£58m Water Breakthrough Challenge winners named

“So that’s our mission: bold, innovative solutions that take a long-term approach to the health of our vital water system and the impact of the water industry on environments and communities. This line-up of winners shows us just what can be achieved when we set our minds to it.”

The winning projects include: 

Mycofiltration: uses fungi as a natural way to improve water quality. It has been awarded £1.5m to trial fungal-based filters at storm overflows and run-off sites to remove pollutants from river water in a low-carbon, cost-effective way. The project is led by Anglian Water, in partnership with Spore & Anvil, Flete Field Lab, Barhale, University of Essex, Imperial College London, South East Water, Spring Innovation and others.

Good Vibrations: ecoacoustic river health monitoring. It been awarded £1.5m to develop technology that uses acoustic signals and artificial intelligence (AI) to listen to the health of rivers. It is led by Severn Trent Water, in partnership with Suez, the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, and others.  

Printfrastructure 2.0: advancing 3D concrete printing for wastewater infrastructure to enable onsite construction of larger storage tanks using low-carbon, water-approved materials. The project has been awarded £1.9m. Building on earlier success in Water Breakthrough Challenge 3, which demonstrated up to 50 per cent reduction in CO2e for concrete infrastructure while cutting construction costs by 8 per cent, Printfrastructure 2.0 aims to speed up delivery, cut costs and carbon, and reduce pressure on constrained supply chains. It is led by Northumbrian Water, in partnership with Changemaker 3D Limited and others.

Smoke in the Water: uncovering public health data in sewers. £2m has been awarded to a 12-month pilot project in Leicester to monitor wastewater in the city for antibiotic resistant infections – also known as superbugs.  It will combine AI, clinical data, and in-sewer monitoring to identify resistance trends – working to support public health protection across the UK. It is led by Severn Trent Water in partnership with the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Kando Environmental, Resistomap and others.

Headstart: unlocking the value of headwater catchments. Led by Anglian Water in partnership with the National Trust, Freshwater Habitats Trust, Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, Nottingham Trent University and others, it has been awarded £7m to test practical upgrades to treatment works and nature‑based solutions in headwater catchments – which is where rivers and streams begin.

Community Water Enterprises: local people caring for local nature and water. The project is led by Wessex Water in partnership with the King’s Trust, National Trust, Thames 21, Rivers Trust and others, has won £5m to bring together customers, communities, utilities, councils, charities and beyond, to look after and maintain nature-based water management solutions such as rain gardens and wetlands.

I’m a P-Leaver: utilising biochar for phosphorus and PFAS removal. It is led by Severn Trent Water in partnership with Harper Adams University, the University of Exeter, Shropshire County Council, Nijhuis Saur Industries and others. The project has been awarded £1.6m to engineer a circular solution to remove PFAS and phosphorus from wastewater using biochar made from pyrolysed sewage sludge.

The Water Innovation Fund is a key pillar in Ofwat’s mission to drive innovation that ensures the water sector is ready for the challenges of the future and results in better outcomes for customers and the environment. 

To find out more about all 19 winners of the sixth Water Breakthrough Challenge or to discover previous winners, visit waterinnovation.challenges.org.

The seventh Water Breakthrough Challenge will open for entries on 7 September 2026.