SOCOTEC UK & Ireland secures multi-million pound water quality monitoring contract with Yorkshire Water
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Golden State Water’s proactive approach to heavy metal compliance
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South West Water has announced the launch of the PEDAL project, an innovative initiative designed to predict and manage harmful algal blooms (HABs) before they occur. The £2 million research partnership brings together the University of Exeter, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, South West Lakes Trust and other industry collaborators to tackle one of the UK’s growing environmental challenges.

Harmful algal blooms occur naturally when algae multiply rapidly in reservoirs, lakes, and rivers, affecting water quality and ecosystems. They make water treatment more difficult, harm fish and wildlife, and restrict recreational use. With rising pollution levels and climate change increasing their frequency, early detection and management have become critical for the water sector.

Over the next three years, the PEDAL project will develop the UK’s first advanced digital twin system for HABs. This will combine satellite data, drone imagery, in-situ sensors, laboratory testing, and local community input through citizen science to build an early warning and forecasting platform. By using artificial intelligence and advanced modelling, the system will enable water companies to predict and mitigate blooms before they develop.

The project builds upon South West Water’s partnership with the University of Exeter through the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW), and is supported by the Ofwat Innovation Fund. Together, the partners aim to deliver new digital tools that reduce operational costs, enhance water quality, and strengthen ecosystem protection across the UK.

Andrew Pennington, Innovation Programme and Partnerships Manager at South West Water, said:

We’re incredibly excited to get the PEDAL project up and running. This marks the beginning of an ambitious three-year journey to bring together science, technology, and community knowledge to tackle harmful algal blooms. The enthusiasm and collaboration we’ve already seen from our partners and researchers is inspiring, and we can’t wait to turn this vision into a real-world solution.

Dr Diego Panici, Principal Investigator for PEDAL at the University of Exeter, added:

By combining satellites, drones, in-water sensors, numerical models, and artificial intelligence, we will be able to predict when and where blooms are likely to occur. This means moving from reacting after the fact to anticipating problems before they happen, protecting water supplies, ecosystems, and communities.

The PEDAL project represents a major step forward in the use of data-driven science and cross-sector innovation to enhance the resilience of the UK’s water systems and the health of its natural environments.

Quick Reference Links

• South West Water
• University of Exeter
• Plymouth Marine Laboratory
• South West Lakes Trust
• Ofwat Innovation Fund

South West Water launches AI-driven project to predict and manage harmful algal blooms
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Aid Cannot Wait – Hydrachem Urges Global Action to Break Barriers to Clean Water
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Barnsley Wastewater Treatment Upgrade Underway with £11m Yorkshire Water Investment
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Karla Butler Appointed Vice President and General Manager of DuPont Water Solutions
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In many parts of the world, conventional water treatment systems remain out of reach. They’re either too costly, too complex, or too dependent on unreliable power infrastructure. But AguaClara Reach, a nonprofit engineering organisation, is working to change that by reimagining what clean water technology can look like in underserved communities. Their work couldn’t be happening at a more important time with around 2.2 billion people around the world still lacking access to safe drinking water (UNICEF), and approximately 3.5 million people dying each year due to inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene (United Nations). 

At the heart of AguaClara’s mission is an exciting vision: delivering high-quality water using low-tech, sustainable and locally adaptable systems. It’s a vision that’s already proving very effective. Not only is it helping to improve health outcomes, it is transforming entire communities. 

Designed for Reality

AguaClara’s plants are engineered specifically for the realities of rural and resource-limited settings. They design water treatment plants to remove harmful pathogens and particles, but also focus on providing a resilient and reliable design. Simplicity is key. 

The primary threats to water quality in many of the regions AguaClara serves include microbial contamination and sediment-laden turbidity from erosion. Their systems are engineered specifically to address these challenges without relying on imported components or complex maintenance. In rural settings where untreated surface water is often the only available source, AguaClara’s simple, robust systems offer a practical lifeline. The ability to process highly turbid water and reduce pathogen risk without relying on electricity is a wonderful technological achievement. 

Cheer Tsang, one of the Board of Directors at AguaClara Reach, was able to explain more about the technology: 

“Conventional high-tech water treatment technologies combine software, sensors and mechanised controls for plant operation. These systems require many moving specialised parts that inevitably break. Too often, the result is that the entire plant is abandoned after a few years. However, at AguaClara Reach we use very few moving parts, which decreases failure modes. We also use local materials and labour, making the plant less expensive to build, maintain and operate. No electricity is required to operate our plants, ensuring reliable treatment.”

This approach has enabled AguaClara to address not just technical challenges but also critical social issues, such as gender inequality and public health. 

“In the communities where an AguaClara plant has been installed, readily available safe water on tap eliminates the need for people to travel for miles to fetch water or to purchase bottled water at higher prices. As this burden often falls on women and girls, the time spent traveling to and from a water source can prohibit girls from receiving an education.”

Engineered for Sustainability

AguaClara Reach is committed to long-term sustainability. All the core treatment processes are designed to work entirely without electricity and they encourage local adaptation to ensure communities have both the knowledge and the tools to maintain their own systems.

