A panel discuss how safe, affordable drinking water is supplied in East Anglia, one of the driest parts of the UK.

Water supply and treatment in the UK - for iPod/iPhone

Preserving water

An introduction to the contents of this album.

Water supply and treatment in the UK

Computer graphics reveal the processes at Hanningfield Reservoir, providing drinking water to 60,000 people. The panel explain the purpose of new membrane technology.

Treating water

In 1997 Hanningfield Reservoir hit the news when sewage was pumped into the water system. The panel discusses how negative press can be avoided and what lessons were learned.

Dealing with water emergencies

The value of consistent, timely communication through the media when taking action in a time of drought

Consulting the public

People on the streets of Essex tell us what they think. The panel outline what we can do to help ourselves.

Is recycling water good?

The multi-stage treatment process river water goes through before it comes out of our taps.

Fresh water filtration

The processes at a sewage works and the types of waste water treated.

Waste water filtration

Dr Suresh Nesaratnam explains the choice of case studies in the video.

Background to the case studies

Have you thought about the journey water makes to get to your taps? What processes has it undergone to make it safe to drink? The tracks in this album examine issues of water supply and treatment in the UK, where each of us uses approximately 150 litres a day! We hear from different parties involved in water management including the bodies representing the consumer, the environment, and the suppliers. The scope of the discussion ranges from wastage and emergency treatment to recycling and effluent control. In two bonus audio tracks, OU lecturer Dr Suresh Nesaratnam explains why the case studies were selected and gives an overview of the academic context in which water supply and treatment is studied. This material forms part of The Open University course T210 Environmental control and public health.

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Preserving water

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