bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prospects for New Techniques for Rapid Bacteriological Monitoring of Drinking Water
Authors: SIDOROWICZ S. V. , WHITMORE T. N. 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTThe microbiological safety of water supplies is at present assured by monitoring for the absence of the faecal indicator organisms, total coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli. This monitoring work represents the bulk of the workload of microbiology laboratories in the water industry. The accuracy of current methods is not questioned, but the times taken to obtain a presumptive result (18 h) and a confirmed result (up to 72 h) impose delays, particularly with regard to the recommissioning of distribution systems. There is therefore a continued demand for more rapid techniques, which has not been satisfied, despite the advances in analytical methods which have been adopted in other industries. Alternatives to the traditional culture‐based methods are reviewed in this paper, and promising techniques for water applications are highlighted. Highly specific bacterial labelling methods and sensitive instrumentation for detection and enumeration already exist, so that rapid same‐day detection of coliforms is technically feasible. Suitable separation methods for rapid analysis of water samples have not yet been developed, but antibody‐mediated separations which are now employed in clinical and food microbiology may be applicable.
The Installation and Use of a Snow Pillow to Monitor Snow Water Equivalent
Authors: ARCHER D. , STEWART D. 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTIn February 1993, a snow pillow was installed at Widdibank Fell near Cow Green reservoir (in Upper Teesdale) to monitor snow water equivalent.This paper describes existing snow‐measurement techniques in the UK and the site‐selection process and installation details for the snow pillow. Following a winter of more than 100 days with snow cover at the site, the success of the pillow in representing site and catchment snow conditions and in providing operationally useful snowmelt information for flood warning has been assessed.
Preliminary Results of the Anaerobic Biotreatability of the Effluent from the Wet‐Air Oxidation of Sewage Sludge
Authors: CUTFORTH S. J 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTWet air oxidation and other thermal processes can be used on all sludges, whether they are raw, mixed or digested. The process sterilizes the sludge and gives a considerable reduction in volume. However, apart from the high capital costs which are associated with this technique, one of its principal disadvantages is the high strength of the (effluent) liquor.This study investigated the feasibility of treating the liquor using an anaerobic digester, which resulted in a good reduction in BOD and a reasonable reduction in COD. The liquor was still strong, but could be returned to the inlet works of a sewage‐treatment plant without causing significant organic overloading.
Groundwater Management in France
Authors: RISLER J. J 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTSince 1935, France has experienced an evolution ‐ from legislation aimed at groundwater protection to regulations concerning water‐management incentives for increased use, in selected parts of acquifers, without causing over‐abstraction. During the 1960s, the protection of users became the main priority, and the water agencies have now become powerful bodies in the combat against water pollution and towards aquifer rehabilitation. The 1992 Water Act provided a balanced management of water resources (a) taking into account the water resource, surface‐water and groundwater, and (b) establishing a Water Directorate within the Ministry of the Environment. Reference is made to major achievements in the field of groundwater management and protection in terms of quantity and quality.
The Evolution of Water Resource Development in Northern Ireland
Authors: PLESTER H. R. F. , BINNIE C. J. A. 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTThere is no shortage of a basic water resource in Northern Ireland because average rainfall across the province varies from 900 mm to 1100 mm per annum, east to west. However, as elsewhere, there is a constant need to ensure the provision of adequate water sourceworks.In 1973, the Water Executive of the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland took over responsibility for the water and sewerage services which were previously controlled by 76 local and district authorities. In some cases, source schemes which had been inherited reflected the parochial nature of the promoters rather than the wider regional approach. Upland impoundments were traditionally favoured and still account for 40% of all sources. Freshwater loughs were also used and Lough Neagh (the largest freshwater lough in the UK) accounts for 27% of all public supplies, with other loughs contributing a further 9%. River intakes at 13% and groundwater and springs at 11% make up the remaining sources.This paper outlines how water resource developments have evolved in Northern Ireland and describes the approach and recommendations of the study.
Foaming in Activated‐Sludge Processes: An Operator's Overview
Authors: TIPPING P. J 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTThe formation of stable surface foams, which is associated with characteristic filamentous microorganisms, is a worldwide phenomenon on activated‐sludge plants. In excess, it can create operating difficulties and may cause a violation of effluent consent conditions due to high concentrations of suspended solids and solids‐related biochemical oxygen demand. Despite its universal occurrence, the reasons for foaming are not clearly understood, and control measures tend to be non‐specific, hit‐or‐miss strategies.This paper presents an operator's perspective on (a) the current knowledge of foam‐forming microorganisms, and (b) methods to control them.
