Stephen Buss Environmental Consulting

PROJECT OVERVIEW: Stephen Buss Environmental Consulting is a private practise based in Shrewsbury, offering environmental advice to regulators, large and small commercial organisations, and property developers. He provides hydrogeology services in a range of areas including contaminated land, modelling of water resource availability and basement impact assessments.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES: Dr Stephen Buss found CREST@UCS through the Shrewsbury Water Forum and wanted us to explore field based methods for reduction of nitrate contamination in run- off so that surface waters and drinking water are less polluted. Although in-ditch treatment systems are not, in themselves, novel, no feasibility assessment or design optimisation has ever been undertaken.

PROJECT SOLUTIONS: Initial CREST@UCS support involved a literature review of bioreactor research, establishing existing bioreactors in the UK, and liaising with Shropshire Wildlife Trust to seek access to sites. Our partner, University Centre Reaseheath, was utilised to conduct field site trials. This included the installation of several in-ditch bioreactors, where tests are being undertaken to establish the distribution residence times. In due course, these will be used to test actual pollutant reductions, therefore allowing us to establish the most effective bioreactor design.