Climate resilience: protecting our drinking water from uncontrolled threats. This project aims to safeguard drinking-water distribution systems (water mains and plumbing) from climate-driven events, i

Description

Climate resilience: protecting our drinking water from uncontrolled threats. This project aims to safeguard drinking-water distribution systems (water mains and plumbing) from climate-driven events, including changing water sources that affect water quality for decades – issues not addressed by current regulation. By applying innovative tools to unravel underlying mechanisms, the team will pinpoint molecular triggers that cause contaminants (toxic metals, carcinogens, pathogens) to be sloughed off from biofilm-coated pipe surfaces during water quality fluctuations. Key outcomes include industry co-designed strategies and a best-practice predictive tool with biofilm sloughing controls, guiding the development of regulations for the world’s first climate-resilient, catchment-to-tap drinking-water quality system.. Scheme: Industry Laureate Fellowships. Field: 3107 - Microbiology. Lead: Prof Nicholas Ashbolt