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Join us in Brighton
- 14 october-

An event centred on
 circular economy fats oils and grease resource recovery collaboration technology innovation

The European FOG Summit brings together water, wastewater and sustainability experts to explore new ways of tackling fat, oil and grease (FOG) in sewers and pave the way for a blockage-free future.

Now in its third year, the European FOG Summit is set to take place in the UK for the first time, in Brighton, East Sussex, on 14 October 2021. This event is an industry collaboration between SwiftComply, trade association British Water and UK utility Southern Water.
A NOTE ON COVID-19
Government safety guidelines will be followed and the global situation is being closely monitored, putting contingencies in place should any travel restrictions apply. In the unlikely event of the summit being cancelled, all tickets will be transferred to the new date or refunded.

A word from the organisers

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"We are proud to be co-hosting the 2021 European FOG Summit in the coastal city of Brighton and look forward to welcoming experts from the UK and European water companies, the supply chain and governmental, environmental and circular economy groups. We are passionate about using collaboration and thought-leadership as a catalyst for change, which is why the summit will not only facilitate conversation, it will also encourage positive action.

To ensure inclusivity, we are excited to be presenting this as a hybrid event, which will be digitally broadcasted to delegates who cannot join us in person."
Laura Su
Laura SuUK Director, SwiftComply
“The smooth operation of our networks and water recycling centres is essential to protect our customers and the environment.

Fat, oil and grease (FOG) can cause blockages to occur and significant disruption to our customers so it’s vital that we continue to share best practice and learn from the successes of others to ensure that we are always improving.

The FOG conference is the perfect way of bringing this ambition to life.”
Ian McAulay
Ian McAulayCEO, Southern Water
“We are delighted to be collaborating with SwiftComply and Southern Water on the 2021 European FOG Summit. As chair of the Grease Contractors Association, I can see that some ground-breaking work is taking place across Europe to reduce sewer blockages and protect the environment, including the development of exciting new technologies.

The summit will provide the opportunity for the water industry to share updates and best practice and build on the progress that has already been made. We look forward to joining the conversations.”
Lila Thompson
Lila ThompsonChief Executive, British Water
Chair, Grease Contractors Association,
“It is a great opportunity to be part of the European FOG Summit in the UK in 2021. British Water has held a FOG conference in the UK since 2015 and we are happy to now be collaborating with SwiftComply and Southern Water in bringing the conversation to an even wider audience in Europe and beyond.

The 2021 summit gives all stakeholders, including water utilities, municipalities, the supply community and environmental groups, a fantastic opportunity to share insights and learn from each other. Only by combining collaboration, education and innovation will we successfully fight the fatberg globally.”
Dr. Mar Batista
Dr. Mar BatistaHead of Programmes
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THURSDAY
14 OCTOBER 2021

8.30am
9.00am
9.30am
10.30am
10.50pm
11.50pm
12.30pm
1.30pm
1.35pm
2.15am
2.30pm
3.15pm
4.15pm
Registrations and networking
Coffee and networking
Welcome and opening
▸ Ian McAulay, CEO at Southern Water
▸ Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, Member of Parliament for Ludlow

Hosted by Laura Su, UK Business Director at SwiftComply
Leadership forum
The UK and European water industries face growing targets around sustainability and a change towards green and circular operations. We ask our panel of sector leaders their thoughts and how this plays an important role in their strategic decisions.

▸ Frederico Fernandes, CEO at Aguas do Porto
▸ Andrea Gysin, Head of R&D and Innovation at Thames Water
▸ Nick Mills, Head of Pollution and Flooding Resilience at Southern Water
▸ TBC

Moderated by Lila Thompson, CEO at British Water
Comfort break
Refreshments and networking
Water companies and their approaches to FOG and fatbergs
Hear from our panel of UK water companies on their approaches to FOG management, examples of current projects and what measures are in place to prevent future FOG related blockages.

▸ Bas de Nijs, Senior Wastewater Engineer at Waternet
▸ Alice Nield Network Protection Manager, Performance, Risk and Optimisation Team at Thames Water
▸ Sally Askew, Sewerage Project Manager at Northumbrian Water
▸ Grant Mitchell, FOG Strategy Lead, Customer Network Operations at Severn Trent Water
▸ Collette Parker, Outreach and Community Engagement Manager at Anglian Water
▸ Tony Griffiths, Drainage Strategy and Planning Manager at United Utilities

Moderated by Stephen Williams, Network Protection at Southern Water
Hear from the authors: industry best practice
Hear directly from contributors on the latest developments in industry resources and how these intend to shape the future of our industry.

