Research Assistant / Research Associate (Fixed Term, Part Time)

Are you interested in using mixing to improve water quality and ecosystem health? 

The Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering is recruiting a Research Assistant/ Research Associate to work on the project ‘How & when to mix with utilities (HWTM).’ The HWTM project focuses on the effectiveness of engineered mixing to improve water quality and ecosystem health in UK drinking-water supply reservoirs. This position will focus specifically on sediment resuspension and sedimentation of nutrients and trace metals (e.g., manganese) in aerated and non-aerated reservoirs. 

Forced reservoir mixing (e.g., aeration) has the potential to provide a low-cost solution to discolouration (by the oxidation of manganese), reduction in disinfection by products and coagulant costs (by the removal of dissolved organic matter) and reduction in the need to treat water for taste and odour metabolites of cyanobacteria. Ideally, this can be achieved at a much-reduced carbon footprint compared to conventional treatment. Many utilities in the UK and globally are actively using a variety of mixing systems in their reservoirs; however, the success of these systems is currently quite variable/mixed. For sustainable reservoir management, it is critical to better understand how these systems influence biogeochemical and sediment transport processes controlling water quality. 

The HWTM project, funded by UK water utilities, builds on a combination of field and laboratory work, including seasonal site visits to utility-managed reservoir study sites across the UK, to provide holistic understanding of when and how utilities should mix their reservoirs.

You will join the project team consisting of scientists from the University of Bath and Cardiff University and water utility project partners to investigate mixing effectiveness via a comprehensive water and sediment monitoring campaign in mixed and non-mixed reservoirs. Your role will include collecting and analysing (e.g., IC spectroscopy, voltametric electrode profiling) seasonal sediment and water samples from reservoir project sites and collaborating with shared data management and analysis.

Ideally, you will have a background in field observations and water quality, and a valid UK driver’s license to support fieldwork travel. We expect applicants to apply for the role at Research Associate level to have PhD degree in a subject area of direct relevance for the project, or a professional qualification and equivalent significant relevant experience.

This role is fixed term from April 2023 with an expected end date of 14 Aril 2024. The position is part-time working 18.25 hours per week (0.5 FTE)

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Dr Lee Bryant (L.Bryant@bath.ac.uk).

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