A strategic forum for wastewater leaders to align and adapt the utility to deliver under pressure
Performance Regulation Meets System Reality
Capital is no longer the constraint—delivery is. With AMP8 in motion and performance-based regulation tightening across Europe, utilities now face a clear mandate: implement smart wastewater systems that work at scale, deliver real-time visibility, and support measurable environmental outcomes.
Funding is available. The technologies exist. But what utilities told us during consultation was consistent: implementation is still perceived as risky, difficult, and deeply organisational. The real challenges lie not in the devices—but in integration, accountability, and operational trust.
Real-Time Systems Need Real-Time Responsibility
Much like the transition to smart metering in water supply networks, the pain points aren't just technical. They're structural. Utilities aren't built for cross-silo data flow, real-time decision logic, or decentralised response models. They were never designed to be smart—and retrofitting intelligence into legacy infrastructure is exposing serious gaps in skills, governance, and systems cohesion.
Culture Is The Missing System Upgrade
Smart wastewater systems demand more than just sensors. They require control logic, governance frameworks, and responsibility models that work across operations, field teams, asset strategy, and IT. Real-time visibility doesn’t just improve your network—it redefines who’s accountable for what.
As one wastewater director put it:
“When you digitise it, you can’t look away. Smart systems don’t hide your performance—they document it.”
Spills become trackable. Blockages are no longer theoretical—they're timestamped. Unmapped dead zones become visible. For some, this is an opportunity. For others, it’s an existential shift. Either way, it’s happening. And it’s strategic.
To support this transition, conference sessions will also explore:
- Governance structures for real-time accountability
- Operational workflows for active vs passive control
- Legal and reputational implications of performance transparency
- Risk allocation in automation and AI-enabled control
- Organisational redesign for 24/7 systems thinking
What "Good" Looks Like Under Pressure
Sensor degradation, logger failures, communication dropouts—these are real-world problems. And potentially they could undermine trust in the very systems designed to ensure compliance. When EDM data is patchy, analytics don’t support decisions—they create liability.
As one operator told us:
“We need to avoid building castles on sand. The models might look great—until the sensor fails.”
Utilities need more than clever software. They need:
- Reliable telemetry architectures
- Edge-to-cloud integration
- Clear data quality standards
- Redundancy planning and field calibration protocols
Conference sessions will cover:
- Practical steps to secure high-fidelity field data
- Best practices for sensor maintenance and telemetry resilience
- Real-world EDM data troubleshooting
- Designing for verification, auditability, and operator confidence
- Validating AI outputs when input reliability is variable
Expect interactive roundtables, peer-led sessions, and workforce case studies focused on:
- Training, upskilling, and role redefinition
- Organisational design for integrated, digital-first teams
- What has worked—and what hasn’t—in early deployments
Strategy Tracks: From Pilots to Practical Scale
Utilities don’t just need inspiration—they need blueprints. And those will vary based on maturity, geography, and local pressures. That’s why we’re building an agenda that lets you benchmark, pivot, and learn from real implementation strategies.
Key programme sessions and breakouts will include:
- Phased rollouts and how to scale without overloading the organisation
- Pivoting from underperforming tech stacks or stranded pilots
- Procurement strategies that allow for flexibility without vendor lock-in
- Interoperability and futureproofing smart infrastructure
- Decision frameworks for evaluating ROI and risk before scaling
As one Head of Wastewater Automation & Telemetry put it:
“Everyone’s doing their own flavour of smart. There’s no single playbook. That makes it risky—and harder to justify.”
We’ll address:
- How to de-risk platform and vendor choices
- What “good” looks like in smart wastewater system design
- Tools and decision models to help boards invest with confidence
- Building in adaptability for tech that will evolve post-AMP8
Shared Challenges, Shared Solutions
AMP8 may be the UK’s catalyst—but the underlying challenge is global. Across Europe, wastewater utilities are under similar pressures: fewer overflows, better monitoring, faster decisions, and transparent reporting.
- In the Netherlands, water boards operate with autonomy but face high-performance scrutiny
- In Hamburg, utilities are shifting to dynamic, real-time performance metrics
- In France, public and regulatory pressure is accelerating data-led transparency
- In Sweden, utilities are evaluated on responsiveness and resilience—not just infrastructure readiness
You’ll hear from international case studies addressing:
- Rainfall-based control strategies
- Cross-border regulatory adaptation
- Platform interoperability in multi-utility environments
- Embedding performance culture in decentralised operations
A Platform for Practical, High-Trust Collaboration
Smart Wastewater Systems 2025 is built to deliver clarity and action. You’ll leave with real-world insights, operational frameworks, and implementation-ready takeaways. Whether you’re navigating legacy integration, workforce redesign, or system governance—you’ll be surrounded by peers facing the same issues.
We look forward to welcoming you this September—for a programme focused not on what could work, but also on what’s already working.
