Event to Address Future Water Supply Challenges

In late February 2020, the Centre for Aquatic Environments (CAE) hosted a two-day conference focused on the development and implementation of water recycling and desalination technologies in water scarce regions of the UK, such as the South East of England.

Members of the CAE worked in partnership with Southern Water, Brown and Caldwell, the International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA), Institiute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), Institute of Water and Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), attracting leading minds from the international water industry, academia, environmental regulators and interest groups to the event.

Delegates at the Adapting to change: Considerations for water recycling and desalination to address future water supply challenges in the UK conference learned about the social, technical and practical aspects of water recycling schemes and how they may be used to augment traditional water resources during times of drought. Global case studies were provided by speakers from Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain and the United States helped draw the audience’s attention to the various strengths and pitfalls of water reuse and desalination schemes and stimulated lively debate about the water scarcity challenge facing the UK.

Dr Ian Mayor-Smith, Senior Lecturer in Water and Wastewater Treatment arranged the event and said:

“This event has been an enormous success, engaging senior figures from the UK water industry, its regulatory and environmental organisations in an important discussion, which should help ensure that our response to the impending water scarcity challenge is underpinned by sound science and good practice from the global water reuse community”.

Find out more about this conference and forthcoming events by visiting the Centre for Aquatic Environments website and blog. https://www.brighton.ac.uk/aquatic/index.aspx

 

 

QUOTES

“This fantastic conference was well worth the long return trip from Sydney. It was an opportunity for me to find out about the path that the UK is embarking on to address future water supply challenges, as well as to hear from leading experts from around the world. This event brought together an excellent mix of presenters to cover technical water management issues, along with those addressing regulatory, social and environmental aspects of water management. I learnt a great deal about how the UK water industry functions, and particularly about some of the cutting-edge work being undertaken at Southern Water. Many of the currently relevant research questions in the UK apply equally in Australia and other parts of the world. Thus, there are clear opportunities for effective international collaboration, as well as for learning from some past experiences.”

Professor Stuart Khan, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UNSW, Sydney, Australia

 

“Taking two days out of a busy schedule during a period of major regional flooding in order to discuss how to adapt to climate change presented challenges but also shone a sharp light on the importance of mitigating the most extreme possible consequences. The range of speakers and the delivery of their topics was first rate, drawing as they did on their combined expertise and experiences from within and outside the UK. There was time for lively and challenging discussions with fellow delegates and, whilst it was clear that a number of water resource options were emerging to manage the supply/demand balance, it was also clear how the necessary decisions need to accommodate public trust and confidence. Whether the regulatory ‘rule book’ is currently fit for purpose to encourage the necessary solutions remains an open question.”
David Knaggs, Director of Sustainable Development, Albion Water

 

“Event organisers managed to secure some very influential and intelligent speakers and it has definitely challenged my thinking, added to my current knowledge and I have also made some great future contacts both in Stantec for my new role and within the wider water community.”

Austen Buck, Senior Water Scientist, Stantec

 

“The two day conference was concise and insightful, with speakers from all over the world sharing new ideas and practices on desalination and water recycling. The conference was well organised with plenty of networking opportunities and included a tour of the Royal Pavilion plus dinner in the Banqueting Room, which I thoroughly enjoyed”

Gary Lau, Public Health England

I have been to many conferences over the years, and this was among the best. What made it so good was strength in all areas: a great venue for the talks, an impressive reception venue, a proper lunch on the first day – and that is before even considering the programme.  It was a privilege to be in the same room with so many global leaders in both re-use implementation and re-use technology, and with key regulators and stakeholders. It was good to see the DWI so well represented, and to know that they were hearing first-hand about the robustness of re-use technology.

The sign of a good conference is if it makes any difference, and I am confident that this one will as re-use gains regulatory support for consideration alongside options. On a smaller scale it has already made a difference to me. I was facilitating a workshop on realizing additional water resources in another water supply region the very next day, and as a direct result of the conference we were (a) considering options not previously thought of, and (b) challenging the way we were thinking about project delivery to think more long term.

So my heartfelt thanks to you all for giving us such a valuable and enjoyable conference.”

Jolyon La Trobe Bateman, Stantec

 

 

 

 

 

Dr Ian Mayor-Smith, Senior Lecturer, presenting at the Adapting to change: Considerations for water recycling and desalination to address future water supply challenges in the UK conference

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr Ian Mayor-Smith presenting at the conference reception in the Royal Pavilion