Despite the ban on new lead pipe installations decades ago, millions of UK homes are still connected to water networks through legacy lead service lines. Estimates suggest around three million connections remain to be replaced, a figure that represents both a significant public health concern and a major infrastructure challenge. Replacing lead pipes is not straightforward. Traditional approaches can be slow, costly, and highly disruptive, requiring extensive excavation and reinstatement. Homeowners and communities often bear the brunt of these interventions, which can create friction and slow progress. Innovation, however, offers a way forward. Modern techniques – like our INSUduct, and …
Discover WaterAware on Rio Learn
Learn how to make every drop count with WaterAware — an interactive online module that helps you improve water efficiency at home and in the workplace.
WaterAware is just one of over 200 sustainability-focused courses available on the new Rio Learn platform. Rio Learn empowers individuals and organisations to turn sustainability ambitions into real-world results through engaging learning, behavioural change, and impactful employee development.
Create your free Rio Learn account today at https://rio.learnworlds.com, or email riolearn@rio.ai for more information.
… Xylem Wins Best Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring Project at WWEM 2025!
HydroDaaS Gold (Data as a Service) – Fornham & Louth Section 82 CWQM
We’re proud to announce that Xylem Water Solutions UK & Ireland has won Best Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring Project Award at the WWEM Expo Environmental Monitoring Awards 2025 for our innovative HydroDaaS Gold deployment at Fornham & Louth.
Project Overview
Xylem was commissioned to deliver a 12-month full OpEx HydroDaaS Gold Continuous River Water Quality Monitoring (CWQM) contract on upstream and downstream river locations of Fornham & Louth WwTW final effluent outfalls. This trial, initiated by Anglian Water’s strategic optimisation team in March 2024, was designed to
Standards and Regulations: Industry Guidance Note
Water UK Standards Board has published a draft Industry Guidance Note (IGN), IGN 4-00-03 Introduction to regulation and standards from a water industry perspective, for public comment.
The document, developed by a Task and Finish Group from our FWA Standards and Regulations Group with additional input from the wider industry, has been curated to provide guidance for suppliers, water companies and innovators new, unfamiliar or confused about the state of the UK water standards landscape.
The draft IGN uses Concept Relation Diagrams (effectively a standardised mind-mapping?) to illustrate the interconnectivity of, for example government and regulations, and regulation and accreditation …
Provisional Redeterminations on Water Price Controls: What It Means for the Sector and Customers
An independent group appointed by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has released its provisional redeterminations on price controls for five water companies that challenged Ofwat’s final determinations. The review covers Anglian Water, Northumbrian Water, South East Water, Southern Water, and Wessex Water, and outlines adjustments to funding, pricing, and investment expectations.
Key Outcomes:
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The group rejected nearly 80% of the increases sought by the companies.
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Customers can expect an average additional bill increase of around 3%.
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Extra funding is designed to support resilience, pollution reduction, and increased financing costs.
Summary of the Decision:
The group …
CEO BLOG – AMP 8: A Defining Moment for the Water Sector
We’re already halfway through Year One of AMP 8, and the landscape is shifting fast. A Government White Paper on sector reform is imminent, climate impacts are intensifying, metering and monitoring are expanding rapidly, a new regulator is being planned, and our ageing infrastructure is under growing strain.
This is more than a busy period — it’s a turning point. The sector must act with vision, urgency and collaboration if we’re to navigate what lies ahead.
Reform with Purpose
The upcoming White Paper has the potential to reshape how the sector operates. But reform can’t just focus on structure; it
… IN FULL FLOW: Delivering Section 82 – Strategic and technical priorities
With Section 82 of the Environment Act 2021 now in active rollout, the UK water sector is entering a pivotal phase. The legislation calls for continuous water quality monitoring upstream and downstream of storm overflows and treatment works, writes Darren Hanson, director environmental solutions, Xylem UK.
By 2030, at least 25 percent of applicable assets must be fitted with continuous monitoring – prioritising high-risk sites like chalk streams, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and bathing waters. All applicable assets must be monitored by 2035.
Progress is well underway at high-priority locations, with companies embracing innovation and collaboration being …
High Court Ruling Redefines Chicken Manure as ‘Waste’: What It Means for UK Agriculture and Water Management
In March 2025, a landmark ruling by the UK High Court reclassified chicken manure as ‘waste’ under national law—ushering in a significant shift in agricultural and environmental compliance. The decision has serious implications for farm operations, particularly those near vulnerable watercourses, and represents a renewed focus on protecting the UK’s water environment from nutrient pollution.
Why the Change Matters
Previously regarded by many as a by-product with agricultural value, chicken manure is now legally recognised as a waste material until transferred to a licensed third party. As a result, its storage, handling, and transport are now regulated under the Waste …
CEO BLOG: When the Elastic Band Snaps – Why Water Resilience Matters More Than Ever
Imagine stretching an elastic band. At first it flexes easily, then tighter, and tighter still. Eventually, with one more pull, it breaks. Our water infrastructure is that band. Every heatwave, every downpour, every month of below-average rainfall stretches it further. At some point, without change, it will snap.
This summer has shown us just how fragile our water systems can be. Several regions have already seen less rain than expected, and reservoirs are running low even before the driest months are over. At the same time, when the rain does come, it often arrives in intense bursts that overwhelm drains …
Future Water’s Response to England’s Escalating Drought
England’s Water Shortage Now a “Nationally Significant Incident”
At Future Water, we are following the National Drought Group’s latest update with concern, England’s ongoing water shortage has now been declared a nationally significant incident. This comes after the driest six-month period to July since 1976, with five regions officially in drought and six more in prolonged dry weather.
Average reservoir levels have dropped to 67.7% (well below the seasonal norm of 80.5%) and river flows are worryingly low, with some rivers at record-breaking lows for July. The impacts are being felt across our sector, from reduced crop yields and
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