Home > Expertise > Research and Development

Research and Development

Our leading Research and Development team is turning expertise into action to improve water and wastewater quality and increase the efficiency of our operations.

The team also provides solutions for industrial and municipal clients, and in conjunction with our partner research agencies such as universities, CSIRO Land and Water, the National Centre for Groundwater Studies and for Water Quality Research Australia.

United Water’s team of researchers work in partnership with our clients on:

• Plant operation and process optimisation;

• Network management;

• Process hydraulic performance;

• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling;

• Water quality in distribution systems;

• Decision support tools;

• Life Cycle Analysis;

• Greenhouse Gas accounting;

• Algal management;

• Design and implementation of water reuse and recycling schemes;

• Managed Aquifer Recharge, for example Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) and Aquifer Storage Transfer and Recovery (ASTR).

In each case, United Water’s research work is focussed on providing economically sound and sustainable solutions that optimise quality and minimise risk. We specialise in bringing together a number of interested parties to develop and extend a research idea from concept to field trials and providing ongoing consultation once newly developed processes and techniques have been adopted by our clients and the water industry.

United Water’s extensive research activities include the following projects:

Taste and odours—water quality improvements
Research into the detection, control, and treatment of algae and the removal of potentially toxic by-products is a key interest of United Water.

Integrated network systems
Mathematical modelling is an emerging speciality providing detailed investigation of options which can improve water quality and the operation and maintenance of the water distribution and wastewater collection networks.

Improving the performance of water treatment processes
Significant research into potable water treatment and supply is being conducted by supporting the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Quality and Treatment (CRCWQT) and project managing a major research program. In addition United Water conducts research to improve the operational performance of the treatment plants we manage.

Improving the performance of wastewater treatment
United Water is supporting and undertaking research on the whole treatment process from
preliminary treatment to final polishing. A particular interest is the modelling and operation of waste stabilisation lagoons to maximise water quality for reuse. Some of this work is transferable to wetlands and other recycled water systems.

Algal bloom prediction
United Water is involved in research aimed at predicting the hydrodynamic behaviour of shallow lakes, ponds and reservoirs and the likelihood of algal bloom formation. Our experience modelling the performance of the shallow waste stabilisation ponds at the Bolivar Wastewater Treatment Plant in Adelaide using commercially available Fluent CFD software,  highlighted the limitations of existing commercial software for this purpose. Due to these difficulties, United Water is exploring alternative methods to model the hydraulics of shallow lakes for algal bloom management. This project will lead to a better understanding of the modelling of waste stabilisation ponds, which in turn will lead to better design and optimisation of future installations. It also has the potential to develop specialised commercialisable software for modelling shallow water bodies.

Detecting water leakage and pipe blockages
United Water has partnered with the University of Adelaide to develop a new, non-invasive, approach to determining the status of water networks. This involves connecting to the pipe at fire-plugs and similar locations, taking pressure measurements, and analysing these using advanced ‘inverse transient modelling’ techniques. A low cost, non-invasive method for determining the status of water networks will be of enormous benefit to water authorities world-wide. The noninvasive techniques currently under development have a significant advantage because they work while water is still being supplied.

For more information contact research@uwi.com.au