UK’s smart water network needs long-term strategy

The Government must develop a long-term water resource strategy for the UK's smart water network if it is to drive water efficiency and prevent supply disruptions.


That’s according to global smart grid communications specialist Sensus, which has called for the UK to consider a more sustainable way of managing water resources to help avoid implementing short-term solutions that impact negatively on customers.

It also proposes that government and water utilities collaborate to establish a ‘Best Practise for Smart Water Networks’, which it claims would accelerate the adoption of new technologies to drive change in the water sector – replicating initiatives rolled out in the energy sector.
Smart water networks monitor and enable control of flow rates, pressure and water quality to help reduce network bursts and improve leakage detection.

Sensus director Andy Slater, said: “We have seen in the energy sector initiatives to define the Smart Grid at European and national level and to develop the use cases model behind these.

“The recent droughts across England have highlighted the problems of an ageing water distribution network and raise the question, could the water industry replicate this momentum to enable utilities to realise the service level improvements, efficiencies gains and other benefits which will be realised by using real-time data across their networks.”

He added that adopting the latest technologies to ‘digitise’ the water network and making it ‘smart’ is “central” to tackling the growing problems.

Carys Matthews

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