The science of providing
water solutions for Australia
Foreword
WATER is central to life on earth.
The sustainable management of water resources is therefore
vital and it is a challenge facing many across the world.
For Australia, as one of the driest continents, efficient and
sustainable water use is a critically important issue.
As demand for water increases, the climate changes, and traditional
water supply options diminish, we must look to new strategies that
reduce demand, increase efficiency of use and increase the benefits
gained from water while protecting and restoring ecosystems.
The overall pressures on water are increasing globally and
Australia is part of an active global research community as we
adapt, respond and share the learning from these challenges.
CSIRO scientists are providing the scientific basis for irrigation
companies, water managers and governments to develop
policy and make informed decisions to ensure Australia’s
valuable water resources are sustainably managed.
In this booklet, you will see that CSIRO is delivering research results
that have, and will, inform water resource management decisions,
and reduce the uncertainty associated with these decisions.
It will also provide enabling technologies that will allow
Australians to realise the full benefits from current and
future public and private investment in water.
I commend this document to you and encourage you to engage
with your national science agency should you have any questions
or wish to seek our scientific input on water-related matters.
Dr Andrew Johnson
Group Executive – Environment
CSIRO
February 2010
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CSIRO’s approach to addressing water challenges
Australia is going through its most ambitious and challenging period of water
reform, concurrent with an unprecedented and prolonged drought.
Australia has committed to ambitious
and world-leading water reforms, led
through the National Water Initiative.
CSIRO is strategically positioned to
provide research, information and
technology to underpin these reforms.
Our researchers are providing the
scientific basis for water managers
and governments to develop policy
and make informed decisions to
ensure that Australia’s valuable water
resources are sustainably managed.
CSIRO aims to provide Australia
with solutions for water resources
management while protecting or
restoring our major water ecosystems.
CSIRO is achieving Australia’s water
potential through research investigating:
• Water for our cities and towns
• Water for rural and regional Australia
• Water for our environment
• Water information systems
Through collaborative partnerships with
governments, industries and research
organisations, we continue to deliver
research outcomes best matched to the
needs of our clients and stakeholders.
Science – impartial, peer-reviewed,
rigorous and based on the latest
research – has a critical role to play to
help inform and support our society.
For the past 80 years, our science
has been actively providing decisionmakers with the best available science
to help make better, more informed
decisions for now and into the future.
CSIRO aims to provide Australia with
solutions for water resources management
while protecting or restoring our major
water ecosystems.
> Water for our cities and towns
3
>> Overview of diversified urban water supply options.
© Water Research Foundation, USA - source: Manual for Adopting Integrated
Urban Water Management for Planning.
In 2050 Australia’s population is
set to reach 35 million, a 60 per
cent growth – the equivalent
of three additional Sydneys.
This growth and rapid urbanisation
increases the demand for water, the
volume of human waste and urban
runoff that could impact already
stressed water bodies. These issues are
further exacerbated by climate change.
To keep providing high quality urban
water services while maintaining water
ecosystems and reducing our carbon
footprint, we need a fundamental
rethink of how we manage our urban
water systems. This involves more
integrated urban water management,
harnessing water, wastewater and
stormwater sources to maximise social,
environmental and economic benefits.
Concepts for closing the loop to
maximise the recovery of water,
energy and nutrients from urban
water systems are rapidly gaining
momentum worldwide. There is
increasing acceptance that for major
cities to continue to grow sustainably
with improved liveability, new paradigms
for water resource management are
required. The ability to systematically
consider a wider suite of water
management options, in a broader
urban systems context, is a major
requirement to advance urban water
resource planning and system design.
Australia’s large cities are currently
investing more than $30 billion in
new water supplies, and most are
diversifying their supplies away from
rainfall-dependent storages to include
desalination, decentralised supplies
and some form of recycling.
CSIRO is providing science and
technology to enable the transition
to establish water-sensitive cities that
maximise the environmental, social and
economic benefits from urban water
management and ensure water security.
Our urban water researchers engage
with water planning agencies to provide
underpinning science to help them
decide on optimal configurations of
future water services, to make major
capital investments more effective, to
manage greater planning uncertainty, to
develop new technologies and integrate
them with existing infrastructure
while ensuring that public and
environmental health is maintained.
For more information visit:
www.csiro.au/science/Urban-Water.html
Water for our cities and towns
Support for sustainable water supply decisions in South-East Queensland
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With its booming economy and
growing population, Australia’s
South‑East Queensland region faces
increasing pressure on water resources.
CSIRO is part of the Urban Water
Security Research Alliance, which
has been formed to address
South‑East Queensland’s emerging
urban water issues. Other partners
include the Queensland State
Government, the University of
Queensland and Griffith University.
As the largest urban water research
program in Australia, the Urban
Water Security Research Alliance
has a strong focus on water security
and recycling. The program also
looks at the sustainability challenge
of water and wastewater services.
>> South-East Queensland is
one of the fastest growing
areas of Australia. CSIRO
scientists are helping develop
a sustainable water future for
the area. Photo: Nick Pitsas,
CSIRO.
For more information visit:
www.csiro.au/partnerships/UrbanWater
SecurityResearchAlliance.html
> Investigating the sustainability challenge
of water and wastewater services
Researchers are studying water supplyrelated energy use and direct and diffuse
greenhouse gas emission sources across
South-East Queensland’s water network
to maximise environmental benefits
and optimise energy management.
Studies have highlighted the energy
intensity of new water supply sources
such as recycled water and desalination.
But there is little information available
about pollutants, such as greenhouse
gases, that escape from reservoirs
and wastewater systems into the
atmosphere. These pollutants are
known as diffuse emissions.
To address this lack of knowledge,
our research aims to provide a better
understanding of the water-energy
and greenhouse gas balance across the
entire integrated water network, which
includes distributed water systems,
recycled water and desalination as well
as diffused emissions from reservoirs.
Research shows that diffuse emissions
are potentially one of the largest
sources of greenhouse gas emissions
for the sector. More research needs
to be done to better understand
the uncertainties which also present
large opportunities for mitigation by
managing the system to the best result.
Improving our understanding of these
balances between water, energy and
greenhouse gases will help optimise
the management of energy in the
South-East Queensland water grid and
maximise environmental benefits.
Water for our cities and towns
Smarter sensors
for safe purified
recycled water
Purified recycled water operators and
water grid managers are being equipped
with a powerful new tool for safeguarding
system operations and enabling rapid
incident response at the earliest possible
treatment barrier or control point.
A real-time event detection system
for sewers and wastewater treatment
plants has been developed to allow
constant surveillance of wastewater,
control waste discharges in sewer
catchments, and help protect the
purified recycled water system.
The system uses online sensing units
exposed to raw sewage at individual
barriers to continuously collect water
quality information and report any
anomalies in baseline data or sensor signals.
It can examine the impact and potential
consequences of water quality changes,
and even identify the causes, thereby
enabling rapid mitigation of any problems.
The system, which is self-cleaning,
consumes no reagents and requires
little maintenance, is being trialled
in South-East Queensland.
> Decreasing evaporative water losses
Every year, evaporation from
South-East Queensland dams
and reservoirs is estimated at
300 gigalitres (GL), which is equal
the volume of water supplied to
consumers. This means that the
water storages need to catch and
store twice the amount of water
that they supply. Evaporation control
can capture between 10 and
80 per cent of the water lost,
depending on the methods used.
component of the water surface
and form an impervious barrier.
For larger water bodies, monolayers
are emerging as a favourite option.
However, a major factor dictating
the successful implementation
of these layers is the impact
they may have on water quality
and their efficiency under wave
and wind action. Research is
ongoing to properly assess the
performance of the technique.
CSIRO scientists are analysing a
number of methods to minimise
evaporation losses. Two have
emerged as options for further
assessment: monolayers, which
are ultra-thin chemical films that
produce a diffusion barrier on the
water surface, and floating covers,
which are layers that cover a large
>> Water storages need to catch
and store twice the amount of
water that they supply to combat
evaporative losses.
> Safe and sustainable water recycling
Australia has developed world-leading
drinking water and recycled water
guidelines to protect public health.
CSIRO researchers are providing
world-class science to ensure purified
recycled water is safe. They are part of a
world-wide network of ecotoxicologists,
environmental and social scientists,
microbiologists and advanced water
treatment experts who are constantly
researching all aspects of water recycling.
