Anglian Water collaboration successfully transitions from `Innovation` to "BAU" to improve water quality monitoring

Anglian Water has built an enviable reputation for nurturing innovative products and services in the water industry through their Shop Window and WIN (Water Innovation Network) programmes.

These programmes encourage new and emerging businesses to work with Anglian Water through collaborative partnership to explore whether a technology can move from an ‘innovation idea’ into a product which can make a positive difference to the business and water industry. With a successful outcome for the product being the evolution from Innovation to a BAU (Business as Usual).

WATR is low-cost, easy to deploy and an extremely versatile multi-parameter water quality monitor. Providing real-time data to desktop dashboard or mobile, including alerts and notifications when parameters are breached. This makes WATR’s eponymous device a perfect solution for reactive one-off monitoring projects or long-term networked multi-device deployments in river catchments, lakes, or reservoirs. Essentially enabling businesses to monitor more points, more frequently over longer periods, thus reducing the need for regular site visits and the wait for lab analysis. The real-time data ensures that site visits and lab tests are triggered when needed rather than randomly when incidents aren’t occurring.

Catchment Management is a key part of the water cycle and plays a vital role in the water that comes out of the customers tap and on the holistic environmental eco-system.

During the 12-month trial, WATR units were deployed and networked along a stretch of catchment upstream of abstraction points. Initially it was felt the data would only be useful to observe trends in the water quality, however the data has proved to have a high degree of accuracy when comparing with benchmarking systems.

As part of helping Anglian Water understand the impact of water quality on catchments, the aim is to work closely with partners, industry, and landowners to share data information to improve overall water quality.

The data from the units is now also integrated into Anglian Water’s data analytics platform.

Stuart Knott, Innovation Project Manager, Anglian Water stated, “The trial was initially delayed because of Covid and some early iterative design changes to the product. However, working closely with WATR we have seen the product evolve through collaboration, hard work and responsiveness to our needs. The sensors are appealing because they are easily deployed and operate independently. Having had a look at all the results, I’m extremely happy with the performance of the units.”

WATR’s CEO and co-Founder Glyn Cotton added, “Four years ago, we presented the concept of WATR at Web Summit in front of a global audience. Out of 20,000 entrants were delighted to become one of three finalists. Since then, the product has progressed from proof-of-concept, to prototype and now to full scale roll-out. Over the last 18 months Anglian Water has been a great support and collaborative at every step of the way. I’m extremely proud the business has reached the point of BAU approval with Anglian Water.”

This year, WATR was nominated as a double finalist in the Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas awards and Water Industry TV Awards 2021 winner - Analytics.