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Influencing the Regulation of the Water and Sewage Industry and the 2013 Water Bill

Summary of the impact

Research conducted at Aston University on the performance of the water and sewerage industry influenced water industry regulation and the shaping of the Water Bill 2013-14, which had its first reading in the House of Commons on 27 June 2013. Specifically, the research: changed understanding and awareness in the debate preceding the Water Bill by highlighting potential costs associated with vertically separating water companies (Impact 1); influenced the Water Bill's prohibition of mandatory company separation, while also providing evidence that facilitated the Bill's provisions to establish a Great Britain wide retail market for non-household water customers (Impact 2); and changed policy makers' awareness of panel cost and productivity assessment methods, thereby influencing consideration of their future application to regulatory cost assessment (Impact 3) .

Submitting Institution

Aston University

Unit of Assessment

Business and Management Studies

Summary Impact Type

Political

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services
Economics: Applied Economics

Supporting the Monitoring and Provision of Safe Drinking Water to the Poorest Communities in the Developing World

Summary of the impact

The impact of research by the University of Southampton into global access to safe drinking water has: (i) provided important evidence for new policy initiatives by the World Health Organisation and UNICEF to promote home water treatment to reduce the 1.9 million deaths each year due to water- related infections, and (ii) stimulated debate among a range of stakeholders, including the media, advocacy groups and UN bodies, by challenging the accuracy of the assertion by the UN Secretary General that the UN Millennium Development Goal for safe water access has been met.

Submitting Institution

University of Southampton

Unit of Assessment

Geography, Environmental Studies and Archaeology

Summary Impact Type

Political

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services

Biosensor technologies for improved environmental monitoring

Summary of the impact

Reliable and timely measurements are vital for innovation, trade, environmental protection and quality of life. University of Bedfordshire work with measurement systems was already established in 1993 with commercially sponsored work to develop and patent sensors for rapid toxicity assessment in the water industry. Biosensor technologies provide approaches to development and application of cost effective devices for measurement at the point of need in many fields of application and the university's Sensor Research Group has continued to work with industry to develop robust (bio)sensor systems to address business and society needs — particularly with respect to environmental protection, health and wellbeing.

Submitting Institution

University of Bedfordshire

Unit of Assessment

Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences

Summary Impact Type

Environmental

Research Subject Area(s)

Mathematical Sciences: Statistics
Chemical Sciences: Analytical Chemistry
Engineering: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

From source to tap: management of natural organic matter during drinking water production

Summary of the impact

New characterisation tools for natural organic matter (NOM) in drinking water are now used as standard practice within water companies such as Severn Trent Water, United Utilities and Yorkshire Water. The tools inform decisions, and help develop strategic plans on catchment management, source selection, treatment optimisation, and disinfection practice. Water companies experienced difficulties in treating high levels of NOM. Cranfield created a novel characterisation toolkit to measure NOM for its electrical charge and hydrophobicity. Also, new techniques for measuring aggregate properties and emerging disinfection by-products have provided a comprehensive analysis. Two novel treatment technologies are currently marketed. These technologies have raised international interest, resulting in industrial development in Australia.

Submitting Institution

Cranfield University

Unit of Assessment

Aeronautical, Mechanical, Chemical and Manufacturing Engineering

Summary Impact Type

Environmental

Research Subject Area(s)

Chemical Sciences: Analytical Chemistry, Other Chemical Sciences
Engineering: Chemical Engineering

Reducing waterborne diseases from shallow wells in the developing world

Summary of the impact

This study analysed the shallow well drinking water quality of 17,000 rural Malawians. Water officials were advised interim precautions to take regarding grossly contaminated wells. Inter alia, the `Water Resources Investment Strategy', World Bank funded, captured this data to help develop policy. A new MSc course was established to educate water officials. Workshops/Fieldtrips integrated this research into the undergraduate curriculum. An indigenous sustainable natural water purification system was developed to reduce contaminates at source. Initial data indicates that water quality can be improved by up to 80%. This has the potential to improve the water quality for 1.5 million Malawians.

Submitting Institution

Leeds Metropolitan University

Unit of Assessment

Architecture, Built Environment and Planning

Summary Impact Type

Environmental

Research Subject Area(s)

Chemical Sciences: Analytical Chemistry
Biological Sciences: Microbiology
Engineering: Environmental Engineering

Virtual Water: the conceptual transformation of public and private sector water policy and metrics