CSIRO is conducting water research
throughout Australia that is of national
and international importance to indentify
opportunities and increase knowledge to
facilitate recycling of reclaimed water and
stormwater via aquifers and reservoirs
for drinking and non-drinking water uses.
Our experts provide independent
advice on the reuse of water in the
areas of technical feasibility, public
health, environmental sustainability
and risk assessment and monitoring.
For more information visit: www.csiro.au/
resources/Purified-Recycled-Water.html
>> Clarifier at Luggage Point Water
Reclamation Plant, Queensland.
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Water for our cities and towns
Sophisticated
asset management
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> Developing next generation
membrane technologies
As part of the Advanced Membrane
Technologies Research Cluster, CSIRO
scientists are advancing the knowledge
that will deliver the next generation of
desalination membrane technologies.
CSIRO researchers are looking at optimising
the asset management process, through
computer based models, underpinned by
robust research into causes of failures of
pipeline networks, and risk assessments
of pipe bursts and network leakages.
The increasing global concern over
the limited supply of fresh water from
conventional sources has led to great efforts
to find and use alternative water sources.
Desalination plants are being built around
Australia but one of the impediments to
the widespread adoption of desalination
is the amount of energy it requires.
The Research Cluster aims to improve
membrane design to dramatically increase
efficiency and reduce the financial
and environmental costs of producing
desalinated and recycled water.
The Research Cluster brings together
scientists from CSIRO and nine of
Australia’s leading universities and
uses nanotechnology, biomimetics
and functional materials to deliver
new innovations in membrane
technology and cost-effective and highly
efficient water recovery systems.
Its collaborative nature means Australia’s
leading scientists in membrane research
and development are improving the
fundamental understanding of membrane
materials at both a microscopic and
atomic level to better understand the
way they interact with liquids and solids.
With an ageing $100 billion infrastructure
base, the efficient planning, operation
and maintenance of Australia’s urban
water assets in an optimised manner
is increasingly important, in order to
maintain levels of service while minimising
costs and environmental impacts.
Building on this knowledge, researchers are
characterising and developing predictive
computational models of the separation,
fouling and transport processes occurring
in inorganic and organic membranes.
The models will be added to the
first national database of membrane
technology information which is built
as part of the cluster to improve
collaboration and innovation of membrane
separation systems or operating strategies.
For more information visit:
www.csiro.au/partnerships/ps30e.html
>> Examining a polymer membrane.
Inset: An artist’s impression of a new
membrane plastic that mimics pores
found in plants.
They are also developing novel methods
for automating the assessment of the
condition of buried pipelines by using
image recognition to
automatically assess the
internal condition of
water and sewer pipes.
Other research is
being undertaken to
automatically locate leaks
in distribution systems
to minimise water loss.
An ongoing program of research is in place
to understand the causes of failure within
underground water pipelines. This forms the
basis for the development of the PARMS
(Pipeline Asset and Risk Management
System) suite, which helps to optimise the
asset management investment while taking
better account of the risks involved. Use of
the software can help water utilities minimise
repair and replacement costs while maintaining
these networks to the required standards.
The PARMS suite of tools is offered
exclusively by CSIRO and is currently being
adopted throughout the urban water sector.
PARMS-Planning is one of the packages in
the PARMS suite. It enables an assessment
of strategies for long term planning and
management of water supply networks.
Another package in the suite is
PARMS-Priority. This software allows
for the application of a risk based
management approach to assess and
select which asset to replace.
For more information visit: www.csiro.au/
resources/PARMS-Planning.html and
www.csiro.au/resources/PARMS-Priority.html
Water for our cities and towns
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> Saving water key to reducing energy use
Ensuring a reliable future water supply
for Australia’s growing cities will require
more energy due to the increasing
adoption of more energy-intensive water
sources like desalination, reuse and water
transfers from distant catchments.
A report by CSIRO and the Water
Services Association of Australia
(WSAA) explored for the first time the
relationship between water and energy
in urban water supply provision and in
the context of residential water‑related
use and overall city energy use.
The report, ‘Energy Use in the provision
and consumption of urban water in
Australia and New Zealand’, shows a
strong link between water and energy.
The study found that urban water
services use relatively little energy
compared to heating water for
residential and non-residential purposes.
A 15 per cent reduction in residential
hot water use could offset all energy
used by water utilities in 2006/07.
Researchers say saving hot water
represents a real win: it cuts energy
and water use for consumers, reduces
energy demand and water use for
utilities and helps households save
money on energy and water bills.
For more information visit:
www.csiro.au/resources/UrbanWater-Energy-Use.html
>> A lot of energy is used for heating
water. Installing water saving showerheads
will not only help save water but also
cut down energy use. Photo: David
McClenaghan, CSIRO.
> Sustainability planning support for new urban developments
The water industry is looking for
more sustainable ways to provide
water and sewerage services to
new urban developments.
CSIRO, partnering with Yarra Valley Water
and RMIT University, has developed a
comprehensive assessment framework
that evaluates different options for
providing water and sewerage services
to greenfield developments.
Researchers used quantitative tools
to compare traditional centralised
servicing options with alternative
options such as third pipe systems
(which carry recycled water), rainwater
tanks, stormwater, recycled water
reuse and greywater recycling.
The research incorporated various
analytical tools including water and
contaminant balance analysis, life
cycle costing, life cycle assessment
and total community cost.
Outcomes show that alternative
servicing options such as third pipe
systems and greywater recycling,
can perform better than traditional
servicing with regard to environmental
and community cost criteria.
The research has won a 2009
Sustainability Specialist Group Prize for
Research Excellence by the International
Water Association and the Victorian
Premier’s Sustainability Award.
For more information visit:
www.csiro.au/science/urban-watersustainability-assessment-framework.html
>> The water industry is looking for
more sustainable ways to provide
water and sewerage services to new
urban developments. Photo: David
McClenaghan, CSIRO.
Water for our cities and towns
Reusing our resources
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> Stormwater harvesting potential quantified
The use of stormwater as a substitute
for urban irrigation in Canberra
can save up to three gigalitres
(GL) of drinking water per year.
CSIRO’s Canberra Integrated Urban
Waterways project is the first national
study to quantify stormwater harvesting
potential at city scale within a triple
bottom line assessment framework.
It is also the first national application of
integrated urban water systems modelling
at city scale to assess system-wide water
quantity and quality impacts of alternative
urban water management options.
>> The use of stormwater will help
reduce demand on mains water supply
for Canberra.
The project was jointly funded by the
Commonwealth and ACT governments
and aims to provide solutions for
replacing 1.5GL of drinking water for
irrigation with alternative water sources.
Project outcomes also aim to meet a
longer term target of three GL per year
of drinking water displacement by 2015
and to reduce demand on the mains
water supply by 25 per cent in 2023.
The study was undertaken by a team
of CSIRO scientists with civil and
environmental engineering, social science,
freshwater ecology, economics and
risk assessment skills, in collaboration
with stakeholders from ACT’s water
and land planning authorities.
> Turning stormwater into drinking water
An Aquifer Storage, Transfer and
Recovery (ASTR) project has shown
that harvested urban stormwater can
be injected into a brackish aquifer and
recovered and then treated to produce
high quality water of drinking standard.
for storage and months of natural
slow filtration through the aquifer.
Scientists captured stormwater in the
City of Salisbury, on the Northern
Adelaide Plains in South Australia and
then stored it under Salisbury in a porous
limestone aquifer 160m below ground.
Recovered water was rigorously
tested and found to meet drinking
water health criteria. The ASTR project
demonstrates that drinking water can
be produced from stormwater and
that the concept can be part of a suite
of diversified water supply options.
However, more research is needed to
test the robustness of the concept.
The stormwater was first treated by
passing it through a reed bed to allow
particles to settle. It was then injected
via wells into a limestone aquifer
Compared to other common alternative
supplies stormwater harvesting is
cheaper, energy efficient and has a
small carbon footprint. It also avoids the
>> The ASTR well field at Parafield
Gardens, South Australia.
economic, social and environmental costs
of building new dams for water storage
and shows the value of urban aquifers.
The project won the 2009 Award for
Excellence in Stormwater Research and
Development at the national Stormwater
Industry Association Awards for world‑leading
research in stormwater treatment, storage
and reuse. It also picked up the 2009
Australian Water Association South Australia
Branch research and development award.
For more information visit:
www.clw.csiro.au/research/urban/
reuse/projects/ASTRbrochure.pdf
>> Schematic representation of the
ASTR process.
