Professor Vanessa Speight
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
Professor of Integrated Water Systems
+44 114 222 0259
Full contact details
School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
Room E103b
Sir Frederick Mappin Building (Broad Lane Building)
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
- Profile
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Prof Speight is an internationally recognised expert in drinking water quality with a focus on potable water distribution systems, applications of models and data analytics for decision support, public health risk, and regulatory/policy development. Her primary interests are understanding and modelling the reactions between hydraulics, microbiological constituents, and chemical contaminants within complex socio-technical urban water systems to design the innovative, sustainable water systems of the future.
Current research involves improving understanding about drinking water quality transformations from source to tap across raw water reactions, treatment processes, treated water storage, and water distribution, with a goal of integrating knowledge across these aspects that are rarely considered holistically. Vanessa’s approaches include laboratory experiments, field investigations, and data analytics to answer these important questions.
A new but rapidly expanding field of her research relates to intermittent water distribution systems, which are the dominant form of water supply for billions around the world, to better understand the impact of such operations on asset deterioration, water quality and public health. Ongoing research is investigating how network conditions and consumer usage jointly affect water supply and the impact of operations on water quality including biofilm growth, supported by laboratory and field work in Nepal.
Vanessa was Managing Director of TWENTY65, the EPSRC Grand Challenge Centre for Water working with 6 universities and 100+ industrial collaborative partners across the water cycle to develop flexible and synergistic solutions to meet future challenges for water. This research includes describing the drivers and technologies that might lead to a future with partially decentralised water systems, quantifying city-scale impacts of such transformations, greywater recycling, and water quality impacts of low water use devices.
Vanessa is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health, a Professional Engineer (Maryland USA), and Deputy Editor for the journal AWWA Water Science. She has an extensive history of professional service including conference organisation and scientific committee work for associations including AWWA, ASCE, and IWA.
- Qualifications
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- PhD, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- MS, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- BEng, McGill University
- Publications
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Journal articles
- Information-theoretic sensor placement for large sewer networks. Water Research, 122718-122718.
- A data‐driven predictive model for disinfectant residual in drinking water storage tanks. AWWA Water Science, 6(3).
- Forecasting acute rainfall driven E. coli impacts in inland rivers based on sewer monitoring and field runoff. Water Research, 248, 120838-120838.
- Broad Brush Surveys: a rapid qualitative assessment approach for water and sanitation infrastructure in urban sub-Saharan cities. Frontiers in Sustainable Cities, 5. View this article in WRRO
- The adaptive systemic approach: catalysing more just and sustainable outcomes from sustainability and natural resources development research. River Research and Applications. View this article in WRRO
- Managing discolouration in drinking water distribution systems by integrating understanding of material behaviour. Water Research, 243. View this article in WRRO
- Forecasting bacteriological presence in treated drinking water using machine learning. Frontiers in Water, 5. View this article in WRRO
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- Understanding and managing uncertainty and variability for wastewater monitoring beyond the pandemic : lessons learned from the United Kingdom national COVID-19 surveillance programmes. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 424(Part B).
- Defining domestic water consumption based on personal water use activities. Journal of Water Supply Research and Technology—AQUA, 70(7), 1002-1011.
- Evaluation of data-driven and process-based real-time flow forecasting techniques for informing operation of surface water abstraction. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 147(7). View this article in WRRO
- Optimizing surface water pumping operations utilizing hydrological forecasting and a genetic algorithm.
- The operational value of inlet monitoring at service reservoirs. Urban Water Journal, 17(8), 735-744. View this article in WRRO
- A neighbourhood-level analysis of the impact of common urban forms on energy use in drinking water distribution systems. Water Resources Management, 34, 2641-2655.
- Effect of pipe size and location on water-main head loss in water distribution systems. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 146(6).
- Predicting crater formation from failure of pressurized water mains through analogy with buried explosive events. Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice, 11(2). View this article in WRRO
- Catchment scale land use optimisation using genetic algorithm to mitigate acute diffuse pollution.
- Are secondary disinfectants performing as intended?. Journal American Water Works Association, 111(11), 38-43. View this article in WRRO
- Is Open Access a Cash Grab by Publishers or a Global Benefit to Researchers?. Journal AWWA, 111(10), 64-66.
- Thinking outside the treatment plant: UV for water distribution system disinfection. Accounts of Chemical Research, 52(5), 1226-1233. View this article in WRRO
- Identification of the causes of drinking water discolouration from machine learning analysis of historical datasets. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, 5(4), 747-755. View this article in WRRO
- Sustainable water systems of the future: how to ensure public health protection?. Perspectives in Public Health, 138(5), 248-249.
- Examining the energy performance associated with typical pipe unit head loss thresholds. Journal - American Water Works Association, 110(9), 15-27. View this article in WRRO
- Editorial. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Energy, 171(3), 91-92.
- Editorial. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Water Management, 171(3), 123-124.
