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spread of the disease. Dr Clark says,“This research indicates more strongly than ever before that the current symptom-based isolation approach adopted bymany countries has to be supplemented by a rapid track-and-trace system. This is exactly where aWBEsystemthat can give an early warning of an outbreak has a major part to play.We must keepworking to make this a reality.”
3. Video reveals top10 things toknowaboutCovid-19 As the water industry seeks to bring personnel up-to-speed onCovid- 19, theWaterAction Platform has released anewvideo top 10 of essential
facts.The three-minute recording is presented by biochemist and microbiologist Dr Jo Burgess,whois leader of the knowledge hub on SARS-CoV-2 inwastewater. This handy guide is openly available on theWaterAction Platform and Isle’sYouTube channel and is a useful training tool, explaining terminology, howsoap kills SARS-CoV-2, andwhy research on the SARS that caused the 2004 epidemic is still useful
today.Alonger eight- minute lecture by Dr Burgess is also available.
4. Flushed PPE putting pressureonsewageworks Increased use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the last few months has meant a massive increase in unsuitable items being
flushed.These are blocking sewers and collecting at the heads of sewageworks around theworld, creating a range of problems. In Zahgreb, the capital of Croatia, a public appeal wasmadeafter the central water treatment systembecame clogged with a large quantity of unflushable items including disinfectant wipes, respiratory masks and latex gloves. “To make mattersworse,”said Piers Clark,“theworkers had to clean the purifier by hand, thus exposing themselves to further
risk.The importance of flush-it campaigns is nowmore important than ever.”
5. Self-powered sensors could revolutionise condition monitoring Asset monitoring technology company 8Power, a spinout fromthe University ofCambridge, has developed a sensor that can monitor industrial assets using vibration energy harvesting (VEH). In aworld
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where remote monitoring is becoming ever more important, these fit- and-forget devices that self-power both the sensor and the wireless communications for at least ten years, have no need for battery changes or other energy sources. Dataflows fromequipment such as motors and pumps can be picked up and analysed on a mobile phone, alerting operators early on to potential issues with equipment. Research with oneUKwater company shows that 8Power’s devices can save up to10%of a utility’s reactive maintenance budget, which can represent £millions for some organisations. Paul Egan, chief executive of Power8 says,“Sensors are only going to get smarter so they’re going to need more power. Bigger batteries are not the answer, so it has to be a change -we believe that’s going to be energy harvesting. Removing the problem of having to change batteries is going to accelerate the adoption of these kinds of technologies.”
6. Gamification can encourage10%water savings Acollaborative European SmartH2O project has reported on a gamification trial that shows howhousehold water consumption can be reduced by adopting a playful
approach.Gamification is the use of computergamedesign elements in non-gaming concepts and in this study peoplewere encouraged to compete to savewater using comparative visualisations and water-saving tips with rewards attached. The results showed an initial peak ofwater-saving activity that eventually settled downto a constant level, which, after adjusting for seasonal variations, represented a saving of around 10 per cent. “Aswe enter into the summer drought months, solutions like thismay prove to be very cost effective,”said Dr Clark. Alink to the paper can be found in the artificial intelligence and digital knowledge hub on theWaterAction platform. The online network, initially set up by consultancy Isle as part of the water industry’s response toCovid-19, is growing rapidly and now boasts 960 members and over 472 organisations from69 countries, with Guatemala, Croatia and Egypt being the latest to be represented.
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