Meet the 2023 winners and finalists

Alliance or Partnership of the Year 

2023 WINNER: WaterAid, Anglian Water Alliances, Nepal Water Supply Corporation - The Beacon Project

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Anglian Water and the Norfolk Strategic Flooding Alliance - Uniting to deliver coordinated flood response and mitigation strategies for Norfolk 
  • Browne and Thames Water changing the customer experience of infrastructure improvement
  • Living With Water and Stantec - Hull and Haltemprice Blue-Green Plan 
  • Morrison Water Services, a part of M Group Services - Blicker, AI meter reading technology 
  • Northumbria Integrated Drainage Partnership (NIDP) (comprising Northumbrian Water Group, The Environment Agency and 14 Northeast local Councils), Esh-Stantec and MMB 
  • Northumbrian Water Group - Collaborative Approach to Catchment and Nature Based Solutions for PR24 WINEP 
  • WaterAid, Anglian Water Alliances, Nepal Water Supply Corporation - The Beacon Project 
  • WSP - Implementation pathways for successful adoption of SuDS Approval Bodies in England 

Asset Management Initiative of the year

2023 WINNER: SES Water - DMA Asset Health Project  

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Barhale & Thames Water - Jeff Farrow Trunk Main Test Rig: Barhale and Thames Water building the UK’s first, in-pipe non-destructive testing equipment facility 
  • Jacobs - Aqua DNA 
  • Morrison Water Services, a part of M Group Services - VariSim Delta 
  • Northumbrian Water Group - Tipping Point Tool - The Concrete Assets Condition Planning Tool 
  • Scottish Water, Caledonian Water Alliance, Environmental Techniques, Good Friday Robotics - Adapting Drones for Sewer Surveys 
  • SES Water - DMA Asset Health Project 
  • Southern Water and Stantec - Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force: Pathfinder Projects 
  • United Utilities, VAPAR, Sapphire Utility Solutions and IPSUM - Using AI to Improve Wastewater Network Investment Decision-Making. 

Contractor of the Year

2023 WINNER: OnSite

2023 FINALISTS:

  • APEM 
  • C2V+, a VolkerStevin/Jacobs joint venture 
  • Clancy 
  • Galliford Try Environment 
  • J Browne Construction 
  • Mott MacDonald Bentley 
  • OnSite 
  • WGM Engineering 

 Customer Initiative of the Year 

2023 WINNER: United Utilities - Enhanced Metering with Lowest Bill Guarantee

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Anglian Water - Supporting our customers through the cost-of-living crisis and delivering on our Purpose 
  • Northumbrian Water Group - Effective Customer Contact Management 
  • Severn Trent - Intelligent Kickouts 
  • Severn Trent Water - Engaging Hard to Reach Vulnerable Customers
  • South West Water - Awesome Water 
  • United Utilities - Enhanced Metering with Lowest Bill Guarantee
  • Water Plus 

Digitalisation Award

2023 WINNER: Mott MacDonald - Taking an innovative digital approach to support water resources management plan development 

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Arup and Severn Trent, with CADA Consulting - Blue Green Digital Strategy Tool: Delivering Sustainable Flood Resilience in Mansfield 
  • Connexin - Smart Water Networks 
  • Costain / United Utilities (Maintenance Service Provider Framework) - The Costain Neural Estimation Overview (NEO) Artificial Intelligence (AI) system 
  • Morrison Water Services, a part of M Group Services - VariSim Delta 
  • Mott MacDonald and Severn Trent Water - Moata Route Optimiser: A new era for pipeline design – “the domain x digital approach” 
  • Mott MacDonald - Taking an innovative digital approach to support water resources management plan development 
  • Scottish Water - SWIFT - Scottish Water Field Force Transformation 
  • Thames Water and ExploreAI - Open Data - Online discharge map and open data API 

Diversity & Inclusion Initiative of the Year

2023 WINNER:Anglian Water - Strength in Diversity Initiative

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Anglian Water - Strength in Diversity Initiative: building our future workforce to reflect the diversity of the region we serve 
  • C2V+, a VolkerStevin/Jacobs joint venture - Embedding a strategy for fairness, inclusion and respect  
  • Jacobs - Diversity and Inclusion at Jacobs 
  • Morrison Water Services, a part of M Group Services - Allyship Programme 
  • Northern Ireland Water (NIW) - The only way is (levelling) up at NIW 
  • Stantec - Celebrating and Embracing the Unique Minds and Strengths of our Neurodivergent Talent 
  • WSP - Women In Water Initiative 
  • Yorkshire Water - Partnership for Yorkshire Women in Engineering 

