Annual R Eport
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The Cooperative Research Centre for Water Quality and Treatment is an unincorporated joint venture between: ACTEW Corporation Australian Water Quality Centre Australian Water Services Pty Ltd Brisbane City Council Centre for Appropriate Technology Inc City West Water Limited CSIRO Curtin University of Technology Department of Human Services Victoria Griffith University Melbourne Water Corporation Monash University Orica Australia Pty Ltd Power and Water Corporation Queensland Health Pathology & Scientific Services 2004 - 2005 RMIT University South Australian Water Corporation South East Water Ltd Sydney Catchment Authority Annual Report Sydney Water Corporation The University of Adelaide CRC for Water Quality and Treatment The University of New South Wales Private Mail Bag 3 The University of Queensland Salisbury United Water International Pty Ltd SOUTH AUSTRALIA 5108 University of South Australia Tel: (08) 8259 0211 University of Technology, Sydney Water Corporation Fax: (08) 8259 0228 Water Services Association of Australia E-mail: [email protected] Yarra Valley Water Ltd Web: www.waterquality.crc.org.au Mission To assist the Australian water industry produce high quality drinking water at an affordable price. Vision By 2010, the Australian water industry will have achieved a high level of community confidence in the safety and quality of the country’s water supply systems. Research undertaken by the Centre will have laid a solid foundation for evidence based investment decisions for water infrastructure, as well as providing innovative solutions for achieving enhanced aesthetic water quality that meets community needs. Objectives • Undertaking a high quality, targeted research program that seeks to provide the knowledge and innovative solutions required to meet national and water industry objectives for drinking water quality in the major urban centres and in regional Australia, including small rural and Indigenous communities. • Building on the success of the existing cooperative activity between the Parties to incorporate evidence- based guidelines into the Australian drinking water regulatory system. • Involving a high proportion of the water industry end-users in 2004 - 2005 the development, conduct and utilisation of the research and other activities of the CRC for Water Quality and Treatment. • Enhancing the strategic international alliances to ensure that CRC for Water Quality and Treatment activities are well founded on the best experience and knowledge already available, and to provide, where appropriate, the benefit of Australian experience and opinion in the formulation of international water quality management strategies and guidelines. • Providing high quality, well trained and informed professionals as future leaders in the industry through an extensive postgraduate student program. • Effectively communicating the outcomes of the CRC for We Received $M Water Quality and Treatment research activity to the industry Cash from Grant $2.50 and the community. Cash from Participants $2.09 In-Kind from Participants $10.22 Other Income $0.96 Total $15.77 We Expended $M Research $12.33 Education $2.33 Administration $1.80 Communication & Commercialisation $0.52 Total $16.98 Our CRC Introduction by the Chairman 2 CEO’s Report 3 Highlights 5 Research Projects 6 Governance, Structure and Management 10 Commercialisation, Technology Transfer and Utilisation 16 Research Program Group One: Health and Aesthetics 19 Program Group Two: Catchment to Customer 31 Program Group Three: Policy, Regulation and Stakeholder Involvement 66 Sharing Knowlege Education and Training 72 Collaboration 79 Specified Personnel 81 Publications 82 Communication Strategy 89 Grants and Awards 92 Performance Measures 94 Finance Budget and Resources 105 Auditor’s Report 125 Abbreviations 127 Report Annual 2004 - 2005 1 am pleased to be able to write an introduction to this tenth annual report from the Cooperative I Research Centre for Water Quality and Treatment. The report describes the fourth year of the current seven-year agreement with the Commonwealth for the funding and operation of the Centre. I encourage a careful reading of this report, outlining as it does the Centre’s many achievements during the past year as well as providing a useful summary of the broad range of its activities. This Centre is an unusual organisation in a number of respects and I believe it is helpful to provide some background right up front. The first agreement with the Commonwealth under the Cooperative Research Centres Program ran from July 1995 to June 2001. Under the terms of that agreement, in a unique collaboration, public health researchers worked with water scientists, technologists, engineers and managers to tackle a portfolio of issues that were impacting upon the quality of the water supplied to Australian consumers. Much was achieved in that time but much remained to be done. The current Centre still has at its core that same unique collaboration but additional skills have been brought into the mix to tackle new issues facing the industry. The pressure of drought and population growth, the issue of sustainability and the growing customer focus of water authorities have raised additional issues. These have been integrated into the research programs of this Centre. The current agreement with the Commonwealth will expire in June 2008. In the past year, industry leaders and the Governing Board of this Centre have worked to identify the strategic research needs of the industry beyond that date and to examine the options for future research that will inform the management of water resources. The activities reported on here reflect the knowledge, experience and effort of many people, the willing collaboration between the parties in the current Centre, and relationships with a range of other organisations, both within Australia and internationally. All of these activities are aimed at helping the Australian water industry provide high quality water at an affordable price. They benefit this nation through the protection of public health, through saving on infrastructure costs, and through the enhancement of scientific and technological capacity. During the past year, University of Technology Sydney has become a party to the Centre. In addition, Barwon Region Water Authority, Cairns Water and the Queensland Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy have become involved in the Associates Program organised by the Centre. One of the strengths of the CRC Program is its focus on postgraduate education. I believe the Centre’s Education and Training Program delivers real value for the Australian water industry. This year, the Centre has produced a further seven postgraduates with others awaiting their PhD thesis outcome. Since 1995, thirty-eight postgraduate students have completed their postgraduate degrees through the Centre. These highly skilled professionals have much to offer the nation, now and in the future. On behalf of the Governing Board, I must congratulate the personnel located in Centre parties around the country for all that has been achieved during the past year. I acknowledge here the contribution of my colleagues on the Governing Board to the continued success of the Centre. I believe the industry has been very well served by their efforts. At the June 2005 meeting of the Governing Board, Chief Executive Officer, Professor Don Bursill advised of his intention to step down from the position. A subcommittee of the Board will now manage the task of appointing his successor in this significant role. Let me just state briefly here that he has led the Centre with vision and commitment and that the Board has recognised and appreciated his tireless efforts and prodigious energy in promoting the work of the Centre in this country and overseas. Introduction by the Chairman I know that the Centre’s continuing research efforts have brought great benefits to the Australian water industry and to Australians generally. Emeritus Professor Nancy Millis AC MBE, Chairman 2 his annual report describes the latest progress of the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Quality Tand Treatment towards its goal of assisting the Australian water industry to produce high quality drinking water at an affordable price. That concise statement of our mission has served us, and the industry as a whole, well over the past ten years. The emphasis on high quality has been a guiding principle. I fondly recall the discussion at Board level about the goals we should aim for back in 1995, in the early days of the original Centre. Our indomitable chairman crystallised the debate with her characteristic forthrightness. As a goal, good was just not good enough and thus the higher benchmark was set. In each area of activity, the Centre has pursued quality for and on behalf of the industry and this has become our mantra. Our collective best could be as good as the best and, in the judgement of our peers internationally, this has frequently proved to be the case. Continuing with a reflective theme, the water industry of a decade ago was changing rapidly. The structural changes it underwent then have contributed to improved efficiencies and focus. There has also emerged a capacity and a will to respond more positively to the requirements of its customers. On the operational front, the development of the new Australian Drinking Water Guidelines has played a significant part in focusing attention on proactive management of water supply systems from the source to the tap. This process should