Pipe Dreams – pioneering multidisciplinary approach tackles problems of ageing UK water infrastructure
A senior lecturer in Water Engineering, from the Pennine Water Group at the University of Sheffield, has secured £1 million for research into preventing water-borne diseases and maximising the performance of the buried pipe infrastructure within the UK's ageing water distribution system.
Dr Joby Boxall, of the department of Civil and Structural Engineering, has won a prestigious 'Challenging Engineering Award' from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The EPSRC have made up to £6 million available to fund research aimed at finding novel engineering solutions to the problems posed by ageing infrastructures. Having reached the final shortlist of 12, Dr Boxall was delighted to win one of only 5 awards in 2008, judged on the basis of academic track-record, creativity, vision and leadership.
The UK's underground water infrastructure is approximately 330,000km in length, but in many cases the individual pipes comprising the system are over 100 years old. These pipes perform satisfactorily most of the time, but failures due to deterioration in the internal condition do occur sporadically, with potential public health implications. Dr Boxall's 'Pipe Dreams' project is ambitious, but presents the opportunity for the University of Sheffield to establish an international expertise and to lead the world in an expanding area of commercial and public interest and significance – namely the provision of safe, clean drinking water.
Dr Boxall's research interests centre on understanding and modelling hydraulic, water quality and infrastructure performance throughout the urban and natural environment. Clean, safe drinking water is largely taken for granted in the western world, but few realise the importance of the distribution systems that combine to take water from the treatment works to the tap. Observes Dr Boxall: "Improvements in water distribution systems at the turn of the twentieth century arguably did more for public health than contemporary medical advances … drinking-water-induced diarrhoea represents a significant cost to the UK economy which is why the provision of clean, safe drinking water is such a vital area of research". Analysis of water samples, taken by the UK Water Industry, has shown that for three consecutive years approximately 1 in every 200 samples analysed for coliforms (an indicator of faecal contamination) failed to meet set standards [www.dwi.gov.uk/pubs/index01.htm]. The few epidemiologic studies in this area confirm that there is a problem and that it is related to the pipe infrastructure.
Dr Boxall's project aims to derive knowledge of the physical and bio-chemical reactions and interactions occurring within the UK's buried pipe infrastructure, for which large scale replacement is not a feasible option. The project draws together experts across a wide variety of disciplines, including Dr Catherine Biggs (a chemical and process engineer and EPSRC Fellow for cell-cell interactions), Dr Mark Osborn (a world-leading molecular environmental microbiologist), Dr Stephen Mounce (a computer scientist) and Dr Peter Deines (a microbiologist). The team will make extensive use of the latest instrumentation and measurement techniques from the different disciplines, which they will apply to experimental studies on the internationally unique, 600m long temperature controlled pipe test loop facility at the University of Sheffield. The team will also undertake ambitious live field trials, primarily based on a strategic research catchment facilitated through the Yorkshire Water and University of Sheffield Strategic Research Partnership.
Dr Jan Vreeburg, of Delft University in the Netherlands, commented: "Only scientifically based research integrating different fields of knowledge will lead us to the tools and concepts that will actually improve the performance of water networks. Despite huge cash investments in the hardware of the network, [it will be] knowledge of the operation of the networks that will make the difference".
Speaking about his experience of working with Dr Boxall, Professor Brian Karney, a Civil Engineer at the University of Toronto, commented: "I have been continually impressed by Joby's insight, energy, creativity, drive and vision. Joby's specific proposal...is exciting and promising". Professor Steven Buchberger, a Civil and Environmental Engineer at the University of Cincinnati, commented: "[Dr Boxall's] ambitious proposal offers an impressive and compelling vision for design, operation and management of the drinking water infrastructure. These are critical global issues as humanity rushes into the 21st century with ever increasing demands on limited water resources".
Dr Boxall explained the objectives of his research: "The new knowledge, tools and techniques developed during the course of this project will allow us to maximise the performance of existing ageing buried pipe infrastructure and to identify and target future investment. This will ensure that it is possible to meet the challenges likely to result from climate change, increasing population densities and the consequent societal demands of future generations".
With work in this area of international significance, Dr Boxall hopes to extend the knowledge and tools derived from his current research and apply them to areas with chronic post underinvestment, such as in Eastern Europe and the developing world, where intermittent water supply creates prime conditions for viruses and biofilms to flourish. Looking ahead, Dr Boxall intends to further develop his multidisciplinary approach for the more complex environment of the complete urban water cycle, and seeks to stimulate further change for integrated, holistic and sustainable management across the cycle.
For further information, please contact Dr Joby Boxall at:
tel: 0114 222 5760
email : j.b.boxall@sheffield.ac.uk
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