This project has delivered a spreadsheet tool that extends the capability of the SAGIS-SIMCAT system by enabling modellers to directly apply climate change related modifications to SIMCAT dat files, to process outputs and to present useful and intuitive visualisations of complex data. The tool enables water companies and regulators to explicitly include climate change considerations in SAGIS-SIMCAT catchment and asset management planning applications for PR24, thereby supporting the requirements of the Climate Change Act 2008 and the Water Industry Strategic Environmental Requirements (WISER) document. Through the automation and streamlining of data management processes, the tool reduces the time and effort associated with scenario modelling and provides more effective modelling and planning procedures that take climate change into account in water quality planning. The project has served as a multi-stakeholder forum that has facilitated the dissemination, discussion and exchange of SAGIS-SIMCAT knowledge and ideas.

There may be a significant reduction in the price of this report if you have already bought a copy of the previous SAGIS report. Please contact the UKWIR office for assistance.

Diffuse pollution such as urban run-off and atmospheric deposition is a well-established source of pollutants. This project reviewed existing data and knowledge of chemicals of emerging concern (CEC) in urban run-off (including highways) and atmospheric deposition and assessed the potential for this data to be used within the Source Apportionment Geographical Information System (SAGIS) modelling system.

This UKWIR project led by Atkins with the University of Plymouth presents the current understanding through:

• providing a systematic review of relevant literature to identify contributions of a defined range of CECs and microplastics and to identify possible knowledge gaps.
• evaluating sources to assess their potential to inform an update of data included in SAGIS, as well as to identify information gaps.
• reviewing interventions for the interception of microplastics and the identified CECs during their transit from source to receptor.

This report provides a comprehensive review of current and developing technologies for minimal excavation which have the potential to enable the water industry to undertake leak repairs and the associated excavation activities, safely and efficiently. Technologies were identified through global literature reviews, interviews with subject matter experts and contact with relevant companies. A workshop attended by practitioners, technology providers and water companies, provided clarity over the critical issues that need to be resolved to enable these technologies to be widely adopted in the water industry. To encourage the transfer of the identified technology a functional specification is presented which defines the requirements for the application of this technology. A route map to enable the implementation by the water industry is also presented, including a suit of core project areas that will address the key challenges to technology implementation

Companies must work to ensure that customers continue to be satisfied with their drinking water when the treated water source they normally receive is blended or substituted with another. 
A tool has been designed to assess the impact of dynamic system changes on customer acceptability, named the “Blend Assessment Model” and is referred to as “the tool” within this document.

This document collates the process of researching the tools requirements, creating the tool and producing the accompanying monitoring guidance document.

This project carried out a high-level review of the tools currently use by the water sector; considered the potential for integrated ‘totex carbon’ calculation; and assessed the appetite amongst potential end users for whole life carbon planning tools.

The project has identified several gaps in industry knowledge and capability. These are set out as a series of recommendations for UKWIR and the industry to address through future collaborative research packages.

The water industry is under pressure to reduce spills from Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO), but without actions to limit infiltration and separate surface water, the consequence of this allied to climate change will be larger volumes of more dilute sewage arriving at Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW), possibly for protracted periods. 

Hence this project takes a wider view on dealing with the dynamic nature of volumes and strengths of the sewage that the water industry is likely to need to treat. The output of this project includes realistic operational design options for existing WwTW’s processes and considers a selection of potential alternatives for WwTW dealing with intermittent higher flows of weaker sewage.

The research Routemap to support the UKWIR Big Question “How do we halve freshwater abstractions in a sustainable way by 2050?” was updated through a series of workshops with a range of UKWIR stakeholders held in November 2021. Beyond an updated Routemap the project recommends that UKWIR adopts a more facilitatory role with this Big Question, remaining focussed on outcomes and evaluating the most effective way to sustainably deliver deep reductions in levels of freshwater abstraction.

Digitally enabling the new Routemap will provide a foundation on which an enduring research community can be built.  Providing more dynamic information on the research outcomes and organisations involved will help potential collaborators to engage with the Big Question and ultimately accelerate delivery against the outcomes.

The key aim of this work is to develop a user-friendly, best practice tool that becomes the UK water industry standard to support strategic carbon sequestration management; forming part of the answer to the UKWIR big question “How do we remove more carbon than we emit by 2050?”.

The project includes development of an industry standard tool for calculating net carbon sequestration across each water company’s land holding and / or the impact of a water company’s work on third party land (for example a catchment partnership project). The tool can be used to create scenarios for different land management strategies so that better decisions can be made regarding carbon emissions and associated land management activities. The tool is aligned with best practice carbon accounting standards and processes.

As an UKWIR BQ2 (Zero Leakage) and BQ3 (Zero Interruptions) collaboration, a series of workshops were held in the summer of 2021.  Four interrelated topics were discussed virtually by water companies, their contractors and the supply chain.   Innovative methods were used for gathering and sharing data, insight and opinion in order to disseminate valuable learning and knowledge in relatively short timescales to the appropriate industry areas. 

Failures on trunk mains are relatively low in frequency they can, however, cause significant disruption. This report details the outputs of both a practitioner workshop and associated industry surveys and examines current practices of preventing and mitigating trunk mains failures and good practice recommendations.

As an UKWIR BQ2 (Zero Leakage) and BQ3 (Zero Interruptions) collaboration, a series of workshops were held in the summer of 2021.  Four interrelated topics were discussed virtually by water companies, their contractors and the supply chain.   Innovative methods were used for gathering and sharing data, insight and opinion in order to disseminate valuable learning and knowledge in relatively short timescales to the appropriate industry areas. 

Failures on the clean water network that could potentially lead to interruptions to supply are hard to predict and detect. This report details the output of two workshops and associated industry surveys to identify current initiatives and potential future requirements for event detection and management systems. A number of key suppliers were interviewed to examine current capabilities and near future developments in event management systems. Key requirements were identified for an ideal system that water companies can apply for the future.