AI is reshaping how utilities confront climate pressures, aging infrastructure, and rising regulatory scrutiny. In this episode of Stay Cognizant, host Pamela Axtell (Senior Director of Global Brand Strategy and Marketing at Cognizant) is joined by Mahua Saha, Global Engagement Delivery Leader and Generative AI Lead for Cognizant’s UKI markets. Together, they explore how an AI-powered spills management system is helping a UK water utility transform environmental performance and set a new industry benchmark.

Mahua explains how her team harnessed Azure Databricks, machine learning operations, and AI-driven data insights to detect and prevent untreated sewage spills delivering measurable results including a 9% reduction in actual spills and $46M in avoided infrastructure costs. She also shares how the project scaled from a rapid proof of concept to deployment across 2,500+ sites, all while navigating regulatory pressures and driving stakeholder confidence.

Discussed in this episode:

• How AI eliminated 9,000+ erroneous spill reports and reduced actual spills by nearly 9%
• The financial and environmental impact of avoiding $46M in infrastructure upgrades
• Why CXO-level engagement and a proof-of-concept mindset accelerated adoption
• How responsible AI drives sustainability, transparency, and trust in the water sector
• The future of multi-agent AI in utilities, retail, banking, and beyond