Conventional media filtration is the most common process used as one of the main barriers for pathogen and solids removal in water treatment. The Australian Drinking Water Guideline (2011) includes LRV credits for organisms based on treated water turbidity limits. However, the effectiveness of this treatment process in removing pathogens is not typically validated and performance can vary greatly between treatment plants. Hence, understanding the actual LRV performance of media filters is critical to both designing new treatment facilities and understanding any treatment shortfall for existing facilities.

A related protocol for the validation of membrane filters could potentially be adapted for the validation of granular filters. However, the requirements from health regulators, for validation design and safety considerations if surrogate organisms are used, are unknown. The practicality of application in full scale drinking water treatment plants to incorporate any health regulator needs also needs consideration. Therefore, capturing the health policy positions in various Australian jurisdictions and understanding any practical constraints to full-scale validation prior to developing the validation guide are critical to success.

This project will use a progressive approach to determine the regulatory requirements for the validation of drinking water processes, identify any practical constraints for full-scale process validation, and develop a validation protocol or identify further work required to address knowledge gaps or concerns related to the safety or technical feasibility of conducting full-scale validation of granular media filters (to produce drinking water in particular).

Algal and cyanobacterial blooms incur current treatment challenges such as high operational cost, disinfectant by-product formation, and the requirement to separate oxidants from solution after the oxidation. Advanced oxidation methods, such as cold plasma activated bubbles (CPAB), have the potential to overcome the current challenges . CPAB are bubbles containing partially or fully ionised gas that utilise the ambient condition of gas and an electric discharge to produce and deliver highly reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, such as ozone, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl, superoxide, and nitric oxide radicals. This project will examine methods to optimise the application of CPAB across a range of algal and cyanobacterial species to increase its technology readiness level.

PhD Thesis underway by Angelina.

By dewatering sludge, wastes can be efficiently and reliably concentrated into filter cakes with high solids for cost-effective disposal. Better understanding of the relationship between non-degradable organic matter and sludge rheology and dewaterability can lead to Optimization of dewatering which can significantly reduce the cost of wastewater treatment by minimizing the cost of sludge management, transportation, and final disposal.

PhD Thesis underway by Ali Tabatabaei.

Waterborne pathogens cause millions of people to be sick each year globally, putting a burden on hospitals and having financial implications. This research aims to identify the waterborne pathogens at the point of need, sample collection sites, water plants, treatment plants, water quality check points and drinking water quality assurance etc. The research outcomes will inform best practice for clean drinking water supply to the community thus improving public health and wellbeing.

PhD Thesis underway by Alka Rani.

The biosolids industry in Australia has historically developed in response to the regional challenges, resources available and their markets perception and demands. This has resulted in a variety of priorities, management strategies and reuse applications currently operating nationally. To progress and take advantage of the recovered resources provided by the development of the biosolids industry a national framework providing a level field is required. The result would see the biosolids industry in an improved growth position, more effective utilisation of resources, more control over risk to health and the environment and improve our position nationally with adherence to our global responsibility targets. The mechanism to achieve these goals is estimated to be by the application of a non-prescriptive framework which has risk strategies built into progressive steps in the biosolids product development with strategies targeting specific end use.

PhD Thesis underway by Marilyn Braine.

The genus Microcystis is responsible for many ‘nuisance’ and toxic algal blooms that threaten various fresh water bodies in Australia. Of particular importance is the taxa Microcystis aeruginosa which is highly prevalent and contains a deep pangenome, leading to substantial genomic variability between strains. It has been established that certain cyanobacteria, including hepatotoxic Microcystis species, annually transition between planktonic and benthic forms. Benthic-planktonic coupling has been associated with an increase in the abundance of Microcystis during spring and summer, often resulting in dense surface blooms, followed by the sedimentation of colonies to the benthos during the cooler months. In order to improve industry predictions of the risk, timing and severity of toxic Microcystis blooms, this project aims to investigate the biological mechanisms and environmental triggers that cause bloom development. Through a range of classical isolation techniques and various ‘-omic’ studies this project will study the recruitment of benthic dwelling Microcystis species to surface waters.

PhD Thesis underway by Caitlin Romanis.

This project determined disinfection by product contribution from chlorination of algae.

Honours/PhD Thesis completed by Adam John Tomlinson in July 2018.

This research identified and validated the impacts of particle-pathogen association on the disinfection of various microorganisms in the treated wastewater effluents.

PhD Thesis completed by Charndeep Chahal in April 2020.

This project improved the knowledge of how algae species (population density, morphology and AOM concentration and character) and coagulation conditions (coagulant type, pH, polymer dose, and shear) impact algal floc properties in order to improve the C-F process and downstream separation treatment.

PhD Thesis completed by Andrea Del Pilar Gonzalez Torres in June 2018.