Project Lead
Mechanical and Construction Engineering Department
Email: martin.crapper@northumbria.ac.uk
Project Themes
The supply of safe, clean water and management of wastewater for public health and environmental reasons are crucial to urban development, and always have been. As cities grow, and form a focus for their surrounding rural environments, and in the face of the Climate Emergency affecting water resources in complex ways, the management of urban water grows more important. Northumbrian Water Limited, which deals with water and wastewater services in the region, has highlighted challenges around communicating the importance of wastewater management to a range of stakeholders, including the public.
This project aims to bring people together to reimagine how water’s value, and the importance of wastewater management, might be better felt and understood in urban areas. Many of the stories we have in mind tell of the power of water itself, and its historical and symbolic association with urban wealth and political power (e.g. Armstrong’s introduction of water pipes and hydraulic cranes). We will explore opportunities for bringing recreational water into urban settings, and for providing a storied watery journey through the city of Newcastle, involving art, history, literature, technology and engineering. Through this, we hope to bring the power of water and water’s associations with human empowerment to the forefront.
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