Event: National Highways Water Conference 2025

Date: September 2025

Location: Birmingham, UK

Role: Attendee

Type of CPD: Infrastructure and environment conference / cross‑sector collaboration / water quality and resilience

Duration: Full‑day conference (plenary sessions + technical workshops + networking)

Summary of the Event

I attended the National Highways Water Conference 2025 in Birmingham, a cross‑sector event bringing together highways authorities, environmental regulators, water companies, engineering consultancies, technology providers and academic specialists. The conference explored how the UK’s strategic road network interacts with water systems, focusing on surface‑water management, pollution control, climate resilience, catchment protection, and digital monitoring.

The programme highlighted the increasing importance of integrated planning between transport infrastructure and the water environment, particularly in the context of extreme weather, regulatory expectations and public scrutiny of environmental performance.

Key Themes Covered

• Surface‑water management and flood resilience Drainage design, runoff control, SuDS, and climate‑adaptation strategies.
• Pollution prevention and water‑quality protection Spill response, sediment control, treatment assets and regulatory compliance.
• Digital monitoring and real‑time environmental intelligence Sensors, telemetry, predictive analytics and automated alerts for pollution risk.
• Highways–water sector collaboration Shared catchment responsibilities, joint planning, and integrated environmental outcomes.
• Nature‑based and low‑carbon solutions Wetlands, vegetated systems, and sustainable drainage approaches.
• Regulatory expectations and environmental accountability EA requirements, reporting frameworks and transparency.