The Water Discovery Challenge is calling on innovators from outside the water industry to put forward new ideas for tackling the sector’s biggest challenges. Jeannette Henderson, principal of the Ofwat Innovation Fund, explains
Water companies provide drinking water and wastewater services to over 50m households in England and Wales, with a sewage network that could wrap around the world 13 times. With large, ageing networks operating in the context of increasing demand and climate change, the sector faces undeniable and urgent challenges that require action now.
The vital task of delivering water relies on the continuous provision of safe, adaptable, climate-resilient, low-carbon and innovative buildings, systems and infrastructure. These are many of the same challenges that innovators in the construction industry are tackling. Their expertise and bold thinking could help the water sector achieve the same goals.
The Water Discovery Challenge is a £4m competition for innovators
Last month, Ofwat’s Innovation Fund launched the Water Discovery Challenge, a £4m competition for innovators from industries outside the water sector – including those working in the construction and building industry. It will reward bold and ingenious ideas that can solve the biggest challenges facing the water sector.
The Water Discovery Challenge is calling on innovators to generate new ideas to tackle big issues including managing leaks, preventing pollution, improving water efficiency, reducing emissions, boosting flood and drought resilience, prioritising sustainable practices and supporting vulnerable customers.
We are seeking solutions from industries dealing with similar challenges to those faced by the water sector or implementing solutions that could benefit water and wastewater services in England and Wales. There is no requirement for entrants to partner with a water company. The goal is to open the sector to new groundbreaking insights and thinking that could benefit consumers and the environment.
Examples of projects through the Innovation Fund
We know that some of the best ideas can come from the least expected places. For example, Velcro – now used in everything from shoes to blood pressure cuffs – was discovered when an engineer’s coat kept getting caught on a weed while out walking his dog. This shows exactly how some of the most disruptive, groundbreaking changes come from unexpected sources – and that different sectors can learn a huge amount from each other.
Since we launched the Innovation Fund in 2021, we have held four big competitions awarding millions to innovation projects. The winners have had significant overlap with innovation in the construction and building sectors. They include projects that improve water efficiency through innovative building design in housing and commercial developments (e.g. through water recycling), boost flood and drought resilience in urban areas and manage leaks through infrastructure.
Specific examples include Enabling Water Smart Communities, a project designing new housing and urban environments to absorb excess water during heavy rain events and cope with sustained drought by recycling “greywater” and Community-Centric Rainwater Management, which is asking communities to test new water butts called Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) that will help manage the flow of rainwater and reduce risk of flooding in paved urban areas.
Similarly, Project Zero is looking at how new housing developments can be more sustainable and water efficient. The team aims to minimise water demand and offset water consumption with new technologies to ensure the total water use in the community remains the same as it was before the new homes were built. This will involve the installation of water-saving devices in residential properties, including smaller technologies (shower heads, tap inserts), as well as larger infrastructure such as greywater recycling and rainwater harvesting units.
Through the right infrastructure, water use can be streamlined, sustainable and effective – better preparing us to anticipate changing climates, and demands, while enabling users to do their bit in preventing water waste.
How does the Water Discovery Challenge work?
The Water Discovery Challenge will award up to 20 teams of the most promising innovators up to £50,000 to develop their ideas, with expert support and mentoring from water companies. Up to 10 will go on to win up to £450,000 to turn ideas into pilots.
In addition to financial incentives, successful teams will benefit from expert mentoring and capacity-building support, including access to insights and mentoring from water companies and support for scaling solutions for the extensive water network in England and Wales.
The Water Discovery Challenge closes on 5 April 2023. The competition is being delivered with innovation prize experts Challenge Works, alongside global engineering, sustainability and water sector experts Arup and Isle Utilities. To enter, visit waterinnovation.challenges.org
Jeannette Henderson
Principal
Ofwat Innovation Fund
waterinnovation@challengeworks.org
www.waterinnovation.challenges.org/water-discovery-challenge/
