News Archive

July 2016

29 July 2016
Utilities to recharge aquifers with recycled water
Water Corporation’s Groundwater Replenishment Scheme, which will swing into effect at the end of this year, is already set to recharge aquifers with up to 14 billion litres of water annually. But an ...

29 July 2016
North Queensland water project funding up for grabs
Three North Queensland water projects are vying for a share in $70 million of State Government infrastructure funding. The projects in the running are the Burdekin Shire Council's sewerage switchboard ...

28 July 2016
Renewable energy powers Bondi treatment plant
The Bondi Wastewater Treatment Plant is now producing enough renewable energy to be 100% self-sufficient. The plant has been using co-digestion to convert sewage sludge and organic waste into ...

28 July 2016
Kidney disease may be connected to nitrates in drinking water
Elevated levels of nitrates in drinking water could be linked to kidney disease in some West Australian towns, an expert warns. Chief investigator for the Western Desert Kidney Health Project Dr Christine ...

27 July 2016
Climate change altering distribution of precipitation
Rising temperatures are changing the distribution of water, a new study has found. The paper examines how changes to the Arctic Vortex have altered the sources and isotopic values of precipitation in ...

27 July 2016
Queensland residents set to go on the water grid
About 100,000 Brisbane residents will soon be connected to the south east Queensland water grid for the first time. As part of a $16.5 million capital works investment in Moreton Bay's water supply ...

26 July 2016
Mine pit water collection requires deeper research
As the mining industry explores the idea of reusing old mine pits as water supplies, some experts warn the solution is not viable across much of the country. Monash University Environmental Engineer ...

26 July 2016
Audit of SA water-quality incident reporting
SA Health will conduct an audit of water quality incident reporting in the state, after fewer incidents were reported under South Australia's new Safe Drinking Water Act than originally expected. The ...

25 July 2016
IPART review of WaterNSW underway
The Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has commenced a review of WaterNSW’s operating licences, with submissions from stakeholders now welcome. Formed on 1 January 2015 ...

25 July 2016
Australian water governance takes global research spotlight
Melbourne's water-governance conditions are set to become the focus of Dutch research into sustainable urban water cycles. Melbourne was one of the standout cities on the measure of governance ...

25 July 2016
Salt accumulation key concern in recycled-water irrigation
Irrigators using recycled water must start monitoring salt levels to ensure long-term viability, a recent study indicates. University of Western Sydney's Centre for Infrastructure Engineering researcher ...

22 July 2016
New project helps Victorian coastal communities prepare for climate change
Local communities in the Geelong and Bellarine Peninsula regions can now access data to help combat the coastal impacts of climate change. The Our Coast project uses the latest data on projected ...

22 July 2016
New water treatment plant for Queensland
Seqwater is set to build its first new water treatment plant since its 2013 restructure. The $4 million facility at Canungra, west of the Gold Coast, is set to triple available drinking water for the local area ...

21 July 2016
Victorian desalination order cops criticism
The Victorian Government’s decision to turn on the state's desalination plant ahead of the summer months has received backlash from the opposition. Shadow Treasurer Michael O'Brien said the move was ...

21 July 2016
Water extraction approved for Broken Hill irrigators
Drought-hit irrigators near Broken Hill will be able to extract water from an artificial lake – while it lasts. DPI Water Deputy Director General Gavin Hanlon said extraction from Menindee's Copi Hollow had ...

20 July 2016
Water utility joins Victorian Government for mine clean up
A deal has been struck to protect the Bendigo region from rising groundwater and to clean up the legacy of mining, including elevated levels of salt, arsenic, other heavy metals and hydrogen sulphide gas. The ...

20 July 2016
Victorian irrigation pricing model draws criticism
Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) is defending its decision to adopt a two-district water pricing model for irrigators, as the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) seeks to dispute it. The move to separate Shepparton ...

19 July 2016
NSW to review translucent flows
New South Wales has launched a review into provisions for translucent flow releases from inland river storages, in the wake of ongoing concern from communities. DPI Water will look at the efficacy of translucent ...

19 July 2016
Victorian farmers oppose state’s water plan
Victorian farmers say the state's draft water plan fails to consider stock and domestic water shortages, which come as a result of a long-term decline in south-east Australia’s rainfall runoff. “Since the early 1990s...

18 July 2016
Achieving UN water goals demands new approach
Australia must change its approach to tackling water and sanitation issues if it is to meet the United Nations’ most recent goals for sustainable development, according to a newly released paper. The University...

18 July 2016
New catchment risk tool boosts water-quality control
Water-quality management has received a boost with the development of a new tool for identifying catchment risk. Outlined in a recent Journal of Water and Health paper, the method incorporates a step-by-step...

15 July 2016
North Queensland water challenges to shape the region's future
The twin challenges of water security and protecting the Great Barrier Reef will dominate north Queensland's water sector in coming years, according to the region's water management director. "With the ...

