The Advanced Water Management Centre (AWMC) at UQ is an international centre of excellence in innovative water science and technology.

The AWMC research team offers vast and complementary expertise with over 35 academic and research staff including three IWA Fellows, and more than 50 research students. AWMC has an outstanding track record of successful research, development, and application projects currently worth almost AU$10 million per annum, many in close collaboration with industry and research collaborators. AWMC partners with over 100 different utilities, industry groups, research institutions, and educational facilities around Australia and the world.

AWMC’s research achieves sustainable outcomes for the water industry through management of greenhouse gas emissions, adding value to waste treatment processes, and understanding how to protect water resources and maintain critical infrastructure.

AWMC key capabilities and expertise includes:

  • Deliver solutions for urban and industrial/agricultural water recycling and wastewater management
  • Process modelling and simulation
  • Design and implementation of water or wastewater treatment processes
  • Sewer corrosion and odour control
  • Analysis of water, wastewater, biosolids and biological samples

A key feature of the Centre’s research is the integration of microbiology into engineering-based research activities, supported by interdisciplinary expertise and innovative facilities. AWMC has excellent and well-equipped laboratory facilities that include several process laboratories, an environmental microbiology lab (PC2 level accreditation) and an Analytical Services Laboratory with a large range of advanced and relevant equipment, overseen by Senior Research Officer Dr Beatrice Keller-Lehmann.

Facilities

3. Innovation centre at the Luggage Point wastewater treatment plant (WWTP)

The Innovation centre at the Luggage Point WWTP
Figure 4. Innovation centre at the Luggage Point WWTP

In collaboration with Queensland Urban Utilities, AWMC has established an Innovation Centre at the Luggage Point WWTP.

Queensland Urban Utilities (QUU) and The University of Queensland have jointly invested substantial resources to set up infrastructure at the Innovation Centre for testing and demonstrating emerging water treatment technologies at pilot scale.

With several water/wastewater sources available on-site at the WWTP, the Innovation Centre is an ideal place for testing the implementation of new water/wastewater treatment processes.