---
title: Meet the 2025 Australian Water Awards finalists
description: Congratulations to the 2025 Australian Water Awards finalists. Winners will be announced at the Ozwater’25 Gala Dinner on 21 May in Adelaide.
---

[Latest News Blog ](https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news)

# [Meet the 2025 Australian Water Awards finalists](https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news/announcing-the-2025-australian-water-awards-finalists)

 Written by [Water Source](https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news/author/water-source) | Mar 30, 2025 10:42:19 PM

Congratulations to the 2025 Australian Water Awards finalists. Winners will be announced at the [Ozwater’25](https://www.ozwater.org/) Gala Dinner on 21 May in Adelaide. 

Australian Water Association Chief Executive Corinne Cheeseman said the annual awards program continues to spotlight excellence across the sector. 

“The Australian Water Awards celebrate the remarkable contributions of individuals, organisations and students across the country. It’s a chance to recognise the innovation, leadership and commitment that are helping shape a sustainable water future,” she said. 

“Once again this year, we were incredibly impressed by the calibre of nominations. The breadth and quality of work being done across the sector is both inspiring and vital.  

“Our judges had no easy task in selecting finalists and winners, every nomination brought something unique and valuable to the table. 

“I’d like to thank all our judges for their dedication and thoughtful consideration throughout the process. I’m very much looking forward to acknowledging these outstanding achievements at the Australian Water Awards ceremony at [Ozwater’25](https://www.ozwater.org/).” 

ANZ is proud to sponsor the Australian Water Awards, which celebrates significant community contribution and exceptional performance of  all the finalists. These are ambitions ANZ share, admire and are proud to be associated with.

 

#### ORGANISATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD   

Sponsored by: 

**Managing Drinking Water Quality Risk Through a Catchment Bushfire Followed by Three Once in 100-Year Floods **   
SUEZ and Sydney Water (NSW)

**qldwater Consortium for Research and Advocacy on Contaminants of Concern**   
Queensland Water Directorate and contributing organisations (QLD) 

**Achieving Sustainable and Prosperous Futures for Self-Supplied Remote Communities**   
Department for Environment and Water (SA) 

**Managing Porronggitj Karrong, Place of the Brolga**   
Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation, Barwon Water and SMEC (VIC)    
   
**WaterSmart Farms Water Security and Resilience in a Drying Climate**   
Water Corporation, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development, Murdoch University, and Curtin University (WA)  

#### R&D EXCELLENCE AWARD  

Sponsored by:    
 

**Spoil to Topsoil - Local Circular Economy Outcomes with Global Implications**   
Icon Water, Yass Earth Movers and ACT NoWaste Transport Canberra and City Services (ACT)

**Smart Irrigation Management for Parks and Cool Towns** **(SIMPaCT)**   
Sydney Water, Western Sydney University, NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, University of Technology Sydney, Monash University, Sydney Olympic Park Authority and other contributing organisations (NSW)

**Beetaloo Strategic Regional Environment and Baseline Assessment (SREBA)**   
Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security (NT) 

**Control of BGA Bloom Using EarthTec at Kinbombi Weir**   
Gympie Regional Council (QLD)

**Benthic Cyanobacteria and Where to Hopefully Find Them**   
SA Water (SA) 

**Demonstrating the Cooling Benefits of Irrigating Green Space and Misting at Aquarevo House and Burnley**   
South East Water, University of Melbourne and Water Sensitive Cities Australia (VIC)   
   
**Novel Low-field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Monitoring of Anaerobic Digestate During Solid-liquid Separation**   
Tessele Consultants, The University of Western Australia and Australian Meat Processor Corporation (WA) 

#### INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT INNOVATION AWARD (REGIONAL)  

Sponsored by:

**Quipolly Water Project**   
GHD and Liverpool Plains Shire Council (NSW)

**Katherine PFAS Water Treatment Plant**   
Power and Water Corporation and other contributing organisations (NT) 

**Coolmunda Dam Variable Counterweight Project**   
Sunwater, Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure, Munster Services Group and other contributing organisations (QLD)   
   
**Flood Modelling in the Cooper Creek to Safeguard SA’s Energy Industry**   
Ricardo and Beach Energy (SA) 

**Bryn Estyn Water Treatment Plant Upgrade**   
TasWater and Jacobs (TAS) 

**GWMWater’s First Fully Off-Grid Facility, The Elmhurst Water Treatment Plant**   
Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water (VIC)  

#### INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT INNOVATION AWARD (METRO)   

Sponsored by:  

   
**Bespoke Indoor Modular Activated Carbon Cassette System for Trunk Sewer Odour Mitigation**   
Aquatec, Icon Water and Diona (ACT) 

