In an Expert Focus article for WaterBriefing, Chris Payne, Co-founder & Director of PureTec Separations Ltd, discusses why operational intelligence is becoming the key to unlocking future performance, resilience and sustainability for the UK water sector.

Chris Payne, Co-founder & Director of PureTec Separations Ltd: Water utilities today face increasing scrutiny, from AMP8 targets to ESG reporting and public expectations. But while assets are being renewed and capital programmes ramp up, one truth remains clear: delivering real performance gains depends not just on equipment, but on intelligence.

True operational intelligence is the ability to connect, visualise and act on live process data, and is fast becoming the new KPI for water utilities. It drives measurable progress on leakage, energy use, compliance and customer outcomes. And in an environment of rising costs and tighter regulation, it is proving to be the difference between reactive operations and future-ready resilience.

Closing the gap between data and decisions

A major blind spot remains in how many utilities manage operational data. Legacy SCADA systems, paper records and isolated spreadsheets still dominate parts of the sector. The result is fragmented visibility across treatment, distribution and asset performance. It is often difficult to connect cause and effect: how a change in flow affects pump energy, how pressure surges drive leakage, or how early signs of fouling impact water quality.

Without this connected intelligence, inefficiencies persist. Hidden losses (non-revenue water), elevated energy consumption and premature asset wear remain undiagnosed until failures or audits force attention. And as networks become more complex, the need for joined-up insight is only growing.

Remote monitoring and digitalisation: driving new performance standards

Fortunately, the picture is changing. Across the UK and Europe, digitalisation is moving from aspiration to action. Smart sensors, edge computing and AI-driven analytics are proving their worth, delivering faster responses, predictive maintenance and proactive compliance management.

At PureTec Separations, we’ve seen first-hand how remote monitoring transforms performance in treatment systems. Live tracking of pumps, filters and dosing enables early detection of risks and optimises asset life. Combined with AI, utilities can move from reactive to predictive operations, significantly reducing downtime and operational costs.

For example, our intelligent filtration and dosing solutions now integrate live turbidity, flow and dosing data, not just to flag anomalies but to recommend corrective actions before compliance thresholds are breached. These capabilities directly support AMP8 performance-linked targets and drive measurable gains across water quality, leakage and energy use.

Turning intelligence into AMP8 and ESG advantage

The new AMP8 framework is outcome-based. It expects water companies to deliver and demonstrate sustained performance improvements. In this context, operational intelligence becomes a critical enabler.

Real-time insight underpins improvements across leakage reduction, energy optimisation, water quality compliance and asset resilience. It enables faster detection of abnormal flows or pressure transients, ensures treatment and pumping processes are optimised to align with tariff windows and hydraulic conditions, and supports predictive maintenance to strengthen resilience and extend asset life.

At PureTec, we work with utilities to apply optimisation algorithms that align pump and treatment cycles with network dynamics, contributing to improved energy performance and operational efficiency.

Six enablers of operational intelligence

Based on our experience, six key capabilities underpin a truly intelligent operating model:

• Integrated digital platforms: Connecting SCADA, sensors, ERP and customer data into a single source of operational truth to enable system-wide optimisation.
• Smart sensor deployment: Providing real-time monitoring of critical parameters such as TOC, turbidity, chlorine and flow variability, supporting proactive water quality management and risk detection.
• Predictive analytics for asset management: Enabling accurate forecasting of membrane fouling, pump wear or filter breakthrough, supporting smarter maintenance planning and improved asset reliability.
• Energy optimisation algorithms: Reducing carbon footprint and operating costs through dynamic control of process energy use, aligned with network and tariff conditions.
• Process automation and remote control: Improving operational flexibility and responsiveness through the use of digital twins and PLC-based control logic.
• Performance-based service models: Linking outcomes such as £/m³ treated or uptime guarantees to service delivery, helping de-risk innovation and drive stronger alignment between utilities and supply partners.

Beyond compliance: building future-ready utilities

Operational intelligence should be viewed as more than a compliance tool, it is a catalyst for cultural and operational change. By shifting from reactive to predictive working, from siloed to integrated data, and from asset-heavy to outcome-led operations, utilities can unlock a step change in efficiency, resilience and customer service.

As we have seen in sectors such as data centres, where advanced treatment and water reuse enable sustainable growth, water utilities can leverage intelligence to navigate future challenges with confidence.

The winners of AMP8 and beyond will not be those with the most capital investment alone, but those who build the most intelligent systems, pairing digital capability with AI and expert human insight to deliver better outcomes for customers, regulators and the environment.