Thames Water projects have been awarded almost half of the £40 million funding in Ofwat’s latest Water Breakthrough Challenge – Ofwat’s Innovation Fund has today announced 17 winners from the Challenge.
In total, Thames Water projects received almost half (£16.9 million) of the total funding available in the £40 million competition
The winners include Thames Water’s innovative concept of ‘No Dig Leak Repair’ utilising advanced technologies like robotics to fix leaks with minimal disruption.
The ‘No Dig Leak Repair’ project, led by Thames Water, will use the funding to examine how technologies like robotics and trenchless repair methods could help fix leaks in the future without the need to dig trenches and all the associated disruption this causes.
Other Thames Water projects to win funding include a bid to explore the potential of converting sludge into valuable products like biochar, a bid to incentivise sustainable urban drainage, and a bid to expand the use of robotic technology for inspecting and repairing rising mains.
Nevil Muncaster, Engineering and Asset Director, from Thames Water said:
"We are constantly striving to evolve our business, and find new ways to do things better for the benefit of our customers and the environment. This funding will be invaluable in helping us progress some of our most exciting and innovative ideas, ones that really could change the water industry for the better.”
The Water Breakthrough Challenge is part of a series of competitions from Ofwat, run by Challenge Works with Arup and Isle Utilities, designed to drive innovation and collaboration in the sector.
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