BT Secure Multi-Million-Pound Contract to Protect Scotland’s Water Supply

Communications and broadband provider BT Business has today signed a contract with Scottish Water to help the organisation deliver a fully integrated network and security service. The deal forms part of Scottish Water’s wider £130 million investment into its networks.

The partnership is intended to help Scottish Water improve visibility across its network, respond more quickly to issues and strengthen the resilience of services relied on by households, businesses and communities nationwide. Under the deal, BT will take end-to-end responsibility for Scottish Water’s connectivity and security estate, spanning both IT and operational technology environments.

Scottish Water is a publicly owned utility responsible for delivering water supply services to about 2.6 million households and 150,000 business properties, supporting a population of more than 5 million people across Scotland.

The deal will see BT managing approximately 7,000 network connections across broadband, MPLS, satellite and internet services, alongside a large-scale operational technology network critical to delivering essential water services across Scotland.

Ishbell MacPhail, Head of BT Business Scotland, said:

“We’re proud to be working with Scottish Water to help keep essential water services running smoothly for millions of people across Scotland. By bringing together BT’s nationwide network, security expertise and local Scottish teams, we’ll help make the services people rely on every day be more resilient, responsive and ready for the future.

It’s about using technology to support better, more dependable services for homes, businesses and communities across Scotland.”

Chris Toop, Scottish Water’s Director of Digital & Innovation, said:

“This strategic partnership between Scottish Water and BT is an important step in our digital journey. By working with BT, we are strengthening the technology foundations that support every part of our business. Together, we’ll deliver more resilient, secure and efficient digital services that enable us to better serve our customers, support our colleagues and meet the challenges of the future.”

BT’s intended solution is said to centre on a converged Network Operations Centre (NOC) and Security Operations Centre (SOC), bringing network monitoring and cybersecurity together into a single, real-time operational model. The partnership also includes a commitment to delivering social value across Scotland, with a focus on supporting local employment, skills development and community engagement.