Grantham Scholar Vaida Suslovaite is developing modelling tools to forecast risk to water abstraction systems from bacteriological loading following rainfall events. Plus she is looking for methodologies to efficiently target resources to reduce peak concentrations.
Diffuse pollution from rainfall runoff processes adversely affects surface water quality, including in areas where surface water is used for drinking water supply.
Designing and implementing targeted mitigation measures to reduce peak concentrations of contaminants is challenging due to the spatial and temporal variability of rainfall-runoff processes. Receiving water pollutant concentrations are a function of rainfall processes, catchment characteristics, receiving water conditions and the locations of pollution sources (i.e. spatial distribution of ‘high risk’ land use types).
As a result, this study has 2 aims. Firstly, to develop modelling tools to forecast risk to water abstraction systems from high levels of bacteriological loading following rainfall events. And secondly, to create methodologies to efficiently target resources to reduce peak concentrations.
Results will be used to inform catchment management groups of the most effective locations for the implementation of diffuse pollution mitigation measures. And they will be used to rank and prioritise specific catchment areas.
You can find Vaida Suslovaite on LinkedIn and you can follow all her updates on on Twitter.