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Mahnoush Maleki, Visiting Postgraduate Researcher
Mahnoush Maleki - Water They Up To: CWS in the Spotlight
In this month's 'Water they up to: CWS in the Spotlight' feature, we hear from Visiting Postgraduate Researcher Mahnoush Maleki.
What is your research about?
My research vision is to investigate the means of increasing accessibility to high-quality drinking water for people worldwide. These days, my focus is on 'Adaptive management of water distribution network to control water quality'. As a part of this project, I have worked in two intensive sampling campaigns throughout a real WDS in Canada to collect drinking water data during the pandemic and analyse their quality - which was a big challenge! Then, I joined the Centre for Water Systems (CWS) at the University of Exeter to complete the optimisation model of my project, which is the smart control of valves and rechlorination stations cost-effectively.
What is the most exciting part about your research?
My research has had many exciting parts. The first one was collecting samples in Quebec City (Canada) and by that, I visited many lovely families. The second one was traveling to Colombia to visit their water treatment plants. On this trip, I also visited the beautiful nature of Colombia and its generous people. Last but not least, as a part of my research project I also had the chance to come to University of Exeter and join CWS, which has been an invaluable opportunity for me.
When thinking about water, what place comes to mind first and why?
To be honest, two places come to my mind and I cannot choose between them! Niagara Falls on the border of Canada and the USA, with the huge amount of water, and the Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System which is one of the world heritage sites on the UNESCO list. Both of them amazed me!
Which movie or book character would you most associate with water?
Nemo, for sure! The reason is clear; he's cute and lives in water. I don't watch a lot of Disney movies but this is the one that sticks in my mind. Regarding movies, Interstellar! It perhaps doesn't seem particuarly relevant but it would have to be the scene where they are on another planet and the surface is completely covered in water. I haev watched that scene many times!!
Date: 1 June 2023