Hydro-GIS is working on a research project, funded by the European Space Agency, looking to find out how earth-observing satellites up in space can help to identify water pollution in rivers and other bodies of water.
The hot weather in the UK this summer caused algal blooms and Hydro-GIS staff took samples at locations on the River Thames which will be used to test this approach. It is hoped that outputs will provide guidance to the UK water industry on how they can better manage their sewage outfalls, which are a major source of pollution.
Read related article: ‘Look out for Algal blooms’
Funding was available for this project, despite Brexit, as the UK is still part of the European Space Agency and this allows collaboration on the project with consultants in the UK, Switzerland and Austria.
Hydro-GIS are very grateful to be working on a collaborative European project given that significant amounts of research funding, and opportunities for international collaboration, have been lost as a direct result of Brexit.