Week in water: updates from across the water community
by Water Source
This week in water, there's a leadership change at Water Research Australia, while expanded hardship programs bring relief to Western Australians. Across the states and territories, Indigenous art brings new life to Northern Territory water infrastructure, and a new treatment plant in NSW delivers safe drinking water via the National Water Grid program.
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National
CEO Karen Rouse departs WaterRA
Karen Rouse stepped down from her role as CEO of Water Research Australia (WaterRA) on 29 October 2024, concluding eight years of transformative leadership. Her tenure saw WaterRA become a leader in collaborative research, strengthening its reputation within the sector.
WaterRA Board Chair Mark Gobbie said: “We are deeply grateful for her leadership and commitment to WaterRA and its members”.
Chief Operating Officer Mark Andersson will serve as Interim CEO, with the board seeking a new leader to build on Rouse’s achievements. “Our operations and services will continue without interruption, and our team is well-equipped to maintain the high standards of service and support you expect from us,” Gobbie said.
States and territories
Support for Western Australians facing financial hardship
Water Corporation’s Start Over program has widened eligibility to assist more residents experiencing financial hardship. Co-designed with the WA Council of Social Services, the initiative offers a pause on overdue debts while incentivising ongoing payments.
Water Minister Simone McGurk highlighted the program’s value: “This important change will mean more people can access the help they need to get on top of debts”.
Since 2018, Start Over has supported nearly 1500 people, with the expanded criteria expected to add around 700 more applicants annually.
Indigenous art revitalises NT water infrastructure
Two new Indigenous murals in Darwin are celebrating cultural stories while enhancing Power and Water’s infrastructure as part of a reconciliation initiative.
The works, ‘Dangalaba (crocodile) on Larrakia Country’ by June Mills and ‘Bilawara (red-tailed black cockatoo) on Larrakia Country’ by Bilawara Lee, Jason Lee and Jesse Bell, bring Indigenous art into public view along the Stuart Highway.
Power and Water General Manager Ian Jackson shared the project’s reconciliation impact: “Our vision for reconciliation is to be a culturally diverse and inclusive organisation where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples feel respected, safe and recognised as trusted partners, now and into the future".
Unitywater student wins Engineers Australia award
Oskar Hill, a University of the Sunshine Coast student and Unitywater intern, was awarded the Michael Woodhouse Engineers Australia undergraduate award – his thesis examined water use data from digital meters, identifying usage patterns and creating leak-detection methods.
Now set to join Unitywater’s 2025 Graduate Program, Hill said: “It inspires me to keep striving for innovation and to make a meaningful difference in sustainable water practices.”
Hunter Water submits pricing proposal to IPART
After consulting nearly 9,000 customers, Hunter Water has submitted a five-year pricing proposal to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) for 2025-2030. The proposal includes price adjustments to offset rising operational costs, with a focus on projects to ensure long-term water security, such as the Belmont Desalination Plant.
Managing Director Darren Cleary said: “We know the rising cost of living weighs on our customers, and we don’t take an increase to our customers’ bills lightly.” The proposal reflects customer priorities including reliability, water conservation and carbon reduction.
New Wyangala Treatment Plant delivers clean drinking water
The Wyangala community in NSW now has access to clean drinking water thanks to a $5.5 million water treatment plant, funded jointly by federal and state governments. Since 2017, residents had to boil their water, but the new plant now supplies safe water to both the village and a nearby holiday park.
Federal Minister Tanya Plibersek emphasised the importance of water access: “Across Australia, about 600,000 people live in places without access to clean drinking water. That’s unacceptable.”
NSW Minister Rose Jackson added: “We’re committed to delivering safer and more reliable drinking water for small communities like Wyangala.”
Warburton garden receives water security boost
A community garden in Warburton, Victoria, received a grant from Yarra Valley Water to install rainwater tanks, ensuring a sustainable water supply. The edible garden provides fresh produce and serves as a community space for workshops and education programs.
Yarra Valley Water General Manager of Strategy and Community Tiffany White said: “By ensuring access to rainwater through this grant, we’re not only supporting the Warburton community, but also helping to preserve our precious drinking water”.
Warburton’s initiative is one of 14 projects funded this year through Yarra Valley Water’s Community Grants Program.
International
Nature-based solutions seen as economic drivers
A comprehensive study led by the University of Oxford and published in PLOS Climate has highlighted the economic potential of nature-based solutions (NBS), which boost agricultural productivity and create jobs.
Lead author Alex Chausson said: “The evidence also shows NBS can be deployed with speed and flexibility in areas where they are needed the most, like rural communities that are often neglected by other investment approaches".
However, the report also cited barriers to adoption, such as fragmented decision-making and misconceptions about pro-environmental policies harming businesses. Chausson stressed the need for better integration of NBS to maximise their socio-economic benefits.
New method for detecting PFAS in water
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a new device for detecting PFAS at lower costs and with greater accessibility.
Leading the project, Associate Professor Chang Liu said: “We’re bringing the cost of the instrument from the scale of a million dollars to a few thousand. We need better technology for detecting PFAS – more accessible, more affordable and easier to use.”
Although still in its testing phase, the innovation could pave the way for widespread, on-site testing of PFAS, addressing a global challenge in water contamination.
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