Catchment areas are geographic regions where water drains to a common water body. They cover a variety of landscapes and land use including:

• natural areas
• agriculture
• industrial estates
• villages, towns and cities

We're developing novel catchment management principles that address the cause of pollutants damaging our waters. In the past, the focus has been on removing pollutants at the end of processes like drinking water production or wastewater treatment. But end-of-pipe solutions are expensive and treat the problem, not the cause.

We're designing new frameworks based on upstream catchment management for water utilities and other commercial land users. Our research looks at preventing or reducing waste at the source. This is cheaper than controlling or removing pollution after it has entered the catchment area. And, in the long term, it's a more sustainable solution to protecting the environment. For example, our research could help farmers manage their waste better to prevent pollution as well as get value out of their waste through reuse.

We're also investigating the impact of contaminants such as pharmaceuticals on the water environment. We're developing whole-system approaches, building on life-cycle assessment and costing, industrial ecology and GIS to generate novel ways to do this.

We must bridge the communication gap between the source of waste and the end of its journey to prevent pollution. We're working to bring together those at the source, such as pharmaceutical companies or farmers, with the water utilities responsible for treating the water. Our new practices will inform and benefit water utilities, citizens and water regulators.