Authors from:

▸ PAS 409 – For the Control & Management of Fats, Oils & Grease (FOG)
▸ The FOG Superguide

▸ Jackie Wells, CEO at Go Circular
▸ Mark James, Executive Chairman at FOG Technologies
▸ Erik Mul, Technical Product Manager at ACO Building Drainage

Moderated by Phillip Mills, Water sector analyst and Director at Policy Consulting Network Ltd
Lunch
Hot catering, refreshments and networking
Conference welcome back
From research to reality
FOG research is ongoing around the world. What is the latest, and how can we use research to encourage whole life collaboration with stakeholders.

▸ Nicky Cunningham, Manager, Centre for Resilience in the Environment, Water and Waste at the University of Exeter
▸ Prof. Raffaella Villa, De Montfort University
▸ TBC

Moderated by Dr. Tom Curran, VP Internationalisation, at University College Dublin
Comfort break
Refreshments and networking
Resource recovery: From local to global
Resource recovery is a collaborative effort involving stakeholders outside of water companies. In this session we hear from local city initiatives, up to creating impact Europe wide.

▸ Nikolai Jacobi, Senior Officer | Energy, Material & Built Infrastructure Sustainable Resources, Climate & Resilience at ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
▸ TBC

Moderated by Thomas Collin, Technology Consultant at Isle Utilities
Circular economy and the bigger picture
Hear from sector experts on their ground-breaking projects leading change in circularity, zero waste and environmental protection. How does FOG fit into this vision?

▸ Prof. Peter Hopkinson, Exeter University
▸ Sara Giorgi, Water Technology Adviser at Waternet
Closing remarks
Laura Su, UK Director at SwiftComply
8.30am
Registrations
Coffee and Networking
8.30am
9.00am
Welcome and opening
▸ Ian McAulay, CEO at Southern Water
▸ Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, Member of Parliament for Ludlow

Hosted by Laura Su, UK Business Director at SwiftComply
9.00am
9.30am
Leadership forum
The UK and European water industries face growing targets around sustainability and a change towards green and circular operations. We ask our panel of sector leaders their thoughts and how this plays an important role in their strategic decisions.

▸ Frederico Fernandes, CEO at Aguas do Porto
▸ Andrea Gysin, Head of R&D and Innovation at Thames Water
▸ Nick Mills, Head of Pollution and Flooding Resilience at Southern Water
▸ TBC

Moderated by Lila Thompson, CEO at British Water
9.30am
10.30am
Comfort Break
Refreshments and networking
10.30am
10.50am
Water companies and their approaches to FOG and fatbergs
Hear from our panel of UK water companies on their approaches to FOG management, examples of current projects and what measures are in place to prevent future FOG related blockages.

▸ Bas de Nijs, Senior Wastewater Engineer at Waternet
▸ Alice Nield Network Protection Manager, Performance, Risk and Optimisation Team at Thames Water
▸ Sally Askew, Sewerage Project Manager at Northumbrian Water
▸ Grant Mitchell, FOG Strategy Lead, Customer Network Operations at Severn Trent Water
▸ Collette Parker, Outreach and Community Engagement Manager at Anglian Water
▸ Tony Griffiths, Drainage Strategy and Planning Manager at United Utilities

Moderated by Stephen Williams, Network Protection at Southern Water
10.50am
11.50pm
Hear from the authors:
Resources and industry best practice
Hear directly from contributors on the latest developments in industry resources and how these intend to shape the future of our industry.

Authors from:

▸ PAS 409 – For the Control & Management of Fats, Oils & Grease (FOG)
▸ The FOG Superguide

▸ Jackie Wells, CEO at Go Circular
▸ Mark James, Executive Chairman at FOG Technologies
▸ Erik Mul, Technical Product Manager at ACO Building Drainage

Moderated by Phillip Mills, Water sector analyst and Director at Policy Consulting Network Ltd
11.50pm
12.30pm
Lunch
Hot catering, refreshments and networking
12.30pm
1.30pm
Conference welcome back
1.30pm
1.35pm
From research to reality
FOG research is ongoing around the world. What is the latest, and how can we use research to encourage whole life collaboration with stakeholders.

▸ Nicky Cunningham, Manager, Centre for Resilience in the Environment, Water and Waste at the University of Exeter
▸ Prof. Raffaella Villa, De Montfort University
▸ TBC

Moderated by Dr. Tom Curran, VP Internationalisation, at University College Dublin
1.35pm
2.15pm
Comfort Break
Refreshments and networking
2.15pm
2.30pm
Resource recovery: from local to global
Resource recovery is a collaborative effort involving stakeholders outside of water companies. In this session we hear from local city initiatives, up to creating impact Europe wide.

