Northumbrian Water has launched a groundbreaking £20m project aimed at significantly reducing storm overflow spills across Tyneside. This initiative, the first of its kind in the UK, will employ new technology, sensors, and AI analytics to mitigate the risk of overflows, building on successful techniques from the United States.
In South Bend, Indiana, the implementation of smart sewer technology—including sensors, AI analytics, and control measures—led to an 80% reduction in storm overflow spills over a decade. Inspired by this success, Northumbrian Water’s project aims to replicate and enhance these results.
Storm overflows, used by water companies globally during heavy rainfall, serve as relief valves in the wastewater network to prevent sewer flooding in homes. These overflows operate with Environment Agency consent to protect homes from internal flooding damage.
The innovative ‘smart sewer’ project will enable Northumbrian Water to alter the flow and direction of wastewater—comprising sewage, rainwater, road runoff, and domestic water—across the sewer network, making spills less likely. AI technology and hundreds of smart sensors will predict rainfall and potential sewer capacity issues, automatically balancing wastewater flows to prevent spills. Additionally, the system will identify areas requiring extra capacity, guiding targeted investments in alternative rainwater storage.
A digital twin—a virtual model of the physical sewer network—will power this real-time decision support system, giving Northumbrian Water advanced control and the ability to make preemptive adjustments.
Conducted in partnership with HydroDigital, the project aims to minimize storm overflow impacts on regional rivers and maintain high standards for bathing waters, with 32 of the region’s 34 bathing waters currently meeting Defra’s top standards of Excellent and Good.
Nigel Watson, Information Services Director at Northumbrian Water, stated, “This innovative project will revolutionize our network operations and potentially the entire industry. Our goal is to leverage advanced technology to protect our rivers and coasts, reducing our reliance on storm overflows.”
Luis Montestruque, Principal at HydroDigital, added, “With two decades of experience in building smart sewer systems, we’re proud to partner with Northumbrian Water on this groundbreaking initiative. This project will set a global standard for using AI and smart sewer technology to reduce spills efficiently and cost-effectively.”