Sewage Sludge Production, Treatment and Disposal in the European Union
Authors: HALL J. E 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTSludge production and disposal are entering a period of dramatic change, driven mainly by EC legislation. The urban waste water treatment Directive will result in at least 50% more sludge being produced by the end of 2005 and, during the next decade, sludge disposal to all the established outlets could become increasingly difficult or, in the case of sea disposal, will become illegal. The challenge facing the members of the European Union is how to (a) maintain cost‐effective and secure methods of sludge disposal and (b) engender public confidence in all disposal and recycling options. What is required is not so much innovative technology, although this may be essential, but more innovative attitudes and approaches to promotion and defending existing outlets.This paper describes the likely pattern of sludge production, treatment and disposal which will emerge during the implementation of recent EC directives and other national policies in Europe, and focuses on the areas and issues which require innovative approaches.
The Use of Bone Charcoal in the Treatment of Rural Water Supplies
Authors: LEWIS J. 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTAs a result of the Water Act of 1989 on the quality of water intended for human consumption, a number of small spring sources in Yorkshire were the subject of legal undertakings for remedial action to reduce the concentration of trihalomethanes in the distribution system. The trihalomethanes are formed when the colour in these waters, which is made up of predominantly fulvic and humic acids, is chlorinated. Therefore, in order to solve the problem of trihalomethanes in treated water, colour removal was necessary.The paper describes the use of bone charcoal in slow sand filters to remove colour from rural water supplies. It covers six months pilot‐plant work which was undertaken at Marsett water‐treatment works (near Richmond), and the implementation at other plants within Yorkshire. low‐rate filtration through bone charcoal ensured that the colour and trihalomethane concentrations in filtered water complied with EC standards, and the material coped well with rapid changes in raw water quality.
The Effectiveness of Buffer Zones in Conifer‐Afforested Catchments
Authors: WESTON D. G 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTThis paper reports upon a study to determine whether buffer strips could improve the quality of soil‐water draining from conifer‐afforested slopes. Three sites in the Monachyle Glen catchment in the Trossachs (West Central Scotland) were sampled and several chemical indices were determined. Buffer strips engendered some variable and qualified improvements in soil‐water concentrations of some ions, although the improvement was accompanied by the anticipated loss of bases. Improvements in soil‐water quality were related to soil characteristics ‐ soils containing organic matter being more effective than mineral soils.
‘To Pump or Not to Pump’ Cost‐Benefit Analysis of Future Environmental Management Options for the Abandoned Durham Coalfield
Authors: YOUNGER P. L , HARBOURNE K. J 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTDeep mining activity has totally ceased in the Durham coalfield, and withdrawal of the regional dewatering scheme is being contemplated. Consequent groundwater rebound is expected to have severe and expensive environmental consequences, which could only be entirely avoided through indefinite pumping. However, continued pumping is expensive, at about $1 million/annum. The options of either abandoning or continuing pumping have differing time streams of future costs and, consequently, direct comparison of the expenditures involved is difficult. Both options are therefore analysed using economic evaluation criteria in order to determine the lowest cost alternative for the future. The overall outcome of the economic analysis, using both net present value and equivalent annual cost criteria, demonstrates that the option of continued pumping is less expensive than the option of abandoning pumping in all cases.
Memories, Reflections, and Dreams
Authors: BARRETT A. D 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTThe author draws on his career by referring to (a) the type of knowledge which engineers acquire and lose over time, and (b) the importance of socio‐economic and environmental aspects of civil engineering projects.In Memories, he recalls particular incidents in thirty countries and being confronted by unfamiliar cultures, and follows two vital threads which are woven into his experience, namely human nature and mother nature. Reflections, based upon adult education, reveal aspects of the psychological understanding of human nature and the importance of biological diversity. The author finds some areas of apparently unresolved conflict between civil engineering and the environment.Finally, in Dreams, the author quotes a United Nations set of priorities which provide a satisfying guide to the broad view of world developments and which can help to show the importance of biological and cultural diversity.
South West Water's ‘Clean Sweep’ Programme: Some Engineering and Environmental Aspects
Authors: BROKENSHIRE C. A 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTThe requirements of environmental legislation demand a massive clean‐up of coastal discharges for Devon, Cornwall and West Dorset. South West Water Services Limited have developed a marine improvement programme which (a) is the largest of its type in Europe and (b) seeks to address the requirements of legislation incorporating town planning policies together with the increasing public awareness of environmental issues. The pressures around the region's coastline within the foregoing framework set the challenge of achieving the required understanding of coastal processes, together with the implementation of engineering solutions to meet with society's expectations. These have to be achieved at least cost and provide the most innovative and effective engineering solutions for the efficient implementation and management of such a programme.
