South West Water and its partners have launched a pioneering new project that will harness cutting-edge technology to develop tools to predict and manage harmful algal blooms (HABS) before they grow.

South West Water is among 16 winning projects that have been awarded funding through the Ofwat Innovation Fund’s fifth Water Breakthrough Challenge, securing support for its innovative algal project.

Just weeks before the school holidays began in the Lake District, Blue Green Algae samples exceeded World Health Organisation (WHO) limits for recreational use of Lake Windermere, according to campaigning organisation Save Windermere.

A new research study has found a direct correlation between visitor numbers and algal spikes in Windermere, with algal growth also exacerbated during prolonged warm, dry weather periods.

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water has invested £3.5 million to upgrade the wastewater treatment works in Weobley, Herefordshire.

Natural England has downgraded the environmental condition of the Somerset Levels and Moors Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) due to water quality issues - phosphates are causing algal blooms in the Somerset Levels, like Tealham SSSI.

Welsh Water has secured £167k of funding for an innovative research new project to develop a rapid early detection process solution to address the problem of blue-green algae before it reaches the treatment works.

Yorkshire Water has started a £17 million scheme to improve the final effluent released into rivers and becks from four of its sewage plants to help meet environmental targets on phosphorus removal.

A team from Nottingham Trent University has developed a new way to combat the globally difficult problems of eutrophication, hypoxia and dead zones which lead to the growth of harmful algal blooms (HABs) using oxygen nanobubble-modified clay.