Anglian Water's @one Alliance
Trialing mycofiltration to break down contaminants commonly found in surface water runoff
Anglian Water’s @one Alliance's Joshua Mercer’s Innovative Mycofiltration Work Secures Ofwat Funding to Help Shape the Future of Water Treatment
The Anglian Water @one Alliance is proud to see the outstanding work of Innovation Project Manager Joshua Mercer recognised following the successful award of £1.7 million funding through Ofwat’s sixth Water Breakthrough Challenge.
Joshua has been playing a leading role in driving forward Anglian Water’s innovative mycofiltration project, which is an exciting nature-based solution that uses mycelium, the root-like structure of fungi, to help remove pollutants from river water in a low-carbon and sustainable way.
Led by Anglian Water Services and supported by a wide range of partners from across industry and academia, the project has secured funding through the Water Innovation Fund to trial mycelium-based filtration systems at storm overflows and run-off sites.
The trials will explore how mycofiltration can naturally break down pollutants including hydrocarbons, E.coli, phosphorus, nitrates and other contaminants commonly found in surface water runoff. Which in turn help’s improve river health while also supporting more sustainable approaches to water treatment.
Joshua’s passion for innovation and environmental improvement has been instrumental in helping bring this project to life. Through collaboration with partners, suppliers and researchers across the sector, he has continued championing the potential of mycofiltration and the role it could play in helping shape the future of water management.
This exciting initiative brings together a fantastic network of partners including Barhale Ltd, Imperial College London, Scottish Water, South East Water, South West Water and University of Essex.
And more recently, Joshua has also been working closely with leading academic institutions to help further develop the research and collaboration behind the project. Alongside David Singerton from Anglian Water Services’ Innovation team, he visited Cranfield University and the Magan Centre of Applied Mycology to connect with experts including Dr Aman Thakur and Professor Roberto Parra-Saldivar.
These ongoing collaborations are helping unlock new ideas and opportunities, including discussions around future research projects and a fully funded PhD opportunity focused on advancing mycofiltration technologies even further.
Work is already underway at South Benfleet, where mycofiltration sacks have been installed into a newly constructed Mycelium Wetland alongside Anglian Water Services, Catchment to Coast and researchers from the University of Essex. The pilot site forms part of a wider programme of trials taking place this year to better understand how fungi-based filtration systems could complement traditional treatment methods in the future.
And the Anglian Water @one Alliance are always exploring new ways to work with nature and embrace innovation to tackle some of the biggest environmental challenges facing the water sector. The success of this project is a brilliant example of how passionate individuals like Joshua Mercer, working collaboratively with partners across the industry, are helping drive positive environmental change and shape a more sustainable future for our communities and ecosystems.
For More Information, contact us at https://anglianwatercareers.co.uk/one-alliance/
Civil Engineer
Apply NowJoin the @one Alliance – a collaborative partnership of eight industry‑leading companies (Anglian Water, Balfour Beatty, Barhale, Binnies, MMB, MWH Treatment, Skanska, and SWECO) delivering over half of Anglian Water’s capital investment programme. As we prepare for the challenges and opportunities of AMP8, we’re looking for talented individuals to help us shape the future of water infrastructure.
At Anglian Water, we’re Always Exploring – ensuring we remain competitive, attractive, and rewarding for both existing and prospective employees. By Doing The Right Thing, we’re committed to recognising and rewarding our people fairly and transparently, while Building Trust through a culture that prioritises health, safety, and wellbeing.
Your Purpose
As a Civil Engineer within one of our four business units, you’ll create and develop value-driven civil designs that achieve our capital investment programme outcomes and deliver value.
Under the direction of the Project Design Manager, you’ll deliver a range of Civil Engineering projects which not only continues to provide the region with safe drinking water, but be involved in pioneering and environmentally- focussed work which enhances our region’s prosperity now and in years to come.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Production of civil designs, calculations and specifications for water-sector assets, design schedule and specify pipes, including ductile iron, steelwork and plastic.
- Working within multi-discipline design teams to produce designs which are on time, within budget and meet the required standards, liaising with stakeholders including Operations, contractors, and suppliers along the way.
- Drive excellence in Health and Safety in design by eliminating hazards and reducing risks during design whilst complying with Alliance CDM procedures.
- Progress projects from feasibility stage through detailed design to construction.
- Undertake site visits to assess current condition of our assets for feasibility studies, reports and provide survey data for integration of the asset into our design solution.
- Provide support to update existing, and increase the number of, Standard Products that are used within our design solutions on a repeatable basis.
- Identify and promote opportunities to meet the project digital, sustainability, innovation and people objectives.
About You
You will ideally have:
- BEng or MEng/MSc Degree in Civil or Structural Engineering, ideally working towards attaining Chartered Engineer status
- Good knowledge and experience of undertaking structural calculations for various concrete structures, and demonstrable experience in undertaking design of various civil engineering structures
- Experience with relevant engineering design software packages
- Confident in the utilisation of British Standards and Eurocodes and have the ability to interpret ground investigation reports to enable you to design the correct solution
- Team work and collaboration skills
- Strong reporting writing and data analysis skills
- Ability to professionally challenge current ways of working and suggests new approaches
Depending on your skills, experience, and interests, you could be aligned to one of our four business units:
Place Based Thinking
The Place Based Thinking team delivers some of the largest and most complex projects across the @one Alliance. Made up of six Senior Project Manager teams, we oversee 19 catchments, covering key sites such as Whitlingham, Flag Fen, Great Billing, Cotton Valley, Bedford, Colchester, and Ipswich Cliff Quays. These projects involve managing all parts of the network from rising and gravity mains, pumping stations, high spilling overflows, and water recycling centres.
Water
The Water Business Unit provides strategic support across the clean water network, covering both system performance and infrastructure planning. We assess the future hydraulic state of the network in response to population growth and increased demand, support the design and delivery of capital and infrastructure schemes to ensure hydraulic resilience, and work with optimisation teams to enhance overall network efficiency.
Water Recycling (East and West)
Our Water Recycling Business Unit, split into East and West regions, is responsible for the collection, conveyance, and treatment of wastewater across an extensive network. We operate over 76,000 km of sewerage infrastructure and 1,163 treatment centres, ensuring safe and sustainable discharge to the environment while driving innovation and environmental performance.
Why Join Us?
This is a fantastic opportunity to work with one of the UK’s most successful capital delivery alliances. You’ll have the chance to contribute to cutting‑edge projects that shape the future of water infrastructure, working alongside a team of experts across various disciplines. We offer a culture that values innovation, continuous learning, and professional growth, with a focus on delivering sustainable solutions that make a positive environmental impact.
At Anglian Water’s @one Alliance, we believe in being Safer Every Day
Safety is at the heart of everything we do. Being Safer Every Day means making positive choices, moment by moment, to protect ourselves and those around us. We create a culture where health, safety and wellbeing come first.
Together, we will be the change