Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Co-UDlabs (Building Collaborative Urban Drainage research labs communities)
Reporting period: 2021-05-01 to 2022-10-31
The aim of the Co-UDlabs project is to integrate research and innovation activities in the field of Urban Drainage Systems (UDS). Because of the pressing challenges of population growth, the climate emergency, untreated stormwater, and public health threats caused by emerging pollutants and pathogens, smart, resilient, and sustainable urban drainage systems are more essential than ever in the transformation of our urban environment. In this context, large-scale research facilities can be crucial to promote research and pathbreaking approaches to a new way of designing and implementing innovations in urban drainage systems.
Co-UDlabs aims to integrate 17 key large-scale research facilities across Europe and provide a transnational multidisciplinary collaborative research infrastructure that will allow stakeholders, academic researchers, and industry in the urban drainage and water sectors to collaborate, share ideas, and co-produce innovative technology and academic research.
Co-UDlabs addresses the following specific objectives:
a) A culture of co-operation among Research Infrastructures and their providers, engaging with the urban drainage community and developing a more open and diverse research and innovation environment.
b) Free-of-charge Transnational Access through competitive, open global calls for proposals, making 17 top-level installations available to whole communities of researchers and stakeholders.
c) Improved quality and quantity of services offered at the European level in the urban drainage and water management sectors, expanding the current horizons of sustainability research through a diversity of methods, techniques, and technical expertise.
Co-UDlabs aims to integrate 17 key large-scale research facilities across Europe and provide a transnational multidisciplinary collaborative research infrastructure that will allow stakeholders, academic researchers, and industry in the urban drainage and water sectors to collaborate, share ideas, and co-produce innovative technology and academic research.
Co-UDlabs addresses the following specific objectives:
a) A culture of co-operation among Research Infrastructures and their providers, engaging with the urban drainage community and developing a more open and diverse research and innovation environment.
b) Free-of-charge Transnational Access through competitive, open global calls for proposals, making 17 top-level installations available to whole communities of researchers and stakeholders.
c) Improved quality and quantity of services offered at the European level in the urban drainage and water management sectors, expanding the current horizons of sustainability research through a diversity of methods, techniques, and technical expertise.
During the first 18 months of the project, Co-UDlabs has worked extensively on the consolidation of its unique Research Infrastructure. At the end of Reporting Period 1 (RP1), Co-UDlabs had successfully opened its first global call for Transnational Access (TA) proposals, with 13 selected proposals, user-groups led by institutions from 11 different countries, users from 18 countries, over 60 different institutions participating in the call, and almost 100 first-time users obtaining free-of-charge access to the Co-UDlabs’ Research Infrastructure. Four Co-UDlabs partners had been able to begin selected Transnational Access (TA) projects at their facilities by the end of RP1.
In RP1, moreover, the consortium ensured the publication of an updated Data Management Plan and the establishment of its first open-access databases from Joint Research Activities (JRAs) and Networking Activities (NAs) planned in Co-UDlabs’ Grant Agreement. As far as dissemination is concerned, Co-UDlabs has also consolidated its web presence and activity. Co-UDlabs’ website has been visited on average by 80 unique visitors per month, and nearly 40 news and event reports have been published online to date. Social media presence has also been supportive of Co-UDlabs’ activities: the project’s Twitter account has so far recorded over 64,000 impressions and nearly 18,000 profile views. Co-UDlabs was also able to set up workshops and open events at two major international conferences such as IWA’s World Water Congress (September 2022) and the 10th International Conference on Sewer Processes and Networks (SPN10, August 2022).
An extensive review work allowed Co-UDlabs to define a state-of-the-art overview of the needs and strategic interests of the UDS community, which will work as both guidelines for the improvement of Co-UDlabs Research Infrastructure and as the seminal core of academic publications. Co-UDlabs' Work Packages have also worked on the harmonisation of methodologies, procedures, and data from the different facilities of the consortium, promoting the exchange of best practices among researchers. The consortium has worked extensively on training and education activities with industry, the research community, and the public at large — including regulators, public utilities, and users. At the end of RP1, Co-UDlabs had already organised two early-stage researchers’ events to promote the work of young and junior researchers from member institutions and their partners; an online webinar on cutting-edge µFTIR techniques, one workshop on UD practice and research needs; and an introductory webinar and a Hackathon event designed to advertise the TA call and enhance participation.
Co-UDlabs partners have also taken part in 7 scientific conferences, 7 national events related to the UD and water management sectors, one exhibition trade event, and have contributed to 9 scientific events related to TA activities.
