Thomas Homan, PhD candidate | University of Bath, UK
This project develops a novel approach. High resolution monitoring data are combined with river profiles, and local hydrologic and hydrogeologic information, to construct high-resolution models in space and time. This is used to interrogate observation and provide preceptual models of how wastewater discharges impact nutrient water-quality under various reference conditions. The perceptual models are then used to provide new approaches to assess the potential impacts of emergent contaminants on UK freshwaters.
This research draws on extensive work in a lowland chalk catchment and uses this as an exemplar case study for this new approach. This is due to their unique position as sites of high ecological value, but also as cute focal points of human activity and water management pressures.