Understanding the link between phosphorus and ecological impact
Factoring ecological significance of sources into phosphorus source apportionment: Phase 2
Phosphorus (P) source apportionment is an important tool for prioritising mitigation strategies and assessing compliance as part of River Basin Management Planning process within the EU Water Framework Directive. However, the methodology for P source apportionment in rivers is subject to significant errors and uncertainty as annual total P loads are assumed to correlate with ecological impact, despite a wealth of evidence to demonstrate other factors such as seasonality and P bioavailability that affect the processes and mechanisms responsible for the transport of P from source to river systems (Stutter et al., 2014).
In 2014 CREW delivered a descriptive methodology of how modelled Total Phosphorus (TP) loads could be modified to take account of their impact on ecology (Phase 1). This project (Phase 2), evaluated the relevance of the method developed in Phase 1 to derive ‘ecologically significant source apportionment’ and examined potential factors affecting ecological status based on the regulatory data. Data from 45 Scottish streams were examined to identify a relationship between diatom response (a key ecological indicator for water body status) and other factors including: nutrients, soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) loads from different sources, land cover proportions and hydrological catchment characteristics. The main findings and recommendations of Phase 2 are available below in the Executive Summary and Main Report.
Retrofitting Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems to industrial estates
Industrial estates are a well-recognised cause of pollution and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) have been identified as an important option to address the pollution risk. This study aimed to investigate the potential for retrofitting SUDS on industrial estates to try to reduce pollution of watercourses. The project focused primarily on source control SUDS, or SUDS on an individual property bassis, as well as conveyance types of SUDS.
The principal research site was Houston Industrial Estate, Livingston, which has over 100 businesses and includes major, extensive factory premises, as well as intermediate-size factory premises and many small industrial units typically managed by a landlord or agent. In addition, one sector of the estate has been redeveloped since the statutory requirement to use SUDS technology was established in Scotland. This allowed the project to assess the maintenance of the SUDS installed at that time as well as the SUDS awareness of those businesses.
Research methods included an initial SUDS awareness survey, verification visits and detailed follow-up with several premises to explore opportunities and barriers to retrofitting SUDS in their specific circumstances, and a breakfast seminar and focus group for participating businesses.
The study identified three broad classes of barriers to retrofits: cost, time and space. A number of opportunities were identified, including a need for education and engagement with businesses, including support to grasp opportunities as well as understand requirements. An Executive Summary and Summary report are available below.
On request from Scottish Water, the Centre of Expertise for Water (CREW) funded a pilot project that aims to determine whether SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA can be detected in municipal wastewater from Scottish communities and whether the detection of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA in municipal wastewater has the potential to be used to track community infection. Dr Alex Corbishley led the research from the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute and CREW engaged the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to ensure that the methods developed could ultimately be adopted by SEPA as part of their national (Scottish) programme of surveillance and analysis. CREW invited experts such as Dr Michael Gormley (Heriot Watt University) to join the project Steering Group and informed the Scottish Government of key developments to ensure project outcomes are shared widely.
CREW funding and coordination allowed for a rapid response to the research need to develop an assay to help tracking SARS-CoV-2 via municipal wastewater. The CREW project team used this opportunity to develop networks (and funding proposals) within the UK and internationally to work collaboratively towards finding a solution to this complex issue.
Dr Alexander Corbishley of the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, said:
“Detecting viral genetic material in waste water is relatively easy, however the challenge is measuring how much genetic material is present accurately and relating that to disease levels in the community. The support from CREW has allowed us to use our expertise in disease monitoring to inform SEPA and Scottish Water’s efforts to develop a Scottish wastewater monitoring programme”.
See BBC Scotland coverage here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-53109139
Private Water Supplies and the local economic impacts in Scotland
There are approximately 22,000 private water supplies in Scotland serving a population of nearly 197,000 people
Many of these are also micro- and other businesses which rely on these supplies for their existence: frequently
providing services to a broader public as visitors and tourists particularly in remote rural areas of the country.
This study provides evidence of the impact private water supply reliance has upon social and economic
infrastructure; business development; costs of clean water; land management and stewardship and support needs.
It also highlights indicative issues within three sectors (tourism, dairy farming and forestry) that are likely to be
more widely pertinent.
The findings reveal the complexity of private-supply arrangements and infrastructure, and the considerable
gaps to be bridged to ensure future rural social and economic sustainability, system effectiveness, and to
reduce localities’ vulnerabilities.
Investment decisions at small drinking water supply systems
This project sought to review the challenges in delivering drinking water compliance, with a focus on the quality and quantity of investment drivers, and to assess the proposed or deployed solutions against these criteria. These outputs will assist in identifying value for money criteria for investment; identify how the policy and regulatory framework includes water treatment choices, risk appetite and costs; identify how changes to the policy framework could improve value for money and sustainability and inform policy on drinking water treatment based on economics and quality enhancement. The reviewed investment processes related to existing water supply schemes that are in the process of undergoing improvement or have already undergone improvements to meet appropriate qualitative and quantitative standards.
The review found that the decision-making processes employed by Scottish Water to address declining water quality issues in small supplies are underpinned by the need to ensure overall cost effectiveness, sustainability and provision of a reliable and wholesome water supply. It has been found that Scottish Water procedures are generally effective and informed by stringent application of internal procedures underpinned by the relevant regulatory and policy framework. The current intervention definition process (IDP) appeared to be robust, seeking to improve cost benefit analysis and value management while involving a wide range of stakeholders. The process is well aligned with drinking water safety plans and seeks a high level of protection for water consumers, regardless of the size of the supply.
