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 …