Following the prediction by Environment Agency Chief Executive Sir James Bevan last week that England will face water shortages within 25 years, Xylem Managing Director Jason Howlett is warning that industry will need to change its mentality in order to combat the crisis.
Jason Howlett said:
“Having read Sir James Bevan’s comments in the news this week, they come as a breath of fresh air for Xylem. I am a firm believer that the industry needs to change its mentality in order to combat the water shortage crisis.
“It is certainly not new news that England will not have enough water to meet demand in 25 years. However, the head of the Environment Agency is taking a bold stance to drive awareness. Something disruptive needs to happen and Xylem supports this approach along with Michael Gove’s recent leakage targets – we are still losing three billion litres of water to leaks every day.”
According to Howlett, while making small tweaks to daily habits is all well and good, it is not enough and a more permanent change is needed. There is “too much conservatism and risk aversion” in the industry, he added, saying that companies should not fear failure through investing in new ways of doing things, as moving too slow could be even more detrimental to the future.
The Xylem Chief continued:
“Xylem has evolved itself to introduce proven technologies from around the world that will help companies identify problems before they happen. The acquisition of Pure Technologies to detect leaks and vulnerable points in the network before failure and Visenti which models and identifies issues on the network before the customer is aware are prime examples of this. Why?
“Because we are committed to developing innovative technology solutions to the world’s water challenges. We have invested in these companies for the greater good as new technologies require time, commitment and practice before they become established solutions.”
“We are also investing heavily across the globe to highlight the water scarcity issue via high profile partnerships with the likes of Manchester City Football Club.”
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