The water sector asset management plans for regulatory period 2025 – 2030 (AMP8) is bringing new opportunities for supply chain companies who are setting plans in motion for be at the forefront of innovation and solution delivery now and for the next five years.
Wastewater treatment specialists WCS Environmental Engineering (WCSEE) is one such company who has appointed Matthew Roseman as its account manager for Thames Water.
In an in-depth interview, Matthew set outs his ambitions for working collaboratively, enhancing the reputation of WCSEE, and what innovative solutions are in the market now.
Tell us about your previous background which makes you suitable for the role of Thames Water account manager
Living in the south and southeast my entire life, I’ve had numerous roles within the water sector - predominantly in water and wastewater operations. I started as a mechanical hand at Southern Water, looking after wastewater assets and process works, always seeking opportunities for career progression. So, after 15 years I had worked my way up to area manager for east Kent.
I made the jump over into the tier one supply chain sector through various roles, working both directly and indirectly with Thames Water on multi-million pound infrastructure projects which gave me a unique understand for the challenges they face while also having that supply side perspective.
My most recent employment was with a supply chain company not that dissimilar to WCSEE as commercial lead which involved tertiary treatment equipment so when the position came up at WCSEE I jumped at the chance to apply as it was the perfect combination of the skills and knowledge I’ve acquired in my career to date.
What will your day-to-day look like?
Day-to-day is going to be about relationship building, developing key contacts both directly and indirectly in the tier one and tier two supply chain, as well as ongoing conversations with the Thames Water design teams.
I’m keen to get the WCSEE name and reputation further out there and get more WCSEE hire assets at Thames Water wastewater sites, with this will come fielding enquires and navigating those processes.
What are your ambitions and plans for the medium to long term?
Thames Water will spend about £15 billion over the next five years in AMP8. We’re now two months in, at the first stage of the AMP cycle, where requirements are allocated, contract and tenders are being rewarded, and work is distributed. Needless to say, it’s a very fresh faced and opportunistic time.
The timing is perfect for setting medium to long term ambitions. In the medium term, I want to get WCSEE assets out in the field, particularly the Hybrid submerged aerated filters for secondary and tertiary wastewater treatment and the Flocell XFM for cutting edge phosphorus treatment.
Long term, work is already in motion to increase the size and capabilities of the Flocell technology which is not only for hire or as temporary treatment processes during remedial work or upgrades, but direct, plant process solutions.
How will the results of the Ofwat final determination for AMP8 and the findings from the Independent Water Commission affect how WCSEE operates in its procurement work with Thames Water?
Both the changing attitude of this AMP8 and the light the Independant Water Commission will shed on how the sector operates is a positive for supply chain companies such as WCSEE because we expect procurement processes to become easier.
The simple reasons being that Thames Water, and water companies in general, have so much work to deliver in such a small amount of time with a massive increase in funding – there are not enough of the big ‘headline’ companies in the supply chain to deliver that.
I know that to be true from attending procurement events for Thames Water and this was the message being conveyed.
In practice, this means more collaborative working, getting more, and smaller, supply chain companies onto the tier one and tier two status, and opening more opportunities by actively welcoming and encouraging companies, such as WCSEE, to make themselves known.
With that comes a fast tracked and less strict onboarding process for companies to become part of framework selector groups in our own right rather than only through a tier one and tier two companies as subcontractors – a unique opportunity for WCSEE to take advantage of and to get more well known.
What technologies are you interested in highlighting the most in this context?
For starters, it must be the new Flocell XFM which is a great example of technology adaptation. Wastewater companies face ongoing challenges in identifying suitable phosphorous solutions in an environment of budgetary constraints and ever tightening discharge consents.
The Flocell XFM is a modular range of filtration systems for tertiary solids and phosphorus removal – originally developed for the aquaculture sector. The open-cell media is designed to efficiently reduce tertiary solids and soft, difficult-to-manage, flocs retaining particulates without increasing pressure within the filter or reducing flow.
The performance of the Flocell XFM40 has been proven in a 2024 trial to achieve phosphorus removal levels as low as 0.04 mg/litre - consistent with the expectations of AMP8 environmental regulation. The trial was recently presented alongside United Utilities at the European Wastewater Management Conference and received very positive reactions.
Watch now: Flocell - how the process works
Secondly, I want to highlight the WCSEE Hybrid [LINK] which is a patented treatment process technology employing a submerged moving-bed, fixed-film, reactor which treats wastewater with greater energy efficiency than traditional submerged aerated filters (SAFs), in a tighter site footprint whilst meeting environmental compliance.
A key advantage is that it can be retrofitted into any vessel, regardless of shape or size, to deliver more efficient wastewater processing. This has been perfectly demonstrated in the successful collaboration with Wessex Water at Sherborne.
As AMP8 gets begins in earnest, what is the one thing you want to say to the design teams at Thames Water to maintain their attention?
Please look outside the box. My old saying is ‘if you always do, it's always done, you'll always get, what you always got.’
If design teams don't look outside the box, they will never evolve and never learn. Give WCSEE the opportunity to prove that our technology is as good, if not better, than others on the market and you won't be disappointed.