Scottish Water is on track to hit a major milestone of 500,000 trees planted through its woodland creation programme by the end of this planting season. More than 245 hectares of the water company’s land will be planted with native woodland before March 2025.
In a UK water sector first, Scottish Water is deploying ground-breaking new technology for measuring emissions from waste water treatment plants.
Scottish Water is cutting carbon emissions from construction using new concrete technology – describing it as “one of the biggest innovations since the Romans invented it 2000 years ago.
Scottish Water has published its the second annual update of its Net Zero Emissions Routemap which shows that exactly half of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the delivery of Scotland’s water and waste water services have been cut.
Ofwat, the economic regulator of water services in England and Wales, has announced a new “open access” competition for innovators as its £200 million Innovation Fund evolves to encourage more diverse ideas to transform water services for customers, the environment and society.
An innovative solar scheme which produces energy from both sides of a solar panel has been installed at a Scottish Water site to support the company’s drive towards net zero emissions.
The United Nations is calling for the world to prioritize now to transform energy systems and accelerate the global shift to renewable energy – with at least $4 trillion a year to be invested until 2030 – including investments in technology and infrastructure – to allow us to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Affinity Water has published its plan to reduce operational emissions and achieve its Water UK commitment to achieve net zero operational carbon emissions by 2030, including making the goal “an explicit aspect” of its procurement processes for all of its supply chain from the beginning of 2022.
The Climate Change Committee, the Government’s independent adviser, is warning that time is running out for the Government to develop and implement realistic climate commitments and policies.
The National Audit Office is warning that achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions in the UK is a colossal challenge and government will need to spearhead a concerted national effort if it is to reach its goal by 2050.
UK water companies are invited to join an upcoming webinar which will explore how the sector can take indirect potable reuse (IPR) from concept to full-scale operational reality.
James Sumsion, CEO of predictive water intelligence specialists Kohtari, says the water sector needs to take a giant leap forward, so that it can anticipate and act upon water quality issues - rather than merely react.
Ray Moulds, Sales Director at Flood Control International, takes a look at how automated sliding floodgates are supporting secondary containment at water and sewerage company sites.
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”