Flooding | H2O Global News

Wessex Water completes £1.2m sewer upgrade in Poole ahead of schedule

H2O Team — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 08:19:19 +0000

H2O Global News
Wessex Water completes £1.2m sewer upgrade in Poole ahead of schedule

A £1.2 million project to protect residents in central Poole from sewer flooding has been completed a month earlier than planned. The scheme, carried out by Wessex Water with its sister company YTL Construction, replaced around 500 metres of sewer pipes in the Waterloo area.The new larger-capacity pipes, installed along French Road, Marshall Road, Apsley Crescent and Denison Road, are designed to reduce flooding incidents caused by heavy rainfall overwhelming the previous system. Properties in the area had suffered repeated issues, including restricted toilet use and discharge from manholes onto local roads.

Project manager Paul Delves explained:

As heavy rainfall drains into the sewer network it can overwhelm it, causing flooding from manholes and issues for customers with their home bathrooms and toilets. Our models showed that the capacity of the sewers was inadequate to deal with this and increasing demands on the network, so the project focused on installing larger pipes to hopefully help to alleviate many of these problems.

The project involved staged road closures to allow open-cut methods for the pipe replacement. Collaboration with BCP Council and local residents helped minimise disruption, and the scheme was delivered ahead of schedule.

The works also brought community benefits, with Hillbourne Community Centre receiving car park improvements after hosting a temporary compound during construction.

The Waterloo area has also experienced wider land drainage problems, which remain under the responsibility of BCP Council as Lead Local Flood Authority. Wessex Water continues to support efforts to address these surface water issues.

Looking ahead, Wessex Water is set to increase its investment in environmental improvements, with plans for 2025–2030 outlining a £580 million programme to reduce storm overflow discharges, deliver more nature-based solutions and promote sustainable rainwater management – more than double the 2020–2025 investment.

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Wessex Water completes £1.2m sewer upgrade in Poole ahead of schedule
H2O Team

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

H2O Team — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 11:41:44 +0000

H2O Global News
Mott MacDonald’s Sun Yan Evans Elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering

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.

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Mott MacDonald’s Sun Yan Evans Elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering
H2O Team

Pollution prevention takes step forward as Warminster work nears finish

louise davey — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 14:34:45 +0000

H2O Global News
Pollution prevention takes step forward as Warminster work nears finish

A key £2 million project to help protect Warminster from the impact of potential pollution is nearing completion, fully reopening an important route through the historic Wiltshire market town.

Traffic resumed travel in both directions on Weymouth Street, just to the south of the town centre, on Sunday evening (17 August) following the lifting of the northbound closure that had been in place while crucial upgrades to the sewer network were carried out within a public car park.

The project, which got under way last August, saw an underground storage tank built to hold more than 400,000 litres of excess water from sewers during heavy storms, to help improve the quality of water in the Were river running through the town.

Work on the scheme was extended by three months, following discussions between Wiltshire Council, Warminster Town Council and Wessex Water, after problems caused by groundwater filling up the shaft for the tank delayed the construction team earlier this year while it was pumped away and a solution was found.

Work on the environmental improvement scheme near the centre of Warminster started last year

The tank will now play a crucial role in reducing occasions when heavy rain overwhelms the town’s sewer system and causes nearby storm overflows to operate automatically to protect properties from flooding.

It will retain the increased water volume from the combined sewer system – a diluted mix of used water from homes and businesses as well as rainwater draining into the pipes – until storms subside before returning it to the system and onwards to a nearby water recycling centre for treatment.

Greg Andrews, Networks Project Manager for YTL Construction, which carried out the work on behalf of Wessex Water, said: “We’re delighted to have completed this important project in Warminster and be able to reopen Weymouth Street fully for local through traffic.

“This was a complex scheme in a sensitive location and our team have worked hard to get it completed as quickly as possible, despite the challenges they have encountered along the way.

