Category: Member News

When heavy rains hit urban areas, traditional drainage systems can become overwhelmed within minutes, turning streets into rivers and overwhelming sewage systems. As cities continue to expand and climate change intensifies weather patterns, this problem is only getting worse. Street trees, however, present a proven natural solution to these urban stormwater management challenges.

The Problem with Traditional Drainage

Traditional surface water drainage systems have been designed with one primary goal: to move rainwater away from where it falls as quickly as possible. This rapid conveyance approach typically directs water into soakaways or nearby watercourses, but that methodology can comes with …

For years, the UK water sector has invested heavily in behaviour-led efficiency campaigns. We’ve encouraged shorter showers, mindful consumption and diligent tap-turning. And while these efforts have value, we know a difficult truth: good intentions rarely translate into sustained, measurable reductions.

Human behaviour is inherently inconsistent. People are busy, habits are sticky, and most domestic water use happens invisibly in the background of daily life. Even motivated households tend to revert to old routines once the initial momentum fades. Depending on constant customer action isn’t just optimistic, it builds long-term strategy on an unstable foundation.

If the sector is serious …

The UK water sector faces an unprecedented investment programme under AMP8 £104 billion to upgrade and expand infrastructure to meet future needs of the UK. But this isn’t just about spending; it’s about doing so smartly, cost-effectively, and resiliently. Resilience must go beyond asset health and redundancy to embrace system-level risk management.

This challenge is echoed in recent findings from the Cunliffe report, which highlights the critical importance of resilience in water infrastructure and the need for consistent, long-term standards across the industry.

Cunliffe report observations on water sector resilience

“Resilient infrastructure is essential to ensure the ongoing provision of …

As the water sector moves towards AMP8, it’s clear expectations are shifting. PR24 places a strong focus on digital capability, transparency, and efficient operations, pushing water companies to rethink how they collect, understand and act on their data. For many, this means finding ways to modernise systems that have been in place for decades. For Matrix Water, it presented an opportunity to build something smarter right from the start.

While achieving 100% AMI metering is a technical achievement, the decision was rooted in something much more practical: avoiding the legacy challenges that many established water companies are now having to …

Two public utilities in the Île-de-France region of north-central France have become the first in the country to benefit from an all-in-one leakage reduction toolkit, writes Dineke Fischer, senior executive, Ovarro

The Territorial Public Establishment Grand-Orly Seine Bièvre (EPT GOSB) is the largest territory in the Greater Paris metropolitan area, comprising 24 towns and cities with a combined population of around 720,000.

In 2024, EPT GOSB created two public drinking water utilities to manage water distribution across 13 municipalities within its territory – Eau Seine & Bièvre and Régie des Eaux de la Seine et de l’Orge (RESO). Although administratively …

NOTTINGHAM, UK, 18 Nov 2025 – Xylem UK has been recognised with three major industry awards for its advanced river monitoring technologies that support UK utilities in meeting requirements under the Environment Act 2021 The awards also reflect the growing importance of digital solutions in driving compliance, resilience, and improved water quality across the sector.

At the Instrumentation & Electronics (I&E) Awards in London on 23 October 2025, the global water technology leader received the Digital Transformation Award for monitoring sonde technology and digital tools that support continuous water quality monitoring under Section 82 of the Act. Section 82 requires …

VIP-Polymers Ltd, in partnership with Mgroup, Thames Water, DWG Infraco Ltd and AECOM, is proud to have won the UKSTT “Renovation – Large Project (>£350K)” Award 2025 for the Millennium Main rehabilitation project.

The award, presented at the UKSTT Awards Dinner on 2nd October, recognises the team’s innovative and collaborative approach to restoring one of London’s key water mains using trenchless technology.

A Vital Water Main Brought Back to Life

The Millennium Main, which runs from Nunhead Reservoir to Deptford, supplies water to the growing Greenwich Peninsula. After years of deterioration, Thames Water commissioned a major …

Our Impact Report 2024 highlights a year of progress, featuring insights from our Chairman, Mark Smith, and CEO, Paul Horton, and showcases how our members, partners, and team are shaping the future of the sector.

What you’ll find inside:

• Forewords from leadership – reflections on the challenges and opportunities facing the water sector.

• Our year in numbers – key metrics including membership growth, event engagement, and digital reach.

• Thematic focus – how ‘Having the Honest Conversation’ guided sector-wide discussions and initiatives.

• Member and working group highlights – insights into innovation competitions, regulatory guidance, and professional development programs.

• Events and sector

As the Government transitions from foundations to delivery, understanding the evolving architecture behind the scenes is essential.

Cavendish’s 2025 “Who’s Who” report provides a definitive, meticulously researched guide to the advisers and teams shaping policy and influence at the heart of Whitehall. With a huge reshuffle, lots of the faces in Westminster have changed or moved.

This brand-new edition for 2025 offers:

• A comprehensive overview of the Prime Minister’s senior team and the advisers driving the government’s agenda inside No.10, the Treasury and all other key government departments.
• Insight into the reorganisation of key personnel and the emergence of new