions.”
More News and Articles
Apr 24, 2024
News
Sustainable drainage solutions: German Start-up transforms urban water management.
Germany boasts a well-established infrastructure for managing rainwater and wastewater, yet many developing countries lack such systems. Addressing this gap, …
Apr 22, 2024
News
HDD tooling that gets the job done
Horizontal directional drilling is a dynamic process that constantly changes and adapts to suit a range of applications across utilities and infrastructure. Operators looking to get the most from their equipment …
Apr 19, 2024
News
WATCH: Overnight with SAERTEX-LINER H20 in São Paulo
Available through Pipe Core, high-quality liner SAERTEX-LINER H20 performed under pressure in São Paulo, Brazil.
Maintaining aging potable water pipe infrastructure is a constant challenge …
Apr 17, 2024
News
Immersive media provides wastewater experience in Denmark
An immersive media experience (IMX) may not be what most people want when they think about industrial wastewater, but that is exactly what visitors can expect when they visit a new installation …
Apr 15, 2024
News
Spotlight on gender diversity at Pipe Core
Since founding in 2008, Pipe Core’s team has grown across all areas of the business and is now in a position where there are more females than males across the organisation. Research published in Harvard …
Apr 12, 2024
News
New Wave of Startups Scale Innovation to Solve Global Water Challenges
Innovators from Around the World Join Xylem’s 2024 Accelerator Program to Deploy Breakthrough Innovations for Utilities and Industrial Users of Water
A new group of startups …
Apr 08, 2024
News
Integrated sustainable electricity and clean drinking water systems
Altitude Water and New Use Energy Solutions have partnered to create integrated, mobile solar-plus-water generation systems that produce sustainable electricity and clean drinking …
Apr 05, 2024
News
How to Evaluate Hydraulic Fracture Risk in HDD Design
The design of horizontal directional drill (HDD) installations often requires an evaluation of the potential for hydraulic fracture of the soil layers through which an HDD passes. Evaluating …
Apr 02, 2024
News
Historic Project Linking Rome and Vatican City Uses Advanced Technology and Local Knowledge to Keep Water Flowing
Relocation of Major Sewer Infrastructure Enables Construction of Pedestrian Link for 35 Million Visitors to the 2025 Jubilee
Water …
Mar 27, 2024
News
USU Study Looks at Water Main Break Rates in the U.S. and Canada
Report Highlights Correlation Between Material and Diameter
Utah State University (USU) has published new research on water main breaks in the United States and Canada, examining …
Mar 26, 2024
News
Update BE-21: New Material in Course and Modules on Trenchless Pipe Installation
Online training on the topic of pipeline installation in civil engineering: Trenchless technology for underground drainage construction can be a resource-efficient, …
Mar 25, 2024
Article
Bacteria as a new weapon in wastewater treatment
In early November, San Diego based startup Aquacycl officially opened its first European office and test center at the Water Campus in Leeuwarden. The Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) …
Contact
Isle Utilities
Megan Ford
Camelford House | 87-90 Albert Embankment
SE1 7TW London
United Kingdom
Phone:
+44 7936 331930