Research

Our expert scientists use research to turn technical challenges facing water utilities into opportunities to innovate and create customer value, delivering cost savings and efficiencies. We can work with you on your research requirements to help deliver value to your organisation.

Strong research networks enable us to develop solutions in collaboration with local and international research partners, including members of academic institutions, research funding bodies, and other water and wastewater utilities. Through investment in research, we are industry leaders in our dynamic operational environment, helping water utilities to deliver high quality, safe water services to their customers.

SA Water's research programs are informed by annual strategic planning, which identifies current risks, future knowledge gaps and opportunities.

The challenges to the water industry and broader research landscape in Australia and globally are changing. In addition to the on-going challenges of water quality management, wastewater treatment and effective infrastructure and asset management, there is now a focus on alternative water sources, energy efficiency, desalination, and potential impacts of climate variability combined with the need for cost-effective delivery of water and wastewater services for future sustainable cities.

With our innovative research programs delivering on these focuses, we are well-placed to provide you with your research needs. Get in touch today to find out more about how our research team can help your water utility.

SA Water's research programs are informed by annual strategic planning, which identifies current risks, future knowledge gaps and opportunities.

The challenges to the water industry and broader research landscape in Australia and globally are changing. In addition to the on-going challenges of water quality management, wastewater treatment and effective infrastructure and asset management, there is now a focus on alternative water sources, energy efficiency, desalination, and potential impacts of climate variability combined with the need for cost-effective delivery of water and wastewater services for future sustainable cities.

ProgramOverviewProjects
Emerging Contaminants

This program is aimed at identifying pollutant risks that could challenge the quality drinking water and recycled water products.

The outcomes of this program will be an increased understanding of the risks associated with a range of pollutants (including chemicals of concern, microplastics and antimicrobial resistance) for the customer and the environment.,

  • Fate, behaviour and ecological impact of Polyfluorinated Alkylated Substances (PFAS) in waste water treatment plants
  • Fate and bioavailability of perfluorinated compounds in soils
  • Microplastic discharge and mitigation in effluents from waste water treatment plants
  • Study to determine the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance genes in South Australian wastewaters
  • Prevalence of antimicrobial resistance genes in biosolids
Resource RecoveryThis program is aimed at providing opportunities to recover resources from during treatment processes including wastewater, recycled water, biosolids and waste products form drinking water.
  • Validation of storage age for biosolids
  • Reuse of drinking water treatment sludge in concrete pavers
  • Northern Adelaide Irrigation Scheme
Technical aspects of drinking water aesthetics
This program is aimed at providing research and analysis for options to improve aesthetic water quality in the Myponga and Happy Valley drinking water supply systems.
  • Stabilised Hydrogen Peroxide as an alternative to Copper Sulphate for the removal of cyanobacteria
  • Benthic cyanobacteria
  • Hypolimnetic oxygenation for reservoirs
Social aspects of drinking water aestheticsThis program is aimed at increasing the understanding of customers' perceptions of drinking water quality aesthetics.
  • Aesthetics Improvement: social solutions
  • Take the Tap Test (TTT)
  • Assessing and understanding customer perceptions of water quality
EnergyThe aim of this program is to investigate initiatives to support SA Water's current and future energy targets, particularly SA Water’s goal to achieve zero net energy costs by 2020.  As biogas generated from wastewater treatment will form a key component of SA Water’s future energy portfolio, research is targeted to optimise treatment processes for energy production.
  • Development of modified wastewater treatment chains to enhance biogas production
  • Optimisation of co-digestion for increased biogas production and quality
Process optimisationThis research program supports the optimisation of existing operational processes to achieve efficiencies in the operation of water and wastewater treatment facilities, pipe networks, and field maintenance activities.
  • Development of a real time control system for monochloramine dosing using online water quality data
  • Development of online water quality parameters for operational decision-making
  • Use of surrogate treatment NOM targets for optimal drinking water network management
  • Optimisation of granular sludge to improve efficiency of sequencing batch reactors
  • Understanding nitrifiers to aid waste water treatment plant operation
  • Advanced aeration control in waste water treatment plants
  • Use of metagenomics to characterise the biome of anaerobic digesters
  • Development of pre-treatment for ultrafiltration/microfiltration management
  • Optimisation of wastewater networks with the energy spot market, while considering the impact on asset life cycle cost

AWQC has active collaborations in many countries and welcomes further developing them. Partnerships with global collaborators pressent many advantages including opportunities to share knowledge and undertake joint projects and research. Our scientists serve on Research Advisory Committees and Project Advisory Committees for such organisations.

Partner organisations include:

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