Wastewater Forum

WASTEWATER RESEARCH AND INDUSTRY SUPPORT FORUM
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Notes of the 60th Forum meeting of 25th November 2016

1 Attendees:

Apologies were received from a number of the Forum members.

2 Minutes of the 59th Meeting

Minutes of the meeting were accepted.

3 Matters arising and items not on the agenda

The areas the forum should be focussing on and the subjects covered by the technical presentations regularly arise in the forum meetings. It has been agreed that the presentations have to be relevant, and it is accepted that the area of focus and presentations will not be relevant to all members at all times.

One of the main topics of the meeting was to identify a number of areas for the forum to focus on, and try and map out a programme for the following year. Specific areas of interest can be championed by key members, which will help with sourcing future presenters for the forum meetings. It was also agreed that the presentations should produce some form of outcomes. As a minimum the forum needs to provide feedback to the people who present at our meetings.

Arising from the 59th meeting, we should email the distribution list regarding everybody’s own field of interest and expertise.

4 Future Technical Presentations

It was again stressed, the difficulty in engaging technical presenters. The Forum has been very lucky with the quality of the presenters over the years, but the conference calendar is getting very congested, and key presenters are often in demand. Focussing on key areas of research will make getting future a slightly simpler task.

5 Areas of Research

Four key areas were identified that would be suitable for the forum to focus on. Not only are these prominent areas requiring investigation, they broadly cover the remit of the Wastewater Forum:

  1. Anti Microbial Resistance
  2. Chemical Investigations Programme
  3. Microplastics
  4. Unflushables

The proposed subjects are not cast in stone, but it gives the Forum areas of focus without the subjects becoming too dilute. It may be possible to add appropriate information on the FWR’s website. In addition to this, Briefing Notes or Social Media could be used to distribute knowledge on the areas the Forum is looking at.

6 Sharing information about Forum members’ research

Pete Vale
Has been concentrating mainly on the Chemical Investigations Programme, working with the low phosphorus group. The first outputs from CIP2 should be March 2017, so may coincide with the Forum’s next meeting.

Severn Trent also has a project with the WRc looking at unflushables.

Severn Trent is also looking at novel biogas and ammonia scrubbing technologies for upgrading biogas to biomethane.

Chris Chubb
Chris recently wrote the lead article for the FWR’s Newsletter regarding the Water Regulatory Skills Gap.

Gordon Jones
FWR have produced two new Reviews of Current Knowledge (ROCK):
  1. Sediments in the Marine Environment FR/R0025
  2. Water Re-use FR/R0024
There has also been an update to the Sewage Sludge ROCK.

Other documents that are accessed regularly from the FWR website are: SuDs in the Urban Environment, CSO Screens Design and Installation, the Guide to Household Chemicals and the Water Environment, and Peter Vale’s presentation “Preparing for the 2nd cycle of the WFD – the twin challenges of phosphorus and iron:

Andrew Wheatley
Andrew has been looking at the biodegradability of PVA. Loughborough University are also looking at developing a new sensor for biodegradability in anaerobic digestion.

Nick Orman
The Urban Drainage Group (CIWEM) are currently updating the modelling code of practice.

WRc are looking at the Implementation of catchment management using SIMPOL.

Oliver Grievson
Flow and measuring – MCERTS; to help diagnose when there arer problems in the network.

Don Ridgers
Don gave an update on the European Standards for Sewage Treatment.

Barrie Howe
Amongst other things, the EA are currently looking at AMR, micro-plastics, and pharmaceuticals in rivers.

7 Dates of future meetings and suggested topics

7.1 Next Meeting Date

Next Meeting: Wednesday 15th March 2017 ~ 11:00hrs

Other Conference and Key Dates:

7.2 Suggested Topics & Topic Leads

  1. Anti Microbial Resistance (Andrew Wheatley)
  2. Chemical Investigations Programme (Barrie Howe)
  3. Microplastics (Pete Vale)
  4. Unflushables (Nick Orman)

8 Any other business

No other business was discussed.

9 Technical Presentations

There were 17 attendees for the technical presentations (including speakers and CIWEM WwBP: Dipanker Basak, Nigel Brown, Steve Bungay, Chris Chubb, Geoff Cooper-Smith, Rachel Edington, Oliver Grievson, Barrie Howe, Gordon Jones, Nick Orman, Pete Pearce,Don Ridgers, Ken Shapland, Tom Taylor, Pete Vale, Andrew Wheatley, Alan Whipps).

Geoff Cooper-Smith, Technical Director – Facilitated Research Ltd and Dr Nigel Brown, Founder – Arvia Technology Ltd, gave the technical presentations.

Geoff’s presentation “Preparing for the impact of the Water Framework Directive” covered an overview of the impact of the WFD, and how we can meet the challenge, and potential opportunities arising from it. Going forward the UK water industry faces significant challenges through a cycle of River Basin Management Plans, AMP7 & AMP8 cycles, the Chemical Investigation Programmes etc. During this period, the water industry will face additional challenges with the PR19 price review, and the EU Exit.

Nigel’s presentation “Disinfection of wastes containing pharmaceutical residues” introduced Arvia’s organics destruction technology ~ NyexTM, a proprietary adsorbent and electrode to concentrate and destroy recalcitrant organics with no secondary waste the technology; and detailed applications for COD removal, organics treatment, and disinfection of tertiary wastewaters, providing energy efficient, trace level organics destruction with no secondary waste.

The next meeting of the Forum meeting will be Wednesday March 15th March 2017, commencing at 11:00 hrs