15 July 2016
ACT water takes adjustment price rise
The typical Canberra household's water and sewerage services bill will rise $9 this year following the latest Independent Competition and Regulatory Commission report. Senior Commissioner Joe Dimasi ...

14 July 2016
Queensland council water project claims award for excellence
Mackay Regional Council continues to reap the rewards – and awards – of its Transforming a Water Business project. It's taken out the highest honour at the 2016 National Awards for Local Government - the ...

14 July 2016
Central Queensland catchment health on the rise
Central Queensland's Fitzroy River catchment is helping improve Great Barrier Reef conditions after maintaining its B-grade health rating this year, the State Government says. Minister for Natural Resources ...

13 July 2016
NSW Govt calls for input on water sharing plan
Farmers, industry and environment groups are asked to comment on water sharing plans for coastal New South Wales. The draft Water Sharing Plan for the Hastings Unregulated and Alluvial Water Sources...

13 July 2016
WA farmer cops fine for water overdraw
A West Australian potato grower has received a hefty fine for taking more than double its licensed water entitlement. After pleading guilty to the largest unauthorised water transfer ever prosecuted by the ...

12 July 2016
NSW water management overhaul long overdue
New South Wales’ primary water governance body will focus on long-term water management and outcomes for the Murray-Darling Basin after a recent overhaul of water management services in the state ...

12 July 2016
Solution for Victoria’s dairy industry water concerns
Fixing the Victorian dairy industry's water woes is on the agenda, with the State Government launching a feasibility study into a new pipeline for drought-affected South Gippsland. Water Minister Lisa Neville ...

11 July 2016
Coordination across regions crucial to damming in north
Damming northern Australia while ignoring cross-jurisdictional sustainability issues risks repeating mistakes of the past, warns an environmental risk assessment expert. Monash University Water Science Emeritus...

11 July 2016
Flexibility key to managing water quality following extreme weather events
With extreme weather events on the rise in both frequency and intensity, water utilities must strive for flexible response processes or risk compromising drinking water quality, according to a recent water quality...

8 July 2016
Concerns over NT groundwater as Darwin bores dry up
Almost a quarter of Darwin's bores are at risk of running dry by October but there is hope on the horizon, with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting a promising wet season. Late last month, the Northern Territory ...

8 July 2016
North Queensland due for a water boost
Water security is a key priority for North Queenslanders and will receive funding accordingly, a new State Government report states. Based on feedback from stakeholders, the report - Advancing North Queensland...

7 July 2016
Perth to keep water sources local
Local water supplies will dictate Perth's future development and population growth after the Department of Water ruled out piping in water from other regions. In a recent report – Water for Growth: Urban – the ...

7 July 2016
Data leads water utilities in customer behaviour
Water utilities are facing disruption and greater risks due to changing consumer behaviour and demand, and can no longer rely solely on engineering or on building infrastructure with the assumption that their ...

6 July 2016
New method detects underground leaks with 99% accuracy
Using a simple sound recording, researchers have developed a way to locate underground leaks with 99% accuracy. Developed at Canada's Concordia University, the innovative research involved installing ...

6 July 2016
Blue Mountains company fined for water pollution
A NSW construction company has been prosecuted and ordered to pay more than $130,000 in fines and legal fees after pumping effluent from an on-site sludge dam into a stormwater drain leading to a ...

5 July 2016
New study spikes hope for river turbidity insights
An Australian invention could lead to groundbreaking new insights into river turbidity. University of Queensland PhD candidate Jesper Nielsen is behind the 'turbulence tower', which he said is the world's ...

5 July 2016
Government buys property to curtail reef pollution
The Queensland Government has bought a $7 million property in a bid to stop huge amounts of sediment polluting the Great Barrier Reef. State Environment Minister Steven Miles said the purchase ...

4 July 2016
Options for Broken Hill
A new plan for Broken Hill's ongoing water security crisis has been announced with the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries saying a pipeline from the Murray River is good news for the ...

4 July 2016
Mining voids pose threat to groundwater systems
As the mining boom winds down, work will ramp up for water professionals grappling with the potentially toxic legacy of hundreds of coal mining pits. “The party is now over and the question is: who ...

4 July 2016
Take the lead
With the September intake of the AWA/IWC Online Team Leadership course filling fast, we chatted to course coordinator André Taylor and caught up with two participants from April’s intake to find out ...

1 July 2016
Perth suburb gets sustainability overhaul
A Perth suburb will get a new, more sustainable lease on life thanks to an innovative collaboration involving water experts, the state housing department and local council. Cooperation on the Bentley ...

1 July 2016
Desalination research centre dries up
The National Centre of Excellence in Desalination Australia (NCEDA) is winding down, but hopes are high a new research centre will be funded to continue its work. NCEDA’s Federal funding expired...