Innovation in action: Bright ideas shaping the future of water

In July, Northumbrian Water held their ninth annual Innovation Festival at Newcastle Racecourse. The event brought together over 3,000 innovators from 39 countries, all focused on finding practical solutions to pressing challenges in the water industry. 

This year’s festival showcased a wide range of promising innovations, from an AI chatbot providing instant expert advice anytime, to a Vinted-style digital marketplace for environmental projects that helps organisations boost biodiversity. Among the top ideas were smart sensor platforms to monitor wastewater spills, digital tools to prioritise asset investment and new approaches to repurposing waste gases for clean energy.

Since the festival began in 2016, more than 300 potential inventions have been generated, some of which are already in operation. These include the National Underground Asset Register, which helps locate buried pipes and cables, and Smart Skies Healthy Water, a drone system that monitors water quality.

This year’s top ten projects could deliver up to £68 million a year in value while improving environmental outcomes. 

Projects from 2025 include:

1. Habitat and Property Investment – a digital marketplace where organisations can buy, sell and suggest land use to support biodiversity.
2. Build It – a digital platform that combines housing, infrastructure and environmental goals to support faster, better decision-making.
3. Ingress-Ception – a visual data platform that tracks unwanted water in sewers and helps communities understand water-related issues.
4. Total Recall – an AI chatbot carrying an organisation’s knowledge, available 24/7 for instant expert advice.
5. Smart Sewer 2.0 – a system that uses a single pane of glass interface, similar to a super-high-tech iPhone screen to control sewer flows, use data more effectively and significantly lower costs.  
6. H2OH – a project that converts waste gases from wastewater treatment sites into hydrogen or other green fuels, turning them into clean energy hubs.
7. Asset Risk Register – a digital register that helps engineers and decision makers identify which assets are most at risk, to prioritise investment.
8. ARC – this is all about giving unused materials such as pipes, parts and equipment, a new life – encouraging circular economy practices.
9. Storming for Efficiency – a project offering a greener upgrade to underground stormwater storage by using big crate tanks that are specially designed to be low-carbon and sustainable.  
10. Spill Intelligence – a system combining smart sensors with company data to enable faster, targeted responses to wastewater spills.

The Innovation Festival highlights the sector’s ongoing efforts to address environmental and operational challenges through practical innovation. These projects show how new ideas can deliver real benefits for ecosystems, infrastructure and communities. 

Angela MacOscar, Northumbrian Water’s Head of Innovation, said:

“These projects show that we’re thinking big, acting boldly, and placing regeneration at the heart of everything we do – restoring ecosystems, revitalising infrastructure, and reimagining how we deliver value to people and the planet."

You can find out more about the festival and follow the progress of these projects via the Innovation Festival Hub 2025.