“These processes have been developed and optimised through decades of research and can consistently treat raw water with a turbidity up to 1000 NTU to a finished effluent of less than 1 NTU. The open-source design, consisting of non-proprietary materials with few moving parts, makes long-term treatment system operation and maintenance affordable.”

A powerful example of this can be found in Honduras, where AguaClara has helped build over 20 gravity-powered water treatment plants serving tens of thousands of people. Each system is operated by a local water board trained in the operation and maintenance of the plant. The boards collect small user tariffs (affordable and scaled to income levels) which fund upkeep, repairs, and salaries for operators. This has resulted in systems that are still running smoothly over a decade after installation. More importantly, they are fully owned by the communities themselves, transforming water access from a temporary aid project into a permanent public service.

A New Model for Global Water Access

AguaClara’s work raises an important question for the future of water treatment. Should more regions be focusing on accessibility and eliminating complexity? 

“We see technology evolving as a way to close the gap between communities that already have safe, reliable water and those that have been historically left behind. Many conventional water technologies are too complex, costly or dependent on electricity and imported parts, which makes them difficult to sustain in rural or resource-limited settings.”

Instead, AguaClara is pioneering a model of technology that is simple to operate, built from locally available materials and designed to run on gravity. Their systems represent a powerful example of how thoughtful, low-tech engineering can offer reliable and scalable solutions.

“The most impactful technologies will be those that are open-source, adaptable to different water quality challenges, and designed with long-term sustainability in mind.”

In a world racing for high-tech fixes, AguaClara proves that sometimes the most radical innovations are the ones that let gravity (and local communities) do the work.

Reimagining Water Treatment: How Low-Tech Innovation is Raising Water Quality Standards in Underserved Communities
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Netmore Group, a leading operator of Massive IoT networks, has announced the acquisition of Arson Metering, a Spanish company specialising in remote meter reading and smart water and gas management solutions. The move enhances Netmore’s ability to deliver end-to-end services for utilities and strengthens its presence in Europe.

Arson Metering has established itself across more than 200 municipalities in Spain, Italy, France, and Greece, managing over 500,000 installed water and gas meters with a pipeline of approximately 350,000 additional units. Its expertise in Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and its Meter Operations Centre (MOC) supports utilities in meeting regulatory and environmental standards through accurate monitoring and reliable service delivery.

Ove Anebygd, CEO of Netmore Group, commented:

Acquiring Arson Metering is another transformative step for Netmore as we expand our ability to provide end-to-end solutions for utility automation and modernisation across the globe. Arson Metering’s innovative utility solutions and proven track record align with our mission to provide reliable, high-quality services with world-leading support. Together, we’ll help municipalities and utilities address pressing challenges like water scarcity, leakage, and resource constraints.

Amador Martínez, CEO of Arson Metering, added:

Joining forces with Netmore marks an exciting new chapter for our company. Our shared approach to driving smarter, more efficient utility operations creates powerful synergies for utilities and smart cities. Customers will benefit from enhanced connectivity and improved management of water and gas networks, with access to Netmore’s extensive infrastructure and expertise.

Innovative Solutions for Smarter Utilities

• Metering Control Centre: A specialist monitoring hub for anomaly detection and diagnostics to support utilities and installation partners.
• AquaCity Platform: A universal remote meter reading solution that integrates multiple smart meter brands, enabling real-time monitoring and data analysis for water networks.
• GasCity Platform: A smart gas management system offering automated valve control, safety features, anomaly detection, and optimised billing.

With its extensive LoRaWAN and hybrid LPWAN communication services, Netmore is positioned to accelerate IoT adoption and streamline network delivery, supporting sustainable and efficient utility operations.

The announcement coincides with Netmore’s participation as a gold sponsor at the Spain Smart Water Summit 2025 in Madrid.

Quick Reference Links

• • Netmore Group
  • Arson Metering

Netmore Strengthens Utility Solutions with Acquisition of Arson Metering
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At H2O Global News, we love dogs and make no excuses for including a story about one of our furry friends. Especially when she is doing a great job finding oil spills and keeping freshwater lakes pristine. Poppy, a beautiful Springer Spaniel working in Canada’s IISD Experimental Lakes Area, puts her nose to good use snuffling out oil hidden under ice. To find out more, we interviewed Sumeep Bath, who told us more about the role sniffer dogs can play in water quality. 

Could you tell us about yourself?

I’m Sumeep Bath, and I’m lucky enough to be the communications manager for IISD Experimental Lakes Area, the world’s freshwater laboratory. Seriously, my science communication friends are a little jealous! I love this role because I can reach different audiences, whether I’m writing a serious policy brief or making a fun TikTok.

The best part? The place itself is incredibly photogenic, and the organization understands the value of communicating its work to the outside world.

What is the IISD Experimental Lakes Area?

IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) is a one-of-a-kind natural laboratory. It’s made up of 58 pristine lakes and their watersheds in a remote area of northwestern Ontario, Canada, where they’re completely untouched by human activity.

