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Overview

This conference will examine the challenges and opportunities facing the UK water industry and how scientific innovation in the sector can drive future progress.

This event will explore how scientific innovation can help to address some of the most significant challenges facing the UK water industry over the coming years, and will examine some of the key advances that are likely to be needed within industry and academia.

The programme will open with a keynote address from Professor Louise Heathwaite CBE FRS. Three sessions on climate resilience: coping with variability and unpredictability, water pollution and quality, and decarbonisation and energy will be followed by panel discussion to explore the topics and the future of the water industry further.

Transforming our future conferences

This conference will form part of the Royal Society's industry-focussed Transforming our future series. These unique meetings feature cutting-edge science and bring together experts from industry, academia, funding bodies, the wider scientific community and government to explore and address key scientific and technical challenges of the coming decade.

Attending this event

  • This will be a hybrid event
  • In-person attendance is by invitation only
  • For virtual attendance, please sign up using the link on this page
  • For the programme, scroll down and click on the arrows to see the speakers and abstracts for their talks
  • The Royal Society has an acceptable use policy for all online events, and we expect our users to abide by these guidelines
  • For any queries or accessibility requirements, please email the Royal Society Industry team.

Organisers

Schedule

09:00-09:05
Opening remarks

Speakers

Dame Sue Ion GBE FREng FRS

Chair of the Royal Society Science, Industry and Translation Committee

09:05-09:35
Opening keynote

Speakers

Professor Louise Heathwaite CBE FRSE FRS

Lancaster University, UK


Chair

Professor John Beddington CMG FRS

Formerly Chief Scientific Adviser, UK Government

09:40-09:55
Strategic systems analysis of infrastructure options to ensure water supply resilience in extreme droughts

Speakers

Professor Jim Hall FREng

University of Oxford, UK

09:55-10:10
Sustainable drainage systems: future innovations

Speakers

Jo Bradley

Stormwater Shepherds

10:10-10:25
Innovations in water re-use and recycling

Speakers

Professor Bruce Jefferson

Cranfield University

10:25-10:40
Leakage research

Speakers

James Curtis

Affinity Water

10:40-11:00
Q&A and discussion session

Speakers

Professor Jim Hall FREng

University of Oxford, UK

Jo Bradley

Stormwater Shepherds

Professor Bruce Jefferson

Cranfield University

James Curtis

Affinity Water


Chair

Dr Mar Batista

Anglian Water

11:35-11:50
Monitoring water quality for sewage using AI

Speakers

Steve Hanslow

Siemens UK & Ireland

11:50-12:05
Integrated catchment management – working with others on farm to help improve water quality

Abstract

Farmers play an important role in producing food and other raw materials, supporting rural economies and managing landscape and habitats, through which our water courses flow. Good farm and land management can go a long way to help address issues of water quality which come from many centuries of human activity, including agriculture.

This talk will explore examples of what is being done at farm level, working with catchment partners, to improve water quality and what more can be achieved in the coming years to address this important subject.

Speakers

Richard Bramley

National Farmer's Union Environment Forum

12:05-12:20
Novel technologies and innovations for addressing micropollutants

Abstract

The subtle impact to water quality posed by micropollutants requires technological solutions beyond conventional treatment. One class of micropollutants is particularly challenging: pharmaceuticals. These chemicals are indispensable to society but can be detrimental to the aquatic environment. Recent progress in legislation opened market opportunities which will lead to commercialisation of a new assortment of quaternary treatment technologies. Research and development will provide solutions and the cost of implementation and operation will sustains another niche economy. Combinations of existing technologies are likely to become the primary choices for the water industry. Yet, it will require substantive vision in innovation to guarantee sustainability in favour of technological myopia.

Speakers

Dr Fabio Bacci

Glanua Group Ltd

12:20-12:35
Novel treatment, filtration and purification technologies

Speakers

Peter Vale

Severn Trent Water

12:35-12:50
Using AI to monitor and enhance water quality

Speakers

Professor Julie McCann

Imperial College London

12:50-13:10
Q&A and discussion session

Speakers

Professor Julie McCann

Imperial College London

Richard Bramley

National Farmer's Union Environment Forum

Peter Vale

Severn Trent Water

Steve Hanslow

Siemens UK & Ireland

Dr Fabio Bacci

Glanua Group Ltd


Chair

Professor Guangtao Fu

University of Exeter

14:25-14:40
Decarbonising existing and new infrastructure: future challenges

Speakers

Maria Manidaki

Mott MacDonald

14:40-14:55
The water-energy-climate cycle: from vicious to virtuous?

Speakers

Professor David Butler FREng

University of Exeter

14:55-15:10
Reducing emissions from wastewater treatment: recent innovations and future priorities

Abstract

The commitment of the UK wastewater sector to carbon neutrality by 2030 has placed significant pressure on the sector to transition to a low-carbon wastewater management model. Wastewater treatment emissions, particularly nitrous oxide (N2O), contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and can account for up to 80% of the operational carbon footprint at treatment plants. Existing reporting practices in the UK (ie. Carbon Accounting Workbook) currently underestimate these emissions while the dissolved greenhouse gases (GHGs) alone could contribute to 30-70% of the carbon footprint of the sector and are currently not reported. Moreover, operational emissions are showing an increasing trend due to increasingly stricter discharge standards. Therefore, direct GHG emissions in wastewater pose the most significant challenge towards the decarbonization goals of the sector.

Over the past decade, real-field N2O monitoring across more than 90 systems has provided invaluable insights. These studies have revealed complex and site-specific pathways leading to N2O emissions. Despite advancements, significant knowledge gaps remain, particularly concerning the long-term dynamics of N2O formation in the field, while long-term N2O mitigation strategies have yet to be proved.

State-of-the-art emission monitoring and mitigation methodologies are emerging, with digitalization playing a transformative role. In this talk, case studies will be presented that showcase the potential of knowledge-based machine learning and data analytic in understanding and mitigating N2O emissions. Explainable algorithms translate data into actionable insights, linking N2O emissions to operational conditions and guiding mitigation strategies. These data-driven approaches can offer water professionals enhanced operational and environmental performance insights.

Navigating the next decade requires innovations in emission reduction, collaborative efforts across industry, academia, and government and the engineering community. The path forward emphasizes the importance of reducing emissions for environmental health and urges a collective effort, emphasizing continuous innovation. The UK water sector's ambitious roadmap to Net Zero by 2030 serves as a beacon, but achieving this goal necessitates a profound rethinking of current practices and a rapid embrace of emerging solutions.

Speakers

Professor Evina Katsou

Brunel University London

15:10-15:25
Energy efficiency innovations: can whole life carbon design be a blueprint for the future?

Speakers

Alex Herridge

Anglian Water and Skansa

15:25-15:45
Q&A and discussion session

Speakers

Professor Evina Katsou

Brunel University London

Maria Manidaki

Mott MacDonald

Professor David Butler FREng

University of Exeter

Alex Herridge

Anglian Water and Skansa


Chair

Professor John Beddington CMG FRS

Formerly Chief Scientific Adviser, UK Government

16:15-17:25
Panel discussion

Speakers

Professor Gideon Henderson FRS

Chief Scientific Adviser, Defra, and University of Oxford, UK

Mike Woolgar

WSP in the UK

Professor Carolyn Roberts

Gresham College London


Chair

Dame Sue Ion GBE FREng FRS

Chair of the Royal Society Science, Industry and Translation Committee

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