TryGGER:Application of tryptophan Florescence Sensors for improved raw water quality monitoring of Faecal Contamination in Groundwater sources

地下水是一种非常重要的自然资源，提供了全球大部分饮用水，英国约35%的饮用水，英格兰南部高达80%。目前，高频实时系统在水质监测中得到了广泛的应用，但目前仍采用传统的现场采样和培养技术对瞬时微生物污染进行监测。微生物污染的高度动态性要求进行高频在线监测，以优化下游流程，如处理和分配。我们建议在英国水务行业内试点和嵌入使用新的荧光传感器来实现这一点。此外，虽然人们普遍认为，地下水中的粪便污染水平高可能伴随着相对较高的浑浊度，但情况往往并非如此，而且取决于地下粪便污染的来源和途径。通过优化处理过程，区分含水层材料产生的浑浊度或抽水引起的浑浊度与微生物污染物引起的浑浊度对水务行业具有重大的潜在好处。英格兰和威尔士的水务公司在2010-2015年间投资了4200万GB用于水源水特征和处理过程优化的调查(Ofwat 2009)，但了解瞬时微生物污染仍然是一个重大挑战。最近NERC资助的原位荧光光谱学研究，现在是一项成熟的技术，为原始地下水来源提供了一种高度敏感的方法来实现这一点。通过合作伙伴主导的过程，我们制定了一项建议，以试点、嵌入和制定这项技术的实施战略，该战略不仅与英国水务行业相关，而且与国际水和卫生部门组织高度相关。作为这项提议的一部分，将在两家英国水务公司(Affity Water和Wessex Water)内开展安置活动，以i)在英国水务行业试点和嵌入色氨酸传感器技术，以改进对脆弱地下水来源微生物污染的监测，ii)提供强有力的证据，证明当前的浊度触发(1NTU)是否适合进行地下水质量评估，iii)通过用户主导的合作，在英国水务行业提供这项技术的实施战略。TryGGER将通过访问所有英国水务公司来获得反馈，了解如何使其受益，并在水务部门的不同部分实施，并向潜在的新最终用户传播研究结果。TryGGER与英国水务行业的主要合作伙伴合作，包括水务公司(Affity Water和Wessex Water)和跨部门组织(UKWIR、Water UK和DWI)，旨在英国水务部门内嵌入在线传感器的使用，以监测地下水来源的动态微生物污染，以改善水资源的利用和处理过程的优化。这项传感器技术的应用将通过BGS科学家在水行业合作伙伴中开展的安置活动，在英国的四个案例研究地点进行试点。这些都是在与水务公司协商后选定的，以代表脆弱的地下水环境，在英国范围内和全球范围内都具有广泛的适用性。重要的是，将与英国水务行业的最终用户一起制定一项战略，将这些传感器用于原水水质监测，作为这项提议的一部分，以促进这项技术的更广泛采用。这项提议可能会对英国水务行业乃至更远的地方产生深远的影响。水务行业的主要参与者以及公用事业公司从提案制定的早期就参与进来，这确保了提案与最终用户社区高度相关。

Groundwater is a hugely important natural resource, providing the majority of drinking water globally, some 35% of drinking water in the UK, and up to 80% in southern England. High frequency real-time systems are now widely used in water industry for water quality monitoring, however transient microbiological contamination is currently still monitored using traditional spot sampling and culturing techniques. The highly dynamic nature of microbiological contamination necessitates high frequency on-line monitoring for the optimisation of down-stream processes such as treatment and distribution. We propose to pilot and embed within the UK water industry the use of new fluorescence sensors to enable this. In addition, while it is generally understood that high levels of faecal contamination in groundwater may be accompanied by relatively high turbidity, this is often not the case, and depends on the source and pathway of faecal contamination in the subsurface. Differentiation of turbidity derived from aquifer material or induced by pumping and that derived from microbial contaminants has significant potential benefits to the water industry through treatment process optimisation. Water companies in England and Wales have invested £42 million on investigations into source water characterisation and treatment process optimisation from 2010 - 2015 (OFWAT 2009) but understanding transient microbial contamination remains a significant challenge. Recent NERC funded research on in-situ fluorescence spectroscopy, now a well-established technology, offers a highly sensitive method to achieve this for raw groundwater sources. Through a partner led process we have developed a proposal to pilot, embed and develop an implementation strategy for this technology that is relevant for the UK water industry, but is also highly relevant for international water and health sector organisations. As part of this proposal, placement activities within two UK water companies (Affinity Water and Wessex Water) will be carried out to i) pilot and embed the use of tryptophan sensor technology in the UK water industry for improved monitoring of microbiological contamination in vulnerable groundwater sources, ii) provide robust evidence on the suitability of the current turbidity trigger (1NTU) for groundwater quality assessments, iii) provide an implementation strategy for this technology within the UK water sector through user-led collaboration. This will be carried out though visits to all UK water companies to obtain feedback on how this could benefit and be implemented in different parts of the water sector and disseminate findings with potential new end users.Working with key partners from across the UK water industry, including water companies (Affinity Water and Wessex Water) and cross-sector organisations (UKWIR, Water UK and DWI), TryGGER aims to embed within the UK water sector the use of on-line sensors for monitoring dynamic microbiological contamination in groundwater sources for improved use of water resources and optimisation of treatment processes. The application of this sensor technology will be piloted in four case study sites in the UK, through placement activities undertaken by BGS scientist in water industry partners. These have been selected in consultation with water utilities to be representative of vulnerable groundwater settings, with wide applicability both within the UK context and globally. Importantly, a strategy for implementing the use of these sensors for raw water quality monitoring will be developed with end users from across the UK water industry as part of this proposal to enhance wider uptake of this technology. This proposal has the potential for far reaching impact in the UK water industry and further afield. Involvement of the main players in the water industry, as well as utility firms, from early on during proposal development this has ensured that is highly relevant to the end-user community.