These pressures require the water industry to develop innovative and more efficient processes to optimise resource recovery from wastewater, according to a new report by the Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE). The report notes that Australian wastewater contains nutrients, carbon, energy and other inorganic and organic resources worthy of recovery and examines the potential...

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) believes that realising the benefits of Australia’s world-class research system requires translation of its outputs into economic and societal benefits. The effective translation of research will be at the core of Australia’s future competitiveness and prosperity.

OECD data shows that Australian researchers are less engaged in collaboration with industry than their counterparts in other countries. This is of particular concern for Australia given the large proportion of our researchers in the public sector. Calls to address this problem have increasingly been heard from government and industry.

This report argues that returning highly treated wastewater directly into Australia's drinking water supply could have considerable economic and environmental benefits.

With the demographic ageing of Australia’s population, a suite of emerging innovative technologies offers the prospect of enhanced security, safety, diagnosis, treatment and physical assistance to improve the quality of life for elderly people, to help them remain at home, and to provide financial savings in aged care and medical treatment.