“Clearly, the delays were frustrating, but we’d like to thank local customers and road users for their patience, co-operation and understanding while these were overcome, as well as Warminster Town Council and local Wiltshire Council members for their support throughout.

“Our team will remain on site to demobilise equipment, reopen the footpath and reinstate the car park over the next couple of weeks.

“This work was vital towards helping to protect the environment in Warminster and Wessex Water’s progressive push towards preventing the automatic discharge of untreated water.’’

The Warminster project continues Wessex Water’s environmental protection investment throughout Wiltshire, with similar schemes totalling more than £4 million having been completed in Bradford on Avon and Chippenham in the last two years.

The company’s work to progressively and substantially reduce the discharge of untreated wastewater is also growing significantly over the coming years, with plans for 2025-30 outlining a £580 million investment – more than double the 2020-25 figure – to reduce the operation of storm overflows, introducing more nature-based solutions and promoting better rainwater management.

Pollution prevention takes step forward as Warminster work nears finish
louise davey

Stream wins global Esri award for geospatial innovation UK water initiative gains recognition for open data sharing portal

louise davey — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 09:49:19 +0000

H2O Global News
Stream wins global Esri award for geospatial innovation

UK water initiative gains recognition for open data sharing portal

Stream, a UK water open data initiative, has won an Esri ‘Special Achievement in GIS Award’ for its pioneering work in helping water companies to share their data with each other and various stakeholders, including innovators, citizens, regulators and interest groups. Designed to foster collaboration, innovation and trust, Stream’s mission is to unlock the potential of water data to benefit customers, society and the environment.

The award was presented at the Esri annual User Conference in California, one of the world’s largest geospatial industry events with around 40,000 physical and virtual attendees. Stream was recognised for its geospatial leadership and setting new standards for the global GIS (Geographic Information System) community. Selected from hundreds of thousands of candidates, the winners were chosen by Esri’s President Jack Dangermond.

Esri technology has been used to create Stream’s open data sharing portal – a central hub containing and connecting to a wide range of data from UK water companies, including natural environment and water consumption information.

National storm overflow hub for England

“Stream is delighted to receive this award and be recognised for its landmark innovation,” said Nigel Watson, Group CIO for Northumbrian Water Group and executive sponsor for Stream. “Driving improved transparency, collaboration and smarter decisions, the open data platform is the foundation of a new era for the UK water sector. Stream is quickly becoming a core piece of UK national data infrastructure thanks to the unprecedented level of collaboration.”

One of Stream’s early successes was the delivery of the National Storm Overflow Hub. Delivered in partnership with Water UK, the hub presents the world’s first interactive storm overflows map and associated APIs, showing the location and live operation of every single storm overflow in England in near-real time.

Providing one source of standardised overflow data, from all water companies for the first time, has enabled broad use of the data by third parties. Examples range from notification apps for recreational water users, modellers developing new ways of predicting and improving river health and regulators monitoring water company performance. The event feed is available on open licence allowing anyone to consume the data, marking a key milestone in driving transparency and innovation in the sector.

“Users around the world are demonstrating that geospatial technology enables us to see complex problems better to understand them, re-imagine them and reveal solutions,” said Esri President Jack Dangermond. “It is my honour to recognise these organisations for all the unique ways they are using GIS to innovate across industries and improve decision-making.”

Stream resources available on the open data sharing portal

Since the Stream platform went live in April 2024:

Over 125 datasets have been published on open licence, including: water consumption data, drinking water quality data, live and historical storm overflow data and leakage nightline data
Stream has collaborated and supported innovation projects to ensure they have easy access to the data they need to deliver value. One example is River Deep Mountain AI which, with support from Stream, has just published its first set of open source river risk models, built upon open data
A group of international researchers have used drinking water quality datasets published on Stream to explore the challenges surrounding the historic use of lead piping

Stream selected Esri for the initiative following an open tender, due to its ability to deliver a cost-effective system, which needed no additional customisation. Esri technology provides the open data sharing portal but also allows users to investigate and understand the data using interactive maps and other geospatial tools.