**Bundle 17 Sewer Relining: Unlocking Sustainable Renewals in a Constrained Environment**   
Interflow and Confluence Water (NSW)

**Restoring Caboolture River for Sustainable Sewerage Services**   
Unitywater (QLD) 

**Breakout Creek Stage 3**   
Green Adelaide (Department for Environment and Water), SA Water and other contributing organisations (SA) 

**Hobsons Bay Main Sewer Duplication Project**   
John Holland Group and Melbourne Water (VIC)    
 

#### WATER INDUSTRY SAFETY EXCELLENCE AWARD   

Sponsored by:    
 

**Aeration Engineering**   
Water Corporation (WA) 

**Optrel Swiss Air PAPR system**   
Sunwater (QLD) 

**Safer Working for Traffic Controllers on the Royal Parade Water Main Renewal**   
Fulton Hogan Utilities (VIC) 

**Facilitating Trenchless Rehabilitation with Midline Expansion**   
Interflow (AUSTRALIA-WIDE) 

**Asbestos Pipe Cutting Research and Improvement Project**   
TasWater (TAS) 

#### CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AWARD   

Sponsored by:    
 

**Developer Services Transformation Project**   
Urban Utilities (QLD) 

**Osmoflo's Continual Support of the Pacific Provides Valuable Customer-Centric Culture**   
Osmoflo (INTERNATIONAL) 

**Digital Transformation Program - The Use of Technology to Deliver Exceptional Customer** **Experiences**   
SA Water (SA) 

**Development Services Program**   
Unitywater (QLD) 

**Project Flow: Digital Transformation**   
Riverina Water County Council (NSW) 

**Water Saver App**   
South East Water with the University of Melbourne (VIC) 

**Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre (AWRC) Pipelines**   
John Holland with Sydney Water (NSW) 

**Sydney Water Customer Charter**   
Sydney Water (NSW) 

#### BEST WATER E-JOURNAL PAPER *in honour of Guy Parker*

*Winner to be announced at Ozwater’25 * 

#### AUSTRALIAN STOCKHOLM JUNIOR WATER PRIZE 

Sponsored by:  

*Winner to be announced at Ozwater’25 

*

#### STUDENT WATER PRIZE   

Sponsored by:  

**Trends in Swimming in Urban Waterways Over the Last 50 Years**   
Cherie Blackburn, Australian National University (ACT)

**Enhance Site-Scale Stormwater Management Through Real-Time Adapter Control System**   
Xuli Meng, University of Technology Sydney (NSW) 

**The Effects of Urban Densification and Climate Change on Residential Urban Water Balance in Sub-Tropical Climate**   
Sophie Barrett, University of Queensland (QLD)

**Utilising Alum-Based Water Treatment Residue in Producing Highly Durable Alkaline-Activated Material**   
Weiwei Duan, University of South Australia (SA) 

**Portable IC with Dual LED-Based Detectors and 3D-Printed Post-Column Heated Micro-Reactor for the Simultaneous Determination of Ammonium, Nitrite, and Nitrate**   
Kurt Debruille, University of Tasmania (TAS) 

**Development of a Novel Grease Interceptor to Remove Fat, Oil and Grease from the Wastewater Generated From Food Service Establishments**   
Nilufa Sultana, RMIT University (VIC)    
   
**Novel Low-field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Monitoring of Anaerobic Digestate During Solid-liquid Separation**   
Emanuel Bertizzolo, University of Western Australia (WA)  

#### YOUNG WATER PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARD  

Sponsored by:  

**Maritsa Kacopieros**   
GHD (ACT)

**Brendan Dagg**   
Beca Hunter H20 (NSW)

**Dr Susannah Clement**   
Department of Lands, Planning and Environment (NT)

**Lindsay Stafford**   
AECOM (QLD) 

**Dr Jessica Bohorquez**   
Aurecon (SA)    
   
**Josh Clark**   
Tasmanian Irrigation (TAS)    
   
**Dr Flora Markis**   
Arup (VIC)    
   
**Andres Mansilla**   
Stantec (WA)  

#### WATER PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARD  

Sponsored by:  

**Nicole Vonarx**    
Icon Water (ACT) 

**Dammika Vitanage**   
Nominated by the University of Technology Sydney (NSW)  

**Kylie Collins**   
Power and Water Corporation (NT)  

**Cameron Jackson**   
Urban Utilities (QLD)  

**Jeff Tyler**   
Tonkin (SA)  

**Sarah Jones**   
Pinion Advisory (TAS) 

**Celeste Morgan**   
Arup (VIC)  

**Daniel Visser**   
GHD (WA)  

[View full post](https://www.awa.asn.au/resources/latest-news/announcing-the-2025-australian-water-awards-finalists)

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