Quality Control of Water‐Treatment Chemicals
Authors: KELLY C. , PORTER M. , GROOCOCK N. , BREACH R. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractQuality control measures for regionally purchased treatment chemicals in Severn Trent Water Ltd apply from the point of manufacture through to their arrival and acceptance on a water‐treatment works. This approach involves a formalized examination of the control systems of treatment chemical suppliers and the introduction of standard documented acceptance procedures at each treatment works. These measures are intended to not only provide a high degree of reassurance to customers, but to ensure that staff of Severn Trent Water are purchasing and receiving cost‐effective materials which are of an acceptable quality in terms of active constituents and background contaminants, before use in the treatment of water
The Odour Potential: A New Tool for Odour Management
Authors: HOBSON J. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThis paper outlines a recently developed test for assessing the level of odour associated with a liquid. Called the odour potential, the test involves measuring the threshold odour number of air blown through the liquid sample under conditions which are likely to establish equilibrium. The odour potential of liquids associated with wastewater treatment can vary from a few hundred for final effluents and fresh crude sewage, to over a million for septic sewage, and four million for some sludge liquors. Odour‐potential measurements may not be as useful as an odour map for ranking sources of odour at a sewage‐treatment plant, but they provide extra information for diagnosing the causes of odour.
Information from River‐Corridor Surveys
Authors: ANGOLD P. G. , GURNELL A. M. , EDWARDS P. J. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractA river‐corridor survey (RCS), routinely undertaken on behalf of the National Rivers Authority (NRA), provides a consistent national approach to gathering and recording environmental information on 500‐m stretches of river corridor. The development of RCS is reviewed and the methodology which is currently applied within the NRA is described. A research programme, sponsored by the NRA, to develop scientifically‐valid methods for extracting quantitative information from RCS maps is outlined. The methodology allows for spatial distortions and operator variance in mapping the 500‐m stretches. It is based on an abundance scale and therefore provides data which can be quantitatively combined and analysed (a) to highlight different properties of the river corridor and (b) to summarize those properties over different corridor lengths. The results of an example application of these methods of information extraction to a 14.5‐km length of river corridor are presented.
A Unit Hydrograph Method for Storm Overflow Performance Simulation
Authors: BURROWS R. , MEHMOOD K. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThe paper describes a unit hydrograph method, calibrated using the WALLRUS modelling suite, which was employed to simulate the long‐term behaviour of storm overflows in combined sewerage systems. It is shown that this procedure synthesizes overflow operation characteristics to acceptable engineering accuracy, measured relative to WALLRUS predictions. This is achieved at only a small fraction of the computer run‐time, and therefore makes practicable a wide range of overflow performance and river impact studies using local rainfall records of unlimited extent.
The Thames Water Ring Main: Mechanical and Electrical Installations
Authors: Went R. P. F. , Ricketts A. D. , McDonald H. 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTAlong the route of the Thames Water ring main there are nine major unmanned pumping stations, in shafts, which lift the water from the tunnel and pump it into local distribution systems. Each shaft has the capacity to supply a town the size of Swindon with water, and has extensive mechanical and electrical installations ranging from large pumps to sensitive water‐quality and atmospheric monitoring systems.This paper outlines the principal features and scope of the mechanical and electrical installations in the shafts, including variable‐speed drives, pump control systems, gas‐monitoring and alarm systems, dehumidification plant, water‐quality monitoring systems, isolation and access arrangements.
The Impact of EU and UK Environmental Pressures on the Future of Sludge Treatment and Disposal
Authors: Davis R. D 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTCurrent and future production of sludge in the UK is estimated, and it is predicted that recycling to agricultural land and incineration (with energy recovery) will be the major disposal options for sludge in the future. Environmental pressures on sludge recycling to land may lead to restrictions on applications in terms of nitrogen content and more stringent limits for metals in soils. Attention to sludge quality and the development of quality management practices in utilization or disposal operations will help to minimize environmental concerns and facilitate sludge disposal to all outlets. Focal points for quality assurance in sludge recycling operations are listed, and environmental pressures on sludge use in agriculture are discussed in detail. Use in agriculture involves recycling a secondary resource, and calling the resource ‘biosolids’ is part of promoting this excellent example of good environmental management.
Thames Water Utilities’Emergency Response to the Bishopsgate Bomb in April 1993
Authors: Ford R. , Causley G. 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACT The paper describes Thames Water Utilities’response to the Bishopsgate bomb which exploded in the City of London in April 1993. Particular emphasis is placed on the procedures and control measures which were adopted to manage the activities associated with severe damage to water mains and sewers. The need for exceptional health and safety measures, whilst working in a potentially extremely dangerous environment, are highlighted.Technical aspects of the repair work are discussed including the coordination with other utilities and the difficulties experienced in locating the position of underground apparatus which was subjected to bomb damage.
