Wastewater Innovation Forum

MINUTES of the 66th Forum meeting of 27th March 2019
Please note that for older reports some links will be to sites that are no longer active.

  1. Attendees:
    Barrie Howe (BH) Environment Agency (Chairman)
    Steve Bungay (SB) Helix ECL / FWR Wastewater Co-ordinator (Secretary)
    Tim Holloway (TH) Portsmouth University
    Alice Horton (AH) CEH
    Gordon Jones (GJ) FWR
    Stephen Palmer (SP) Stantec
    Peter Vale (PV) Severn Trent Water

    The meeting started with roundtable introductions. SB welcomed TH who was attending his first meeting.

  2. Matters arising and items not on the agenda

    2.1 CIWEM Urban Drainage Autumn Conference
    FWR is a regular sponsor of this event. Each year we have a small exhibition stand. SB gave a mini presentation launching the revised Urban Pollution Manual. We also volunteered to assist with updating the River Data Collection Guide. However, there has been no further contact with the FWR regarding this.
    2.2 ROCKs
    There have been two new ROCKs published:

    1. Freshwater Pollution: Ecological Impact Assessment and Remediation.
    2. Plastic Pollution in Rivers and Oceans.

    ROCKs under consideration

    AMR
    SB has chased up Prof Jason Snape - AstraZeneca, and also contacted Prof William Gaze, Exeter University. To date there has been no response from either party. SB will follow this up one more time, and if there is no response, AH will speak to CEH about alternative authors.

    Circular Economy
    SP has provided a proposal for a ROCK on the Circular Economy for Water. SB to forward SP’s proposal for consideration.

    Anaerobic Wastewater Treatment
    Ana Soares to produce a proposal for a ROCK on Anaerobic Wastewater Treatment.

    ROCKs for consideration

    1. Flow Measurement
    2. Digital Transformation

    We still need to give consideration to publicising the ROCKs – possible article in WWT?
    2.3 Briefing Notes / Newsletter
    The lead article in the February Newsletter was by Dr Phil Aldous, titled “Alien Invaders Ahead! Are you watching out for invasive species?”, and Wastewater Matters had an article on Wastewater Intensification, which was a report of a recent CIWEM technical seminar. There was also a short article covering the release of the latest version of the Urban Pollution Management Manual (UPM3.1).
    2.4 Website
    There were no significant changes to the website; other than the addition of the details of speakers from our last meeting, and updating of links relating to the River Data Collection Guide.
    2.5 Social Media
    Twitter
    The forum twitter account @F4WaterResearch is slowly getting more followers. From the previous meeting the number of followers have increased from 270 to 328.
    Wikipedia
    SP gave a brief report on the requirements for a Wikipedia page. It was agreed that GJ would effectively take this over as he manages the FWR website.
    LinkedIn
    It was suggested that the Forum set up a LinkedIn group, as LinkedIn has better exposure than Twitter.
  3. Areas of Research

    The areas of focus have expanded to include:
    1. Microplastics
    2. Anti Microbial Resistance
    3. Chemical Investigations Programme
    4. Unflushables
    5. Drainage Wastewater Management Plans
    6. Anaerobic Wastewater Treatment

  4. Roundtable
    TH
    1. Technologies for phosphate removal. Developing own media.
    2. Copper removal from final effluent.
    3. Microvi for phosphate removal.
    4. Mathematical modelling.
    5. Small site challenge.
    6. Design of a novel SAF.
    BH
    1. Continuing adaptions to catchment permits ~ flexible permitting.
    2. Assessing proposals from the WaSCs.
    3. Norman Network ~ assessing and prioritising new and emerging concerns.
    4. Swiss approach to removing Micropollutants
    PV
    1. STW Urban strategy
      • Circular economy, biorefineries, resource recovery.
      • Smart plant – ion exchange for nutrient removal.
      • Spurnal could become a national test bed; 4four process streams, three
      • technologies per stream.
      • Enhance primary treatment, AnMBR, nutrient recovery following AD
    2. Rural Strategy
      • Constructed wetlands
      • Ponds
      • Vertical flow reed beds.
      • Smart Networks.
      • MABR trial.
      • 150 works to be upgraded for phosphorus removal, with the aim on not increasing iron usage.
      • Treating high-strength trade waste in anaerobic digestion.
    AH
    1. UKWIR microplastics in water and drinking water. Report due in May.
    SP
    1. Finishing off fundamental research on predictive analytics. Market produced “Virtual Works”. Physical drivers for natural selection.
    GJ
    1. Updating of the FWR website, and EA archiving. Keeping track of UPM links, removing errors from website.
    SB
    1. Review of pathogen compliance at AD plants.
    2. Commissioning of sludge treatment centre.
    3. Working on two expert witness cases at commercial AD sites.
  5. Any other business

    Council Meeting
    The next FWR Council Meeting is 10th April 2019. SB will report back to the Forum at the next meeting.