Stream wins global Esri award for geospatial innovation

UK water initiative gains recognition for open data sharing portal

louise davey

Installers Must Be First Line of Defence Against Urban Flash Flooding

louise davey — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 10:40:55 +0000

H2O Global News
Installers Must Be First Line of Defence Against Urban Flash Flooding

As London and other major cities across the UK brace for more extreme weather, installers are being urged to take proactive steps to protect vulnerable properties from flash flooding.

The callout comes from Wilo, the efficiency-first pump manufacturer, following a warning from the Mayor of London that 50,000 basement properties in London are at risk of being overwhelmed by stormwater and sewage by sudden torrential rain.

To avoid a scenario similar to July 2021, where severe flooding left some people in London homeless and properties severely damaged, installers should be actively helping their clients prepare for storms and downpours. Solutions like high capacity sump pumps are one of the ways of to safeguard properties, says Andy Thompson, National Sales Manager at Wilo.

Andy Thompson, National Sales Manager at Wilo

“Climate change has altered microclimates and ecosystems in the UK, with long dry periods followed by heavy rainstorms seemingly the weather pattern we all need to get used to,” says Andy. “Flash flooding is therefore becoming a bigger issue, especially in major cities, and one that installers should be educating their customers about.

“One way of increasing flooding resilience is to fit high-capacity, reliable sump pumps in basements. These can go some way to mitigating flooding, but they have to be specified, installed and maintained properly for them to work when needed.”

London City Hall is already distributing leaflets across the capital to properties at risk of flooding and telling residents about how to prepare for the eventuality. Andy recommends that installers go one step further by following a three-step process to raise awareness and encourage action:

Audit customers and at-risk properties
Contact customers to recommend sump pumps be installed if properties don’t already have one in place, or be upgraded if necessary
Speak to reputable sump pump manufacturers about sump pump requirements to ensure the correct products are chosen

Importantly, installers are advised to use pumps that are ‘continuously rated’, are designed to handle solids and fine particles, and are automated, like the Wilo-TMW Drain 32. Wilo’s popular sump pump is fitted with a float switch, meaning it turns on automatically when required, while its motor is self-cooling so that it can run for as long as needed.

“Installers are the unsung heroes in many ways, and they’re often the ones we call upon when something goes wrong. We can flip this, and we urge installers to be the ones calling on their customers, talking to them about the very real possibilities of flash flooding, and how by simply putting in a sump pump, the issue could well be avoided. By specifying and installing the right sump pump, they’re not just protecting properties, they’re protecting peoples’ livelihoods,” says Andy.

Visit Wilo’s website and sump pumps and flood control solutions for further information.

Installers Must Be First Line of Defence Against Urban Flash Flooding
louise davey

OTT HydroMet Launches the OTT Flood Monitoring System

H2O Team — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 08:51:39 +0000

H2O Global News
OTT HydroMet Launches the OTT Flood Monitoring System

OTT HydroMet, a global leader in environmental monitoring and weather measurement, is expanding its hydrological and meteorological offerings with the launch of the OTT Flood Monitoring System, a cutting-edge flood monitoring and stream gauging solution. This hydrology-tailored system seamlessly integrates the OTT SensorLink 1000 IoT device with the next-generation OTT RLS 500 radar water level sensor, providing customers with the high flexibility and operational efficiency needed for swift and confident decision-making when both preparing for and navigating the increasing severity of flooding events.

