SAI-RAT: assessing the risk of invasive species for SROs
Read about our innovative SRO Aquatic INNS Risk Assessment Tool (SAI-RAT) for identification and mitigation of invasive species across water assets and RWTs
+ Read more
Hydro-ecological modelling provides an ecologically-based and data-driven approach for predicting ecological responses to changes in flow. With this information, water companies and regional water resources groups can better manage and mitigate the effects of abstractions and impoundments, and optimise future investment decisions.
Water companies are investing in programmes to identify and prioritise opportunities for restoring sustainable levels of abstraction to freshwater and wetland habitats, as well as commissioning investigations to assess and mitigate the existing ecological impacts of surface and groundwater abstraction.
The hydro-ecology toolkit is a valuable and urgently required asset, quantifying links between water resources and ecology, and helping water companies fulfil their pledge to protect valuable ecosystems and services long-term.
Read more about how APEM support sustainable abstraction here.
In times of warmer weather and unusually low rainfall, water companies in England can apply to the Environment Agency for a Drought Permit. This alters the usual limits on water abstraction licenses to help mitigate the effects of drought on public water supplies. Part of the application must include an assessment of the likely environmental impacts, which can be challenging where historical data is lacking.
The Hydro-Ecology Model (HEM) tool integrates data from the site of interest with monitoring data from similar sites to predict the magnitude of possible ecological impacts under future drought scenarios, with an audit trail of the assessment in the form of an interactive HTML report, which can be submitted as part of the regulatory process of applying for a Drought Permit.
Read more about hydro-ecological modelling here.
To promote the Environment Agency’s new Hydro-Ecology Toolkit, APEM developed two bespoke training workshops for hydro-ecologists in water companies, regulators, universities and consultancies.
Watch the videos here.
Read about our innovative SRO Aquatic INNS Risk Assessment Tool (SAI-RAT) for identification and mitigation of invasive species across water assets and RWTs
+ Read more
Introducing SCOUR, an innovative assessment tool that measures the risk of scour releases upon watercourses downstream of reservoirs during drawdown testing
+ Read more
Working with the Environment Agency to help promote the new Hydro-Ecology Toolkit, APEM has developed and delivered two training workshops for hydro-ecologists
+ Read more
APEM has supported the Environment Agency by creating a Hydro-Ecology Toolkit to help assess the ecological impacts of current and future water abstraction and drought.
+ Read more