Items of work carried out under the 2016-21 funding cycle
Private water supplies (PWS) are those supplies that are not provided by Scottish Water, and instead are the responsibility of their owners and users. A key policy priority for Scottish Government is how to make these supplies sustainable and of good quality and quantity.
Since 2002 Scottish Water, supported by the Scottish Government, has successfully delivered a capital investment program which has brought about measurable improvements to drinking water quality and service levels across Scotland aimed at delivering compliance with the Water Scotland Act, and reducing risks of non-compliance.
This project looks at various aspects of source control SUDS in Scotland and globally. The following publications are part of this project:
This document reviews the available information on water export and summarises the arguments for and against, providing examples where possible.There is very limited, up-to-date robust and impartial evidence relating to bulk export of water, consequently much of the information presented here is International in its nature.
At a UK and European level there is currently no suitable way to measure the frequency and intensity of algal blooms. One of the major stumbling blocks is the cost involved in undertaking sufficient sampling (and counting) of the frequency of algal blooms at a large number of sites. Additionally, a single sample may not be representative of an algal bloom, in particular cyanobacterial blooms, which can form surface scums and be blown towards lake shorelines. The use of satellite remote sensing can overcome some of these problems.
This study outlines proposals to clarify the importance of water colour (in terms of dissolved organic matter - DOM - compositional quality, e.g. humic substances (HS) content) for predicting TP concentrations in Scottish Lochs to help meet regulatory criteria under the Water Framework Directive.
The phenols of interest in this project are those that occur naturally in the environment, for example due to decomposition of organic matter, and those that enter the environment due to forest fires, muirburn or wildfires. There is limited understanding regarding the source of these natural sources of phenols in the environment, what triggers their release, or what can be done to limit their release, and whether any mitigation measures can be used to prevent them from entering the water environment.
Wastewater treatment works are not able to fully remove all pharmaceuticals and their metabolites, leading to the unintended release of these compounds in the water environment. These substances can be ecotoxic, bio-accumulate, and contribute to the introduction/spread of anti-microbial resistant bacteria and other microorganisms in the environment.
The need to look for more local sources of phosphorus (P), such as recycling of P in waste, becomes increasingly important as rock-phosphate quality declines. Moving towards a closed P cycle has the potential to decrease cost, increase sustainability, reduce pollution, and improve local and worldwide food security through long-term access to P.
Driven by environmental, social and economic benefits and the increasing pressure on resources, the need for more considerate use and recovery of resources is growing. In recognition of this, the EU has resource efficiency as a priority going forward.