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January Research News
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Research Newsletter – January 2022
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Welcome to our January 2022 research and innovation newsletter.
This edition is full of interesting information that you might find interesting – and even some you might not. But you can’t get passed the fact that Rwanda plans to put 327,320 satellites in space – nothing to do with water – but who could leave it out!
Oh… and if you see any interesting articles, projects or news about research that others might be interested in, please send to [email protected] – it could even make the next newsletter due in February 2022.
If you’ve stumbled on this newsletter and would like to receive future editions please click this link. Or if you know someone who really needs this: forward to a friend.
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Industry Innovation and Resilience
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“New Water360 website”
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WSAA is updating the Water360 website to provide the water industry with a useful and credible repository for research and information related to the range of water industry needs.
The website aims to provide access for the water industry to a range of publicaly available research, information and news to help them with their work.
WSAA’s pledge is to ensure that the website will be continually curated and updated to respond to emerging issues and needs.
Go to Water360
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Smart Linings For Pipe and Infrastructure
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The CRC-P for Pipes and Infrastructure has now come to an end, but all the fantastic information uncovered during its three years is available on the Water360 website.
The project researched cured-in-place pipe and polymeric spray liners and, in wastewater assets, calcium aluminate cements and geopolymers.
Field trials with the products were conducted, followed by product testing at universities and finally codes of practice, product standards, decision tools and sensors to measure key attributes were developed.
The project was funded by the Cooperative Research Centres Program and 35 partners from utilities, universities, industry organisations, manufacturers and suppliers with a total cost of approximately $20 million.
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ARENA Releases New Bioenergy Roadmap
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The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has released its Bioenergy Roadmap which lays out a vision for a sustainable bioenergy industry that can help lower emissions, increase fuel security, enhance waste recovery, and deliver economic benefits.
Read it here
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Water Research Foundation Unsolicited Research Program Launching Soon
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The WRF are looking for your innovative ideas. WRF’s Unsolicited Research Program is due to be launched on the 12th of January.
The Unsolicited Research Program supports research projects that can be the catalyst for transforming our understanding of our water resources and our ability to protect and preserve them in a sustainable and cost-effective manner.
Read more here
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Martians Land on Earth – Some Signs of Intelligent Life
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Martians Land on Earth – Some Signs of Intelligent Life If you have anything you’d like to say to fellow earthlings about the great things you, or your colleagues, are doing in the area of research, innovation and development – please drop us a line.
We are really keen to add some local colour to our newsletter; no matter how ordinary.
Click here and let me know what you would like to say
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Spring has Sprung
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After months of extensive engagement, Spring, the UK water sector’s innovation centre of excellence, has moved to its next stage of development.
Spring aims to accelerate transformation within the UK water sector by attracting, connecting and supporting innovators.
Visit Spring here
Spring’s mission is to realise the UK’s 2050 Water Innovation Strategy
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water supply and security |
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Partners To Deliver Next-Generation Water Markets in Northern Australia
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The Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA) is partnering with Queensland blockchain company Civic Ledger, FNQ Growers, and Inclusive Growth Partners to de-risk agriculture development with grower-led water markets across Northern Australia.
The partners claim that it is the world’s first blockchain-based platform for the accounting and trading of water entitlements and allocations – and that the result is a more open, transparent, and publicly verifiable system to support improved water management and enhance the water trading experience with water rights that are clearly defined, enforceable, and transferable.
Read more here
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Energy and the Circular economy
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A Circular Water Economy for Cleaner, Greener, Healthier, More Prosperous Cities
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A recent paper by the World Health Organisation explores circular cities, where the use and reuse of water and wastewater resources are optimised, unlocking the true value and potential of urban areas.
Read more here
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Electric Fields Improve Wastewater Purification
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Researchers have shown that the application of an external electric field can greatly enhance the efficiency of ammonia removal from wastewater, making it more energy- and cost-effective.
