Project 5 - Evaluating contaminant dynamics and mitigation solutions in urban rainwater harvesting systems

Are you passionate about solving complex environmental challenges? Interested in creating non-toxic environments that benefit society and nature alike? This innovative and exciting PhD project, co-designed with non-academic partners, is part of the NERC-funded ECOSOLUTIONS Doctoral Focal Award, and offers the opportunity to address real world challenges with key opinion-formers to help support sustainable chemical development and create non-toxic urban & rural landscapes.

Project details:

Urban rainwater harvesting offers a decentralised strategy to mitigate urban water scarcity and reduce stormwater runoff. However, atmospheric deposition, roof catchment materials, and urban debris introduce physicochemical and biological contaminants that might compromise environmental and public health. This project will deliver an assessment of contaminant dynamics (i.e. key chemical and biological contaminants) within these systems and will explore low-cost mitigation solutions for safe water non-potable reuse. The investigation employs an interdisciplinary methodological approach. First, field sampling across urban rainwater systems will be conducted to understand dynamics of key chemicals found in rainwater harvesting (e.g. metals) alongside microbial indicators (coliforms and pathogens). The second phase will evaluate low-cost treatment interventions to mitigate identified pollutants. This includes an automated first-flush diversion approach, testing filtration methods such as activated carbon, and evaluating passive solar-thermal disinfection technologies. A complementary data-driven modelling component will use the field dataset to identify the key factors controlling contaminant occurrence and treatment performance in harvested rainwater. Statistical models will examine relationships between contaminant concentrations and variables such as rainfall characteristics, dry period, roof type, and basic water quality parameters. These relationships will be combined with first-flush and treatment data to explore practical mitigation scenarios and identify conditions associated with elevated contamination risk. The modelling will therefore provide a simple predictive and decision-support framework that extends the value of the experimental dataset. Ultimately, the project will advance sustainable, climate-resilient water reuse solutions in urban environments.

The ECOSOLUTIONS DFA

Led by the Universities of Sheffield and York and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, ECOSOLUTIONS is a cutting-edge, transdisciplinary initiative. This innovative programme combines science, policy, and societal engagement to transform chemicals policy and management, enabling a safe, sustainable chemicals sector and non-toxic environments. This project is one of 19 projects that are available for the third ECOSOLUTIONS and final cohort who will work together to begin to understand and solve the problems of sustainable chemical design and use, as well tackling the problems that pollution causes in urban environments, rural landscapes and food systems.

What You will Gain

As an ECOSOLUTIONS PhD student, you will work with world-leading experts across diverse fields such as ecology, data science, digital solutions, chemistry, geography, psychology, environmental engineering, policy, and law. You will learn to tackle the risks posed by chemicals while enabling their societal benefits, adopting a whole-systems and solutions-focused approach.

You will receive 3 years and 9 months of funding and take part in a dynamic training and development programme, including:

• Induction course: Connect with fellow students, supervisors, and the ECOSOLUTIONS team while exploring the programme’s mission.
• Primer course: Gain foundational knowledge on the environmental risks that chemicals pose, policy landscapes, and sustainable chemical innovation.
• Transferable skills workshops: Master data management, big data methods, research practices, communication, stakeholder engagement and more.
• Systems-solutions workshops: Collaborate across disciplines to explore sustainable chemical design and development, address pollution in urban & rural landscapes, and develop actionable solutions.
• Three-month secondment: Joint Nature Conservation Committee
• International conferences: Share your findings and network with global experts.

The skills you will need

To do this project you will need the following essential skills:

• Laboratory skills
• Field experience
• Data analysis and/or modelling

Eligibility

To be considered for the ECOSOLUTIONS DFA, you will need at least an upper 2nd class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline.

As a collaboration of international research-led universities, we welcome students from all walks of life and from across the world. Within our programme, we are dedicated to diversifying our community.

As part of our ongoing work to improve Equality, Diversity and Inclusion we strongly encourage applications from UK/Home candidates from identified underrepresented groups: Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, those from a disadvantaged socio-economic background, and disabled people.

Start Your Research Career with ECOSOLUTIONS:

This PhD is part of the ECOSOLUTIONS Doctoral Focal Award (DFA), a prestigious NERC-funded program dedicated to training the next generation of environmental practitioners. For more details and a full list of other PhD projects under this programme, visit: https://ecosolutions.sites.sheffield.ac.uk/

Application Web Page:

For more information on how to apply, please visit the ECOSOLUTIONS website: https://ecosolutions.sites.sheffield.ac.uk/

Project specific enquiries: Dr Isabel Douterelo Soler, i.douterelo@sheffield.ac.uk

Funding Notes

This is a full scholarship which will cover tuition fees and provide an annual stipend in line with UKRI recommended levels (£21,805 for the 2026/2027 academic year, TBC in 2027/2028) for the 45 months duration.

Due to CDT funding rules and Institutional policies, there is a cap on the number of scholarships that can be awarded to DFA students. Once this limit has been reached, ECOSOLUTIONS DFA scholarships will only be awarded to students who are eligible for Home fee status. York and UKCEH led projects can only fund applications from UK/Home eligible applicants and Sheffield can accept applications from both with very limited places for international students.