SINGAPORE: A collaborative project led by University of Queensland researchers, which has already saved Gold Coast Water and Sydney Water Corporation millions of dollars in sewer management, has won an international award tonight in Singapore.
According to research team leader, UQ's Professor Zhiguo Yuan, the project has massive potential economic and environmental benefits for the global water industry.
The project won the East Asia & Pacific Regional IWA Project Innovation Award 2008 in the category of Applied Research. The winning project is entitled “Model Based Management of Hydrogen Sulfide in Sewers.”
The award was announced during Singapore International Water Week, and recognises excellence and innovation in water engineering projects throughout the world.
Professor Yuan, of UQ's Advanced Water Management Centre said the three-year project involved Gold Coast Water, Sydney Water Corporation and the Advanced Water Management Centre (AWMC).
The work was funded through the Australian Research Council Linkage program.
“This research has led to the development of a powerful model that characterises the in-sewer biological, chemical and physical processes," Professor Yuan said.
"The model provides strong support to the water industry in predicting pipe sections that are most vulnerable to corrosion or odour problems, and in identifying the most cost-effective mitigation strategies."
Commercial service is available through SewEx under UniQuest Pty Ltd.
The project will now compete with the regional winners from Europe and North America for the International award, which will be announced in September at the World Water Congress in Vienna, Austria.
Professor Yuan said the award was a "tremendous honour for all involved in the project, and inspires us to receive the same recognition for our new project”.
Last year Prof Yuan and collaborators from four Australian universities, eight industry partners and four overseas universities, were awarded one of the largest Australian Research Council Linkage grants in history.
This new project will focus on odour and corrosion control of sewer systems.
The Advanced Water Management Centre is currently recruiting for this new project. The positions available include a project manager, several postdoctoral and PhD positions.
For more information please see www.awmc.uq.edu.au or contact Dr Sandra Hall, communications officer, 0429613811, email: s.hall@awmc.uq.edu.au.
