The summer of 2026 brought record-breaking temperatures across the UK, with hosepipe bans affecting around 75% of the country. These conditions highlighted the growing importance of water as a precious resource. Yet despite its critical role in our daily lives and industrial processes, water is often taken for granted. We expect it to be available whenever we need it, rarely considering the infrastructure, energy, resilience, and cost required to ensure a continuous supply.
Against this backdrop, the IET London Network's September Lecture explored one of industry's most essential but overlooked utilities: water. Presented by Aoife Kelly, Global Lead for Sustainable Design, Pharmaceuticals and Advanced Technology at Arcadis, and hosted by the Central London Network on 9 September 2026 at the Turing Theatre, Savoy Place, London, the lecture examined the challenges and opportunities surrounding industrial water use.
The use of water in industry is not a resource issue, its delivery in the infrastructure, the energy to purify it for reuse. There is a resilience problem if it suddenly stops, it’s a risk to the business and all this is associated with a cost. The lecture would be a valuable insight for engineers, researchers and students about water infrastructure and its criticality in industry.
The introduction of the Kaizen approach to water, where we could make improvements over a period of time. This would result in reduction of water usage and make cost savings. The presentation was centred around the pharmaceutical industry, and the lecture reviewed six investigative initiatives. (see slide pack below).
While a person may physically use around 350 to 500 litres of water per day through drinking, washing, cooking, and cleaning, our true water footprint is much larger. Every product we consume, from medicines and food to clothing and electronics, has required water during its manufacture. Much of this water remains invisible to us, hidden within complex supply chains and industrial processes.
Think Like a Detective
The presenter challenged the audience to approach water use like a detective, investigating 6 scenarios where water is really being consumed and where savings can be made. Rather than focusing only on household taps and showers, we were encouraged to look for hidden opportunities throughout systems and processes.
This investigative mindset was particularly relevant to the pharmaceutical industry, where water is both a critical ingredient and an essential part of manufacturing. By asking questions, gathering evidence, and examining data, organisations can uncover inefficiencies that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Four Water Mysteries
The presentation framed this challenge as a series of "water mysteries" to solve:
Mystery 1: Where Is the Water Really Being Used?
The largest water consumption is often not where we expect. Significant volumes can be hidden within manufacturing processes, cleaning systems, cooling operations, and supply chains.
Mystery 2: Why Is So Much Water Invisible?
Most people only see the water they directly consume. The water embedded in products, medicines, food production, and industrial activities remains largely out of sight, making it easy to underestimate our overall impact.
Mystery 3: Equipment drinking water while it sleeps
Not all water use can be reduced easily. In highly regulated sectors such as pharmaceuticals, strict hygiene and quality standards limit how water can be reused. The challenge is finding savings without compromising safety, quality, or compliance.
Mystery 4: Good water in the wrong place
The presentation highlighted examples where organisations had significantly reduced water consumption through investigation, monitoring, innovation, and behavioural change. Often, the biggest improvements came from understanding processes better rather than investing in expensive new infrastructure.
Energy-Saving Moves and Water-Saving Moves
One of the most interesting discussion points was the comparison between energy efficiency and water efficiency. Over the years, businesses and households have become familiar with actions such as:
- Switching to LED lighting.
- Improving insulation.
- Using smart meters.
- Turning off unused equipment.
These "energy-saving moves" have become widely accepted because society understands the connection between consumption, cost, and sustainability.
The question posed by the presenter was simple:
Can the same thinking be applied to water?
The answer appears to be yes.
Water-saving moves could include:
- Monitoring usage through smart sensors.
- Reusing water where regulations allow.
- Identifying leaks quickly.
- Designing more efficient production processes.
- Encouraging behavioural change among employees and consumers.
Can This Approach Be Applied Elsewhere?
The detective-style approach presented during the lecture could be applied far beyond the pharmaceutical industry.
For example:
- Transport systems can investigate hidden energy and carbon consumption.
- Manufacturing can identify waste materials and resource losses.
- Healthcare can improve operational efficiency while maintaining quality.
- Cities and infrastructure can examine how resources flow through complex networks.
As someone interested in engineering and sustainable systems, I found this particularly relevant. Whether we are studying transport networks, utilities, or industrial processes, the same principle applies:
What we measure, investigate, and understand is far easier to improve.
Conclusion
The presentation was a reminder that water is more than a utility flowing from a tap. It is a hidden resource embedded throughout our lives, businesses, and industries. By thinking like detectives and investigating where water is used, wasted, and valued, we can uncover opportunities for greater efficiency and sustainability.