South West Water and the University of Exeter have launched a £30m research centre to tackle global environmental challenges. The Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW) combines, according to South West Water, experts from the company and University of Exeter academics under one roof to explore “how to manage precious natural resources in ways which are sustainable, innovative and resilient.”
South West Water – which is investing £21m into CREWW – said the centre recognised that “the need for collaboration on important environmental issues has never been greater.” CREWW has also received a £10.5m UK Research Partnership Investment Fund grant from Research England.
South West Water said CREWW’s research will “future-proof water systems to cope with floods, droughts, and pollutants including microplastics, and make a real difference to peoples’ lives and the environment regionally, nationally and globally.”
This centre is already developing ways to tackle microplastics in the water cycle, along with strategies to alleviate ground water filtration into sewers which will help reduce the use of storm overflows.
Chief executive officer of South West Water, Susan Davy, said: “If there is a collaboration that can fix even one of the global water challenges we face, it’s this one.”
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