Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | DECEMBER 2021 | 35 explained that "regulations are not an excuse to not innovate" and that new ways of collaboration had been served up by the likes of the Ofwat innovation fund. Changing consumer habits In delving deeper into how drinking water strategies have changed post-pandemic, Dewis outlined a huge change in consumer relationships with water supply as a symp- tom of Covid-19. Though describing the climate emergency as "absolutely front and centre" and hav- ing instigated something of a "generational shi• ", he explained that the global pan- demic had "completely changed" consump- tion habits. Dewis highlighted, for example, that home working had driven water consump- tion away from public spaces and that peak water use times changed due to disrupted routines. What's more, research found that today's consumers holiday less and are more interested in community-based solutions. He also cited huge spikes in demand at the start of the pandemic and a surge in DIY water ƒ tting as changes in consumer behav- iour for water companies to be aware of. "We need to be facing into this much more, and getting on the front foot with it – as an industry we tend to be too reactive." Dewis concluded that with changing demand patterns comes the need for a "radi- cally di… erent strategy" to the one currently in place. Collaborative and proactive catchment management David Ashford, Brecon Beacons mega- catchment programme manager at Dwr Cymru, and Thames Water's catchment projects manager Joanna Clint – both of whom manage regions of approximately 11,000‹sq‹km – also provided updates on the latest catchment management strategies and innovation impacting drinking water quality. Outlining the lessons learnt from tack- ling metaldehyde levels, for example, Clint discussed the beneƒ ts of incentivising water quality results from the farmers Thames worked with, as well as education and advice forming a key part of future projects. "If farmers don't know it's going in the water, why are they going to do anything dif- ferently," she explained, adding that collabo- rative approaches have, and will continue to be, "essential". "In a catchment the size of ours we can't do it all ourselves," she said, also outlining ambitions to work with agricultural stake- holders, the fertilizer and pesticide industry, academia and other ƒ rms. Ashford, whose Brecon Beacons catch- ments provide strategically important sup- plies to major areas in Wales such as Cardi… and Swansea, advocated getting on the front foot with regards to catchment strategy. He said it was important to "shi• reactive treat- ment into proactive management," explain- ing that people and engagement posed a continual challenge. "Insight into behaviour and behavioural change, which we can roll out to other farm- ers, has been massively important," he said. Nature-based solutions Amid net zero and environmental commit- ments, the need for more nature-based solu- tions to drinking water quality is a persistent undercurrent to sector innovation. One such example is a campaign to high- light the importance of protecting and restor- ing the UK's peatlands, which comprised partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. Jared Stewart, technical leader, catch- ment management at Scottish Water, explained that restoring peatland improves source water quality because sphagnum mosses ƒ lter water and release it at a more consistent rate. In addition to being one of the most e… ec- tive carbon sinks on the planet, the 1.8 mil- lion hectares of peatland currently being restored by Scottish Water is also essential to drinking water supply north of the border – with approximately 70% of Scotland's drink- ing water starting its journey in peatland. Tackling lead While a number of lead-based products such as piping and solder have been ƒ ltered out of UK water systems for decades, lead contami- nation remains one of the most urgent and intricate challenges facing the water sector today. As recently as September 5, for instance, the Guardian reported that pupils at 14 schools taking part in the Great British Water Project discovered that their drinking water contained ƒ ve times more lead than the 10 microgram per litre cap, demonstrating the pressing need for action. Stephen Robjohns, principal toxicolo- Utility Week Live 2022 See this content brought to life at Utility Week Live, 17-18 May 2022, NEC Birmingham New approaches to drinking water treatment is one of the frontline challenges at the heart of Utility Week Live 2022's live content programme. View the challenges and be alerted for tickets to the industry's most eagerly awaited reunion at utilityweeklive.co.uk gist at the newly formed UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), outlined that while Eng- land and Wales' lead limits currently match World Health Organisation guidelines and EU regulatory limits, the latter's planned move to a 5 microgram cap to be achieved within 15 years would pose daunting innova- tion challenges for the sector. Charlotte Owen, policy manager at Water UK, agreed that water companies will "really struggle" to meet this standard without cus- tomer side mediation and that there was a pressing need governmental and ministe- rial buy-in given what she described as a lack of clear position on lead from DEFRA or the Environment Agency. Ultimately, she explained the need for a step change in how lead is treated as an environmental health‹issue. Potential solutions to this from fellow panellists included suggestions of new fund- ing options and collaborative forums for tackling lead rather than relying on existing reviews and funding cycles. Hitting the communication 'sweet spot' Despite outlining the critical importance of tackling lead contamination, Owen empha- sised that creating a public health scare through excessive publicity was an ongoing risk and that joint action across the sector and government is needed to drive a compre- hensive strategy. "We need this not to become a storm over¢ ow issue," she explained. Clair Dunn, head of water quality at Anglian Water, added that there was a "ƒ ne balance" to be struck on this front between ensuring customers have conƒ dence in their water supply – making sure they trust in tap and aren't buying more bottled water – and providing them with the knowledge to make informed decisions. "We do know we can communicate with customers about these unavoidable health risks, we just need to have a rigor- ous approach to do that," Owen added. "But really the way we'll be able to have a sensible conversation with customers is by having a solution." Stuart Stone, UW Innovate editor

• Cover