Passive biofiltration processes for nitrogen removal from polluted waters. Traditional urban wastewater treatment is energy and resource demanding. By combining principles of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) with advanced pollutant removal processes, we will create necessary knowledge to underpin development of novel sustainable urban water treatment systems. This project aims to understand and utilise Simultaneous Nitrification, Anammox and Denitrification (SNAD) processes within passive pla ....Passive biofiltration processes for nitrogen removal from polluted waters. Traditional urban wastewater treatment is energy and resource demanding. By combining principles of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) with advanced pollutant removal processes, we will create necessary knowledge to underpin development of novel sustainable urban water treatment systems. This project aims to understand and utilise Simultaneous Nitrification, Anammox and Denitrification (SNAD) processes within passive plant-soil-based biofilters for cost-effective removal of nitrogen from a range of polluted urban water sources. The project will open a potential for a new technological advancements in urban water management, while simultaneously providing benefits to the environment and community through greening and waterway protection.Read moreRead less
Activating lazy stormwater wetlands through real time monitoring & control. Constructed stormwater wetlands are the last line of defence preventing pollution of urban waterways, but wetlands often fail, with their passive operation unable to adapt to the highly variable climate and hydrology they experience. This project aims to use advances in real-time control technology to turn these lazy wetlands into active wetland systems, optimising their performance. It aims to deliver new-generation tec ....Activating lazy stormwater wetlands through real time monitoring & control. Constructed stormwater wetlands are the last line of defence preventing pollution of urban waterways, but wetlands often fail, with their passive operation unable to adapt to the highly variable climate and hydrology they experience. This project aims to use advances in real-time control technology to turn these lazy wetlands into active wetland systems, optimising their performance. It aims to deliver new-generation technologies to enhance water quality treatment, enhance urban water security and guarantee environmental flows to maintain healthy waterways. Working in partnership with waterway managers and water retailers, this project strives to deliver a nationally and globally relevant technology to change how we manage water in cities.Read moreRead less
Multi-Objective Planning and Operation of Water Supply Systems Subject to Climate Change. Water is precious, and increasingly scarce. Many Australians – householders, businesses, farmers, those concerned about sustainability and the environment, among others – have diverse preferences about water allocation. Yet the operating rules that water supply system managers currently use were designed when water was comparatively plentiful. This project will assist system managers to develop contemporary ....Multi-Objective Planning and Operation of Water Supply Systems Subject to Climate Change. Water is precious, and increasingly scarce. Many Australians – householders, businesses, farmers, those concerned about sustainability and the environment, among others – have diverse preferences about water allocation. Yet the operating rules that water supply system managers currently use were designed when water was comparatively plentiful. This project will assist system managers to develop contemporary rules for water allocation decision-making. A case study of the Grampians headworks system in Victoria will provide the opportunity to trial methods that account for diverse stakeholder preferences in the context of climate change and climate variability, including drought events. Read moreRead less
Water availability and demand: better forecasts, better management. This project aims to improve Australia’s capability in the provision and use of water forecasts for managing water resources. The current water forecasts are not fully utilised by water agencies as they are not sufficiently comprehensive and advanced. This project expects to achieve a step change in the uptake and utility of hydro-climate forecasts through an extensive partnership of leading researchers and operational agencies ....Water availability and demand: better forecasts, better management. This project aims to improve Australia’s capability in the provision and use of water forecasts for managing water resources. The current water forecasts are not fully utilised by water agencies as they are not sufficiently comprehensive and advanced. This project expects to achieve a step change in the uptake and utility of hydro-climate forecasts through an extensive partnership of leading researchers and operational agencies of hydro-climate forecasting, with federal, state and regional water agencies.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100117
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$427,612.00
Summary
Multiobjective optimisation of reservoir operations under uncertainty. This project aims to address a crucial water resources management problem: how to manage reservoirs under uncertainty. This project expects to develop an optimisation-based framework to improve the delivery of water resources from optimised reservoir operational strategies. Expected outcomes include an innovative tool for multiobjective decision-making under uncertainty, and robust operational strategies catering for real-wor ....Multiobjective optimisation of reservoir operations under uncertainty. This project aims to address a crucial water resources management problem: how to manage reservoirs under uncertainty. This project expects to develop an optimisation-based framework to improve the delivery of water resources from optimised reservoir operational strategies. Expected outcomes include an innovative tool for multiobjective decision-making under uncertainty, and robust operational strategies catering for real-world operational situations, including conflicting objectives, natural variability in system inputs, and future uncertainty due to climate change and population growth. The improved decisions will protect lives and assets, and postpone expensive infrastructure upgrades by maximising benefits from current systems.Read moreRead less
