Projects
Projects
Projects
Projects
Projects
Projects
Projects
Projects
You can navigate our projects and research via the following themes:
Drinking water quality
About two-thirds of tap water in the UK comes from reservoirs, lakes, and rivers. Our research focuses on the management of catchments upstream of drinking water abstraction points, and how different management practices affect water quality.
We have demonstrated that an appropriate combination of measures can lead to water quality improvements which reduce the need for costly treatment of issues including colour and dissolved organic carbon.
Our projects
The research project aims to understand and quantify the change brought about through the Upstream Thinking programme, South West Water’s catchment management initiative.
A state of the art CREWW Microplastics Lab enable further ground-breaking work on microplastics at a scale to meet the needs of the industry, alongside world-leading research expertise.
Photo credit to Encounter Edu / Prof Tamara Galloway
“Microplastics and the water industry: studying source, transfer and fate within the microplastic cycle"
Waste water quality
A changing climate and increasing population mean that there is a growing risk of water shortages in the UK and globally. Unless we find new ways to store, treat, transfer and recycle water, it may become very difficult to meet the needs of people whilst also protecting habitats and wildlife. And as water quality suffers in drier conditions, water treatment costs may increase markedly.
Our research focuses on the widest range of nature-based, behavioural, economic and engineering-based measures to protect precious natural resources and promote sustainable consumption.
Our projects
A start of the art CREWW Microplastics Lab will enable further ground-breaking work on microplastics at a scale to meet the needs of the industry, alongside world-leading research expertise.
Photo credit to Encounter Edu / Prof Tamara Galloway
“Microplastics and the water industry: studying source, transfer and fate within the microplastic cycle”
Pollution incidents
Pollution from the sewer network can occur due to leaks, pump failures, pipe blockages (including from fatbergs) and flooding. With the right monitoring and management, risk assessment, operational practices and training, the impact of pollution incidents can be reduced and their impact minimised.
Our research focuses on new approaches for predicting pollution, and the development of technology and practices which minimise the likelihood of it occurring.
Our case studies
South West Water are working towards zero spills and providing more information to customers and the public of spills that are occurring, with an ambition of near real-time public information for each and every spill.
Photo credit to WATERVERSE (EU)
Water companies must improve their understanding of CSO discharges, their impacts on receiving waters, and identify any CSO spill events, which are potentially harmful to the environment and human health.
This project aims to generate a risk map for a pilot study in the SWW sewer network, rating for areas most prone to ground water infiltration.
Leakage
Some leaks in water pipes are inevitable as pipes can wear out or be damaged by sudden changes in temperature. However leakage can also be affected by operational strategies (for example pressure management), network characteristics, asset condition and age.
Our research aims to understand the factors that influence leakage, support early detection and identify new solutions to minimise water loss, prevent supply disruptions and reduce operating costs.
"Leakage prediction and localisation using Artificial Intelligence"
More projects coming soon!
Resilience
Underpinning our more applied, sector-focussed research is a portfolio of pure research projects which deepen our understanding of the interactions between the hydrological cycle and soils, geomorphology, ecology, climate and land use.
This deeper understanding informs our sector-focussed research programmes, and ultimately will lead to more effective interventions by water and land managers, industry and regulators alike.
Our projects
This project works to map peat extent monitoring trajectories of ecohydrological change following peatland restoration across Dartmoor and Bodmin Moor.
The research project aims to understand and quantify the change brought about through the Upstream Thinking programme, South West Water’s catchment management initiative.
The research project aims to understand and facilitate best practice for catchment-systems, data analysis and collection, and collaboration across stakeholders.