Advancing water pollution emissions modelling in cities of the future. Advancing water pollution emissions modelling in cities of the future. This project aims to advance stormwater pollution modelling and enhance its link with urban development. Management of stormwater pollution by industry often results in inadequate strategies and, crucially, sub-optimal financial investments. Since this is unlikely to improve in light of urban growth and climate change, addressing decade-old pollution model ....Advancing water pollution emissions modelling in cities of the future. Advancing water pollution emissions modelling in cities of the future. This project aims to advance stormwater pollution modelling and enhance its link with urban development. Management of stormwater pollution by industry often results in inadequate strategies and, crucially, sub-optimal financial investments. Since this is unlikely to improve in light of urban growth and climate change, addressing decade-old pollution modelling knowledge gaps and the lack of a multidisciplinary approach to stormwater pollution management is urgent. The anticipated outcome is a modelling tool which industry can use to manage stormwater pollution in changing cities through smarter and economic technology and policy.Read moreRead less
Fate of engineered nanoparticles: Challenges in informing human and ecological health risk assessments. Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) have generated significant public and scientific excitement due to their unique properties. This has led to their application in a wide variety of industries (for example, in composite materials and drug delivery). However, there is concern that some ENPs can have detrimental environmental impacts. This project aims to quantify, for the first time, the fate of E ....Fate of engineered nanoparticles: Challenges in informing human and ecological health risk assessments. Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) have generated significant public and scientific excitement due to their unique properties. This has led to their application in a wide variety of industries (for example, in composite materials and drug delivery). However, there is concern that some ENPs can have detrimental environmental impacts. This project aims to quantify, for the first time, the fate of ENPs that have leached out of commercial products in groundwater systems. This information is expected to assist regulators in developing appropriate legislation to balance the tremendous benefits and potential risks of nanotechnology.Read moreRead less
An integrated approach to iron salt use in urban water systems. The project aims to develop and demonstrate an integrated and innovative strategy, and the associated science and technologies, to achieve multiple beneficial uses of iron salts in an urban water system. The project intends to use iron chloride to replace the most commonly used alum as a coagulant in water treatment. The same iron is then further used for corrosion and odour control in sewers, phosphorus removal in wastewater treatm ....An integrated approach to iron salt use in urban water systems. The project aims to develop and demonstrate an integrated and innovative strategy, and the associated science and technologies, to achieve multiple beneficial uses of iron salts in an urban water system. The project intends to use iron chloride to replace the most commonly used alum as a coagulant in water treatment. The same iron is then further used for corrosion and odour control in sewers, phosphorus removal in wastewater treatment reactors and hydrogen sulfide removal from biogas in an anaerobic digester. The strategy is expected to substantially reduce the use of chemicals in the entire urban water system, delivering large economic and environmental benefits to urban water utilities.Read moreRead less
Sources, sinks and processes of faecal contamination in urban estuaries: a case study of the lower Yarra River estuary. The Yarra River estuary is highly contaminated with faecal pollution, reducing the useability of Melbourne’s most iconic feature. This project will provide the necessary understanding to help mitigate faecal sources, with the ultimate aim of reducing the risks to users of this estuary.
Paving the way: an experimental approach to the mathematical modelling and design of permeable pavements. The intelligent use of permeable pavements will enable restoration of degraded land corridors. Collection and treatment of stormwater via filtration through porous media will improve water quality in urban environments and will also control flooding. The integration of ecology and urban living will present a revolutionary way to revitalize cities.
Methane and nitrous oxide emissions from sewers – understanding, modelling and mitigation. The research and industry partners will collaborate on this project to quantify, understand and mitigate emissions of methane and nitrous oxide in sewer networks. Both methane and nitrous oxide are potent greenhouse gases, and their emissions need to be accounted for and mitigated for the water industry to achieve greenhouse neutral water services.