Comprised of a radar level sensor, datalogger, modem and power supply, the OTT Flood Monitoring System leverages the strengths of OTT HydroMet’s existing technologies. It offers reliable, easy-to-install, and low-maintenance water level measurements without requiring extensive technical knowledge through key features including:

An FMCW radar that measures water levels with high accuracy (±2 mm) and a range of up to 30 meters
IP67 housing to ensure reliable performance in all weather conditions
Timely notifications that enable proactive actions if water levels exceed thresholds
The ability to configure remotely and operate the system via smartphone or PC using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)

“The OTT Flood Monitoring System marks a significant milestone in our commitment to equipping community leaders and environmental stewards with the tools they need to observe and adapt to our changing world,” said Hannes Tietz, Product Manager at OTT HydroMet. “Being able to detect changes in the water table to better assess the impact of drought or climate change, as well as water availability and use over time through our new system helps ensure communities remain safe and can thrive.”

The OTT Flood Monitoring System is designed for flood monitoring, flood warning, short and long-term continuous monitoring, and monitoring locations requiring data in near real-time. The system can be used in fresh, brackish or saltwater environments and deployed in urban to remote locations with mobile signal, bridges and rain retention basins.

OTT HydroMet Launches the OTT Flood Monitoring System
H2O Team

Cardigan Tidal Flood Risk Management Scheme adds biodiversity element to flood defence project

louise davey — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 14:57:20 +0000

H2O Global News
Cardigan Tidal Flood Risk Management Scheme adds biodiversity element to flood defence project

Homes and businesses will benefit from reduced flood risk as part of the Cardigan Tidal Flood Scheme, the West Wales project that also aims to enhance biodiversity and contribute to community life.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has appointed Binnies, an RSK Group company, to bring a range of skills to the project in Cardigan, in the county of Ceredigion, as part of its efforts to manage the risk of tidal flooding to approximately 90 properties in the area. The project is currently in the detailed design phase.

Binnies will support NRW with civil engineering design, including geotechnical and structural design, environmental assessment, landscape visual impact assessment, hydraulic modelling and planning and consenting support. Fellow RSK Group companies will work with Binnies, with Central Alliance assisting with services surveys and RSK Acoustics providing a noise impact assessment.

Binnies Project Director Alex Humphreys said: “The tidal flood risk management scheme in Cardigan would help the town become more resilient to the effects of climate change and ensure it remains a prosperous and thriving community long into the future. The scheme will generate additional beneficial outcomes by creating new public realm areas, increasing opportunities for the community to be connected with their river, which is one of the most iconic in Wales, known for its historical significance and rich wildlife, including species such as salmon, sewin (sea trout), otter and porpoise.”

Alex said that the new flood defence would reduce flood risk to approximately 90 homes and businesses in Cardigan. The primary flood risk is tidal flooding within the River Teifi that flows through the town. The scheme is being designed to provide protection against a tidal flood that has a one in 200 chance of occurring within any one year period, with an allowance for climate change.

He said the new flood wall will stretch from the historic Cardigan Bridge to Gloster Row car park: a length of over 300 metres. Steel sheet piles will form the main stem of the wall, which will appear approximately 1.5 to 2 metres tall from the land-side.

Alex said: “Sections of the sheet piles would be clad in materials that would be sympathetic to the existing environment, while contributing to the narrative of continued investment and development in a thriving community. Along with the sheet piles, the scheme could see a new riverside embankment created, which would utilise imported natural rock material to enhance the stability and resilience of the wall.”

This rock would be placed in combination with bioengineering products to soften the visual appearance and create habitats along the river corridor.

He added: “The scheme involves many complex challenges, including the proximity of existing buildings, a number of important habitats along the river frontages and the significant heritage value of the setting. These sit alongside the typical challenges of construction in a busy town, minimising disruption to residents and the general public and working around complex layouts of buried utilities, such as sewers and water mains.

“We strive to support NRW in delivering its corporate objectives and its commitment to Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR) and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. We have looked at ways that we can maintain and enhance the community’s connection with the river. NRW is engaging with local businesses and community groups, including the local Sea Scouts, and is working to ensure access to the river for people of all abilities is enhanced.”

