BLOG: Enabling innovation in the water sector I Greig Adams

In our latest blog, Greig Adams, Team Leader for our Development Centres, offers a glimpse into our test hubs and talks about our new Innovation Voucher Scheme.

Since opening our doors in 2016, our Water and Waste Water Development Centres have welcomed numerous companies to trial innovative equipment under live conditions, offering a testing experience as close to reality as possible.

We’ve worked with academia, private companies, and various Scottish Water teams on a range of fascinating projects aimed at solving some of the world’s biggest water and waste water challenges.

Diverse range of trials

Since taking charge of the team last year, I’ve seen a mixed bag of trials that showcase a variety of novel approaches. These trials reflect the ingenuity of companies as they work to develop effective and sustainable solutions.

For example, we hosted a company that uses natural feedstock to clean fishing industry waste while producing a protein-rich feeding material. Universities have tested solutions for rural septic tanks under varying conditions, and developed sustainable products from sludge, a by-product of waste water treatment. We’ve also been replicating storm conditions at a Scottish Water site to test a proposed intervention before committing public funds to its deployment.

Some of these technologies are now installed as permanent features at Scottish Water sites and utility companies across the globe.

The rewards of problem solving

Having worked in operational roles, I understand the difficulty in maintaining the exceptional high quality water that companies such as Scottish Water deliver 24/7, 365 days a year. This is especially challenging with unpredictable weather events, water scarcity (yes, even in dreich Scotland), rising chemical costs, and threats to our well-established processes such as Brexit and fuel cost uncertainty.

It’s more important than ever to identify, develop, and implement the best solutions to strengthen the water sector. New challenges require new solutions, and that means rigorous testing. I’m very proud of the work my team does in finding solutions, weeding out problems early in the product lifecycle, and adding value to current processes.

As our test facilities are disconnected from live outlets, innovators can conduct trials in a low-risk environment with access to feeds from raw inlet sewage, post-screening, post-settlement and final effluent, raw water and post-filtration. There is also ample space inside and outside our test halls for larger-scale equipment.

Launching our Innovation Voucher Scheme

One of our latest initiatives is our Innovation Voucher Scheme, which aims to stimulate innovation in the water industry.  We’re keen to attract more trials and help companies and academia develop new solutions.

Our Voucher Scheme offers innovators the opportunity to trial their products our Development Centres with a 50 percent contribution towards trial costs*, including bay rental, power usage, and staffing.

If an innovator has a product or technology that shows significant or marketable improvements over current methods, then we’re eager to work with them. We also welcome trials outside the water industry for any company that wishes to use our facilities.

I believe that by fostering a collaborative approach, we can tackle the challenges facing our industry. Our Development Centres and Innovation Voucher Scheme are part of our commitment to driving progress and ensuring a sustainable future for water management.

*Limited time only. Terms and conditions apply.