Ammonia is one of many pollutants present in wastewater and can be toxic for marine and terrestrial life. Commonly, a process called air stripping, is used to remove it from wastewater, where it may be used later for fertiliser or fuel.
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New Tool Tracks Countries’ Resource Footprints to Drive Change
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A group of Australian researchers working with the United Nations have developed a tool to help drive practical change in the world’s global resource consumption through better understanding how many resources each country consumes.
There are some great graphs here to help really understand how Australia compares with other countries.
Access the tool here
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New South Wales Gets Serious About the Circular Economy Metrics
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NSW local councils will actively track their waste and re-use metrics under a NSW state government initiative. Two new dashboard tools, created by the government-funded body NSW Circular, will for the first time make accessible data that up until now has been invisible to local councils and the public.
Australian Circularity Benchmarks: A new portal by NSW Circular where business, government and communities can track Australia’s progress to a circular economy.
My Circular Community: Bespoke peer benchmarking reports and interactive metrics dashboards for local councils and their community to visualise key waste management and recycling metrics.
Read more here
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Two-Year Green Hydrogen Trial Begins in Western Sydney
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In an Australian first, green hydrogen is being blended into gas networks in New South Wales. The two-year trial is being conducted by energy infrastructure company Jemena.
Jemena is producing hydrogen from renewable energy at its $15 million Western Sydney Green Hydrogen Hub project, converting solar and wind power into renewable hydrogen via electrolysis — using electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
Read more here
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Sensor Detects Dioxins in Drinking Water
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University of Cincinnati researchers have developed a sensor that detects toxins from algal blooms that taint surface water such as rivers, lakes and streams.
Early detection of these toxins can aid water treatment plants to adjust the treatment strategy to keep the dangerous substances from contaminating drinking water.
Read more here
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World’s First Standardised Methods for Testing Microplastics in Drinking Water
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In the US, the State Water Resources Control Board, in partnership with the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, has developed the first standardised analytical methods for testing and reporting of microplastics in drinking water.
Development of the new standardised methods using Raman spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy will, for the first time, allow environmental laboratories to conduct tests and post findings that will be comparable with other labs that are following the same protocols. Testing will initially focus on source waters; rivers, aqueducts and reservoirs that supply a large portion of California’s drinking water.
Read more here
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The Costs and Risks of AMR and Water Pollution
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A recent paper by the World Health Organisation explores the relationship between antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and water pollution. It highlights how the amount of consumption and discharge of antimicrobial drugs into water bodies, in combination with the socio-economic vulnerability of a country determines the rate at which AMR spreads.
Read more here
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Power And Water and Water Corp Form Unique Partnership
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The Northern Territory’s Power and Water Corporation, Essential Indigenous Services, the Northern Territory Government, Western Australia’s (WA) Water Corporation, The University of Queensland, Hydro-dis Australia and Dematec Automation have formed a unique partnership to develop next generation water treatment technologies for regional communities.
The research will focus on the treatment of nitrate and heavy metals such as uranium and arsenic by applying electro-chemical technology using oxidation and reduction reactions.
The project represents a unique partnership model between two water utilities, a university and the private sector outside of the conventional research grant stream.
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WA Study Reveals Beer Garden Misting Systems as Potential Health Hazard
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Edith Cowan University researchers have examined 10 water misting systems in Western Australia and found the presence of opportunistic premise plumbing pathogens.
In particular, a pathogen called Pseudomonas aeruginosa was found in 60 per cent of water mist samples.
It’s a small survey , but half of the owners admitted they cleaned their systems only occasionally or not at all, and 60 per cent didn’t know the aerosols presented a risk of inhaling pathogens.
Read more here
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BHP Looks at Giant Block-Stacking Crane to Store Pilbara Energy
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BHP has agreed with US-Swiss start-up Energy Vault to study the use of technology that lifts blocks to use surplus energy and later generate power when they are lowered.
The technology is designed for longer duration storage, from four hours to more than 12 hours, where lithium-ion batteries can be too expensive.
