The SULSA Antimicrobial Resistance Conference will be held at the University of Strathclyde 26-27 April 2018. By bringing together individuals across the spectrum of research, health, industry, and policy, the conference aims to inform and coordinate AMR activities in Scotland, including a seed-funding call for registered attendees. For more information, see the conference website.
In Scotland, private water supplies are regulated separately under The Private Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2006. Type A private water supplies are currently sampled on an individual basis; however, changes to the Drinking Water Directive specify criteria for a flexible monitoring program, which means that low risk parameters may be removed from sampling under certain circumstances. This risk-based approach is a pragmatic means of complying with Directive requirements and targeting resources towards areas of higher risk.
In this project, a practical weight-of-evidence method was developed to identify where the risk of type A PWS contamination is greatest, based on historic monitoring data from the supplies as well as on the location of the supply in relation to surface and groundwater bodies. Aluminium, nitrate, arsenic, cadmium, and chromium were used as trial parameters to assess the feasibility of the method in Scotland.
Factoring Ecological Significance of Sources into Phosphorus Source Apportionment
Models describing the relative contributions of phosphorus (P) from different sources to water bodies (source apportionment) are key tools in determining priorities for mitigation strategies within the River Basin Management Planning process under the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Previous source apportionment was simplistic because it was based on total P loads, even though not all P loading has the same ecological significance due to the form or timing of the loading. This project develops a descriptive methodology of how Total P loads provided by existing catchment models could be modified to take account of their impact on ecology. This modification works each modelled source (e.g. arable drainflow, urban runoff, grassland drainflow) through a sequential set of provided tables to adjust loads from Total P to bio-available P and then account for residence time and dilution potential. Data from the Tarland catchment is used to show a worked example of the method and the effect of accounting for ecological significance in the model.
How do we increase public understanding of the benefits provided by SuDS?
There is a need to increase awareness of the benefits that water provides and how our actions can help protect and improve them. Concerns over water quality and quantity are increasing around the world and these are exacerbated by climate change and other pressures. Arguably, and having a plentiful supply of water from rainfall, Scotland has not been severely affected by these issues. Consequently there is a perception that public understanding of water and the benefits provided is often low. Recent Scottish Government policy is to develop Scotland as the world’s first Hydro Nation which places more emphasis on water as central to our national identity. This agenda is increasing the international profile of Scotland’s skills and experience in supporting the good stewardship of water resources, and increase public awareness of the benefits that water provides and how our actions can help protect and improve them.CREW is developing a programme of knowledge exchange activities to help improve public understanding of water and the benefits that water provides, of which this project is a part.
This project was a public outreach activity that targeted primary and secondary school children located to the north of Dundee where there are excellent examples of SUDS. The key objective was to raise awareness of the Hydro Nation agenda with a scope that was twofold: 1) explain the urban water cycle; and 2) promote awareness and understanding of the local SUDS and related benefits.
New collaboration agreement signed
The 2018 conference will be held at the Strathclyde Technology and Innovation Centre in Glasgow from 5-6 February. Tickets will be released soon and more details are available via the Sniffer website.
Scotland's Water Sector Map 2017
In 2015, a review of Scotland’s Water Sector was published by CREW in support of the Scottish Government’s Hydro Nation Strategy. This work reported on the scope and the scale of Scotland’s Water Sector, and how different parts of the sector link together using visual tools in the form of Scotland’s Water Map. This most recent review was requested in order to update Scotland’s Water Sector Map with new data, enhance functionality, and to expand the previous map to include testing and demonstration facilities in Scotland that may assist water-technology development and research.
Hydro Nation Scholars Programme 2018
Launch event: Phos4You
This event, part of the EU Phos4You research project, seeks to engage with stakeholders at an early stage to inform and direct the work of the Scottish research team so we can address concerns and capitalise on opportunities. The event will be of interest to those working in the area of phosphorous removal and recoery from waste water. For more information and registration details, please see the event flyer.
CREW featured in Parliament Hydro Nation debate
The debate covered the importance of water to Scotland’s national and international identity, and developing the water economy, as promoted by the Hydro Nation agenda. Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform said in her speech:
“Sitting alongside the industry, our academic and research sector is delivering ground breaking research, including through CREW—Scotland’s centre of expertise for waters—and our innovative and challenging postgraduate hydro nation scholars programme. Funded by the Scottish Government and hosted by the James Hutton Institute, CREW provides a vital knowledge hub where calls for research are co-ordinated across academic institutions, Government and the water sector, which helps to improve the understanding of water in the environment, industry, pollution, resource management and technology. The scholars programme is designed to deliver the water leaders of the future, with a cohort of 19 talented PhD scholars studying a wide range of topics that have been identified as key to moving forward understanding and enhancing Scotland’s reputation as a centre for academic excellence. The programme delivered its first alumnus this summer.”
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