News archive

September 2017

29 September 2017
Doctors warn of mining threat to Sydney’s water
Advocates for more stringent regulation around mining and water releases have been joined by Doctors for the Environment Australia, with one Bowenfels surgeon speaking out about the ...

29 September 2017
Productivity Commission releases draft report on water policy reform
A renewed national water reform agenda is needed to tackle population growth and climate change, according to the draft Productivity Commission report released this month. The latest report ...

28 September 2017
Green roofs helping cities manage floods
Recent research into green roof technology has produced promising results for optimising flood management techniques in high-risk urban areas. Through studies conducted at the University of ...

28 September 2017
Sydney Water pilots hydration units in Blue Mountains
Sydney Water and Blue Mountains City Council have banded together in a pilot project to make tap water more available to the region’s community. Eight new water bubbler and refill stations will ...

27 September 2017
New app aims to solve sanitation issues
Two Ghanese students have developed an app aimed at improving sanitation with the help of science and technology. Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology electrical engineering ...

27 September 2017
TasWater criticises Treasurer’s interpretation of draft report on water reform
TasWater has accused Treasurer Peter Gutwein of ignoring the facts behind the Productivity Commission’s draft report on water reform, labelling the report a “damning indictment of the Treasurer’s ...

26 September 2017
Bridging the gap between water research and policy
Applying the research conducted at universities to industry policy and practice is not always easy, but Water Research Australia (WaterRA) is set on bridging the gap. WaterRA Chair Shaun Cox ...

26 September 2017
Bottled water no better than tap
Consumer advocacy group Choice has called out health claims made by bottled water companies, saying tap water is just as good – and comes at a fraction of the cost. Choice tested the claims ...

25 September 2017
Is wastewater a she?
Although it’s widely acknowledged that women shoulder the responsibility for collecting drinking water in many developing countries, wastewater and sanitation are also gendered issues that ...

25 September 2017
More needs to be done to address microplastics found in water
Recent tap water testing conducted in the US and Europe has revealed microplastic fibre contamination in over 83% of samples, confirming plastic is not only a concern for ocean environments ...

22 September 2017
Victorian farmers say urgent action needed to prevent flooding
Farmers along the Murray River are calling for more gradual pre-releases of the Hume Dam to avoid a repeat of last year’s flooding event. In October 2016, hundreds of farmers in northern ...

22 September 2017
Smart water metering raises awareness for better water management
WaterGroup has joined forces with Australia’s leading network provider to revolutionise water management using the Internet of Things (IoT). Australia’s water systems supply almost two billion ...

21 September 2017
One-in-100-year drought linked to deforestation, climate change
South America’s Amazon and Nordeste regions are naturally prone to dry conditions, but a recent study suggests the drought of 2015-16 was caused by more than the usual oceanic forcing ...

21 September 2017
Canberra’s water usage at historic lows
Canberra’s water consumption trends in the past few decades suggest restrictions put in place during the Millennium Drought have had a lasting effect on the territory’s usage. Australia’s capital ...

20 September 2017
NSW water bureaucrat resigns following Murray-Darling corruption allegations
NSW water bureaucrat and eWater Director Gavin Hanlon has resigned following allegations he undermined the Murray-Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) by offering confidential information to ...

20 September 2017
Chemicals from cleaning products ending up in our waterways
Australian company eWater Systems has been named an honoree on the Best for the World: Environment list for its work to reduce the volume of chemicals that end up down the drain. Between ...

19 September 2017
TasWater dismisses State Government takeover claims
TasWater has rejected the Tasmanian Government’s claim the state is facing a “water and sewerage crisis”, saying there is no justification for the proposed takeover of the water and sewerage ...

19 September 2017
New water guidelines a threat to recycled water
Changes to New South Wales’s wholesale water pricing model have sparked concern for the state’s recycled water industry. The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has stated...

18 September 2017
Productivity Commission releases National Water Reform draft report
Jonathan McKeown, Chief Executive of the Australian Water Association has welcomed the release of the Productivity Commission’s Draft Interim Report on water reform. “The Interim Report ...

18 September 2017
Researcher finds way to reduce cost of phosphorus removal from wastewater
Nominees for the 2017 WA Student Water Awards are having a direct impact on industry practice, with one candidate’s research aiming to help a major utility manage phosphorus removal from ...

18 September 2017
Sydney Water doing a solid for farmers
Farmer demand for Sydney Water’s biosolids program – which turns human waste into nutrient-rich fertiliser – is currently outstripping supply. The program, which has now been running for 20 years ...

15 September 2017
NSW irrigators want greater access to water
Lachlan Valley irrigators have launched a campaign calling for a reassessment of the Water Sharing Plan, with the aim of providing better support to agricultural production in the region. Although the ...