Traffic microsimulation of ITS implementations in CBD road networks. This research project will investigate the advantages and disadvantages of using Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) technologies in an Australian Central Business District (CBD) environment. It is often assumed that road networks and especially high activity areas such as CBDs can benefit significantly from ITS implementations. Traditionally ITS impacts have been difficult to quantify due to difficulties in isolating network ....Traffic microsimulation of ITS implementations in CBD road networks. This research project will investigate the advantages and disadvantages of using Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) technologies in an Australian Central Business District (CBD) environment. It is often assumed that road networks and especially high activity areas such as CBDs can benefit significantly from ITS implementations. Traditionally ITS impacts have been difficult to quantify due to difficulties in isolating network effects and limitations with traditional traffic models. The project will overcome this difficulty by using a current state of the art traffic microsimulation model in order to test various ITS scenarios in a duplicate of a real world CBD.Read moreRead less
Are acidic mine lakes usable as regional water resources? After the de-commissioning of open-cut mines, the voids frequently fill with water. In Australia, hundreds of mine lakes will develop over the next ten years and beyond. When the base mineralogy is pyritic the water can become highly acidic with high concentrations of dissolved metals. These mine lakes frequently exist in regions where water resources are in short supply. This project will investigate possible strategies to remediate such ....Are acidic mine lakes usable as regional water resources? After the de-commissioning of open-cut mines, the voids frequently fill with water. In Australia, hundreds of mine lakes will develop over the next ten years and beyond. When the base mineralogy is pyritic the water can become highly acidic with high concentrations of dissolved metals. These mine lakes frequently exist in regions where water resources are in short supply. This project will investigate possible strategies to remediate such lakes and assess the possibility of using mining lakes as valued water resources in these regions. The primary outcome of the research will be improved management of the lakes for optimal long term water quality.Read moreRead less
PREDICTING THE CLOGGING OF STORM WATER INFILTRATION SYSTEMS. Infiltration systems are widely used in sustainable management of stormwater in both urban and rural areas. They are also an integral part of large stormwater-harvesting facilities. However, they tend to fail due to clogging (infiltration medium gets filled by silt from runoff), and this phenomenon is far from being understood. The aim of this project is to develop a new prediction method of clogging of stormwater infiltration systems. ....PREDICTING THE CLOGGING OF STORM WATER INFILTRATION SYSTEMS. Infiltration systems are widely used in sustainable management of stormwater in both urban and rural areas. They are also an integral part of large stormwater-harvesting facilities. However, they tend to fail due to clogging (infiltration medium gets filled by silt from runoff), and this phenomenon is far from being understood. The aim of this project is to develop a new prediction method of clogging of stormwater infiltration systems. Extensive 1D and 2D laboratory experimental programmes will be carried out. Models of unit processes that occur in infiltration systems will be defined/developed and built into a physically based model of an infiltration system. This model could be used for reliable design of stormwater drainage and harvesting systems, bringing major benefits to the people of drier and more populated areas of Australia.Read moreRead less
Fluorinated surfactants and hydrocarbons at coastal airports. Fluorinated surfactants and hydrocarbons at coastal airports. This project aims to develop a model and parameters that describe transport and co-transport of fluoro-surfactants and hydrocarbons, priority pollutants with a wide range of physico-chemical properties, at coastal airports. Sixty percent of Australian airports are in the coastal plain, and all are affected by contamination from internationally banned fluoro-surfactants and ....Fluorinated surfactants and hydrocarbons at coastal airports. Fluorinated surfactants and hydrocarbons at coastal airports. This project aims to develop a model and parameters that describe transport and co-transport of fluoro-surfactants and hydrocarbons, priority pollutants with a wide range of physico-chemical properties, at coastal airports. Sixty percent of Australian airports are in the coastal plain, and all are affected by contamination from internationally banned fluoro-surfactants and hydrocarbons. Their extensive past use at firefighting training grounds resulted in costly remediation worldwide. Understanding the fate of persistent fluoro-surfactants from point sources, and their role in transporting non-polar chemicals such as hydrocarbons, will improve risk-based decision making. This research is expected to form the basis for effective risk management and intervention strategies.Read moreRead less