Read more here
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Brain Surgeons and Rocket Scientists No Brighter Than the Rest Of Us
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Researchers from the UK have found that aerospace engineers and brain surgeons are not necessarily brighter than the general population.
Researchers examined data from an international cohort of 329 aerospace engineers and 72 neurosurgeons who completed 12 tasks online using the Great British Intelligence Test (GBIT) from the Cognitron platform, as well as answering questions around their age, sex and levels of experience in their speciality.
However, the research found that only neurosurgeons showed a significant difference, with quicker problem-solving speed but slower memory recall compared with the general population.
Read more here
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Western Australia and Port of Rotterdam to Collaborate on Renewable Hydrogen
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Western Australia is continuing to solidify its leading role on the global renewable hydrogen stage, with a Memorandum of Understanding signed last night with Europe’s largest seaport, the Port of Rotterdam.
Underpinned by the Dutch Government’s national hydrogen strategy, the Port of Rotterdam is setting itself up as a major hydrogen import hub for Europe.
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Rwanda Plans to Put 327,320 Satellites in Space
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This is not a typo! The Rwanda Space Agency (RSA) has filed a request to acquire two satellite constellations from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The two fleets of craft totals 327,320 satellites.
Rwanda launched its first satellite, RwaSat-1, in 2019 with the help of Japan and in March 2021 Rwanda’s Chamber of Deputies voted on the law establishing the Rwanda Space Agency (RSA).
Meanwhile there are currently 7,941 satellites orbiting space and a list compiled by Parabolic Arc shows that 94,255 satellites are currently seeking approval from the US FCC.
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The Humble Policy Maker
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This really interesting paper from the UK looks at what’s wrong with politics and policy making: why the basic way we make decisions is undermining our ability to navigate this age of exponential change.
Polly Mackenzie challenges the two dominant mindsets in policy making – partisan thinking and technocracy – and makes the case that they cannot solve our problems and explains how and why she changed her mind to get to this point.
Read more here
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Zero Trust Networks and the End of the Password
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An interesting item from InnovationAus on how zero trust networks are replacing passwords. By using trusted devices and tracking who is accessing what and why, security systems are able to identify unusual behaviour and block access. Passwords, it seems, tell us nothing.
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Einstein’s Theory Passes Rigorous 16-Year Tests
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An international team have used telescopes around the world, including CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope – Murriyang, to complete the most challenging tests yet of Einstein’s general theory of relativity.
No matter how boring space can be, the idea that they have observed a star spinning 45 times every second is amazing.
Read more here
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37th Annual WateReuse Symposium
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6-9 March, 2022, San Antonio, Texas and Online
More details as they come to hand
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OZWATER’22
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10-12 May 2025, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre
Ozwater is Australia’s most prominent international annual water conference and exhibition, considered the highlight of the water sector’s calendar of events.
This year’s theme is Our Water Journey, which celebrates the evolution of the water sector from its rich history, where we are now and what possibilities lie in our future.
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African Water Association Knowledge Management Platform
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Sharing Africa’s water and sanitation sector knowledge
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Australian Government – GrantConnect
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Forecast and current Australian Government grant opportunities
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Free Access to US Water Research Foundation Resources
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Great news! If your utility is a member of WSAA, you have access to all the online resources of the US Water Research Foundation (WaterRF), including:
- Access to a huge library of research, webinars and support material covering all facets of the water industry.
- Opportunities to participate in collaborative research projects with international teams and gain first-hand access to results.
- Opportunities to participate in Project Advisory Committees, learn from international experience and share your expertise.
- Access to the TechLink program and the industry’s shared experience with emerging technology.
Watch a short video
If you would like access to WaterRF – and who wouldn’t – please send an email to Dale Watson.
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Water360
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Your one stop shop for water industry knowledge and resources.
Water360 is the best place to start searching for the latest and most reliable information to support your work in the Australian water industry.
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Water360
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Your one stop shop for water industry knowledge and resources
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Water Research Foundation
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WSAA utility members can access reports and webinars for free
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