Research Programs
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.
Program | Overview | Projects |
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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. |
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Social Aspects of Drinking Water Aesthetics | This program is aimed at increasing the understanding of customers' perceptions of drinking water quality aesthetics. |
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Country Fit for Purpose | This program investigates appropriate technologies and solutions for regional, remote and rural communities drinking water supplies. |
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Recycled Water Quality & Sustainability | These programs aimd to support the sustainable provision of recycled water to our customers that is consistently meeting their expectations. |
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Drinking Water Public Health | This research program seeks to advance the delivery of safe drinking water to our customers. |
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Water Security | This program seeks to ensure continuity and consistency of supply. It considers novel approaches to assess resource availability and how the quality of those resources might be impacted by development, land use change, climate change and other risks. |
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Environmental Stewardship | This program encompasses the research SA Water conducts and contributes to which reduces its impact on the environment, or the continued environmental and ecological status of its natural assets. |
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Compliance Solutions | This research program considers what the challenges are to SA Water to be compliant within the current and future regulatory environment and what SA Water will need to do to remain compliant. |
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Emerging Contaminants | This program is aimed at identifying pollutant risks that could challenge the quality of SA Water's 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. |
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Sewer Networks | This program aims to optimise operation of SA Water’s sewer networks to minimise impact on customers and the environment, and to reduce asset life cycle costs. |
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Water Conservation | This program aims to investigate technologies and develop knowledge to reduce water consumption and loss through the water supply chain. |
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Automation, Smart Technologies & Big Data | These programs aim to ensure business efficiency is delivered using integrated live data systems, implementing automated mechanical or digital systems and optimising the management and use of our data to inform asset planning and decision making. Such systems will ensure that customers have relevant information readily available, and that disruptions are minimised using technologies for the early detection of leaks and the prevention of bursts. |
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Resource Recovery | This program is aimed at providing opportunities to recover resources from SA Water processes including wastewater, recycled water, biosolids and waste products form drinking water. |
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Energy | The aim of this program is to investigate initiatives to suport 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. |
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Process Optimisation | This 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. |
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Asset Management & Decision Making | Totex asset management considers both capital and operational expenditure in asset planning and decision-making. This research program seeks to address existing data gaps to allow best-practice application of Totex asset management. |
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