Co-Program Leaders: A/Prof Heather Chapman & Dr Dan Deere

OBJECTIVE

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 under the Commonwealth Agreement.

Potential research questions for the program were initially identified by consultation with each of the supporting industry parties between July and October 2003, and a Wastewater Strategy Working Paper was then developed and circulated. This was followed by a workshop in Melbourne in November 2003, where industry and research parties discussed and prioritised potential areas of research. The outcome of this workshop was presented to the Meeting of Representatives on 8 December 2003 and to the Governing Board on 9 December 2003. Following this, a short position paper detailing the way forward was circulated to all parties.As a result of this process, three main streams of research have been defined for the Program - Recycled Water, Biosolids and the Receiving Environment.

PROJECTS 2003 - 2008

6.0.0.2 OPPORTUNISTIC PATHOGENS IN RECYCLED AND POTABLE WATER
Project Leader: Nick Ashbolt (University of New South Wales)
Understanding the growth of opportunistic pathogens within third pipe distribution systems (Word doc)

6.0.0.4 PATHOGEN RISK INDICATORS FOR WASTEWATERS AND BIOSOLIDS
Development of useful indicators and rapid detection techniques for monitoring of recycled water (Word doc)

6.0.0.5 BIOSOLIDS RISK ASSESSMENT FOR PATHOGENS AND ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS
Project Leader: Simon Toze (CSIRO Land and Water)
Risk assessment for pathogens and organic contaminants in biosolids (Word doc)

6.0.0.6 - ECOSYSTEM RESPONSE TO HUMAN, VETERINARY & GROWTH PROMOTING ANTIBIOTICS
Project Leader: Simon Costanzo (University of Queensland)
Background: This project will provide the first data concerning the source, occurrence, fate and effects of antibiotics in Australian aquatic systems ranging from fresh to marine environments. This project will provide quantitative evidence of antibiotic presence and distribution in Australian aquatic systems; determine several of the risks associated with discharges of antibiotics to aquatic systems; assess available and direct future treatment options of effluent and waste; facilitate government licensing requirements of various industries that employ antibiotics; and, increase public, scientific and management awareness of antibiotics (and other pharmaceutical compounds) in the environment.

6.0.0.7 CHEMICALS OF CONCERN IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT EFFLUENT DISCHARGES
Project Leader: Darryl Hawker (Griffith University)
Chemicals of concern in wastewater treatment plant effluent discharges to aquatic environments – is there a problem? (Word doc)

6.0.0.8 FATE AND EFFECTS OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTORS FROM SEWAGE EFFLUENT IN COASTAL ESTUARINE ENVIRONMENTS
Project Leader: Heather Chapman (QHSS)
Background: The presence of estrogenic compounds in drinking waters, source waters and wastewater effluents is of international interest because of potential adverse effects in wildlife and humans. Analysis of these compounds in environmental matrices has been problematic due to the ultra-low concentrations that have been reported in the literature to cause estrogenic effects. Biological methods are becoming increasingly popular as screening tools because the specific chemical nature of an environmental sample is not always known. Bioassays are an important component of examining the presence and integrated effects of endocrine disrupting compounds, as the effect of chemical mixtures cannot always be inferred from their concentrations. However, no single assay can accurately predict the total estrogenic activity of a complex sample. Therefore, there is a need to develop a recommendation for a suite of the best methods available for conducting this analysis. This project will test a range of sampling and handling conditions in order to identify optimal conditions for handling including extraction, chemical analysis and selected bioassays.