The project has developed an Urban Drainage Metrology Toolbox, which will be openly available following the current phase of internal testing. Partners are also working on the development of an open database of CCTV image defects and a related Deep Learning Toolbox that will contribute significantly to automatisation of sewer operator tasks and planning. One joint research activity is being devoted to the development of scalable hydrodynamic performance protocols, collecting data and assessments on new techniques to build up topography/geometry of Urban Drainage infrastructure with high resolution. Current experimental work includes measurement of transport of pollution from sewers to surface, the interception of microplastics by stilling stormwater basins, the determination of sediment deposits in urban drainage infrastructure from high-resolution temperature signals, and the definition of standard methods to assess permeable pavement performance and increase understanding of clogging process.
In RP1, moreover, the consortium ensured the publication of an updated Data Management Plan and the establishment of its first open-access databases from Joint Research Activities (JRAs) and Networking Activities (NAs) planned in Co-UDlabs’ Grant Agreement. As far as dissemination is concerned, Co-UDlabs has also consolidated its web presence and activity. Co-UDlabs’ website has been visited on average by 80 unique visitors per month, and nearly 40 news and event reports have been published online to date. Social media presence has also been supportive of Co-UDlabs’ activities: the project’s Twitter account has so far recorded over 64,000 impressions and nearly 18,000 profile views. Co-UDlabs was also able to set up workshops and open events at two major international conferences such as IWA’s World Water Congress (September 2022) and the 10th International Conference on Sewer Processes and Networks (SPN10, August 2022).
An extensive review work allowed Co-UDlabs to define a state-of-the-art overview of the needs and strategic interests of the UDS community, which will work as both guidelines for the improvement of Co-UDlabs Research Infrastructure and as the seminal core of academic publications. Co-UDlabs' Work Packages have also worked on the harmonisation of methodologies, procedures, and data from the different facilities of the consortium, promoting the exchange of best practices among researchers. The consortium has worked extensively on training and education activities with industry, the research community, and the public at large — including regulators, public utilities, and users. At the end of RP1, Co-UDlabs had already organised two early-stage researchers’ events to promote the work of young and junior researchers from member institutions and their partners; an online webinar on cutting-edge µFTIR techniques, one workshop on UD practice and research needs; and an introductory webinar and a Hackathon event designed to advertise the TA call and enhance participation.
Co-UDlabs partners have also taken part in 7 scientific conferences, 7 national events related to the UD and water management sectors, one exhibition trade event, and have contributed to 9 scientific events related to TA activities.
The project has developed an Urban Drainage Metrology Toolbox, which will be openly available following the current phase of internal testing. Partners are also working on the development of an open database of CCTV image defects and a related Deep Learning Toolbox that will contribute significantly to automatisation of sewer operator tasks and planning. One joint research activity is being devoted to the development of scalable hydrodynamic performance protocols, collecting data and assessments on new techniques to build up topography/geometry of Urban Drainage infrastructure with high resolution. Current experimental work includes measurement of transport of pollution from sewers to surface, the interception of microplastics by stilling stormwater basins, the determination of sediment deposits in urban drainage infrastructure from high-resolution temperature signals, and the definition of standard methods to assess permeable pavement performance and increase understanding of clogging process.
At this stage of project implementation, the main contributions to the state of the art in the fields of urban drainage and water management should refer mainly to three items:
a) The overview of current needs, developments, and requirements in the UDS community and industry has been the backbone of Co-UDlabs’ contribution to the EU-wide institutional debate on the future of water management and wastewater treatment regulation in the Union.
b) Current advances in monitoring technologies development within the project have been limited by the fact that most related tasks are expected to deliver later into the lifetime of the project. However, the current developments of the UD Metrology and the Deep Learning Toolboxes are promising and encouraging progress in a field with outstanding technological and innovation potential.
c) Finally, the successful inception of the TA programme casts a very promising light on its potential as a mutual-learning, knowledge-exchange, and innovation-driving initiative. The European Commission has been vocal in its support to have as many opportunities to empower user-groups and participants and increase access to Co-UDlabs facilities as possible, and Co-UDlabs expects all TA partners to have hosted at least one experimental visit before the end of the project’s lifetime.
a) The overview of current needs, developments, and requirements in the UDS community and industry has been the backbone of Co-UDlabs’ contribution to the EU-wide institutional debate on the future of water management and wastewater treatment regulation in the Union.
b) Current advances in monitoring technologies development within the project have been limited by the fact that most related tasks are expected to deliver later into the lifetime of the project. However, the current developments of the UD Metrology and the Deep Learning Toolboxes are promising and encouraging progress in a field with outstanding technological and innovation potential.
c) Finally, the successful inception of the TA programme casts a very promising light on its potential as a mutual-learning, knowledge-exchange, and innovation-driving initiative. The European Commission has been vocal in its support to have as many opportunities to empower user-groups and participants and increase access to Co-UDlabs facilities as possible, and Co-UDlabs expects all TA partners to have hosted at least one experimental visit before the end of the project’s lifetime.