Networks November: A Year in Water Review and Drinks Reception
10:30am – Arrival and Registration
11:00-11:10 | Welcome and opening context
Set the purpose for the Year in Water Review and the wider NN26 events programme.
Frame the major water sector challenges, opportunities and delivery pressures for the year ahead.
Identify the themes that will run through the day: supply, regulation, asset health, inclusion, innovation and delivery.
Speaker: Mark Smith, Chair of Future Water Association and Strategic Business Development Director, RSK
11:10-11:20 | Hear from our Host
Speaker: Imogen Fawcett, SEC Newgate
11:20-11:45 | Future Water Report Card Launch
Discuss what the report card suggests about resilience, public confidence and investment delivery.
Consider how the sector can use shared evidence to communicate priorities more clearly.
Speaker: Paul Horton, CEO, Future Water Association
11:45-12:30 | Water supply, drought readiness and water literacy
Assess projected supply pressures and drought readiness for the following year.
Explore regional planning, water-resource resilience and the public-facing water literacy challenge.
Identify practical messages that could improve customer understanding and demand-side action.
Speakers:
Claire Spendley, Head of Finance and Commercial Service, Waterwise
Meyrick Gough, Water Resources South East
12:30-13:30 | Lunch
13:30-14:20 | Innovation hotspots and delivery gaps
Identify where innovation is moving fastest across the sector and where progress remains limited.
Explore examples such as upstream metering, DMA leakage, digital tools and operational data.
Discuss what is needed to scale proven innovation rather than keep it in pilots.
Speakers:
Mumin Islam, Senior Growth Lead, Aqua Consultants
Jo Jolly, Director for Environment and Innovation, Ofwat
Shaun Mason, Strategic Programme Director, WRc
14:20-14:35 | Digital, cyber and AI update
Review the impact of digitalisation, AI and cyber risk on water-sector operations.
Discuss how regulation should respond to AI-enabled decision-making and emerging technology risk.
Consider practical safeguards for data quality, resilience and public trust.
Tim Ager, Cyber Security GTM Leader, Honeywell Technologies
14:35-14:55 | Black History Month Roundup
Fareita Pauli, Future Water Association
14:55-15:20 | Break
15:20-16:00 | Operational Resilience: Is the Sector Ready?
Workforce Resilience – Are we equipped with the skills and capacity needed for the challenges ahead?
Speaker: Adam Cave, Managing Director, Murray McIntosh
The State of Water Resilience – How resilient is the water sector today, and where are the key vulnerabilities?
Speaker: Water Direct
Systems Thinking & Innovation Resilience
Speaker: Pepe Puchol-Salort, Founder, DeBlue
16:00-16:40 | AMP transition plan and delivery progress
Review progress 18 months into the AMP period and assess whether delivery is on track.
Consider the role of government, regulators and the supply chain in maintaining momentum.
Discuss the implications of the new regulator appointment timeline for implementation.
Speakers:
Kate Lloyd, Civil Engineering Manager, CECA
Emma Bertenshaw, Deputy Chair of Pipeline Industry Guild
16:40-17:00 | Closing reflections and next steps
Speaker: Paul Horton, CEO, Future Water Association
17:00-20:00 | Drinks reception
Networking with attendees and event partners.
Informal discussion of the day’s themes and follow-up opportunities.
Relationship-building across the water, infrastructure and supply-chain communities.