IN FOCUS

The scale of the challenges for innovation has never been greater in the UK water sector – that was the message from the Innovation Summit jointly hosted by British Water and Bentley Systems in the City of London on 30 September 2025.

Circulation pumps may not grab headlines, but they are the beating heart of heating and hot water systems across the UK. In both homes and commercial buildings, their performance directly affects energy consumption, running costs, and long-term reliability. Yet our market is increasingly threatened by a flood of cheap, non-compliant imports from the Far East—products that fail to meet the safety and efficiency standards required by UK law. This is not just a technical problem. It is a consumer issue, a business issue, and an environmental issue that undermines the UK’s drive toward net zero.

Across the UK, hundreds of organisations could face emergency call-outs or even closure if their pump systems aren’t checked before winter. The UK is set to face more extreme weather before the end of the year, with plummeting temperatures, storms and heavy rainfall – conditions that can cause pumps to freeze, blockages to form and energy efficiency to drop.

British Water’s annual UK Water Company Performance Survey asks contractors, consultants and suppliers to rate their clients’ performance in 12 areas, including professionalism, contractual approach and communication over the last 12 months.

Denso, Inc. is proud to highlight Denso’s Viscotaq Precast Structure Sealing System, engineered to deliver a watertight, flexible seal designed to stop liquid, gas, and contaminant infiltration in precast concrete and manhole assemblies. The Viscotaq Precast Sealing System is engineered to combat water intrusion, by sealing seams and joint areas in municipal infrastructure and precast concrete. The system helps preserve structural integrity, extend service life, and significantly reduce long-term maintenance and repair costs.

For decades, cost efficiency drove the global offshoring trend, reshaping how and where industrial components were made. But recent years have cast a harsh spotlight on the vulnerabilities of offshore production. From pandemic-related port shutdowns to tightening export controls on critical materials, the risks of relying on international supply chains have grown more visible and urgent.

In a world where industries are the engines of economic growth, the role of industrial pumps is often understated yet indispensable. These robust mechanical devices are essential for moving liquids, gases, and slurries in a wide range of industrial processes—from water treatment and oil refining to food manufacturing and chemical processing.

The British Pump Manufacturers Association (BPMA) is reinforcing the vital importance of ongoing skills development for all engineers, contractors, and operatives involved in the selection, installation, operation, and maintenance of pump systems across UK industry. With pumping systems playing a critical role in sectors ranging from construction and water management to energy, manufacturing, and processing, the BPMA is calling on employers to prioritise technical training as a route to improved efficiency, compliance, and sustainability.

A robust move towards preventative, source-control solutions to prevent pollutants from entering the wastewater system in England and Wales was a key recommendation of the Independent Water Commission (IWC), which unveiled its Final Report on 21 July. This indicates a fundamental shift towards a more holistic and preventative approach to environmental management within the water sector and the latest research from UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR) offers a tangible pathway forward for one of the sector’s biggest issues.

Peristaltic pumps have emerged as a revolutionary solution in industrial pumping, offering a myriad of benefits over traditional pump technologies. Fundamental to these pumps is a simple yet ingenious component: the hose. By using advanced hose designs, these pumps can significantly increase longevity and decrease operational costs.