WaterMicro23 is the world’s leading health-related water microbiology event and will explore the very latest research and practice including lessons from wastewater surveillance to best practice water and sanitation safety planning and implementation.

Building on the theme of One Health in Vienna, in 2019, the International Water Association’s 21st Symposium on Health-related Water Microbiology, will be held in Australia at the waterfront Darwin Convention Centre from 4-9 June 2023.

With a focal theme of “Water Safety for All — reflections and emerging concerns”, WaterMicro23 will run as a single-session Symposium program and will welcome 200 delegates from all around the world.

The call for papers has been extended, with an opportunity to present on all aspects of health-related water microbiology across the whole water cycle, applied and basic research on water, micro-organisms and impacts on human health.

The call for papers includes research on pathogenic bacteria, parasites and viruses, microbial indicators, modelling associated risk and microbial source tracking tools, as well as water treatment and disinfection, water reuse, recreational water, water management in disaster situations and extreme events, antimicrobial resistance, as well as water quality and infection control in health care facilities. Contributions related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are particularly welcome.

Call for abstracts is now open across the following themes:
• Indigenous knowledge and engagement for water safet
• Water safety planning – reflections and improvements
• Climate change impacts on water safety
• Pathogenomics and bioinformatics
• Realising the potential of new technologies and data analytics
• Evolution of wastewater-based surveillance
• From research to practice
• Wildcard – An abstract theme we have not listed that will keep communities safe

Submissions are now due by 14 December 2022. View submission details and download the abstract template online.

The post WaterMicro23 abstract submission deadline extended! appeared first on Water Research Australia.

WaterMicro23 is the world’s leading health-related water microbiology event and will explore the very latest research and practice including lessons from wastewater surveillance to best practice water and sanitation safety planning and implementation.

Building on the theme of One Health in Vienna, in 2019, the International Water Association’s 21st Symposium on Health-related Water Microbiology, will be held in Australia at the waterfront Darwin Convention Centre from 4-9 June 2023.

With a focal theme of “Water Safety for All — reflections and emerging concerns”, WaterMicro23 will run as a single-session Symposium program and will welcome 200 delegates from all around the world.

The call for papers is now open, with an opportunity to present on all aspects of health-related water microbiology across the whole water cycle, applied and basic research on water, micro-organisms and impacts on human health.

The call for papers includes research on pathogenic bacteria, parasites and viruses, microbial indicators, modelling associated risk and microbial source tracking tools, as well as water treatment and disinfection, water reuse, recreational water, water management in disaster situations and extreme events, antimicrobial resistance, as well as water quality and infection control in health care facilities. Contributions related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are particularly welcome.

Call for abstracts is now open across the following themes:
• Indigenous knowledge and engagement for water safet
• Water safety planning – reflections and improvements
• Climate change impacts on water safety
• Pathogenomics and bioinformatics
• Realising the potential of new technologies and data analytics
• Evolution of wastewater-based surveillance
• From research to practice
• Wildcard – An abstract theme we have not listed that will keep communities safe

Submissions are due by 30 November 2022. View submission details and download the abstract template online.

The post WaterMicro23 call for papers now open! appeared first on Water Research Australia.

Spread across 5 action-packed days from 25 to 29 November 2022, SWIF22’s key focus will be on reconnecting people with urban waterways with the opening of swim sites as part of our Summer of Swimming in conjunction with the Urban Plunge initiative.

The Innovation Hub at the Australian National Maritime Museum will host thought leadership keynote addresses from powerhouses like Todd Sampson, Naomi Simson and Stan Grant as well as panel discussions around purified recycled water, planning a circular economy and innovation in the water sector.  There will also be six Tech Tanks, which aim to fast-track the development of new and innovative ways to solve some of our greatest challenges across some the core themes for this year’s event:

1. Water security, Resilience and Environmental Performance
2. Liveability and Sustainability
3. Smart Cities
4. Circular Economy
5. Customer Experience; and
6. Diversity and Inclusion

There will be a showcase of emerging innovations and technologies and some of our innovation success stories in the water industry, as well as the outcomes of the Design Sprints and Data Hackathon.

The ‘Great Debate with the UK’ will be back, along with entertainment, networking and engagement opportunities. SWIF22 will also host a special cultural immersion activity to celebrate First Nations peoples.

Friday 25 November – Tuesday 29 November

Urban Plunge Tech Summit & SWIF22 Opening Ceremony

Location: Parramatta Square Business Chambers

Date: Friday 25 November 2022

Time: 4:00pm – 5:30pm

Register Now: Urban Plunge Tech Summit (jomablue.com)

Sydney Water Innovation Festival 2022 (Live)

Location: Australian National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour

Date: Monday 28 November 2022 – Tuesday 29 November 2022

Time: 8:00am – 5:30pm

Register your attendance here: Sydney Water Innovation Festival (jomablue.com)

The post Register now for the Sydney Water Innovation Festival 2022 appeared first on Water Research Australia.

These awards are presented annually to WaterRA students who have commenced their studies in the previous 12 months. Both awards acknowledge the contribution that devoted members of the WaterRA community, Emeritus Professor Nancy Millis AC ME and Professor Michael R Moore, made to the water industry throughout their careers. In recognition of their accomplishments, we proudly offer two prestigious memorial awards in their honour recognising the water industry’s future talent.

The late Emeritus Professor Nancy Millis AC MBE was deeply committed to WaterRA and its values since its inception. Appointed Chair of the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Quality and Treatment from 1995 until 2008, she maintained her involvement through the Education Program and on the Scientific Advisory Committee throughout her career. Find out more here.

The late Professor Michael R Moore was a singularly energetic, genial and engaging individual. He had a passion for research and thoroughly enjoyed interacting and supporting young students develop professionally. His fields of interest included the toxicology of metals, risk assessment, air quality, alcoholism, cyanobacteria and disorders of porphyrin metabolism. Find out more here.