Summary of the impact

The virtual water concept is used to identify and quantify water use which is hidden, or embedded within the production and supply of food and other commodities. Its primary application has been to demonstrate that the majority of water consumed globally is used within the production and trade of food. Introduced and developed by Allan, virtual water research has transformed public and private sector water policy and its metrics in the UK and internationally. Instantiated through conceptual work published in 1993 and 1994 and developed through empirical studies thereafter, virtual water was widely adopted by 2000. The idea is now accepted as an essential element in the framing of policy on water security and its economic systems. Virtual water has been increasingly deployed by advisers to governments, corporations and NGOs, below we provide evidence from the U.S. State department, Coca Cola, WWF and the World Economic Forum, this is by no means a complete list. In 2011 the UK House of Lords and UK government's official response urged the EU Commission to incorporate virtual water in EU Policy. In recognition of the global conceptual impact of virtual water, Tony Allan was awarded the Stockholm Water Prize, 2008. In 2013, in recognition of impact made in preceding years through his virtual water concept and research Allan was also awarded the Foundation Prince Albert II de Monaco Water Award and the International Environmentalist Award of the Florence-based Fondazione Parchi Monumentali Bardini e Peyron.

Submitting Institution

King's College London

Unit of Assessment

Geography, Environmental Studies and Archaeology

Summary Impact Type

Political

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services
Economics: Applied Economics
Studies In Human Society: Policy and Administration

Case Study 6 : Body Sensor Networks for Healthcare and Sports (BSN)

Summary of the impact

Body Sensor Networks (BSN) research developed novel sensing algorithms and technology suitable for on-body pervasive sensing suitable for healthcare, well-being and sporting applications. The main impact includes:

  • Regulatory approval of BSN devices from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) in 2012 and award of the CE mark in 2009.
  • Creation of the BSN technology spin-off company Sensixa in 2007 to manage licencing and commercialisation of the technology.
  • Adoption of the technology for training within Team GB in preparation for Winter Olympics 2010, Summer Olympics 2012 in London and other major international sport events.
  • Established the use of the technology in a clinical setting.

Submitting Institution

Imperial College London

Unit of Assessment

Computer Science and Informatics

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Mathematical Sciences: Applied Mathematics
Information and Computing Sciences: Artificial Intelligence and Image Processing
Engineering: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Informing best practice and enhancing business performance in the water sector

Summary of the impact

Exeter Engineering's Centre for Water Systems (CWS) undertakes internationally leading fundamental and applied research in the $500bn global water sector. EPSRC-funded research has underpinned impacts with both reach and significance in the areas of practitioner and professional services and economic impact. CWS staff have co-authored authoritative best practice guides with highly respected practitioner publishers: the Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA), the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and Spon Press. These have been widely used in the water sector, and construction and built environment sector. CWS software and knowhow have been used extensively by water service providers (such as Scottish Water) and their consultants (including SEAMS, originally an Exeter spinout) to enhance business performance by identifying efficiencies, saving costs and improving operation. Optimisation software has been made freely available and has hundreds of users worldwide including consultants and financial organisations.

Submitting Institution

University of Exeter

Unit of Assessment

General Engineering

Summary Impact Type

Environmental

Research Subject Area(s)

Engineering: Environmental Engineering
Economics: Applied Economics
Studies In Human Society: Policy and Administration

Influencing international health policy to reduce acute waterborne diarrhoeal disease

Summary of the impact

Diarrhoeal disease is the world's second most common cause of death in children under five years old, killing 760,000 children each year according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Microbial contamination of drinking water is one of the most important causes. In England and Wales acute diarrhoeal disease is estimated to cost the country £1.5 billion annually. UEA epidemiologists have shown the important role of water supply systems in spreading diarrhoeal disease in developed and developing countries; led WHO research projects on small scale drinking water systems; and influenced WHO policy on small scale drinking water systems in developed and developing countries. Methodological research on epidemiological methods for monitoring and regulating bathing water quality has led to changes in WHO guidance on bathing water quality standards and influenced US Environmental Protection Agency criteria. Hunter's participation in international expert panels facilitated the impact of this research on policy.

Submitting Institution

University of East Anglia

Unit of Assessment

Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care

Summary Impact Type

Health

Research Subject Area(s)

Medical and Health Sciences: Public Health and Health Services

Improving the performance of water meters

Summary of the impact

Research has led to improvements in the performance over 16 million water meters manufactured by Elster Metering Ltd. since 2008, extending their working lifetimes and reducing maintenance costs. In particular, research on polymeric replacements for the glass in water meters helped Elster establish their product development strategy, and led to changes in the manufactured meter. Brunel University research identifying a specific set of acetal polymers that reduce the degradation of the bodies in water meters has been incorporated in 1.8 million water meters. These meters have less embodied carbon dioxide, and are less prone to theft than the meter with brass components they replace. This innovation allowed Elster to reduce the costs of manufacturing in the UK, thereby maintaining a strong competitive position within the market for water meters.

Submitting Institution

Brunel University

Unit of Assessment

Aeronautical, Mechanical, Chemical and Manufacturing Engineering

Summary Impact Type

Technological

Research Subject Area(s)

Chemical Sciences: Macromolecular and Materials Chemistry
Engineering: Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering

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