Ozwater is one of those standout events where ideas are hatched, knowledge shared and connections strengthened – and this year’s was no exception. It provides an excellent opportunity to network with all sectors of the industry including our members, researchers, and technology providers and to discuss our WaterRA current research program and opportunities.
WaterRA and AWS at Ozwater’26
We were delighted to discuss some key research, connect and collaborate at this year’s conference, including through our presentation on developing Australian Guidelines for trade waste control for purified recycled water, and a workshop on catchment health metrics. Also, to catch up with visitors to the Australian Water School stand in the Exhibition Hall – which proved a busy spot!
It was fantastic to see researchers from our Research Leadership Program well represented at Ozwater26, with Student Water Prize finalists Thi Hai Duong Ninh and Kaili Li presenting their research on smart wastewater overflows and greenhouse gas emissions, and Kaili taking home the national prize. Rehan Mendis and Angel Chyi En WE both shone in the Student Research Showcase, presenting on vibration sensors and foam fractionation.
Another highlight, of course, was the R&D Excellence Award presented to CSIRO Environment and Water Corporation for their work on predictive pathogen management, and our own Nancy Millis Memorial Award, announced earlier this year, presented to Stephanie Faulks for her work on antimicrobial resistance.
Our Member Connect event provided a fantastic opportunity to not only admire the Brisbane skyline from the Sky Room at the Convention Centre, but to share more on the ‘Big 8’ challenges for the water sector and our Strategy 2030. It was wonderful to speak to so many members and friends and share thoughts and reflections from the kick-off of Ozwater.
Ozwater reflections: the big picture
Post-Ozwater'26 there is plenty to reflect on, with this year’s theme: “Our Water. Our Tomorrow” recognising that water is not just a resource, but a shared responsibility – and our collective future. It provides a powerful call to action, for individuals, communities, and industries to come together to protect, value, and invest in water for generations to come.
Listen, learn, and then act together
Coinciding with the start of Reconciliation Week, Ozwater had a record number of First Nations’ streams and workshops, stressing “nothing for us, without us”. The theme of First Nations water knowledge and participation ran through the program, challenging the sector to embed shared authority, governance and leadership in water planning and project delivery. (Please reach out if you'd like to discuss our Closing the Gap Outcome 9b project.)
Water in Transition
There was lots of discussion, stimulated by the WSAA 'Water in Transition' report, that there is a fundamental investment shift in water to deal with our changing world - ie. climate change, ageing infrastructure, and population growth, and increasing customer and community expectations. To help guide the research agenda through this shift we are launching The Outlook and the ‘Big 8’ challenges. There is more content coming on this soon, but in the meantime check out our March engagement webinar.
The changing landscape of water policy and economic regulation
The need for change to keep pace with the water-in-transition was another key theme. These discussions also often include the role of customer and community research to support water infrastructure investment and water pricing. At Water Research Australia we would love to engage in a discussion regarding this kind of research - where it has and hasn’t been effective - is it a question of quality and independence of that research - and would an independent approach or guidance framework make a difference?
Sustainable and diverse water supplies, and ensuring safe water in an increasing spectrum of emerging contaminants, were themes that ran through the program. Another challenge that emerges under many topics is the challenge in working with government agencies with limited resources and funding.
Catchment Health Metrics workshop
A key takeaway from our Ozwater Catchment Health Metrics workshop was that, as an industry, we’re still in need of more consistent and practical ways to define and assess catchment health. Encouragingly, the Python toolbox developed by Petter Nyman and the team at Alluvium Group, through WaterRA's Project #1140, has set a strong foundation. We’re keen to build on this momentum — engaging further with stakeholders and water industry professionals to refine the approach and support broader uptake of the toolbox. We welcome ongoing collaborations to drive real impact in how the health of Australian catchments are assessed and managed.
A big thank you to our amazing speakers — Petter Nyman, Peter Morison, Lauren Randall and Dr. Quinn Ollivier — for sharing their insights and helping drive such a valuable discussion. The workshop was presented by WaterRA and Alluvium Group Consulting, with Hunter Water and WaterNSW.
Purified recycled water session
As Australia looks to increase the implementation of Purified Recycled Water (PRW) schemes, effective management of feed water quality from sewer catchments to wastewater treatment plants is essential to ensuring safe drinking water outcomes.
On Day 1 of Ozwater we had a great sessionto introduce the proposed approach being developed under one of our projects, which focuses on trade waste and source control for PRW schemes. Led by the AWA Water Recycling Specialist Network and the Industrial & Trade Waste Specialist Network it provided a timely platform to share emerging thinking, international experience and early insights relevant to utilities preparing for PRW implementation.
Andrew Salveson (Carollo Engineers, USA) discussed the need for source control for PRW and lessons learned from California, while Lydia Holmes (also from Carollo) outlined a proposed source control framework for Australia and the challenges of adapting current systems. Sydney Water provided a practical case study on applying source control management, including cost considerations and Nanda Altavilla (NSW DPIE) looked at regulatory, guideline and asset ownership challenges associated with PRW schemes
WaterRA PFAS State of Knowledge report spotlighted
Released by Water Research Australia last year and prepared by Dr Nilufa Sultana and Jacqueline Frizenschaf, our PFAS State of Knowledge report provides an overview of research on one of the most persistent and complex challenges facing the water industry today.
Celebrated for their durability per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - found in a wide range of everyday products - are now known for their persistence in the environment and resistance to breakdown, posing significant concerns for human and ecosystem health.
While the water industry is not the source of PFAS, it plays a critical role in managing its transport, treatment, and potential re-entry into the environment. Treatment plants—whether supplying drinking water, recycled water, or biosolids—can inadvertently become point sources of PFAS if not managed effectively. This area was explored in a thoughtful session at Ozwater by Karl Bowles at Jacobs. If you’d like to know more, check out our PFAS report.
Want to explore more?
With an impressive 13 streams, this year’s Ozwater program provided plenty to occupy the Water Research Australia team and other conference attendees. Notable highlights for our team on the ground included:
- Insights on the impact of the recent SA algal bloom on SA Water's two desalination plants in Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island
- A dive into the uncertainty for the sustainable management of biosolids
- Key challenges for the water industry raised in our PFAS State of Knowledge report, and how Australia is responding
- How low-cost IoT and home automation can improve the resilience of rainwater systems
- A look at how an ageing sewage treatment plant originally designed for BOD removal can improve nutrient removal and effluent compliance
- The challenge of potent GHGs that are difficult to quantify accurately and hard to abate, and what is needed for Net Zero.
- The challenges and opportunities around desalinisation and the imperative to create trust and engage with communities early
- Green finance, natural capital accounting and credits schemes
- WaterVal, for validating treatment processes (the Phase 2 funding opportunity is now open)
- Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA)’s Water in Transition report, developed with The UK Water Report
- The Australian Water Association’s AI pilot and the need to acknowledge shadow AI that occurs within an organization but without oversight or knowledge
Some of these areas, and others are explored in our research spotlights, which you can find on our News section, including reflections on catchments and the environment and community engagement, a spotlight on some of the challenges in achieving a low emission, circular water sector, and some highlights in the innovation and optimisation spaces.