Research

Research Areas

The principal research areas of the Research Group are as follows:

• Water resources management
• Water distribution system simulation and optimisation
• Wetlands and stormwater treatment systems
• Open channel flow
• Surface hydrology
• Groundwater hydrology
• Coastal engineering

The provision exsits for researchers from other departments within the University or other organisations to join the Research Group.

Research Programs

Water Resources Systems Modelling:

• Regional approaches for water resources and flood estimation.
• Monitoring and modelling of water quality.
• Development of ecological sustainable water management systems.
• Optimum planning and operation of reservoirs.
• Development of systems for total water management.
• Modelling groundwater resources for agricultural usage.
• Assessing aquifer storage and recovery systems.
• Modelling movement of salinity in groundwater.

Coastal Processes:

• Modelling currents and water quality in coastal waters.
• Circulation and water quality of coastal and estuarial regions.
• Physical and numerical modelling of the effects of coastal structures.
• Littoral transport.

Modelling & Monitoring Catchment Processes:

• Stormwater quality and quantity.
• Rainfall/runoff.
• Stormwater treatment systems.
• Wetland systems

Hydraulic System Modelling and Optimisation:

• Urban and irrigation water distribution systems simulation modelling.
• Optimisation of design and operation of water distribution systems using genetic algorithms.
• Leakage detection in pipe networks using the inverse transient technique.
• Calibration of pipe roughness in water networks.
• Water hammer modelling.
• Column separation modelling.
• Modelling of unsteady flow in rivers and irrigation systems.

Current Research Areas in Sustainable Water Resources Management and Modelling

• Application and development of evolutionary optimisation and modelling techniques
• Development and application of artificial neural networks and other data driven modelling approaches
• Pipeline and pipe network condition assessment using transients
• Understanding and modelling transients in pipe systems
• Agent based modelling for sustainable water resources management and sustainability assessment
• Stochastic rainfall simulation in space and time
• Development and application of risk-based performance indicators and approaches to sensitivity and uncertainty analysis
• Coastal morphological modelling using entropy concepts
• Development of roughness in near-shore environments
• Multi criteria decision analysis applied to water resources systems
• Development and application of decision support systems for the optimal design and management of water resource systems (including water reuse)
• Optimum planning, design and operations of water supply, sewer and stormwater systems
• Water quality modelling in rivers and water distribution systems
• Modelling and identifying climate persistence in rainfall and streamflow.

Emerging Research Areas in Sustainable Water Resources Management and Modelling

• Systems Based Approach for Sustainable Management of Water Resources and Infrastructure
• development of indicators (measures) of sustainability
• multi-criteria optimisation
• risk and uncertainty - how to measure / assess?
• total resource spectrum
• sustainable materials
• better understanding of interaction of natural and human systems
• improved modelling of natural and infrastructure systems (uncertainty, integration of large complex models, data collection requirements)
• better management of natural and infrastructure systems (risk, adaptive management, climate)
• pathways to achieving sustainable systems (technology of reuse and desalination, policy)
• new economic evaluation methods
  

Resources Required

• Much of the expertise required to lead research programs in the above areas already exists in the group, with the areas of sustainable materials, reuse and desalination being the exception.
• In order to progress and extend current research in this area, and develop it as an area of focus and strength, one junior academic staff member, two post-doctoral fellows and 4-6 PhD students would be required.
• In order to make the above area a major focus of the group, a chair would be required in addition to the above mentioned resources in order to determine the overall direction of the research (as opposed to developing individual aspects).