Submissions close at 5.00pm AEDT on 17 November 2022.

If you are interested in applying for one of the above Awards, please contact Carolyn Bellamy to receive an application form.

The post Applications now open for prestigious student awards appeared first on Water Research Australia.

This position is reflective of WaterRA Constitutional amendments— completed in 2020—which saw the inclusion of an additional Independent Director position to allow flexibility in Board composition, skills and diversity.

The new Independent Director position is an exciting opportunity for our Board to continue to grow and embrace a wide spectrum of ideas and experiences. Our Board welcomes applications from individuals of all ages, cultural backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations, as well as individuals living with a disability or who have family or carer responsibilities. We particularly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to apply for the position. As WaterRA is a national organisation, applications are open to individuals from every state and territory in Australia.

The position is for an independent director and is a paid position exclusively available to individuals outside of the WaterRA membership.

For further information about the Independent Director position including Position Description and eligibility requirements please view the information pack here or view the full job ad on SEEK searching keywords ‘WaterRA’ and ‘Board’.

Applications close on 15 November 2022 and should include details on how you meet the essential and desirable criteria as listed in the job ad. All applications will be reviewed by the Board of Directors and short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview during November 2022.

If you wish to discuss this opportunity please contact Michelle Pfitzner, Business Manager & Company Secretary by email [email protected].

The post Independent Director position available on WaterRA Board appeared first on Water Research Australia.

The meeting saw our Chair Mark Gobbie, deliver an update on Board activities over the past year including the announcement of the 2022 Director Election results, which saw Dr David Bergmann (South East Water) and Dr Dan Hoefel (AWQC, SA Water) re-elected to their positions as Board Directors.

Additionally, Mark announced that Steven Porter from Northern Territory’s Power & Water has unfortunately needed to step down as a Board Director, resulting in a Casual Vacancy to be filled by Expression of Interest (EOI). To find out more about the EOI click here.

Deb Evans, Chair of our Risk and Audit Committee, from Water Corp, advised the membership of our Corporate Financial position for the year that was.

Our CEO Karen Rouse provided the company update, sharing a snapshot of our successful activities and our performance over the past year, which can also be found in our 2021-2022 Annual Report.

Attendees were also able to witness the presentation of the Nancy Millis Memorial PhD Award by Deakin University and Barwon Water and congratulate this year’s winner Mariah Sampson.

Thank you to all members and partners for joining us online!

View the video highlights of the Chair Update, CEO Update and presentation of the Nancy Millis Memorial PhD Award.

The post 2022 Annual General Meeting Wrap-up appeared first on Water Research Australia.

Our Board would sincerely like to thank Steven for his tireless efforts and commitment to WaterRA during his tenure as a Board Director.

As a result of this departure, Water Research Australia is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) from appropriately qualified members to fill this casual vacancy on our Board of Directors until October 2023, our next Annual General Meeting.

As the casual vacancy is for an Industry (Utility) member position, individuals interested in submitting an EOI must be a current Industry (Utility) Member.

EOIs close on Monday 31 October 2022 and will be reviewed by the Board of Directors. Short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview during November with the successful candidate presented to Utility members for endorsement later in the year.

If you are a Utility member interested in this opportunity, please click here to find out more.

The post EOIs open for casual Board vacancy appeared first on Water Research Australia.

Australian water sources, both natural and man-made, are regularly afflicted by cyanobacterial (blue-green algal) blooms. Our workshop was an integral part of the global water calendar that provided a platform for researchers and managers in the health and water sectors to meet, discuss current knowledge, share new findings and combine their expertise for national benefit.

The 2021 Workshop was a two-day virtual event, with 30 presentations and 130 participants showcasing new research advancements and their potential applications to ensure the ongoing health of ecosystems and communities.

2021 Organising Committee
Anas Ghadouani | University of Western Australia (Co-chair)
Arash Zamyadi | Water Research Australia (Co-chair)
Liah Coggins | University of Western Australia
Rita Henderson | University of New South Wales
Michele Burford | Griffith University
Nick Crosbie | Melbourne Water
Tapas K. Biswas | Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
Liam Vaughan | Water Research Australia
Jo Ohlmeyer | Water Research Australia

View the Program

The post 7th Australian and New Zealand Cyanobacteria Workshop appeared first on Water Research Australia.

Australia’s National Measurement Institute (NMI), together with Water Research Australia (WaterRA), is playing a vital role in ensuring certainty in sewage testing for SARS-CoV-2; the
coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Led by WaterRA, ColoSSoS aims to generate results from sewage testing for SARS-CoV-2 that can be integrated with health data for COVID-19 on a national basis to support governments’
responses.

Click here to view the media release

The post Meet the experts behind ensuring the reliability of sewage testing for coronavirus appeared first on Water Research Australia.

Formerly known as the National Cyanobacteria Workshops, the title was changed in recognition of strong trans-Tasman involvement, the commonality of many of our issues and the valuable contributions made each year by New Zealand researchers.

The workshop provided an opportunity for updates and discussion among people involved in the management of water resources and water supplies, public health, and core cyanobacterial researchers.

The full details on the 2018 workshop can be found on the event website here.

WaterRA projects that were presented at the 2018 Workshop include:
(Click to view video of presentation)
Nijoy John | Population genetics and toxigeneicity of Victorian sites
Florence Choo | Using insitu fluorometers as a real time cyano removal validation tool
Sara Imran Khan | Monitoring of algal growth metabolites
Andrea Gonzalez: Impact of cyanobacterial cell morphology

The post 6th Australian and New Zealand Cyanobacterial Workshop appeared first on Water Research Australia.