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Autumn/Winter 2021 41 example, and while freak storms are less frequent in the UK than they are in the US, the issue of pollution is still one we need to take on board. Fortunately, however, this is becoming less true with time. e industry has acknowledged that water pollution poses an immediate threat to the health of ecosystems and people, and is an issue that must be given equal consideration to carbon emissions when discussing what the buildings construction industry’s goals and priorities for change should be going forward. It has therefore begun to make moves to reduce its environmental impact. FORMS OF POLLUTION Water pollution from construction activities comes in several forms. Substances such as silt, fuels, cement, adhesives, solvents and paints are only a small number of examples of the types of chemicals andmaterials that can enter our water systems and severely disrupt aquatic life and, in some cases, end up in our drinking water or food. is is a phenomenon that can be ampli ed by rainfall, which has the e ect of mobilising these substances and dispersing them into surrounding areas. Concrete pollution is a particularly pervasive and challenging issue for the industry. e pH of concrete wash water is incredibly high – typically 12 to 13, which is equivalent to the pH of oven cleaner. Preventing concrete wash water from entering waterways is essential, as it takes 10,000 litres of water to get 1 litre of concrete wash water with a pH of 12 to an acceptable pH of 8 - making dilution of water after the fact neither a ordable, sustainable nor practical. ese substances can enter the water system through several channels, such as collection through drainage systems, seeping into soil or running directly into lakes and rivers. However, though this is a well-known phenomenon, whose mechanisms are well understood, there are, as of yet, no standardised frameworks to minimise this type of pollution. Construction is an absolutely vital industry upon which we are all reliant for safe, quality buildings, housing and infrastructure, but as countries strive to “Substances such as silt, fuels, cement, adhesives, solvents and paints are only a small number of examples of the types of chemicals and materials that can enter our water systems.” meet their climate obligations set out under the Paris Agreement and to reduce their footprint on the planet, the construction industry will also need to strive to protect the water systems and aquatic habitats from the unintended consequences of its work. Construction companies can simultaneously build the foundations for our communities, whilst ensuring that these foundations are sustainable. A growing number of industries are beginning to recognise their impact on the environment, and the many ways in which this occurs. But, of course, change cannot happen overnight. Not every business has the expertise or the resources immediately at their disposal in order to take the steps that they would like, or to even know where to begin. Collaboration between businesses who want to change and businesses who know how to facilitate that will be an increasingly popular trend. << BY FILIP STEFANOVIC, HEAD OF ENGINEERING, ECOCOAST Ecocoast was founded to prevent damage and pollution to coastlines and waterways, and over the last decade, with its subsidiary Bolina, has developed a range of technologies to reduce water pollution from construction-related activities. e construction industry will also need to strive to protect the water systems. One of the largely invisible impacts of construction projects, however, is that, in order to lay the structure’s foundations, the site’s vegetation and topsoil must be stripped. Grass and soil act as a natural barrier to runo fromreaching bodies of water, but when they are removed, this can exacerbate the polluting e ects of rainstorms. is in turn imperils the health of not only the wildlife that depends on the estuary and the habitat that it provides, but also the people who sh there, who grow vegetables in the soil surrounding it, and whose lives and health are so inextricably linked to it. Water pollution is a common environmental impact of construction projects – as seen in the Narragansett