The Development of a Model for Confined Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) Stormwater Filtration/Infiltration Systems for Australian Conditions. There is an increasing strain on scarce Australian water supplies and this requires effective water cycle management and protection of water resources as a whole. The proposed research aims to develop a model for the effective management of stormwater runoff through the investigation of confined filtration and infiltration devices in four separate loca ....The Development of a Model for Confined Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) Stormwater Filtration/Infiltration Systems for Australian Conditions. There is an increasing strain on scarce Australian water supplies and this requires effective water cycle management and protection of water resources as a whole. The proposed research aims to develop a model for the effective management of stormwater runoff through the investigation of confined filtration and infiltration devices in four separate locations. These confined systems will minimise the impacts of pollutant concentrations on native soils and groundwater. A model will be developed to predict required native soil permeabilities and residence times for adequate tertiary treatment in a variety of Australian conditions for non-potable reuse of runoff and/or groundwater recharge.Read moreRead less
Optimum aeration strategies for shallow tidally flushed lakes. Shallow tidally flushed lakes frequently suffer from water quality problems which include catastrophic fish kills. Frequently these events are related to the response of a highly modified system to a natural event. One event is the change from a saline to a fresh environment with seasonal freshwater inflow, in which case the salt tolerant algal species dies. The balance between photosynthesis, sediment uptake, surface oxygen transfer ....Optimum aeration strategies for shallow tidally flushed lakes. Shallow tidally flushed lakes frequently suffer from water quality problems which include catastrophic fish kills. Frequently these events are related to the response of a highly modified system to a natural event. One event is the change from a saline to a fresh environment with seasonal freshwater inflow, in which case the salt tolerant algal species dies. The balance between photosynthesis, sediment uptake, surface oxygen transfer and flushing is lost, with the result that the lake quickly becomes anoxic, resulting in fish kills. This project examines some aeration solutions to this problem.Read moreRead less
Dynamic Release Mechanisms for Phosphorus in Shallow Ponds and Lakes. Phosphorus release from submerged sediments is controlled by the physical and chemical environment. The mechanisms are well understood where thermal stratification is persistent but the behaviour during transient episodes has not been properly addressed. The aim is to study a dynamic chemical and hydraulic environment and develop a model of phosphorus release under these conditions. Algal blooms, which rely on high nutrient co ....Dynamic Release Mechanisms for Phosphorus in Shallow Ponds and Lakes. Phosphorus release from submerged sediments is controlled by the physical and chemical environment. The mechanisms are well understood where thermal stratification is persistent but the behaviour during transient episodes has not been properly addressed. The aim is to study a dynamic chemical and hydraulic environment and develop a model of phosphorus release under these conditions. Algal blooms, which rely on high nutrient concentrations, pose a significant threat to waterways yet a process-based description of phosphorus release is not yet possible. The outcome will be a verified model of phosphorus release mechanisms suitable for a range of water bodies.Read moreRead less
Characterisation and Treatment of Reverse Osmosis Concentrates from Water Recycling Applications. Concentrates from reverse osmosis (RO) pose a considerable threat to both the environment but also the successful implementation of reverse osmosis as a technology. Naturally, the concentrate contains everything that the RO retains and hence contaminants such as viruses, organics such as pharmaceutically active compounds and hormones as well as nutrients and salinity. Treatment of such waste streams ....Characterisation and Treatment of Reverse Osmosis Concentrates from Water Recycling Applications. Concentrates from reverse osmosis (RO) pose a considerable threat to both the environment but also the successful implementation of reverse osmosis as a technology. Naturally, the concentrate contains everything that the RO retains and hence contaminants such as viruses, organics such as pharmaceutically active compounds and hormones as well as nutrients and salinity. Treatment of such waste streams will enhance the health of receiving water bodies and reduce the risk of increased build up of contaminants if wastes are recycled into wastewater treatment plants. New ways to treat such contaminants will be explored, the efficiency and cost evaluated in the broader water cycle and sustainability framework.Read moreRead less
SCANEM : A Scanning and Inspection Method for Urban Pipeline Systems. Water and sewage utilities are crucial factors limiting economic growth and urban amenity. However many of these facilities are subject to corrosion, fracture and collapse and new strategies are now required to provide a sound basis for systematic remediation and replacement. Suitable strategies involving a structural audit and statistical analysis have been proposed by CSIRO and Tyco Water. However new geophysical inspection ....SCANEM : A Scanning and Inspection Method for Urban Pipeline Systems. Water and sewage utilities are crucial factors limiting economic growth and urban amenity. However many of these facilities are subject to corrosion, fracture and collapse and new strategies are now required to provide a sound basis for systematic remediation and replacement. Suitable strategies involving a structural audit and statistical analysis have been proposed by CSIRO and Tyco Water. However new geophysical inspection methods are now required to provide the key physical parameters relating to pipeline condition. Hopefully the EM inspection tool resulting from this project will provide the industrial partners with a unique capacity to satisfy a major global market.Read moreRead less
