WIRe Summer Challenge 2025

Following the Annual WIRe CDT One-Day Conference, we went straight into the Summer Challenge with Cohorts IV, V and VI! This year’s Challenge theme was Water Reuse in the UK.

 

The PhD students were split into groups, and each team was tackling a real-life case study on this theme - they were expected to provide technical solutions, publicity campaigns and develop plans for potential research programmes.

 

  • Group 1 was looking into alternative water sources for golf courses in Anglian Water region ⛳
  • Group 2 investigated direct reuse of wastewater for agriculture 🌱
  • Group 3 explored the possibility of direct reuse of wastewater for a new AI centre 💻
  • Group 4 considered how to recharge a reservoir with treated wastewater 💧
  • Group 5 proposed water sources for green hydrogen plants 🏞️

 

To help provide context to the topic of water re-use, on the first day of the Challenge, we had a series of talks by experts in the field:

 

  • Geoff Darch (Anglian Water) discussed supply-demand challenges and the potential for re-use, providing insight to Anglian Water's perspectives and goals looking forward to the future as one of the suppliers for the driest region in the UK
  • Mar Batista Seguí (Anglian Water) introduced the innovation process and challenges - what are the barriers to developing new systems and processes in the water sector?
  • Heather Smith (Cranfield University) looked at the UK's position on water recycling and re-use, emphasising the importance of communications and public engagement
  • Thomas Young (TEP - The Environment Partnership) then rounded off the morning with a discussion around international best practice of water recycling - what is already being done? There are a lot of creative methods to re-use water around the world!
Mar presenting - she is wearing a white shirt and red patterned trousers, standing to the left of a projector screen
Mar Batista Seguí
Geoff is stood with his back to the camera, facing an audience of people sat around round tables. he is wearing a blue shirt and dark trousers
Geoff Darch's introduction
Heather presenting; she is wearing a white shirt and a yellow skirt, stood to the left of a projector screen
Heather Smith presenting
Thomas Young presenting for the summer challenge. He is wearing a light shirt and dark trousers, stood to the left of a projector screen
Tom Young's presentation

The students were then hard at work figuring out how to tackle their own water re-use scenarios.

A group of students discuss their summer challenge scenario. Four students are sat around a table, one of them is speaking to the rest. they all have laptops
The students discussing their summer challenge scenario
A group of students discuss their summer challenge scenario. six students are sat around a table, one of them is speaking to the rest. they all have laptops
A group of students discusses the summer challenge

In the afternoon, Chris Jameson from Inside Edge Media Training delivered a workshop for our PhD students. Chris helped the students understand media strategy, including how to answer tricky questions, make good first impressions, and to channel their 'inner Oprah' in front of the camera. Throughout their PhD journeys, these communication skills will help the students share their research to a range of audiences.

Chris walking towards an audience of people sat around round tables. he is wearing a dark shirt and green trousers.
Chris Jameson's media training workshop
several people sat around tables are pictures laughing
Chris' workshop was an entertaining introduction to media training

The following morning, the groups of students each had the opportunity to meet with experts in the water sector to ask them questions around their scenarios to help them prepare their solutions.

 

After working hard all day, in the afternoon we had the chance to explore the local Nene Park and walk over the Ferry Meadows, which also happened to be a good opportunity to explore the local water infrastructure!

A group of 14 people stand in a row smiling at the camera. they are smiling in the sun. behind them is a lake with a narrow boat on it
Staff and students at Ferry Meadows

On the Thursday of Challenge Week, each group gave Town Hall style presentations. In the audience was a range of experts from industry and academia, as well as Chris Jameson from the media training. The audience asked a wide range of questions, putting the students on the spot, acting as a variety of stakeholders, including concerned members of the public, journalists, industry experts, and charity representatives.

two people sit behind a table with microphones in front of them, the person on the right is presenting to an audience that is off camera.
Students presenting in a Town Hall meeting
three people sit behind a table, presenting to an audience sat in rows in front of them.
The Town Hall audience

Chris Jameson provided feedback on their Town Hall presentations that afternoon – overall our students did really well at using their new media skills!

 

Thursday evening included the annual WIRe CDT rounders match – as always, it got a bit competitive; congratulations to the winning team!

A group of people stand smiling at the camera outside in the sun. some are holding rounders bats. one is holding a trophy and another is holding a box of chocolates
The winning rounders team!

On the final day of the Challenge, each group presented their proposal for their water re-use strategy for their scenarios.

Each group did really well at proposing a method to reuse water to reduce potable water consumption for non-drinking purposes. The presentations also included the production of a video for social media, which were all very creative!

 

Congratulations to Group 1 who won the prize for the Best Summer Challenge Proposal! We were very impressed with their proposal on how to reduce the amount of potable water used for irrigation on golf courses - well done 

Group 2 presenting their summer challenge proposal. on the left of the screen a man wearing a grey shirt and green trousers talks to the audience off camera. two people stand behind him
Students presenting from Group 2. From left to right: Jasper Wressell (Cohort VI), Alan Smalley (Cohort III), Ana Amezaga-Kutija (Cohort IV)
Group 3 presenting their summer challenge proposal. in the centre of the field of view a man wearing a black shirt and grey trousers talks to the audience (off camera). two people stand behind him
Students presenting from Group 3. From left to right: Mohammad Shekofteh (Cohort V), Cerith Rhys-Morgan (Cohort V), Sreelakshmi Babu (Cohort III)
Group 4 presenting their summer challenge proposal. on the left of the field of view a woman wearing a white shirt, brown trousers, and a brown and leopard print headscarf talks to the audience (off camera). three people stand behind her
Students presenting from Group 4. From left to right: Linda Alobaidy (Cohort VI), Raman Suri (Cohort IV), Tomas Hotzel Escardo (Cohort V), Zachary Thomspon (Cohort IV)
A group of six people stand smiling at the camera in a row
The winning team - Group 1! From left to right: Vincent Smith (Cohort VI), Vladislav Dukhovskoy (Cohort V), Polly Grundy (Cohort III), Kaeli Brazier (Cohort IV), Blessing Mobolaji (Cohort IV), Peter Jarvis (WIRe CDT Director)

We hope everyone enjoyed the Summer Challenge this year, we are already looking forward to the next one. A big thank you to our colleagues with Anglian Water for supporting this week, and to Jackie Whelan for making the whole week happen!