The study has also identified several challenges in capital investment process for small systems and suggests that the current robust nature of the Intervention Definition Process (IDP) process makes it lengthy, and potentially complex. The study suggests that an opportunity exists for further enhancing the IDP process for small systems through improved engagement with academic and professional specialist support and harnessing the technical capacity and innovation where available within Scottish Water operations across all regions, whilst still balancing risk and the need for a secure provision of service.
Impacts of Flooding in North-East Scotland: Comprehensive Report
Many areas of Great Britain were badly affected by flooding over a fourteen-week period in the winter of 2015/2016. The flooding had considerable impacts on numerous communities, including private homes, business premises, transport infrastructure and agricultural land. In Scotland, in early December 2015, severe flooding affected the south of the country with Hawick and Dumfries both badly affected. Late December saw further periods of heavy rainfall that brought more flooding to the South of Scotland, badly affecting Peebles and Newton Stewart. Severe flooding also affected the North-East of Scotland in late December 2015 and early January 2016. Some flooding was experienced in Aberdeen city, but most flooding and associated disruption was experienced around Aberdeenshire, in small towns, villages and the open countryside.
In response to the severe flooding experienced in North-east Scotland during the winter of 2015/16, the Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW) commissioned a project to;
- develop a better understanding of the long-term impacts of flooding upon people and communities; and
- identify and understand what types of support and advice are needed at different stages of the recovery process.
The research was conducted over a three-year period in Ballater and Garioch, gaining new insights about the long-term impacts of flooding on people and communities. These insights informed several considerations for enhancing flood-risk management (before, during, and after a flood), and highlighted how personal and community resilience may be supported.
Identifying FIO sources: monitoring techniques and sampling strategies
Review of monitoring techniques and sampling strategies to identify the most significant sources of Faecal Indicator Organisms (FIO) within a catchment
SEPA plan to use “blitz” monitoring to get a picture of water quality across catchments where there are multiple sources of faecal pollution to Bathing Water Protected Areas (BWPA) and Shellfish Water Protected Areas (SWPA). This is envisaged to involve FIO sampling across the river network to identify the area of influence, and trace FIO hotspots and types of sources within the area of influence. However, blitz monitoring is faced with a wide range of challenges, such as monitoring resource limitations, regulatory requirements for storage time and analytical procedures, and limited understanding where the area of influence (i.e. the part of the river catchment in which diffuse and point FIO pollution sources can influence water quality in BWPA and SWPA) and FIO hotspots are located. Addressing these challenges is essential for addressing the impacts of catchment-based faecal pollution to BWPA and SWPA.
This report provides a literature review summarising best available evidence on the timing of FIO discharges, in-stream FIO variability, FIO pollution risk, FIO monitoring and detection technologies. Further, the report details the desktop approach developed by the research team to identify potential FIO hotspots and provides recommendations for a practical monitoring strategy to identify the area of influence to BWPA and SWPA, and to track FIO from different FIO hotspots and types of sources within it.
A three-phased approach was recommended based on the requirements of SEPA:
Phase 1: Identify area of influence and FIO hotspots therein: Apply a toolkit approach integrating desktop studies, field monitoring and modelling.
Phase 2: Assess in-stream FIO spatial and temporal variability: Apply membrane filtration techniques and flow cytometry in the lab or use of mobile labs (e.g. Colitag) or continuous monitoring devices (e.g. ALERT – E.coli Analyser) concurrently with measurement of turbidity, temperature and flow.
Phase 3: Elucidate/ confirm predominant types of sources (i.e. human vs animal): Apply microarray, qPCR of genetic markers or flow cytometry for MST to track predominant FIO sources at sites influenced by diffuse FIO sources or mixed land use.
On World Water Day 2019 the Hydro Nation International Centre and Centre of Expertise for Water (CREW) hosted a conference on "Resilience to Drought and Low Flow Conditions in Scotland", an event supported by the Scottish Government.
Scientists, engineers, planners and managers shared their observations, experiences, research outcomes, and innovative ideas on building resilience and adapting to low flows and drought conditions from a Scottish perspective. The Short and Full reports from this event can be found here.
Managing flood risk in the context of the climate emergency (SNIFFER FRM 2020)
Managing flood risk in the context of the climate emergency (30-31st January 2020)
This year the SNIFFER conference explored what the climate emergency means for Flood Risk Management with contributions from youth climate strikers as well as policy and planning experts from the public sector. Click here for the conference report. As part of the event, CREW coordinated a thought-provoking and action-orientated ‘Spark’ talk session that highlighted research innovation in Flood Risk Management. This blog captured the key points.
Many areas of Great Britain were badly affected by flooding over a fourteen-week period in the winter of 2015/2016. The flooding had considerable impacts on numerous communities, including private homes, business premises, transport infrastructure and agricultural land.
In Scotland, in early December 2015, severe flooding affected the south of the country with Hawick and Dumfries both badly affected. Late December saw further periods of heavy rainfall that brought more flooding to the South of Scotland, badly affecting Peebles and Newton Stewart. Severe flooding also affected the North-East of Scotland in late December 2015 and early January 2016. Some flooding was experienced in Aberdeen city, but most flooding and associated disruption was experienced around Aberdeenshire, in small towns, villages and the open countryside.
In response to the severe flooding experienced in North-east Scotland during the winter of 2015/16, the Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW) commissioned project to;
- develop a better understanding of the long-term impacts of flooding upon people and communities; and
- identify and understand what types of support and advice are needed at different stages of the recovery process.
The research was conducted over a three-year period in Ballater and Garioch, gaining new insights about the long-term impacts of flooding on people and communities. These insights informed several considerations for enhancing flood-risk management (before, during, and after a flood), and highlighted how personal and community resilience may be supported.
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