Document Category: RoCKs
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Circular Economy in the Water Sector (FR/R0032)
The circular economy is an economic strategy based on minimising the production of waste and recycling material resources utilised in economic activity. This review describes the circular economy and how it relates to the water industry. It has been structured to explain: -why the circular economy is needed for business optimisation for UK water utilities…
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Climate Change Impacts: River, Coastal and Urban Infrastructure (FR/R0031)
The presence of waste plastic in the surface water environment has developed into a serious problem. It is not only unpleasant, but is a threat to sea birds, aquatic mammals, fish and ultimately to human health. The topic has captured the media and public interest. Among this avalanche of media concern, this ROCK seeks to…
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Plastic Pollution in Rivers and Oceans (FR/R0030)
The presence of waste plastic in the surface water environment has developed into a serious problem. It is not only unpleasant, but is a threat to sea birds, aquatic mammals, fish and ultimately to human health. The topic has captured the media and public interest. Among this avalanche of media concern, this ROCK seeks to…
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Freshwater Pollution: Ecological Impact Assessment and Remediation (FR/R0029)
Pollutants can impact organisms either directly by depleting oxygen levels for example, or indirectly by altering the ecosystem in which they live. This Review deals with: – Impacts of common pollutants on aquatic ecosystems – Methods used to assess the ecological impacts of pollution – Remediation by physical, chemical and ecological methods.
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Flood Mitigation (FR/R0028)
In 2011 FWR published a review (ROCK FR/R0015) entitled ’Floods, alleviation, protection, response and risk management’, that was wide ranging and provided a concise description of the main factors which need to be considered regarding flooding. The purpose of this current review is to focus more closely on flood mitigation, including resistance and resilience, accepting…
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Microplastics in the Freshwater Environment (FR/R0027)
With ever-increasing quantities of plastic being manufactured and ending up in the environment, understanding the consequences of this will be critical to ensure the protection of ecosystems and freshwater resources. This review looks at the sources, abundance, transport, behaviour, fate, associations with chemicals, and ecological consequences of microplastics once they reach freshwater systems. There are…
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Causes of Copper Corrosion in Plumbing Systems (FR/R0007)
This review aims to assist practitioners in diagnosing the many different types of corrosion failures, which can occur in copper plumbing systems and help to avoid them occurring. It is not meant to be a substitute for expert opinion in serious cases. It outlines failures which can occur in both hot and cold domestic water…
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Climate Change – The Fundamentals (FR/R0026)
The subjects of climate and climate change are enormous and embrace many scientific disciplines. This review seeks to deal solely with the scientific evidence and is based heavily on the work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The review sifts some of the more important fundamental issues and provides a bibliography for those…
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Sediments in the Marine Environment (FR/R0025)
This review is concerned with the movement of sediments in the marine environment. This is an important subject with influence on all nations with a coastline. The review provides an outline of the subject and a description of some of the methods used in the analysis of the many complex processes. However, for details of…
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The Role of Water in the Production of Energy (FR/R0016)
This review is concerned with the role of water as one of the many sources of energy. Other major sources include solid fuels, oil, natural gas, nuclear, biofuels and waste, together with smaller contributions from geothermal, solar, wind and heat. Hydropower, power from water, makes a relatively small contribution towards the overall provision of worldwide…
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Water Reuse (FR/R0024)
This Review sets out the facts (and perceptions) and aims to clarify some of the most common questions that people have about ‘water reuse’. It explains the differences between the very small scale and very large scale schemes, the differences between reuse to create non-potable and drinking water, the types of technology used, actual and…
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Sewage Sludge: Operational and Environmental Issues (FR/R0001)
Sewage sludge is an inevitable consequence of sewage treatment. The quantity produced has increased because of regulations requiring additional treatment standards and increasing population. The various ways in which it can be treated, used or disposed of are discussed and the measures that can be taken to ensure no adverse environmental or health effects.
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Desalination for Water Supply (FR/R0013)
The scarcity of existing fresh water supplies is becoming a problem in many parts of the world. In some areas a process called ‘desalination’ is used to reduce the salt content of brackish and sea waters to turn them into a drinkable supply. This review explains what makes a water drinkable, the various processes used…
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Smart Meters and Domestic Water Usage (FR/R0023)
This review aims to create a more coherent and integrated understanding of how water metering, through smart meters in particular, can affect domestic demand for water. It also considers the influence of additional factors that serve to shape the effectiveness of metering technologies. It is important to note that the contextual and governance focus of…
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Sediments in the Fresh Water Environment (FR/R0022)
This review of current knowledge (ROCK) is concerned with the movement of sediments in the freshwater environment, an important subject but a very complex one. The ROCK provides an outline of the subject and a description of some of the principles used in the analysis of the many complex processes. However, for details of the…
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Community Involvement in UK Catchment Management (FR/R0021)
This Review of Current Knowledge (ROCK) highlights issues related to monitoring and understanding the complexity of river catchments which are subject to multiple pressures. It details how countries, such as the UK, are beginning to manage catchments on a local level with involvement of local people. Case studies are also presented to emphasise how we…
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Demystifying Natural Water Retention Measures (NWRM) (FR/R0020)
This review aims to clarify the competing definitions of NWRM and to scope where these measures fit in the context of the Water Framework Directive, other related policies and regulations, and climate change policy. It will outline what the key measures are and will provide some understanding of their evaluation for assessing the technical and…
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Hard SuDS Infrastructure in the Urban Environment (FR/R0019)
This ROCK focuses on hard Sustainable Drainage (SuDS) infrastructure, particularly pervious paving systems (PPS), infiltration trenches and rainwater harvesting, discussing their role in the “SuDS triangle”; also covered are the ways in which they can mitigate and adapt to climate change, and address the Urban Heat Island Effect.
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Cyanobacterial Toxins in the Water Environment (FR/R0009)
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are natural inhabitants of fresh, brackish and marine waters and are of worldwide distribution. They produce a diverse range of small molecules (cyanobacterial toxins: cyanotoxins) which are hazardous to human and animal health. The sources and properties of these toxins are briefly reviewed. Examples of the adverse effects on human health, domestic…
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The Measurement of Free Surface Flows (FR/R0018)
Hydrometry embraces the measurement of all the elements in the hydrological cycle including surface water flows, groundwater movement and associated phenomenon such as sediment movement and morphology. This ROCK concentrates on a major element within hydrometry, namely the measurement of free surface flows. It does not cover flows in closed conduits and pipes although some…
