Greater Western Water

Image 8 campus water fountains installed
8 campus water fountains installed
Image  10,000+ trees planted since 2022
10,000+ trees planted since 2022
Image Guest lectures & student tours
Guest lectures & student tours

Greater Western Water (GWW) proudly serves one of the fastest-growing regions in Australia. They provide drinking water, recycled water, sewerage and trade waste services to more than 550,000 residential customers and 46,000 business customers.

Leveraging our operational strengths and position in the west of Melbourne, GWW and Victoria University (VU) work together to create value and impact for the diverse communities we serve, and to protect, heal, and care for Country.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

This partnership addresses the following Sustainable Development Goals.

Benefits for students & courses

The partnership supports our Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering) and Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) students’ final-year projects. These projects allow students to investigate real challenges faced in the water industry. By applying an industry lens, students become adept at discovering practical, useful solutions that will help succeed them in their careers.

VU stories

Zohreh Rajabi, Civil Engineering student and water researcher
Flow-on effect: Water researcher sets sights on the future
Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Civil Engineering), Doctor of Philosophy
"As a researcher, every day is a dream come true. Only 12% of engineers in Australia are female, so I strive to achieve, and hope that I can motivate future generations."
Zohreh's story

Research

Greater Western Water and VU collaborate on a number of research projects in the areas of water treatment, sustainable water-resource management and environmental sustainability. The focus of these projects is improving the quality and sustainability of water processes for Melbourne’s western urban/rural region. Research outcomes will contribute to healthier environments and resources for local communities in the future.

Our research collaborations include investigation into:

  • accessing excess pressure in pipe networks to create energy
  • Indigenous water management, stormwater harvesting, and community values
  • desalination pre-treatment for recycled water using polymeric and ceramic membranes
  • energy and cost-efficient membrane distillation of industrial waste water
  • the use of solar heat in water treatment
  • a computer based screening tool for locating and assessing storm water harvesting sites in urban Melbourne.
  • low-energy nitrogen recovery from trade waste.