Water company Severn Trent has partnered with satellite technology provider ICEYE to enhance flood and wastewater management capabilities across its network in the Midlands.

The company is implementing ICEYE’s Flood Insights solution to monitor inundation to its wastewater assets. This collaboration aims to help the utilities firm to meet stringent Environment Agency regulatory requirements while improving transparency, operational response, and public trust.

Severn Trent is the first UK water utility to adopt ICEYE’s SAR satellite technology. The relationship began by assessing how past floods impacted critical infrastructure in flood-prone Shrewsbury and is now expanding access across the company’s full service area.

Richard Walwyn, head of asset intelligence and innovation at Severn Trent, said: “This is a transformational step forward for us. ICEYE’s satellite technology gives us a clear view of what’s happened on the ground during extreme weather despite cloud coverage. Having a better understanding of how inundation affects our assets enables us to plan interventions and optimise how our network performs to minimise impacts for our customers and the environment.”

Following severe weather, the data enables Severn Trent to rapidly assess flood extent and depth. By integrating ICEYE’s data into its existing GIS and applying data science to analyse its sensor readings, Severn Trent is able to get a better understanding of the impact of river flooding on its waste network. Severn Trent uses this capability to improve incident transparency and identify preventative measures to mitigate inundation and its impact on wastewater management services.

Andy Read, global head of government solutions, ICEYE, said: “With the pressure on water companies to act faster and communicate better during climate events, our flood data gives Severn Trent the clarity it needs to protect its customers, serving as a source of storm impact data.”

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