UKWIR has collaborated closely with the Meteorological Office as well as the Environment Agency on the inputs into this programme area. This ensures climate change scenarios are provided in a format that the industry can easily assimilate. Research has looked into climate change impacts on the water company functions including the asset management planning process, the hydraulic design of sewerage systems and on river flows and groundwater recharge.
New areas being explored include, circular economy, natural capital and reducing carbon footprint.
Mark Williams
Climate Change
Climate Change View sub-categories and filter projects sub-categories Climate Change + Waste Water General Impacts Mitigating Measures Overall Impacts Stormwaters Use of low quality water Water Availability Water Quality |
Environment & Quality View sub-categories and filter projects sub-categories Environmental Benefits Sustainability |
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Carbon, Sustainability, circular economy, natural capital, net positive....where are we and where should we be? Project Status Project Completed The UK Water Industry has always been spirited to promote sutainability and create a significant positive contribution to society. It has been continually discussing and working in areas to achieve it but there is no study which captures this achievement, positive impacts and ultimately the net contribution of the sector. The Water industry has added expectations of government, regulators, NGOs and customers for a long term sustainable approach that will support society across the challenges of the coming decades. In particular, circular economy and natural capital are the latest areas that customer investment fora are increasingly seeking information on. Thus this project will provide the evidence that the Water industry as a sector is socially, environmentally and financially responsible and help to map out the current position and further improvement that can be done. |
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Quantifying and reducing direct greenhouse gas emissions from waste and water treatment processes. Project Status Project Completed The water industry is committed to reducing its carbon emissions and one of the ‘Big Questions’ posed by UKWIR to help inform the strategic programme of research is: How do we become carbon neutral by 2050? To achieve this, we must develop a better understanding of the greenhouse gas emissions that are specific to our treatment and disposal processes. Greenhouse gas emissions from our treatment processes are the second highest driver of our industry carbon footprint after energy. As other elements of the industry footprint are reduced, the process emissions become more important. Currently, we are doing little to reduce this component of our footprint, because the science behind our understanding of these emissions and how to reduce them is poor. Overall, industry Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are falling. Much of the reduction seen is as a result of lower emissions linked to grid electricity. This is partly because the UK grid mix is using less fossil fuels and partly because water companies are generating or procuring renewable energy directly. Historically around 70% of industry emissions have been linked to the use of grid electricity. As this becomes a lesser part of the total, the other elements of the industry footprint become more significant. |
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Climate change adaptation - a common framework Project Status Project Completed The water sector needs a common position on climate change risk and the measures it will take to adapt.
Context We know that disruption from climate change has far reaching effects across the environment, the economy and society. Changing rainfall patterns and temperature, as well as more frequent weather extremes mean that our water systems are at the front line for resilience to climate change. The need to adapt touches on all areas of our work, for example: customers service resilience expectations; the capacity and condition of physical assets; regulation (quality and economic alike), planning and investment; all aspects of our water and wastewater services; and the resilience of energy supplies and the wider supply chain.
A number of wider factors point to the need for a step change in our approach:
What have and what we need
Previous UKWIIR research has put us in a good position in terms of underpinning evidence and technical tools to assist adaptation work e.g. water resource planning, rainfall intensity for drainage planning. This has included the incorporation of UK climate projections (most recently UKCP18) to reinforce modelling etc.
However, we do not have a common, overarching framework for adaptation work by the water sector that responds to the international, national and sectoral drivers outlined above and also enables climate adaptation issue to be considered consistently across the Big Questions. Such as framework could include:
In essence, we have good science, tools and understanding within the sector; but common goals, methods and metrics would help make a better case for investment in climate resilience. Research needs Much of what is described above involves gathering existing work and knowledge together. However there are some specific knowledge gaps which would benefit from joint research. Namely:
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Workbook for estimating operational GHG emissions – CAW v16 Project Status Project Commenced In the absence of the workbook companies would need to undertake their own work to update and produce accounting tools, which would risk divergent and inconsistent reporting in the industry. Equally, a workbook that is not up to date would give a misleading picture of companies' carbon footprints. |
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Implementing ecosystem service and natural and social capital accounting approaches - testing & evaluation case study test of the tool Project Status Project Completed |
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BQ How do we achieve 100% compliance with drinking water standards by 2050? Risk assessment of CIP data with respect to implications for drinking water sources Project Status Project Completed To determine whether any emerging contaminants, measured through the Chemical Investigation Programme, pose a potential risk to the quality of drinking water supplies. Problem The Chemical Investigation Programme (CIP) Phase 1 &2 has monitored a large number of chemicals that may be entering the aquatic environment from our wastewater treatment processes. This data, however, has not been looked at in terms of the potential impacts on drinking water quality. Impact We currently do not know the impact that these chemicals have on raw water quality for sources located downstream of a waste water treatment works. Project This project is an enabler for future work to meet the outcome “An appropriate balance of risk with regards to substances of concern, their public health impact, and mitigation”. It is the first project in a series that will allow the Industry to demonstrate to its customers and other stakeholders, including regulators, that it keeps the upstream risks it faces under review as data becomes available. Subsequent projects will look in more detail on issues such as treatability i.e. determine if the disinfection process for water containing these chemicals give rise to unwanted by-products of health concern or cause taste and odour issues. |
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The National CIP - Logistical Support and Co-ordination of the delivery phase of CIP 2020-2021 Project Status Project Commenced |
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The National CIP 2020-2021 Chem 3, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Project Status Project Completed The Chemical Investigations Programme (CIP) is an ongoing research programme that addresses the likely implications of environmental legislation for the UK water industry. It is intended as a means of gaining a better understanding of the occurrence, behaviour and management of trace contaminants in the wastewater treatment process and in effluents and sludge. It is a monitoring programme of unprecedented scale and complexity and has been undertaken as a collaborative programme by water companies in England, Wales and Scotland and the respective national regulators. |
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The National CIP 2020-2021 Chem 5, Microplastics Project Status Project Completed Microplastics are plastic particles or fibres which are smaller than 5 mm and are categorised as either primary or secondary depending on whether they were specifically produced at that size or are produced from the abrasion or fragmentation of larger plastic items. |
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The National CIP 2020-2021 Chem 7, Sludge chemical analysis Project Status Project Commenced The Chemical Investigations Programme (CIP) is an ongoing research programme that addresses the likely implications of environmental legislation for the UK water industry. It is intended as a means of gaining a better understanding of the occurrence, behaviour and management of trace contaminants in the wastewater treatment process and in effluents and sludge. It is a monitoring programme of unprecedented scale and complexity and has been undertaken as a collaborative programme by water companies in England, Wales and Scotland and the respective national regulators. |
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The National CIP 2020-2021 Chem12, Mechanisms of removal Project Status Project Completed The Chemical Investigations Programme (CIP) is an ongoing research programme that addresses the likely implications of environmental legislation for the UK water industry. It is intended as a means of gaining a better understanding of the occurrence, behaviour and management of trace contaminants in the wastewater treatment process and in effluents and sludge. It is a monitoring programme of unprecedented scale and complexity and has been undertaken as a collaborative programme by water companies in England, Wales and Scotland and the respective national regulators. |
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