▸ Nikolai Jacobi, Senior Officer | Energy, Material & Built Infrastructure Sustainable Resources, Climate & Resilience at ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
▸ Gaynor Hartnell, Chief Executive at RTFA
▸ Dr. John Williams, Senior Partner at S'Investec
▸ TBC

Moderated by Thomas Collin, Technology Consultant at Isle Utilities
2.30pm
3.15pm
Circular economy and the bigger picture
FOG is only one part of a more sustainable world. How does FOG fit into the bigger picture of a more sustainable world. We hear from ground-breaking projects on plans for making this a reality.

▸ Prof. Peter Hopkinson, Exeter University
▸ Sarah Giorgi, Water Technology Adviser at Waternet
3.15pm
4.15pm
Closing session
Laura Su, UK Director at SwiftComply
4.15pm

Join us on 13th October to meet with attendees from across the industry. We are delighted to host a series of events to maximise networking opportunities, including a tour of Southern Water’s Peacehaven WWTW and an evening conference dinner. 


This may be the first in-person event after a long time for many of us, and we want to make sure you get the most out of it. Safety is our main priority and we have been carefully planning for different scenarios in order to deploy a robust, comprehensive protocol that enables a safe and comfortable return to face-to-face gatherings.

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PEACEHAVEN WwTW

Join Southern Water for a tour of Peacehaven’s hidden sewage treatment works. A 18,000m2 expanse of green turf, specially grown to match the hills of the surrounding South Downs, covers the building and is the largest of its kind in the UK.

The site, which sits in a dry valley, has been extensively landscaped to minimise impact in this environmentally sensitive and popular tourist location.

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Source: WWT Online

NETWORKING DINNER

Our conference dinner is conveniently held within the hotel grounds. An excellent opportunity to meet our speakers and guests ahead of the conference, while enjoying a delicious meal on the evening of the 13th October. 

This is a ticketed event and there are a limited number of places,   please book early to avoid disappointment.

Philippe Dunne
Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP
Member of Parliament for Ludlow
I. McAulay
Ian
McAulay
CEO
» Southern Water «
L. Thompson
Lila
Thompson
CEO
» British Water «
A. Gysin
Andrea
Gysin
Head of Research, Development and Innovation
» Thames Water «
F. Fernandes
Frederico
Fernandes
CEO
» Águas do Porto «
T. Curran
Dr. Tom
Curran
VP Internationalisation
» University College Dublin «
P. Hopkinson
Prof. Peter
Hopkins
Professor in Circular Economy
» Exeter University «
N. Jacobi
Nikolai
Jacobi
Senior Officer
» ICLEI Europe «
L. Su
Laura
Su
UK Director
» SwiftComply «
S. Williams
Stephen
Williams
Network Protection & Enforcement
» Southern Water «
S. Giorgi
Sara
Giorgi
Energy Advisor
» Waternet «
Grant Mitchel
Grant
Mitchell
FOG Strategy Lead, Customer Network Operations
» Severn Trent Water «
Sally Askew
Sally
Askew
Sewerage Project Manager
» Northumbrian Water «
Thomas Collins
Thomas
Collin
Technology Consultant
» Isle Utilities «
Gaynor Hartnell
Gaynor
Hartnell
Chief Executive
» RTFA «
John Williams
Dr. John
Williams
Senior Partner
» S'Investec LLC «
Jackie Wells
Jackie
Wells
CEO
» Go Circular «
Mark James
Mark
James
Executive Chairman
» FOG Technologies «
Bas de Nijs
Bas
de Nijs
Senior Wastewater Engineer
» Waternet «
Alice Nield
Alice
Nield
Network Protection Manager
» Thames Water «
Nicky Cunningham
Nicky
Cunningham
Manager, Centre for Resilience in the Environment, Water and Waste
» University of Exeter «
Raffaella Villa
Prof. Raffaella
Villa
Professor in Environmental Bioengineering
» De Montfort University «
Collette Parker
Collette
Parker
Outreach and Community Engagement Manager
» Anglian Water «
Phil Mills
Phillip
Mills
Water sector analyst and Director
» Policy Consulting Network Ltd «
Tony Griffiths
Tony
Griffiths
Drainage Strategy and Planning Manager
» United Utilities «
Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP

Member of Parliament 
» Ludlow «

Ian McAulay

CEO
» Southern Water «

Lila Thompson

CEO
» British Water «

Prof. Peter Hopkins

Professor in Circular Economy and Co-Director Exeter Centre for the Circular Economy
» Exeter University «

