132187Management and use of beneficial bacterial biofilms to control aquatic pathogens, for reliable chemical-free sanitisation of swimming pools. .ClosedFeasibility StudiesInnovate UKThe swimming pool filtration market (worth 3.2bn) currently lacks chemical-free alternatives despite customers’ demands of healthier, easier and cheaper solutions to pool water treatment. This project helps to fully realise the mass market potential for natural bio-filter based water treatment technology, through innovative and robust scientific research and development into aquatic pathogen behaviour and control using bio-films. Project Objectives: Determine how our biofilms reduce levels of waterborne pathogens; ascertain whether bio-films housed within a bio-filter allow re-introduction of pathogens in water; develop optimal habitats & management of biofilms to maximise pathogen removal; & quantify pathogen survival rates on full- scale filtration models. The invaluable knowledge gained during the project will enable a set of optimised operational parameters (eg: optimal PH/ flow rates) and substrate properties (eg pore size, depth), which maximise the efficiency, repeatability and reliability of biofilm performance (w.r.t. pathogen control) for real- world conditions.