Water & Wastewater Treatment Magazine
Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1131895
8 | JULY 2019 | WWT | www.wwtonline.co.uk The Talk: Utility of the Future N ow more than ever, water companies are under pressure to hit new heights. The industry faces huge tests from all angles, and meeting expectations will demand radical change. Working alongside our sister brands Utility Week and Network, WWT is running a year-long Utility of the Future campaign as we look to find ways to tackle the big challenges facing water utilities and help them chart a course towards transformation. Looking ahead to 2050, the campaign will work to rally water and energy companies around a collective view of the future that is both challenging and realistic. The year-long programme of articles, research insights and more will come to life at Utility Week Live 2020, where we will gather contributors and key sector influencers. "I'm a big advocate of starting today with the end goal in mind," UKWIR chief executive Steve Kaye, a member of the Utility of the Future advisory board, says. "Combined utilities, smart cities and all that kind of stuff always feels a bit far off in the future but, if we don't start thinking about it today, we might end up going down the wrong track." The campaign will gravitate around five topics that are driving transformation across water, gas and electricity: • Climate change • Customers • Regulation • Technology • Skills & workforce While WWT 's content will retain a strong focus on water, and examine industry-specific areas such as leakage and treatment, Utility Week will take a lead on topics that require cross-sector thinking, such as addressing skills gaps and leveraging key technology platforms. Pin-pointing a key missed opportunity where this kind of future-thinking cross- sector alignment could have put water utilities in a better position today, Kaye picks out smart metering. "We put all this IT infrastructure in for gas and electricity and all the water companies could have been plugged into that, but water companies are now looking at investing in their own communication systems," he says. Forward thinking Through the Utility of the Future campaign, WWT and its sister brands have launched a major new project to establish a vision for 2050 By Robin Hackett "COLLABORATION IS KEY TO CREATING THE PICTURE OF OUR SECTOR'S FUTURE" Professor Tony Conway, Conway Strategic Water Consulting "The landscape surrounding the water utilities is changing dramatically. There are opportunities to embrace, from exploiting digital capability to accelerating innovation, and challenges to address, from fulfilling rising customer expectations to driving forward efficiency and creating a resilient future. We are in the midst of a period of profound change, and it is an exciting time. So how is our industry going to respond to the challenges and the opportunities? What are the key dilemmas to navigate and choices before us? What can we learn from other sectors? What will the water utility of the future look like, and what is the roadmap to get there? Collaboration is key to creating the picture of our sector's future, and WWT's Water Company of the Future campaign can help bring together the best of thinking from across our industry, shaping a vision, and stimulating new thinking. I am pleased to be a member of the campaign's advisory board, and look forward to 'what if' scenarios being explored, game-changing innovation and bold thinking being highlighted and curated value adding intelligence informing the future being assembled."