Water for our cities and towns
9
> Putting water from our roofs to good use
Rainwater harvesting will play an
increasingly important role in future
urban water supply. CSIRO has an
ongoing program of research looking at
various planning, design and operating
and maintenance issues around
rainwater water quantity and quality.
With more rainwater tanks being used
in urban areas, CSIRO has undertaken
further field, laboratory and systems
analysis research to develop and
implement research-based standards to
ensure health and environmental safety,
financial efficiency and economic viability
of rainwater harvesting for urban use.
Water quality: Scientists are continuing
to determine the sources of heavy metals
in rainwater tanks. Research by CSIRO
and Monash University highlights the
importance of routine tank maintenance
to remove sediments from inside tanks
and roof gutters. It has also indicated a
need to further investigate tank designs,
such as shape and outlet height, to
improve harvested water quality for
urban use and rainwater tank overflows.
>> Rainwater harvesting will play an
increasingly important role in future
urban water supply.
Energy efficiency: Recent work shows
that energy use to operate a rainwater
tank can vary, ranging from as low as
0.9 kilowatt per kilolitre (kWh/kL) up
to 4.9 kWh/kL (potentially more than
desalination), which highlighted the
significant opportunities to reduce
rainwater system energy use. Further
research into the factors influencing
rainwater system energy use could inform
the optimisation and tailoring of tank
system designs to minimise energy use.
System wide impact: Scientists are
developing modelling methods to
accurately predict the impact of
household rainwater tanks on yield and
storage volumes in urban water supply
systems. They will also investigate the
impact on the supply and demand of
the whole urban water system. Research
outcomes will enable urban water
managers to make optimal strategic
planning decisions on future urban
water infrastructure investments.
> Recycled water a viable option to reduce water shortages
Recycling water through managed aquifer
recharge (MAR) is emerging as an
innovative and environmentally friendly
treatment option for recycled water.
MAR is a method of adding a water
source, such as recycled water, to
aquifers (underground reservoirs) under
controlled conditions. The main
purpose of aquifer recharge is to
store excess water for later use, while
improving water quality by recharging
the aquifer with high quality water.
For more than a decade CSIRO has led
research on MAR with stormwater and
reclaimed water. Scientists have prepared
a Managed Aquifer Recharge report
for the National Water Commission,
providing information on MAR alongside
alternative water sources to help decision
makers, water utilities and the broader
community consider its potential benefits.
CSIRO scientists have also led the
development of national MAR guidelines
for Australia’s Environment Protection
and Heritage Council. These guidelines
comprise a risk management framework
and specific guidance on managing the
health and environmental risks associated
with the use of recycled water.
In South-West Western Australia CSIRO
has conducted a three-year pilot project to
investigate MAR’s potential as a prospective
supply and management option to
recover water for non-potable uses.
For more information visit:
www.csiro.au/resources/pf49.html;
www.nwc.gov.au/www/html/996-mar--anintroduction---no-13.asp;
www.ephc.gov.au/taxonomy/term/39
>> CSIRO scientists taking water
samples from infiltration galleries
located on the CSIRO Floreat site in
Western Australia.
> Water for rural and regional Australia
10
Rural water resources in Australia
face a major transformation
in coming decades, with
increased pressure on a limited
resource demanding more
sophisticated management.
CSIRO is committed to providing
solutions that increase regional
water security while meeting social,
environmental and critical human
needs. Our research aims to :
• Provide a better understanding of
the impacts of climate and land
use change on water availability
and on water uses to ensure
better future planning and more
equitable water sharing.
• Develop an improved understanding
of groundwater systems and
their interactions with surface
water systems so we can
manage systems sustainably.
• Create a better systems
understanding of the social, economic
and ecological consequences of
reduced water availability, water
buybacks and infrastructure
investments so that the effectiveness
of various management options can
be understood and maximised.
Australian irrigation industries
produce more than 30 per cent
of Australia’s total agricultural
production and added more
than $12 billion to the national
economy in 2006-7 (ABS figures).
• Encapsulate new knowledge and
understanding in new models
and tools to underpin water
plans and allocation decisions.
An uncertain future, where we
face increasing climate variability
and change, trading between
uses, and trading to urban and
ecological water uses, is reducing
the water available for agriculture
and creating stresses in addition
to declining terms of trade.
Water management strategies for
maintaining industry productivity
and profitability are essential.
Australia needs a better understanding
of how industry, the environment and
communities will respond to a future
with more limited water resources.
CSIRO is providing the tools and
information to support federal and
state agencies design a sustainable
water future for all users.
CSIRO is committed to providing solutions that
increase regional water security while meeting
social, environmental and critical human needs.
Water for rural and regional Australia
> Estimating the sustainable yields
of Australia’s major water systems
CSIRO researchers have delivered
the most comprehensive and
technically challenging water
modelling project ever undertaken in
Australia and possibly the world.
The Murray- Darling Basin Sustainable
Yields Project provides the world’s
first rigorous assessment of the
potential impacts of climate change
on surface water and groundwater
availability across a major river basin.
It is providing governments and industry
with an unprecedented level of water
information to guide future resource
planning, management and investment.
Research results in the Basin, which
supports more than 40 per cent of
Australia’s food production, are already
being used to help inform government
purchases of water entitlements.
The modelling platform we’ve developed
for the Basin has been adapted to
support the Murray-Darling Basin
Authority’s development of water plans.
Following delivery of this largest
single project in CSIRO’s history,
CSIRO has provided the science to
underpin the planning and
sustainable management of
water resources in Northern
Australia, South-West Western
Australia and Tasmania.
As with the Murray-Darling
Basin Sustainable Yields
project, our efforts aim
to help water managers,
industries and communities
better understand the water resource
potential of their region. All projects
provide a comprehensive scientific
assessment of water yield to 2030.
For more information visit:
www.csiro.au/partnerships/syp.html
Science to underpin planning
In March 2008, following the Murray‑Darling
Basin Sustainable Yield project, the Council
of Australian Governments asked CSIRO
to provide a comprehensive scientific
assessment of water yield in all major water
systems across the country to allow a
consistent analytical framework for water
policy decisions across the nation.
This work included studies of Northern Australia,
South-West Western Australia and Tasmania.
In September 2009 the Northern Australia
Sustainable Yields work was released, and the
Tasmania Sustainable Yields project results
were launched by Federal Water Minister
Senator Penny Wong in January 2010. Results
from South-West Western Australia are
expected to be released in early 2010.
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Water for rural and regional Australia
12
Climate and Water
science help secure a
sustainable future for the
Murray‑Darling Basin
> Identifying
the cause of the big dry
CSIRO and partners are investigating the causes
of climate change and climate variability.
The South-Eastern Australian Climate Initiative (SEACI)
was a three-year, $7.5 million research program which
investigated the causes and impacts of climate change
and climate variability across south-eastern Australia.
Outcomes of the research are being used by governments
to develop and provide a scientific basis for future
water resource planning and policy decisions.
SEACI research has significantly improved our understanding of
projections and forecasts for south-eastern Australia. Based on
projections from global climate models, south-eastern Australia is
likely to be warmer and drier in future decades, especially in winter.
Research partners included CSIRO, the Bureau of Meteorology
the Murray-Darling Basin Authority, and the Victorian Department
of Sustainability and Environment, the Commonwealth
Department of Climate Change, and Land and Water Australia.
An assessment of the impact of climate change on the nature
and frequency of exceptional climatic events produced by
CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology found that climatic
events once considered exceptional may become more
common in the future. For example, there may be an increase
in the number of exceptionally hot years with associated
lower soil moisture and changes to evaporation and rainfall.
For more information visit: www.seaci.org
Plans for a sustainable future for Australia’s
Murray-Darling Basin have been supported
by climate and water scientists from CSIRO’s
Water for a Healthy Country Flagship.
Researchers have provided the Murray-Darling
Basin Authority (MDBA) with a report on defining
climate scenarios for use in its modelling to guide
the development of the first Basin Plan, due for
introduction in 2011. The plan includes setting
sustainable limits on water that can be taken from
surface and groundwater systems across the Basin.
A complicating challenge facing Basin water
managers, in planning for a sustainable water
future, is understanding how much of the
current prolonged drought in south-eastern
Australia can be attributed to global warming.
