During the period of 2008/2009 water shortages intensified creating a problem for dairy farmers. In many cases, farmers turned to trucking in fresh water to their farms. This was a time consuming and costly exercise. The main objective of this project was to demonstrate that water could be extracted from cow's milk on site and be used for cleaning machinery and other purposes minimising the reliance on fresh water for farmers.

The use of reclaimed water (RCW) has been directly linked with colloidal dispersion, whereby the soil particles become separated, leading to a collapse of the structure and reduction in permeability. As a result, water cannot be transmitted through the soil layers subsequent to irrigation. This study was designed in order to manage the quality of soil watered with recycled water through the development and trialling of an automatic waterborne calcium doser system.

Cooling towers for power stations and large air condition plants are among the largest industrial consumers of fresh water in Australia. A highly compact polymer heat exchanger has been developed with the objective of replacing cooling towers currently used in power stations and large air conditioning systems. Industry wide adoption of this heat exchanger technology would result in significant conservation of water and contribute to a reduction in the occurrence of Legionnaire's disease associated with air conditioning cooling towers.

The Shrine of Remembrance Reserve in Melbourne is landscaped with ceremonial lawns and gardens and is the location of over 250 significant trees. As Victoria's major war memorial the site serves as an important education centre and tourist attraction. Due to Australia's cyclic weather patterns and the effects of climate change there is a general need to develop sustainable solutions to offset the effects of periodic droughts and accompanying water restrictions. This project encompassed development and execution of a plan to install a one megalitre storage facility to harvest and reuse rainwater from the catchment areas available at the Shrine of Remembrance Reserve.

Setting prices for water and wastewater services by reference to long-run marginal cost (LRMC) principles is not a new concept in Victoria. However, water businesses have not so far adopted a common approach to estimating LRMC. The primary objective of this project was therefore to assist Victorian water businesses to estimate the LRMC associated with their services and to inform the application of LRMC principles in pricing decisions.

Algae production in wastewater for renewable energy generation (biogas or electricity) is an innovative concept. The process has significant potential to address the 'energy-water nexus' with a new renewable energy source for water businesses, while also being aligned to their core business of treating water.This project would provide the evaluation of the initial stage of a system which may be able to recover not just energy, but phosphorous and other nutrients.

The Pixel Building is a four-storey commercial development located in Melbourne. The building’s water sensitive urban design features were critical in achieving a six star green rating from the Green Building Council of Australia as well as green accreditation from LEED(UK) and BREEMA(USA). These features include: vacuum toilets, a rainwater harvesting and treatment train, an anaerobic digester and reed beds for processing of greywater and for thermal cooling of the building. This innovative project has set the standard for future development projects.

Advances in the utilisation of recycled water are resulting in its potential adoption for an ever broadening range of industrial uses. Periodic review of technology and practices is necessary to assist industry to incorporate appropriate improvements. This project captures state of the art technology via a literature review and encapsulates guidance in two easy-to-use tools that provide up to date guidance on the viability of recycled water in specific industrial processes.