Andrea Gysin

Head of Research, Development and Innovation
» Thames Water «

Frederico Fernandes

CEO
» Águas do Porto «

Nikolai Jacobi

Senior Officer
» ICLEI Europe «

Laura Su

UK Business Director
» SwiftComply «

Dr. Tom Curran

VP Internationalisation
» UCD «

Grant Mitchell

FOG Strategy Lead, Customer Network Operations
» Severn Trent Water «

Stephen Williams

Network Protection & Enforcement
» Southern Water «

Sara Giorgi

Energy Advisor
» Waternet «

Sally Askew

Sewerage Project Manager
» Northumbrian Water «

Thomas Collin

Technology Consultant
» Isle Utilities «

Gaynor Hartnell

Chief Executive
» RTFA «

Dr. John Williams

Senior Partner
» S’Investec LLC «

Jackie Wells

CEO
» Go Circular «

Mark James

Executive Chairman
» FOG Technologies «

Bas de Nijs

Senior Wastewater Engineer
» Waternet «

Alice Nield

Network Protection Manager
» Thames Water «

Nicky Cunningham

Manager, Centre for Resilience in the Environment, Water and Waste
» University of Exeter «

Prof. Raffaella Villa

Professor in Bioengineering
» De Montfort University «

Collette Parker

Outreach and Community Engagement Manager
» Anglian Water «

Phillip Mills

Water sector analyst and Director
» Policy Consulting Network Ltd «

Tony Griffiths

Drainage Strategy and Planning Manager
» United Utilities «

EARLY BIRD TICKETS

We look forward to having you join us at the European FOG Summit 2021.

With registration now open, we’re offering you some fantastic early bird rates if you book your ticket today. These early bird rates give you the cost-effective opportunity to explore this unique in-person event, taking place at the Hilton Brighton Metropole.

We look forward to having you join us at the European FOG Summit 2021. 

Registration for our tickets will officially open from Monday 17th May. If you’d like us to notify you, please complete the pre-register form. All Early Bird tickets will include a link with preferential rates for booking into the Hilton Brighton Metropole.

Pre-register now >
Register now >
Save the date

Please note: Individual bookings require access to credit card. If you are a water company and would prefer to book in bulk or via invoice, please use the enquiries form below to contact us.

Hilton Brighton Metropole

Situated on the sea-front directly opposite the West pier, this hotel is within walking distance of the main pier and Brighton’s many shops and bars.

Brighton train station is only a five-minute walk away, as are the North Laines’ range of independent shops and cafes.

When registering your attendance at the European FOG Summit, you will receive a confirmation email containing a discount code which you can use when booking your accommodation at this hotel.

Hilton Brighton Metropole

Kings Road
Brighton
BN1 2FU
United Kingdom

TEL: +44 1273 775 432
Go to website
Plan your trip >
From London
Take the M25 motorway to junction 7, signposted M23 (Brighton). Take the M23 southbound. The M23 becomes the A23 and takes you into Brighton. At the roundabout on the A23/A27 take the first turning on the left joining the A27 towards Worthing.

Take the next available junction off the A27 which will be signposted for Hove. At the top of the slip road take the second left off the roundabout and proceed down Dyke Road Avenue (which becomes Dyke Road).

After approximately 1.6 miles, turn right at the traffic lights into The Upper Drive. Follow this road over the next set of lights) junction of Old Shoreham Road - A270) to the end then turn left into The Drive (B2186). Continue straight down to the seafront. At the seafront, turn left, stay on the near side lane and proceed for approximately 1 mile where you will find the red bricked Metropole.

Please note, hotel car park is located in St Margarets Place, Brighton, BN1 2FD. Max height 1.8m.
From Gatwick Airport
From Gatwick Airport, take the M23 southbound, following signs for Brighton. The M23 becomes the A23 and is a direct road into Brighton. Take the M23 southbound.

The M23 becomes the A23 and takes you into Brighton. At the roundabout on the A23/A27 take the first turning on the left joining the A27 towards Worthing. Take the next available junction off the A27 which will be signposted for Hove. At the top of the slip road take the second left off the roundabout and proceed down Dyke Road Avenue (which becomes Dyke Road).

After approximately 1.6 miles, turn right at the traffic lights into The Upper Drive. Follow this road over the next set of lights) junction of Old Shoreham Road - A270) to the end then turn left into The Drive (B2186). Continue straight down to the seafront. At the seafront, turn left, stay on the lane and proceed for approximately 1 mile where you will find the red bricked Metropole.
From Heathrow Airport
From Heathrow Airport take the M25 anticlockwise towards the M23. Join the M23 at junction 7 and follow the M23/A23 to Brighton. Take the M23 southbound.

The M23 becomes the A23 and takes you into Brighton. At the roundabout on the A23/A27 take the first turning on the left joining the A27 towards Worthing. Take the next available junction off the A27 which will be signposted for Hove. At the top of the slip road take the second left off the roundabout and proceed down Dyke Road Avenue (which becomes Dyke Road).

After approximately 1.6 miles, turn right at the traffic lights into The Upper Drive. Follow this road over the next set of lights) junction of Old Shoreham Road - A270) to the end then turn left into The Drive (B2186). Continue straight down to the seafront. At the seafront, turn left, stay on the near side lane and proceed for approximately 1 mile where you will find the red bricked Metropole.
Brighton Train Mainline Closures
The Brighton mainline route from the capital to the coast is undergoing an improvement program, which may affect your travel.

