eFlash #652 New
Date: 08-Apr-2026
In this edition: qldwater at Ozwater | DBP Webinar | Nature-Based Solutions Bus Tour | Young Water Professional Scholarship | Review of the Australian Groundwater Modelling Guidelines | WIOA QLD Conference | New IChEMS scheduling decisions for PFAS
qldwater at Ozwater’26
We are proud to share that our Lead Scientist, Louise Reeves’ paper has been selected as a finalist for the Ozwater’26 Best Paper Award.
Louise will be delivering two presentations including “PFAS Source Control: Essential to facilitating a circular economy for the urban water sector” and “Adopting a holistic vision for biosolids management”.
David Scheltinga will present “Without data it’s just an opinion – swimlocal, a tool for all”.
Georgina Davis will participate in a panel session on the circular economy.
Des Gralton and the teams from the Water Literacy and Education and Regional, Rural and Remote Water Specialist Networks will present “Ready for Floods? A Game of Community Resilience”.
You will also be able to catch Neil Holmes and Georgina at the WSAA breakfast on Tuesday 26 May, starting at 7am at the Jacobs offices, just across the road from Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre. Registrations opening soon.
You can also visit us at our qldwater booth. We are looking forward to Ozwater’26 and connecting with peers across the industry.
Disinfection by products: A fresh look at an old problem
Join us at 10am on Thursday, 16 April for a webinar exploring a research program being led by Professor Fred Leusch on whether common DBP mitigation strategies may unintentionally increase toxicity.
Safe drinking water depends on effective disinfection, yet disinfectants such as chlorine can react with naturally occurring compounds in water to form disinfection by-products (DBPs), some of which are toxic.
By combining advanced chemical analysis with innovative bioassay testing, the project evaluates both DBP formation and their overall toxic effects. Working with Australian water utilities, the research identifies treatment approaches that minimise DBP toxicity while maintaining effective pathogen control. The outcomes will provide practical guidance to help utilities optimise treatment processes and support the continued delivery of safe drinking water to communities.
Nature-Based Solutions Bus Tour and Networking Drinks
The bus is filling quickly for Stormwater Queensland and the Queensland Water Directorate Nature-Based Solutions Tour on Thursday 7 May 2026.
The tour will include site visits to the two most iconic offsets-related nature-based solutions projects completed in Queensland in 2026 including the Urban Utilities Cannery Creek sewer upgrade project and Redland City Council’s Shoreline Mangrove Offset Project (SMOP).
Presentations will include discussions about community engagement, design, approvals, construction, operation, establishment, maintenance and monitoring.
Places are strictly limited and expected to fill quickly.
OTHER NEWS
Young Water Professional Scholarship
The Department Local Government Water and Volunteers is offering a scholarship opportunity for a Young Water Professional (under 35) to attend Ozwater in May.
Review of the Australian Groundwater Modelling Guidelines
The South Australian Department for Environment and Water (DEW) is leading a project to revise the national groundwater modelling guidelines. The guidelines are aimed at groundwater decision-makers, including managers who commission models, government regulators, and others who use model results to inform long-term planning.
DEW invites staff who work directly for a water utility and/or water supply provider (including relevant local government-owned and operated water utilities) to a special online information session and opportunity to contribute to the review process. The project team will provide an update on the purpose and scope of the review, provide a summary of progress to date and preliminary thinking to underpin the new guidelines. Importantly, there will be an opportunity to ensure that the needs of water utilities and water supply providers are also considered.
Time and date: 10.30am – 12.00noon (AEST) Tuesday 28 April 2026
Register your interest to participate in the Information Session by clicking on this registration link.
If you do not work for a water utility or water supply provider but want to find out more and contribute to the conversation, please register your details with the project team via the project website. There will be additional opportunities for other interested stakeholders to participate in the future.
You can find out more about the project, read the latest progress update, and register your interest to receive updates by visiting the project website
This national project is funded by the Australian Government ($1.5 million) and the South Australian Government ($405,000). Australian Government funding is provided through the National Water Grid Fund.
WIOA QLD Conference and Open Days
qldwater CEO Georgina Davis will be a panellist for the WIOA QLD Interest Day in Gympie on Thursday, 23 April.
The WIOA 2026 Queensland Water Industry Operations Conference & Exhibition is heading to the Gold Coast for two full days on 24 – 25 June 2026. The qldwater team look forwarding to seeing you at Stand 65.
The event offers attendees to connect with peers, broaden their knowledge, and recognise outstanding achievements across the operationally focused water industry.
The Surat Underground Water Impact Report (UWIR 2025) is now finalised and approved
The UWIR is a statutory report to provide for a three yearly iterative assessment of cumulative groundwater impacts from CSG, coal mining and conventional oil and gas development in the Surat Cumulative Management Area (CMA) and review the strategies for managing those impacts.
A consultation draft was released on 23 October 2025. At the close of the consultation period (28 November 2025), OGIA considered all submissions and feedback in finalising the report which was then submitted for approval to Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI), together with a submission summary report.
Approval of the report was received from DETSI on 11 March 2026 and takes effect from 1 May 2026 (superseding the UWIR from 2021).
The approved report, the submissions summary report and the decision notice are available atwww.ogia.water.qld.gov.au
CURRENT CONSULTATIONS
New IChEMS scheduling decisions for PFAS
DCCEEW has opened a consultation on a raft of IChEMS scheduling decision for PFAS chemicals. It appears that this has been prompted by the recommendations from the PFAS Senate Select Committee report, published last November.
The proposed scheduling decisions apply a tiered risk management framework across the PFAS classes instead of a blanket Schedule 7 listing, which provides a prohibition on imports and use. Schedule 4 and 5 chemicals are subject to managed phase-down through transition requirements, use restrictions, and waste controls that are not as strong.
PFOS, PFOA and PFHxS were listed on Schedule 7 in July 2025, with bans on imports of chemicals and articles containing the listed chemicals, and restrictions on “unintentional contamination” of up to 25 µg/kg (25 ppb). The Schedule 7 listing of PFNS, PFDS and PFHpS proposes similar restrictions.
A handful of other chemicals of concern have also been listed.
The consultation will be open until 24 April. qldwater will be making a submission. For more information, please visit the consultation page.
Productivity Commission: new inquiry & call for submission
The Productivity Commission (PC) invites interested parties to register their interest in an inquiry into National Water Reform 2026.
The PC is conducting its fourth inquiry on governments’ progress under the National Water Initiative, as required by the Water Act 2007 (Cth). It will also advise on ways to promote a more sustainable water service industry to inform further work by governments to refresh Australia’s water policy. The PC will provide an interim update and produce a final report. The full terms of reference that guide the inquiry are available from the PC’s website.
To assist in the preparation of submissions for the interim update, the PC has prepared a call for submission paper which identifies a range of matters about which information and comment are being sought.
Call for submissions are due by Friday 24 April 2026.
UPCOMING EVENTS
- 16 April - Essentials Webinar - Disinfection Byproducts: A fresh look at an old problem
- 7 May - Nature-Based Solutions Bus Tour
- 26-28 May - AWA Ozwater'26
- 23-24 June - WIOA QLD Conference & Exhibition