A robust integrated streamflow forecasting framework for Australian water information and management agencies. This project aims to deliver an accurate and reliable seasonal streamflow forecasting system for Australian water users by developing a flexible rainfall-runoff modelling approach integrated into a Bayesian inference and prediction framework. These scientific developments aim to significantly advance the operational capabilities of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology to deliver robust ....A robust integrated streamflow forecasting framework for Australian water information and management agencies. This project aims to deliver an accurate and reliable seasonal streamflow forecasting system for Australian water users by developing a flexible rainfall-runoff modelling approach integrated into a Bayesian inference and prediction framework. These scientific developments aim to significantly advance the operational capabilities of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology to deliver robust streamflow forecasts to water agencies such as South East Queensland Water and others across Australia. Accurate predictions of future water flows are of tremendous value to urban and rural Australian communities whose economic prosperity, water security and social well-being depend on reliable estimates of water availability.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100042
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Virtual reality for planning of green urban water infrastructure. This project aims to research the planning-technical-social dynamics of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) infrastructure. WSUD management has become financially and logistically unsustainable due to major urban growth and a rapid uptake in WSUD assets. Solving this problem is, however, complex, as stakeholders have conflicting needs and tacit knowledge that is difficult to quantify. Using emerging virtual reality technology, par ....Virtual reality for planning of green urban water infrastructure. This project aims to research the planning-technical-social dynamics of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) infrastructure. WSUD management has become financially and logistically unsustainable due to major urban growth and a rapid uptake in WSUD assets. Solving this problem is, however, complex, as stakeholders have conflicting needs and tacit knowledge that is difficult to quantify. Using emerging virtual reality technology, participatory planning and operational models, this project intends to improve WSUD modelling science through integrated modelling. The anticipated outcome is more holistic and economically efficient planning of WSUD layouts in future cities. This is expected to address growing concerns about adequately managing these systems and ensure that they deliver intended environmental protection, liveability and public health benefits.Read moreRead less
Developing a truly intelligent water meter through advanced data analytics. Developing a truly intelligent water meter through advanced data analytics. This project aims to develop intelligent pattern recognition algorithms using international data sets to autonomously categorise household water consumption data into end-uses (e.g. showers, leaks). Despite intelligent meters, big data chokes rather than enables decision making for customers and utilities. This project will resolve information sy ....Developing a truly intelligent water meter through advanced data analytics. Developing a truly intelligent water meter through advanced data analytics. This project aims to develop intelligent pattern recognition algorithms using international data sets to autonomously categorise household water consumption data into end-uses (e.g. showers, leaks). Despite intelligent meters, big data chokes rather than enables decision making for customers and utilities. This project will resolve information synthesis concerns using a combination of non-linear blind source separation techniques adapted from the pattern recognition, signal processing and decision science fields. Expected outcomes are that utilities will be leaders of sustainable water use in the information age, and that customers can use phones to access real-time data of water consumption.Read moreRead less
Data-driven water quality treatment management decision support system. Data-driven water quality treatment management decision support system. This project aims to develop a robust decision support system to predict manganese and the character and concentration of dissolved organic matter in drinking water reservoirs, using intelligent algorithms and data collected through remote autonomous instrumentation. These predicted water quality parameters could be used as model input variables to provi ....Data-driven water quality treatment management decision support system. Data-driven water quality treatment management decision support system. This project aims to develop a robust decision support system to predict manganese and the character and concentration of dissolved organic matter in drinking water reservoirs, using intelligent algorithms and data collected through remote autonomous instrumentation. These predicted water quality parameters could be used as model input variables to provide real-time decisions for plant operators on the required treatment regime for incoming raw water, and advise them on the optimal reservoir offtake depth. This will potentially minimise treatment costs and health risks for consumers. The ultimate goal is to significantly enhance current water supply management practices.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100524
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
Interactions between plants and faecal pathogens in urban water treatment: significance of soil microbes, plant debris, root exudates and rhizosphere. It is important to treat pathogens in stormwater and wastewater before release into downstream recreational waters or harvesting. Using plants in water treatment improves the removal of pollutants of concern to human and ecosystem health. However, the exact mechanisms which generate this improvement remain unknown, and this is especially true for ....Interactions between plants and faecal pathogens in urban water treatment: significance of soil microbes, plant debris, root exudates and rhizosphere. It is important to treat pathogens in stormwater and wastewater before release into downstream recreational waters or harvesting. Using plants in water treatment improves the removal of pollutants of concern to human and ecosystem health. However, the exact mechanisms which generate this improvement remain unknown, and this is especially true for faecal pathogen removal. This project will enhance our understanding of the interactive role that roots, their exudates, plant debris and soil microbes play in faecal pathogen removal in urban water treatment systems. Through this understanding, this project will lead to optimised low-energy, low-tech and low-maintenance treatment systems.Read moreRead less