- Identification of factors that influence energy performance in water distribution system mains. Water , 10(4). View this article in WRRO
- Energy metrics to evaluate the energy use and performance of water main assets. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 144(2). View this article in WRRO
- Understanding the costs of investigating coliform and E. coli detections during routine drinking water quality monitoring. Urban Water Journal, 15(2), 101-108. View this article in WRRO
- An assessment of sub-standard water pressure in South African potable distribution systems. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 7(4), 557-567. View this article in WRRO
- Ensemble decision tree models using RUSBoost for estimating risk of iron failure in drinking water distribution systems. Water Resources Management, 31(5), 1575-1589. View this article in WRRO
- Briefing: Disruptive socio-technical solutions to drive re-visualisation of water service provision. Proceedings of the ICE - Water Management, 170(3), 111-114. View this article in WRRO
- Impact of Urban Development on Energy Use in a Distribution System. Journal - American Water Works Association, 109, E10-E18.
- How do you like your tap water?. Science, 351(6276), 912-914.
- Innovation in the water industry: barriers and opportunities for US and UK utilities. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, 2(4), 301-313. View this article in WRRO
- Sensitivity Analysis of Energy Use in Pipe-Replacement Planning for a Large Water-Distribution Network. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 141(8).
- A risk-based methodology for contaminant prioritization. Journal - American Water Works Association, 106(3), E150-E159.
- Life‐cycle energy analysis of performance‐ versus age‐based pipe replacement schedules. Journal AWWA, 105(12).
- Research findings: What utility managers need to know. Journal AWWA, 105(1), 44-50.
- Research findings: What utility managers need to know. Journal AWWA, 104(1), 63-68.
- Recent Research Every Utility Manager Needs to Know About. Journal AWWA, 103(1), 48-59.
- Syngeries Between Security Research and Distribution System Water Quality Management. Journal AWWA, 102(2), 30-33.
- Model calibration and current usage in practice. Urban Water Journal, 6(1), 23-28.
- Association between residual chlorine loss and HAA reduction in distribution systems. Journal AWWA, 97(2), 82-91.
- Randomized Stratified Sampling Methodology for Water Quality in Distribution Systems. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 130(4), 330-338.
- Assessing Exposure to Disinfection By-Products in Women of Reproductive Age Living in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Cobb County, Georgia: Descriptive Results and Methods. Environmental Health Perspectives, 109(6), 597-597.
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- A metric for drinking water service reservoir performance as a sink or source of material. AQUA — Water Infrastructure, Ecosystems and Society.
- A Big Data framework for actionable information to manage drinking water quality. AQUA — Water Infrastructure, Ecosystems and Society. View this article in WRRO
- Short-term impacts of the filling transition across elevations in intermittent water supply systems. Urban Water Journal. View this article in WRRO
- CCWI2017: F3 'Exploring How Pipe-Level Energy Metrics Relate to Hydraulic Parameters Using Multivariate Analysis'.
Chapters
Conference proceedings papers
- Current Practices, Gaps and Opportunities in Data Utilization in Water Utility Industry. 15th International Conference on Hydroinformatics, 27 May 2024 - 30 May 2024.
- Predicting iron exceedance risk in drinking water distribution systems using machine learning. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Vol. 1136 (pp 012047). Bucharest, Romania, 4 July 2022 - 4 July 2022. View this article in WRRO
- A data-driven model for the prediction of chlorine losses in water distribution trunk mains. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Vol. 1136 (pp 012048). Bucharest, Romania, 4 July 2022 - 4 July 2022. View this article in WRRO
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- Pipe-level Energy Metrics for Energy Assessment in Water Distribution Networks. Procedia Engineering, Vol. 119 (pp 139-147)
- Impact of Urban form on Energy Use in Water Distribution Systems at the Neighbourhood Level. Procedia Engineering, Vol. 119 (pp 1049-1058)
- Data driven analysis of customer flow meter data. Procedia Engineering, Vol. 119 (pp 834-843)
- Current Perspectives on Disinfectant Modelling. Procedia Engineering, Vol. 119 (pp 434-441)
- Interpreting and estimating the risk of iron failures. Procedia Engineering, Vol. 119(1) (pp 299-308) View this article in WRRO
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- Sensitivity of Energy Use to Factors in Pipe Replacement Planning for a Large Water Distribution System. Procedia Engineering, Vol. 89 (pp 804-810)
- Residual Chlorine in the Extremities of the Drinking Water Distribution System: The Influence of Stochastic Water Demands. Procedia Engineering, Vol. 70 (pp 172-180)
- Impact of Pipe Roughness on Pumping Energy in Complex Distribution Systems. Procedia Engineering, Vol. 70 (pp 1575-1581)
- Development of Model Calibration Guidance. Water Distribution Systems Analysis 2008
- Integrated Planning for Dual Distribution Systems. World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2009
- Top-Down Construction of a Bridge in Clay Shale. Contemporary Topics in Ground Modification, Problem Soils, and Geo-Support
