Speakers
23rd Annual Leakage Conference 6th December 2022
Andrew Blenkharn
Technical Policy Manager, NWL
Andrew has more than 10 years’ experience in leakage management at Northumbrian Water, and initially worked on annual leakage performance reporting before moving into a strategic planning role. He is also the current water lead on the Innovation Ambassadors’ Group, which aims to bring the latest technology and thinking from around the industry to NWL.
Matt Burrows
Leakage and Smart Networks Manager, Portsmouth Water
Matt has worked in the water industry for eight years after joining Portsmouth Water as a leakage technician. His current responsibilities include leakage, smart networks, network optimisation and performance, and pressure management. In his previous role as Smart Networks Lead, Matt implemented Portsmouth Water’s acoustic fixed network roll out, which has proven critical to the company’s leakage reduction this AMP. He is now working on implementing Portsmouth Water’s digital twin.
Courtney Connor
Leakage Technical Manager, United Utilities
After joining United Utilities’ graduate scheme in 2008, Courtney worked in operational roles on the water network before moving to leakage in 2018. She became Leakage Technical Manager earlier this year. As an SME, she focuses on continuous improvement in leakage analysis, detection and reporting, so we achieve our performance commitments and strategic goals. She loves problem- solving, supporting others and looking for new and better ways of working. Working alongside our leakage managers, she aims to get the most from technicians and technology, analysts and analysis, and data and systems through innovation, continuous improvement, and by driving consistency and standards.
Tom Crowder
Director, Crowder Consulting
Tom is a chartered manager with a strong technical understanding of water networks, and a high level of expertise in water loss management. In his director role, he is actively involved in promoting the strategic direction of Crowder Consulting, developing new streams of work, and building specialist service delivery teams. He is responsible for leading Netbase implementation projects, leakage consultancy projects and leakage detection projects. Most recently, Tom has led the leakage detection arm of the business, developing a multi-skilled team that specialises in using the latest and most advanced techniques to reduce leakage.
Leon Fern
Head of Leakage Strategy and Projects, Hydrosave
Leon has worked in the water industry for 17 years. His career experience is extensive, having worked in Thames Water’s asset management, metering strategy, metering operations and contract management teams. Leon has worked with Hydrosave for the last seven years – as Framework Delivery Manager, Contract Manager and, most recently, Head of Strategy and Projects. He also co-authored the UKWIR project, ‘Measuring the efficiency of active leakage control’, which sought to measure Active Leakage Control performance and how to quantify the efficiency of Active Leakage Control activity. Throughout his career, Leon has focused on introducing innovation, new processes and technology to improve the efficiency of operations, reduce leakage and delight end-customers.
Dr Katrina Flavell
Technical Specialist, Clean Water Networks, Yorkshire Water
Katrina represents Yorkshire Water’s Innovation team, delivering cutting-edge projects to enhance performance within the clean water network. She has a background in water quality in clean water production and networks. Katrina has a PhD in materials chemistry and is a chartered chemist, and prior to joining Yorkshire Water worked in academia. Her combination of academic and industry experience means she is well-placed to support innovation within the water sector.
Adam Gray
Leakage Data and Insight Manager, Anglian Water
Adam has held several data-related roles at Anglian Water over the last 16 years. After obtaining a BSc in computer science at Enfield University, he joined Anglian Water as a data analyst in the Leakage Team. This led to spells working with water balance, leakage reporting and leakage targeting data to deliver insight to the end-to-end leakage process. As technical lead, he was instrumental in delivering Anglian Water’s current leakage reporting system. He is now leading the move towards agile ways of working, using data and digital solutions to create transparency and prioritise the work of a cross-business-stream team to deliver the needs of the entire water business stream.
Jeremy Heath
Innovation Manager, SES Water
Jeremy has more than 25 years’ experience in the water industry, and has a background in mechanical engineering and database applications. He has worked for SES Water for more than 20 years and in previous roles has managed water metering, leakage, GIS, remote working and network services. He has an excellent understanding of the problems facing the water industry, as well as the transformational power of innovative technical solutions. In 2015, he was appointed Innovation Manager at SES Water to promote innovation and ensure that an innovation culture was firmly embedded within the business.
