Linda Hustler Joins the EMS Team as Principal Water Quality Consultant
27 April 2022
Linda Hustler has joined Environmental Monitoring Solutions as our new Principal Water Quality Consultant. She will be working with our clients to understand and develop the best solutions for their water quality requirements, while also ensuring that EMS provides clients with a technically robust service. Her previous role as Environmental Regulation and Modelling Manager has equipped her with extensive experience of resolving environmental issues, and we are delighted to welcome her onboard.
We interviewed her to find out more about her role and the most pressing issues that the water industry is facing, and what attracted her to EMS.
Q: Hi Linda! Tell us how you joined EMS
I knew the business through a couple of contacts, and I find the company ethos and people engaging and welcoming. The work is intellectually stimulating, there is a growth mindset, and we have a role to play in taking care of the environment through data and intelligence. I was excited to be presented with a new set of challenges!
Q: What do you think are the most pressing issues facing the water industry, short or long term?
From a water quality perspective for the next 10 years, at least, cost-effective Phosphorous removal on site will continue to be a pressing issue. Along with cost-effective nutrient removal and nature-based solutions. And naturally, the reduction of CSO (Combined Sewer Overflow) spill numbers and volume, and the related improvements in river water quality.
As for the next 5-15 years, I believe these topics of concern will be dealt with more fully from AMP8 (asset management period 8) onward due to economic pressures:
- Priority and emerging substances
- Microplastics
- Nitrate removal on site and catchment/partnership solutions
- Antimicrobial resistance
- Sludge quality on land and run-off to watercourses
Q: What are you particularly looking forward to, working with EMS?
I’m looking forward to helping current and prospective clients meet their environmental obligations with sustainable, innovative approaches. Having been ‘the client’ for many years, I’m looking forward to using my knowledge and experience to deal with familiar issues from a different perspective. It will be rewarding to meet new people and maintain current relationships throughout the water industry, supply chain and regulators.
Q: What recent or upcoming industry developments should we all be well aware of?
These recent documents are of particular pertinence to river water quality. They all allude to (or explicitly talk about) the immediate and expansive need for robust monitoring and sampling:
– The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee Water Quality in Rivers Fourth Report of Session 2021–22
– Storm Overflows Evidence Project
Thank you Linda for your time and a huge welcome to the team from EMS and the Cura Terrae group!
You can get in contact with our water specialists at info@em-solutions.co.uk with your query or by calling +44 (0)114 272 2270.
