Cliff Marriner joins Arcadis and the Pump Centre as Technical Director following over 25 years at Anglian Water. Combining his passion for engineering with sound leadership, Cliff has a plan for the future of the Pump Centre. Read on to get a glimpse into what he has in store for the organisation which include building on past Pump Centre achievements, growing the membership base and supporting the water industry with the new and exciting challenges (and opportunities) AMP8 presents.
Could you tell us a bit about your background and how you got to where you are today?
After working for a number of other companies in various electrical engineering roles, I joined Anglian Water initially as an Electrical Engineer. After working in a number of different roles across the organisation and being involved in the design, build, commissioning, operation and maintenance of various water and wastewater sites and areas both in the Anglian Water region and abroad, I moved into Operations. Working in engineering, project management, first line managerial and senior leadership roles provided me with a broad range of experience and knowledge of both the business and the water industry.
Over the last decade with Anglian Water as Head of Maintenance, there were a number of key achievements which I led, including developing and implementing an accredited mechanical and electrical apprenticeship scheme; insourcing and setting up a Combined and Heat Power (CHP) team; integration of private sewage pump stations into my operation and maintenance team; and ensuring Anglian Water’s electrical compliance was maintained through planned programmes such as fixed wiring inspection and testing, thermography, high voltage and dangerous and explosive atmosphere (DSEAR). My final role with Anglian Water was to set up a new central maintenance and engineering services team under the Director of Strategic Delivery and Commercial Assurance. As Head of Maintenance & Engineering Services, my role was to head up and transition appropriate engineering and maintenance services into a central function to better serve the business and its customers.
After 28 years in the same company in a wide variety of roles across the organisation, it was time to seek out a new opportunity. After taking a sabbatical to allow some personal time to reflect and recharge, I joined Arcadis in November 2024 as a Technical Director. Working with the Pump Centre brings together my passion for engineering and the water industry, and allows me to use my experience and knowledge to continue to support the water industry - this time in an industry-wide role.
What specific knowledge and experience from your previous roles will be most valuable in your new position?
I’ve been in engineering all my working life, in the water industry almost 30 years, and led multiple teams across many different disciplines during that time. This new position will allow me to use and share those experiences and knowledge. Understanding the water industry, knowing the key challenges the water and sewage companies face, and an ability to coach and support the team in safely delivering the existing services and to find new and exciting solutions for its members will be invaluable to build on the Pump Centre’s excellent foundations and allow us to support the Pump Centre members and the wider water industry.
What does the future of the Pump Centre look like to you?
In a word, exciting. The transition from Asset Management Period 7 (AMP7) into Asset Management Period 8 (AMP8) brings new challenges and opportunities for everyone associated with the water industry. The Pump Centre has great foundations in place which includes providing technical training and support, technical projects, collaboration events and forums and of course the Water Equipment Show. Over the years, these have provided support to the members, which in turn has supported the wider water industry.
Going forward, and with AMP8 about to start, there will be a requirement to build on and develop these existing services - the Pump Centre’s new website is just the beginning of the transition to prepare for the future. AMP8 has the largest investment since privatisation, and new innovative solutions will be needed to deliver AMP8. The Pump Centre will need to build on national and local events, such as the Water Equipment Show, and offer additional services and events to bring together companies and professionals not only from across the water industry but from outside. This year’s Water Equipment Show will have a couple of new and exciting features, including a live panel of industry experts discussing the challenges and opportunities AMP8 brings.
Efficiency will also continue to be a key driver right across the industry. The Water Industry Mechanical and Electrical Specification (WIMES) group and the Water Industry Maintenance Working Group (WIMWG) will need to factor this into areas such as standard products, changing technologies, and new standards for the innovative solutions and products. The Pump Centre as a collective is a huge knowledge bank, which members can access to help them solve some of these challenges. Developing this into a more formal collaboration hub and the above examples provides an insight into some of what the Pump Centre will focus on.
What are the priorities for the Pump Centre in the coming year?
There are three key priorities for the Pump Centre over the coming year.
- Firstly, it’s important that the existing services are delivered safely, efficiently and effectively to provide our members with the quality services they need to allow a smooth transition from AMP7 to AMP8.
- Secondly, the changing landscape of the water industry during this transition and the delivery of the largest investment programme since privatisation will require a collaborative effort across the industry. The Pump Centre must adapt and change and ensure the services work for both its current and future members.
- And finally, we must embrace and exploit new technology, listen to our current and future members, and find new ways of working together to build up on our great foundations to ensure long term sustainability.
What are the biggest challenges the UK water industry faces to meet AMP8 requirements, and how can it best tackle these challenges?
While AMP8’s investment is welcomed, delivery on this scale presents a number of its own challenges: delivering the step up in investment; finding new innovative and smart solutions and additional resources; and balancing competing priorities such as affordability, carbon reduction, environmental, service, health & safety, financial and quality targets. There is no single solution or person who can solve all these challenges therefore working collaboratively across the industry, its regulators & the supply chain will become even more important to find innovative, effective and efficient solutions which can then be used right across the industry.
By being curious and looking further afield at other industries, engaging with the challenges early, and working on the principle that continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection, the industry can start breaking down these challenges; easily said, harder to deliver. The Pump Centre is ideally placed to continue to support the water industry in finding solutions to these challenges.
If you would like to become a Pump Centre member, talk to our membership team.