Service will stop on several dates between Three Bridges and Brighton or Three Bridges and Lewes. Trains will run between Brighton, Hove and London, but these will be diverted via Littlehampton, so the journey will be longer. For more details, visit
Learn more >
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A WORD FROM THE DELEGATES

"Bringing people together with different background and ideas about the use and/or difficulties that FOG products can present was the most valuable outcome of FOG SUMMIT 2020."
'I got to hang out with 'my people' - talk about impactful regulations, sewer sheep and behavior change as if it were perfectly normal."
"Meeting people from around the world who work in FOG and in sewer pollution is crucial in helping me understand what current best practice is, and how we can implement this in the UK."
"I learned more about situations in different countries and also it was interesting how the Summit was organized. Because I was inspired by this Summit so much that I plan to do an educational FOG forum in Russia. Thanks a lot for your hard work!"
"Being new to the field, the EU FOG Summit allowed me to meet and engage with a diverse range of people from a variety of professional backgrounds. It was a great opportunity to gain as much knowledge as possible in a short amount of time and to gain insight into the newest and most cutting edge research into FOG."
"Great interaction with other delegates. I connected with others for future collaboration, so attending the event was very worthwhile."
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SPECIAL THANKS

16 Waternet
03 British Water
13 Southern Water
09 Irish Water
15. UCD
06 Cranfield University
07 DCMR
14 Suez
01 Aquatech
10 Isle Utilities
02 Argent Energy
04 Clare Pillinger
05 City of Carmel Utilities
08 Grease Guardian
11 Labkotec
17 GreaseShield
18 Riotech
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14 October 2021 
9.00am – 4.30pm

Pre-registration

Tickets will be available from Monday 17 May 2021. Fill in your details below and we will notify you when tickets are available.

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©2021 SwiftComply
The 2021 European FOG Summit is a partnership between SwiftComply, Southern Water and British Water.
Philippe Dunne

» Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP «

Member of Parliament for Ludlow

Philip Dunne has been Member of Parliament for Ludlow in Shropshire since 2005. He was previously Minister for Defence Procurement (2012-2016) and as Minister of State for Health (2016-2018). He has been a member of the Environmental Audit Committee since 2018, which he has chaired since January 2020.

I. McAulay

» Ian McAulay «

CEO
Southern Water

Ian joined Southern Water as CEO in January 2017 and was appointed to the Board from 1 February.

Ian has more than 30 years of global water and  environmental experience and a significant record of achievement operating in both publicly quoted FTSE 100/250 companies and privately held enterprises.

Ian holds an honours degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and is a Chartered Member of the ICE, CIWEM. Throughout his career he has managed major utility, construction and consulting businesses in the UK, Belgium, India and the USA. He has enhanced this practical experience with professional executive education, most notably at Harvard Business School. He has extensive experience in the UK regulated utility, construction and environmental services sectors, holding board positions across a broad range of commercial and statutory organisations.

In his previous role he served as an executive director of the Pennon Group plc and chief executive of its subsidiary company, Viridor, one of the largest renewable energy and recycling companies in the UK.

In a non-executive capacity, he served as an independently appointed member of Greater Manchester Authorities Low Carbon Hub Board and Scottish Government’s 2020 Climate Change Board. He currently chairs the Greater Brighton Infrastructure Panel. He has also provided expert input to Government Review Groups and Industry Partnerships with particular emphasis on the UK skills agenda and development of future smarter regulation and environmental policy.

L. Thompson

» Lila Thompson «

CEO
British Water

Lila is responsible for British Water’s strategic direction. Lila was formerly responsible for the delivery of British Water’s international services leading scoping and business development visits to a wide range of markets including Saudi Arabia, Libya, Morocco, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, China and India to help companies grow their business overseas.

Lila has more than 20 years of experience driving business growth, policy development and stakeholder engagement in a variety of industry sectors. Lila sits on a number of working groups and is a member of the International Water Association UK committee.

A. Gysin

» Andrea Gysin «

Head of Research, Development and Innovation
Thames Water

Andrea’s career spans over 20 years in the water industry, during which time she has worked in blue chip consultancies, start-up and growth businesses.

She joined Thames Water in September 2018 to lead the Research, Development and Innovation team.

Prior to joining Thames Water, Andrea was the Managing Director, Europe for Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies, a leader in the field of nutrient recycling. Earlier in her career she launched an innovation programme in the UK water industry that supported technology commercialisation for over 50 start-up businesses and attracted over £20m venture investment to the sector.

