Research
Managing our water resources better will be one of the most pressing challenges in our lifetime – and fundamental to how we sustain economic development, whilst feeding another 2 billion people, reducing poverty, and reversing ecosystem degradation. At Cranfield we work in all aspects of water – whether it is helping to ensure safe, clean supplies for domestic consumption, assessing agricultural needs for food production, protecting and enhancing natural habitats or improving process engineering for manufacturing and industry.
Water for People
In many countries, population growth, new regulation and demands for greater environmental protection are exerting pressure on public water supplies. Treatment processes play a key role in delivering safe, reliable supplies of water to households, industry and agriculture and in safeguarding the quality of water in rivers, lakes, aquifers and around coastal areas. At Cranfield, we have the largest academic and research group specialising in process technologies, engineering and policy for water quality improvement. For over 20 years we have also worked internationally in community water supplies for the rural and urban poor. Globally more than one billion people do not have a safe, reliable and affordable water supply, and more than twice that number stilllack access to basic sanitation. Our activities in this area are helping toprovide the skills and knowledge to plan and implement water supply and sanitation projects, working with communities in less developed countries
We also work at the interface between water and society – helping to provide an in-depth understanding of the social, legal and institutional factors that influence water management.
For more information please contact: Dr Elise Cartmell
Water for Food
Water is critical to food security.Globally, agricultural production is the largest consumer of water. As the world’s population grows, competition for food and water will increase. But in trying to increase productivity, ensuring available supplies of water for agriculture will lie at the heart of the problem – more food must be produced whilst using less water. There is simply no way around this. Understanding how to manage water better in agriculture will be key to meeting future food demands.
At Cranfield, we are researching ways to improve irrigation efficiency, water conservation, developing technologies for precision irrigation, studying how water and carbon footprinting can reduceenvironmental impacts, and helping to build institutional capacity and governance in agricultural water management. Modelling the impacts of a changing climate on yield and water use in key commodity sectors and identifying appropriate adaptation options are also key themes in our work.
For more information please contact: Dr Jerry Knox
Water for the Environment
Human effects on the quality and quantity of water represent major threats to ecosystem structures, species diversity and ecological functions around the world. At Cranfield, our activities in this area help to provide the skills and knowledge required to solve complex problems involving human water consumption (in households), agriculture, industry, recreation, and in the natural environment, including impacts on vulnerable wildlife and their habitats, at different spatial scales. Our work focuses on understanding and solving complex issues relating to water resources and water quality management, carbon footprinting, lifecycle analysis, habitat creation and management, flooding and flood risk management, surface and groundwater modelling, and the economic, policy and legal environment in which water managers need to work.
For more information please contact: Professor Sue White
Water for Industry
The use and discharge of wastewater from industrial processes presents a significant pollution risk to the environment. Our work at Cranfield involves studying the links between the sustainable use of energy in water and wastewater treatment and water recycling in industry. This includes studying the potential for anaerobic treatment and sludge disintegration technologies to improve biogas production and nutrient removal. Five of the major UK water companies are also funding work on endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and pharmaceuticals examining their removal in biological wastewater treatment processes. Staff are also involved in hazardous substance research examining the fate and behaviour of organic and inorganic micro-pollutants, such as pharmaceutically active compounds, personal care product ingredients, pesticides and bromate, in wastewater and sludge treatment and in the natural environment.
For more information please contact: Dr Elise Cartmell
