Lurking in our lakes, reservoirs and rivers is a growing threat that is beginning to surface…harmful algal blooms (HABs).
Naturally occurring, HABs form when algae grow rapidly in warm nutrient-rich waters.
Nutrients can come from the natural environment, the atmosphere and from slurries and fertilisers, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which are applied to farmland. If this then runs off into waterways it provides these blooms with a feast to grow on.
Sometimes these blooms are harmless but many types of algae can turn toxic and grow which can make water treatment more difficult, damage ecosystems and harm fish and wildlife.
As global temperatures rise and weather patterns change these blooms are a challenge that is becoming increasingly common, and one that water companies across the country are having to face.
South West Water is tackling this challenge head on. The company is leading an innovative new project, Prediction and Early Detection of Algal Blooms (PEDAL), in partnership with the University of Exeter through the joint venture - the Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW).
Working with key partners from across the world including Western Cape DWS as well as local partners like Plymouth Marine Laboratory and South West Lakes Trust, over the next three years CREWW will develop the UK’s first advanced digital twin system for HABs.
This early-warning tool will combine data from satellites, drones, in-situ sensors, laboratory testing and community input through citizen science.
By using AI and advanced modelling, this new system will forecast when and where these beastly blooms are likely to occur, helping South West Water to intervene earlier to protect supplies and the environment.
The £2million project is being funded by the Ofwat Innovation Fund which is a key pillar in Ofwat’s mission to drive innovation that ensures the water sector is ready for the challenges of the future.
It will deliver benefits for other water companies including access to improved predictive tools and data-driven insights, helping to reduce operational costs and plan interventions more effectively.
Customers will see more reliable water supplies and lower long-term water costs. Algal blooms affect raw water by making the treatment process more challenging.
And communities and the environment will see stronger public health protection, healthier aquatic eco-systems, and opportunities to get involved through citizen science.
Andrew Pennington, Innovation Programme and Partnerships Manager at South West Water, said: “Harmful algal blooms are a growing challenge for water companies across the UK, but particularly here in the South West where our natural environment is so central to community life.
“With PEDAL, we’re bringing together science, innovation and local knowledge to protect our region’s water for generations to come and we’re excited to work with our fantastic partners and researchers across the world to turn this vision into a real-world solution to this challenge.”
Diego Panici, Senior Lecturer and Principal Investigator for PEDAL at the University of Exeter added:“ Harmful algal blooms pose to us huge operational but also scientific challenges, which is what makes our research very exciting, because we aim to finally resolve many of them.
“Through PEDAL we will be able to understand any precursors of HABs and predict their occurrence, potentially with several weeks of notice. We will utilise cutting-edge technology, numerical models, AI, and the help of volunteers and citizen scientists to pull together the most comprehensive scientific work on this topic.”