Moving Material is a PhD project that investigates discolouration of drinking water and aims to better understand material behaviour within the system to provide solutions to manage discolouration risk.
The project is sponsored and done in collaboration with United Utilities.
Discoloured drinking water at customer tap
Discoloured drinking water collected in sample bottles during flushing. A and B note different type of response to step increase in flushing flows (Husband and Boxall, 2018).
Discoloured water from distribution network hydrant during flushing.
Discolouration of tap water affected 1,811,121 UK customers in 2020, leading it to be a major cause of complaints about issues related to water quality. Water leaving treatment works however has 99.95% reported compliance, indicating that the water quality must deteriorate within the distribution system. By understanding sedimentation processes in DWDS (Drinking Water Distribution System) and developing tools to map sedimentation zones it would be possible to proactively manage discolouration contacts, resulting in improved service and a significant reduction of regulatory penalties.
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Last updated Jan 2022 by Reinar Lokk, rlokk1@sheffield.ac.uk
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