F. Fernandes

» Frederico Fernandes «

CEO
Águas do Porto

Frederico Fernandes is, since 2015, the CEO of the municipal company responsible for the management of urban water cycle in the city of Porto: Águas do Porto. His main corporate functions include strategic planning, project sponsoring, performance indicators monitoring, IT and innovation management, global budgeting and finance oversee, and institutional relationships.

Previously, between 2014 and 2015, he was a member of the Executive Board of this company. Prior to that, he worked in construction and retail companies.

Frederico Fernandes obtained a master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Porto Business School, and has a master`s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Porto.

T. Curran

» Dr. Tom Curran «

VP Internationalisation
University College Dublin

Tom Curran is an Associate Professor and Vice Principal for Internationalisation in UCD College of Engineering and Architecture at University College Dublin. He was a Fulbright Scholar at North Carolina State University to develop an advance warning system for sewer blockages.

He co-ordinated the EU Horizon 2020 AgroCycle waste project with 26 partners across Europe and China. He currently leads a team on odour reduction from dairy wastewater treatment plants in the Dairy Processing Technology Centre. He contributes to media articles about fatbergs.

P. Hopkinson

» Prof. Peter Hopkinson «

Professor in Circular Economy and Co-Director Exeter Centre for the Circular Economy
Exeter University

I joined the Business School in 2017 where I am co-director of the Exeter Centre for Circular Economy.

Prior to this I was based at the Bradford Management School where I has two primary roles. Firstly, Director of the University  Ecoversity initiative, a whole institutional programme to embed sustainability into the research, teaching and operational performance of the University. This involved the design and build of a new £5M BREEAM outstanding Centre as a home for Ecoversity and circular economy activity.

Secondly, since 2009, I led the UniversIty’s strategic partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) as a Global Pioneer for Circular Economy. In 2014 I established the world’s first MBA in Circular economy.

In parallel I created a Global on-line Masterclass – An introduction to Circular Economy for the Ellen MaCarthur Foundation CE100 and Global Partners which ran for 5 years and attracted over 1000 participants. During this time I worked closely with the EMF to translate the principles of circular economy into multiple research and educational contexts including EPSRC and Innovate UK grants, policy and industrial sector application and c-suite, postgraduate, undergraduate and civic society courses and workshops.

N. Jacobi

» Nikolai Jacobi «

Senior Officer
(Governance and change for EU Water Companies)
ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability

Nikolai is a Senior Officer in ICLEI Europe’s Sustainable Resources, Climate and Resilience team, working on issues related to circular economy, climate and energy planning and bio-economy. Being part of ICLEI’s European Secretariat, Nikolai works to support local governments in Europe in sustainable urban development through addressing these issues.

Prior to joining ICLEI, Nikolai worked as a Junior Researcher at the Institute of Social Ecology in Vienna working on Material Flow Analysis (MFA) and circular economy research. Nikolai began his career as an Intern at the United Nation’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), where he went on to work as a Consultant for several years.

L. Su

» Laura Su «

UK Director
SwiftComply

UK business director for SwiftComply in the UK, Laura is an advocate for promoting positive change across the sector when it comes to preventative FOG management and the circular economy. 

Laura has over 5 years experience in the UK water sector, with broad experience from clean, drinking water to wastewater resource recovery.

S. Williams

» Stephen Williams «

Network Protection & Enforcement
Southern Water

Steve has worked since February 2013 for Southern Water as a Network Protection and Enforcement Officer.

He works in the Industrial Waste Services area of the business as part of the FOG & Unflushables Project and as enforcement for the Trade Effluent Department, Tankering and 3rd Party Recovery.

Steve’s role is to investigate sewer misuse and abuse from both Traders and Food Service Establishments as well as assisting in the investigation of sewer blockages, internal and external flooding, pollutions and illegal connections.

Steve has made contact with some of the major National and International Food Service Establishments to deal with the issue of FOG at a higher level, ensuring a consistent approach across those companies.

S. Giorgi

» sARA GIORGI «

Energy Advisor
Waternet

Sara Giorgi has a background in Environmental engineering and Water management with a focus on wastewater treatment and works as an energy consultant for Waternet, in Amsterdam. She focuses on energy transition and in particular on thermal energy recovery from water (sustainable heat) and its technical and financial feasibility.

One of the most relevant projects she is involved with is Strandeiland, an island where circularity is applied to both energy and resources.

Grant Mitchel

» Grant Mitchell «

FOG Strategy Lead, Customer Network Operations
Severn Trent Water

Grant has worked in the industry with Severn Trent for over 30 years, currently overseeing company strategies to overcome blockages, flooding and pollution caused by sewer misuse. He has experience in enforcement action including cost recovery and prosecutions. 

Severn Trent Water’s Engage-Educate-Enforce model allows their team to work effectively with thousands of FSE’s across the region to ensure discharge does not affect the free flow of their sewers.

