WRc

WRc is a specialist research, testing and consultancy organisation focused on water, wastewater, waste management and the wider environment. Its institutional history reaches back to 1927, when the UK Department of Scientific and Industrial Research established the Water Pollution Research Board to investigate sewage treatment and related pollution issues. The organisation initially operated through commissioned research and surveys rather than its own laboratory. A dedicated Water Pollution Research Laboratory was established at Watford in 1940, providing the foundation for a longer-term programme of applied environmental science. During the post-war period, the organisation expanded its technical capabilities and became associated with systematic work on sewage treatment, river pollution and water-quality management. In 1948, the Water Pollution Research Board created the Thames Survey Committee to examine the condition of the Thames Estuary, including the ability of the river to assimilate sewage and industrial discharges. The committee’s work culminated in a substantial 1964 report and illustrated the organisation’s role in translating scientific research into practical pollution-control policy. The modern Water Research Centre was created in 1974 during a major reorganisation of the British water industry. The Water Pollution Research Laboratory and the Water Resources Board were combined with the Water Research Association, an industry research body founded in 1953. The resulting Water Research Centre operated as a public-sector organisation under the regional water authorities. Its work covered drinking-water treatment, wastewater processes, water resources, sewerage infrastructure and environmental regulation. WRc developed or helped standardise numerous methods used by the water industry. Its technical work included modelling activated-sludge nitrification, analysing sludge settleability and thickening, evaluating dewatering performance, designing treatment settlers, assessing sludge rheology and developing approaches to rehabilitating water mains and sewers without extensive excavation. It also co-developed the Urban Pollution Management procedure, a catchment-level approach to assessing pollution that contributed to later European water-policy developments. Cost models produced by the organisation were used by water companies and recognised by the UK water regulator as benchmarks for comparing infrastructure expenditure. The organisation was privatised in 1989 as part of the wider privatisation of the UK water industry and adopted the corporate name WRc plc. A small related foundation, the Foundation for Water Research, was created during the transition. WRc subsequently consolidated its physical operations: the former Stevenage site closed, the Medmenham site was later closed in 2004, and Swindon became its principal base. Over time, its customer base expanded beyond UK water utilities to include government departments, regulators, local authorities, waste and recycling companies, trade associations, international utilities, manufacturers and international development institutions. In 2020, WRc was acquired by RSK Group. The transaction placed WRc within a larger environmental, engineering and sustainability-services group while preserving its specialist identity and technical focus. WRc continues to provide research, laboratory, assurance, regulatory, asset-management and strategic consultancy services to public and private-sector customers in the water, waste and environmental supply chains. Its business is primarily expertise-led rather than consumer-facing, and its brand is associated with independent technical evidence, standards development and applied environmental problem-solving.

WRc’s origins lie in the British government’s early efforts to develop scientific responses to water pollution. In 1927, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research established the Water Pollution Research Board. The board drew members from industry, commerce, academia and learned societies, with government assessors contributing expertise from agriculture, fisheries, housing, public works, trade and transport. It was tasked principally with research and advice concerning sewage treatment, but initially lacked its own laboratory and relied on commissioned investigations and field surveys. A major institutional step came in 1940, when the department established the Water Pollution Research Laboratory at Watford. During the Second World War, its work extended beyond sewage and included the development of equipment intended to make seawater potable for aircrew. After the war, the laboratory became increasingly associated with systematic analyses of wastewater treatment. In 1948, the board formed the Thames Survey Committee to study pollution and natural purification in the Thames Estuary. The committee began meeting in 1949 and eventually published a major report in 1964. In 1955, the laboratory moved to a purpose-built facility in Stevenage. Alongside it, the Water Research Association had developed as a research organisation for Britain’s water-supply industry. Founded in 1953, the association researched drinking-water treatment and the domestic, commercial, industrial and agricultural uses of water. Its principal research station opened at Medmenham in Buckinghamshire in 1961. A separate Water Resources Board was established in 1964 under the Water Resources Act to advise river authorities and central government on water-resource development. The 1974 restructuring of the UK water sector brought these strands together. The Water Pollution Research Laboratory and Water Resources Board were transferred from central government and merged with the Water Research Association to create the Water Research Centre. The new body was controlled by the publicly owned regional water authorities and combined research capabilities in water supply, wastewater, water resources and pollution control. WRc’s technical record includes important contributions to activated-sludge modelling, sludge settling, thickening and dewatering, treatment-plant design, sewer and water-main rehabilitation, and water-pollution assessment. During the 1970s it developed modelling and operational methods for activated-sludge systems and produced techniques for addressing bulking sludge. During the 1980s it worked with the water industry on rehabilitation methods that reduced the need for open-cut excavation. It also helped create the Urban Pollution Management procedure, a formal method for evaluating pollution at catchment scale. Its capital-cost models were used as industry comparators and recognised by Ofwat. In 1989, the Water Research Centre was privatised during the restructuring and privatisation of the UK water industry and became WRc plc. The Foundation for Water Research was created as a related offshoot, while the Stevenage facility was closed. The Medmenham operation later closed in 2004, leaving Swindon as the organisation’s principal location. WRc broadened its client base to include UK regulators and government departments, all major UK water utilities, international utilities, waste and recycling companies, local authorities, trade associations, international funders and companies in sectors such as food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and manufacturing. In 2020, RSK Group acquired WRc. The acquisition gave WRc access to the broader resources and international reach of a major environmental and engineering-services group. WRc remains an active specialist consultancy and research organisation, with work spanning water, wastewater, waste, environmental regulation, laboratory services, infrastructure and sustainability.

