Seminar to highlight water-saving alternatives

Water recycling and sustainable housing will be hot topics at a Central Queensland University hosted water seminar to be held in Rockhampton, Central Queensland, on Friday February 17.

The seminar organised by CQU's Plant Sciences Group and wastewater researcher Ben Kele, will also focus on current CQU research, on-site and decentralised systems, local government issues and irrigation.

The seminar has attracted Queensland water experts Ted Gardner, principal scientist with Water Cycle Sciences Group, and Ralph Woolley, general manager of Econova as keynote speakers.

Gardner leads the Water Cycle Sciences Group at Natural Resource Sciences in Brisbane. He spent the first part of his career with the Department of Primary Industries where he was involved in irrigation and catchment hydrology, irrigation salinity and gained extensive experience in most of the major irrigation areas of Queensland, including Emerald.

Gardner has since specialised in wastewater recycling, initially in the intensive animal industry. Over the last 10 years he has focused on urban effluent reuse, and more recently, alternatives to the traditional urban water cycle. He has been project leader of the Healthy Home project which is an energy/water/waste efficient sustainable home on the Gold Coast incorporating rainwater and greywater treatment and reuse. He is also leading the Payne Road project ¬ a multi-organisational study into quantifying the water, energy and nutrient balances of an ecosensitive sub division in Brisbane.

Woolley is an applied scientist with more than 35 years experience in water, wastewater, water recycling and environmental aspects of water and wastewater. He recently commenced as General Manager of Econova to lead and deliver sustainable developments in the urban environment and to provide total water solutions to clients. Prior to joining Econova he was the manager of Environment and Integrated Water Cycle for several months. Before the shift to the private sector, he was the water services manager in the Water Resource Branch, Urban Management Division for Brisbane City Council.

For more information or for bookings for the seminar contact organiser Ben Kele on 07 4923 2023 or b.kele@cqu.edu.au on or before Tuesday February 14.