“We need a consistent approach and agreed best practices to ensure FOG does not continue to blight our sewers.” he says.

Sally Askew

» Sally ASKEW «

Sewerage Project Manager
Northumbrian Water

Sally started her career in defence manufacturing writing and pricing tenders and contracts for tracked armoured vehicles. 

Almost a decade ago, Sally transferred her negotiation and collaboration skills to the water industry.  During this time, she has held several leadership roles within wastewater, most recently being responsible for managing the teams investigating FOG, misconnections and sewer level monitoring. Sally and her team have a clear line of sight of how their actions directly contribute towards Northumbrian Water’s ambitious goals to reduce sewer flooding and pollution.

Thomas Collins

» Thomas Collin «

Technology Consultant
Isle Utilities

Thomas is an Environmental Engineer working at Isle Utilities as a Technology Consultant. There, Thomas has been using his knowledge on FOG to provide support to both technology companies and water utilities.

He has also been working closely with the industrial sector with the aim to improve current practices and reduce water pollution.

Prior to joining Isle, Thomas conducted his Engineering Doctorate in RD&I at Thames Water Utilities where he developed a business case for the sustainable management of FOG in wastewater systems.
Gaynor Hartnell

» Gaynor Hartnell «

Chief Executive
RTFA

Gaynor Hartnell has worked in the renewables industry, primarily for various trade associations, since 1995.  She was instrumental in forming the Renewable Energy Association, and was its CEO from 2010 – 2013.

She now runs the Renewable Transport Fuel Association, which was formed in August 2020.  

John Williams

» Dr. JOHN WILLIAMS «

Senior Partner
S'Investec LLC

John is a Senior Partner with S’Investec LLC, an impact investor in sustainable technologies and CTO at Aquapak Polymers, a specialist marine safe polymer designed for the Circular Economy. 

For over seven years, John was Head of Materials at the UK’s National Centre for Bio-renewable Technologies, before joining S’Investec in 2013. Previously he had spent over 15 years in senior technical roles in the polymer industry.

John holds a degree in chemistry and doctorate in polymer chemistry and is a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Institute of Directors, and European Chemical Society.

A globally recognised expert in bioplastics & the bio economy, John has also worked as: Head of Biomaterials at the National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC); a Task Force member of Green Alliance Circular Economy Panel; Member of the Industrial Biotech Leadership Forum; an advisor to BEIS and Ellen MacArthur; Member of the BPF Technical & Sustainability Committee; Founding Member and previous Technical Director at the BBIA; and served on the Green Economy Panel of Leeds City region. 

John identifies and evaluates innovative Clean Tech and Renewable technologies, identifying and valorising all proposals prior to consideration for investment.   Water, Waste Water and Marine pollutants such as FOG and plastics are a particular area of interest for S’Investec.

Jackie Wells

» Jackie Wells «

CEO
Go Circular

With over 25 years of experience in project management, consultancies, startups and growth businesses Jackie was this year appointed CEO of Go Circular, an International consultancy assisting enterprise in developing sustainable, transformational circular-economic operations by solving environmental problems.

She is also Business Development Director of FOGTEC and her background in environmental services and products has been key to the development of the FOG businesses including FOGCheck.

Jackie develops and coordinates all in-house training programs and is responsible for the customer online FOG training platform which supports large organizations challenged by FOG management. 

In keeping with the company’s ethos to disrupt, Jackie is tasked with advocating improved standards in FOG services and is Project Manager for the forthcoming PAS:409 Standard for FOG Management which is designed to promote fit for purpose solutions and improved, measurable outcomes for the customers of  FOG management service providers, their systems and their products.

Mark James

» Mark James «

Executive Chairman
FOG Technologies

FOG Technologies is a group of FOG focused businesses specialising in systems & services for total FOG control in commercial and industrial sectors.  

With a technology and environmental commercial background spanning over 30 years Mark has engineered sustainability into numerous sectors and has brought this experience to the problems caused by FOG.

Mark heads a team of highly experienced technologists with capabilities to deliver innovative engineered solutions.  Since 2015 Mark has also led the team in the development of FOGCheck,  a new, UK first and fully Warranted FOG Service integrating engineered systems, industrial microbiology and intelligent SCADA for total elimination of FOG discharge to sewers.   

FOGtec is the largest national service provider with over 50 fully trained FOG technicians across the UK for the installation, maintenance and SCADA monitoring of the FOGCheck system , which is due to launch in the UK in 2021.

Mark and the team have a determined and driven passion to disrupt and are strong advocates of raising technical and performance standards in the UK FOG industry. 

Mark is also Senior Partner and CEO of S’Investec LLC., a sustainability impact investment business with an active interest in water & waste water pollution, eco safe bio based chemicals & materials and FOG technology innovations.

