The role of the Technical Forum is to coordinate all activities on technical and technological developments affecting the water and wastewater industry. This entails holding Focus Group meetings, monitoring technical development, regular dialogue with local and national authorities, regulators across the UK, standardisation bodies, and also academia.

It acts as the portal for responses to consultations on technical issues and coordinates inputs to standards and regulatory development. The Forum also prepares technical guidance, codes of practice documents and factsheets which are freely downloadable here.

British Water has widened its strategy to include water-related environmental and sustainability issues in other industry sectors in its area of influence. This has expanded the Technical Forum’s range of activities considerably, requiring challenging realignments of focus with members’ needs within the wider remit.

The Technical Forum is sponsored by RSE.

Focus Groups

Seven active Focus Groups provide members with a platform to evaluate, research and develop coordinated action in specific areas of interest for the benefit of the wider industry. Focus Groups are established, disbanded and reconvened according to the needs of members, changes in market drivers and regulations.

The groups provide opportunities for members to develop industry responses to consultations, UK legislation and on the transposing of European Directives into UK law. The groups also produce industry guidance and highly regarded codes of practice to promote and enhance the reputation of the UK water and wastewater industry.

The Technical Forum facilitates active participation in BSI, CEN and ISO standards committees. It also collaborates in other industry-related initiatives from The UK Water Partnership (UKWRIP), Water Industry Forum, KNT, UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR), Centre of Digital Built Britain (CDBB), International Water Association (IWA) and much more.