Our annual conference of the UK Water Network will take place at Cranfield University on Wednesday 14 June 2023.
This conference is the sixteenth in an annual series focusing on drinking water production, from source to tap. Attendees of the conference will have the opportunity to get the latest information on water treatment and supply and interact on the topic with scientists and researchers from water companies and leading global academic institutions.
Overview
This conference is the sixteenth in an annual series focusing on drinking water production from source to tap. The event provides an excellent opportunity for attendees to get the latest information on water treatment and supply, an interact on the topic with scientists and researchers from water utilities and leading global academic institutions.
"As a vital industry we are seeing the impact of climate change and increasing demand on resources, water quality and operations. There is also an expectation of higher standards for our operations set against a background of achieving net zero. Sharing and exchanging knowledge between academia and industry, scientists and engineers, universities and industry practitioners is increasingly important for us to facilitate the development and identification of sustainable solutions to a range of emerging issues."
Professor John Fawell, Chair of the UK Water Network.
This year’s conference will also feature a session dedicated to early career researchers with a series of 5-minute presentations. We therefore invite early career researchers to submit an application for a talk on their work and most recent research advances on innovations for water treatment. A jury, composed of water professionals and researchers, will vote for the best early career researcher’s presentation, with a best presentation a best presentation prize of £200 (as vouchers) being awarded during the conference.
The application should be submitted as a word document and include:
- A presentation title
- A short abstract (not more than 200 words)
- A short bio (100 words max)
- A profile picture
Applications for a 5-minute early career researcher presentation can be summitted to Kristell Le Corre Pidou at: k.s.lecorrepidou@cranfield.ac.uk. Deadline: 2 June 2023.
Please note that we have a limited number of short presentations slots, so if you apply for a talk, we cannot guarantee that your talk will be selected.
Event programme
This year Cranfield University’s annual Lorch lecture, a series of lectures by influential figures in water, will open our conference.
This year’s annual Lorch lecture will be given by Marcus Rink, Chief Inspector of Drinking Water at the Drinking Water Inspectorate, who will be presenting on “Do Drinking Water Regulators Dream about Regulation or Risk?”
Appointed in August 2015 as Chief Inspector, Marcus is the technical regulator for the water industry discharging the duties of the Secretary of State for England and Welsh ministers ensuring companies act in respect of drinking water quality, sufficiency, security and emergency measures, and network information systems. Additional statutory functions include approval of materials used by the water industry and oversight of the Local Authorities for private water supplies. His career in public health and analysis, the water industry and regulation spans over 35 years.
The strategy of the Drinking Water Inspectorate is to protect public health and confidence by securing sufficient safe and clean drinking water, now and for future generations. This expectation is shared by the public when they relate to the service aspects which affect them directly.
Lecture synopsis
The challenges for drinking water regulation remain numerous and are ever changing. However, the tools of the trade of a regulator are regulations, and these are often inflexible, slow to respond, and viewed as inhibiting innovation, yet conversely, they must be all protecting. This dichotomy has never come more sharply into focus as we face profound changes which challenge our supply through an increasing supply/demand gap and the degradation of the chemical and biological composition of our resource driven by and from global changes right down to local circumstances.
Climate change, the environment, anthropogenic pollution, conflict, competition, innovation and even customer expectations all influence system risks. Yet, even with longstanding regulation, legacies remain unsolved such as lead, our task is far from finished.
We cannot standstill assuming everything will be fine, this would be an abject failure. Regulation must therefore seek the risk/mitigation balance in the public interest.
Event programme
| 09:30 - 10:00 | Registration and welcome coffee. |
| 10:00 - 10:05 | Welcome - Peter Jarvis, Professor of Water Science and Technology, Cranfield Water Science Institute, UK. |
| 10:05 - 10:10 | Introduction to the conference - John Fawell, Visiting Professor and Chair of the UK Water Network, Cranfield Water Science Institute, UK. |
| 10:10 - 11:10 | Session 1. Cranfield Water Lorch Lecture Do Drinking Water Regulators Dream about Regulation or Risk? Marcus Rink, Chief Inspector of Drinking Water, Drinking Water Inspectorate, UK. |
| 11:10 - 11:25 | Coffee break. |
| 11:25 - 12:00 | Session 2. Oliver Grievson, Chair of the IWA Digital Water Programme, UK. Stories of Digital Transformation in the Water Industry. |
| 12:00 - 12:25 | Using somatic coliphages for catchment appraisal and operational monitoring in UK drinking water treatment works. Suniti Singh, Research Fellow in Drinking Water Microbiology, Cranfield University, UK. |
| 12:25 - 12:50 | PFAS – a Jersey Water Perspective. Jeanette Sheldon, Water Quality Manager, Jersey Water. |
| 12:50 - 13:00 | Morning wrap-up discussion. |
| 13:00 - 14:00 | Lunch break. |
| 14:00 - 15:00 |
Session 3. Young and early career researchers session. |
| 15:00 - 15:25 | The development of Southern Water’s drought resilience solution in Hampshire. Riken Mistry, Process Engineer, Stantec. |
| 15:25 - 15:40 | Coffee break. |
| 15:40 - 16:05 |
Disinfection byproducts: an unresolved public health mystery. Tom Bond, The University of Surrey, UK. |
| 16:05 - 16:30 | Assimilable Organic Carbon within Drinking Water Distribution Systems. Frances Pick, Research Associate, University of Sheffield, UK. |
| 16:30 - 16:40 | Sponsored YR presentation prize. |
| 16:40 - 16:45 | Concluding remarks and conference close. Peter Jarvis, Professor of Water Science and Technology, Cranfield Water Science Institute, UK. John Fawell, Visiting Professor and Chair of the UK Water Network, Cranfield Water Science Institute, UK. |
Who should attend
Water company employees
Consultants for the water sector
Public health professionals
Those working in drinking water quality
Regulators
Supply chain companies
Academic and industry researchers working in drinking water treatment and supply
Cost
£150 per delegate; £60 per student. Alumni discount - 10% off the standard delegate fee.How to register
To register for the event please complete the online form.
