Uncovering microbial tactics in drinking water supply systems: using advances in genetics for countering the effects of climate change

This research will directly benefit society in the UK and abroad by increasing the effectiveness of water companies. The aim of the fellowship is to establish new research avenues for innovation in the field of urban water engineering and to bring novel practical solutions to the water-related challenges, in particular climate change, existing in the UK and worldwide.

The proposal addresses the EPSRC/LWEC fundamental question "How can our cities, their hinterlands, linking infrastructure, rural surround and the regions they are in, be transformed to be resilient, sustainable, more economically viable and generally better places to live?". To answer this challenging question the research will investigate the impact of environmental change on drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) with the aim of generating new knowledge and tools that will improve the way drinking water is supplied in our cities, in a sustainable and economically viable way. As a consequence of climate change water sources used for water supply will be more contaminated and limited, the temperature of the water will increase and long-term changes in water demand will affect pipe hydraulics. All these changes will significantly affect biological and physico-chemical processes taking place in DWDS and will force water companies to modify the way they deliver water via DWDS.

The fellowship will support the essential first steps in a new research line where my aim is to integrate microbiology, genetics and water engineering to explore in detail hidden aspects of DWDS in order to develop a whole system understanding. At present, the monitoring strategies for drinking water involve detecting microorganisms in water from taps using "old-fashioned" culture methods. However, the microbial composition of water is not representative of the biofilms (microbial assemblages) attached to pipes and culture-dependent methods underestimate the real microbial diversity in DWDS. Biofilms have great importance since they contain most of the microbial biomass in DWDS and they influence water quality and safety by, for example, hosting pathogens, promoting pipe corrosion and changes in water taste and colour. Consequently, there is an urgent need for research on how microorganisms will respond to environmental change within DWDS and how this will impact on DWDS performance and on drinking water safety and quality. Since DWDS are not sterile (i.e. completely free from microorganisms), research is also needed to identify which parameters support the presence of "friendly microorganisms" capable of maintaining the good performance of DWDS but also discouraging harmful microorganisms from surviving in the pipes.

To answer these questions the research will assess different climate change situations in DWDS tested under controlled laboratory conditions including: increase in water temperature, increase in water nitrogen and phosphorus and extreme hydraulic fluctuations. Analysis of DNA/RNA from experimental samples will be used to uncover the link between microbial diversity (who is there?) and function (what are they doing?), and will help to identify genes involved in a range of processes including resistance to disinfection and pathogenic potential. Biological and environmental data will be integrated using hydro/bioinformatic methods with the ultimate aim of developing novel monitoring and management tools: 1) a new risk assessment framework; and 2) Biological Early Warning Systems (BEWS). The efficiency of these tools will be tested using real data from UK water companies and European partners. Dissemination of findings to industry, academics and the general public will be supported by the Pennine Water Group and through the Sheffield Water Centre.

The fellowship will facilitate the development of my career as a world leader in urban water research by creating a new platform for innovation in molecular microbiology and hydraulic engineering.

This proposal deals with key socio-economic issues: drinking water supply, global climate change and public health. The transformative research proposed in the fellowship will yield significant economical and societal impacts since quality of life and human well-being are directly associated with drinking water supply. The UK society will directly benefit from this new line of investigations since the findings will be communicated to the UK water industry to guarantee that safe and good quality water is distributed in the future in the face of climate change. The research outcomes will also inform UK and European policies in order to improve drinking water standards based on the best available scientific knowledge. The well-established industrial and academic links of the Pennine Water Group and the Sheffield Water Centre will be used for the benefit of the project and to maximise the impact and dissemination of research outcomes.

This research will bring important benefits to the field of civil engineering by transforming the traditional vision that practitioner engineers have of drinking water distributions systems (DWDS), mainly as physical infrastructure transporting water, but not considering the complex biological and physico-chemical reactions taking place within the pipes. The successful delivery of the proposal's vision will aid water companies to meet future water demands to effectively manage climate change, whilst reducing costly interventions in the existing infrastructure. An effective management of DWDS will bring important benefits to the UK economy, particularly to the water industry, but indirectly to other UK industries which depend on sufficient water supply in the future including manufacturing, food and process industries. Novel information on microbial genetics and biofilm dynamics will also inform other microbial-related industrial processes such as the production of fermentation and pharmaceutical products.

The fellowship will allow me to start a new line of investigations and to develop an independent scientific career in the field of urban water research. The proposed research will promote the discovery of new microbial traits that will aid other academic disciplines beyond civil engineering, including the development of bioindicators and biosensors for detection of contaminants, bioremediation strategies and biomedical sciences. This cross-disciplinary research fostered in the UK, but in collaboration with other internationally recognised scientists, will set the foundation for an international network of research on microbial urban water-related issues. I will also benefit the academic community by participating in teaching and research activities at undergraduate and postgraduate level in the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering at the University of Sheffield.