The UK government is rapidly progressing with plans to build 12 new towns, with the New Towns Taskforce recommending potential development sites and construction set to begin on at least three, before the next general election. However, realising this vision and ensuring the success of these sites will depend on providing adequate access to utilities, including water.
In addition to new house building initiatives, water companies also face mounting pressure from many other aspects of their operations. They must meet the needs of a growing UK population, while also contending with climate-related issues that threaten existing water sources. Driven by this, the government has also committed to fast-tracking the construction of nine new reservoirs to ensure they can come online by 2050.
To meet the target timelines, water companies must successfully deliver the network infrastructure required to support these new developments, while continuing to operate efficiently and maintain regulatory compliance.
The challenge of planning water infrastructure at scale
For future planning, water companies need to understand existing, local demand. Weather patterns and climate variations can also add to this complexity.
However, water companies typically begin infrastructure planning with incomplete geographic and demographic insights, introducing the risk of potentially overinvesting in some areas or underinvesting in others.
Planning decisions made without location and population intelligence can lead to water shortages and environmental issues like high use of emergency overflows, possibly causing regulatory breaches that result in costly fines. As such, accurate demand planning is central to enabling water companies to deliver a consistent and high standard of service, along with reducing their environmental impacts and meeting their sustainability goals.
Smarter planning with location data
With the introduction of new towns, there will be new water demands at specific locations, making informed infrastructure planning crucial to their development. Precise location data, like that provided by Ordnance Survey (OS), can transform how water companies approach infrastructure planning. Location-based insights enable water companies to predict demand with far greater accuracy. By understanding neighbourhood composition, population density, building types, and local characteristics, planners can model consumption patterns for existing areas and new developments, informing decisions about where to invest, which assets need upgrading, and how to run the network more efficiently.
OS’s data products provide the trusted foundation that water companies need. Data products like the Address Theme provide a complete view of all addresses, including planned developments and historic records, giving water companies the baseline for demand planning. The Water Theme includes details of topographic areas like lakes and reservoirs, as well as networks like rivers and canals. The Buildings Theme connects addresses to physical characteristics, including building footprints, heights, and floor plans, while the Land Use Theme offers a comprehensive classification of land types and uses.
Improving performance and compliance through data
OS location data becomes more powerful when combined with other technologies. Using smart meters in homes, water companies can map consumption based on real-world usage, linking this to specific geographical areas. Similarly, IoT sensors across networks can be beneficial for water companies to enable faster detection of problems with assets such as leaks in pipes. By identifying areas where water may be leaking or sensors may be broken, water companies can send resources exactly where they are needed to continuously improve network performance, aiding in their efforts to reduce leakage and meet regulatory targets.
OS data can also be used to support wider sustainability initiatives. Location data can help identify suitable sites for rainwater harvesting and sustainable drainage, while also being used to manage the risk of flooding and climate-related risks. Forward planning using OS location data can also reduce the need for emergency overflows, keeping water companies in line with requirements. Additionally, location data can help water companies provide better transparency to regulators, enabling them to track progress against regulatory commitments with precision and demonstrate measurable progress on sustainability targets.
Meeting the water demands of the future
Water companies that use accurate location data will be best positioned to meet both current and future demand. With OS data and the support of an OS Partner, water companies can move from responding to problems, to planning ahead with confidence. This foresight will be vital for water companies to ensure they will be able to meet their regulatory obligations today and tomorrow, avoiding fines down the line. By providing trusted insights, OS data can enable water companies to ensure water supplies are secure for generations to come, all while helping keep operations efficient and costs low.
Get in touch with the Ordnance Survey team today to discover how OS data can help your organisation make confident decisions about asset planning, sustainability, and risk management.
