Growing populations and climate change place increased pressures on our water supplies. Stormwater harvesting and reuse offers a potential option to augment traditional water resources. Before it can be utilised within a given context, however, its safety must be established. This project developed a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) model representing pathogen sources and treatment barriers within a proposed stormwater harvesting scheme. The BBN can utilise a range of data sources and be constantly updated to assist managers to engage effectively with stakeholders and identify the most appropriate combination of risk management strategies available to them.

Honours Thesis completed by Dean Albert Mensinga in October 2019.

This research investigated the impact of recycled water runoff entering the Tilligerry Creek and broader Port Stephens estuary.  The results provided a better understanding of nutrient impact has on the receiving environment.

Honours Thesis completed by David Workman in February 2018.

This research investigated the impact of failing on-site septic systems and agricultural runoff entering the Tilligerry Creek and broader Port Stephens estuary.  The results provided a better understanding of nutrient impact has on the receiving environment in the short, medium and long term.

Honours Thesis completed by Daniel Kousbroek in June 2014.

This research investigated the impact of failing on-site septic systems and agricultural runoff entering the Tilligerry Creek and broader Port Stephens estuary.  The results provided a better understanding of nutrient impact has on the receiving environment in the short, medium and long term.

Honours Thesis completed by Richard Connor in June 2014.

This project developed more sophisticated ways in which to study dissolved organic matter (DOM) from a variety of different water sources (wastewater, dam water etc). To do this, a number of novel techniques were developed and compared to identify how and when these techniques can be used together and what technique is best to use when seeking out specific information of DOM.

PhD Thesis completed by Emma Louise Plant in October 2013.

This project investigated the impact of hazardous events (i.e. high organic, high salinity, high toxic shock loads in influent, aeration lost or membrane damage) on decentralised membrane bioreactor performance. This investigation demonstrated validation of membrane bioreactors to fully comply with the requirements of current Australian water recycling guidelines and to provide necessary risk-based information for health and environmental regulators.

PhD Thesis completed by Thi Thanh Trang Trinh in November 2013.

Source waters contain a class of chemical compounds collectively known as ‘bromides’. Standard water treatment includes chlorination; a process designed to kill harmful microorganisms in source and recycled waters. The problem is that chlorination agents react chemically with bromides to form ‘brominated Disinfection ByProducts’. These bDPBs can contribute to the development of cancer and this led the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines to recommend very low concentrations of bromides in source waters, less than 0.1 parts per million (0.1mg/L). At this level, if any bDBPs subsequently formed during chlorination, their occurrence will be too low to pose a public health risk. Some Australian source waters have higher bromide concentrations, but existing removal methods are expensive and/or do not work very well. The scientists in this team have already synthesised a new bismuth substance (see image) that removed 86% of an experimental bromide from artificial groundwater.

This project will aim to combine the modified bismuth with alum, which is currently used to treat water. If researchers succeed in creating a composite that incorporates bromide removal into existing tried-and-tested water treatment processes they will deliver a cost-effective improvement to water quality and safety. However, it will require clever and careful chemical design to create the new bismuth-alum composite, and to run experiments that will test its ability to remove bromides from source waters. As if that isn’t challenging enough, they also propose to develop a software programme that will predict bDBP formation. If they are able to eventually build a validated model it will be an extremely useful addition to the suite of tools currently used to produce safe, high-quality drinking water.