Alex went on to say: “I personally take a lot of satisfaction from projects like this, which showcase how the role of the civil engineer has evolved to take its place among a wide variety of skilled environmental and scientific professionals committed to combatting the effects of climate change and leaving the planet in a better state than the one that we found it in.”

NRW’s project executive for the scheme, Paul Isaac, said: “We are pleased to continue our collaboration with Binnies, whose expertise – along with ours – will enable us to produce a scheme that not only addresses the increasing flood risk but also creates long-term value for the community and environment.”

Cardigan Tidal Flood Risk Management Scheme adds biodiversity element to flood defence project
louise davey

Finishing line for Chippenham’s £2 million flooding investment

H2O Team — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 10:16:46 +0000

H2O Global News
Finishing line for Chippenham’s £2 million flooding investment

A £2 million project to reduce the flooding risk to homes in Chippenham and protect the River Avon running through the town has been completed.

The work, which saw a 10-metre-deep storage tank sunk below ground on land in the east of the town to add extra capacity to the sewer network, has been wrapped up, preventing the system from being overwhelmed and potentially discharging on to nearby properties.

Testing and commissioning of the 250,000-litre tank, which is sited next to Long Close and will play a vital role towards reducing times when high volumes of rainwater cause storm overflows to operate automatically to relieve pressure on the system, will continue to the end of the month.

More than 200 metres of gravity sewer and nearly 300 metres of rising main were also installed within roads in the area, including London Road, Black Cross and Long Close during the project, which got under way last July.  

Project manager Paul Delves said: “This was an important project to help diminish the threat of sewers becoming overloaded in this area of Chippenham and potentially flooding nearby properties.

“The additional storage will help the sewer network’s ability to withstand the arrival of large volumes of water in a short space of time, such as during a heavy storm.

“This stormwater mixes in the sewer with the foul water from homes and businesses and can also cause overflows to operate, but by retaining it in the tank, it can be returned to the sewer later, prior to being piped to a water recycling centre for treatment.’’

The project team worked closely with the local community before and during the work, sending thousands of letters to local customers and meeting them face-to-face at community drop-in session in the town.

The company also met and liaised with local businesses, councillors, schools and organisations, as well as working closely with Wiltshire Council to manage the programme of road closures and traffic measures associated with the project.

“We worked hard to minimise the impact on the local community and we would like to thank them for their patience, co-operation and understanding while we completed this essential scheme,’’ added project manager Paul Delves.

The Long Close project continues Wessex Water’s commitment towards reducing the impact of storm overflows on the environment, with similar River Avon work having taken place in Hanham near Bristol, Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire and Lambridge, in the east of Bath, as well as Saltford. 

Wessex Water’s work to progressively and substantially reduce the discharge of untreated wastewater is continuing over the coming years too, with plans for 2025-30 outlining a £580 million investment – more than double the current figure – to reduce the operation of storm overflows, introducing more nature-based solutions and promoting better rainwater management.

The company has asked the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to review how much it can invest in vital water and sewerage improvements over the next five years.

This comes after the industry regulator Ofwat’s final determination on Wessex Water’s five-year business plan allowed for £4.2 billion of total expenditure – 17% short of what the company’s own calculations have shown are required to meet its obligations and customers’ expectations, and support growth in the region.

Finishing line for Chippenham’s £2 million flooding investment
H2O Team

Innovative wastewater management system deployed for Littleborough flood defence works

H2O Team — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 11:25:30 +0000

H2O Global News
Innovative wastewater management system deployed for Littleborough flood defence works

Phase 1 of the Environment Agency’s Rochdale and Littleborough Flood Risk Management Scheme is underway in Littleborough, using an innovative ‘rain-ready’ system to handle polluted water created by construction activities.

The scheme includes the construction of a flood storage reservoir and sections of linear defences both upstream and downstream, as well as modifications to existing defences along the River Roch.

