Water Reuse

Group Leader: Peter Dillon

The Group has scientists with disciplines of engineering, water quality, hydrology, hydrogeology, mathematics, chemistry and microbiology. We have disciplinary strengths in risk assessment, groundwater hydrogeology and associated pathogen transport and survival with modest capabilities in modelling, geochemistry and water treatment.

Our work focuses on the science required for indirect water re-use for drinking and other uses to meet acute urban water shortfalls, and assessing impacts and improving design of water-sensitive ecosystems in urban environments.

Our capabilities

Specific capabilities, IP and know-how related to:

• Water reuse through managed aquifer recharge and aquifer storage and recovery
• Chemical and microbial changes in water quality during recycling of stormwater and effluent combined with risk assessment.
• Chemical and water fluxes in catchments in response to urbanisation.

The work is essentially “public good” and made freely available to collaborators and the community.

The Group has instrumented field sites in a number of locations around Australia, including the Floreat Infiltration Gallery.

Relationships

Major relationships and partnerships exist with government and industry, most notably with United Water, SA Water, Water Corporation of WA, South East Queensland Water Alliance, Department of Water (WA), Power and Water Corporation (NT), Melbourne Water, National Water Commission, DIISR, Premier’s Water Foundation WA, Water Smart Fund (Victoria), WERF, American Water Works Association Research Foundation, Water Re-use Foundation, CRC-WQT, ACIAR, Centre for Natural Resources Management (SA), SKM, GHD, Chemistry Centre of WA, EPA of SA, City of Mount Gambier, AWQC, City of Salisbury, Flinders University, University of Adelaide, University of Queensland, Griffith University and Curtin University.

Projects

Current projects

• Premier's Water Foundation MAR projects - Determining requirements for managed aquifer recharge in Western Australia:
• CSIRO Floreat, WA Site (2005-08)
• Halls Head, Mandurah, WA Site (2005-08)
• Development of the Southern River Integrated Catchment Strategy, WA (2004-2008)
• Investigation of techniques to better manage Western Australia 's non-potable water resources - Premier's Water Foundation project (2005 - 2008)
• ASTR for stormwater to potable supplies, Salisbury, SA (2005-08)
• Research into well clogging mechanisms in alluvial ASR (2005-08)
• Fate of stormwater contaminants, Mt Gambier, SA (2003-07)
• Development of ASR Opportunities in Melbourne, VIC (2004-07)
• Arsenic mobilisation during managed aquifer recharge (2006-07)
• ACIAR Enhancing agricultural production by sustainable use of shallow groundwater (2004–07)
• Unconsolidated aquifer ASR (2005–07)
• Soil Aquifer Treatment for horticultural water reuse, Alice Springs, NT (2003-06)
• Domestic scale rainwater ASR, Adelaide, SA (2003-06)
• Environmental risk index for laundry detergents (2005-06)
• Water Quality Changes during Aquifer Storage and Recovery - AWWARF Project 2974 (2005-06)
• Water Quality Changes during ASR with Reclaimed Water - Water Reuse Foundation/Carollo (2005-06)

Recently completed projects

• Holistic solutions to on-site wastewater treatment over a karstic aquifer system in Mount Gambier (2007-2008)
• Assessing and Improving the Sustainability of Urban Water Resources and Systems (AISUWRS) – Mount Gambier Case Study (2003-06)
• Reclaimed water ASR, Bolivar, SA (1997-2005)

Student projects

• Public health risk in use of biosolids as fertilisers in agriculture

Related links

• Managed Aquifer Recharge Waterlines report for the National Water Commission [External site]
• Brochure: ASTR demonstration project, Salisbury SA  March 2007 (PDF, 1.2 MB)
• Water Reuse Technologies Factsheet Nov 2005
• Managed Aquifer Recharge Project
  The Managed Aquifer Recharge project in Western Australia involves infiltrating treated wastewater into groundwater aquifers and reclaiming it as a new water source. Watch the animation. Nov 2005
• Media release: Going for gold in water recycling
• Land and Water Link article: Pooling Water Resources
• Land and Water Link article: 'Buried Water' Wins World Prize
• Media release: "Buried dams" help clean recycled water
• Water for a Healthy Country National Research Flagship
• Australia Advances: Every Drop Counts
• Australian Water Conservation and Reuse Research Program