ABSTRACT
Effective pollution control requires a detailed catchment-wide appreciation of the impact of pollution loadings on the total receiving-water systems and the implications for the associated sewerage systems of any proposed modifications to the discharge consents. The creation of the United Kingdom Water Industry into large water companies with environmental regulation by the National Rivers Authority has resulted in the development of approaches to pollution management which are cost effective. Outside the water cycle, the Water Research Centre also carries out general environmental research on subjects which include aspects of industrial water management, waste disposal, land contamination, and air pollution. Cost-effective pollution management requires a sound knowledge of the system performance, and pollution management studies should be built into asset management plans. In order to apply the Environmental Quality Objective/Environmental Quality Standards approach to urban pollution control, collaboration is necessary between those discharging to the environment and the organizations charged with regulation.
