Watt a load of crap: UK start-up is turning number twos into number one with shockingly superior sewage battery tech
- Rheya combines emergency battery power with software designed to predict sewage spills
- Power failures at pumping stations can turn routine blackouts into environmental pollution
- Rheya battery will predict the underlying causes of spills before they occur
UK startup Rheya Labs has developed backup batteries designed specifically to keep sewage pumping stations running during power failures across Britain.
The company was named one of 20 finalists in Ofwat’s £7.5 million Water Discovery Challenge, run by the Water Innovation Fund.
Each finalist receives up to £100,000 in seed funding, forming part of a wider £7.5 million pot distributed over 20 months.
A different approach to an old problem
Sewage spills are a longstanding, common issue, often blamed on overloaded systems or heavy rainfall.
England recorded around 290,000 sewage discharges from storm overflows during 2025, lasting roughly 1.9 million hours combined across the network.
Power failures at pumping stations are widely recognised as...
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