15 September 2017
New water treatment membrane is more robust and scalable
Nanofiltration membranes used for desalination have been redeveloped with a graphene-based coating, offering a more robust and scalable solution compared to current technologies. Developed by ...

14 September 2017
WA Government hopes to find new groundwater source
The Western Australian Government has launched an investigation into the availability of groundwater sources in north Kununurra after a soil survey on the Bonaparte Plains identified almost 30,000ha ...

14 September 2017
Country dwellers at greater risk of water contamination
Areas of rural NSW have been subject to dangerous levels of pathogens through unfiltered drinking water pumped from rivers, lakes and dams, according to water contamination reports obtained by ...

13 September 2017
SA irrigation scheme receives funding boost
The Federal Government has agreed to deliver $46 million to the Northern Adelaide Irrigation Scheme with the aim of creating much-needed jobs in the region. The $155 million scheme hopes to deliver ...

13 September 2017
Queensland Treasurer rejects calls for increase in Logan water prices
Political strife has erupted over Logan City Council’s water pricing following the south-east Queensland district’s lowered water consumption. Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt commented on Logan’s ...

12 September 2017
Funding boost to cull coral-eating starfish in Great Barrier Reef
A third vessel is set to be deployed in the waters between Port Douglas and Townsville to cull coral-eating starfish, thanks to a $14.4 million funding injection from the Federal Government. The funding ...

12 September 2017
Pipeline funding fast-tracked to ensure Townsville’s water security
The Queensland Government has reaffirmed its commitment to help solve Townsville’s water security concerns by funding the duplication of the Haughton Pipeline. Last month Mayor of Townsville ...

11 September 2017
Australia must change its approach to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
Australia’s approach to meeting the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals requires a significant shift in government mindset, according to 2016’s Australian Water Association Young Water ...

11 September 2017
Excellence recognised in ACT and QLD Water Awards
A number of outstanding individuals and organisations have been recognised for their work across the ACT and QLD water sectors. Last week was a week of recognition as we announced the winners...

11 September 2017
Trials show automated irrigation can save farmers time, sweat and energy costs
Trials of automatic furrow irrigation systems on three North Queensland properties are saving busy farmers time and money. The automated irrigation system was developed by the National Centre for ...

8 September 2017
New technology identifies how city infrastructure impacts water
New mapping methods developed by US researchers offer urban planners a tool to minimise the environmental impacts of a city’s water and energy demands on surrounding ecologies. Developed by ...

8 September 2017
Distribution of recycled water in Black Rock delayed
Barwon Water’s Black Rock water plant is holding off on distributing Class A recycled water to growth areas until there are a minimum of 5800 homes connected. The utility said the delay in providing ...

7 September 2017
WA “disappointed” by Federal Government funding snub
The Federal Government has declined two Western Australian funding applications for projects developed under the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund (NWIDF). The Myalup-Wellington ...

7 September 2017
Murray-Darling Basin probe postponed
The highly anticipated report into alleged water theft in NSW’s Murray-Darling Basin has been delayed, following the granting of a week-long extension to ensure all findings are legally sound. Former ..

6 September 2017
What is 2016’s National Research Innovation Award winner up to now?
The Australian Water Association Research Innovation Award has opened up an array of opportunities for last year’s winners, with the team still revelling in their achievement one year on. The University ...

6 September 2017
Farmers label $13 billion Murray-Darling Basin scheme a failure
Queensland farmers have accused the Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) of ignoring a loophole in the Murray-Darling Basin Plan that allows cotton irrigators to replace water sold back to the ...

5 September 2017
UN says more focus must be paid to health and sanitation goals
The United Nation’s global water and sanitation goals cannot be achieved unless all nations are also willing to address environmental issues, according to United Nations General Assembly President ...

5 September 2017
Study reveals effects of climate change on rural streamflows
While global warming will likely cause floods in urban areas due to intense rainfall, surface water flows in rural areas are set to decline, according to a new study from the University of New South Wales ...

4 September 2017
Small technology promises to clean up huge volumes of wastewater
A new way to modify the atomic structure of iron could offer a breakthrough technology for managing wastewater. Edith Cowan University’s School of Engineering Associate Professor Laichang ...

4 September 2017
Water research has potential to unlock enough renewable energy to power Australia
Pumped hydro storage could be the key to Australia achieving 100% renewable electricity by the 2030s. An Australian National University research team, lead by Engineering Professor Andrew ...

1 September 2017
Queensland wastewater treatment plants prepare for future flood events
It was six years ago that heavy rains in Queensland caused unprecedented damage to the state’s wastewater infrastructure. Since then, Queensland Urban Utilities (QUU) has implemented a new ...

1 September 2017
How can the water industry manage water-borne diseases?
New research suggests a link between climate variability and water-borne diseases. Australian National University’s Aparna Lal is a finalist for an ACT Water Leaders Award for her research into ...