{"id":13,"date":"2019-11-08T21:47:08","date_gmt":"2019-11-08T21:47:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/summaryhouse.co.uk\/?page_id=13"},"modified":"2025-12-11T11:03:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T11:03:17","slug":"water-quality","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/summaryhouse.co.uk\/?page_id=13","title":{"rendered":"Water & Flooding"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Water Quality & Availability<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The risk of water pollution is increasing due to changes in land use patterns and the intensity and episodic duration of rainfall (including drought). To provide drinking water, treatment is applied to remove unwanted pollutants, but this is costly and sometimes serious problems occur. Lakes and rivers also have a high amenity value and therefore it makes good sense from multiple perspectives that the basic quality of our water resources are good. Less treatment can mean significant savings for energy and carbon emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through a collaborative project with Scottish Water and the Scottish Government HydroNation programme, we have been developing a risk assessment procedure for raw water quality. This aims to identify catchments at increased risk of water quality problems at present and in future. Research is being developed through the PhD project of Carolin Vorstius at Dundee University. Water quality problems being investigated include colour issues (dissolved organic carbon), E Coli and other coliforms, heavy metals, pH and turbidity. Recent work has also further investigated challenges of emerging contaminants (especially PFAS) on water quality and of managing water scarcity in a changing climate<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vorstius C, Rowan JS, Brown I (2025) Assessing climate change mediated alterations on dissolved organic carbon for national scale public water supply using a catchment sensitivity approach. Hydrological Sciences Journal <\/em>https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1080\/02626667.2025.2603420<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vorstius C, Rowan JS, Brown I, Leith F, Frogbrook Z (2024). Supporting the development of climate-resilient water safety plans through a risk-screening framework for drinking water source protection. Journal of Water & Climate Change <\/em>15:207-18  https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2166\/wcc.2024.293<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vorstius C, Rowan J, Brown I, Halliday S, Hendry S (2024) Risk assessment for PFAS and watch list parameters in the Drinking Water Directive. Report for the Centre of Expertise in Water (Scotland). https:\/\/www.crew.ac.uk\/publication\/risk-assessment-watch-list-PFAS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gosling R, Halliday S, Brown I, Black A, Hendry S (2024) Water Scarcity and Climate Change in Scotland. Report for the Centre of Expertise for Water (Scotland). https:\/\/www.crew.ac.uk\/project\/crw202207-climate-crisis-informing-scotland%E2%80%99s-actionable-mitigation-and-adaptation-response<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vorstius C, Rowan J, Brown I, Frogbrook Z, Palarea-Albaladejo J (2019) Large-scale risk screening of raw water quality in the context of drinking water catchments and integrated response strategies. Environmental Science & Policy<\/em> doi:10.1016\/j.envsci.2019.05.012<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dunn, S.M.; Brown, I.; Sample, J.; Post, H. (2012) Relationships between climate, water resources, land use and diffuse pollution and the significance of uncertainty in climate change. Journal of Hydrology, 434, 19-35.<\/em> doi:10.1016\/j.jhydrol.2012.02.039 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natural Flood Management<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For several years, I have been collaborating on projects to further investigate Natural Flood Management strategies as an alternative or complement to conventional engineering of flood defences. Again this is another key issue where the increased risk of heavy rainfall events from climate change makes new approaches necessary. We have been especially interested in integrated catchment-scale schemes such as the strategic use of new woodland or schemes to maximise the use of river floodplains. A PhD project through Oana Iacob at Dundee University developed a detailed modelling analysis for peak river flows based upon land use change and climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iacob, O, Rowan, JS, Brown, I, Ellis, C (2014) Evaluating wider benefits of natural flood management strategies: an ecosystem-based adaptation perspective. Hydrology Research<\/em>,45(6), 774\u2013 787 doi:10.2166\/nh.2014.184 <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Iacob O, Brown I, Rowan J (2017) Natural flood management, land use and climate change -offs: the case of Tarland catchment, Scotland. Hydrological Sciences Journal<\/em> 62, 1931-1948 doi:10.1080\/02626667.2017.1366657<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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