For AMP7 Ofwat has set the water companies some challenging targets. Six companies have said they will reduce leakage by 20% or more in 5 years, the remainder have committed to reduce leakage by between 15 and 17%. Depending on what the level of leakage is at the end of this AMP, that is about a 90 Ml/d reduction in leakage every year for 5 years. The water industry must then try to reach a 50% reduction by 2050, that’s about a 1500 Ml/d reduction from where we are presently.

At the Future Water Association’s ‘Future Networks’ conference in November this year, one of the themes will be how water networks need to be adapted to facilitate this reduction in leakage. Ahead of the conference the association will be holding a supply chain workshop to explore the  potential innovations, disruptive technologies, changes in working practices and skills that will  be needed to meet the challenge in delivering a step change in leakage reduction.

The workshop will be run by a facilitator who will also produce a record of the days outputs. These outputs will be presented at the Future Networks conference in November.

The Purpose of the Workshop: To explore, debate and discuss the potential innovations, disruptive technologies, changes in working practices and skills that will be needed to meet the challenge in delivering a step change in leakage reduction.

Outputs: To produce a supply chain view of what is needed to deliver future leakage reductions, including a roadmap of innovations, collaborations, developments and barriers to success.

Attendance at the workshop will be by invitation only