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Drinking Water Laboratory Testing & Verification

Do you require independent experimental testing to select, troubleshoot or optimise a water treatment process?

Dr Tom Bond Please contact our expert in drinking water treatment for more information

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Experimental verification of proposed treatment solutions

Our team of experts in process science and engineering can undertake laboratory testing to support the following types of projects:

•Technology feasibility and optioneering studies.

•Design, construction and operation of lab and pilot scale trials to assess removal of target pollutants.

•Troubleshooting and/or optimisation of existing water treatment infrastructure.

We can then analyse and interpret experimental data to verify the performance of proposed treatment solutions.

    How can WRc help you?

    Many consultants design, troubleshoot or optimise water treatment processes based on theoretical knowledge and the technology manufacturer’s recommendations. WRc has the expertise and resources to support theoretical approaches with the experimental investigation of proposed treatment solutions. Because they are based on experimental evaluation, WRc can offer high confidence in the proposed solutions we test and evaluate. This helps our clients to reduce costs, improve relationships with customers and regulators, implement sustainable solutions and enhance water quality.

      Client centred

      We will work with you to fully understand and scope your problem, before co-designing a bespoke, tailored solution, which will be communicated through a clear and concise report detailing our findings and recommendations.

      Independent and objective advice

      We deliver unbiased investigations underpinned by rigorous process science and engineering. Because we are not tied to any manufacturers or vendors, you can be confident that the solutions we propose are in your best interest.

      Subject experts

      Our team of expert scientists and engineers have decades of experience, and a network of contacts, spanning both academia and industry. Because of this, we ensure that our proposed solutions take account of industry best-practice and the latest research on water treatment.

      Case Studies

      Activated carbon small scale column tests

      We worked with a UK water company who were planning a new drinking water plant for a challenging source water. Applying our expertise in the design, operation and interpretation of small-scale column tests, we experimentally verified the effectiveness of different activated carbons for the removal of drinking water micropollutants, including PFAS compounds and pesticides.

      Filter media characterisation

      We worked with a leading international manufacturer of plant machinery in the power and water industries. During the project we provided the client with an independent evaluation of 18 physicochemical parameters for filter media from several potential suppliers being considered for a new seawater desalination plant in the Middle East. This helped determine the most suitable process option for this given situation. 

      Optimisation of ozonation dose

      Working with a UK water company, we investigated trade-offs between treatment of two taste and odour forming compounds and formation of the hazardous disinfection byproduct bromate during pre-ozonation. By conducting experimental tests at WRc using raw water from the water treatment plant in question we recommended an optimum ozone dose which formed minimal bromate levels while simultaneously achieving good removal of geosmin and MIB.


      Overview of laboratory capabilities

      Our capability and knowledge span a spectrum of conventional and advanced water treatment processes, as used in both municipal and industrial water treatment plants.

      Process Description
      Coagulation-flocculation-sedimentation Jar tests to optimise the coagulation pH, coagulant type and dose
      Filtration A wide range of physical characterisation methods for filter media. Please enquire for a full list
      Activated carbon adsorption Quantifying micropollutant removal, e.g., pesticides, PFAS, taste-and-odour compounds, using isotherm (PAC and GAC) and rapid column tests (GAC). See here for more information.
      Ion exchange Batch and column tests to determine removal and regeneration efficiency
      Ozonation Micropollutant degradation at batch and pilot scale
      Advanced oxidation processes Configurations involving ozone, hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet irradiation to determine micropollutant degradation and batch and pilot scale
      Electrolytic chlorine generation Energy consumption and efficiency of process, product concentration
      Chlorination Trihalomethane formation potential following chlorination under controlled laboratory conditions

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      Dr Tom Bond

      Principal Consultant

      Dr Tom Bond is a Chartered Civil Engineer and a Principal Consultant on Water Treatment at WRc, based in the Water, Environment and Scientific Services Directorate. Previously he worked in academia for over 15 years, researching various aspects of controlling the impacts of hazardous aquatic pollutants. Before joining WRc he was a Senior Lecturer in the School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Surrey, with particular interests in microplastics, disinfection byproducts and micropollutants such as PFAS. He has worked on projects funded by organisations including EPSRC, UK water companies and Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) / Defra, and has published extensively in leading journals in the area of water quality engineering. He has also worked at Imperial College London and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). He is a Chartered Engineer and Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (MICE) and holds a MSc and PhD from Cranfield University. During the latter he investigated the treatment of disinfection byproduct precursors, while his first degree was in chemistry from the University of Bristol.

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