Thames Water has been awarded £1.5million to lead four projects as part of Ofwat’s Water Breakthrough Challenge. The projects will focus on incentivising community rainwater management, standardising digital technology, seasonal forecasting tools and using robots in pressurised sewage systems.
So far Ofwat has awarded 13 projects a total of £5.2m.
Responding to the award, Thames Water CEO, Sarah Bentley said:
“I’m passionate about using innovation to improve the way we deliver life’s essential service and meet the challenges of climate change, a growing population and ageing assets. So, I’m delighted that we’ve received the £1.5 million funding for these projects, which will help us protect our precious rivers and streams, build resilience and protect our network for years to come. It’s fantastic to be able to work alongside some great partner organisations who share our drive to innovate and shape the future. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of these projects.”
Between now and the summer, the Water Breakthrough Challenge will award up to £39m to projects across England and Wales. The Water Breakthrough Challenge is part of a series of competitions from Ofwat, and run by Nesta Challenges with Arup and Isle Utilities, designed to drive innovation and collaboration in the sector to benefit individuals, society and the environment. Today (March 22 2022) £5.2m has been allocated as part of the catalyst stream and the winners of the further £34m of funding will be announced later in the Spring for the Transform stream.
Harry Armstrong, Director, Ofwat said: “It is great to see the water sector deliver more exciting and impactful projects through this round of Ofwat’s Water Breakthrough Challenge. The winners all have huge potential to benefit people, society and the natural environment. I’m excited to see these projects become reality and start to make a real difference in the way we do things.”
