The UK Water Partnership (UKWP), in collaboration with British AI and data firm Aiimi, has published a new white paper, AI Within Reach, laying out a roadmap for responsible artificial intelligence adoption across the UK water sector and outlining potential use cases.

As the industry enters AMP8, companies face mounting pressure to deliver ambitious capital programmes, respond to climate change, and improve resilience – all while maintaining affordability for customers. AI presents a critical opportunity to help achieve these goals, but without coordinated action, much of its potential may remain untapped, the paper says..

The whitepaper specifically explores the use of generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs), technologies that can carry out a variety of tasks using data in unstructured, ‘natural language’ formats and structured data.

It explores how this class of AI technologies may be used to tackle some of the biggest challenges faced by the water industry, some of the risks to be aware of, and a range of applications of AI to solve more immediate problems.

Sector rich in data - but poor in insight

The water sector is uniquely well-positioned for AI transformation. With decades of data from infrastructure, customer interactions and environmental monitoring, the sector is data-rich – yet insights are often locked in siloed systems.

The white paper outlines how, by organising and labelling siloed data, water companies can unlock AI innovation and enable the implementation of practical tools such as customer chatbots, predictive maintenance, smart energy management, and climate risk platforms, delivering real benefits to the sector.

Real-world use cases and recommendations

The white paper outlines practical, scalable applications of AI already in development across the sector, including:

• Customer-facing chatbots that explain storm overflow data in plain language, increasing transparency and trust
• Predictive maintenance tools that reduce unplanned downtime and leakage by identifying asset risks in real time
• Smart energy management systems that optimise pump usage in line with renewable energy availability
• Climate analysis platforms that pinpoint infrastructure vulnerable to future flood risk

It also identifies barriers to adoption, including the lack of enabling policy, regulatory uncertainty, and skills gaps, and provides recommendations for overcoming them.

Collaboration as a catalyst for change

The white paper calls for greater collaboration across utilities, regulators, technology providers, and academia to accelerate AI maturity in the sector. By embedding AI into long-term planning, the water industry can enhance operational resilience, support decarbonisation, and create better outcomes for customers and the environment.

Steve Salvin, CEO of Aiimi commented:

“Water companies are under immense pressure. The sector faces growing challenges from climate change, the push for greater efficiency, and rising costs. At the same time, customer expectations have never been higher.

“This white paper is about cutting through the noise to show where AI can actually make a difference. Not by replacing people, but by equipping them with better tools to manage complexity, spot risks earlier, and make more confident decisions.

“Most companies already have the data. This is about unlocking it safely, responsibly, and effectively. Starting small, with solutions that work. That is how we move from pilots to real progress.”

Chris Newsome, UKWP Director said:

“The future of our industry depends on our ability to innovate, embrace new technologies, and often re-think how we do things. With ambitious plans in place for AMP8, AI will be crucial in the delivery of new assets; providing efficient ways to interrogate and interact with data, and enabling process automation, especially within supply chains. Adopting these technologies incrementally enables us to learn as we go – and share those learnings through collaboration both within and outside of our sector. I’m optimistic about our ability to leverage AI to get the best outcomes for our customers, the environment, and our businesses, and I encourage our industry leaders to take action now – our future generations will thank us for it.”

Click here to read the white paper online or download the pdf