Unlocking the power of strategic technologies and services for the water industry
The question is: How can the UK water industry nurture and sustain these strategic services? And how can we ensure their readiness when crisis strikes?
The industry must be prepared to respond quickly and effectively to emergencies. This means investing in and maintaining strategic services designed for such events. Think of them as the industry’s first responders, equipped with the tools and expertise to tackle unexpected challenges head-on to quickly restore water services.
A spotlight on strategic services
Recent events, like the Covid pandemic, cryptosporidium outbreaks, and environmental pollution events, have underscored the importance of rapid response using these specialised technologies and services. What further complicates matters is these emergencies typically demand a large-scale response, and hence not a technology or service that can be packed up and placed in a small storage unit for convenient unpacking and deployment. Of course, developing and retaining skilled personnel are critical in deploying such solutions.
The importance of these strategic services is undeniable. What is less obvious is how the industry and Ofwat, the water sector’s economic regulator in England and Wales, create the right business conditions to ensure their presence and state of readiness.
The deployment of Ice PiggingTM in response to the Brixham cryptosporidium outbreak in southwest England is a prime example. We were able to deploy this highly specialised pipe cleaning service at scale because it was readily available at the time due to SUEZ UK’s long-term investment in maintaining this specialised service and equipment for over a decade. Hopefully there won’t be a need for Ice Pigging to address another UK outbreak. However, specialised services and solutions such as this require continuation of business, which can be challenging, especially when they are designed to shine in instances of emergency.
Holistic roadmap needed
The UK water industry needs a more holistic and long-term approach to ensure the availability and readiness of these strategic services. This means having concrete plans and financial support in place that guarantee the readiness at scale and continuous innovation of these essential services.
A framework needs to be developed by Ofwat and the water utilities to:
- Map out emergency scenarios and corresponding mitigation plans.
- Identify services of strategic importance for the emergency plans.
- Recognise the critical role played by these strategic services and develop long-term commercial and investment mechanisms to maintain a deployment readiness level.
- Continued innovation and development funding support, which could also extend to green bonds or resilience bonds.
Maintaining and funding strategic services for emergency events in the water industry is not just a matter of operational efficiency but a critical aspect of safeguarding public health, economic stability, and environmental sustainability. To protect our vital water resources and ensure their availability for future generations, Ofwat, water utilities, and service and solution providers must work together and adopt a long-term perspective to effectively address unforeseen challenges.
(*Originally published in the Water Industry Journal and reprinted here with their permission.)