This British Science week we’re excited to share some of the many ways that science underlies what we do at Southern Water and how it links closely with our innovation team and the projects we work on with our local university partners.
Climate change, population growth and increasing regulatory pressures are changing the way that water companies look at innovation. The way that we currently treat water and wastewater is changing and
Bluewave is using forward-thinking scientific research to help Southern Water find new solutions.
To help us be on the cutting edge of scientific understanding in wastewater treatment, Southern Water has teamed up with University of Portsmouth to form the Innovation Hub. Based at a live, working wastewater treatment works in Hampshire, the Innovation Hub supports scientific expertise in our future treatment processes and R&D. Through this collaboration, we’ve been able to complete research into various treatment options, from high-tech to low energy, passive treatments.
With the scientific support from the
hub, we’ve been able to expand our understanding of the potential use of new technologies and approaches which will have impacts across the water industry. For example, work investigating alternative approaches to phosphorus removal (a nutrient found naturally in the environment, which can have negative impacts if found in high amounts) will mean we can reduce our reliance on chemical-based removal techniques which have a high carbon impact.
Our collaboration isn’t only beneficial for Southern Water – the Innovation Hub also helps to provide an improved experience for students at the University. The Hub allows students hands on experience in the water sector, which provides a much better understanding of the processes than that they can get solely from the classroom. That better understanding then translates to better graduates with more industrial skillsets and awareness of the water industry.
Photo credits: Portsmouth University
Rebecca Kennedy
Innovation Consultant, Bluewave