Professor of Urban Water in the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, University of Sheffield, and adviser to the Flood Resilience Group at UNESCO-IHE. A Chartered Civil and Environmental Engineer, Co-Director of the EPSRC funded Platform Centre, the Pennine Water Group (30 staff and researchers), with current research turnover of more than 8M euro. Visiting Professor in Sanitary Engineering at the Technical University of Delft, Netherlands; research advisor to FORMAS (Swedish research funding agency). Many years experience in all aspects of urban water systems, including modelling, monitoring, management, operation and use. Internationally in the forefront of advancing knowledge about sewer solids and associated processes, member and former Chairman of the Sewer Systems and Processes Research group of IWA/IAHR. Elected member of the Joint Committee on Urban Drainage. Main editor and contributor to ‘Sewer Solids – State of the art’. More than 10 years researching sustainable water systems, being main author of an IWA publication on ‘Including sustainability in decision making for water assets – a guide’. Current relevant projects include: ‘Water cycle management for new developments (WaND), a UK Government project looking at all aspects of sustainable water management in a consortium – leading the decision support framework; two EU INTERREG IIIb projects: No Rainwater in Sewers (NORIS) and Urban Water Cycle Management (UWC). Flooding and climate change research; completed a UK Government Foresight project on Flooding and Coastal defence – leading the urban aspects. Currently leading a UKCIP project on Adaptable Urban Drainage - Addressing Change In Intensity, Occurrence And Uncertainty Of Stormwater (AUDACIOUS), on adapting to climate change. Chairman of a water and flood review inquiry for Bradford Metropolitan District Council. Various other related technical projects for industry, municipal authorities and end-users and other stakeholders.

In total published/presented more than 240 papers in journals and at conferences. Honorary Editor of the Engineering Sustainability journal for the Institution of Civil Engineers. Some 50 technical reports.

Key Publications :

Impact of extended storage on sewage treatment. (2002). Ashley R M., Blanksby J., Dudley J., Saul A J., Smith H., Vollertsen J. Report Reference No. 02/WW/04/3 UKWIR ISBN 1 84057 266 3. 225pp

The utilisation of engineered invert traps in the management of near bed solids in sewer
networks. (2003). Ashley R M., Tait S J., Stovin V R., Burrows R., Fraser A., Buxton A P., Blackwood D., Saul A J., Blanksby J R. Water Sci.Tech. Vol.47 No.4, p137-14

Recent European research into the behaviour of sewer sediments and associated pollutants
and processes. (2003). Ashley R M., Crabtree R W., Fraser A., Hvitved-Jacobsen T. ASCE J Hydr. Eng. Vol.129, Issue No. 4. April. Pp 267-275.

Sustainable decision making for the UK water industry (2003). Ashley R M., Blackwood D J., Butler D., Davies J A., Jowitt P., Smith H. ICE Journal Engineering Sustainability 156 (ES1), March. Pp41-49.

A New Model for Sewer Rodent Control (2003). Ashley, R M., Channon, D., Blackwood D.,
Smith H., International Pest Control pp 183-188, Vol 45, Number 4, July/August.

Performance Indicators for Wastewater Services - IWA Manual of Best Practice. (2003). Matos R.,., Cardoso A., Ashley R M., Molinari A., Schulz A., Duarte P. International Water Association. ISBN 190022290 6

Sewer Solids – State of the art. Ashley R M., Bertrand-Krajewski J-L., Hvitved-Jacobsen T., Verbanck M. (Eds.) (2004). International Water Association Scientific and Technical Report No. 14 (ISBN 1900222914).

Sustainable water services: A procedural guide. (2004). Ashley R M., Blackwood D J., Butler D., Jowitt P. International Water Association. ISBN 1-843390-65-5

Future Flooding Vol I – Future risks and their drivers. (2004). Evans EP., Ashley R M., Hall J., Penning-Rowsell E., Saul A., Sayers P., Thorne C., Watkinson A. Foresight.. Office of Science and Technology. April.

Future Flooding Vol II – Managing future risks. (2004). Evans EP., Ashley R M., Hall J., Penning-Rowsell E., Sayers P., Thorne C., Watkinson A. Foresight.. Office of Science and Technology. April.