Wessex Water and the University of Bath have teamed up in a new research and development collaboration worth more than £2.5m.
The link up will fund research into five areas such as sustainable water and sewage treatment, keeping bills affordable and reducing carbon footprint – all of which will be explored by a multi-disciplinary University of Bath research team from fields as diverse as the sciences, engineering and management.
The funding includes financial support from other sources and £500,000 from the university’s EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Science Research Council) Impact Acceleration Account.
The university and Bath-based Wessex Water will launch a new state-of-the-art Water Innovation and Research Centre @ Bath next year which will provide a unique environment for research into water technologies and resource management.
Research carried out through the new centre will involve water utility companies, technology suppliers, and researchers from around the country and internationally, contributing to future water policy and the development of sustainable water treatment systems.
A new professor and a prize fellow will also be appointed alongside a new a lecturer supported by the University of Bath, and a number of opportunities for PhD students in a variety of related disciplines.
University of Bath vice-chancellor Professor Dame Glynis Breakwell said: “Wessex Water is an extremely innovative company and this collaboration will ensure that its next generation of research and development has far-reaching impact. The establishment of this new collaboration is testament to our ability to take research from the lab through to application, resulting in a real impact for the industries we work with.”
Wessex Water chairman Colin Skellett said the funding was made possible by the company re-investing profit into research and development which will benefit customers in the long-term while at the same time support the local economy.
He said: “The collaboration with the university will allow research into the future treatment of water and sewage as well as looking into efficiency, leakage reduction and waste to energy development.
“It will help ensure we are in an even better position in the future to continue to perform at the highest level and deliver the best services for customers at an affordable price, while at the same time complement our own ongoing work into continuously looking at ways of operating more efficiently through innovation and sustainable practices.”
