The UK water and wastewater industry is one of the largest employers of automation engineers in the country. With billions of pounds being invested in infrastructure upgrades, smart metering, and regulatory compliance, the demand for skilled PLC and SCADA engineers in this sector continues to grow.
Automation in Water Treatment
A typical water treatment works uses automation to control:
Raw water intake:
- Pump control with level-based start/stop sequencing
- Flow measurement and totalisation for abstraction licence compliance
- Screen and strainer automation for debris removal
Treatment processes:
- Chemical dosing (chlorine, coagulant, pH adjustment) with PID-controlled dosing pumps
- Filtration control including backwash sequencing based on differential pressure or timer
- UV disinfection with intensity monitoring and lamp management
- Ozone generation and contact time control
Treated water storage and distribution:
- Reservoir level monitoring and pump control
- Pressure management in distribution zones
- Water quality monitoring (turbidity, chlorine residual, pH)
Wastewater Treatment Automation
Wastewater treatment presents unique automation challenges:
- Inlet works: Screening, grit removal, and flow measurement in harsh conditions
- Primary settlement: Sludge blanket level detection and desludging control
- Biological treatment: Dissolved oxygen control in activated sludge plants using variable speed blowers
- Final settlement: Return activated sludge (RAS) and surplus activated sludge (SAS) control
- Sludge processing: Thickening, digestion, and dewatering with complex sequencing
SCADA Requirements
Water industry SCADA systems have specific requirements:
- Telemetry: Remote monitoring of distributed assets (pumping stations, reservoirs, CSOs) using radio, cellular, or fibre communication
- Alarm management: 24/7 alarm forwarding to on-call technicians via pager, SMS, or mobile app
- Regulatory reporting: Automated data collection for Environment Agency compliance (flow consent, discharge quality)
- Event and incident management: Logging and reporting for Ofwat regulatory submissions
- Cybersecurity: NIS Regulations compliance for operators of essential services
PLC Platforms in the UK Water Industry
The UK water industry uses a variety of PLC platforms:
- Siemens S7-1500/S7-300: Widely used by several water companies
- Allen-Bradley ControlLogix: Popular in some regions
- Schneider Modicon: Used in legacy installations and some new projects
- ABB AC500: Found in some water treatment applications
Knowledge of multiple platforms is advantageous for water industry careers.
Career Opportunities
The UK water industry offers stable, well-paid careers for automation engineers:
- Telemetry engineer: Maintaining and upgrading remote monitoring systems
- SCADA engineer: Designing and supporting SCADA systems for treatment works
- Controls engineer: Programming PLCs for process automation
- Project engineer: Delivering capital projects for water company Asset Management Plans (AMPs)
Salaries typically range from GBP 35,000 for entry-level to GBP 65,000 for senior roles, with additional benefits including company vehicles and call-out allowances.
Water Industry Training at EDWartens UK
EDWartens UK offers specialised courses relevant to the water industry, including PLC programming, SCADA system design, process instrumentation, and telemetry. Our training equips engineers with the skills needed to enter or advance in this rewarding sector.