Sustainability of Water in the Urban Environment

• integrating potable, reuse and rainwater use
• optimising design of dual systems
• new criteria for the design of dual systems
• stormwater treatment and reuse
• alternative water sources - desalination
• surface water / groundwater interactions
• wastewater treatment and reuse

Resources Required

• New Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in water reuse technologies
• Postdoctoral fellow in management of the urban water cycle
• Full scholarships for 3 PhD students
• $30,000 per year to support field work in urban water management and reuse

Sustainable Irrigation Practices and Systems

• optimising land use and water use
• rehabilitation of irrigation delivery irrigation infrastructure
• assessing social impacts
• agent based modelling

Resources Required

• Postdoctoral fellow and 2 PhD students

Condition Assessment and Monitoring of Water Distribution Infrastructure

• mapping of closed systems
• condition assessment of pipe systems using nanotechnology and smart sensing techniques
• identification and quantification of problems with infrastructure
• detecting cross-connections in dual systems
• detecting illegal use in irrigation systems

Resources Required

• Postdoctoral fellow for the further development of field measurement and techniques
• Postdoctoral fellow for the further development of advanced signal processing techniques and advances in transient modelling
• 3 PhD students

Role of Climate in Risk Assessment and Management

• drought forecasting
• climate state identification and impact on floods and droughts
• improving current models to incorporate climate variability
• modelling the impact of vegetation on hydrological system (carbon cycle)
• modelling climate change on the coast (mean sea level, waviness, water temperature)
• susceptibility of ocean currents to climate change

Resources Required

• Postdoctoral fellow in Climate state identification
• 3 PhD students hydrological climate modelling and drought forecasting
• Postdoctoral fellow who may be able to be partly supported by Coast Protection Board
• Postdoctoral fellow who may be able to work with SARDI on compatible aspects of ocean currents and climate change

Summary of current research activity

The current level of activity in the Water and Environmental Engineering group includes:

Papers published by group from 2002 - 2004 (3 years):

• 1 Edited conference Symposia,
• 37 refereed journal papers (31 so far in 2005)
• 48 fully refereed conference papers (14 so far in 2005)
• 29 abstract refereed conference papers

Research grants for group from 2000 - 2004:

• 5 ARC Discovery Project Grants ($529 K total)
• 2 ARC Linkage Industry ($340 K total)
• 1 ARC Linkage International ($ 46 K total)
• 7 Industry ($148 K total)
• Other ($80K total)

Total research grant income: $1,145 K ($54.5 / FTE academic/year)

Total DEST publication points = 101.5 (4.8 points / FTE academic/year)

Total HDR students 2002 - 2004 = 29

• 12 PhD completions
• average of 17 HDR students enrolled/year (2.46 HDR/FTE/yr)

How is 2005 looking?

• New Post-doc appointed for a six month period in the condition assessment area.
• A large number of publications have currently been accepted for publication in 2005
• No changes to permanent staff
• Not enough postgraduates students started in 2005 from 2004 graduating class.

Critical assessment of current research activity

Where is the group ranked within Australia?

1. CWR at UWA
2. Newcastle
3. Melbourne
4. Monash
5. Adelaide
6. NSW
7. Queensland
8. Sydney

Where is the group ranked internationally?

Top 100

What does the group need to do?

Obtaining Resources for Emerging Areas

• Apply for more Post-doctoral research Associates
  • Current staff can apply for post-doctoral fellows in their areas of current strength, utilising a number of funding sources. These include traditional pathways, such as ARC or CRC funding. However, we will also need to take advantage of other funding opportunities that are likely to be identified through the Water and Sustainability clusters in particular (e.g. CNRM and National Water Initiative funding). We will also need to strengthen ties and develop long term relationships with industry in order to increase our chances of obtaining industry funding (e.g. through Linkage grants). Again, the opportunities arising through the Research Clusters and CRCs are vital here.
  • If we would like funding for post-doctoral fellows in areas of growth, this will probably have to be achieved through strategic funding initiatives (e.g. University, Faculty), support from industry or new appointments (Lecturers, Chairs), who already have a strong record in the perceived growth areas.
• Seek support for a new chair in Sustainable Water Resources management
  • This would probably have to be done through a mixture of funding from industry and strategic initiative funding (e.g. University, Faculty). Input from Cluster co-ordinators is important in making appropriate industry contacts. We will also need a detailed business plan as to where long-term salary support for chair will come from.
• Longer Term - succession planning for staff movement
  • Mentoring and support of post-doctoral fellows in appropriate areas who can be employed as academics once the opportunity presents itself, including encouragement to publish and exposure to teaching and grant writing
  • Mentoring and support of junior academic staff