Paul Horton
CEO, Future Water Association
Paul has nearly 30 years’ experience with NGOs, not-for-profit organisations, charities and trade organisations in the water and environment sector, and has been involved in TV, radio and policy. As well as being CEO of Future Water, Paul is also a non-executive director with REAF, a sustainable fisheries organisation in Norfolk and Suffolk. He was previously Director of Membership & Development at the Chartered Institution of Water & Environmental Management. Other roles have included steering group member for the Government Chief Scientist-funded Global Water Security Report, council member for the Society for the Environment, member of the Engineering Council International Advisory Panel, member of the UK Water Sector Advisory Group, management committee and council member of the European Water Association, council member of the European Network of Environmental Professionals and EWA representative on the Climate & Water Strategic Steering Group for the Water Framework Directive.
David Jacobs
Leakage Strategy Manager, Anglian Water
David has worked for Anglian Water for more than 20 years in a variety of roles in the leakage team, most recently as Leakage Strategy Manager. He has responsibility for all aspects of leakage reporting and the water balance. In collaboration with the water resources and optimisation teams, he also defines the leakage strategy and investments required to ensure the company’s supply/demand balance is maintained into the future as part of the water resources management plan and business plan submissions.
Justine Leadbetter
Senior Consultant – Leakage & Water Resources, WRc
Justine is one of this year’s Institute of Water Rising Stars. Since joining WRc in 2019, she has worked across the catchment management and management consulting teams before joining the technical consulting team. Justine has experience delivering projects for a range of UK and international water clients, with diverse drivers such as innovation, technical evaluation and process design. Through project management, Justine has experienced a broad range of aspects of the water industry, and has worked with regulated companies, governments, and regulators. Her experience in the impact of climate change, water quality in water resource planning, leakage strategy and water balance reviews gives her the ability to assess leakage and water resources holistically.
Stuart Mawditt
Managing Director, SME Water
After founding SME Water in 2018, Stuart has built a team of engineers and data analysts with a wealth of experience in hydraulic analysis, leakage and modelling. As a chartered engineer and member of CIWEM, Stuart enjoys sharing his experience with others and is always looking for opportunities to develop his knowledge. He is excited about the challenges the water industry currently faces and proud to be part of such an innovative and fast-moving industry.
Glen Mountfort
Director – Technical Consulting, WRc
Glen joined WRc in August 2020 as Senior Consultant and specialises in leakage and water resources planning. He has previously worked for Jacobs and South Staffs Water and has extensive experience from his 18 years of working in the industry, both directly for water companies and as a consultant. Glen has been involved in producing business plans at PR09, PR14 and PR19 and water resources management plans at WRMP14 and WRMP19. Between 2017 and 2020, Glen provided technical assurance to a number of UK water companies, in their annual performance reporting as well as business plans and water resources management plans. He is currently working on a number of UK-based and international leakage related projects.
Sean McCarthy
Head of Network Operations and Leakage, Anglian Water
Sean has worked in the utilities sector (water and gas) for 30 years, and has held a variety of leadership roles at Anglian Water within leakage, network management and commercial/contract management. He is currently Head of Network Operations and Leakage within Anglian Water’s Integrated Maintenance and Repair Alliance. His responsibilities include leading a large cross-process Alliance team focusing on the delivery of Anglian Water’s leakage and CMEX ODIs. This Alliance model is one of Anglian’s cornerstone strategies, which has moved away from traditional five-year frameworks to an integrated Alliance delivery model that will span three AMP periods.
Dr Jen Muggleton
Principal Research Fellow, Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton
Jen has 35 years’ experience in modelling and understanding various aspects of vibration in structures, under water and in the ground. She worked at the Defence Research Agency (now Dstl) from 1985 to 1994, then at the ISVR on acoustics and structural vibration projects concerning wave propagation in buried plastic pipes for leak detection and pipe location. She instigated and led the ISVR’s involvement in the first two ‘Mapping the Underworld’ projects that investigated vibro-acoustic methods for detecting and locating buried infrastructure, as well as its follow-on project, ‘Assessing the Underworld’. Over the last decade, she has worked extensively with UK Water Industry Research and allied industries on their strategic initiative, ‘Zero Leakage 2050’.
