Registration and refreshments
08:45 to
09:30
Chair’s welcome and opening remarks
09:30 to
09:40
Speaker:
Paul Horton.
CEO.
Future Water Association.
Keynote address: Next steps for reforming the water sector
09:40 to
09:50
Policy support for delivering the UK’s long-term water infrastructure – latest plans for securing future water supplies and increasing resilience
09:50 to
10:15
- How will the Cunliffe review inform the next steps for attracting investment and speeding up development?
- What does the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 means for enhancing the water network?
- Modifying the current financial arrangements for major infrastructure projects
Speaker:
Phineas Hodson.
Growth, Infrastructure and Planning - Floods and Water Directorate.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
How is the regulatory framework driving faster development and innovation to improve the whole water system?
10:15 to
10:40
- Identifying key opportunities within the regulatory framework to advance new water schemes
- Accelerating the integration of innovative technologies to diversify water resources options and managing existing assets
- Monitoring the delivery of planned investment – enhancing the visibility of the pipeline of projects
Insight on successful commercial and procurement models for delivering new water assets – what works best?
10:40 to
11:05
- Best approaches to going through the procurement process
- What are the benefits of competitive delivery models? SIPR versus DPC
- How can future infrastructure be effectively deployed through existing commercial models?
- Forming consortiums to bring forward first large-scale water infrastructure
Morning networking and refreshments
11:05 to
11:35
Overcoming supply chain barriers by ensuring greater flexibility and strengthening operational capabilities
11:35 to
12:00
- Establishing early engagement with key suppliers to identify potential gaps that will limit construction
- Encouraging more flexibility in project delivery to incentivise risk sharing and timely execution
- How can the industry finds the skills needed to deliver future projects?
Speaker:
Ian Burnell.
Commercial Director – Havant Thicket Reservoir.
Portsmouth Water.
Panel discussion: Gearing up for AMP8 – what steps can the sector take now to successfully deliver its largest investment programme?
12:00 to
12:45
- What does increased funds mean for the industry?
- Does the water sector have the right work processes in place to modernise aging infrastructure?
- Identifying the biggest challenges facing water companies and the supply chain in the next five years
- Increasing collaboration within the sector to lower development costs and risks
Speaker:
Michael Bedford KC.
Cornerstone Barristers.
Networking Lunch
12:45 to
13:45
Navigating the planning routes available for new water infrastructure – practical guidance on achieving consent
13:45 to
14:05
- When are projects categorised under TCPA and DCO regimes?
- Aligning the DCO process with Ofwat Rapid gated process
- Preparing for the impact of proposed changes to the planning system – implications for water infrastructure
Speaker:
Jen Ashwell.
Director.
Burges Salmon.
Updates on delivering first of their kind projects – how are these progressing and lessons learned so far
14:05 to
14:50
- Timelines and priorities for development – enabling first reservoirs to be construction-ready by 2030-2035
- Aligning planning and procurement process to accelerate delivery
- Key learnings to date – how can these be applied to future water recycling and transfer systems?
- Examples of successful partnerships between water companies and contractors
Speaker:
Mark Malcolm.
Reservoirs Programme Director.
Anglian Water.
Upgrading the water network while meeting net-zero targets and ensuring long-term sustainability
14:50 to
15:15
- Balancing the need for improving water infrastructure and net-zero ambitions
- Best strategies for reducing carbon footprints of current assets and future schemes
- Minimising environmental impacts though integrating nature-based solutions
Speaker:
Carolyn Cadman.
Director of Net Zero and Natural Resources.
South West Water.
Afternoon networking and refreshments
15:15 to
15:45
Extending the life of existing assets by selecting the most effective maintenance and improvement strategy
15:45 to
16:10
- Measuring asset health to prevent and predict failure
- Innovative approaches to reducing leakage and enhance water efficiency
- Digital tools that can be implemented to understand where asset renewal is needed
Innovations that are transforming water services to enable greater resilience – maximising opportunities created by new technologies
16:10 to
16:35
- Where are key areas of innovations and how can these be leveraged?
- AI applications in the water sector – insight on emerging technologies
- Overcoming barriers to implementing and scaling innovations within the water system
Chair’s closing remarks
16:35 to
16:45
Close of conference and networking drinks
16:45 to
17:30