South West Water is partnering on seven new innovation projects aimed at addressing some of the biggest environmental and operational challenges facing the UK water sector.
The projects have secured funding through the Ofwat Innovation Fund’s sixth Water Breakthrough Challenge, which supports initiatives designed to improve water quality, reduce pollution and strengthen resilience across England and Wales.
The schemes will explore how technology, data and nature-based approaches can improve river health, reduce environmental impact and support more sustainable water management.
South West Water said the projects will focus on improving pollution detection, reducing wastewater contaminants, strengthening infrastructure resilience and developing lower-carbon operational methods.
Innovation projects focus on river health and pollution reduction
The seven projects will investigate a range of technologies and environmental solutions, including:
- Earlier identification of pollution risks and improved river health monitoring
- Natural filtration systems designed to remove pollutants from watercourses
- Satellite monitoring of rivers and coastal waters
- New methods for removing phosphorus and harmful chemicals from wastewater and agricultural runoff
- Improved identification and management of operational incidents
- Lower-carbon approaches to repairing and renewing water infrastructure
- Recovery of valuable materials and energy from wastewater by-products
Carolyn Cadman, Chief Sustainability and Natural Resources Officer at South West Water, said the projects demonstrate how collaboration and innovation can support environmental improvements.
“It is brilliant to be involved in such a wide range of innovation projects, especially those which are looking to nature and natural processes to solve our carbon and water management challenges,” Cadman said.
Nature-based solutions and technology central to water sector innovation
The innovation programme reflects growing industry focus on combining digital monitoring, advanced treatment technologies and nature-based solutions to improve water quality and environmental resilience.
Across the UK water sector, utilities are increasingly investing in technologies capable of identifying pollution incidents earlier, reducing nutrient discharge and supporting long-term climate adaptation.
Satellite monitoring and environmental data analytics are becoming more widely used to assess river and coastal conditions in near real time, helping operators identify emerging issues faster and target interventions more effectively.
At the same time, nature-based solutions such as wetlands, natural filtration systems and catchment restoration are gaining momentum as lower-carbon approaches to improving water quality and biodiversity.
South West Water said the projects will bring together expertise from across industry, academia and environmental organisations to trial approaches that could later be adopted more widely across the sector.
Lauren Isbister, Mainstreaming Nature Based Solutions Project Manager at South West Water, is leading on three of the projects.
“We’re delighted that seven projects we are partnering on have been awarded funding. Innovation is essential to helping the water sector respond to some of the biggest environmental and operational challenges we face,” Isbister said.
“These projects bring together expertise from across industry, academia and environmental organisations to develop and test new approaches that could improve river health, strengthen resilience and support a more sustainable future for our region and the wider sector.”
The Ofwat Innovation Fund was established to accelerate innovation across the water industry and encourage collaboration between utilities, technology providers, environmental groups and research organisations.
More information on the funded projects is available via the Water Innovation Challenge website.
