Field trip to a Scottish Water supply site
The overwhelming taxonomic variation of algae populations across ecosystems is significant, and in order to have a reasonable starting point the project will need to become focussed on natural open pond systems considered typical for a particular region. Scottish Water and SEPA both have offices in Edinburgh, providing a relatively convenient contact point with which to consult on areas which they may recommend for investigation. Freshwater supplies will mean the project focuses on using limnic algae.
Witnessing the problem of algae in water supply systems will provide a real-life context in which to understand the specific physical factors and limitations of introducing a functioning novel harvesting mechanism to a particular site. This will help guide lines of research and development.
Typicality
Defining "typicality" will require research and will depend heavily on the advice we receive from Scottish Water and/or SEPA to define the common characteristics of algae problems in Scotland.
Assessing typicality will depend on:
These characteristics may be determined to assess the typicality of the samples, though with limited time until the end of the project we anticipate only a superficial examination of the physical properties of the algae to aid in developing a physical mechanism for harvesting.
Witnessing the problem of algae in water supply systems will provide a real-life context in which to understand the specific physical factors and limitations of introducing a functioning novel harvesting mechanism to a particular site. This will help guide lines of research and development.
Typicality
Defining "typicality" will require research and will depend heavily on the advice we receive from Scottish Water and/or SEPA to define the common characteristics of algae problems in Scotland.
Assessing typicality will depend on:
- Proximity to farmland / industrial sites / wastewater discharge zones, affecting the pH, temperature and specific nutrient concentrations.
- Hydrogeological and topographical formations affecting water flow characteristics, including depth, velocity, air entrainment (waterfalls).
- Recent weather events potentially affecting water temperature, river load (suspended and bed), suspended solids (affecting turbitidy), and water levels (e.g. drought, or swollen rivers and flooding).
These characteristics may be determined to assess the typicality of the samples, though with limited time until the end of the project we anticipate only a superficial examination of the physical properties of the algae to aid in developing a physical mechanism for harvesting.