The University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide is a university that is part of the pulse of the water sector. Here we bring together everything it publishes on Smart Water Magazine: its news, its blogs and the events it takes part in.
Sunlight-activated material turns PFAS in water into harmless fluoride
Researchers at the University of Adelaide have developed a sunlight-activated material that can degrade per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water, breaking down the pollutant into harmless components, including fluoride. The work is published in the journal Small. The breakthrough discovery represents a promising low-energy solution for PFAS remediation, with potential applications in water treatment and environmental cleanup. "PFAS contamination […]
XAI benefits to hydrological modeling obscured by hype
Hydrologic modelers are increasingly using explainable AI (XAI) to provide additional insight into complex hydrological problems, but a new University of Adelaide study suggests XAI's insights may not be as revolutionary as proponents suggest. XAI is a field of research and set of methods that helps people understand how AI algorithms work and trust the […]
Politicization of water use exacerbates farmers’ distrust, researchers find
Researchers have found that in agricultural areas with declining resource availability, climate-adaptation risks increase when discussion about water allocation becomes politicized. The finding was made through the examination of water management in the Langhorne Creek viticultural region, where researchers assessed the hydrosocial risk in 2021. "Hydrosocial risks arise from the social processes that influence, and […]
Climate change is reducing global river water quality
A review of almost 1000 studies on the effects of climate change and extreme weather events on rivers around the world has found an overall negative effect on water quality in rivers globally. An international team of experts, including scientists from the University of Adelaide and led by Utrecht University in the Netherlands, reviewed 965 […]
Seawater split to produce green hydrogen
Researchers have successfully split seawater without pre-treatment to produce green hydrogen.
Is technology adoption as a water-saving method really improving irrigation efficiency?
A team of scientists, including experts from the University of Adelaide, suggest that reliance on modern irrigation technologies as a water-use efficiency strategy is a "zombie idea"—one that persists no matter how much evidence is thrown against it. In a paper in Environmental Research Letters, the international research team reviewed more than 200 supporting research articles and found technology […]
New method to detect impact of sea level rise
University of Adelaide scientists have developed a new simple, inexpensive and fast method to analyse sulfur isotopes, which can be used to help investigate chemical changes in environments such as oceans, and freshwater rivers and lakes.
Megaprojects threaten water justice for local communities
Urban megaprojects tend to be the antithesis of good urban planning. They have a negative impact on local water systems, deprive local communities of water-related human rights, and their funders and sponsors have little accountability for their impact.
Water market price rise myth-busting
Researchers at the University of Adelaide in collaboration with Auricht Projects have tested claims of water hoarding and speculative behaviour in Murray-Darling Basin water markets and found no evidence of hoarding, or a clear source of speculative behaviour, driving water price rises. Water hoarding is a strategy to restrict supply, forcing prices up. Price speculation occurs when […]