Dr Stewart Husband

Department of Civil and Structural Engineering

Research Fellow of Drinking Water Quality

Stewart Husband
Profile picture of Stewart Husband
s.husband@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 7901 109027

Full contact details

Dr Stewart Husband
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering
Sir Frederick Mappin Building (Broad Lane Building)
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
Profile

My research investigates how drinking water quality changes during transport through massive distribution pipe networks and how we can best manage this complex ecosystem. 

Dr Stewart Husband


Stewart holds a masters in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering from the University of Surrey and a post-graduate teaching degree from the University of Bristol. After teaching secondary science, he joined the University of Sheffield researching the impacts of distribution systems on drinking water quality where he completed his Ph.D. He continues to develop the internationally verified concept of cohesive material layers and highlighting biofilms as a key processes. He has undertaken thousands of trials in live networks, developed monitoring equipment, constructed full scale laboratory pipe systems, hosts open-access models and supports companies worldwide delivering operational benefits that has resulted in multi-million savings and improved delivered water quality.

Research interests

Drinking water distribution systems provide an essential service, yet these large and complex engineering infrastructures that typically remain hidden and buried underground, are also living ecosystems hosting continual physico-chemical and biological interactions.

Although normally an operating equilibrium is established, any network change, planned or otherwise, can create either widespread or localised issues such as discolouration.

To effectively manage these systems therefore, we need to understand the behaviour and how our actions impact the microbial communities and release of material that accumulates across all surfaces.

This can be achieved by detailed study and monitoring, and with many years researching distribution systems, constructing world leading laboratory facilities and 1000’s of field trials across the UK and internationally, we have fully validated the concepts now known in the industry as PODDS.

By applying this developed understanding and modelling skills, operational practices in partner water companies has been transformed, leading to improved resilience, service and water quality plus resource efficiencies and multi-million savings.

Critically as living systems, research is now focussing on conserving this vital resource, the impact of climate changes and the health implications to all of us as consumers.

Publications

Journal articles

Chapters

  • Speight V, boxall JB, Husband PS, Cantor AF, Friedman M, Jacque A & Slabaugh R (2017) Fundamentals of internal corrosion and metal release In Giani R (Ed.), M58--internal Corrosion Control in Water Distribution Systems American Water Works Association RIS download Bibtex download