The report says that while several studies have
suggested at least part of the current drought
is associated with global warming, it is hard to
separate a global warming signal from the high
natural climate variability observed over the past
two centuries and evident in the palaeo‑climate
records. The relative contribution of each
of these mechanisms remains uncertain.
For these reasons, water resources planning should
consider a range of possible scenarios to assess
system robustness and resilience to historical droughts
as well as future climate projections, the report says.
The report is available at:
www.mdba.gov.au/services/publications
>> Plans for a sustainable future for Australia’s
Murray-Darling Basin have been supported by
CSIRO climate and water scientists.
>> CSIRO and partners are working to better understand the main drivers of the
climate of south-eastern Australia, assess potential changes in the hydro‑climate
of the region under global conditions and assess the potential value of seasonal
forecasts for agricultural decision making and water management.
Water for rural and regional Australia
> More benefits with less irrigation water
CSIRO researchers have developed a
quantitative approach that supports
planning to maximise Australia’s irrigation
potential for a future with less water
and to improve local environments.
Using spatial analysis, researchers have
devised a tool to help government in
identifying which parts of an irrigation
district would provide the best
public investment in future irrigation
infrastructure and which parts, if
retired, would lead to avoidance of
high salinity impacts and degradation of
ecologically-valuable water courses.
With partner Goulburn-Murray Water,
researchers undertook a pilot study
evaluating opportunities to reconfigure
land, water and infrastructure in the
Kerang Irrigation district in Victoria.
The research identifies and estimates
the costs and benefits of a range of land
and water management options under
changed water allocation regimes.
Researchers are now working on
implementing this planning approach
by working with a range of local
institutions, including governments,
industry and communities.
>> Flagship researchers have developed
a quantitative approach that supports
planning to maximise Australia’s irrigation
potential for a future with less water and
to improve local environments.
> Managing salinity and water
flow in WA’s drying climate
A CSIRO study into drainage options to tackle dryland
salinity has used computer modelling tools to find
that constructing artificial drainage systems to tackle
salinity has the potential to further increase salinities
and create environmental impacts on the lower
Blackwood River in South-West Western Australia.
However, if no drainage or any other catchment water
management strategies are implemented, river salinities are
likely to increase over time, researchers found. River
salinities will further increase if drainage strategies to
combat salinity are implemented due to the export of
salts from upper and middle parts of the catchment.
Modelling was used to investigate a range of
salinity management options under
future management and
rainfall scenarios.
The work, undertaken in
partnership with the Western
Australia Department of Water, as
part of the Engineering Evaluation
Initiative, helps water managers to
predict how different drainage schemes
help fight the environmental impacts of
rising salinity in Australian landscapes.
> Better reservoir
water delivery
Researchers are developing a new river system
modelling suite that provides a flexible way of
modelling the complex water management
rules that share water resources from reservoirs
to multiple users throughout Australia.
The tool takes account of differing rules in each river
system to track and manage differently-owned parcels
of water as they are stored and moved through river
systems. It provides a way to track environmental
water separately to water used by communities and
industries and allows water managers to explore
a range of new river management options.
The two-year $18 million project is managed by
e-Water Cooperative Research Centre and supported
by the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage
and the Arts, National Water Commission, industry
partners, Murray-Darling Basin Authority and CSIRO.
Trials using different river water management systems
in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria
are underway. All state and federal jurisdictions
except Northern Territory and Tasmania are
represented on the project’s steering committee.
The tool will be available for jurisdictions to roll
out to water industry users across Australia.
13
Water for rural and regional Australia
14
> Understanding how Indigenous people value rivers
Indigenous people value rivers and water
bodies in many ways. Rivers provide bush
foods and medicines, they are part of a
culturally significant landscape, and have
the potential to sustain future waterrelated businesses and employment.
It is therefore important to know
what impact changing river flow
patterns and water allocations could
have on Indigenous communities.
As part of the Tropical Rivers and
Coastal Knowledge (TRaCK) program in
northern Australia, CSIRO is recording
Indigenous knowledge relating to
water and quantifying the economic
benefit to Indigenous people from
water-dependent resources. In the first
Australian study of this kind, CSIRO will
examine the effect of different water
>> Daly River region. © Skyscans.
levels, or flow regimes, on the patterns
of resource use by Indigenous people
in three tropical catchments: the Fitzroy
(Western Australia), the Daly (Northern
Territory) and the Mitchell (Queensland).
Results from one region indicate that
Northern Long-necked Turtles surpass
the more iconic Barramundi and Magpie
Geese as the most commonly taken
bush tucker food. Northern Longnecked Turtles lay their eggs under water
along the edge of billabongs, which
need to dry and then flood for the
eggs to hatch. To date, turtles have not
been not taken into account in setting
environmental flows. If billabongs fail
to fill because of water diversions
or other land use changes, turtle
breeding will be adversely affected
with significant consequences for the
food supply of Indigenous communities
and their social and cultural life.
CSIRO’s research will help water
planners and managers take Indigenous
water needs into consideration in
water allocation decisions. Quantifying
Indigenous water requirements is
a national water policy objective.
This research will enable Indigenous
people to sit at the table with
other water users such as farmers
and irrigators and have their water
requirements factored into planning.
For more information: Dr Sue Jackson,
Sue.Jackson@csiro.au ph. 08 8944 8415
Water for rural and regional Australia
Industrial water
15
> Putting mining by-products to good use
A joint project between CSIRO and
the Western Australian Department
of Water is looking at the productive
reuse of mining industry by-product
materials for filtering nutrients from
natural waters or for treating wastewater
that would otherwise be discarded.
The use of abundant, low-cost
by‑product materials generated from
mineral processing offers a potentially
cost‑effective solution to treating this water.
Initial results have shown that one
by‑product in particular was effective
in removing 97 per cent of phosphorus
and 82 per cent of nitrogen from
the shallow groundwaters of the
turf farm over a four-year period. In
addition, it reduced water use and
increased turf health and re-growth.
This is good news for the health of
Australia’s groundwater systems, lakes
and rivers and is a positive step to
towards reducing key nutrients that
can contribute to algal blooms.
The technology has the potential to
reduce mining by-product stockpiles
and hence their environmental footprint.
It could also lead to a reduction in
nutrients in surface and groundwaters.
The potential benefits of this project
could be applied anywhere in the world
where similar by-product materials
are produced and wastewater and
land management issues exist.
For more information visit: www.csiro.au/
science/Using-Mining-By-Products.html
>> The use of mining by-products can
prevent nutrients entering Australia’s
waterways reducing the potential for
algal blooms. Photo: Bill van Aken, CSIRO.
> Addressing WA coastal resource management
Research by CSIRO has made a big
splash in coastal resource management
in Western Australia by linking
terrestrial land management practices
with near-shore marine health.
Cockburn Sound, near Fremantle, is an
iconic coastal embayment that supports
simultaneous industrial, commercial,
social and environmental users. By
considering groundwater contamination
pathways, CSIRO identified a range of
short term and long-term risks to the
environmental viability of the Sound.
The resulting report was endorsed
by State Government bodies
and was presented to peak
industry and regulatory groups,
and to the local community.
The findings have influenced change in
management and regulatory practices.
The work has strengthened the
sustainability of future development
in the Sound. It has provided
significant extra expenditure for water
quality monitoring and community
reporting, plus a large collaborative
grant to improve hydrogeological
understanding of the catchment.
This work is a culmination of a decade
of successful scientific research on
coastal groundwater processes by
CSIRO in Western Australia. This
research captured the attention of
BP International who operate in the
Cockburn area. CSIRO has been asked
to design a $75Million management
and remediation project for a similar
environment in the United Kingdom.
>> Beachfront sediment sampling,
Cockburn Sound, WA.
Photo: Robert Garvey.
Water for rural and regional Australia
16
> Determining the economic value of water
Australia continues to face increasing
demand for water supply across
a number of sectors, meaning
decisions need to be made about
the best way to allocate water.
Using life cycle assessment (LCA),
CSIRO has determined and compared
the economic value per cubic metre
of water consumed by the agricultural,
industrial and minerals sectors.
Knowing the value gained from water
consumption enables discussion on the
demands all industries have for water
and the ability to meet these needs.
LCA is a method of analysing
environmental impacts of a process
or product from ‘the cradle to the
grave’. The method considers direct
and indirect implications, which
leads to a broader understanding
of issues such as water use.
