On 17th July 2025, Crowder Consulting hosted its Annual Netbase Conference at the INNSiDE by Melia Hotel in Liverpool. We were joined by individuals from across 10 different companies. The event brought together professionals, innovators and experts from across the water industry. The content of the conference mainly focused on how clients have been using our Netbase Solutions in their day-to-day business.
The conference began with a warm welcome and introduction from George Crowder. The first morning session focused on Dynamic Demand and Mass Balance, showcasing how all consumption data streams from smart meters, DCM, metered, unmetered and logged are used to calculate daily and night use consumption, enabling a dynamic water balance across DMAs and Zones. Luke Stockdale (Northumbrian Water) shared a real-world case study on Managing Demand in Suffolk, demonstrating how data-driven tools are being used to assess consumption at the property level. This enables the prioritisation of water efficiency initiatives and helps identify supply pipe leakage.
Mikal Wilmot (Severn Trent Water) presented a very interesting case study focused on the IWA Water Balance, where Ofwat is reviewing the merits of adopting the IWA Methodology more broadly within the UK context, particularly how it may affect reported leakage figures for Severn Trent and potentially other UK Water Companies. The Crowder team demonstrated how the UK Water Balance components can be aligned with the IWA Water Balance structure, highlighting areas of consistency and areas of potential discrepancies.
This led to our first panel discussion, where we invited Karen Atkinson (Yorkshire Water), Paul Taylor (Severn Trent Water), David Jacobs (Anglian Water) and Luke Stockdale (Northumbrian Water), to share their insights on OFWAT Leakage Reporting. With some audience participation, the panel explored how Dynamic Demand could enhance both Top-Down and Bottom-Up water balance approaches for leakage reporting in AMP8, the evolving role of Mass Balance in effective leakage management, and whether the UK should adopt the IWA Water Balance framework.
The afternoon session kicked off with a focus on Upstream and Downstream Network Solutions supported by Netbase and the NetAlytics process. Important case studies were presented which highlighted how our clients are applying the solutions to reduce leakage more effectively; enhance targeting confidence when prioritising leakage reduction activities. They were examples of how combining operational expertise with smart analytics improves performance and helps meet regulatory expectations. These case studies demonstrated how the integration of operational expertise and smart analytics not only drives performance improvements but also supports compliance with regulatory expectations.
Our second panel discussion focused on Leakage Reduction in AMP8. Sarah Wardman (Yorkshire Water), Andrew Blenkharn (Northumbrian Water), Julia Ford (Thames Water), and Peter Nicholl (Northern Ireland Water) were all asked questions around key priorities for achieving AMP8 leakage targets, the importance of initiatives including reducing leak run times, adopting new technologies, tackling high-leakage DMAs, and what needs to change for upstream leakage management to match the standards of DMA performance. The panel shared their positive confidence levels on whether the industry is on track to hit the overall AMP8 leakage reduction goals – a moment that sparked a lively debate!
To close the day our team provided an update on the progress made with the Interruption to Supply (ITS) development since our recent webinars. We looked to the future with an exciting preview of how Crowder is integrating AI into predictive dynamic demand modelling. We demonstrated a big step forward for Operational Modelling.
It was a day full of ideas, insights, and inspiration. We are very grateful to everyone who joined us and helped make the day such as success.
The Crowder Consulting team is committed to maintaining the momentum, supporting our clients with smart solutions, and providing innovative solution throughout the years ahead!