Jo Parker
Director, Watershed Associates
Jo is a chartered civil engineer and has worked in the water industry for more than 40 years. She has held a variety of senior engineering and operational roles with UK water companies, and has worked in countries as varied as
Afghanistan and Australia. She was awarded the MBE by the Queen in 1995 for services to the water industry. Jo currently works as an independent consultant specialising in the management of water mains. She is Chair of the Water and Sanitation Community Advisory Board for the Institution of Civil Engineers, Vice-president (Engineering) of the Institute of Water, and a fellow of the International Water Association. In 2019, she was recognised by the Women’s Engineering Society as one of the top women engineers working in sustainability.
Martin Pipe
Customer Leakage Regional Delivery Manager, South West Water
Martin has worked within the water industry for 16 years and has a history of customer service, metering and operational leakage experience. His varied background has resulted in a holistic approach that is helping to progress customer leakage within the region. Having grown up in the South West, Martin is passionate about the area he lives in and has a genuine interest in protecting our environment and our water resource.
Jason Prior
Compliance Assurance Manager, Thames Water
Jason has worked for Thames Water for more than 25 years in various roles, predominantly in leakage. He started as a leakage technician before moving into leakage systems, where he became a Leakage Systems Manager and supported the implementation, development and use of Netbase and other leakage systems. In his current role within infrastructure programmes, he provides compliance assurance to the business against process, procedures, standards and good practice by assessing and monitoring outcomes of leakage claims, data quality, network resilience and DMA performance activities.
Ian Robinson
Director, Robinson P.C.E. and Consultant, Resiline
Ian has more than 40 years’ experience in the protective coatings industry and more than 30 in the water industry. Formerly Technical Director of E. Wood Limited, and subsequently Senior Scientist within 3M Company’s Infrastructure Protection Division, Ian has been an independent consultant for the last four years and is recognised as the UK’s ‘go to’ expert on resin spray lining of pipeline infrastructures. While at E. Wood, Ian was responsible for developing the Rapid Setting Polymeric Lining technology platform, which, following the launch of the Copon™ Hycote 169 product in 2000, revolutionised water mains rehabilitation in the UK during the AMP 3 and AMP 4 periods. Ian and E. Wood Limited received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise (Innovation) in 2006.
Dr Joe Sanders
Technical Director, RPS
Joe has 15 years’ experience as an academic, water company employee and consultant. He has worked in all areas of clean water networks, with a focus on leakage and asset management, and has used his experience to help companies with their strategic and operational challenges. Joe previously held a number of positions at Affinity Water and Artesia, where he focused on network asset management and leakage operations. He is a chartered engineer and water and environmental manager, and is a Fellow of CIWEM and their Water Resources panel.
Peter Simpson
Chief Executive, Anglian Water Group
Peter has been Chief Executive of Anglian Water Group since October 2013. His previous roles include Managing Director of Anglian Water from January 2010 and Chief Operating Officer from 2004. After completing an MSc in Analytical Chemistry at the University of East Anglia, Peter joined Anglian Water as one of its first graduate management trainees. Since then he has remained with the company, with spells working in America, Europe and Asia. As a founding member, and now co-chair, of the UK Corporate Leaders Group, he has championed business action on climate change over many years. He is also an active supporter of Business in the Community (BiTC), which focuses on the positive difference business can make to communities. He currently chairs BiTC’s East of England Leadership Team and is a trustee of international water charity WaterAid. He is a past president of the Institute of Water and a former chair of Water UK. Peter holds an MBA from Warwick Business School and is a chartered water and environmental manager, a chartered scientist and a chartered environmentalist. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Society of the Environment and an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management.
