Researchers put water technology to the test

A new ecologically friendly process for water remediation and aquaculture technology will undergo a scientific evaluation at Southern Cross University’s Lismore campus as part of a collaboration between the University and Cumminscorp Limited.

The University and Cumminscorp, a Gold Coast based water technology company, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding which paves the way for testing and further development of a range of aquaculture, water purification and remediation technologies already available from Cumminscorp.

Southern Cross University’s School of Environmental Science and Management, which has a range of expertise in water and soil remediation and aquaculture, will conduct the evaluation. The University’s Environmental Analysis Laboratory, which services clients in Australia and overseas, will also be involved.

The University has a substantial lake on their Lismore campus that has developed overloaded nutrient problems. A project to measure the contamination in the water and silt bed of the lake before, during and after the Cumminscorp remediation process has been developed. Another project will monitor the rearing of saltwater fish species in the Cumminscorp aquaculture portable C-Box that will also be located at the Lismore campus.

Professor Neal Ryan, Southern Cross University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research), said the heart of the aquaculture and water remediation technologies was a ‘bioprocessing’ engine.

“The bioprocessor is a significant departure from engineering solutions that have attempted to clean up polluted lakes and effluent containment areas in the past,” Professor Ryan said.

“It replicates a natural process that is sustainable and ecologically friendly and that has been demonstrated to work. We are very excited about the Cumminscorp technologies, their simplicity and effectiveness.

“A range of projects will be undertaken to validate the technology and provide the scientific grounding in what is an already proven set of technologies.”

Mr Warren Greiner, chief executive officer of Cumminscorp, said he was pleased to join forces with Southern Cross University.

“We invest heavily in scientific research to validate our technology and look forward to working with the University,” Mr Greiner said.