A world-leading project that’s set to see drones, robots and a mobile lab transform how rivers and seas are monitored has been named a winner in an innovation competition.
The Smart Skies Healthy Waters project, led by Northumbrian Water in collaboration with partners Newcastle University, data experts Makutu, drone experts Skyports Drone Services, and real-time sensor specialists Proteus Instruments, has won £6m in the fifth Water Breakthrough Challenge ran by the Ofwat Innovation Fund.
In a world-first, automated drones and smart robotics, will be able to both sample and deliver near lab-grade analysis of coastal and inland water quality on the spot, and in near real-time.
It’s a system which will combine the high-tech flying drones with a fully-kitted ‘lab-in-a-box’ – a shipping container-style laboratory that can be deployed wherever it’s needed along English and Welsh coastlines.
Samples will be collected by the drones flying autonomously and dropped off at a docking station on the mobile lab. In a move never seen before, robotics and state-of-the-art lab equipment will then set to work carrying out near lab-grade tests, giving an almost instant view of the water’s health.
Alongside more traditional manual water quality checks carried out by Northumbrian Water workers, this revolutionary approach will allow faster, more frequent checks of water quality, helping to protect the environment and keep the North East’s rivers and beaches clean and safe for visitors.
Richard Warneford, Head of Wastewater at Northumbrian Water, said:
“This project provides a ground-breaking opportunity to harness new technologies to enable more frequent monitoring of our waterways.
“It will be a world first and a step change for our sector, helping to ensure healthier waters for our customers, communities and our environment.”
The project will launch later this year, with trial flights and sampling set to begin in the region in through 2026 and 2027.
James Sumsion, CEO of Makutu, said:
“Smart Skies Healthy Waters is a powerful example of how innovative thinking can tackle real-world challenges, in this case, bringing real-time coastal water quality data directly to the public.
“We’re proud to be working alongside Northumbrian Water, Skyports Drone Services, Proteus Instruments and Newcastle University on this world-first initiative, which will improve operational efficiency whilst driving environmental sustainability.
“This funding marks a major milestone, enabling us to scale our impact — not just across the UK, but globally — delivering high-quality, actionable data exactly when and where it’s needed.”
Dr Vassilis Glenis, Senior Lecturer at Newcastle University’s School of Engineering, said:
“Smart Skies Healthy Waters builds upon Newcastle University’s relationship with Northumbrian Water that spans over 25 years.
“Here we will develop innovative physics-based and physics-informed AI models of coastal hydrodynamics and water quality to enable real-time optimisation of water sampling and analysis.”
Alex Brown, Director of Drone Services, Skyports, said:
“Monitoring and improving the UK’s water quality is so important to all of us. With drones we can reach further, more frequently, and provide better insights compared to the normal way of collecting water samples.
“We started working with Northumbrian Water and Makutu two years ago with our first water monitoring service, and this is the latest milestone to take this service to the next step. In the future we see a large network of water monitoring drones flying Beyond Visual Line of Sight around key water sites in the UK, providing instant insights back to Northumbrian Water, as well as other utilities, allowing them to take action where required to keep our waterways clean.”
The Smart Skies Healthy Waters project is one of three projects from Northumbrian Water which was awarded funding through the Ofwat Innovation Fund in the fifth Water Breakthrough Challenge.
The Ofwat Innovation Fund is a key pillar in Ofwat’s mission to drive innovation that ensures the water sector is ready for the challenges of the future and results in better outcomes for customers and the environment. It is delivered by innovation prize experts Challenge Works (part of the Nesta group), in partnership with Arup and Isle Utilities.
