Ofwat unveils first winners in its Innovation in Water Challenge

Eight lead water companies involved in 11 winning partnerships last week secured funds of up to £250,000 to get their ideas off the ground through round one of Ofwat’s Innovation in Water Challenge.

The successful bids included for seed funding to get the water sector’s new innovation Centre of Excellence of the ground; for nature based solutions; and an industry-first green hydrogen project.

WINNING ENTRIES

1. The AI & Sewer Defect Analysis project will use artificial intelligence and machine learning to automatically recognise features in CCTV inspection of sewers. This will give a better understanding of sewer deterioration and reduce the cost of inspections.

Led by United Utilities. Project partners: Welsh Water, Scottish Water, Severn Trent Water, Thames Water, Water Research Centre, and Yorkshire Water.

2. CatchmentLIFE will build bespoke software that volunteers and experts can use, showing the impacts of habitat degradation on wildlife and ecological communities.

Led by South East Water. Project partners: Bristol Water, Earthwatch Europe, Environment Agency, Loughborough University, Natural Resources Wales, SES Water, The River Restoration Centre, University of Huddersfield, and Wessex Water.

3. Enabling Whole Life Carbon Design will deliver tools and processes to support the cultural and behavioural changes necessary to deliver low whole life carbon and cost solutions and ultimately zero carbon emissions as a water industry.

Led by Anglian Water. Project partners: @one Alliance (Anglian Water, Balfour Beatty, Barhale, MMB, Sweco, Skanska and MWH Treatment|), Welsh Water, Skanska and Sweco.

4. Industrial Symbiosis will look at new ways waste or by-product materials from one company can be used as the raw materials for another.

Led by United Utilities. Project partners: International Synergies, Welsh Water, Jacobs, and Severn Trent.

5. Leak Detection using Dark Fibre will use unexploited optical fibre strands in existing telecoms cables to detect and therefore prevent leaks in water and wastewater networks.

Led by Hafren Dyfrdwy. Project partners: Costain, Welsh Water and Focus Sensors.

6. The Organics Ammonia Recovery project will recover ammonia in wastewater and turn it into green hydrogen fuel – a first for the industry.

Led by Northumbrian Water. Project partners: Anglian Water, Cranfield University, Organics Group, Warwick University, and Wood Group.

7. Reservoir water community monitoring for algal associated risk assessment will build on environmental DNA monitoring methodologies to detect algae in drinking water so as to improve the taste and smell.

Led by Welsh Water. Project partners: Bristol Water, Cardiff University, United Utilities and Yorkshire Water.

8. Seagrass Seeds of Recovery will restore seagrass and improve estuaries and coastal waters by increasing biodiversity and absorbing carbon and nitrogen emissions.

Led by Affinity Water. Project partners: Anglian Water, Cefas (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science), Department of Zoology and Wadham College, University of Oxford, Environment Agency, Natural England, Project Seagrass, Salix River & Wetland Services Limited, Swansea University and University of Essex.

9. Smarter Tanks to build a resilient network will explore how to best monitor drinking water and rainwater storage tanks using real-time monitoring and control solutions, to see if more water can be stored when needed most, such as during extended dry periods or drought.

Led by Affinity Water. Project partners: Aqua Civils and University of Exeter.

10. Supporting customers in vulnerable circumstances will use behavioural science to improve engagement with hard-to-reach customers and communities during planned and unplanned events, including help to manage bills and understanding which forms of communication customers prefer.

Led by Severn Trent Water. Project partners: CCW, South East Water and Thames Water.

11. A partnership of many water companies will lead the delivery of UK Water Sector Innovation Centre of Excellence – a virtual innovation accelerator hub to promote collaboration in and beyond the water sector and drive transformational innovation.

Led by Northumbrian Water. Project partners: Affinity Water, Albion Water, Anglian Water, Bristol Water, Hafren Dyfrdwy, Irish Water, Northern Ireland Water, Portsmouth Water, Scottish Water, SES Water, Severn Trent Water, South East Water, South Staffordshire Water, South West Water, Southern Water, Thames Water, UK Water Industry Research, United Utilities, Wessex Water and Yorkshire Water.

A second round of the IWC will open for entries in autumn 2021. Ofwat’s second competition for 2021, the £40m Water Breakthrough Challenge, opens for entries on 6 May 2021.