Why “Unknowns” Are the Hidden Cost in Wastewater Network Management

In wastewater network operations, challenges are rarely caused by a total lack of data. More often, the real issue is the gaps between the data water companies collect and the insight they actually need.

Across the UK, operational teams continue to face blind spots, unverified alarms and short-duration events that slip through the cracks because they sit between manual inspections or in locations with limited visibility. These small pockets of uncertainty create much bigger problems: operational noise, reactive interventions and growing resource pressure.

At a time when the industry is expected to deliver measurable improvements, the impact of these “unknowns” is becoming harder to ignore.

The hidden cost of incomplete insight

When operators don’t have full confidence in what the network is doing, everything slows down.

Teams spend increasing amounts of time validating what has happened before they can begin to take action. Alerts require manual checks. Suspected blockages turn out to be false positives. Infiltration is spotted late because data is scattered across disconnected systems.

These uncertainties all have consequences:

1. Cautious decision-making delays action
   If the picture isn’t clear, it’s natural to hesitate. That hesitation often means issues escalate before intervention.
2. False alarms drain resources
   Every unnecessary site visit takes time away from proactive work. Multiply that across a catchment, and the impact becomes significant.
3. Blind spots lead to surprises
   Areas without reliable monitoring or consistent data are where the most damaging unplanned events tend to occur.
4. Disconnected data makes trends harder to spot
   Even when the data exists, if it comes from isolated systems, teams struggle to build a coherent view of network behaviour.

Aligned together, these gaps become a barrier to progress — undermining operational confidence and slowing the transition to proactive management.

How leading utilities are closing the insight gaps

From our work across multiple UK water companies, a clear pattern is emerging. Those making the biggest gains are focusing not on simply adding more sensors, but on reducing ambiguity across their networks.

A shift in priorities is taking shape:

• Strengthening data quality, not just data volume
• Ensuring critical points are monitored consistently
• Validating alarms through more reliable sensing methods
• Integrating data streams, so insight flows into one place
• Building long-term behavioural understanding, not just moment-in-time snapshots

This shift unlocks a step-change: when operators have certainty, they can prioritise with confidence, target maintenance more effectively and reduce reliance on reactive interventions.

Confidence in the data builds confidence in the network

Every utility faces the challenge of the unseen: what lies beneath, what can’t be monitored manually and what changes between routine checks. But the organisations accelerating their performance are those shrinking the unknowns and focusing on accuracy, clarity and connected insight.

When the industry talks about resilience, transformation or digital capability, it ultimately comes back to one thing: operators need reliable, high-confidence visibility of what’s happening underground.

Reducing uncertainty isn’t just about technology — it’s about giving teams the clarity to act faster, plan better and deliver consistently improved outcomes for customers and the environment.