  6. Future Technical Presentations

    Possible speakers and presentations
    Summer Ana Soares, Cranfield University – Anaerobic Wastewater Treatment, Nutrient Recovery
      Possible speaker from Arcadia concerning emerging contaminants ~ Jonathan Miles, Ian Ross, Jake Hurst
    Other suggestions are always welcome. It was discussed whether we should target PhD students at Universities as often PhDs are structured as PhD by paper, with the student having to present chapters of their PhD are requirement of completion.

  7. Conferences and Key Dates
    30th April Climate Resilience and Extreme Incidents: Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (CIWEM)
    1st May WWT Sustainable Drainage Systems Conference
    2nd May WWT Water Industry Asset Management
    8th May Urban Drainage Spring Conference (CIWEM
    21st May Utility Live
    21st May Securing Long Term Landbank for Composts, Digestates and other Bioresources (Aqua Enviro)
    11th June WWT Water Industry Energy Conference
    27th June Urban Drainage Group Summer Conference (CIWEM)
    3 – 4th July UK AD and World Biogas Expo (Birmingham)
    16 – 17th July European Wastewater Management Conference (Aqua Enviro)
    16 – 17th July CWA Annual Conference: Wastewater management and beyond
    2nd - 4th September CCWI (Exeter University)
    2nd - 4th September Watermatex (Copenhagen)
    4th - 6th September Intacatch (London)
    25th September Practical Experiences of Odour Management (Aqua Enviro)
    25th September Practical Experiences of Odour Management (Aqua Enviro)
    1st October Flush or throw? Enhancing cross-sector communication in consumer campaigns (Aqua Enviro)
    9th October Surface Water Management (CIWEM)
    19 – 20th November European Biosolids & Organic Resources Conference & Exhibition (Aqua Enviro)
  8. Forum Membership

    The total membership is currently thirty-four. Of this, there are ten active members, ten occasional attendees, and fourteen corresponding members. Of the active members, one water company, two universities, three consultancies, two regulators, two industrial organisations, and three independent consultants, are represented.

    Attendance to the meetings has a minimum attendance of six, an average attendance of eight, with a maximum attendance of twenty-four, including CIWEM.

  9. Existing Actions
    1. NO To contact Don Ridgers about a possible article in the Newsletter, as Water UK have reduced their funding of European Standards.
    2. BH To check about NERC research projects
    3. PV/NO Provide information/update on extract blockages/SNAP group
    4. AS To write a proposal for a ROCK on Anaerobic Wastewater Treatment

    New Actions
    1. SB To contact Dr Jonathan Cutting – WSP about the River Data Collection Guide.
    2. SB To contact Prof Jason Snape and Prof William Gaze about the possible AMR ROCK
    3. GJ To follow up the requirements for Wikipedia site
    4. BH To check about NERC research projects

    On-going Actions
    1. ALL Suggestions for presentations
      Suggestions for new members

    1. Technical Presentations
      There were 20 attendees for the technical presentations (including speakers and CIWEM Wastewater and Biosolids Panel):

      FWR
      Steve Bungay, Tim Holloway, Alice Horton, Barrie Howe, Gordon Jones, Dr Stephen Palmer, and Pete Vale.

      CIWEM
      Sarah Anderton, Steve Bungay, Alastair Chisholm, Sophie Dunjako, Rachel Edgington, Heather Gardner, Tim Holloway, Alice Horton, Barrie Howe, Dr Stephen Palmer, Dr Stephen Smith, Tom Taylor, Richard Thompson, Pete Vale, Peter Winter, and Darragh Hobbs (remotely).

      Speakers
      Ben Hazard, Lewis O’Brien, Ulrich Knoerle

      Guests
      Maria Dittman – Eliquo Stulz

      C-ION advanced oxidation process
      Ben Hazard – Process Engineer, Trant Engineering

      The C-ION process is a novel advanced oxidation process based on the dosing of non-thermal plasma for the removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products, pesticides, the suppression of bulking sludge, and other applications.

      EloVac/EloPhos
      Lewis O’Brien – Technical Director, Eliquo Hydrok
      Ulrich Knoerle – Senior Technologist, Eliquo Stulz

      EloPhos is a system for the recovery of phosphate from digested sludge. The process is based on the precipitation of dissolved phosphate from digested sewage sludge using magnesium salts. The increased pH required for an efficient struvite precipitation is achieved by vacuum degassing using the EloVac process

    1. Date of next meeting
      Wednesday 10th July