Event: British Water – Sustainable Futures: Innovation, Environment & Resilience

Date: March 2024

Location: Manchester, UK

Type of CPD: Sector leadership / sustainability strategy / innovation and environmental performance

Duration: Half‑day to full‑day event

Summary of the Event

I attended the British Water Sustainable Futures event in Manchester in March 2024, a strategic gathering focused on the future of environmental performance, climate resilience, innovation adoption and long‑term sustainability across the UK water sector.

The event brought together utilities, regulators, technology innovators, consultants, environmental organisations and supply‑chain partners to explore how the sector can deliver improved environmental outcomes while meeting affordability, resilience and regulatory expectations under PR24 and beyond.

Sessions covered river health, storm overflow reduction, net‑zero pathways, digital transformation, nature‑based solutions and the role of advanced monitoring in supporting transparent, evidence‑driven environmental management.

Key Themes Covered

• Environmental performance and river health Pollution reduction, monitoring expectations, ecological outcomes and public trust.
• Climate resilience and adaptation Flooding, drought, asset resilience and long‑term planning.
• Innovation and digital transformation Real‑time monitoring, predictive analytics, automation and digital twins.
• Net‑zero and sustainability pathways Energy efficiency, process optimisation, circularity and low‑carbon technologies.
• Storm overflow reform Monitoring, transparency, enforcement and targeted interventions.
• Nature‑based and catchment‑scale solutions Integrated approaches to water quality, biodiversity and community outcomes.

My Contribution

• Provided insight into how real‑time biological monitoring and microbial activity sensing can support environmental performance, early‑warning detection and compliance.
• Engaged in discussions on integrating biological data into digital optimisation platforms to improve treatment stability and reduce environmental risk.
• Contributed perspectives on innovation adoption, pilot design and scaling strategies for advanced monitoring technologies.
• Supported conversations on how the supply chain can help utilities deliver PR24 environmental commitments through data‑driven decision‑making.
• Strengthened relationships with utilities, regulators and innovators focused on sustainability and digital transformation.