Photo: Evan Collis
CSIRO’s LCA analysis showed the
economic value of water used by
the minerals industry, $80 per cubic
metre (m3) exceeded that of the
industrial sector ($40 per cubic
metre) and agricultural industry
($5 per cubic metre).
Apart from showing the economic
value of water, LCAs can also help
industries reduce water consumption
by giving them an understanding of
water use at each stage of a process.
For more information visit:
www.csiro.au/science/WaterLCA.html > Hot aquifers for geothermal energy
Through the Western Australian
Geothermal Centre of Excellence,
CSIRO is tackling research challenges
that need to be addressed in order
to use hot sedimentary aquifers to
provide energy for applications such as
desalination, air conditioning and power.
CSIRO’s research is focussed on Hot
Sedimentary Aquifers – aquifers deep in
sedimentary basins – where fluids bring
heat from deep in the earth’s crust.
The research aims to build our knowledge
of the deep groundwater systems of
the Perth Basin so that geothermal
energy can be harnessed sustainably.
CSIRO is also examining the
chemical and mechanical factors
that contribute to the management
of aquifers in geothermal systems.
The research will broaden the
efficient use and commercial‑scale
application of geothermal energy.
CSIRO research aims to broaden the use
and application of geothermal energy.
Water for rural and regional Australia
> Dry granulation method could generate substantial water savings
A novel dry method for slag
granulation could help the cement,
iron and steel industries develop
sustainable practices and significantly
reduce water consumption.
Slag is a waste produced in steel
processing. Traditionally molten slag
(~1500 ºC) is either air cooled for
use in low-level applications such
as road base, or water granulated
for use in the cement industry.
droplets and rapidly solidifying them
to produce glassy granules, similar to
those produced by wet granulation.
method which has the potential to cut
Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions
by around 1.8 million tonnes per year.
As well as greatly reducing water
consumption, the dry granulation
process integrates a heat recovery
For more information visit:
www.csiro.au/science/
Dry-Slag-Granulation.html
A plant producing one million tonnes
of steel a year uses enough water to
fill 120 Olympic-sized swimming pools
when treating slag using conventional
wet granulation techniques.
CSIRO’s dry granulation process
involves feeding molten slag on to
a rotary disc. This disc spins at high
speed, breaking the slag into small
>> Scientists with CSIRO’s pilot‑scale
dry granulation rig. Photo: Mark Fergus,
CSIRO.
> Reducing water consumption
in mineral processing
Water plays a crucial role in mineral
processing. CSIRO researchers are
applying water pinch analysis, a technique
used in the petrochemical, paper
and textile industries, to help mineral
processors reduce fresh water use.
The project involves applying
water pinch analysis at a mineral
processing plant to understand the
plant’s water requirements in terms
of both quantity and quality.
This is achieved by monitoring water flow
rates and analysing samples of process
water as it moves into and out of the
different unit operations within the plant.
This information helps researchers
identify opportunities for the re-use of
process water and determine where
water treatment must take place so
that the process water can be re-used.
Researchers then select the most
appropriate water treatment
technology by considering factors such
as capital and operating expenditure
and carbon emissions associated
with each treatment technology.
The project is being supported by the
Minerals Council of Australia and a South
Australian mineral processing plant.
17
Water for rural and regional Australia
18
> Wetland filter puts polish on Ranger rehabilitation
CSIRO is helping mining company ERA
with the management of water, tailings
and other waste streams from its Ranger
uranium mine as well as restoring the
environment so that it can be managed
as part of Kakadu National Park when the
mine ceases operation in January 2021.
A major area of research at Ranger
is water management. Wastewater
produced in the mining and processing
of uranium must be treated to
remove impurities before it can be
released to the environment.
into the landscape. CSIRO and ERA
jointly pioneered this work in Australia
in the early 1990s and ERA has put
it effectively into practice at Ranger.
will be ongoing for the next 10 to
15 years, with the plan being to
leave a well functioning environment
when the mine ceases operations.
As wastewater treatment expands at
the site over the next few years, the
researchers will be able to see how
well the wetlands perform. Monitoring
>> A wetland filter is helping extract
metals and nutrients from the Ranger
mine’s water-treatment plants.
Photo: Brad Sherman, CSIRO.
A critical part of the mine’s closure plan
is an integrated water management and
environmental protection strategy which
covers the treatment of mine waters.
A constructed wetland has been
designed to accept treated water from
the mine’s water-treatment plants.
In the wetland, plants and microbes
extract metals and nutrients from the
water – a process known as biopolishing
– before the cleaned water runs back
> Innovations in Ranger water purification
CSIRO has been working with mining
company ERA to develop a process to
purify water used in the processing of
uranium so that it can be safely reused.
Unless treated, process water must be
stored on-site and evaporated. An active
treatment strategy has been developed
that neutralises process water taken from
the tailings dam to a pH level of 10.
The process involves lime addition,
carbonation and microfiltration/
reverse osmosis, and could purify up
to 2000 megalitres of water a year.
However, the process would also result in
significant quantities of alkaline residues,
precipitated from the water, which
create their own handling and storage
issues which are being investigated.
CSIRO has patented a technology
that neutralises the residue using
aluminium and ERA is continuing to
investigate this and other process
water treatment options.
The company has now commissioned
CSIRO’s Minerals Down Under Flagship
to investigate other ways to neutralise
the Ranger acidic tailings slurry stream
without using lime, thus producing a
different form of process water that
may not require complex secondary
treatment before it can be disposed of.
New research is also looking at the role
of aluminium in the neutralisation of
Ranger’s tailings slurry. It is possible such
a step could make use of wastewater
streams from the alumina industry.
>> Scanning electron micrograph of
hydrotalcite crystal (1) formed by
addition of sodium aluminate and caustic
to ERA process water. Photo: CSIRO.
> Water for our environment
19
Many of the ecosystems
supported by Australia’s rivers,
wetlands, estuaries and nearshore coastal zones are degraded
or under threat from lack of
water or poor water quality.
This is of widespread concern
to governments, industry and
communities due to the important
role these systems play in
maintaining a healthy environment
and their intrinsic value in
Australia’s natural heritage.
CSIRO is committed to providing
the knowledge to protect and
rehabilitate Australia’s major
water ecosystems while enabling
sustainable use of water resources.
Our challenge is to better understand
how ecosystems respond to changes
in climate, and water availability and
quality. This knowledge can then be
used to direct the manipulation
of water systems and land-based
actions to ensure sustainable
ecological, economic and social
outcomes. This will enable improved
environmental decision-making
and management of the key issues
affecting the environmental health
of Australian water ecosystems.
CSIRO is also working to understand
and engage in the policy, planning
and implementation processes
of national and regional water
management which underpin
environmental protection.
This is vital to provide reliable
protection for ecological assets
in water resource plans.
For more information visit:
www.csiro.au/science/
Healthy-Water-Ecosystems.html
>> Working to protect and
rehabilitate Australia’s picturesque
and intrinsically valuable water
ecosystems. Photo: Ian Overton,
CSIRO.
CSIRO is committed to
providing the knowledge
to protect and rehabilitate
Australia’s major water
ecosystems while
enabling sustainable use
of water resources.
Water for our environment
Protecting our rivers
20
> Ecological outcomes of flow regimes
The health and sustainability of water
ecosystems in the Murray-Darling Basin
are under threat from development,
altered land use and a changing climate.
To better understand how these systems
respond under altered flow regimes,
CSIRO is investigating the relationships
between ecosystem condition and its
response to changes in river flows.
Scientists are exploring how changes
in river flows, wetland connectivity
and floodplain inundation affect
environmental assets, including
native fish, water birds, riparian and
floodplain vegetation, aquatic vegetation,
invertebrates, plankton, biogeochemistry,
ecosystem function, and geomorphology.
The work is providing management
tools in the form of an ecohydrological
classification and a suite of
ecosystem response functions to
assist policy, planning and resource
allocation decisions, such as the
development of sustainable water
allocation and environmental flow
strategies for optimal water sharing
in the Murray-Darling Basin.
Funding for the research comes from
the National Water Commission
under the Raising National Water
Standards Program, and draws upon
skills of recognised experts from
across Australia, including CSIRO,
eWater Cooperative Research Centre,
state institutions and consultants.
>> Exploring how changes in river flows will affect
environmental assets, such as fish, water birds,
and vegetation. Photo: Ian Overton, CSIRO.