Bas de Nijs

» Bas de Nijs «

Senior Wastewater Engineer
Waternet

Key work skills are: scenarios for complex pressurepipe-structures with multiple districts, pumpingstations, boosters and WWTP’s. Measurementprogram and monitoring of CSO’s pumpingstations, storagetanks and raingauges.

Calibration and validation of models. Hydrological modeling (Infoworks-CS and ICM ) of sewer and drainage systems. Prediction of urban flooding and seweroverflow-pollution. Strategic drainage- and stormwater-masterplans for development of infrastructure. Strength calculations of underground pipelines.

Specialties: Identifying and justifying cost effective infrastructure improvements for sewer and drainage systems. Solving urban flooding- and seweroverflow-pollutionproblems.

Alice Nield

» Alice Nield «

Network Protection Manager
Thames Water

Alice and her team actively engage with and educate stakeholders on sewer abuse to prevent FOG from entering the sewer network.

This work is targeted using data and insight to ensure the intervention is reaching high risk customers. This delivers the best outcome to both the customers and environment.

Over the next year the team is growing which will allow further relationships to be built and maintained with stakeholders, to ensure appropriate action is taken to manage FOG.

Thames Water’s approach to sewer abuse is education first however where customers fail to engage then enforcement may be necessary.

Nicky Cunningham

» Nicky Cunningham «

Manager, Centre for Resilience in the Environment, Water and Waste
University of Exeter

Nicky joined the University of Exeter in August 2018. Her work supports research and innovation collaborations involving external partners, particularly within the water industry and waste sector and she is a research practitioner leading on policy work for the UKRI Circular Economy Hub.

 

Prior to this she spent 16 years at the Environment Agency working in operational and national policy roles, most recently as Deputy Director for Waste Regulation. Nicky has extensive experience working with the water and waste sectors, government, politicians and NGOs. Prior to the Environment Agency, Nicky worked for Astra Zeneca, looking at the fate and effect of chemicals in the environment.

Nicky is a Trustee on the Board of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM)

Raffaella Villa

» Prof. Raffaella Villa «

Professor in Environmental Bioengineering
De Montfort University

Professor Raffaella Villa graduated from University of Milan in Food Science and Technologies, where she also did her PhD in applied biological catalysis. Raffaella worked at the University of Exeter, Stirling and at Cranfield University before joining De Montfort University in 2019.

Her research work over the last 20 years has focused on microbial bioengineering and used her particular expertise in microbial and enzymatic processes to the environmental sectors. Her current work includes: improvement of anaerobic digestion systems, bioremediation of FOGs in sewers and upcycling of organic waste for the production of high value compounds.

Collette Parker

» Collette Parker «

Outreach and Community Engagement Manager
Anglian Water

Collette Parker has been working on the Anglian Water Keep It Clear Behavioural Change Programme since 2014. She worked previously for the company as a Media Manager, where her interest in community engagement and protection of the environment began. 

She worked as a journalist on regional and national publications before taking time out to do a degree in Drama, English and Education Studies at Cambridge University. Her specialisms included Theatre Directing and Community Arts and Education.

She was part of the team leading the call for a standard for flushability on wipes, and is now helping to drive change to protect the sewer from the impact of fats, oils and grease produced in commercial kitchens.

Phil Mills

» Phillip mills «

Water sector analyst and Director
Policy Consulting Network Ltd

Phill is a chartered engineer, a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a Fellow of the Institute of Water, with over 40 years’ experience in the UK water industry.

He has extensive experience at senior level working for a water and sewerage company, a global water and energy consultant and the trade body for the water companies – Water UK. He has a track record of working on water policy and legislation with Ministers and Government officials, industry regulators, consumer champions and environmental bodies. 

Amongst a number of other current roles he also chairs the FOGwise group developing the new FOG ‘SuperGuide’.

Tony Griffiths

» Tony Griffiths «

Drainage Strategy and Planning Manager
United Utilities

Tony Griffiths currently works for United Utilities as Drainage Strategy & Planning Manager. He has been working in the wastewater network industry for over 37 years.

Tony chairs both the British and European Standards groups (B505/22 and TC165/WG22) on ‘Drains and Sewers Outside of Buildings’ as well as being an active participant in numerous national groups.

Throughout his career he has seen that significant improvements have been made in both reactive and proactive operational maintenance, reducing the risk of blockages and sewer flooding. Despite this there is still a lot to do to in terms of better controlling sewer networks, the discharges made to them and improving serviceability.

The “low hanging fruit” was harvested a long time ago. To protect customers from the misery that sewer blockages and associated flooding can cause we need a “UK plc” holistic approach to the improved management of FOG at source- Water Companies, FOG producers, equipment manufacturers, standards writers and legislators all have a part to play.