Drinking Water Initiative of the Year  

2023 WINNER: United Utilities - Water Quality First Programme

2023 FINALISTS:

  • James Mae Group - Alum sludge recycling machine 
  • NI Water and the Source to Tap Project
  • RSE in Collaboration with Scottish Water – Modular Water Treatment Solution Upgrade at Bonnycraig Water Treatment Works
  • Uisce Éireann - Operational Oversight: Alarm & Inhibit Review 
  • United Utilities - Water Quality First Programme (WQF) 
  • Water Research Centre - Understanding discoloured water using data-driven analytics 
  • Wessex Water - Durleigh Water Treatment Centre Refurbishment

Energy in Water Award

2023 WINNER: Salinity Solutions - Batch reverse osmosis water treatment technology

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Glan Agua and Easy Hydro - Harnessing the Power of Water to Generate Renewable Electricity in Water Treatment Plants 
  • Salinity Solutions - Batch reverse osmosis water treatment technology 
  • Scottish Water Horizons - Innovative Hydro Generation plant on a Waste Water Treatment Works 
  • United Utilities Water - Maximising generation outputs whilst reducing its environmental and social impact 
  • Veolia - Net Electricity Exporter 
  • Xylem - Supporting Scottish Water on their Carbon Net Zero by 2040 journey with innovative pump system technology 

Engineering Consultancy of the Year

2023 WINNER: Stantec 

2023 FINALISTS:

  • AECOM 
  • Binnies UK  
  • Jacobs 
  • Stantec 
  • WSP 

Groundbreaker Award

2023 WINNER: Anglian Water's Strategic Pipeline Alliance - Low Water Commissioning 

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Anglian Water's Strategic Pipeline Alliance - Low Water Commissioning 
  • APEM - The SRO Aquatic INNS Risk Assessment Tool (SAI-RAT) 
  • Kier Utilities & Northern Ireland Water - Hydrogen Near Me (H2 near me) 
  • RSE in partnership with Scottish Water – Scotland’s First Ceramic Membrane Modular Water Treatment Works
  • Salinity Solutions - Batch reverse osmosis water treatment technology 
  • Southern Water - Slow-drain water butts 
  • Thames Water - Online discharge map and open data API 
  • United Utilities, C2V+ and Nuvoda - Mobile Organic Biofilm™ - Plant-based media for sustainable wastewater process intensification at Macclesfield WwTW 

Health & Safety Initiative of the Year

2023 WINNER: Binnies UK & Techfinity - HomeSafe AI powered real-time safety management for mobile/travelling staff 

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Binnies UK & Techfinity - HomeSafe AI powered real-time safety management for mobile/travelling staff 
  • C2V+, a VolkerStevin/Jacobs joint venture - Safety Ripple – a positive, inclusive and future-focused behavioural change programme 
  • J Browne Construction - Sentinel Initiative 
  • J Murphy & Sons - Secure our Future - Service Avoidance 
  • Morrison Water Services, a part of M Group Services - SHALLOW contract safety campaign 
  • MWH Treatment - The introduction of Comprehensive Personal Medical Assessments 
  • Scottish Water, Caledonian Water Alliance, Environmental Techniques, Good Friday Robotics - Adapting Drones for Safer Sewer Surveys 
  • Wessex Water - Sustainable Operations & Engineering

Leakage Initiative of the Year

2023 WINNER: Craley Group and Kier Utilities - CRALEY Sensing™ 

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Anglian Water - Transforming leakage management with our smart metering programme 
  • Binnies UK, FIDO Tech, Thames Water Utilities - AI Leak Detection Service 
  • Craley Group and Kier Utilities - CRALEY Sensing™ 
  • Morrison Water Services, a part of M Group Services - Leakage Technician recruitment initiative 
  • Severn Trent - Intelligent Kickouts 

Natural Capital Initiative of the Year

2023 WINNER: Severn Trent, Mansfield District Council, Arup, Galliford Try, Via East Midlands - Mansfield Sustainable Flood Resilience – Pilot Raingardens

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Mott MacDonald - Water Resources Regional Plan: Putting Natural Capital at the heart of the decision-making process 
  • Northumbrian Water Group - Nature Based Solutions for PR24 WINEP 
  • Severn Trent, Mansfield District Council, Arup, Galliford Try, Via East Midlands - Mansfield Sustainable Flood Resilience – Pilot Raingardens 
  • Southern Water and AECOM - Embedding natural capital across Southern Water's business 
  • South West Water - South West Peatland Partnership
  • United Utilities - Innovative use of Free Surface Water Wetlands for treatment at Southwaite WwTW, using NBSs to generate Natural Capital benefits 
  • Wessex Water - Durleigh Wetlands & Water Quality Improvements 

