Navigating Sustainability in the Wastewater Industry: From Net Zero to Digital Solutions, to Climate Resilience and Beyond

The recently concluded European Wastewater Management Conference & Exhibit (EWWM), held 4-5 July 2023 in the UK, brought together industry leaders, experts, and innovators in the wastewater sector to discuss key challenges and explore creative solutions towards a sustainable future.

From treating storm overflows via nature-based solutions like integrated wetlands to monitoring emissions using drones, to advanced wastewater treatment for micropollutant removal, the conference highlighted the industry’s never-ending quest for innovation.

In the wake of recent news about wastewater spills, storm overflows, emerging contaminants, and the urgent matter of greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related challenges, the conference once again emerged as an important platform to delve into potential solutions for the industry’s most critical issues.

One of the most prominent trends in this year’s event was the focus on net zero, process emissions, and the growing urgency of the climate emergency.

Pete Vale, Carbon & Circular Economy Architect for Severn Trent Water's Innovation Team, observed that there was a marked difference from last year’s conference, when the industry was still acknowledging the gap in its knowledge on this issue. This year, people were sharing data and learnings, which prompted “loads of brilliant discussion".

Craig Lewis, UK Air & Climate Manager for SUEZ, also noted the “huge momentum” of suppliers, technology specialists, and consultancies coming forward with different methodologies, strategies, and remediation solutions for net zero.

He highlighted the growing use of digital solutions to quantify process emissions and mitigate their impact. Lewis, who is involved in Severn Trent Water’s pioneering Net Zero Hub, is deploying the SUEZ AirAdvanced®-ActiLayer, an advanced filter technology for nitrous oxide (N2O) emission reduction, at the water utility’s Strongford wastewater treatment facility.

Dr. Mikael Khan, SUEZ General Manager of Asset Services, noted the increasing impetus for digitalisation in the UK wastewater industry.

"More companies are on the digitalisation journey, and this kind of investment is something that we can't put off for much longer,” he said. “This is evident in eager discussions around sensor deployment, modelling, and data-driven solutions, while understanding the pitfalls of going digital very quickly."

In his keynote address, author, journalist, and environmental campaigner Prof. Rupert Read cautioned against recklessness especially when using innovation, especially if it could further damage a fragile environment. He believes that caution and innovation are closely interconnected.

"Being cautious is a spur to innovate... the two go hand-in-hand," said Read, the former spokesperson of Extinction Rebellion, a global environmental movement established in 2018.

With the upcoming AMP (Asset Management Period) 8 that the UK water industry regulator Ofwat has set from 2025 to 2030, all eyes are on increasing the efficiency and service levels within the sector.

Paul Pickard, Technical Sales Manager for Aqua Enviro, a SUEZ company, observed that AMP 8 is a “monumental challenge” for water companies. Not only are they being scrutinised more than ever on what sort of emissions they are producing, but also for uncontrolled spillages and other forms of environmental issues, not to mention the need to reduce their carbon footprint and the cost it would entail.

Pickard added that the purpose of these kinds of conferences is for water utilities and other stakeholders "to learn, discuss the kind of innovative ideas and technologies that are going to help" the industry cope with expectations and challenges.

Echoing Pickard's sentiments, Khan acknowledged the various challenges associated with digital transition, including the cost of deploying sensors and ensuring their security.

"But more than the technological challenges, there's also a battle of hearts and mind,” he said. “We have operators who have run these plants for decades and they naturally will feel threatened by these advancements and think they will lose their jobs because of this. How do we get them to embrace these new technologies? There's a lot of implications from both the regulation perspective, as well as from the operators.”

For Lewis, these challenges can be quite overwhelming. "Eventually, we need to determine the standardised approach and identify the key drivers that point us to the right direction in our journey to net zero and aligning with circular economy," said Lewis.

Collaboration and knowledge sharing among industry stakeholders, regulators, and operators are essential to identifying and implementing effective strategies that will help overcome challenges in the industry.

Khan stressed the need for close collaboration, as well as long-term strategies especially with the road towards digitalisation.

"It's important to have your short-term strategy along with your long-term course of action. Where do we want to be in 30, 40, 50 years? Digitalisation is not a transition that will happen overnight. It will need time, but we need to start planning and developing these strategies now so we can then work through a deployment of said strategies," he said.

Vale recognises the value of working together saying that events like the EWWM bring people together to talk about the challenges and "how we all can work together, collaborate, and share what we're learning".

For Pickard, one of the ways to face industry challenges is to have an open-minded approach while continuously improving existing solutions. "We need to be embracing new ways of doing things, as well as improving on existing practices. 'Collaboration' seemed to be a buzzword in previous years, but this event showed some evidence of collaborative approaches being followed," he added.

SUEZ, which is at the forefront of digital solutions and innovation in the wastewater industry, is "integrating itself very closely with water utilities to understand what they are looking for exactly", stated Lewis.

Referring to how professionals can move innovation forward to a sustainable future, Read emphasised the importance of accepting the reality of the climate crisis and courageously facing the issue holistically and collectively.

As Co-Director of the Climate Majority Project, Read reminded everyone that a key element of his campaign is to motivate professionals "to get together to tell the truth, to disclose, to warn, and thus to (help us all to) prepare".

The wastewater industry is at a crossroads – it can either continue with business as usual or seize this opportunity to innovate and have the willingness to change the way they do things. Given its knowledge, skills, and resources, the industry can look forward to a clean, sustainable, and resilient future.