I worked with the museum designers at Ugly Studios and the York-based museum fitout specialists Unusual Projects to redesign Severn Trent's flagship exhibition at its visitor centre at Carsington Water in Derbyshire. We created a new, interactive exhibition aimed at a family audience to explain Severn Trent's role in providing clean water and sewage treatment services to 8 million of people across the Midlands and communicate their messages about the importance of using water wisely. I worked on the interpretation and content planning for the exhibition, supporting the designers with storytelling and exhibit ideas and writing exhibition text. As is often the case with exhibition projects we were working to an unfeasibly tight schedule and it's thanks to the excellent work of project manager Simon Burger that we managed to stay on track. I'm grateful to fellow museum consultant Stephen Allen who stepped in to support with additional content writing when I had to take time out at short notice due to a family emergency.

We're not quite finished: the exhibition opened in April, but we're now working on new interpretation for the site's Wildlife Centre to help visitors learn more about the ecology of the reservoir and the wide range of plants and wildlife it supports. 

It's been fun getting to know a new subject matter in a very short space of time. I now know way more than I ever thought I'd need to about fatbergs and how to prevent them, the history of the flushing toilet, and the intricacies of water and waste water treatment works. If you're interested (and why wouldn't you be?!) the Sewer Men ITV documentary followed the work of some of Severn Trent's front line teams and gives you an insight into the work of people that most of us take completely for granted. Working on this project has made me think a lot more about what has to happen for me to be able to turn on the tap and get clean water whenever I want it, and to be much more careful with how I use it. We're hoping that the new exhibition will encourage visitors to do the same.