A judging panel with expertise in a wide range of sectors and disciplines, from open data to sustainability, has been announced for a £40 million competition designed to unleash a wave of innovation across the water sector to deliver transformative benefits for customers, society and the environment.

IWA Executive Director Kalanithy Vairavamoorthy has been selected as one of the eight judges forming the Water Breakthrough Challenge panel.

Commenting on this initiative, Prof Vairavamoorthy added:

“There is a fantastic opportunity for the water sector to show leadership and respond through innovation, embracing a wider spectrum of options, from digital technologies through to nature-based solutions, and advancing business processes such as use of integrated reporting to shape strategic decision making.”

The inaugural Water Breakthrough Challenge encourages collaboration with other water companies and organisations, including universities, start-ups, local authorities and other utilities, to tackle challenging issues facing the sector.

Led by the water regulator Ofwat, the Water Breakthrough Challenge is being run in partnership with Nesta Challenges and Arup. It is the second challenge to be delivered through the Ofwat Innovation Fund, following the £2 million Innovation in Water Challenge which ran earlier this year.

The eight-member judging panel has a wealth of experience across industry, academia, policy development and research, consumer representation and engineering – bringing insights from both within and outside the sector. The judges are:

• Paul Connell – Founder, Open Data Institute Leeds
• Tony Conway – Visiting Professor, University of Sheffield and Director, British Water
• Sharon Darcy – Director, Sustainability First
• Paul O’Callaghan – Founder & CEO, BlueTech Research
• Niki Roach – President, Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM)
• Frank Rogalla – Director of innovation and technology, Aqualia (Spain)
• Anusha Shah –Director (Resilient Cities), Arcadis
• Kalanithy Vairavamoorthy, Executive Director, International Water Association

John Russell, Senior Director of Strategy, Finance and Infrastructure at Ofwat, said:

“The high-calibre judging panel we’re announcing today has the expertise and experience to ensure that the boldest and most exciting projects rise to the surface and get the support they need to make a tangible difference to customers, society and the environment.

“Our judges, who have a wealth of valuable experience across multiple sectors and industries, are all committed to identifying the ambitious innovations that the Water Breakthrough Challenge is designed to accelerate. We’re delighted to have them on board.”

The winners of the Water Breakthrough Challenge will be announced in September 2021. Successful entries will receive up to £10 million.

To find out more about the Water Breakthrough Challenge, visit waterinnovation.challenges.org/breakthrough/.