Water: its usage, distribution, management, and quality have all been newsworthy items in recent months. Within the UK, the level of investment from water companies is set to break all previous records, a £96 billion* investment from 2025 to 2030, which is an increase of over 90% on the current levels. It has been recognised that to provide the standard of water needed for a growing population; the UK needs to ensure the integrity and security of the water supply.
Alongside this, Water companies will invest a record £14.4 billion1 – the highest amount ever in a single year, to help ensure the security of our water supply in the future and significantly reduce the amount of sewage in rivers and seas.
Securing Clean Water – Water needs to be more than clean, it must be safely managed
We’ve been working with wastewater for over a century and have extensive experience in providing and supporting the process instrumentation.
The management of wastewater is a critical component of environmental protection, sustainable resource management, and public health, without safely managed sanitation diseases can spread rapidly2.
Wastewater treatment is important for several reasons. By preventing pollutants and contaminants from entering bodies of water, it prevents harm to the environment. It also allows for natural drinking water to be protected, as pollutants are less likely to enter it and spread waterborne diseases, this safeguards public health. More sustainability is achieved, as harmful pathogens are removed and the water can be used for drinking again.
Wastewater management comes with various challenges. Compliance with regulations, such as the ones detailing overflow, must be met or the company can be given large fines. This has made headlines in the UK on multiple occasions, and in mid-2023 unlimited fines for wastewater companies that dumped sewage were introduced in the UK, highlighting the need to comply or face substantial fines.
Emerging Trends of Wastewater
As we provide reliable measurement and control products to water and wastewater industries, we looked to the future of wastewater to see if there are any emerging trends to be aware of.
One trend we saw that may hit in 2025 is Circular Economy Practices3, which will see a shift from linear waste disposal models to a circular economy. This means we could see organisations increasingly integrating closed-loop systems that recirculate waste materials back into production processes.
The goal is to minimise waste through reduce, reuse, recycling and recovery, rather than traditional disposal methods. This approach could minimise the environmental impact and maximise resource efficiency, as recycled and repurposed materials often have lower costs and reduce reliance on new resources.
Also, we could see more Zero-Liquid Discharge (ZLD) systems emerging4. These systems remove wastewater through recycling and reuse, making them suitable for industries with strict environmental regulations or companies looking at ways to become more environmentally friendly.
We see that there is more need for more environmentally friendly alternatives that do not release chemicals into the environment but have consistency and effectiveness in removing pollutants.
Ensuring efficiency is also important
Did you know about two million tons of sewage is dumped5 into the world’s water bodies daily?
This is why filtration is so important, and we have our series of products that ensure there is an effective treatment process, and that costs are kept down.
Process instrumentation plays a large and important role in the wastewater industry. Flow meters are used to measure wastewater as it moves through channels and pipes. This is used to determine the amount of wastewater to be treated and allows for the efficiency of the process to be monitored, as well as loading rates to be calculated.
Level instrumentation is used to monitor and control the levels of wastewater in tanks, chambers, and basins. This allows for the correct amount of wastewater to be processed, as well as preventing overflows and optimising the treatment efficiency. Temperature sensors are used to ensure the efficiency of chemical reactions, as well as managing the growth of microorganisms in various stages of the treatment process.
The aging infrastructure in some plants may be affecting efficiency, and updated and new process instrumentation may help with this. Upgrading and modernising infrastructure is important to ensure continued efficiency.
Working for cleaner water
We are a supplier that offers solutions for managing and controlling various applications in the water industry. One important application is ensuring the elimination of pathogens and dangerous bacteria from the water supply.
Our solutions can be easily integrated into existing infrastructure and communication systems, working alongside the cleansing process, and minimising the need for additional staff.
We have worked with multiple wastewater companies to help modernise and upgrade their plants as demand for clean water rises with population growth.
In a case study, we assisted a water company in the south of England with measuring and reporting in their final settlement tanks. The company needed to prevent the sludge blanket layer from overflowing into the waterways. We recommended using a gap sensor and a control unit fitted onto a rotating bridge in each tank. This solution helped identify and address the issue early, preventing untreated water from entering the clean water system. It saved time, ensured legal and social responsibility, and maintained a safe water supply.
Our solution involved using the Undissolved Solids Sensor (433SD) and the Control Unit (MSM400 series). These components create a simple and cost-effective electronics system with LED indicators and alarm outputs.
Process instrumentation is crucial in wastewater. It helps to ensure that drinking water is correctly cleaned, and regulations are met. It also allows for greater optimisation of the wastewater plant, reducing waste.
If you are interested in process instrumentation for water and wastewater, or for more information about our products, contact us below.
Sources:
*Data supplied by Ofwat
1 invest a record £14.4 billion
2 disease can spread rapidly
3 Circular Economy Practices
4 Zero-Liquid Discharge (ZLD) systems emerging
5 sewage is dumped
5 Fun Facts about Water – sources:
10 people drank BEFORE you have through tap
In the UK, the average person uses 150 litres of water every day
A tomato “costs” about thirteen gallons of water, eight ounces of broccoli accounts for 19.5 gallons and, notoriously, an almond requires a gallon per nut.
Growing a single almond uses 5 litres of water
15 billion litres of water
Google converter:
Tomato thirteen Imperial gallons of water = 59.0992 – round down to 59 litres
eight ounces Broccoli accounts for 19.5 Imperial gallons water = 88.64875 round up to 89 litres
eight ounces = 226.796 round up to 227 grams.