Doug Spencer
Head of Smart Metering, Anglian Water
A biology graduate, Doug joined Anglian Water in 1991 as a lab technician and moved on to innovation, where he worked on process optimisation and control. In 1996, he joined operational water quality as a network scientist. After gaining his MSc, and managing strategic science and AMP 3 plumbosolvency programmes, Doug moved to leakage in 2006 – initially as West Engineer then to the central management team delivering consumption monitoring and customer leakage programmes. In 2016, he joined metering as project manager for Smart AMI and is now Head of Smart Metering. Doug is a former member and chair of the CIWEM Scientific Group Committee.
Clive Surman-Wells
Innovation Partnerships Manager, NWL
Having spent 25 years in information technology and information systems, Clive has been delivering and deploying operational solutions within Northumbrian Water for the last 14 years, most notably in the geospatial field. Clive has been a driving force in progressing a national underground asset register, established England’s first moss tree, and has pioneered a number of initiatives to improve positional accuracy of buried assets. Partnership and collaboration have been at the heart of his work. Today, Clive helps colleagues win external innovation funding to turn their ideas into reality.
Bob Taylor
Chief Executive, Portsmouth Water
Bob is currently Chief Executive Officer of Portsmouth Water. Portsmouth Water has a 160-year history of providing water services on the south coast of the UK, today serving a population of around 800,000. The company has a well-established reputation as one of the consistently best performers in the sector at lowest price and has embarked on the first major reservoir project to be built in the UK since privatisation. Prior to this, Bob was Operations Director – Drinking Water Services for South West Water, part of the FTSE-listed Pennon Group.
Steve Tooms
Director and Co-founder, Invenio Systems
Steve has a background in physics research and specialises in the analysis, management, regulation and economics of water loss and leakage. He has worked for a number of research and engineering organisations in the UK water industry for the last 30 years. His work at Invenio Systems is driven by a fascination with what ‘background leakage’ really is – a fascination that led him to work on new ways of detecting leaks and quantifying customer use. He is a chartered scientist, and a member of CIWEM and the IWA Water Loss Specialist Group.
Stuart Trow
Director, Invenio Systems
Stuart has worked in the UK water industry for nearly 50 years, most of have seen him directly involved with leakage management from all perspectives. He has managed leakage data and leak detection teams as a water company manager, has owned and managed a company specialising in ELL estimation, pressure management and leak detection, and has been a director of two pressure management companies, and two mains rehabilitation companies. He has undertaken regulatory and strategy reviews for several UK water companies. He was Ofwat reporter for Anglian Water and has been the Leakage Reviewer for WICS and Scottish Water since 2009. Stuart is currently a director of Invenio Systems and, as a consultant, has been assisting Welsh Water and Irish Water develop their leakage reduction strategies.
Frank van der Kleij
Principal Consultant – Asset Management Water UK, Stantec
Frank is a chartered environmentalist with a MSc in rural engineering from Cranfield University. He has 25 years’ experience in water management, primarily in the areas of clean water networks and asset management, and has a long-standing interest in leakage management. Between 1998 and 2021, he worked for Bristol Water in various roles, including (as a consultant) a number of non-revenue water projects in Central and South-East Asia for Bristol Water Services. At Bristol Water, he had a key role in developing and implementing leakage management initiatives, cumulating in UK industry-leading performance by the company in recent years. Frank joined Stantec UK in November 2021 as a principal consultant in the asset management team, and has worked with several UK clients on clean water network risk and resilience projects.
Grace Wilson
Support Engineer, Anglian Water
Grace began her career in the water industry in 2017, when she was a water connections customer advisor within Development Services at Anglian Water. More than five years later, Grace is still working at Anglian, having moved on to technical and analytical roles. In 2021, she secured a support engineer’s role within Water Optimisation. She uses statistical and modelling tools to identify and prioritise solutions, while carrying out in-depth investigations of the current water network by interrogating and obtaining information from corporate data systems. She was awarded 2022 Rising Star Award from the Institute of Water – a programme that identified her as one of eight young people in the UK with the potential and appetite to progress within the water industry.