The UK’s water infrastructure is at a critical juncture, needing both modernisation and expansion to secure water supplies in the face of population growth and climate change.
While the pressure has been on for water companies to improve ageing and failing water infrastructure for some time, the need to create new water sources is now also rising in importance. By 2050, there is expected to be a near 5 billion litre a day shortfall of water – more than a third of the 14 billion litres currently supplied.
Fortunately, since Labour took power in July 2024, a series of announcements have set the wheels in motion for the largest build out of water infrastructure in the UK since the 1980s. A record £88 billion has been set aside by OFWAT to improve water quality with around £26 billion earmarked for 18 new water source projects as proposed by water companies in their draft water resource management plans.
These projects include four desalination projects, seven reservoirs, five water recycling plants and several large-scale water transfer schemes. Most of these new supply options will take at least five to ten years to deliver; design and planning must begin soon if they are to be built in time and will require a significant influx of skilled workers. In addition, the introduction of the Water (Special Measures) Bill into Parliament in September adds teeth to Labour’s plan to make executives more accountable for company performance and further incentivising major changes to be made to the UK’s water infrastructure.
This a tense but exciting time within the industry. A vast increase in talent will be required to support the build out. Crossrail, for example, which cost around £18 billion, employed around 10,000 people at its peak, and supported 55,000 FTE jobs across the supply chain. The UK’s existing pockets of expertise, for example, in tunnelling and water treatment, will be vital for delivering these projects. Though, not solely for their technical prowess, but also for their ability to inspire, encourage and guide the next generation of engineers.
A water pipeline needs a talent pipeline
For some time now, there has been a lack of engineering talent in the UK. In fact, one in four job vacancies are for engineers. To fill these roles, we must build our own talent pipeline that runs from schools into water, banging the STEM drum louder and illuminating the path for the next generation of talent to find us. According to EngineeringUK, a student is 3.4 times more likely to consider a career in engineering after participating in a STEM careers activity.
That’s why at COWI, we have several initiatives to engage with students from school age through to graduates. Alongside the graduate and work placement programmes that we offer, 10% of our workforce are STEM ambassadors who deliver practical activities and career insights in schools to promote our sector as a career choice and challenge stereotypes particularly for underrepresented groups.
Who is better placed to spark the imaginations of young people than us? Water projects are some of the most fascinating and multi-disciplinary of all infrastructure and are key to creating a more sustainable future – something that many students now look for in their work life. Talking about how water projects will enhance biodiversity or getting excited about materials innovations that will achieve lower emissions, will support us to attract the talent that the industry needs to deliver this build-out.
Leveraging tunnelling expertise for water projects
A further critical success factor for the build out will be securing the right expertise to lead this incoming wave of new talent. One area that the UK is highly regarded on the global stage for is tunnelling. Some of the country’s more recent projects include London’s new ‘super sewer’ the Thames Tideway Tunnel and two new crossings that will run under the River Thames – Silvertown Tunnel and Lower Thames Crossing. Companies such as COWI have a long history of developing complex underground infrastructure in challenging environments which will be highly beneficial to the UK’s water infrastructure build out.
As an example, Teddington Direct River Abstraction project, which could provide up to 75 million litres of water each day during periods of prolonged dry weather, will require the construction of a 4km long by 3.5m diameter tunnel at a depth of 20-30 metres under Teddington. The tunnel will connect a new water recycling facility at Mogden Sewage Treatment Works, in Isleworth, to a point on the River Thames upstream of Teddington Weir.
A public consultation was completed to support an initial evaluation of the project’s design. Backed by its extensive tunnelling and water treatment expertise, COWI responded to the engagement to highlight several benefits of switching to a tunnel boring machine (TBM) method of construction. Most notably, using a TBM would significantly reduce above ground infrastructure; whereas the original design featured several tunnel-to-surface shafts, only one would be required. This would significantly reduce the complexity of the design and open more routing options which would positively impact planning risk. It would also lessen the project’s impact on community recreation areas and open space while also reducing planning risk, shortening the construction time and lessening disruption.
Divide and conquer
With such a large volume of work to complete, the industry will need to work collectively to deliver it. Given the talent shortage, it is unlikely that a single tier one contractor will have the capacity or expertise to deliver projects without collaboration. As each project will be unique, so too will the skills requirements.
By delivering projects through an alliance, innovations, technologies and processes will flourish while best practice can be shared across all stakeholders. Some of the best water infrastructure projects were delivered by “everyone taking off their badge at the door” to work collectively towards a common goal. More than one contractor also naturally means greater innovation, which will be required at pace to deliver the projects in time. This is most likely to occur if specialised contractors are brought on to do what they do best.
The initial preference is for the tertiary treatment facility and the tunnelling work to be procured separately to allow for a greater strength of skills, experience and capabilities to come forward while improving cost competitiveness and keeping complexity to a minimum.
This multi-billion pound investment into water infrastructure represents a huge opportunity across sustainability, cost, and career opportunities for skilled workers. The industry will need to act collectively to maximise existing expertise while investing in new talent if it is to ensure sufficient capacity. Only then can we be certain of delivering on the UK’s ambitious vision for a sustainable and secure supply of water.