Water, Water, Nowhere: The Utility We Can't Live Without
About
Water is one of the most critical resources supporting modern life, yet it is often overlooked until supplies become constrained. This session explores how engineers can apply a practical Water Kaizen methodology to better understand water use, reduce waste, improve resilience and unlock value across a wide range of sectors.
Challenges
Many organisations lack visibility of where water is actually used, which systems consume the most, and the full operational cost associated with treatment, distribution and disposal. Without this understanding, inefficiencies remain hidden and opportunities for improvement are missed.
Case Study
We will explore a large pharmaceutical campus in a water stressed region and how they managed to reduce water use by approx. 40% while maintaining production in one of the most regulated sectors. Reducing water use in this sector demonstrates it is possible across any sector.
Future Vision
The future of water management is not simply about finding new sources of supply; it is about creating smarter, more efficient systems that maximise the value of every litre.
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Continuing Professional Development
This event can contribute towards your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours as part of the IET's CPD monitoring scheme.
09 Sep 2026
6:30pm - 9:00pm
Organiser
- London Local Network
Speakers
Aoife Kelly
Global Lead Sustainable Design-Pharmaceuticals & Advanced Technology - Arcadis Group
Aoife Kelly is the Global Lead for Sustainable Design for Life Sciences and Advanced Technologies at Arcadis. With a background in architecture and over 14 years of experience, she works with multidisciplinary teams worldwide to integrate sustainability into the design of complex facilities and infrastructure.
Her work focuses on applying systems thinking to improve energy efficiency, resource resilience, and environmental performance while maintaining the high standards of quality, safety, and reliability required in critical industries. Aoife is a published author, international speaker, and contributor to the 2025 ISPE Sustainability Guide.
Reasons to attend
Whether you're an engineer, student, researcher or simply curious about the future of infrastructure, this talk will change the way you think about water. You'll learn why water is rapidly becoming a critical resilience challenge, how to uncover where it is really used within complex systems, and why the water bill often represents only a fraction of its true cost. You'll leave with a simple but powerful framework for identifying opportunities to reduce waste, improve efficiency and get more value from every litre across any sector
Programme
18:00-18:30 – Registration (Tea/Coffee/Sandwiches)
18:30-19:30 - Speakers Takes to Stage
19:30-20:00 - Audience Q&A
20:00 - 21:00 – Networking Reception (Tea/Coffee/Sandwiches)