SA Water Innovation (SAWI)
Preventing Water Quality Crises – Not Just Responding to Them
Practical, deployable solutions to reduce pollution, nutrient loads and contamination before they damage South Australia’s waterways and coastlines.
South Australia does not have a reporting problem. It has a prevention gap.**
Harmful algal blooms, declining coastal water quality, stormwater pollution, PFAS pathways and industrial legacy contamination are not theoretical risks. They are occurring now — and they are being managed primarily after the damage is already done.
SA Water Innovation (SAWI) exists to close that gap.
We work with government, councils, ports and industry to intercept pollutants at the source, reduce environmental load, and protect sensitive marine and freshwater systems before crises emerge.
This is not advocacy.
This is not monitoring.
This is intervention.
What Makes SAWI Different
Most environmental responses are:
- reactive
- report-driven
- slow to deploy
- and focused on symptoms
SAWI is built around a different model:
Prevention First. Interception Early. Damage Avoided.
We deploy non-chemical, low-impact, science-validated interception systems into real pollution pathways including:
- stormwater outlets
- industrial discharge points
- coastal interfaces
- port and shipping environments
- and high-risk catchments
Our focus is simple:
If we reduce the load, we reduce the risk.
From Monitoring to Action
South Australia already has:
- excellent scientists
- strong monitoring capability
- detailed reporting frameworks
What has been missing is a practical, politically defensible way to act early — without:
- chemical dosing
- large infrastructure builds
- or years of design and approvals
SAWI fills that space.
We translate independent science and validated technology into deployable, real-world interventions that can be implemented now, at a fraction of the cost of clean-up or ecosystem recovery.
The SAWI Model
SAWI is not a consultancy in the traditional sense.
We operate as a delivery platform bringing together:
- independent science partners
- validated remediation technologies
- circular economy pathways
- and local implementation capability
This allows us to move from problem identification to field deployment — without the usual delays.
Technology That Is Proven – Not Promised
At the core of SAWI’s interception approach is the Gyroid polymeric filtration system, developed by SORR Innovations and independently validated by:
- University of Technology Sydney (PFAS & toxic metal adsorption)
- SARDI and other independent laboratories (particulate and nutrient capture)
- real field deployments in Australia and internationally
This technology is:
- non-chemical
- non-powered
- reversible and recoverable
- compatible with marine and freshwater environments
- and circular by design (zero landfill, zero incineration)
It is not a treatment plant.
It is not a biocide.
It is a risk-reduction tool.
Why This Matters Now
South Australia is at a turning point.
We are seeing:
- repeated harmful algal bloom events
- loss of public confidence in water quality
- pressure on fisheries and aquaculture
- growing scrutiny of stormwater and discharge pathways
- and rising awareness of PFAS and legacy contamination
The cost of inaction is rising — environmentally, politically and economically.
Prevention is cheaper than recovery.
Interception is easier than remediation.
And early action is more defensible than late response.
Our Focus Areas
SAWI is currently working across:
- Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) prevention strategies
- Stormwater pathway interception
- Coastal and near-shore protection
- PFAS pathway disruption
- Industrial and port precinct risk reduction
- Ballast water filtration and biosecurity risk reduction
Each of these is treated not as a standalone problem, but as part of a connected system of load and risk.
Our Position
SA Water Innovation is not here to manage decline.
We are here to prevent it.
We exist to give South Australia:
- practical options
- deployable tools
- and defensible pathways to act early
before water quality crises become political crises.
Call to Action (This is important)
If you manage water, coast, ports, infrastructure or catchments — talk to us.
Whether you are a:
- council
- state agency
- port authority
- asset owner
- or operator
SAWI can work with you to:
- identify high-risk pathways
- design interception points
- and deploy practical solutions quickly.
Prevention does not have to be complex.
It just has to be done.