Press Release: Pioneering the Future of Water Quality Monitoring
We are proud to have partnered with AquaWatch, because we are dedicated to democratising water science to enable multigenerational water stewardship. Our commitment to long-term sustainability and fact based environmental management made it a natural fit to work with a company that drives continuous innovation in water quality monitoring.
The jointly-commissioned report by Stormwater Shepherds and CIWEM shows that pollution comes from tyre particles, fuel spills and other vehicle fluids, road surface fragments, sediment and herbicides. These contain heavy metals and toxic chemicals such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which have shown to be carcinogenic and hormone disrupting to aquatic life.
There are likely 100s of thousands, if not millions, of highway outfalls across the world discharging this toxic mix into the water environment. Yet these outfalls are unmonitored and largely uncontrolled.
The Challenge: Unseen Pollutants in Highway Runoff
Highway runoff, a complex cocktail of microplastics, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and other pollutants, often evades traditional monitoring systems until it’s too late. The HEWRAT (Highways England Water Risk Assessment Tool) model has been instrumental in identifying high-risk outfalls and predicting contaminant loads. However, it lacks the ability to detect dissolved contaminants, leading to delayed responses and increased environmental impact.
Continuous Water Quality Monitoring
AquaWatch offers a solution to this challenge through continuous water quality monitoring. Their advanced sensors provide real-time data on a wide spectrum of in-situ parameters, ensuring comprehensive and immediate insights into water quality. By validating and refining models like HEWRAT, their approach significantly enhances diagnostic capabilities and triggers event-based sampling for rapid intervention.
Integrating the HazEL Framework
The HazEL framework complements these continuous monitoring systems. Our framework not only assesses current risks but also predicts future threats, considering both known and emerging contaminants. The combination of this framework with continuous water quality monitoring enables us to better quantify risk, conduct detailed contaminant load simulations under various climatic conditions, and provide a proactive and informed approach to water management.
A Collaborative Effort for Greater Impact
Effective environmental protection requires collaboration. At AquaWatch and HazEL we work closely with government agencies, insurance, finance, environmental organisations, and community stakeholders to create shorter feedback loops in environmental water management. We are collaborating to reduce risk whilst achieving more efficient outcomes. Our collective efforts ensure that our solutions are technologically advanced, practically applicable, and widely accepted.
The Path Forward: Cleaner, Healthier Waterways
AquaWatch and HazEL are working to accelerate improvement, using our combined expertise in continuous water quality monitoring and chemical risk management to make a significant difference. Together, we reduce the impact of highway runoff on our waterways, protect ecosystems, and ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.
What’s not to love about innovators working together?!