- Increasing Application of Water Quality Models. World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2008
- Development of a Phased Water Master Plan using Optimization. Water Distribution Systems Analysis Symposium 2006
- Using Monte-Carlo Simulation to Evaluate Alternative Water Quality Sampling Plans. Water Distribution Systems Analysis Symposium 2006
- Use of Distribution System Modeling in Designing Microbial Monitoring Programs. World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2007
- Water Quality Models for Analysis of Small System Operation: Case Study of Carthage, NC. World Water & Environmental Resources Congress 2003
- Incorporation and Mobilisation of Health-Related Organisms from within Drinking Water Biofilm. The 3rd International Joint Conference on Water Distribution Systems Analysis & Computing and Control for the Water Industry (WDSA/CCWI 2024), Vol. 214 (pp 115-115)
- Modelling Consumer Demand in Intermittent Water Supply (IWS) Networks: Evidence from Nepal. The 3rd International Joint Conference on Water Distribution Systems Analysis & Computing and Control for the Water Industry (WDSA/CCWI 2024), Vol. 51 (pp 38-38)
- The Impacts of Chlorine and Chloramine on Biofilms and Discolouration in Operational Drinking Water Distribution Systems. The 3rd International Joint Conference on Water Distribution Systems Analysis & Computing and Control for the Water Industry (WDSA/CCWI 2024), Vol. 2 (pp 2-2)
- Disinfection Residual Behaviour within Drinking Water Distribution Systems. Proceedings - 2nd International Join Conference on Water Distribution System Analysis (WDSA)& Computing and Control in the Water Industry (CCWI), 18 July 2022 - 22 July 2022.
- Discovering Differences in Iron and Manganese Behaviour in Service Reservoirs. Proceedings - 2nd International Join Conference on Water Distribution System Analysis (WDSA)& Computing and Control in the Water Industry (CCWI), 18 July 2022 - 22 July 2022.
- A Model of Intermittent Water Supply Simulating the Inequitable Distribution of Water. Proceedings - 2nd International Join Conference on Water Distribution System Analysis (WDSA)& Computing and Control in the Water Industry (CCWI), 18 July 2022 - 22 July 2022.
- CCWI2017: F2 'An Energy Evaluation of Common Hydraulic Thresholds in Water Mains'
Reports
Other
Preprints
- Understanding and managing uncertainty and variability for wastewater monitoring beyond the pandemic: Lessons learned from the United Kingdom National COVID-19 Surveillance Programmes, Wiley.
- Understanding and managing uncertainty and variability for wastewater monitoring beyond the pandemic: Lessons learned from the United Kingdom National COVID-19 Surveillance Programmes, Wiley.
- Information-theoretic sensor placement for large sewer networks. Water Research, 122718-122718.
- Research group
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Water Distribution Systems & Infrastructure
- Grants
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Projects
TWENTY65
The EPSRC-funded Grand Challenge Centre for Water, comprising 6 UK universities and 100+ industrial partners working in collaboration to develop the sustainable water solutions of the future and to accelerate innovation uptake across the water sector.
Material Destiny
A collaborative project with 4 UK water companies to better understand the source, fate and transport of materials from source to tap in drinking water systems, with a particular focus on storage reservoirs.
ICASP Catchment Telemetry Integration
Working with the Living with Water Partnership in the Hull (UK) area, this project is evaluating data-driven approaches to extract value from a number of disparate monitoring systems with a goal of better understanding flooding dynamics and developing approaches for early flood warning.
Wat-Qual
The multidisciplinary Wat-Qual consortium (funded by EU Horizon 2020 Marie Curie RISE) includes participation from 10 countries spanning academic and industrial institutions to advance understanding and share knowledge about the impacts on drinking water quality in distribution systems from flushing, disinfection, and repairs.
Real Time Monitoring Technologies of Bacteria Downstream of Water Treatment Work
Funded jointly by UK Water Industry Research and TWENTY65, this project evaluates the potential applications for incorporating real-time microbiological monitoring into water distribution system management.
Characterizing the Effects of Supply Hours and Pressure of Intermittent Piped Water Supplies on Water Quality
More than one billion people regularly receive water through distribution systems that are operated intermittently, i.e. for fewer than 24 hours per day, with an estimated 17 million waterborne disease cases potentially associated with this practice worldwide each year.
This research is developing a fundamental understanding of the microbial ecology of intermittently operated water distribution systems to inform operational or construction risk reduction strategies. Funded by US NSF and EPSRC, this project is a collaboration between the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Sheffield.
- Professional activities and memberships
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- Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health
- Editorial Board Member, Public Health in Practice
- Associate Editor, AWWA Water Science
- Adjunct Assistant Professor, Dept of Civil Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Professional Engineer (VA and MD, USA)