British Water puts focus on data and analytics

A focus group specialising in data and analytics has become the latest addition to the British Water Technical Forum. The Data & Analytics Focus Group, which had its first meeting in June, will bring together experts on data capturing, processing and usage from across the industry.

British Water recently set up focus groups specialising in extractive industries and innovation too, bringing the total number of expert technical platforms to six.

Sharing knowledge

Technical Director Marta Perez said: “Over the last 12 months British Water has doubled the number of technical forums, which are free and open to members. Becoming a part of these forums allows members from all aspects of the water industry to share knowledge, make new connections and to have a say in common standards and future regulation.”

At its first meeting, members of Data & Analytics Focus Group vowed to work towards a code of practice to advise UK utilities and their supply chain. The data and analytics experts also propose to compile a glossary of technical terms to streamline the way language is used across the industry.

The Innovation Focus Group had its first meeting in September 2015.  Its aim is to share knowledge about the process by which new products can be developed and brought to a commercialisation stage, to improve information about grant funding and to build new links with academia.

British Water set up the Extractive Industries Focus Group in June last year.  Its objective is to explore the opportunities for the water industry’s supply chain presented by the development of hydraulic fracturing in the UK and to help regulators identify available technologies.

The three new focus groups are in addition to the existing British Water groups, which address issues relating to package treatment plants, network management and sustainable water management.

Opportunity

Marta Perez said: “Focus groups are a fantastic opportunity for British Water members to share their expertise, and develop new contacts across the industry. As well as setting common standards and codes of practice for different areas of the water industry, British Water focus groups help build knowledge of the challenges our members face.

“The sort of detailed information provided by British Water focus groups can be tremendously useful when advising governments and regulatory bodies about new standards and legislation.”

Membership of British Water technical focus groups is free and open to all members. To find out more about becoming a member of British Water, please visit www.britishwater.co.uk.

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