Infraplan: good to the last drop
The TIGRESS project, led by the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, was funded by the Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Programme. It envisioned the application of innovative time-geographical concepts to foster the creation of sustainable societies. A number of case studies were performed during the three-year project, including one dedicated to water resources. The M11 corridor in southeast England has been identified as a candidate for intensive residential development over the next decade. The region's water resources and infrastructure, which are already stressed, will come under increasing pressure as the population skyrockets. One of the keys to successful water management is matching supply to demand. Lack of a proper balance between the two can lead to water shortages or, alternatively, water quality issues. The ability to accurately predict future water needs is also important. With these constraints in mind, the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and its partners set about developing a model unlike any other to date. It uses special algorithms to manipulate demographic and other data to provide decision support to the authorities, water utilities and other stakeholders. More information about the model, entitled Infraplan, and the case study can be found at: http://www.tigress.ac/reports/final/infraplan.pdf
