Future Water focusing on industry standards

Future Water has a vision centred on ‘Shaping the Future of the Water Sector’ – therefore the organisation brings together experts to look at issues facing the sector.

Product and system standards are often seen as boring, too technical, stifling innovation and reducing things down to the lowest common denominator. Conforming to standards can be seen as costly.

On the other hand, standards provide a level playing field within an industry, ensuring a level of quality and compatibility between different suppliers. Your compliance with a product standard can offer a powerful marketing message. Standards ensure that your supply chain is supplying products and services that are consistent with your requirements. Good standards, in fact, save money and encourage innovation.

However, it is important to ensure that standards that are being developed do not come as a surprise to you and put you at a competitive disadvantage. Across the water sector, there is a plethora of standards, regulations and industry guidance, covering different products and materials. In addition, we’ll just throw in Brexit and the potential future divergence between Harmonised Standards (CE marking) and UK Designated Standards (UKCA marking). How do you keep up with it all and how can you have an input into standards that may affect your business?
Commenting on the new group Paul Horton, Future Water CEO, said:
”Standards are a vital part of the water Industry, ensuring that we deliver excellence in projects and use the best equipment. They help todrive new ideas and innovations across products and services and the Future Water group is all about understanding and unlocking potential that standards bring to the water sector’.

The group will be chaired by Dr David Smoker of ACO Technologies, who has over 15 years’ participation in British, European, and International standards work.