> Rehabilitating Murray Valley Icon sites
CSIRO is investigating ‘Icon’ sites along the
Murray Valley as part of a national initiative
to retain, restore and improve their native
vegetation and ecological functions.
This research will underpin the
management plans and actions that
land managers and agencies are
implementing to protect these sites.
Icon sites are chosen for their
high ecological value and cultural
significance to Indigenous people
and the broader community.
>> Providing research to
underpin the effective natural
resource management for the
restoration of iconic sites in
the Murray Valley – such as the
Barmah‑Millewa Forest shown
here during a flood. Photo:
Willem van Aken, CSIRO.
The work is:
• investigating how the interaction of
multiple management levers might be
best applied to achieve restoration of
key floodplain ecosystem functions
• understanding how constraints
other than just environmental water
can affect ecological health and
function, and how the ecological
assets could be better managed
• developing predictive tools that
help make the most of combining
environmental water and other
management interventions on
the portions of the floodplains
that will receive water
• developing a framework for assessing
the consequences of floodplain
fragmentation and options for retaining
and restoring its full integrated function.
CSIRO’s research partners include
federal and state government agencies,
catchment management authorities,
indigenous communities, the MurrayDarling Basin Authority, University of
Melbourne and Monash University.
Water for our environment
> Measuring floodplains to guide watering regimes
CSIRO has developed quantitative
computer tools for measuring the
extent of floodplain inundation for
the entire regulated length of the
River Murray, which covers more than
2,000 km, and the associated floodplain.
The River Murray Floodplain Inundation
Model (RiM-FIM) has been developed
over the past 12 years, providing
input to management decisions on
the environmental benefits of flood
inundation for the River Murray and
improving the targeted delivery of
environmental flows to the river.
Linking RiM-FIM with historical and
predicted hydrographs has provided
further information on the duration
and depth of wetland connectivity and
flooding and drying regimes. Using
simple infiltration and evaporation
equations, the model can provide
information on the duration of wetland
inundation and flow volumes required
to achieve target flooding. RiM-FIM
has been used as a research tool for
investigating ecological response to
changes in flows and also to predict
possible outcomes from management
and climate change scenarios.
>> RiMFIM is guiding watering regimes and flow management strategies
for the River Murray. Photo: Ian Overton, CSIRO.
The methodology has recently been
extended to develop a Murray-Darling
Basin Floodplain Inundation Model
(MDB-FIM). Initial model outputs show
that only 25 per cent of the floodplain
area of the Basin has been inundated
in the past nine years of the drought
period. This period of dry conditions has
serious implications for floodplain health.
For more information visit:
www.csiro.au/products/ps2bv.html
21
Water for our environment
Protecting our Reef
> Estimating nutrient loads on the Great Barrier Reef
CSIRO research shows that estimates
of nutrient loads being delivered
from the catchments of Australia’s
World Heritage-listed Great Barrier
Reef to the Reef Lagoon have been
significantly underestimated.
In the first study of its kind undertaken
in Australia, scientists have found
that phosphorus and nitrogen loads
may be 30 to 50 per cent higher
than previously thought, based on
measurements of nine flood events on
the Tully and Murray floodplain (North
Queensland) between 2006 and 2008.
The real significance of these findings
is their impact on the development
and implementation of the Australian
and Queensland Governments’
Reef Water Quality Improvement
Plans. It is important that managers
can accurately estimate pollutant
loads so that they can assess the
current water quality, set targets for
improvement and measure progress.
By improving water quality, which has
significantly declined since European
settlement and the extensive
introduction of grazing and cropping
lands throughout the Reef catchments,
it is hoped that the Great Barrier
Reef will be more resilient to other
pressures such as climate change.
Photo: Marie Davies
22
>> Satellite image showing floodplumes in the Great Barrier Reef region near Tully on 13
February 2007 (MODIS-Terra satellite imagery, developed for/by CSIRO, NASA EOS).
By understanding the causes and impacts of
changes in water quality we’re helping to give
the Great Barrier Reef the best chance of
survival in the face of climate change.
Photo: Marie Davies
Water for our environment
> Planning a brighter future for the Great Barrier Reef
World Heritage Area
>> The Tully Water Quality
Improvement Plan was developed
through collaboration between
science research organisations,
local council, the Regional Natural
Resource Management board, local
land-holders, traditional owners,
industries and the community.
Photo: Iris Bohnet, CSIRO.
A CSIRO-led program of integrated
and collaborative scientific research
in Queensland’s Tully-Murray basin,
has paved the way for improved
water quality in the Great Barrier
Reef World Heritage Area.
Developing the plan brought together
more than 30 scientists from CSIRO,
James Cook University and State and
Federal Government agencies to work
on more than 20 different research
projects across the catchment.
The draft Tully Water Quality
Improvement Plan is part of the
Australian and Queensland Governments’
Reef Water Quality Protection Plan.
The research took into account
environmental, social and economic
factors identified by local landholders,
traditional owners, council and industries.
The draft Plan outlines water quality targets
and the management actions needed
to progress towards achieving these.
The research was conducted in
collaboration with the Regional Natural
Resource Management board, Terrain NRM,
and the Tully‑Murray Floodplain Program.
For more information visit:
www.csiro.au/science/Tully-WaterQuality-Improvement-Plan.html
> Fitzroy Basin Association
uses CSIRO model to assess water quality impact
Based on CSIRO research, the Fitzroy
Basin Association QLD, has been
able to explore the impact of their
proposed catchment targets for
water quality improvement on marine
water quality in the Fitzroy Estuary.
Scientists linked sediment and nutrient
transport models for the catchment
with a receiving waters model for the
Fitzroy Estuary and Keppel Bay. The
resultant catchment-to-reef model,
allowed the Association to assess the
effect that reaching their proposed
targets for water quality improvement
in the catchment will have on:
• pollutant exports to the
Great Barrier Reef Lagoon
• the frequency with which water
quality values that trigger negative
ecosystem responses are exceeded
• a range of water quality indicators in
Keppel Bay.
These assessments have been integrated
into the Fitzroy Basin Water Quality
Report and were used to develop short
term (2014) and intermediate term
(2030) outcome targets for Great Barrier
Reef assets. In this way, the model has
helped the Association set meaningful
targets for the catchment that will result
in the desired outcomes off-shore.
For more information visit:
www.clw.csiro.au/publications/
waterforahealthycountry/2008/
wfhc-keppel-bay-sediment.pdf
>> CSIRO scientist, Dr Barbara Robson,
using the SeaBird (an instrument that
measures salinity and temperature) in
the clear blue waters of outer Keppel
Bay. Photo: Ian Webster, CSIRO.
23
Water for our environment
24
> Collaborative research helps management of the iconic Coorong
>> The Coorong, Lower Lakes and
Murray Mouth (CLLAMM) region,
South Australia.
The Coorong, Lower Lakes and
Murray Mouth (CLLAMM) region of
the River Murray is an environmental
asset of international significance
which is under threat from low
flows, rising salinity and other issues
of environmental degradation.
To inform management initiatives
to halt and reverse the degradation
of the estuary, CSIRO’s Water
for a Healthy Country Flagship
established the CLLAMMecology
Research Cluster in late 2006.
The $5.3 million three-year cluster was the
first comprehensive ecological research
program in the Coorong region, and the
largest Australian research project looking
at the response of estuarine waterbirds
and fish to environmental flows.
Completed in July 2009,
CLLAMMecology provided the first
comprehensive ecological assessment
framework to evaluate the potential
outcome of management interventions
on the ecological character of the
Coorong and Murray Mouth region.
The framework’s ability to determine
ecological impact from physical
manipulation of the system is not
only very powerful, but is one of the
few examples of its kind in Australia
and worldwide. The framework
allows managers to evaluate how to
best use the available management
levers, such as environmental flows
and dredging the Murray Mouth, to
maximise environmental outcomes.
The cluster brought together scientists
from a diverse range of disciplines
including hydrodynamics, spatial
analysis and bird and fish ecology.
The cluster linked CSIRO’s
capability to that of the
University of Adelaide,
Flinders University and
the South Australian
Research and
Development
Institute.
The tools developed are being used
by water managers to help plan
short and long term management
interventions in the region, which is still
home to up to 80 per cent of water
birds in the Murray-Darling Basin.
