Raising awareness for change

British Water’s chief executive Lila Thompson shares her experiences working in a male dominated sector that needs a PR makeover to get the public on board.

For an industry that’s suffered with bad press and sometimes low public perceptions, how can we promote better awareness to encourage customers to save water, and could that even help to create a more diverse workforce?

Lila Thompson, chief executive of British Water, says the two are connected – with education being key to the public better understanding what goes on beyond the tap. This, she urges, is essential to people waking up to the role they play in face of water scarcity and this in turn could spark interest working in water.

Raising water’s profile:

The complexities of supplying clean drinking water remain relatively unknown to many customers, but the quick-growing appreciation of the pressures of climate change means the time is right for that conversation.

“There needs to be a wider national campaign around water: how it’s delivered and understanding the process. Once people understand the process, they will value it more through an awareness of how its delivered.”

She feels this would also add a sense of balance to what can be perceived by customers as “bad news” stories about the water industry.

“There’s a definite need to get people to understand the value and importance of water, where it comes from and how it’s treated – we need to raise the national brand around water. We need to show the good work that’s been done since privatisation and what still needs to be done.”

Thompson gives the example of companies tackling leakage against the backdrop of an aging infrastructure in busy urban areas. She says the intricacies of an issue like that may not be apparent to the public, but better education would put leakage figures into perspective and show people why conserving resources is essential.

Plugging skills and leaks:

As well as the public understanding the services they use, Thompson argues the more people know about water the more people will take an interest in the sector as a career.

With one-fifth of the workforce over 55, the sector faces the looming retirement of knowledgeable, highly skilled and experienced members of staff. Filling these gaps in the coming decade requires appealing to different candidates to join the sector.

There is an opportunity to diversify the workforce, which currently is predominately white and male. Only four per cent of workers are from a black, Asian or ethnic minority background compared to national average of 15 per cent.

Across all sectors women make up 47 per cent of workers, but only 20 percent of the water workforce is female. At management level, women are underrepresented again with only 23 per cent of female managers, directors and senior officials compared to 35 per cent for all sectors.

As with other utilities Thompson says there needs to be a shift change in the attitude of hiring boards to bring more minorities and women into water companies.

She argues to attract fresh blood and replace those skills the sector needs to be more visible as a career choice. “People are perhaps not aware of the careers that are available and maybe we are not great at retaining them if they go on a career break or maternity leave.”

She suggests creative approaches to attracting workers.

“There are people with the skills available working in different sectors, so companies need to be willing to offer training to attract people from other sectors with the right skills. Lots of supply chain and water companies are doing a lot of work here.”

She says people working in different sectors wouldn’t know there are opportunities in this industry: “Women working in gas or electric sectors have skills that are transferable, and we want information to be available about the opportunities that exist.”

Collaborate to innovate:

As a trade body working in the UK and with partners overseas, British Water knows first hand the benefits of collaboration from within and outside the sector to work towards common goals.

While there is already collaboration going on, Thompson welcomes even more to find solutions to the challenges of the day. Citing a recent British Water innovation event exploring resilience she says the companies are very keen to listen and learn to future proof assets going forward.

“The sector is very fragmented and highly technical. Some people might be looking at robotics, pump efficiency, asset management – we want to categorise innovation to identify areas for improvement.”

As the voice of the supply chain and representative of its position in the sector British Water sees opportunities coming from above and below. Thompson wants to see start-ups and academics working alongside established companies and suppliers.

“At the moment there are a lot of separate groups and people working on silo projects and there’s an acknowledgement that things could be done quicker and cost effectively by bringing people together at earlier stages.”

British Water hosts innovation exchanges between water companies and supply chain members but Thompson says this can go further to ensure ideas and projects reach trial stage in the risk averse industry.

“The sector really needs a joint innovation strategy and centre of excellence. It should be a centre with incubation facilities to trial and launch innovations to allow the water companies as well as the supply chain and other key stakeholders to work together.”

This rallying cry aligns with Ofwat’s consultation on innovation that includes the potential of a sector-wide joint innovation strategy and consideration of a company-led innovation in water centre of excellence. Thompson, as the voice of the supply, naturally wants to ensure these members are central to any such plans.

Looking to the future:

As the representative of the supply chain, Thompson says this key part can be overlooked. She has contacted the shadow cabinet requesting a meeting to ensure the concerns of the supply chain are included in any talk of renationalisation.

“The supply chain is often a forgotten voice in the development of policy because the focus is on the WOSCS and WOCS. In any policy development there has got to be focus on the supply chain – you can’t deliver, maintain or build new assets without the supply chain behind it. In any policy there needs to be a reaching out and listening to the supply chain and making sure any policy changes might affect adversely the supply chain.”

She wants to ensure the supply chain expertise is listened to in any discussion of a possible restructuring and thinks attitudes shown in sector-wide campaigns shows a ready willingness to work together.

“There’s a lot happening, and a lot of people are talking and getting involved with initiatives such as the Love Water campaign which involved 40 environmental groups charitable groups water companies and the role that everyone has in protecting water.”