No time to waste

The amount of paper spread out on Martin Shouler’s desk is enough alone to create a serious clearing in the Brazilian rainforest. And that’s not including the shelves stacked with files that seem to be closing in on him from all sides. It’s only after over an hour in his company when he says: “I think I’ve only really covered about half of what I do,” that you appreciate how easily he must have accrued this small library of documents. He would need an A4 size business card to cover everything he does.

After a degree in physics and applied physics at Sussex University he was offered a job at BRE in what was then known as public health engineering (phe). “It was really an apprenticeship working in our hydraulics laboratory. The work was mainly on behalf of the Building Regulations for the then Department of Environment. We were always doing work for industrial clients such as water companies, building developers and manufacturers.”

Shouler’s work centred around research into water supply, drainage, waste water engineering, water efficiency and solid waste management, which was applied through the British Standards Institution (BSI). After an MSc in environmental design and engineering, he eventually took charge of BRE’s Water Centre. “We expanded both the number of government clients and our consultancy services. Building Regulations remained an important client and we supported them through Approved Documents G and H (hygiene and waste disposal). We’ve also done work for water companies on water efficiency, looking at measures that can be applied and their savings on a national basis.” Shouler is also chairman of CIBSE’s newly formed Society of Public Health Engineers (SoPHE). “We wanted to raise our profile and to give our engineers a recognised body. It also allows us to recognise their qualifications and experience.” The society holds six yearly phe related seminars and plays a key role in the CIBSE Public Health Engineering Guide, but Shouler is keen to stress their environmental role as well. “Public health engineers were highly regarded at the end of the 19th century as guardians of the health and hygiene of the nation. We are taking on a key environmental role now, considering the effects of climate change and looking at issues such as water efficiency and the sustainable use and disposal of water and wastewater. I think that the Society will help raise the profile of a very worthwhile career.”

As well as SoPHE, Shouler chairs the National Water Conservation Group, a body of regulators, ngos, manufacturers, experts and users formed to develop ideas on water efficiency. “Closely aligned to that is the Market Transformation Programme, for which I’m water sector manager. It’s a Defra programme aimed to develop policy strategy for advancing the resource efficiency of UK goods and services . We provide intelligence on trends in water using equipment and look at the effect of potential policies on water using equipment and overall water use. It’s mainly about influencing government over the policies it might select and working out with stakeholders whether these policies are deliverable.”

Shouler also chairs the BSI panel writing the code of practice for waste management in buildings. “The code has been rewritten to reflect sustainable waste management. It’s about allowing space for occupants to practice source separation of their waste before it’s collected. There’s a lot more emphasis on waste management in the UK now with waste hierarchy at the heart of government policy, ranking waste management options from the most favoured, reduction, through to least desirable, final disposal.”

Shouler has now begun a new role at BRE, pulling together the group’s different environmental teams to offer an environmental consultancy service. “We’ll be covering environmental noise, air pollution, water pollution, contaminated land, lighting, wind engineering and sustainable construction. I’ll determine what the client needs, put the programme of work together with our individual experts and make sure that’s delivered.” His 14 years at BRE have certainly been busy, but enjoyable. “I’ve been fortunate in the job I do. If you look at sustainability in terms of the three key resources – energy, water and materials – my job covers two of those.” With his new duties and his desire to stay abreast of his work in the water area, he may need a bigger desk yet.