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
Towards sustainable co-management of groundwater in the Beetaloo region, NT. This project aims to improve understanding of connections between groundwater, climate, surface water and Indigenous cultural values, in a region of major resource development in the Northern Territory. It will use a novel, inter-disciplinary approach, involving remote sensing of climate-water-landscape interactions, documenting Indigenous water knowledge, environmental isotope monitoring, and water policy analysis. The ....Towards sustainable co-management of groundwater in the Beetaloo region, NT. This project aims to improve understanding of connections between groundwater, climate, surface water and Indigenous cultural values, in a region of major resource development in the Northern Territory. It will use a novel, inter-disciplinary approach, involving remote sensing of climate-water-landscape interactions, documenting Indigenous water knowledge, environmental isotope monitoring, and water policy analysis. The project expects to generate enhanced understanding of hydrological processes, and associated Indigenous cultural values. This is anticipated to improve capacity to analyse risks to groundwater-dependent values, and foster greater Indigenous participation in water planning and monitoring, benefiting multiple stakeholders.Read moreRead less
Forecasting fish resilience to environmental change in northern Australia. This project aims to use a traits-based modelling framework, incorporating variability both within and between species, to forecast the resilience of freshwater fishes in northern Australia to impending environmental change. While northern Australian rivers are among the most pristine and productive on earth, they face profound change due to human activity. Emerging evidence suggests that flexibility in functional traits ....Forecasting fish resilience to environmental change in northern Australia. This project aims to use a traits-based modelling framework, incorporating variability both within and between species, to forecast the resilience of freshwater fishes in northern Australia to impending environmental change. While northern Australian rivers are among the most pristine and productive on earth, they face profound change due to human activity. Emerging evidence suggests that flexibility in functional traits (e.g. life history, physiology, behaviour, diet) may result in resilience to environmental change. This project aims to provide decision-makers with essential information and new tools to underpin future planning and resource management.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
Ozone-Enhanced Particle Removal in Water Treatment. Combined ozonation/biologically active carbon filtration provides effective contaminant removal while minimizing disinfection by-product formation. However, the cost of installation in conventional water treatment plants is very high. This project will investigate the beneficial influence of ozonation on the micro-flocculation of small particles, with the aim to optimising particle removal by sedimentation prior to filtration. To do this, requi ....Ozone-Enhanced Particle Removal in Water Treatment. Combined ozonation/biologically active carbon filtration provides effective contaminant removal while minimizing disinfection by-product formation. However, the cost of installation in conventional water treatment plants is very high. This project will investigate the beneficial influence of ozonation on the micro-flocculation of small particles, with the aim to optimising particle removal by sedimentation prior to filtration. To do this, requires a clear understanding of how dissolved ozone interacts with particle surfaces for different water chemistries. The ideal outcome would be to develop a robust water treatment system that required BAC filtration only and eliminated the need for a conventional sand filtration stage as well.Read moreRead less
Optimising dissolved air flotation (DAF) for algae removal by bubble modification in drinking water and advanced wastewater systems. Algal blooms in potable water reservoirs and advanced wastewater treatment lagoons can impact the performance and economic viability of water treatment processes resulting in taste and odour episodes and the risk of algal toxins as well as causing further limitation to already stressed water resources in Australia. This project aims to develop an adaptation of the ....Optimising dissolved air flotation (DAF) for algae removal by bubble modification in drinking water and advanced wastewater systems. Algal blooms in potable water reservoirs and advanced wastewater treatment lagoons can impact the performance and economic viability of water treatment processes resulting in taste and odour episodes and the risk of algal toxins as well as causing further limitation to already stressed water resources in Australia. This project aims to develop an adaptation of the dissolved air flotation process that is already used for algae treatment that will provide a more robust, economic and sustainable barrier to algal cells in accordance with the Australian Drinking and Recycled Water Guidelines.Read moreRead less
Adaptive ecotyping of the toxic cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii to predict its invasive capacity. We change the world while other organisms adapt to these new conditions. Cyanobacteria (blue green algae) increasingly dominate water bodies that were previously free of these harmful blooms. To minimise the spread of these algae, this project will study the genetic basis that determines how rapidly they can evolve and adapt to a changing planet.
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
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
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