"The future of water is scrappy, smart, and full of heart. And it's already here"
With a global perspective on water innovation, Mallak Bani Mustafa explores how creativity, collaboration, and bold experimentation can help utilities turn new technologies into smarter, more sustainable ways of delivering water — and real impact for the people they serve.
Mallak Bani Mustafa, Innovation Project Manager at Southern Water, describes her job simply: she gets paid to ask, “Can we do this smarter?” With a career that’s taken her from mega-projects in Saudi Arabia to grassroots innovations across North Africa and Asia, Mallak treats the world like one big water lab. At Southern Water, she hunts for clever ideas and technologies, so they can be trialled, and — if they work — be scaled up. For her, innovation isn’t just about shiny tech; it’s about people, practicality, and solutions that make a real difference. In this conversation, she shares what makes real-world innovation tick and how to turn pilots into lasting change.
You’ve built a career at the intersection of engineering, innovation, and sustainability. What led you to focus on the water sector, and what does your role as Innovation Project Manager at Southern Water involve today?
For ten years of my life, I lived with a disability that made walking impossible. My engagement in school was minimal, and my world felt very limited. I never aspired to be something I couldn’t see.
I get paid to ask: “Can we do this smarter?” I hunt for global water tech trends, bring them home, trial them, and if they work, we scale them
But what I did see every day was my father, a farmer in Jordan, struggling with water scarcity. So water meant crops, and crops meant dinner. I didn’t read about water scarcity in books; I lived it. That’s why I chose water.
At Southern Water, I basically get paid to ask: “Can we do this smarter?” I hunt for global water tech trends like a detective with a passport, bring them home, trial them, and if they work, we scale them. It’s like matchmaking but for pumps and sensors.
Having worked across different countries and contexts, what perspectives have shaped the way you approach water challenges today?
Innovation doesn’t always wear a lab coat or come with a price tag. Sometimes it’s a clever tweak, a local hack, or a community idea
Let me tell you, working in Saudi Arabia is like stepping into a sci-fi movie. Projects are massive, deadlines are yesterday, and ambition is served gold-plated. Blink twice, and a desalination plant appears.
Then you land in the Netherlands, and it’s a whole different vibe. They’ve got more water than they know what to do with. Egypt? One river, 108 million people, and a whole lot of creativity. Every drop counts, and they stretch it like magic. I saw some places in India where innovation is a bucket, three wires, and a prayer, and somehow, it works better than some million-dollar systems.
What I’ve learned is this: innovation doesn’t always wear a lab coat or come with a price tag. Sometimes it’s a clever tweak, a local hack, or a community idea that’s been quietly working for decades. The best solutions aren’t always imported; they’re often already in someone’s backyard.
So my approach today? Stay curious, stay humble, and never underestimate the power of a well-placed bucket.
When assessing emerging technologies, what criteria or indicators do you rely on to determine whether they’re ready for real-world deployment at scale?
We use a pyramid model: visibility (can we see it working?), viability (can we use it?), and value (does it save money, time, or the planet?)
I wish there were a magic checklist, but honestly? You’ve got to test it. I’ve seen tech that worked in California, failed in Kent, and then somehow thrived in Amman. At Southern Water, we use a pyramid model: visibility (can we see it working?), viability (can we actually use it?), and value (does it save money, time, or the planet?).
One time, we found a brilliant sensor system that could detect leaks before they happened. Amazing, right? Except…it costs more than a private jet. So we asked: if we replace the old system, will it actually save us money or just look cool in a PowerPoint? That’s the real test.
From your experience, how can utilities translate promising technologies into dependable operational performance and measurable improvements in service delivery?
Start small, fail fast, learn faster. Utilities love big plans, but the magic is in the pilot. You need to involve the operators, the people who actually press the buttons and fix the pipes. If they hate it, it’s doomed.
Collaboration is key to success in regulated utilities. What, in your view, makes partnerships between utilities, regulators, and innovators genuinely effective?
The best partnerships I’ve seen are the ones where everyone’s honest about the risks, open about the data, and willing to co-design
Three things: snacks, shared goals, and no jargon. I’ve been in meetings where regulators speak Latin, innovators speak startup, and utilities speak spreadsheet. You need a translator, or better, a shared language.
The best partnerships I’ve seen are the ones where everyone’s honest about the risks, open about the data, and willing to co-design. Also, if you bring good coffee to the workshop, people listen more. True story.
Introducing new technologies is as much about people as it is about technology. What have you found helps teams and organisations embrace innovation and turn it into lasting change?
Make it fun, make it useful, and make it theirs. I once ran a workshop in the Czech Republic where we let operators name the new tech. They called it “Leakzilla.” Suddenly, everyone wanted to use it.
People resist change when it feels imposed. But if they’re part of the process testing, tweaking, and naming, they become champions. Also, celebrate small wins. If a new valve saves 5 minutes a day, that’s a coffee break earned. That’s motivation.
You’ve reflected on water innovation across West Asia and North Africa, where conditions and resources vary widely from high-tech investment hubs to communities innovating under constraint. What stands out to you about how different contexts in the region approach water resilience and technology adoption?
The WANA (West Asia and North Africa) region is like a water innovation buffet, every country brings a different flavour, and none of them follow the same recipe.
In the Gulf, innovation comes with a drone, a dashboard, and probably a minister’s blessing. It’s high-tech, high-speed, and high-budget.
You need to involve the operators, the people who actually press the buttons and fix the pipes. If they hate a technology, it’s doomed
Then you cross over to Jordan, where I grew up, and it’s a different story. Water scarcity isn’t a policy issue, it’s a daily reality. I’ve seen farmers use greywater from washing machines to irrigate tomatoes. That’s not just innovation, it’s survival engineering.
In Tunisia, I worked with youth-led startups turning olive waste into biofilters. In Morocco, I saw solar-powered pumps built from recycled car parts. And in Palestine, I met engineers who designed rainwater harvesting systems using nothing but local stone and grit because that’s what they had.
The contrast is striking: some countries innovate with millions, others with necessity. But what stands out is that resilience doesn’t always come from resources; it comes from creativity. Whether it’s a university lab in Abu Dhabi or a community garden in Amman, the spirit of innovation is alive.
Looking ahead, what gives you optimism about the future of water innovation and the next generation of professionals driving change in the sector?
Some countries innovate with millions, others with necessity: resilience doesn’t always come from resources, it comes from creativity
Easy; I am the next generation. And we’re not waiting for permission. We’re building water startups in our kitchens, turning olive waste into filters, and pitching ideas on global stages with Wi-Fi that barely works. We speak code, climate, and community. We challenge legacy systems with one hand and design low-cost solutions with the other.
I lived with a disability for ten years, so trust me, I know how to adapt.
That mindset now drives how I lead projects at Southern Water and beyond. The future of water? It’s scrappy, smart, and full of heart. And it’s already here.