Research and development of devices to improve the quality of stormwater by removal of gross pollutants such as soil, litter and sediment. Oil,litter and sediment are serious pollutants in stormwater which go hand in hand with human and industrial activity. An outcome of this research will be to develop a device capable of removing such gross pollutants from stormwater at higher efficiencies than that currently commercially available. Vital wetland resources such as Moreton Bay near Brisbane, a ....Research and development of devices to improve the quality of stormwater by removal of gross pollutants such as soil, litter and sediment. Oil,litter and sediment are serious pollutants in stormwater which go hand in hand with human and industrial activity. An outcome of this research will be to develop a device capable of removing such gross pollutants from stormwater at higher efficiencies than that currently commercially available. Vital wetland resources such as Moreton Bay near Brisbane, a wetland of international significance that contributes around $400 million to the local economy,are under threat from polluted stormwater. Similar problems are occuring right around the entire coast of Australia and also in some inland waterways.Read moreRead less
Flow generated by ducted surface pumps: buoyant jets at high Reynolds numbers and low Froude numbers. Ducted surface pumps are used in reservoirs to circulate and destratify the water in order to maintain its general quality and reduce the incidence of toxic algal blooms. This project aims to improve our understanding of the circulation and mixing behaviour of the large, low velocity jets, plumes and fountains created by these pumps. Computational fluid dynamics, laboratory and field studies wil ....Flow generated by ducted surface pumps: buoyant jets at high Reynolds numbers and low Froude numbers. Ducted surface pumps are used in reservoirs to circulate and destratify the water in order to maintain its general quality and reduce the incidence of toxic algal blooms. This project aims to improve our understanding of the circulation and mixing behaviour of the large, low velocity jets, plumes and fountains created by these pumps. Computational fluid dynamics, laboratory and field studies will be used to model and map these flow fields. The findings will have a number of potential applications including methods for improving water quality in and downstream of storages.Read moreRead less
Supported biomass membrane bioreactor: optimisation of aeration for better fouling control. This project will lead to a sustainable, affordable, energy-efficient treatment system for water reuse. The technology developed will particularly benefit small sewage treatment plants in coastal and isolated communities in Australia, by maximising the utilisation of water resources where water is limited, and by reducing the environmental impact of waste discharges. This project will also strengthen rese ....Supported biomass membrane bioreactor: optimisation of aeration for better fouling control. This project will lead to a sustainable, affordable, energy-efficient treatment system for water reuse. The technology developed will particularly benefit small sewage treatment plants in coastal and isolated communities in Australia, by maximising the utilisation of water resources where water is limited, and by reducing the environmental impact of waste discharges. This project will also strengthen research links between Australian and European institutions through the development of this innovative technology. Local water industries will directly benefit from this frontier research.Read moreRead less
Membranes coupled with physico-chemcial treatment in water reuse: New hybrid systems development and fouling assessment. This project will be useful to sewage treatment systems prevalent in the coastal areas of NSW and Queensland and the interior parts of Northern Territory with isolated communities. Membrane processes are a sustainable technology in wastewater treatment for reuse. The novel pre-treatment and fouling assessment protocol proposed in this study are the keys for the cost-effective ....Membranes coupled with physico-chemcial treatment in water reuse: New hybrid systems development and fouling assessment. This project will be useful to sewage treatment systems prevalent in the coastal areas of NSW and Queensland and the interior parts of Northern Territory with isolated communities. Membrane processes are a sustainable technology in wastewater treatment for reuse. The novel pre-treatment and fouling assessment protocol proposed in this study are the keys for the cost-effective and energy-efficient operation and testing of membrane processes. This project will strengthen research links between Australian and European universities, through the development of an innovative pre-treatment technology. The technology is of direct benefit to reuse applications in Australia and has significant export potential.Read moreRead less
Recycling water and nutrients using a high-rate membrane bioreactor coupled with an ion-exchange system. Australia urgently needs to recycle both water and nutrients to protect its rivers and sustain its agriculture. This project will yield a sustainable, energy-efficient treatment system for water reuse and nutrient recovery. The technology's greater economy and efficiency will benefit decentralised systems in urban centres and small sewage treatment plants in isolated communities alike by en ....Recycling water and nutrients using a high-rate membrane bioreactor coupled with an ion-exchange system. Australia urgently needs to recycle both water and nutrients to protect its rivers and sustain its agriculture. This project will yield a sustainable, energy-efficient treatment system for water reuse and nutrient recovery. The technology's greater economy and efficiency will benefit decentralised systems in urban centres and small sewage treatment plants in isolated communities alike by enabling greater water reuse and by reducing the environmental impact of waste discharges. It will be of immediate benefit to the Australian water industry and to exports. This project will strengthen links in water science between Australian and European institutions.Read moreRead less