Net Zero Carbon Initiative of the Year

2023 WINNER: Severn Trent - Delivering net zero wastewater treatment 

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Caledonia Water Alliance, partnership between Morrison Water Services and AECOM - CWA Carbon Management Plan 
  • Costain, Vinci, Bachy - Fuel Efficiencies in Tideway East 
  • Dwr Cymru Welsh Water and Cobalt Water Global - Quantifying, Modelling and Mitigating Process Emissions: Welsh Waters Journey to Net Zero 
  • Isle Utilities - Trial Reservoir 
  • Metasphere - ART Sewer Wastewater Level Monitoring solution 
  • Severn Trent - Delivering net zero wastewater treatment 
  • Yorkshire Water and Stantec - Hollym, Myers Lane Wastewater Treatment Works – “Replacing Yorkshire Water’s at-risk coastal asset with an innovative low carbon solution” 
  • United Utilities and Avove - Vyrnwy Aqueduct Modernisation programme (VAMP) – bringing the aqueduct into the 21st Century 

Pollution Mitigation Initiative of the Year

2023 WINNER: Ulster University - A Sustainable Method to Reduce Vancomycin Concentrations in Water Using Timber Waste

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Binnies UK and Thames Water Utilities - WINEP Urban Pollution Mitigation Programme 
  • Glanville Environmental & South West Water - Pennance Mill Rising Main Scheme – A successful recipe combining innovative and traditional ingredients
  • Metasphere - ART Sewer Wastewater Level Monitoring solution 
  • Northumbrian Water Group - Saltburn pop-up treatment works 
  • Plantwork Systems - Pollution Mitigation with Filtration+ 
  • Smart Storm - The NeutraliZer 
  • Ulster University - A Sustainable Method to Reduce Vancomycin Concentrations in Water Using Timber Waste 
  • Xylem - Smart sensor and smart cloud technology to support Water Utilities with The Environment Act 2021 

Rising Star Award 

2023 WINNER: Justine Leadbetter, Water Research Centre 

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Callum Brock, Anglian Water 
  • Tim Chatfield, Costain 
  • Dan Crow, WSP 
  • Julia Jambo, Stantec 
  • Justine Leadbetter, Water Research Centre 
  • Alistair Nicol, Caledonia Water Alliance, a Morrison Water Services and AECOM partnership 
  • Will Sainsbury, Barhale 
  • Kai Woodman, Galliford Try 

Smart Water Networks Award

2023 WINNER: Yorkshire Water, Stantec, Xylem & Idrica - Sheffield Smart Water Network 

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Arqiva and Anglian Water - AMI smart meter network rollout 
  • Connexin - Smart Meter Rollout 
  • Morrison Water Services, a part of M Group Services - VariSim Delta 
  • Yorkshire Water, Stantec, Xylem & Idrica - Sheffield Smart Water Network 

Wastewater Innovation Project 

2023 WINNER: Clancy - Blue Light Technology  

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Arup - Wastewater-based Epidemiology 
  • C2V+, a VolkerStevin/Jacobs joint venture - Breaking Boundaries at Ellesmere Port WwTW: Innovative treatment process for achieving flows and loads on a constrained site 
  • Clancy - Blue Light Technology 
  • Salinity Solutions - Batch reverse osmosis water treatment technology 
  • Samatrix – NOV - Norag 
  • Samotics and Yorkshire Water - SPS Clogging detections at Yorkshire Water with SAM4 Health 
  • Scottish Water Horizons - Innovative Hydro Generation plant on a Waste Water Treatment Works 
  • United Utilities - Blackburn and Darwen WwTW Integrated Solution 

Water Efficiency Project of the Year

2023 WINNER: Thames Water - Non-Household Smart Meter Data Services and Continuous Flow Live Dashboard 

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Hero Labs - Sonic by Hero Labs, the smart leak defence and water management system 
  • Northumbrian Water Group - Water’s Worth Saving - Top 5% highest users 
  • South West Water - Stop The Drop 
  • Thames Water - Water Efficiency innovation from rolling out smart meters in businesses: Non-Household Smart Meter Data Services and Continuous Flow Live Dashboard 
  • Thames Water - Water Neutrality Pilot 
  • The Consumer Council for Water - 'Waterfall' Podcast 
  • Water Plus - Increasing water wisdom, efficiency and engagement amongst organisations of all sizes in the UK 
  • Water UK - Water's Worth Saving 

Water Retailer of the Year

2023 WINNER: Wave  

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Business Stream 
  • Veolia Water Retail  
  • Water Plus 
  • Wave 

Water Company of the Year 

2023 WINNER: Anglian Water 

2023 FINALISTS:

  • Anglian Water 
  • Northumbrian Water Group 
  • SES Water