What is the Innovation Shop Window?


Written by Nilam Patel

What is the Innovation Shop Window?

We are working to create the water company of the future, today – starting right here in Newmarket.

It’s dry in East Anglia. We get a third less rain here than the rest of the country and we have a changing climate, which means heavy rainstorms, flooding and drought could all become more common in future.

 

We also have rapidly growing towns, cities and businesses, a special natural environment and a booming farming industry that most of the country relies on for food.  All of these need water to keep them going.

In a future with more neighbours and fewer raindrops, making sure there’s enough water to go around whatever the weather is essential. It’s why at Anglian Water we Love Every Drop and are investing millions of pounds to keep taps flowing, guard against flooding and protect our environment. 

Newmarket’s water and sewerage infrastructure is perfect for bringing in the best new ideas to help make water services smarter for customers for generations to come.

You put all your best goods in the shop window, and that’s exactly what we’re doing in Newmarket. We’re bringing in the best and brightest innovators and technology to make the water and water recycling network smarter.

We are working with more than 100 partners on 62 different projects to save water, fix problems before they happen, and help protect the environment.

We’re already using a clever new sewer robot and drones with thermal imaging cameras to find hard to spot water leaks; smart m
eters have been installed at nearly 6,000 properties across Newmarket to help customers save water and money, and behind the scenes 3D models and virtual reality technology is helping us work smarter on large-scale engineering schemes.  We’re cutting carbon, cost and congestion with our new mobile sludge unit, which has allowed us to more than halve the number of tanker journeys required, and we’re designing the house of the future with the aim of building it in Newmarket soon.

This is the future of water and it starts here in Newmarket! That future is set out in seven futuristic but achievable goals:

  • zero leakage and bursts
  • 100 per cent customer satisfaction
  • water consumption of 80 litres per person per day
  • zero pollution and flooding
  • 100 per cent compliant and chemical-free drinking water
  • carbon neutrality
  • building a circular economy that eliminates the concept of waste from our processes

Sign up to the Water Innovation Network to hear about the latest opportunities and submit your solutions.

Next Post