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The
activities of the Centre are arranged into fifteen Programs, which are
organised into three Program Groups. Program Groups 1 and 2 comprise
the major research programs of the Centre, while Program Group 3 deals
with the application of research, education and training, and strategic
activities.
Program Group 1 - Health
and Aesthetics
This
Program Group aims to improve understanding of the relationship between
human health and the quality of drinking water. The programs focus on
microbiological and chemical risks that are of relevance to Australian
water supplies, integrating both toxicological and epidemiological research
methods. In addition, research is being undertaken to improve the understanding
of factors that affect community perceptions of drinking water quality
and safety.
Program 1A - Epidemiology
Program 1B - Toxicology
Program 1C - People's
Perspectives
Program Group 2 - Catchment
to Customer
Program
Group 2 focuses on the contaminants that have the greatest implications
for urban water supply systems with identification of processes that
lead to poor water quality and the integrated management and treatment
interventions that protect or enhance water quality from the catchment,
through the treatment process to the customer. Areas of research include
pathogens, nutrients, cyanobacteria, micropollutants, natural organic
matter, suspended solids and salinity.
Program Group 3 - Policy,
Regulation and Stakeholder Involvement
This
program group brings together a range of activities relating to interactions
between the Centre and its various stakeholders, consideration of a
broad range of policy and regulatory issues, the communication and implementation
of research knowledge through all levels of the water industry, and
the provision of education and training of university students, current
industry personnel and the broader community. These activities ensure
that research undertaken in Program Groups 1 and 2 fulfills the needs
of Centre participants, that knowledge is effectively translated into
regulatory processes, and that the interface between industry and research
is maintained and strengthened.
Program
6 - Wastewater Strategy
This program
was established in 2003 at the request of CRC industry parties to address
research issues relating to wastewater. This topic lies outside the
core focus of the CRC on drinking water research, and therefore the
Wastewater program is funded and operated separately from the CRC's
drinking water research activities. Program
6 - Wastewater Strategy
Research
Themes
The CRC's
catchment to tap research program has spanned six major themes, with individual
research projects addressing one or more themes.
|
Aesthetics |
-
turbidity, colour, iron and manganese, off-flavours |
|
Cyanobacteria |
-
toxins and off-flavours |
|
NOM (Natural Organic Matter) |
- disinfection byproduct precursors, treatability and bacterial
growth |
|
Micropollutants |
-
disinfection byproducts, endocrine disrupters, and other chemical
contaminants |
|
Pathogens |
- bacteria, viruses and protozoa |
|
Sustainability |
-
incorporation of environmental, social and economic factors into
decision making |
The relationships
of the research themes to the seven major research programs are shown
in the matrix below:
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