News

As many of their friend settle into retirement, one Angus couple are embarking on an exciting new business journey.

Peter Holdsworth and Carolyn Hogg, both in their 60s, have just secured £350,000 from investors to upscale production of their innovative greywater recycling system.

The technology, which is interesting major housebuilders, housing associations and holiday parks, reuses toilet water to flush toilets.

By the middle of next year, husband-and-wife team behind Cascade Water Products plan to move business from their kitchen table in Monikie to a manufacturing facility in Dundee.

The new site will provide office, assembly and engineering jobs in the city.

Engineer Peter, 69, revealed the greywater system – Aqua Gratis Freewater – has been operational in their Angus home for three years.

He believes it could be “revolutionary” if rolled out across the country and revealed global water scarcity has seen the firm receive inquiries from around the world.

There is also growing market demand for water efficiency solutions driven by regulatory changes and the economic benefits of reduced water consumption in commercial settings.

Cascade’s system is designed for retrofitting into existing properties as well as installation in new-builds, making it accessible across a wide range of applications.

Peter said: “Our system means the water people shower with in the morning will be the water they flush their loos with later that day.

“It translates as around a 40% water saving per household, which is great for the environment.

“It is attractive to householders, housing associations and holiday parks as it can bring big savings on their water bills.”

Peter’s career spans decades of water industry experience, working as a senior engineer with Severn Trent Water Authority for many years.

He continued: “After years of hard work, I am finally able to realise my dream and I am excited for what the future holds.

“I didn’t get to 65 and feel like I had to retire.  My dad was also an engineer and worked until he was 87 – it runs in the family.

“Some people are keen to pack in work at my age, but I have a lot left to give and am passionate about what I do.”

While her husband does the manual work, Carolyn, 64, a Former PE teacher and medal-winning Scottish athlete, has been driving the business side.

She added: “We have very separate roles but work well as a team.  Together we are definitely greater than the sum of our parts.

“It has been a frustrating journey to secure investment but now we have it, we can move forward with our plans to open a production facility in Dundee.

“We have always wanted to bring jobs to the area and we are excited for the future and hopefully further expansion.”

With the investment secured, Cascade is now focused on commercialising the system for general sale.

Lead investor Mohan Ramani said: “Carolyn and Peter have demonstrated extraordinary dedication in developing this technology.

“They’ve done the hard yards to prove it works and now they have an opportunity to scale a solution that addresses water scarcity challenges we’re seeing across developed and developing markets alike.”

This article appeared in The Courier on 8 January 2026