The UK water sector is entering a period of unprecedented capital investment, with major programmes mobilised to meet tightening environmental standards, reduce carbon, and maintain affordability. This scale of challenge cannot be met through incremental change or isolated innovation.

With over £100 billion committed through AMP8, this keynote explores how large-scale investment programmes present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the delivery of wastewater infrastructure. Drawing on real examples from United Utilities’ capital programme, it shows why innovation must move beyond pilots and be embedded in mainstream delivery.

Through case studies including chemical-free solutions, circular-economy technologies, low-carbon construction materials, process intensification, and robotics, the presentation demonstrates how innovation can be scaled through delivery systems. It highlights how standardisation, rather than limiting innovation, is essential to replicating proven solutions across portfolios.

The talk argues that success in AMP8 will not be defined by the number of innovations trialled, but by the sector’s ability to scale proven solutions across hundreds of schemes. Ultimately, it challenges water leaders to use the scale of AMP8 investment not simply to build more infrastructure, but to modernise how the sector delivers it.