Iron and phosphorus recovery from ferric precipitation sludge. To minimise health risks and environmental pollution, water and wastewater treatment processes often use iron salts to eliminate phosphate and other pollutants. This generates large amounts of chemical sludge that is typically sent to landfill. The benefits of this new process will be the recovery of both the iron, which can be reused in the process, and the phosphate, which is a key component in fertiliser. Since phosphate is a limi ....Iron and phosphorus recovery from ferric precipitation sludge. To minimise health risks and environmental pollution, water and wastewater treatment processes often use iron salts to eliminate phosphate and other pollutants. This generates large amounts of chemical sludge that is typically sent to landfill. The benefits of this new process will be the recovery of both the iron, which can be reused in the process, and the phosphate, which is a key component in fertiliser. Since phosphate is a limited natural resource with an increasingly high value, the recovery and recycling of this critical element in food production is highly important. The process will also avoid a large part of the sludge production and will make the water treatment processes more cost-effective.Read moreRead less
Microbial fuel cells for nutrient recovery from source-separated urine. This project aims to reduce the strain on urban wastewater treatment plants by removing and recovering nutrients from water collected in residential and commercial buildings. Urban wastewater treatment plants in Australia are under pressure from increasing population and urbanisation, and there are also ever stricter environmental regulations on discharge of nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus) into receiving waters. W ....Microbial fuel cells for nutrient recovery from source-separated urine. This project aims to reduce the strain on urban wastewater treatment plants by removing and recovering nutrients from water collected in residential and commercial buildings. Urban wastewater treatment plants in Australia are under pressure from increasing population and urbanisation, and there are also ever stricter environmental regulations on discharge of nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus) into receiving waters. With many plants operating close to capacity, water utilities may face large expenditure to increase the capacity of existing treatment facilities. This project proposes an alternative solution: decentralised removal and recovery of nutrients from urine separated at the source. It is planned that novel microbial fuel cell technology will be developed to deliver an economical solution, which will additionally generate valuable fertiliser as a by-product.Read moreRead less
Adsorption on activated alumina: mitigating fouling of water treatment processes caused by deposition of silica, organics and hardness ions. Coal seam gas offers tremendous economic potential but development of gas reserves will generate considerable quantities of saline water. This project will develop activated alumina technology for the removal of silica and organics from these waters to enable the industry to use evaporative technologies to reduce water volumes.
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
Mitigation of silica nanoparticle scaling in water treatment. This project aims to develop strategies to mitigate silica scaling at coal seam gas (CSG) water treatment facilities. CSG is adsorbed to the surface of coal along fractures and cleats and released when pressure is reduced by removal of groundwater, which has chemistry specific to the region from which it is extracted. Desalination of produced water is severely impacted by mineral scaling on reverse osmosis membranes. This project will ....Mitigation of silica nanoparticle scaling in water treatment. This project aims to develop strategies to mitigate silica scaling at coal seam gas (CSG) water treatment facilities. CSG is adsorbed to the surface of coal along fractures and cleats and released when pressure is reduced by removal of groundwater, which has chemistry specific to the region from which it is extracted. Desalination of produced water is severely impacted by mineral scaling on reverse osmosis membranes. This project will consider silica and silica-rich nanoparticles in concert with cations and organics, with the aim of better managing cations so to facilitate nanoparticle lubrication. Project outcomes may include more productive use of assets, improved pre-treatment infrastructure to support reverse osmosis operation, and the environmental benefits of reduced chemical waste and increased water recovery.Read moreRead less
Simultaneous dissolved methane and nitrogen removal. Direct anaerobic treatment of wastewater converts majority of organic matters in wastewater to methane, an energy source. However, up to 50% of the methane produced stays dissolved in wastewater. Its subsequent stripping to atmosphere in aerobic treatment not only causes significant loss of energy but also emission of a potent greenhouse gas. This project aims to develop a technology that not only avoids methane stripping but also enables its ....Simultaneous dissolved methane and nitrogen removal. Direct anaerobic treatment of wastewater converts majority of organic matters in wastewater to methane, an energy source. However, up to 50% of the methane produced stays dissolved in wastewater. Its subsequent stripping to atmosphere in aerobic treatment not only causes significant loss of energy but also emission of a potent greenhouse gas. This project aims to develop a technology that not only avoids methane stripping but also enables its beneficial use to enhance nitrogen removal, which is otherwise typically unsatisfactory due to the lack of organic carbon to support denitrification. The project will provide strong support to the Australian water industry in their endeavour to achieve energy- and carbon-neutral wastewater services.Read moreRead less
