Dr Simon Toze leads a number of research projects in water reuse.

Dr Simon Toze: leading research in water reuse

Dr Toze is a microbiologist with a current research focus on the reuse of water in urban environments, in particular involving managed aquifer recharge and indirect potable reuse.

• 20 November 2008 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Current activities 
• Background
• Academic qualifications
• Achievements

Current activities

Dr Simon Toze is a Principal Research Scientist with CSIRO Land and Water in the Urban and Industrial Water research theme.

His current principal research focus is on the reuse of water in urban environments, in particular involving managed aquifer recharge and indirect potable reuse.

A microbiologist by training, he has a range of research interests which include:

• studying the fate and behaviour of microbial pathogens in recycled and environmental water
• the influence of groundwater micro-organisms on the biogeochemistry of aquifers
• the development of rapid and accurate molecular based methods for the detection and enumeration of viable microbial pathogens in environmental water samples.

Dr Toze has responsibility for the management and research direction of research projects with a combined value of more than A$6 million, in particular, two current projects funded by:

• the West Australian Premier’s Water Foundation; Water Corporation; and CSIRO
• the Queensland Urban Water Security Research Alliance.

The research projects, which are investigating the use of alternative water supplies, are:

• determining requirements for managed aquifer recharge in Western Australia
• determining the health and ecological impacts of purified recycled water (indirect potable reuse).

  "Water recycling will become an essential component of the total water cycle for Australian cities."

  Dr Simon Toze, CSIRO Land and Water

Background

Dr Toze has been working with CSIRO since 1994 on a range of water based projects.

He previously worked at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, and the University of Illinois, USA.

Academic qualifications

Dr Toze obtained his Doctorate in Microbiology from the University of Queensland in 1992.

Achievements

Dr Toze was a member of the research group awarded the inaugural UNESCO International Water Prize for Innovation in Water Resources Management in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas ('The Great Man-Made River International Water Prize') in 2001.

He also lead the research project awarded the 2004 Western Australian Water Industry Award for Water Treatment/Recycling.

He is also the Project Leader for the Premiers Water Foundation Project on Managed Aquifer Recharge, which was awarded the 2008 Western Australian Water Award for Water Recycling Commercial Projects.

Dr Toze has published more than 50 refereed journal papers and is an adjunct lecturer for both the University of Western Australia and Murdoch University, in Perth, Western Australia. He has participated on various working groups for the new Australian Water reuse Guidelines, and been a member of a number of research project and scientific conference committees.

Learn more about CSIRO’s research in Water reuse technologies.