Recent Developments in Application of ‘Bursts and Background Estimates’Concepts for Leakage Management
Authors: Lambert A. , Morrison J. A. E. 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACT During the UK ‘national leakage control initiative’, which was carried out in 1991–94, Welsh Water formulated a conceptual model of leakage management which was intended for international application.This paper explains how the concepts of ‘bursts and background estimates’(BABE) have been calibrated and extended to cover financial/economic analysis and pressure management, using specialist software for practical application and following the methodologies in the recent water industry ‘Managing Leakage’reports. Examples of applications of BABE software and concepts, in the UK and internationally, are also described.
Heavy Metals Entering Sewage‐Treatment Works from Domestic Sources
Authors: Comber S. D. W. , Gunn A. M. 
Published: July 2007

ABSTRACTA programme was undertaken in order to quantify the heavy‐metal contribution from domestic sources with respect to total loads entering a chosen sewage‐treatment works. Input waters, household cleaning and body‐care products, and wastewater from household appliances, were sampled and analysed for heavy metals. The data were combined with literature values to predict the total load of heavy metals entering the sewage‐treatment works from the study catchment.This paper identifies the major domestic sources of heavy metals and quantifies them based upon a catchment model.
Road Construction and River Pollution in South‐West Scotland
Authors: McNeill A. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractDuring the period 1993–95, four engineering companies were involved in six separate projects entailing the construction of a motorway to replace the existing A74 Glasgow – Carlisle trunk road. The construction contracts were undertaken in a rural part of south‐west Scotland. This paper describes (i) the events which led to the serious pollution of rivers, (ii) the prosecution of offenders, and (iii) measures which have been taken to ensure that future road‐construction projects in Scotland do not impact upon the aquatic environment.
Peat Biofiltration as an Odour Control Technology for Sulphur‐Based Odours
Authors: Brennan B. M. , Donlon M. , Bolton E. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractDue to their low odour thresholds and common occurrence in sewage‐treatment operations, volatile sulphur compounds are generally considered to be the most significant malodorants at sewage‐treatment works. Biofiltration is an odour‐control technology which has proven success in industrial and agricultural applications, and in more recent years has been applied in the water industry.Experiments were carried out using a test rig to measure the removal efficiencies of hydrogen sulphide and methyl mercaptan, when passed through peat‐based materials, under a range of environmental conditions. Temperature, gas loading rate and inoculation with sulphur oxidizing bacteria were all found to significantly affect performance. Removal rates of over 99% of hydrogen sulphide, and 95% methyl mercaptan were achieved. Investigations of full‐scale installations at sewage‐treatment works supported the experimental results.
A Large‐Scale Grid‐Based Hydrological Model of the Severn and Thames Catchments
Authors: Jolley T. J. , Wheater H. S. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThis paper addresses the issues of scale and appropriate model complexity for large‐scale hydrological models. A grid‐based hydrological model, which employs the UK Meteorological Office Rainfall and Evaporation Calculation System, is applied to the Severn and Thames catchments using a grid scale of 40 km, and is shown to reproduce the observed mean annual runoff over a 10‐year period to within 6% with no prior calibration. The variation in the model performance is strongly correlated with the linearity of the annual rainfall/runoff relationship and a climate index. At the monthly scale, runoff routing becomes significant, and the introduction of a two‐parameter routeing algorithm significantly improves the monthly runoff simulations giving efficiencies of 90% and 88% for the Severn and Thames respectively. The results provide guidance to climate modellers looking for efficient and robust land‐surface parameterizations, and indicate the potential application of such a modelling scheme to water resource managers.
Contamination of Chalk Groundwater by Chlorinated Solvents: A Case Study of Deep Penetration by Non‐Aqueous Phase Liquids
Authors: Lawrence A. R. , Stuart M. E. , Barker J. A. , Tester D. J. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractThe transport behaviour of chlorinated solvents, both in the aqueous phase and as a dense non‐aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL), in fissured microporous aquifers is reviewed. The presence of DNAPL in aquifers is especially serious as it is likely to be the main subsurface source of contamination and, given the slow rates of dissolution in groundwater, may persist for decades. However, the identification and quantification of DNAPLs in fractured aquifers present many practical problems and are often not achievable.A case study of a Chalk site which had been contaminated by chlorinated solvents demonstrated that the use of a range of techniques, including depth profiling of solvent porewater concentrations in cored boreholes, can provide clear evidence for the presence of DNAPL at depth, although DNAPL was not itself observed. Theoretical considerations and field observations confirmed that DNAPL movement is via fractures rather than through the microporous matrix.