Ball on point

Andy has previously worked in the UK and abroad, and join us from South East Water where he was Head of Asset Management, developing and implementing the company’s investment plans.

What led you to a career in water resources?

My interest in water began when I was about five. We lived opposite an ancient woodland which had a relatively complex shallow geology, and I would observe how the spring flows changed between summer and winter. My friends and I would build dams to direct the flows to the various streams. 

I studied environmental science at university and began to understand the links between groundwater, surface water and ecology and water’s important role in defining the ecology of a system. My first job was at Southern Water, analysing the impacts of a river augmentation scheme on the chalky River Itchen in Hampshire, which was at risk of low flows in droughts. 

Later at Southern Water, I developed the company’s leakage strategy and demand forecast. I saw both sides of the balance between supply and demand, and in particular how increasing the abstraction of water driven by population change could impact on the water environment. I was one of the earlier pioneers of metering customers to help reduce consumption.

My years abroad included working in Australia on water resources problems in the hot, dry desert of The Pilbara. In Pakistan, I helped resolve really complex water management issues in a potential coalfield. The team was trying to manage issues such as a highly pressurised aquifer containing hypersaline water adjacent to shallow wells which were the only source of water for local villages. 

On returning to England, I set up the UK arm of the company I had worked for in Australia. Around that time, in 2003, the UK government introduced water resource management plans (WRMPs), which I worked on for various water companies. We began to understand the risk of climate change on water resources in the UK, and really started to think about droughts more seriously.

In my latest post as head of asset management for South East Water I gained a new perspective: asset management is really about managing risk. All investment decisions need to be based on risk. However, these risks change, so investment plans, including WRMPs, therefore need to flex and be adaptable.

It’s important to have a common currency of risk – an ability to compare the risk of drought with the risk of a treatment works failing or a strategic water main bursting. Organisations need to understand all the risks to make informed investment decisions and manage reliable water supplies for millions of customers.

Why HR Wallingford?

I’ve known HR Wallingford for years, and worked with them since about the year 2000 on a range of projects, from understanding climate change impacts to calculating groundwater yields. I wanted to get more involved in water resources again, and I’ve always been interested at the point where consulting interfaces with research, and HR Wallingford is exceptional in that respect. 

Joining HR Wallingford was the obvious choice, allowing me to reconnect with my interest in water resources management and at the same time look to innovate and develop with a team of like-minded people. The company has a wealth of expertise in all the disciplines which interest me, and the scale means that integration across disciplines is easy.

What are the big challenges in water resource planning?

One of the key things I have learnt is that water management is complicated by lots of other agendas, including the desire for humanity to become richer and healthier, continued population increases, large infrastructure projects, environmental protection, climate change and water quality. This complexity is generally not recognised, and is a challenge in its own right.

It is encouraging that in the UK we have moved away from least cost planning to a new set of rules which allows companies to balance cost with resilience, environmental impacts, customer views and changing demands. In particular, given the uncertainty of our climate, planning for more extreme droughts – and HR Wallingford is at the forefront of this – is an important decision by government.

What are you most excited about at the moment?

WRMPs clearly intend to reduce demand by focussing on leakage and engaging with customers to reduce demand. Companies have been bolder in this respect than at any time in the past. The promises they are making are going to be difficult to keep, but they will face large financial penalties if they fail. The next five years will prove fascinating – can companies reduce leakage and consumption by 15 per cent and which strategic option will be developed in the South East and when?

Until we build more resilience in the UK water supply system, we will be at risk of disruption. Being part of a team which is leading the understanding of drought risk and the impacts of drought on supply is a great place to be.