United Utilities has been awarded £7.1m from the Ofwat Innovation Fund after being named a double winner at this year’s Water Breakthrough Challenge.
The first innovative solution will look at DNA sequencing techniques to deep dive into what is present in our wastewater at a microbial level, while the second aims to create and maintain an efficient, green wastewater treatment process.
£1.4m has been awarded to United Utilities following a successful bid to improve the performance of our wastewater treatment works, ultimately improving the final effluent returning to the environment. Metagenomics is a promising research topic using DNA sequencing that enables us to view many different DNA fragments all at once, and this technique can tell us which specific microorganisms are in a sample, and how abundant they are. This analysis can provide insight into wastewater site health and performance, prioritising water quality and environmental health. A secondary benefit will be how greenhouse gas emissions (such as nitrous oxide) formed within our wastewater treatment processes are converted into renewable energy; how they can support the operation of our treatment works in more efficient and environmentally sustainable ways.
The second winning project awards United Utilities £5.7m to scale and run the Next-Gen Digestion project. supply chain partners and academia including Jacobs, Cranfield University, Imperial College London and other water companies, the Microbial Hydrolysis technology will run at full scale at our Leigh treatment works in North West England. Microbial hydrolysis improves anaerobic digestion by increasing energy yields and reducing the volume of residuals. The project will also assess the potential for digesting cellulose recovered from wastewater as part of Severn Trent’s Net Zero Hub.
Kieran Brocklebank, Head of Innovation at United Utilities said:
“We are pleased to continue our track record of tapping into the Ofwat Innovation funding, applying the results to our own operations – and then sharing with other water companies so everyone can benefit. Together with our fantastic partners, we can develop and deliver innovative solutions to wastewater treatment here at United Utilities, and ultimately safeguard the future of our environment.
“United Utilities is investing a record £13bn of investment over the next five years to create a stronger, greener and healthier North West, and I look forward to working with our colleagues in the water, construction and education sectors to develop these exciting projects. Thank you to Ofwat and the Water Breakthrough Challenge for recognising the merit in our submissions, and we look forward to showcasing our progress toward a more resilient and sustainable water sector.”
