Blog: Institute of Water’s Rising Star 2019
Rebecca Skuce

I am thrilled to have been awarded a place on this year’s Institute of Water Rising Stars Programme. Already it has been such an amazing experience!

Just recently I had the opportunity to visit Wessex Water to see firsthand some of the great things that are happening in the water industry south of the border.  We got the chance to hear from Mohammed Saddiq, Director of their energy company GENeco, who gave an inspiring insight into the company’s history and pioneering new technologies. One of which is the famous Bio-Bus that you might have heard about – the UK’s first bus to be powered entirely by human and food waste!

One of the main reasons I applied for the Rising Stars programme was to help broaden my knowledge of the water industry and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges it faces. And so far it certainly hasn’t disappointed.  Not only have I been able to meet a fantastic bunch of like-minded people, I’ve also been able to hear directly from some of the most influential people in our industry about key issues and new developments in our sector.

This plays really well into my role as Project Manager for Scottish Water’s Development Centres, two facilities set up to enable companies and researchers to test new innovations in operational-scale environments to help protect our vital water resources.

This is an area that is really close to my heart and is one of the reasons I took up Earth Science at the University of Glasgow where eventually I completed my PhD in the removal of pollutants from water and waste water. In Scotland we are privileged to have an abundance of water, but world-wide only 3% of this precious resource is drinkable.  According to the Global Footprint Network to maintain our current consumption levels we would require 1.7 Earths!

“Not only have I been able to meet a fantastic bunch of like-minded people, I’ve also been able to hear directly from some of the most influential people in our industry about key issues and new developments in our sector.”

Rebecca Skuce
Development Centre Project Manager

I’m really passionate about protecting our water resources to meet future needs and sustainability goals.  I also see this as a hugely inspirational time with a chance to make real change.  The Rising Stars programme provides me with a unique opportunity to do just that.  I’m thrilled at having the opportunity to attend and present at various industry events where I will have the chance to input into some of these key challenges.  I’m particularly looking forward to attending the Northumbrian Water Innovation Festival; not to mention the IoW Annual Conference which has always been a highlight in my professional calendar!