What’s next in the UK water sector

Celebrate excellence in the UK water sector by nominating outstanding individuals and organisations for the 2026 Future Water Awards, recognising emerging talent, people, and above-and-beyond contributions.

The Government’s Water Sector White Paper marks a defining moment for industry reform, setting out a clear path toward a single integrated regulator and a new supervisory, delivery-focused model. In this CEO blog, Future Water reflects on what the reforms mean for regulation, resilience, transition risk, and how the Association will support the sector through the changes ahead.

Behaviour-led water efficiency is inherently unpredictable and difficult to bank against long-term targets. This article explores why reliance on customer behaviour introduces planning risk—and how system-level, engineered solutions like meter-point flow moderation deliver consistent, auditable, and enduring demand reduction without ongoing customer effort.

The Independent Water Commission’s Final Report signals a fundamental reset for the UK water sector. As reactive management becomes untenable, this article argues that predictive, data-driven intelligence is now a regulatory and operational necessity. Exploring the move to proactive supervision, the role of AI, real-time monitoring, digital twins, and integrated data, it sets out how water companies can deliver resilience, compliance, and public trust in the new regulatory era.

AUMA Actuators Limited has been awarded Primary Supplier status on Severn Trent Water’s new framework for electric actuators. The long-term agreement strengthens AUMA’s role as a trusted engineering partner, providing intelligent, modular actuator technology, lifecycle support, and technical expertise to support asset performance, resilience, and AMP8 delivery priorities.

As water systems become more complex, real-time metering and monitoring are critical for operational insight and regulatory confidence. This article explains how Smarter Technologies’ smart water solutions - powered by the Orion Real-Time Data Network™ and the SmarterView platform - deliver automated readings, early leak detection, remote control, and continuous compliance visibility, helping organisations manage risk, efficiency, and safety with confidence.