This week in water, Osmoflo announces a strategic partnership to enhance reverse osmosis technology, while the federal government steps in with critical funding to secure Cairns’ drinking water future. Across the states and territories, water quality monitoring continues in Tullah following an oil spill, irrigators in Victoria prepare for possible water rationing, and Gippsland Water rolls out cost-saving biosolids transport improvements.
Internationally, Manchester scientists develop a ‘molecular trap’ to tackle water pollution, a breakthrough in desalination technology could cut costs by removing boron more efficiently, and Korean researchers unveil an electrochemical wastewater treatment system designed for decentralised use.
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Osmoflo and Aqua Membranes partner on innovative technology
Osmoflo has entered a strategic investment and partnership with Aqua Membranes to enhance water treatment solutions across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.
The agreement will see Osmoflo incorporate Aqua Membranes’ 3D Printed Spacer Technology® into its reverse osmosis (RO) solutions, improving water flow, reducing energy consumption and increasing efficiency. The technology offers commercial and environmental benefits, including lower operational costs and a reduced environmental footprint.
Osmoflo CTO Neil Palmer said: “Aqua Membranes’ new approach to feed spacer technology is one of the most significant advances of RO technology since the development of thin film composite some 50 years ago”.
“We have tested the new membranes over a long period on challenging industrial water and the results have exceeded our expectations,” he said.
Osmoflo CEO Carmine Ciccocioppo added: “We are excited by the opportunities that this exclusive partnership with AM and the use of their groundbreaking membrane product present for Osmoflo – indeed, we have already observed its impressive performance compared to conventional spiral wound membranes in several of our plants over the last 12-18 months.”
The partnership aligns with the increasing demand for sustainable water solutions due to climate change, urbanisation, and water scarcity.
$87.5 million government funding secures Cairns’ water future
The Federal Government has committed $87.5 million to ensure Cairns’ water supply remains secure amid growing demand. Without this funding, Cairns Regional Council might have needed to increase costs to residents.
The project will establish a new water intake at the Mulgrave River, a water treatment plant, reservoirs and supporting infrastructure.
Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek said: “As communities grow, we need to make sure they’ve got the basic infrastructure to support them. Everyone deserves clean, secure water. It’s essential for health and wellbeing, and also for economic growth”.
“We know just how important this project is for this growing region. We want to end the uncertainty and make sure secure, reliable water is delivered.
The new system will provide long-term water security for the region once complete.
Water quality testing continues in Tullah after oil spill
TasWater is actively monitoring water quality at its Tullah Water Treatment Plant following an oil spill in nearby Lake Rosebery. Testing has so far shown no contamination, with intake points located away from affected areas.
Until cleanup is complete, water is being supplied via carting, ensuring residents experience no change in service.
TasWater Incident Controller Matt Jordan said: “Multiple checks have taken place over the past few days, and so far, the results are clear”.
“Fortunately, the intake point for the water supply is located some distance from the shore, while the oil is floating on the surface of the water around the shoreline. We are taking every precaution to ensure the public is not at risk,” he said.
Irrigators prepare for possible water rationing in Victoria
Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) is holding drop-in sessions to help irrigators plan for potential rationing in northern Victoria due to high demand on irrigation channels. The 2024/25 season is one of the busiest on record and peak autumn demand may exceed system capacity, triggering restrictions.
GMW Water Delivery Services General Manager Warren Blyth said: “We have delivered a significant amount of water to irrigators throughout the 2024/25 irrigation season so far, and with conditions remaining dry, this is likely to continue”.
“Water orders tend to peak in autumn, and we expect that in some parts of our system, orders may exceed what our channel network is capable of delivering. If this happens for an extended period, we will need to enter a rationing cycle,” he said.
New biosolids containers to cut costs at Drouin wastewater plant
Gippsland Water has introduced two new biosolids containers at its Drouin wastewater treatment plant, streamlining transport and reducing costs by $4,000 per month.
The $160,000 investment allows the facility to handle increasing waste volumes as the region grows. Biosolids are used in compost production at Gippsland Regional Organics.
Scientists create ‘molecular trap’ to clean water pollution
A breakthrough by researchers at The University of Manchester could help tackle water pollution from pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Scientists have developed a metal-organic cage (MOC) that acts as a ‘molecular trap’ to capture pollutants commonly found in water systems.
The University of Manchester researcher Jack Wright said: “Being able to use MOCs in water is a really exciting development. We know how valuable MOCs are for capturing unwanted substances, but until now researchers have not been able to apply them to real-world water systems”.
New carbon cloth electrodes for desalination could reduce costs
A joint study by the University of Michigan and Rice University has developed carbon cloth electrodes that efficiently remove boron from seawater during desalination, eliminating the need for costly chemical treatments.
University of Michigan co-author Jovan Kamcev said: “Most reverse osmosis membranes don’t remove very much boron, so desalination plants typically have to do some post-treatment to get rid of the boron, which can be expensive”.
“We developed a new technology that’s fairly scalable and can remove boron in an energy-efficient way compared to some of the conventional technologies.”
The research, published in Nature Water, could significantly improve desalination efficiency and affordability.
Onsite electrochemical wastewater treatment
Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology have developed a decentralised wastewater treatment system that eliminates the need for large-scale processing plants.
Using electrochemical technology, the system can treat wastewater directly at its source, benefiting remote and rural communities. This innovation could revolutionise wastewater management, particularly in areas without access to traditional treatment facilities.
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