20 finalists named in £7.5m Water Discovery Challenge

Twenty innovative projects from sectors including aerospace, agriculture and Tech/AI have been named as finalists and will receive £100,000 seed funding in the second Water Discovery Challenge (Discovery). Part of the £7.5 million competition from the Water Innovation Fund, these projects aim to bring fresh thinking to tackle urgent challenges facing the water sector in England and Wales.

The competition aims to discover promising innovations outside the industry, providing a comprehensive package of support to help entrants break in and accelerate their adoption by the water sector.

Alongside the funding, over the coming months each finalist will receive a comprehensive package of support, involving mentorship and expert guidance from water companies to test and develop their solutions.

In April 2027, up to 10 of these teams will then be selected to receive up to £550,000 each to further progress their solutions. They will also receive an additional package of support to help them attract the investment needed for long-term success in the water sector.

“With our rapidly changing climate, it is more vital more than ever that we double down on our efforts to create a water system able to support lives and livelihoods, including for future generations we will never meet. In opening our doors to innovators outside the water sector, we have invited fresh perspectives to tackle head-on some of our greatest challenges. With this line-up of finalist projects, we are reminded that tackling the climate and nature crises isn’t limited by intellect or creativity. The array of new ideas from new players is astounding. The challenge is getting these ideas delivering impact on the ground, with the sense of urgency these times need.”

Jo Jolly, Director, Innovation, Ofwat

Among the finalists is DWS: Nature-Based Tertiary Wastewater Treatment for Safe Water Reuse. The project uses tiny water fleas called Daphnia to remove forever chemicals, pharmaceuticals and microplastics from wastewater, helping water companies to meet tightening regulations while reducing costs and environmental impact.

Prof Luisa Orsini, Co-Founder and CEO, Daphne Water Solutions Limited, said:

“Daphnia have been dormant in lake sediments since before the Industrial Revolution – and we have worked out that these tiny freshwater crustaceans function as biofilters to remove persistent pollutants from wastewater. Our nature-based solution fits within existing processes, and does not require additional or energy, helping to enable safe, low-carbon water reuse. The Water Discovery Challenge will help us accelerate commercial deployment of our technology, so that we can protect rivers, biodiversity and human health.”

Tackling the issue of sewage spills, Rheya Labs: Smart Batteries to Eliminate Sewage Pumping Station Spills, led by Rheya Labs Limited, is developing back-up batteries for sewage pumping stations to prevent raw sewage from spilling into the environment during power failures. By eliminating sewage spills and pre-empting network failures, the project delivers cleaner rivers and a more resilient wastewater infrastructure.

Ben Taylor, Co-Founder of Rheya Labs, said:

“Sewage pollution is an ever-growing crisis across the UK, and power resilience at pumping stations is one of its major, yet hidden, causes. We have developed systems specifically for water utilities to support the elimination of these power-related spill risks before they occur. The support from the Water Innovation Fund is a vital catalyst for our work, providing the platform needed to deploy our technology across the wider network and help protect our environment.”

Lunasonic – Ultrasound for Catalyst-Free Destruction of Persistent Organic Pollutants, led by University of Glasgow, is developing ultrasonic treatment technology to destroy organic pollutants in water. Using only sound as an input, the technology creates microscopic bubbles that break down forever chemicals and other contaminants into carbon dioxide and naturally-occurring minerals. The technology was originally developed to purify water frozen in the soil around the lunar south pole to provide a clean water supply for a future moon base, as part of as part of Challenge Works’ and the UK Space Agency’s Aqualunar Challenge in 2024.

These projects are part of a highly competitive, 20-strong cohort bringing exceptional ingenuity from sectors such as academia, energy, agriculture and farming, and environmental services to the water industry. Explore the full line-up of finalists below.

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