• 2020

  Acquisition by RSK Group

  [1]WRcen.wikipedia.org

  WRc was acquired by RSK Group and became part of its wider environmental and engineering-services group.

• 2004

  Medmenham site closed

  [1]WRcen.wikipedia.org

  The former Medmenham operating site was closed, consolidating the organisation’s principal base in Swindon.

• 1989

  Privatisation and creation of WRc plc

  [1]WRcen.wikipedia.org

  The Water Research Centre was privatised during the UK water-industry reforms and renamed WRc plc.

• 1974

  Water Research Centre created

  [1]WRcen.wikipedia.org

  The Water Pollution Research Laboratory, Water Resources Board and Water Research Association were merged to form the Water Research Centre.

• 1964

  Water Resources Board established

  [1]WRcen.wikipedia.org

  The Water Resources Board was formed to advise river authorities and central government on water-resource development.

• 1955

  Laboratory moved to Stevenage

  [1]WRcen.wikipedia.org

  The pollution research laboratory moved into a purpose-built facility at Elder Way, Stevenage.

• 1953

  Water Research Association founded

  [1]WRcen.wikipedia.org

  The Water Research Association was created to support research for Britain’s water-supply industry.

• 1948

  Thames Survey Committee appointed

  [1]WRcen.wikipedia.org

  The committee began a long-term investigation into pollution, sewage discharges and the self-purification capacity of the Thames Estuary.

• 1940

  Dedicated pollution research laboratory opened

  [1]WRcen.wikipedia.org

  The Water Pollution Research Laboratory was established at Watford, giving the government research programme its own laboratory capability.

• 1927

  Water Pollution Research Board established

  [1]WRcen.wikipedia.org

  The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research created the Water Pollution Research Board to coordinate research and advice on sewage treatment and water pollution.

A specialist, evidence-led environmental research and consultancy brand serving regulated utilities, government, regulators, infrastructure owners, industry and environmental supply chains.

• Research and consultancy

  Water and wastewater research

  WRc conducts applied research and provides technical advice across drinking-water treatment, wastewater processes, activated sludge, sewerage and water-quality management. Its work is designed for utilities, regulators, infrastructure owners and technology suppliers that require independent evidence, process evaluation or support with operational and investment decisions.

• Environmental modelling

  Urban Pollution Management

  Urban Pollution Management is a catchment-level procedure developed with the UK water industry for analysing pollution risks and the effects of discharges. It provides a structured basis for assessing urban drainage, receiving-water impacts and pollution-control options, and helped influence later approaches to integrated water-environment regulation.

• Water-industry testing

  Sludge assessment and treatment methods

  WRc developed and applied methods for evaluating sludge settleability, thickening, dewatering and rheology. These include the SSVI technique and testing approaches such as capillary suction time and pressure filtration testing, which support treatment-plant design, process control and comparison of sludge-treatment performance.

• Infrastructure consultancy

  Water and sewer rehabilitation advice

  The organisation has researched techniques for rehabilitating water mains and sewers while limiting extensive excavation and replacement. Its infrastructure work supports utilities and asset owners evaluating condition, intervention methods, lifecycle costs and the practical consequences of network renewal.

• Economic and regulatory consultancy

  Water-industry cost benchmarking

  WRc produced capital-cost models used by water companies and recognised by Ofwat as comparators for company-specific costs. These models provide a reference point for assessing infrastructure expenditure and supporting regulatory, planning and investment discussions.

• 2020

  Join RSK GroupM&A

  Background

  WRc was an established specialist in water, waste and environmental research, while RSK Group operated a broader environmental and engineering-services platform.

  Action taken

  RSK Group acquired WRc.

  Aftermath

  WRc became part of RSK Group and continued operating as a specialist brand within the wider group.

  Source

• 1989

  Privatise and rename the organisationStrategy

  Background

  The decision formed part of the privatisation and restructuring of the UK water industry.

  Action taken

  The Water Research Centre was converted into a private company and renamed WRc plc.

  Aftermath

  WRc operated as a privately owned specialist research and consultancy business, with ownership mainly associated with employees and UK water companies until 2020.

  Source

• 1974

  Combine major water research institutionsStrategy

  Background

  The UK water-supply industry was reorganised, creating regional water authorities with broader responsibilities for water resources, supply, wastewater and pollution control.

  Action taken

  The Water Pollution Research Laboratory, Water Resources Board and Water Research Association were merged to form the Water Research Centre.

  Aftermath

  The new organisation became a central applied-research body controlled by publicly owned regional water authorities.

  Source

• 2020

  WRc acquired by RSK Group[1]WRcen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  RSK Group acquired WRc, bringing the established water and environmental research consultancy into a larger privately held environmental-services group.

1. 1WRcen.wikipedia.org
2. 2RSK Group Acquires Water Research Centreconstruction.co.uk