For more information visit: www.csiro.au/
partnerships/CLLAMMecology-Cluster.html
Water for our environment
Protecting our land
25
> Atlas of Australian Acid Sulfate Soils
CSIRO scientists have conceived,
developed and managed the
development of the Atlas of Australian
Acid Sulfate Soils to enable informed
decisions related to risk management of
development or changing environmental
conditions such as drought.
within these soils react with oxygen in
the air to form sulfuric acid. This acid,
together with associated toxic elements
(heavy metals and other contaminants),
can kill plants and animals, contaminate
drinking water and food such as oysters,
and corrode concrete and steel.
The Atlas of Australian Acid Sulfate
Soils is a web-based hazard assessment
tool with a nationally consistent legend,
which provides information about
the distribution and properties of
acid sulfate soils across Australia.
Development, and natural cycles
such as drought, can create these
changes in the soil environment and
the formation of sulfuric acid.
Acid sulfate soils occur naturally in
both coastal and inland settings and are
harmless when left undisturbed. However,
when excavated or drained, sulfides
acid sulfate soils in coastal, River Murray
and other inland environments.
The resulting knowledge can be
used extensively by governments
to manage acid sulfate soils.
For more information visit:
www.clw.csiro.au/acidsulfatesoils/
atlas.html, the Atlas is available on
ASRIS (Australian Soil Resource
Information System: www.asris.gov.au)
CSIRO’s Atlas of Australian Acid Sulfate
Soils, developed in collaboration with
the National Committee for Acid
Sulfate Soils, enables informed risk
management for planning authorities,
identifying the extent and severity of
>> CSIRO’s Atlas of Australian Acid Sulfate Soils is informing the management of this potentially deadly environmental hazard.
Water for our environment
Protecting our waterways
26
> Assessing the potential impact of pesticides on water quality
A simple risk indicator that predicts
the potential for the off-site
migration of pesticides into surface
or groundwater is helping industry
and natural resource managers to
better protect river catchments in
Australia and around the world.
The cumulative effect of pesticides and
other contaminants on biodiversity
and human health is an important
environmental issue. In Australia
alone, more than $1.5 billion
worth of herbicides, fungicides and
insecticides are used each year.
The problem is that pesticides are mobile,
so not all the pesticide sprayed on a field
remains on site. Varying amounts of these
substances can reach surface and ground
waters through spray drifts, run-off, soil
erosion and leaching, with unintended
impacts on non-target organisms.
>> Predicting the impact that pesticides
which migrate from fields into surface
and ground waters have on aquatic
ecosystems. Photo: Greg Rinder, CSIRO.
The Pesticide Impact Rating Index
(PIRI) is a free software package which
can be used to assess the potential
impact of pesticides on water quality.
PIRI was first developed by
CSIRO in 1998 and in 2008 was
customised and tailored to Tasmanian
conditions. It is used by organisations
nationally and internationally.
The PIRI tool also assesses the
risk to different species based on
the toxicity of pesticides (including
herbicides, insecticides and fungicides)
to a range of aquatic organisms.
For more information visit:
www.csiro.au/science/PIRI-software.html
> Winery wastewater management
This national, collaborative project is
working to provide an integrated, systems
approach to sustainable wastewater
management for wineries across Australia.
The research is investigating an array
of practical, cost effective wastewater
treatment methods for the Australian wine
industry, including decision-support tools
for the wastewater management systems
designed to meet sustainability criteria.
Through a series of strategic audits,
survey, reviews, laboratory and field
experimentation the project is profiling the
wastewater management of the industry.
The research, funded by the Grape
and Wine Research Development
Corporation, is investigating small,
medium and large scale wineries across
the geographic, cultural and climatic
spread of Australia’s winegrowing regions.
For more information visit:
www.csiro.au/science/ps2aw.html
Key outcomes include:
• economic benefits – reduced
capital and running costs
• environmental benefits – rather
than polluting land and waterways,
wastewater can be put to productive
use or recycled appropriately
• social benefits – demonstrating
environmental responsibility through
engagement and education.
>> Practical, cost effective
wastewater treatment
methods for the Australian
wine industry. Photo:
Gregory Heath, CSIRO.
Water for our environment
> Minimising agricultural pollution to enhance water quality
In an effort to minimise agricultural
pollution and enhance water quality,
research into the transport of
sediment, nutrients, and pesticides
from agricultural land into waterways
is underway in the Philippines and
Adelaide’s Mt Lofty Ranges.
Off-site transport of contaminants in the
form of nutrients, sediment and pesticides
from agricultural practices is of concern
due to the effects these materials can
have on ecosystems downstream. So
CSIRO researchers are working with
scientists in the Philippines to share their
expertise in identifying the major sources
and quantify loads of contaminants.
The work in the Pagsanjan-Lumban
catchment, Philippines and the Mt Lofty
Ranges, Australia aims to minimise the
impact of agricultural pollution and
quantify the contribution made by the
main land-uses in the subcatchment
to loads of sediment, nutrients
and pesticides entering rivers.
This work was funded by
the Australian Centre for
International Agricultural
Research (ACIAR).
>> In the Mt Lofty Ranges, South Australia,
scientists are looking at the transport of sediment,
nutrients and pesticides from agricultural land into
nearby waterways. Photo: Willem van Aken,CSIRO.
> Improving water and sediment quality guidelines
CSIRO scientists are at the forefront
of international research guiding
the development of Australian
and New Zealand water and
sediment quality guidelines.
Being able to accurately detect aquatic
contaminants and their behaviour in our
waterways can help protect against their
potentially adverse affects on aquatic
ecosystems. Aquatic contaminants
include metals, organometals, organic
compounds (e.g. pesticides, petroleum
hydrocarbons and industrial chemicals),
and other inorganic contaminants such as
ammonia, nitrate, nitrite and phosphates.
This research has led to improvements
in analytical methods to measure
the bioavailability of contaminants as
well as sensitive and novel ecological
assessment approaches to detect
impacts. These tools provide evidence
to better assess the risks posed by
contaminants to aquatic ecosystems.
activities and prioritising of remediation
activities while ensuring protection
of ecological and human health.
Our cutting-edge sediment quality
research has resulted in a better
understanding of how metal
contaminants in sediments behave
chemically, and of how to sample
and manipulate sediments without
altering their chemistry. New methods
for sediment toxicity testing using
laboratory-culturable local test
organisms have also been developed.
>> The accurate detection of aquatic
contaminants and their behaviour in our
waterways can help protect against their
potentially adverse affects on aquatic
ecosystems.
Improved risk-based approaches to
water and sediment quality assessment
will allow more appropriate and cost
effective management of discharges
from urban, industrial and mining
27
> Innovation in water information systems
28
Working collaboratively to provide
national water information
Australia’s ability to deal with
increasing water scarcity
will be underpinned by
accurate and reliable water
resources information.
This requires improved coverage,
accuracy and currency for Australia’s
water resources information systems.
Better water information also helps
to provide technological solutions
to deliver water savings, and better
assessments of the impact of water
use at an individual product level,
in the form of water footprints.
Water information systems currently
used in Australia are typically small
scale, custom built solutions designed
to meet the needs of the more than
240 regional-scale agencies or water
authorities around the country. These
systems are unable to manage the
volume and complexity of data needed
for comprehensive national water
accounting, assessment and forecasting.
Modern national water information
infrastructure is seen as essential
for Australia’s water reforms. Building a new generation of water
information infrastructure will help
provide timely and accurate national
water accounts cheaper, providing
automated and efficient ways of
routinely monitoring, analyse and
report on Australia’s water resources.
Through the Water Act 2007, the
Australian Government has given
the Bureau of Meteorology (the
Bureau) responsibility for compiling
and delivering comprehensive
water information across the
water sector in Australia.
CSIRO is collaborating with the
Bureau through a water information
research and development alliance
to provide the core research
required to transform the way
Australia manages its water resources
by delivering value added water
information tools and technology
based on a comprehensive and robust
nationwide water information system.
Water markets, water utilities,
water users and environmental
water managers can all benefit
from an ability to accurately
predict both current and future
water availability. This has huge
financial and efficiency benefits for
Australia in terms of efficient crop
planting, minimising crop failure and
ensuring optimal water allocations.
CSIRO is collaborating with the Bureau of Meteorology
through a water information research and development
alliance to provide the core research required to transform
the way Australia manages its water resources.
Innovation in water information systems
New Technology for Water
Resource Management
> Water research alliance
An outdoor collaborative laboratory has been created
to demonstrate the advantage of using the Sensor
Web to expose, share and process environmental
data collected by proprietary telemetry networks.
