Clean Water South 4: Turning shared challenges into shared projects

The Future Towns Innovation Hub is the home of Clean Water South. Earlier this month, they held the fourth Clean Water South event, which brought together a vibrant mix of around 50 people — a blend of water companies, campaigners, academics, engineers, planners, and community leaders. The mix is changing each time, with new faces joining established partners, and that sense of a growing, committed network was felt throughout the day.

Building on the momentum from our last gathering, on tour at the University of Portsmouth, they’ve been developing policy briefings around six themes that continue to shape the region’s water future:

• Data Monitoring & Citizen Science
• Tackling Emerging Pollutants
• Integrated Catchment Management
• From Monitoring to Action
• Water Demand, Access & Efficiency
• Planning & Road Run-Off

This event took things a step further. Instead of simply discussing the themes, we asked participants to design specific, actionable projects that could sit within them. The room quickly filled with ideas, including education projects to change household behaviour on product usage, Citizen Science safaris, Dynamic Pricing for Water Abstraction, and shared digital tools that could help organisations plan more effectively.

What stood out most was the willingness to work together. People crossed organisational boundaries, challenged assumptions, and built on each other’s thinking. The result is a set of emerging project pathways that will help shape a shared roadmap for the year ahead.

There was also a special guest, Shaun Stevens, from EPS Water, who came to present on the state of the nation paper that he’s been putting together on water infrastructure in the Central South, as part of the Business South Energy & Utilities Action Group. This is particularly focused on the impact water availability and efficiency has on business and industry in the region.

Clean Water South continues to grow not just in numbers, but in ambition. The enthusiasm and commitment shown at this event underline the importance of this network and the value of creating a space where collaboration can thrive.

To connect with the network or learn more about the work of the hub, email futuretowns@soton.ac.uk .