There are over 40,000 chemical compounds registered for use in Australia; however, very few of these have been monitored in aquatic receiving environments. This study combined chemical, in vitro, in vivo and in situ techniques to determine the extent of endocrine disruption in fish living in Australian rivers.

PhD Thesis completed by Philip David Scott in April 2014.

Real time monitoring and process control is a crucial component of optimal, pro-active water and wastewater management but there is a lack of information about real-world experience, operation, return on investment and the costs that are related to online monitoring. This research collated information from literature reviews, case studies, industry surveys and interviews, and concluded that more than 250 manufacturers sell over 100 water quality applications. In this context it is important to carefully define operational needs and the availability of skills, resources and budget before choosing an application. It is also important to manage and set realistic expectations and to embed online monitoring within the organisation.

Following on from the successes of the Mekong node of the ColoSSoS program, WaterRA entered into another project with the Australian Water Association to provide knowledge transfer and capacity building services to the Water Authority of Fiji. The techniques developed in Australia have now been trialed in both low prevalence case settings as well as during the height of the Australian outbreaks and can be confidently adapted and applied in these scenarios in Suva, Fiji.

The project has been structured in a similar way to ColoSSoS Mekong, with SA Water providing both utility and laboratory expertise to developed tailored sampling and analysis protocols. Australian health departments will also be engaged in a formal capacity to provide tailored advice to Fijian counterparts.

The international work to date has seen the application of SARS-CoV-2 detection and analysis practices outside of Australia in the Mekong region, through the sharing of tools, protocols, and best practice skills, and knowledge. These wastewater monitoring techniques will remain relevant if new strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus emerge globally, and current global and Australian research efforts focus on the identification of new strains in the community and ports of entry, as well as the quantification of proportions of these variants within community populations. Its use in Fiji will provide the heath agency with valuable information to make critical decisions to protect the community.

WaterRA’s continued involvement in these projects has provided our Australian Members an opportunity to elevate their international profile through DFAT-funded collaborations under the umbrella of the Australian Water Partnership. Furthermore, this sharing of Australian knowledge and skills supports Australia’s regional response to the ever-evolving Covid-19 situation, providing tools and strategies to help protect communities both in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

The Collaboration on Sewage Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 (ColoSSoS) project combined the expertise of more than 50 Australian organisations in R&D activities that have enabled health departments across the country to integrate quantitative measurements of SARS-CoV-2 virus detected in sewage with human clinical PCR test data for COVID-19. This subproject trialled a series of molecular tests to identify the best laboratory protocols for the reliable retrieval of SARS-CoV-2 virus from sewage samples, extraction of the viral RNA and the amplification of viral sequences that can distinguish between SARS-CoV-2 and other closely related types of viruses. Laboratory test control and validation methods were also established. These methods have been implemented in the Victorian state wastewater monitoring programme and are also the foundation for the ongoing development of genome sequencing methods which will be applied to detect and identify emerging variants in the future.

Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) can bloom in marine and freshwater and cause additional problems for water utilities when they produce toxins and taste and odour compounds. This project consolidated a wealth of knowledge and experience in the management of cyanobacteria into an electronic / online international, practical, and user-friendly manual. It includes information about conducting risk assessments, developing monitoring programmes and incident management strategies, and management procedures to mitigate the risk posed by cyanotoxins.