What do we want to achieve through this research?

The objective of this project is to assess the die off rates of suitable faecal indicator organisms within British and Irish rivers. This will ultimately enable a more accurate assessment of the extent to which sewage treatment works upstream of bathing areas are likely to pose a threat to human health.

The objectives for this research is to produce an improved, consistent, standard , accepted across UK and Ireland for:

1.    Reporting near real time water quality impact from storm overflows
 
2.    Modelling, forecasting and reporting real time recreational and bathing water quality.

 Achieved through collaboration with key parties, including the Environmental Regulators, WASCs and other relevant stakeholders.

 To complete a review of existing dataset, summarising headline facts and figures (including number of data points, temporal and spatial resolution of the dataset etc.).

⦁    To establish a series of insights relevant to, but not limited to; 

⦁    Pipe age
⦁    Material type
⦁    Size

⦁    To make use of innovative methods and techniques to interrogate the data
⦁    To present the findings of the research that are usable across the sector
⦁    To recommend any key areas of development or addition to future datasets

The following key objectives have been identified: 

•  Provision of GHG emissions/Carbon Accounting tool that:
• supports estimation of annual greenhouse gas emissions for a water industry operations and activities, covering all sector specific emission sources
• enables consistent use of agreed estimation methodologies using the same emissions factors,
• is transparent, facilitating easy interrogation of agreed estimation calculations and methodologies including how they are applied,
• is reasonably accurate and up to date with respect to the prevailing science, best practice guidance, UK government guidance and UK water sector operational practice,
• will by default retain all core functionality provided by the current CAW version 18 (see accompanying Technical Specification Guidance document) (add link to it) but seek to improve usability,
• include additional or amended functionality to meet the water industry needs identified by the industry’s carbon accounting working group and/or project steering group,
• does not require purchase of non-standard office software, and is compatible with water company IT and software systems
• is suitable for use (with annual refreshes) for at least 5 -7 years. 

•    To determine, where appropriate, parameter-specific permit limits for the WwTWs influencing the Thames Estuary.