Managing interactions between decentralised and centralised water systems

Water services are increasingly being provided through the integration of decentralised and centralised infrastructure. As we move into the future, increased reliance on decentralised water production and re-use will reduce sewer flows while simultaneously increasing the organic content of ‘sewage’ increasing the potential to impact our existing collection infrastructure. Our projects are providing an assessment of the interactions between decentralised water treatment/reuse systems and our existing central infrastructure in order to increase understanding and support optimised integration of decentralised and centralised systems.

Our activities focus on three specific objectives:

1. To understand the impact of reduced sewer flows, more concentrated sewage and waste sludge discharges from decentralised systems on sewer infrastructure. With a primary focus on sewer corrosion, odour generation, greenhouse gas emissions and the accumulation of fats, oils and grease deposits while providing model and technology support for the mitigation of predicted impacts.
2. To develop an overarching risk analysis framework for the integrated design and operation of multiple source water supply systems, applicable to greenfield developments and city infill rehabilitation.
3. In collaboration with our partners at the University of Western Australia we ain to understand the impact of reduced sewer flows and increased solids concentrations in sewage on solids sedimentation in sewers in order to provide model and technology support for prevention and mitigation.

Collaborators

• The University of Western Australia
• Urban Utilities