The Hydrological Sensor Web in the South Esk
river catchment in North East Tasmania allows
sensor assets owned by different agencies to be
combined to create a macro-instrument with massive
sensing capability providing a much richer picture
of what is going on in the river catchment.
The result is information about water flow across the
catchment which is vital for maintaining environmental
flows, managing water restrictions and mitigating flood risk.
The catchment is being monitored by CSIRO, the
Bureau of Meteorology, Hydro Tasmania, Tasmania
Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Wildlife and
Environment (DPIPWE) and Forestry Tasmania.
>> Water a precious resource. Murtho floodplain, near
Renmark, South Australia. Photo: Tanya Doody, CSIRO.
The Australian Government has given the Bureau
of Meteorology (the Bureau) responsibility
through the Water Act 2007 for compiling and
delivering comprehensive water information
across the water sector in Australia.
Through a research and development alliance with the
Bureau, CSIRO is providing the core research required
to transform the way Australia manages its water
resources by delivering value added water information
tools and technology based on a comprehensive
and robust nationwide water information system
The Sensor Web allows any type of sensor data
from these organisations, including tipping bucket
rain gauges, river stage sensors, weather stations
and soil moisture sensors, to be shared without the
need for huge infrastructure projects. This leads
to cost savings through a reduction in the parallel
expansion of sensor networks in each organisation.
This work is supported by the Intelligent Island Program
which is targeted at stimulating the growth of ICT
industries and ICT–enabled industries within Tasmania.
The Sensor Web test-bed has the potential to transform
catchment-scale hydrological monitoring and forecasting.
This strategic investment of $50 million over five
years brings together CSIRO’s nation-leading
expertise in water and information sciences with the
Bureau’s new operational responsibilities in water
information. It supports the Bureau of Meteorology’s
implementation of a technology platform that will
transform Australia’s water resources data into a
nationally accessible online information network.
These technologies will enable large-scale
information re-use and value-added services that
deliver auditable water accounts, assessments
and forecasts to meet the demand for improved
management and reporting of water resources.
>> Mr Andrew Terhorst checking the automatic weather
station at Snowhill Farm, Tasmania.
29
Innovation in water information systems
Monitoring Australia’s water resources availability and water use
30
> Monitoring Australia’s Water Resources
CSIRO researchers are developing
systems to monitor water resources
availability across the nation. These
systems combine field measurements,
satellite observations and hydrological
models to substantially improve the
water balance estimate accuracy
and quantification of uncertainty. The
systems produce daily precipitation
and evapotranspiration information
of unprecedented quality and detail.
This system and water balance information
will underpin the Bureau of Meteorology’s
annual National Water Account and regular
water resources assessments, and also
provide valuable and timely information
to water management practitioners,
policy makers and researchers.
> Gauging the rain
Improving the accuracy of rainfall
estimates is fundamental to establishing
a water balance necessary for water
resources assessments. Researchers
are developing new statistical-based
approaches to combine multiple sources
of rainfall information, including rain gauge
observations and satellite-based rainfall
retrievals, to improve the accuracy of
water balance modelling across Australia.
The rainfall gauging network is very
sparse in parts of Australia where the
current knowledge of rainfall is highly
uncertain. Satellite rainfall observations
provide valuable additional information.
Researchers have produced a blended
precipitation product by developing a
new method to exploit the strengths of
the two data sources: the point accuracy
of the gauge observations, and the
comprehensive coverage of the satellite
estimates. It is being compared with
existing data sets to evaluate the accuracy
of the new product, and is scheduled
for implementation alongside current
Bureau of Meteorology operations for
further extensive testing and evaluation.
One example of its use is in the
comparison of trends in rainfall across the
country. The figure on the left illustrates
spatial patterns of increasing and
decreasing rainfall for the 11-year period
from January 1998 to December 2008.
>> Trends in annual rainfall (mm yr-1)
from 1998-2008 derived from blended
gauge and satellite-based precipitation
estimates (Blue indicating increase in
rainfall; red a decrease).
Innovation in water information systems
> Data shows water scarcity started 15 years ago
New CSIRO analysis shows
that the water scarcity being
experienced in southeast Australia
started up to 15 years ago.
The finding follows the first ever
national and comprehensive analysis of
30 years of on-ground measurements
and satellite observations of
Australia’s water resources.
The data shows the first signs of
diminishing water availability in Australia
appeared somewhere between 1993
and 1996 when the rate of water
resource capture and use started to
exceed the rate of streamflow supply.
The observation system that is
developed will assist the Bureau of
Meteorology in conducting regular
water resource assessments and
produce national water accounts.
>> The long-term trend in total water availability
in soil and groundwater between 1980 and 2008
(red areas have experienced declines over this
period, blue areas increases).
> The naked truth about our landscape
Australia has been stripped
bare of vegetation to expose
the surface that lies beneath.
CSIRO scientists have devised and
used statistical processes which remove
about 90 per cent of Australia’s
vegetation cover from satellite imagery
to build the most detailed continental
Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of
Australia’s topography ever produced.
As a result, researchers can now
clearly make out the shape of our
landscape and understand how
water moves across its surface, how
it came to be its present shape
and how variable our soils are.
The applications for the DEM are
many. One application will provide
information that relates water resource
features to the topography. The DEM
is a key data layer within the Bureau of
Meteorology’s “Geofabric” database.
By June 2010 information on Australia’s
river network will be included to
produce a drainage-enforced DEM
that will assist the Bureau to generate
water accounts for the continent.
The DEM is based on satellite
data collected by NASA during
its Space Shuttle mission in 2000.
The one‑second DEM (30m
gridded) dataset is licensed and
managed by project collaborator,
Geoscience Australia.
>> Shaded elevation map
showing the topography
of the Snowy Mountains.
31
Innovation in water information systems
32
> What’s your water-footprint?
Food suppliers are being challenged by
expectations from governments, retailers
and savvy consumers to deliver real
improvements in environmentally‑friendly,
ethical food production. A growing
awareness of climate change and the
potential for increasing droughts and
water shortages is fuelling interest
in tracking food product water
footprints from farm to consumer.
CSIRO in collaboration with ETH
Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of
Technology) has developed a more
comprehensive method of calculating
water footprints that assesses the actual
impact of the water use for each product
across the whole product life cycle. Even companies situated in locations of
water abundance can be exposed to
the impacts of water scarcity through
their supply chains. In order to adapt,
companies need to understand these
risks and develop appropriate risk
management and growth strategies.
This method provides a better and much
more useful understanding of the food’s
environmental impact. The approach
is also consistent and comparable
with carbon footprinting which is now
being adopted by a growing number
of food companies and is likely to
become mainstream in many markets.
CSIRO is also contributing its
expertise to help develop a global
water footprinting standard.
>> A water footprint reveals the direct
and indirect water use of a consumer
or producer. Photo: Carl Davies, CSIRO.
We all know it’s not possible to produce
food without water, but until now little
attention has been given to where
that water actually comes from and
whether its availability is sustainable.
Many businesses can unknowingly
be exposed to potential water
scarcity within their supply chains.
> Water savings for irrigators
In collaboration with our partners in
the Cooperative Research Centre for
Irrigation Futures, CSIRO has developed
a technological solution to deliver
real water savings for irrigators.
It helps irrigators to determine how
much water their crop has used and
how long they need to run their
pump or drip system each day for
efficient and effective water use.
The system known as ‘IrriSATSMS’ uses
satellite remote sensing and delivers
information through mobile phone
SMS to provide irrigators with real‑time
water management information.
From the satellite images, plant
canopy sizes can be determined. This
information is combined with data
from on ground weather stations to
calculate crop water use. The results are
sent to irrigators as daily, customised,
irrigation water management
information by SMS, tailored for each
farm and paddock. The service sends
actual pump or dripper run times so
that irrigators can easily understand
and relate to the information.
This system is currently helping on farm
irrigators directly manage 36,000 megalitres
(ML) of high security water in the
Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and
due to its resounding success it
has been extended to include the
Hawkesbury and Gwydir regions of NSW. This approach allows irrigators to
benchmark their water use, in real time,
against other irrigators. By viewing a
web page irrigators can see how much
water they have applied and compare
against other users at any time through
the season. The system can also be used
as an auditing tool by water providers. For more information visit:
www.irrigateway.net/publications/
irrisatsms_v_60_finalwAppendix.pdf