A rain-ready system of settlement ponds and Silt Capture Channels was used by contractor VolkerStevin to manage and treat silty water before it could be discharged into the River Roch. Silt control products and design advice for the project were provided by Frog Environmental, a joint venture company with the RSK Group.

Richard Walsh, VolkerStevin Senior Project Manager, said: “With increasing UK rainfall over recent years, the site was designed with a rain-ready mitigation system to tackle the inevitable surface water.”

He explained that the design reduces the need for continual pumping, with water left in the settlement pond as required. Pre-construction testing showed the soil particles are small and take over 24 hours to settle, which means the water could not be discharged without significant mitigation.

He said: “Water is pumped through a Pipe Reactor where it is treated with Gel Flocculant to reduce settlement time, then into settlement ponds and a final polishing pond, which runs over a series of biodegradable mats to remove any remaining silt.”

Frog Environmental Project Manager Gavin Beat said: “The rain-ready approach of using Silt Mats, settlement ponds and Silt Capture Channels means the equipment remains in place year-round, ready for use whenever needed. Independent laboratory testing has shown that there is 99% reduction in total suspended solids and up to 99% reduction in iron. This means the water being discharged back into the river actually meets the threshold for drinking water standards.

“VolkerStevin contacted us early on in the process, giving plenty of time for discussion and review before the project’s critical works began. It really emphasises what can be achieved with early engagement towards water management.”

This approach to water management is one of several sustainability-focused approaches taken on-site for this second phase of works. Other approaches included the use of low-carbon sheet piling, biofuel and hybrid vehicles and the reuse of crushed concrete for the haul road. The project won the Building and Construction Flood Protection category – National Green Champion Award at the 2024 Green Apple Awards.

The Rochdale and Littleborough Flood Risk Management Scheme is being led by the Environment Agency in partnership with Rochdale Borough Council and has been supported by Network Rail, the North West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, Transport for Greater Manchester, the Department for Education and the Department for Transport.

Once complete, the flood scheme will better protect 723 homes and 489 businesses from flooding. The Littleborough section will safeguard 337 homes and 185 non-residential properties. Additionally, the scheme aims to provide considerable environmental benefits, with 1.2 acres of woodland enhancement at Grove Lodge and over 130 trees and 160 m of hedging to be planted.

Nick Pearson, Area Flood and Coastal Risk Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “We understand the devastating impact flooding can have, which is why reducing flood risk is our top priority.

“We are pleased with the success of the construction of this scheme to date and that hundreds of homes and businesses are set to benefit from improved protection.

“We can’t always predict where the rain will fall or where flooding will occur, but we do know which areas are at risk, so it’s essential we all do our part by checking our flood risk and signing up for flood warnings via www.gov.uk/prepare-for-flooding. By taking small steps today, you can immediately improve your own readiness.”

Councillor Tricia Ayrton, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Environment, said: “Our community understands first-hand the devastating impact that flooding has, so these works will have a lasting and very real impact on our many residents and businesses in these areas.”

Innovative wastewater management system deployed for Littleborough flood defence works
H2O Team

AMP8 delivery requires data for nature approach

louise davey — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 10:05:20 +0000

H2O Global News
AMP8 delivery requires data for nature approach

A data-driven approach coupled with greater use of nature-based solutions offers a promising path for UK water, says Ryan Pearson, head of strategy at Metasphere, ahead of his panel appearance at the WWT Wastewater Conference on 28 January 2025.

The immediate challenge facing the UK water sector lies in resource limitations such as skilled labour shortages and the sheer volume of work required in AMP8 – the regulatory asset management plan period 2025-30. This creates an opportunity approach infrastructure delivery and management in a very different way.

Leveraging data and automation – including integrated telemetry systems and artificial intelligence (AI) – can significantly improve efficiency and reduce the human workload needed for project management, decision-making, and programme execution.

