United Utilities helped National Grid to cope with a huge spike in electricity demand in the North West this weekend for the Rugby World Cup Final between New Zealand and Australia.
Smart boxes installed at the water company’s treatment plants and pumping stations allow equipment to “talk” to the grid. Motors and pumps can then be turned on and off in seconds in response to variations in power frequency.
Ahead of the game, National Grid was anticipating a demand for a 650 MW spike as a result of the “TV pick-up”. The big increase was expected at half time, with the demand at full-time predicted to be lower at just 400MW.
Last year United Utilities signed up to ‘Dynamic Demand’ - an innovative quick-fire way of switching energy-intensive equipment off and on in response to changes in electricity supply and demand nationwide.
The system acts like a “virtual power station”, allowing National Grid to even out temporary peaks and troughs in demand instead of turning power stations up and down. The more companies involved the bigger the potential for benefits.
The energy firm, which is responsible for transporting electricity minute-by-minute to millions of people across England and Wales calculated the total TV pick-up throughout the tournament prior to the final was sitting at 12,522MW.
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.”
ERG, the leading supplier of odour control systems and industrial gas cleaning & thermal systems, has been awarded the coveted King’s Award for Enterprise.
Hear how Scottish Water has completed its £235 million Ayrshire Glasgow Resilience Project - customers across Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire will now benefit from a more secure and resilient water supply.
Hear how United Utilities is accelerating its investment to reduce spills from storm overflows across the Northwest.
Find out more about the remarkable career opportunities on offer at WSP - scroll down to watch the inspirational video.