Biosolid flow, separation and activity in anaerobic lagoons. This project aims to develop a fundamental model of the complex, non-steady state flow behaviour in anaerobic lagoons. The project will develop new operating procedures and designs for large municipal, industrial and agricultural anaerobic lagoons. This will improve the efficiency of anaerobic digestion and reduce wastewater treatment costs, as well as increase renewable and sustainable biogas production. The intended outcome is a va ....Biosolid flow, separation and activity in anaerobic lagoons. This project aims to develop a fundamental model of the complex, non-steady state flow behaviour in anaerobic lagoons. The project will develop new operating procedures and designs for large municipal, industrial and agricultural anaerobic lagoons. This will improve the efficiency of anaerobic digestion and reduce wastewater treatment costs, as well as increase renewable and sustainable biogas production. The intended outcome is a validated 3D model that captures the physical and biological complexities of anaerobic lagoons. This will impact the design and operation of partner organisation lagoons, reducing capital and operating costs and improving biogas production.Read moreRead less
Sustainable Water Reuse and Resource Recovery through Cost-Effective BNR. The recycling of treated wastewater effluents is needed to achieve water security, where very low nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) levels must be achieved for wastewater to be effectively recycled. This research investigates a more sustainable and cost-effective N&P removal process from wastewater, benefiting the environment and improving the viability of wastewater recycling. Phosphorus is a limited resource worldwide and ....Sustainable Water Reuse and Resource Recovery through Cost-Effective BNR. The recycling of treated wastewater effluents is needed to achieve water security, where very low nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) levels must be achieved for wastewater to be effectively recycled. This research investigates a more sustainable and cost-effective N&P removal process from wastewater, benefiting the environment and improving the viability of wastewater recycling. Phosphorus is a limited resource worldwide and will be effectively recovered in the process to be used as a fertiliser. This project develops wastewater treatment process tools, solutions and management strategies that addresses the current challenges of how optimal nutrient removal and recovery from wastewater is achieved, enabling water recycling and saving costs.Read moreRead less
Fate of micropollutants in water recycling: influence of dissolved organic matter. Access to safe drinking water is essential for the economic and social development of Australia. There is increasing interest in applying advanced water treatment processes, such as membrane filtration or ozonation, to treat secondary effluent to a potable standard. This project promotes improved organic pollutant removal and monitoring during advanced water treatment and will contribute to the National Research P ....Fate of micropollutants in water recycling: influence of dissolved organic matter. Access to safe drinking water is essential for the economic and social development of Australia. There is increasing interest in applying advanced water treatment processes, such as membrane filtration or ozonation, to treat secondary effluent to a potable standard. This project promotes improved organic pollutant removal and monitoring during advanced water treatment and will contribute to the National Research Priority goal, water - a critical resource, by providing the increased protection of receiving waters including rivers and seawater. Further, as very few studies consider the role of dissolved organic matter for organic pollutant fate in water reuse internationally, this project will help to advance Australia's position in science.Read moreRead less
Efficient Pipeline Transport of Highly Concentrated Wastewater Sludge . This project aims to investigate the rheology and fluid mechanics of highly concentrated wastewater sludges and develop tools to support effective pipeline designs for wastewater treatment plants. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the complex flow of concentrated wastewater which will enable predictive models to support the design and optimization of pipeline transport systems. Expected outcomes of the proj ....Efficient Pipeline Transport of Highly Concentrated Wastewater Sludge . This project aims to investigate the rheology and fluid mechanics of highly concentrated wastewater sludges and develop tools to support effective pipeline designs for wastewater treatment plants. The project expects to generate new knowledge about the complex flow of concentrated wastewater which will enable predictive models to support the design and optimization of pipeline transport systems. Expected outcomes of the project include a new toolkit that will enable wastewater treatment plants to design and optimize both existing and future pipeline systems. This will support the Australian wastewater industry to plan for future growth, increase throughput and efficiency, reduce environmental pollutants, and capital and operating costs.Read moreRead less