Ryan Pearson, head of strategy at Metasphere

Data for nature

Currently, the default option to reducing stormwater overflows into rivers and seas is to install concrete storage tanks, which are costly and, while effectively holding back water, provide few additional benefits. By using data insights, water companies can implement nature-based solutions (NbS) at scale: holding back rainfall in the catchment, engaging communities and other stakeholders, and achieving positive outcomes for wildlife, people and the environment.

Data provides the opportunity to examine the causes of overflows and identify where the hydraulic overload is coming from. Could it be infiltration of groundwater into the sewer network, or the misconnection of household appliances?

Once all sources have been identified, decisions can be made on which prevention interventions should be prioritised. This approach opens-up opportunities for greater use of nature-based solutions, because the data can create a robust business case.

Instead of pouring more concrete, attractive green spaces can be created, engaging stakeholders and local communities and creating greater biodiversity. In the context of climate change, the impact of cloudbursts – localised intense rainfall, and urban heat-spots can be mitigated, alongside reducing overflows to surface waters.

Flood resilience

The Mansfield Sustainable Flood Resilience project, undertaken by Severn Trent Water (STW) ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, is worth revisiting as an example of what is possible when data and nature come together. The scheme was the largest sustainable drainage system (SuDS) in the UK at the time, and the water company required cost effective, reliable solutions that could capture rainwater and slow the pace of rainwater entering the sewage network, whilst providing critical level data on flooding risk in the network.

Metasphere and other technology companies provided smart level monitoring solutions to support the SuDS scheme, with Metasphere’s Sense Level monitors helping track the pace at which rainwater infiltrates the network. The devices use contactless radar sensor technology to monitor in-sewer water levels and send data to Canvas, Metasphere’s data collection and device management platform.

From there, users can visualise and access the data in near real-time on Palette, Metasphere’s visualisation platform. Data is presented concisely to provide insights for operational efficiency of the wastewater network and allow proactive management to reduce the likelihood of flooding.

This combination of green space creation, alongside data collection, management and visualisation, has given the town of Mansfield more than 59 million litres of additional surface water storage capacity, while reducing flood risk for 90,000 residents. STW has shown that by deploying data in the design and implementation of nature-based flood resilience schemes in urbanised areas, it is possible to create resilient urban spaces for a cleaner, greener world.

Taking time

All too often, sewer level monitoring programmes are run in isolation from other potentially complementary and highly beneficial schemes. Once a company is capturing data, it can be used in all sorts of ways, including feeding into longer-term asset management strategies and driving innovative ways of thinking and delivering.

It is sometimes argued that there is not enough time to capture the necessary insights in advance of project design and delivery and that time constraints around the AMP cycles complicate matters. It is possible to turn this argument on its head, saying that not having the data available in advance can cause unnecessary delays in the delivery phase, due to ambiguity and a weak evidence base.

Taking the time upfront, before the start of the project, to deploy devices in networks, to capture the necessary insights, would deliver a shorter project lifecycle overall.

Impact on AMP9

A business-as-usual approach in AMP8 risks under-delivering, exceeding budgets and jeopardising customer confidence, which is already at a low. This will have the knock-on effect of hindering the industry’s ability to secure funding for AMP9 – the five-year period from 2030.

Exploring the relationship between data and NbS will be crucial for the sector in AMP8 if storm overflow reduction targets are to be met, and waterways improved – which would go a long way to rebuilding public support for investment.

Ryan Pearson is a panellist at the upcoming WWT Wastewater 2025 conference, which takes place on 28 January in Birmingham, UK.

He joins the discussion, ‘How to deliver AMP8 capital investment programmes to increase efficiency and reduce waste within budget?’ alongside Paul Davison, head of wastewater strategy, Northern Ireland Water; Jonathan Stokes, head of storm overflows delivery and alliance, Yorkshire Water; and Roselyn Unegbu, delivery director LNI, Thames Water.

AMP8 delivery requires data for nature approach
louise davey