This unique setting allows scientists to manipulate entire lakes to study how everything in the ecosystem—from the air to the fish—responds. Because these are real-world experiments, the findings are more accurate and reliable than research conducted in smaller, lab-based settings. This approach led to groundbreaking discoveries that have influenced billion-dollar decisions by governments and industries, shaping cost-effective policies and regulations to safeguard freshwater resources.

Why are oil spills such a problem and why are they difficult to detect?

An oil spill is the unintentional release of oil into the environment during transport via trucks, rail, or pipelines, which can contaminate freshwater ecosystems. In North America, one common type of oil transported is bitumen from the Alberta oil sands. Because bitumen is too thick to flow through pipelines, it’s diluted with lighter oils to create a mixture called diluted bitumen or “dilbit.”

Northern Canada is particularly vulnerable to oil spills, as pipelines and rail lines often cross frozen waterways. Spills in these remote, ice-covered areas are incredibly difficult and expensive to detect. Traditional methods require heavy machinery for drilling or underwater navigation, making the process time-consuming and challenging. Detecting these spills is vital to preventing devastating economic and ecological impacts.

How can sniffer dogs help? 

Dogs have an incredible sense of smell, which is why they work in places like airports. A dog’s nose has up to 300 million scent receptors, while a human’s has only about six million. The part of a dog’s brain that processes smells is also 40 times bigger than ours.

Essentially, dogs “see” the world with their nose. That’s why using trained dogs to find oil spills is so effective—it’s a new application of a skill they’ve always had.

What are the advantages of using sniffer dogs? 

Recent research at the IISD Experimental Lakes Area yielded excellent results: specially trained detection dogs successfully located two different types of oil under lake ice in a double-blind study. In all six trials, the dogs correctly identified the oil’s location with no false negatives.

This is a significant breakthrough. Current technologies for detecting oil under ice—such as ground-penetrating radar and remote or autonomous underwater vehicles—are slow and extremely expensive, with some systems costing up to $6 million plus daily operating fees of $30,000.

While canine detection has not yet proven effective in complex urban environments, this research highlights the growing potential for using dogs in environmental surveys.

How long did it take to train Poppy? 

Poppy, a detection dog specializing in environmental surveys, was trained by Paul Bunker, a British Army veteran and founder of Chiron K9. With over 40 years of experience with working dogs, Bunker began training Poppy as a puppy after receiving her as a gift.

The training process is straightforward. A target scent—like oil, explosives, or even endangered species—is paired with a reward, such as a squeaky tennis ball or a treat. For Poppy, this makes the work feel like a game. When she successfully hunts down and finds the scent, she’s rewarded, reinforcing the desired behaviour.

Have you any plans to expand the programme?

A representative from the Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island contacted us for help finding several undocumented and abandoned oil wells. Following the story, they reached out to see if our oil-sniffing dog team could assist. Our head scientist, Vince Palace, is currently in discussions to determine how our technology can help.

Perhaps the most important question: What is Poppy’s favourite treat?

For Poppy, her favourite squeaky tennis ball is the ultimate reward. It’s not just a treat; it’s the payoff for a job well done. When she successfully finds an oil spill, we celebrate her success together, and she gets to play with her ball, making the whole process a fun game.

Finding Oil Spills with Poppy: Are Sniffer Dogs the Answer?
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Mott MacDonald flood risk and water quality technical director, Sun Yan Evans, has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng), the highest professional recognition in UK engineering. The Fellowship honours outstanding engineers for their contributions to research, innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership in the field.

With a career spanning more than 25 countries, Sun Yan is internationally recognised for her expertise in flood risk and water quality modelling. As technical director, former global practice leader and Mott MacDonald’s inaugural Fellow, she has led specialist teams delivering pioneering projects that have influenced both national and international water management standards.

Her contributions include advancing dam breach flood inundation modelling, hazard mapping, and smart solutions for assessing overtopping risks in flood defences and reservoirs. These methodologies have informed guidelines for the UK Government and the World Bank, shaping approaches to water safety and resilience worldwide.

Sun Yan has published more than 40 technical papers, contributed to the Institution of Civil Engineers’ State of the Nation reports, and co-authored several books and guidelines. She has also received over 20 industry awards, including the prestigious Women in Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Award. Her expertise is frequently sought in public inquiries, legal cases and high-profile infrastructure projects.

Her leadership is defined by technical excellence combined with a strong commitment to inclusion, knowledge-sharing and innovation. James Harris, chair of Mott MacDonald’s Executive Board, said:

That’s leadership at its best.

Richard Risdon, executive board director and regional managing director for UK and Europe, added:

Everyone at Mott MacDonald congratulates Sun Yan on this brilliant achievement and honour. From her early engineering research in China in the 1980s, which helped establish national water quality standards, to her global impact on flood risk and environmental challenges, this Fellowship recognises her career-long innovation and dedication.

Sun Yan joins fellow Mott MacDonald leaders Chris Dulake, Mark Enzer, Simon Harrison and Tony O’Brien as Royal Academy of Engineering Fellows, underlining the company’s continued contribution to engineering excellence.

Quick Reference Links

• Mott MacDonald
• Royal Academy of Engineering
• Institution of Civil Engineers
• World Bank

Mott MacDonald’s Sun Yan Evans Elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering
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