Agenda 2025: WWT Drinking Water Quality Conference 2026

BALANCING REGULATION, PUBLIC PERCEPTION AND INVESTMENT
9:20 AM																Keynote: Hear the latest from the DWI Understanding the strategy of drinking water regulation Exploring the challenges facing water supply, regulation and the industry Discussing Regulation31 in context Marcus Rink, chief inspector, DWI
9:40 AM																Panel discussion: Balancing risk and reward – how ready is the water industry for investment in AMP8? How can industry be more efficient with investment? How can we increase funding in clean water? How can we maximise infrastructure investment to ensure the UK’s water assets are ready for the future? How can the industry better prioritise net zero in design, construction and maintenance of assets? Can we deliver our infrastructure goals with the funding allocated by Ofwat for AMP8? Marek Cegielski, head of water services science, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water Dave Reynolds, drinking water quality regulator for Scotland, Scottish Government Garry Tabor, director - smart water solutions, British Water Doug Whitfield, director of operations, South East Water Carolyn Cadman, director of net zero and natural resources, South West Water
10:20 AM																Mitigating risk and public health concerns Tackling customer impacts of lead pipes Collaborating with local authorities to provide public health guidance Oliver Twydell, water regulations and public health business leader, Severn Trent
10:35 AM																Managing water quality risks during major changes to public water supplies Taking a proactive approach to water quality risk identification and mitigation Hugh Thomas, water treatment service line director, AtkinsRealis
10:50 AM																Q&A session with previous speakers
10:55 AM																Understanding Regulation 31 Rolling out Regulation 31 training to ensure all water industry stakeholders have a complete understanding to comply Working with The DWI to streamline and accelerate the Reg 31 approval process Alan Brown, head of water quality and assurance, Northumbrian Water Guy Franklin, head of water quality and compliance, Southern Water Gemma Ward, water quality risk and optimisation manager, Anglian Water Denise McGlynn, client manager – water and resource management, Energy & Utility Skills
11:20 AM																Refreshments, networking & exhibition

STREAM A: INNOVATIVE & PROACTIVE MEASURES TO IMPROVING WATER QUALITY
11:50 AM																From concept to business as usual: OFWAT Treatment2Tap - Water Quality Analytics As a Service Utilising real time data to gain an accurate picture of UK water quality in distribution networks Identifying threats to water quality including cryptosporidium Alan Brown, head of water quality and assurance, Northumbrian Water John Gaffney, digitalisation leader in water & waste water, Siemens Killian Gleeson, postdoctoral research associate, University of Sheffield
12:10 PM																PFAS ‘Forever’ Chemicals – Search, Capture & Destroy An overview of Puragen’s award-winning technology for the abatement and destruction of PFAS Introducing the latest-generation surface-modified GAC, optimised for PFAS removal from water David Reay, head of strategic partnerships, Puragen
12:25 PM																Understanding the Advanced Oxidation Process Insight into the University of Swansea’s AOP research Using chemical and electro oxidation to remove micropollutants such as PFAS and emerging contaminants Chedly Tizaoui, professor in chemical engineering, Swansea University
12:40 PM																Dealing with harmful algae blooms (HABs) – Taste & odour and toxin control with Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP) Using AOP to tackle harmful algae blooms to protect consumers from cyanotoxins Preventing taste and odour changes Understanding when to apply AOP Steffen Rüting, senior sales & process engineer – water reuse & AOP, Xylem
12:55 PM																Q&A session with previous speakers

STREAM B: SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE, SECURITY OF SUPPLY & MEETING DEMAND
11:50 AM																Tackling seasonal water scarcity Optimising Water Resource Management Plans to improve source quality Adapting to increased climate change impacts Paul Stanfield, groundwater strategy manager, Wessex Water
12:05 PM																Case study: Investing in a new reservoir to meet demand Insight into Anglian Water’s Fens Reservoir Storing water from local waterways to ensure a resilient supply Jonathan Hillier, senior programme manager for the Fens Reservoir, Anglian Water
12:20 PM																Ofwat’s Innovation Fund Case study: Tackling background leakage Overview of the Managing Background Leakage Ofwat innovation fund project Phase B results and customer side leakage case study Insight into challenges and lesson learnt Anna Taliana, project manager – Water Quality First, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water
12:35 PM																Maximising resources to adapt infrastructure Driving infrastructure standardisation to increase efficiency Collaborating with supply chain from construction to production Rachel Fox, engineering manager, Scottish Water
12:50 PM																Q&A session with previous speakers

STREAM A: EMBRACING NOVEL TREATMENT STRATEGIES
2:10 PM																Spot sampling at service reservoirs to assess water quality Using Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs) to test water quality Comparing water quality samples at various depths to create reservoir profiles Zoe Kellock, network maintenance programme lead, Affinity Water
2:25 PM																Ceramic membrane: new treatment application Utilising SiC Ceramic Membranes to treat dirty backwash water effectively Reducing carbon footprints while increasing treatment plant capacity Mark Biddle, engineering manager, Enpure
2:40 PM																Treated water quality and the development of network discolouration risk Reviewing how distributed water quality impacts the development of discolouration risk Understanding key processes and the trade-off between CAPEX and OPEX mitigation strategies Stewart Husband, water researcher, University of Sheffield
2:55 PM																Q&A session with previous speakers

STREAM B: PARTNERSHIPS, CONTAMINANTS & CONTROL
2:10 PM																Purification of lunar water using Super-Critical Water Oxidation Maximising spin-out applications to terrestrial PFAS remediation Dr Edo Boek, reader (associate professor) in chemical engineering, Queen Mary University of London Fenna Philipse, researcher drinking water, Waternet Onno Kramer, visiting senior lecturer & senior advisor, Queen Mary University of London & Waternet
2:25 PM																Working cross-sector with landowners Reducing pollution from agricultural runoff to improve water quality Encouraging sustainable farming practices and natural flood management Charles Chantler, senior manager, catchment sensitive farming, Natural England
2:40 PM																Taking control of water distribution networks Source blending to mitigate risk Tackling corrosion of metal pipework which leads to water discolouration Doug Whitfield, director of operations, South East Water
2:55 PM																Q&A session with previous speakers

PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH
3:40 PM																Managing public perception and getting customers on board for future investment Utilising citizen science to better understand supply quality through taste and odour changes Jenny Fathers, customer insight specialist, United Utilities Robin Halford-Maw, water quality and public health manager, United Utilities
3:55 PM																Maximising lead detection and remediation Insight into Water UK’s sub-group on lead detection Filling knowledge gaps through heat-mapping Exploring no-dig lead detection Katrina Flavell, innovation technical specialist, Yorkshire Water
4:10 PM																Replacing lead pipes Minimising disruption while upgrading supply infrastructure and minimising health impacts Phosphate disengagement without increasing lead content Jack Picketts, lead project manager, Severn Trent Sophie Rushton, community liaison manager, Severn Trent
4:25 PM																Closing keynote: What can we learn from outbreaks? Insight into South West Water’s outbreak and how we can prevent other incidents in the future Recovering from public perception impacts David Harris, managing director of water services, South West Water
4:40 PM																Q&A session with previous speakers
4:50 PM																Chair’s closing remarks and end of the Drinking Water Quality Conference 2025