In Britain, the UK water industry collects, treats and supplies more than 17 billion litres of high quality water to its customers each and every day. It also treats 16 billion litres of the resulting wastewater, enabling it to be returned safely to the environment. Made up of 12 water and sewage service providers and 14 water suppliers, the UK water industry faces a huge responsibility on a daily basis.
The water infrastructure in the UK is over 100 years old in many parts. This fact means that many water and sewage companies today focus more on managing their assets to maintain serviceability and reduce costs than on service improvement through innovation. This position traditionally held by companies in the UK Water Sector is often reinforced by the current regulatory framework.
Water has traditionally been seen as a low technology industry, a fact that needs to change if the UK Water Sector is to innovate and work more successfully in the 21st century. To do this, the profile of R&D within the industry needs to rise to meet the challenges faced by the sector day. A major problem with current R&D flows in the water industry is that they are largely driven by the uneven regulatory framework. Such investment is concentrated in the supply chain, in larger companies and more in wastewater treatment than water supply.
The water industry’s performance in terms of investment in technology and application of innovative solutions is highly variable between companies in both clean water and in waste and sewage treatment. Since the privatisation of the water industry, there has been a general downwards trend in the amount of R&D investment and innovation in the water sector. The amount of investment in R&D in the UK Water Sector today is generally lower than many other sectors, and there is an urgent need for a change in this. A key reason for the low level of investment in the industry is because rewards and incentives for innovative solutions are often seen as lacking. Insufficient attention is being given to long-term technology planning within the water sector in responding to its environmental impact.
Today, the water industry is being driven by the ever-increasing demand for water and a push by the government to reduce individual consumption of it. Major problems faced by the UK Water Sector right now include the lack of a skills base in the sector, the lack of incentives for innovation in the sector and the unhelpful regulatory regime stemming R&D investment and innovation. There is also the serious problem of water loss through leakage. In 2008, 3.3billion litres of water were being lost from pipes across Britain everyday. This fact of course leads to higher bills for consumers. The benefits of fixing leaks are saving money, improving environmental quality, reducing property damage and reducing contamination risk.
