Veolia chief driven ‘nuts’ by UK water utilities’ failure to use AI to detect leaks
England’s water companies are lagging behind other more water-stressed nations, says Estelle Brachlianoff
The chief executive of one of the world’s largest water management companies has said it drives her “nuts” that England’s privatised utilities fail to use new technologies to reduce leaks, sewage outflows and water shortages.
Estelle Brachlianoff, the chief executive of France-based Veolia, told the FT that privatised English utilities had not drawn on the experiences of other countries that had modernised their networks and operated in more water-stressed conditions, such as densely populated areas or deserts.
“We have water operations in Pudong, Shanghai, that are full of robotics and AI, but when I come back to the UK, there are no innovative water technologies in use, nothing, and it drives me nuts,” Brachlianoff said.
“We have operations in Jordan, which is largely desert, but all around our wastewater facilities, it’s green because we irrigate 75 per cent of the country with reused wastewater. Nobody draws on the world’s competencies in the UK.”
Brachlianoff’s comments come as the UK’s privatised water companies are partway through a five-year investment plan that will see them spend £104bn by 2030.
The largest expenditure programme since privatisation 36 years ago is being paid for by sharp increases in household bills, which are set to rise by 50 per cent in some cases once inflation is taken into account.
As part of this spending plan, water companies are planning to replace 8,000km of water mains by 2030 to reduce flooding and leakage.
Brachlianoff said water companies should aim to use cheaper, more targeted technologies. “The classical super-expensive model is that every year you decide to replace 50 miles of pipes and that’s it,” Brachlianoff said.
“Or you replace them in a smart way and put in sensors and use AI so you can detect leaks when they happen and replace exactly the section of pipe which is starting to leak rather than the whole pipe,” she added.
Water UK, which represents the utilities, said: “Every water company is using technology, artificial intelligence and robotics, as part of a record £104bn investment programme to end sewage entering our rivers and seas, secure our water supplies and support economic growth.”
Veolia has environmental services contracts in 45 countries, and waste management deals with 50 local authorities in the UK. The UK is the only country in the world to have fully privatised the bulk of its sewage and water networks, transferring all the boreholes, pipes and treatment plants in England and Wales to private investors in 1989.
Brachlianoff said the UK’s sewage treatment plants were not properly designed to cope with the population’s needs and required investment to stop pollution.
“You fix the pollution issue by properly rebuilding the sewage treatment plants,” she said. “Just do it! Yes, the pollution happens when there’s a storm in France, but that’s exceptional.”