Conference proceedings papers

  • Kazemi E, Kyritsakas G, Husband P, Flavell K, Speight V & Boxall J (2022) Predicting Iron Exceedance Risk in Drinking Water Distribution Systems Using Machine Learning. 14th International Conference on Hydroinformatics, 4 July 2022 - 8 July 2022. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Gleeson K, Husband P, gaffney J & Boxall J (2022) Determining the spatio-temporal relationship between water quality monitors in drinking water distribution systems. 14th International Conference on Hydroinformatics, 4 July 2022 - 8 July 2022. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Doronina A, Husband P, Speight V & Boxall J (2019) The operational value of inlet monitoring at service reservoirs. Proceedings of the 17th International Computing and Control for the Water Industry Conference, 1 September 2019 - 4 September 2019. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Husband P, Boxall J & Al-Saffar MSA (2019) Discolouration modelling. Proceedings of the 17th International Computing and Control for the Water Industry Conference, 1 September 2019 - 4 September 2019. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kazemi E, Mounce SR, Husband PS & Boxall JB (2018) Predicting turbidity in water distribution trunk mains using nonlinear autoregressive exogenous artificial neural networks. HIC 2018. 13th International Conference on Hydroinformatics, Vol. 3 (pp 1030-1039), 1 July 2018 - 6 July 2018. View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Husband PS & Al-Saffar M (2018) Optimising Flow Conditioning in Operational Trunk Mains for Discolouration Risk Reduction and Maintaining Network Resilience. Vol 1 (2018): WDSA / CCWI Joint Conference 2018 RIS download Bibtex download
  • Husband S & Boxall J (2018) Understanding material accumulation and discolouration risk in distribution networks. 1st International WDSA / CCWI 2018 Joint Conference RIS download Bibtex download
  • Fish KE, Husband SP & Boxall JB (2018) The impact of chlorine concentration on the discolouration response of biofilms in drinking water distribution systems. 1st International WDSA / CCWI 2018 Joint Conference RIS download Bibtex download
  • Douterelo I, Calero C & Husband S (2018) Monitoring biofilm communities in operational drinking water distribution systems and the impact on water quality. 1st International WDSA / CCWI 2018 Joint Conference RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sunny I, Husband S & Boxall J (2018) Seasonal temperature and turbiditybehaviour in trunkmains. 1st International WDSA / CCWI 2018 Joint Conference RIS download Bibtex download
  • Husband PS & Cook D (2017) Rusby Wood a Smart Network for Sustainable Discolouration Risk Reduction. CCWI2017, 5 September 2017 - 7 September 2017. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sunny I, Husband S, Moore G, Drake N, McKenzie K & Boxall J (2017) Discolouration risk management and chlorine wall decay. CCWI 2017 - 15th International Conference on Computing and Control for the Water Industry RIS download Bibtex download
  • Husband S, Jackson M & Boxall J (2015) Identifying Material Accumulation Processes in Drinking Water Distribution Systems with Extended Period EPANET MSX Turbidity Simulations. Procedia Engineering, Vol. 119 (pp 398-406) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Mounce SR, Husband SP, Furnass WR & Boxall JB (2014) Multivariate Data Mining for Estimating the Rate of Discoloration Material Accumulation in Drinking Water Systems. Procedia Engineering, Vol. 89 (pp 173-180) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Husband S, Mistry J & Boxall J (2014) Modelling and Flow Conditioning to Manage Discolouration in Trunk Mains. Procedia Engineering, Vol. 70 (pp 833-842) View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Husband S, Xin Y & Boxall JB (2012) Long Term Asset Condition and Discolouration Modelling in Water Distribution Systems with Epanet MSX. World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2012 RIS download Bibtex download
  • Husband S & Boxall JB (2012) Misleading Velocity Analysis for Water Quality Management in Transmission Mains. World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2012 RIS download Bibtex download
  • Husband S, Jackson M & Boxall JB (2011) Trunk main discolouration trials and strategic planning. Urban Water Management: Challenges and Oppurtunities - 11th International Conference on Computing and Control for the Water Industry, CCWI 2011, Vol. 2 RIS download Bibtex download
  • Seth AD, Husband PS & Boxall JB (2010) Rivelin trunk main flow test. INTEGRATING WATER SYSTEMS (pp 431-434) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Husband S, Williams R & Boxall JB (2010) Discolouration risk management for trunk mains. 11th Annual International Symposium on Water Distribution Systems Analysis. Arizona, USA RIS download Bibtex download
  • Husband PS & Boxall JB (2008) Water distribution system asset deterioration and impact on water quality - A case study. World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2008: Ahupua'a - Proceedings of the World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2008, Vol. 316 RIS download Bibtex download
  • Boxall JB, Unwin DM, Husband PS, Saul AJ, Dewis N & Gunstead JD (2003) Water quality in distribution systems: rehabilitation and maintenance strategies. ADVANCES IN WATER SUPPLY MANAGEMENT (pp 397-404) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Lokk R, Blokker M, Boxall J, Romano M, Provost A & Husband S () The impact of drinking water network model spatial and temporal scale on hydraulic metrics indicating discolouration risk. 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. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Doronina A, Husband S, Boxall J & Speight V () 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. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Fish K, Douterelo , husband & Boxall JB () The impact of hydraulic conditions upon drinking water distribution system biofilms. biofilms’ IWA Specialist Conference Biofilms in Drinking Water systems from treatment to tap. Arosa, Switzerland, 23 August 2015 - 26 August 2015. RIS download Bibtex download
  • husband , douterelo , fish & Boxall JB () Biofilms and Discolouration Material Accumulation Processes in Drinking Water Distribution Systems and Modelling the Hydraulic. IWA Specialist Conference Biofilms in Drinking Water systems from treatment to tap. Arosa, Switzerland, 23 August 2015 - 26 August 2015. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Sunny IZ, Husband S, Moore G, Drake N, Mckenzie K & Boxall J () CCWI2017: F86 'DISCOLOURATION RISK MANAGEMENT AND CHLORINE WALL DECAY' RIS download Bibtex download
Grants

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