Members of the committee

Chair – GABRIELA DOTRO

Dr Gaby Dotro is an ecological engineer and nature-based solutions specialist. She has worked with the technology since 2001 in applications including industrial wastewater treatment, stormwater runoff management, and wastewater treatment. She was a Principal Research Fellow at Cranfield University where she worked for 15 years before starting her own consultancy called NbS Future in January 2025. Gaby is passionate about developing, improving and enabling implementation of nature-based solutions to deliver multiple benefits beyond wastewater treatment and inspiring others. She is the lead author of an international open access textbook on Treatment Wetlands, has edited and co-authored specific chapters the IWA's Scientific and Technical Report on Wetland Technology, and has developed multiple bespoke training courses on wastewater treatment technologies. Gaby was first elected as a member of the CWA Committee in 2012.

Treasurer – ANDY FREEMAN

Andy is currently working as a project Scientist for ARM Group Ltd, a company that supplies design construction and maintenance services for constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment. Having developed a passion for the science underpinning wastewater treatment using constructed wetlands, Andy’s specific area of expertise is the monitoring, characterisation and treatment of de-icer contaminated stormwater run-off from airports, which was the topic of his PhD that he successfully defended in 2016. Andy has presented research in the UK and Internationally and published peer reviewed journals within Science of the Total Environment, Environmental Technology and Innovation and Water Science and Technology.  Andy joined the CWA committee in 2018 and was elected treasurer in 2019.

Secretary - LUCY CROCKFORD

Lucy is a Senior Lecturer in Soil and Water Management at Harper Adams University with a wide range of research interests ranging across environmental chemistry, physics and engineering. Her primary degree was in Environmental Science at NUI, Galway (2006), with an MSc in Environmental Engineering at Queen's University Belfast (2010), a couple of years after some experience in industry. Her PhD research in Geography at the University of Dublin, Trinity College (2015), determined the application of high temporal resolution data in the management of eutrophic water bodies in agricultural catchments.

Lucy's research at Harper Adams University is primarily in the application of organic amendments to soils and the impact on soil structure and water movement dynamics - as well as the resulting water quality. The role of constructed wetlands and more natural methods of water treatment are a developing area at the university. She is also very interested in catchments with high sediment movement and looking to expand her knowledge in this area particularly into Africa and small holding farming.

Lucy joined the committee in 2021.

Member - ISOBEL LOVE

Isobel Love is the Nature-based Solutions Lead at The Wye and Usk Foundation, a UK charity focused on restoring the ecological health of the Wye and Usk river catchments. She holds a BSc in Physical Geography and an MSc in Geographic Information and Climate Change from Swansea University.

Joining the Foundation in April 2021, Isobel initially worked on various environmental projects, including the development of constructed wetlands and riverine habitat improvement schemes. After a brief period in the water industry, she returned to the Foundation in September 2022 as a Senior Natural Capital Officer. In her current role, she leads efforts to implement nature-based solutions addressing environmental challenges such as pollution and flooding within the Wye and Usk catchments. Her expertise encompasses natural flood management, biodiversity enhancement, spatial data mapping, and the use of natural capital metrics..

Izzy Joined the committee in 2025.

Member – DAN ROBERTS

Dan works as a project manager for the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust raising the profile of treatment wetlands and the multiple benefits they provide amongst a wide range of stakeholders.
Dan is a biogeochemist, land adviser and ecologist who has 10 years of experience shared between academia and practice. He has worked on the development of a variety of land management schemes including ELMS, hosted catchment partnerships, and has experience in delivery of wetland creation. He has worked in partnership with the water industry as well as land managers to achieve positive outcomes and is currently working on blended-finance mechanisms and investment in integrated nature-based solutions.
Dan is a proactive advocate of broadening the CWA's engaged audiences and wishes to drive the development of capacity and skills within the Wetland sector. Dan is passionate about using evidence, education and policy to ensure Constructed Treatment Wetlands become a default treatment option where appropriate across the UK (and beyond), and will try to bring as many people as possible together to see this happen.

Dan joined the committee in 2023.

Member –LIAM HALL

Liam Hall is a Chartered Water and Environmental Manager (MCIWEM C.WEM) and Fellow of the Geological Society of London (FGS), with a strong passion for developing Nature-Based Solutions to enhance rivers and floodplains. With expertise in the design, implementation, and assessment of natural flood management, river restoration, and wetland schemes for nutrient mitigation, Liam combines technical proficiency with a commitment to ecological restoration.

He holds a BSc in Earth Sciences from Durham University and an MSc in Earth Sciences from Utrecht University . Currently, Liam works at Rivers Ecology—the consultancy arm of Norfolk Rivers Trust—where he leads and supports projects focused on Nutrient Neutrality, Integrated Constructed Wetlands, River Condition Assessments, and River Restoration across East Anglia. He also collaborates with external partners to deliver sustainable, catchment-based solutions that benefit both the environment and local communities. Liam became a committee member in 2025.

Member – MATTHEW SIMPSON

Matthew is a Director of 35percent, a consultancy dedicated to all aspects of wetland design and management, and has extensive experience in water, wetland and biodiversity assessment and management. Matthew is responsible for developing, managing and reporting on a range of projects and providing specialist eco-hydrological, wetland restoration, creation and wetland management advice. His PhD focused on developing a practical classification and functional evaluation tool for European wetland ecosystems. Matthew has been on the committee since 2011. 

Member - ALEX COMBES

Alex is a Nature-based Solutions Technologist at Scottish Water, where she plays a pivotal role in advancing sustainable water management and infrastructure projects. Her work focuses on integrating ecological engineering with mechanical systems to develop innovative solutions that address environmental and societal challenges.

One of her notable projects includes the development of the Cowdenbeath Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Wetland in West Fife, Scotland. This initiative combines engineered treatment systems with natural ecological processes to effectively treat stormwater overflows, enhancing water quality and supporting local biodiversity. The wetland employs a Forced Bed Aeration™ (FBA™) reed bed system, which actively increases oxygen levels to accelerate the breakdown of contaminants, making it significantly more effective than traditional passive reed beds

Alex joined the committee in 2025

Secretary /

Administrator

Secretary /

Administrator