Students were given a valuable lesson in keeping one step ahead of flooding misery by attending a guest seminar with Sam Hawkins from leading hard landscaping manufacturer Marshalls Water Management.
The practical and interactive lecture, called Designing Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), gave Brunel University London’s MSc Water Engineering and BEng and MEng Civil Engineering students an insight into the company’s natural approach to managing drainage in and around developments, which work by slowing and holding back the water that runs off from a site, allowing natural processes to break down pollutants.
Horizon 2020 grant winner Dr Evina Katsou, who organised the seminar, said: “We are planning to establish a long lasting collaboration between Brunel and Marshalls, who will join our Industrial Advisory Board. Thus, Brunel graduates will be equipped with industrial applications for water management, which will be an asset for their career.
“We are looking forward to organising something similar for next year as it was a valuable experience for our students.“
Sam, Marshalls’ Drainage Engineer, said: “Flooding is sadly becoming a more frequent event due to increased development and climate change, so it is important to share our experiences within the sustainable drainage field with students who will be designing our systems in the future.
“Marshalls are at the cutting edge of water management product innovation, and Brunel University London is at the forefront of Civil Engineering. The university wants to give its students as much hands-on experience as possible, and we’re happy to assist with this in any way we can.”