Environmental Water Management
The UK's first research group in environmental water management, led by Professor Roger Falconer and sponsored by Hyder Consulting, is helping to predict the likely effect that urbanisation and industry have on the quality of water in rivers, estuaries and reservoirs throughout the world.
Hywel Thomas, director of Water Processes at Hyder Consulting spoke to The Duke of Edinburgh about the not-so-pleasant subject of sewage disposal. "Nonetheless he was curious to know that we now only discharge treated effluent at sea, and that we're careful to discharge at the right point. This is where our collaboration with the University is so important. By using the computer models developed by Professor Roger Falconer's research team, we can identify the right points at which to discharge effluent so that it doesn't return to the shore."
Tongue in cheek, but Prince Philip showed great interest in the work undertaken using the Cardiff Bay barrage model, introduced by Professor Roger Falconer and Hwyel Thomas, MD of the Water division of Hyder PLC.