John Awad

Dr John Awad

Office of Engineering and Information Technology

College of Engineering and Information Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

With an educational background in civil engineering, Dr John Awad has a multidisciplinary water/environmental engineering research profile including topics in water characterization, water and wastewater treatment, catchment management and mathematical modelling.
John was awarded his PhD in 2016 for a study that formed the basis of an Australian Research Council Linkage Project titled ‘Impact of natural organic matter and nutrients on water quality: Identification of catchment sources and attenuation processes’ (LP110200208). As a part of his PhD study, he developed an innovative catchment management decision support tool, which guides management decisions regarding land-use and expected reservoir storage water quality.
During his PhD studies, John established partnerships with SARDI and CSIRO senior management research staff that facilitated further collaborative research (ED-17-01: 2017-2019) funded through the Goyder Institute for Water Research (Total project value $1.55 M). As a part of this project, he produced a software tool ‘Irrigation water quality and quantity for covered crops’ (or ‘IW-QC2’). The tool supports water resource managers and the horticulture industry in decision-making about water resource selection, water storage capacities and the quality of blended supply water.
Through his Post-Doctoral research associate position at UniSA, John has contributed to numerous research projects, including i) developing strategies to manage algae growth and nutrient levels in wastewater treatment plants (e.g., using floating wetlands for removal of nutrients from papermill wastewater), ii) developing strategies to manage chlorine/chloroamine decay and nitrification in water distribution systems, iii) developing model(s) for reliable and dynamic coagulant and disinfectant dose prediction for drinking water treatment based on on-line monitoring systems, and iv) assessing the feasibility of using Capacitance Deionization desalination of reclaimed and bore waters of the Northern Adelaide Plains.
Since 2019 John has managed and lead the three-year ‘Northern Adelaide Industrial Symbiosis’ project (total funding $181,296). This collaborative research forms part of an integrated vision being co-developed by the City of Salisbury in collaboration with Green Industries SA (GISA), UniSA and CSIRO for sustainable job creation within a new “circular economy”.
John has considerable undergraduate teaching experience as a lecturer of civil engineering courses, including water chemistry and water quality modelling. He is also an experienced research supervisor to Doctoral, Masters, and undergraduate/internship students.
 

Year Citation
2025 Awad, J., Walker, C., Page, D., Arslan, M., White, S. A., Lucke, T., . . . van Leeuwen, J. (2025). Assessing the costs of constructed floating wetlands for the treatment of surface waters and wastewater. ACS ES&T Water, 5(8), 4737-4747.
DOI Scopus3 WoS2
2025 Daraei, H., Bertone, E., Stewart, R. A., Bartkow, M., Awad, J., Soutar, J., . . . Van Leeuwen, J. (2025). Development of a real-time fDOM-based coagulant dosing system: beta-testing and model implementation in drinking water treatment plants. Chemical Engineering Journal, 522(167467), 1-22.
DOI
2024 Daraei, H., Bertone, E., Stewart, R. A., Awad, J., Leavesley, A., Gale, M., . . . Van Leeuwen, J. (2024). Organic matter concentration and characteristic dynamics in surface waters post-bushfires and cyclones: fDOM sensors for environmental monitoring and control. Environmental Science: Advances, 3(6), 950-963.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3
2024 Daraei, H., Awad, J., Leavesley, A., Agnew, M., Jones, E., Gale, M., . . . van Leeuwen, J. (2024). Changes in DOM and alum doses for two rivers of contrasting catchments after intense wildfires. Journal Of Water And Climate Change, 15(11), 1-18.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2024 Daraei, H., Bertone, E., Awad, J., Stewart, R. A., Chow, C. W. K., Duan, J., . . . Van Leeuwen, J. (2024). A novel mathematical template for developing fDOM probe fluorescence signal correction models for freshwaters. Journal of Environmental Sciences, 146, 103-117.
DOI
2024 Daraei, H., Bertone, E., Awad, J., Stewart, R. A., Chow, C. W. K., Duan, J., . . . Van Leeuwen, J. (2024). A novel mathematical template for developing fDOM probe fluorescence signal correction models for freshwaters. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, 146, 103-117.
DOI WoS4
2024 Awad, J., Navarro, D., Kirby, J., Walker, C., & Juhasz, A. (2024). Long-term management of PFAS contaminated water using constructed floating wetlands: opportunities, limitations, and implementation considerations. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 54(24), 1709-1733.
DOI Scopus7 WoS3
2024 Gamlin, J. D., Javed, H., Newell, C. J., Stockwell, E., Caird, R., Scalia, J., . . . Awad, J. (2024). Bridging the technology gap for cost-effective and sustainable treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in surface water and stormwater. Remediation-The Journal Of Environmental Cleanup Costs Technologies & Techniques, 35(1, article no. e21790), 1-10.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2023 Khedher, M., Awad, J., Donner, E., Drigo, B., Fabris, R., Harris, M., . . . Chow, C. W. K. (2023). Using the Flocculation Index to optimise coagulant dosing during drinking water treatment. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 51(article no. 103394), 1-10.
DOI Scopus14 WoS10
2023 Daraei, H., Akyol, B., Khedher, M., Bertone, E., Awad, J., Stewart, R. A., . . . van Leeuwen, J. (2023). Continuous floc image analyser (C-FIA) for tracking floc particle dynamics during coagulation-flocculation-settling processes. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, 9(5), 1331-1341.
DOI WoS4
2023 Daraei, H., Awad, J., Bertone, E., Stewart, R. A., Chow, C. W. K., Duan, J., . . . Van Leeuwen, J. (2023). DOC signal-based alum dose control for drinking water treatment plants. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 54(103934), 1-11.
DOI WoS7
2023 Daraei, H., Bertone, E., Awad, J., Stewart, R. A., Chow, C. W. K., Duan, J., & Van Leeuwen, J. (2023). A multi-analytical approach to investigate DOM dynamics and alum dose control in enhanced coagulation process using wide-ranging surface waters. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 56(104368), 1-15.
DOI WoS5
2022 Khedher, M., Awad, J., Donner, E., Drigo, B., Fabris, R., Harris, M., . . . Chow, C. W. K. (2022). The potential reuse of drinking water treatment sludge for organics removal and disinfection by-products formation control. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 10(3, article no. 108001), 1-9.
DOI Scopus21 WoS19
2022 Daraei, H., Intwala, P. D., Bertone, E., Awad, J., Stewart, R. A., Chow, C. W. K., . . . van Leeuwen, J. (2022). Enhanced electrocoagulation process for natural organic matter removal from surface drinking water sources: coagulant dose control & organic matter characteristics. Environmental Science:Water Research & Technology, 9(1), 62-73.
DOI WoS5
2022 Awad, J., Hewa, G., Myers, B. R., Walker, C., Lucke, T., Akyol, B., & Duan, X. (2022). Investigation of the potential of native wetland plants for removal of nutrients from synthetic stormwater and domestic wastewater. Ecological Engineering, 179(106642), 1-8.
DOI Scopus9 WoS8
2022 Burger, H., Dickson, S., Awad, J., Marzouk, J., & Van Leeuwen, J. (2022). Investigation of cyanobacteria blooms in paper mill wastewaters and assessment of zinc as a control agent. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 19(3), 1105-1120.
DOI Scopus5 WoS4
2022 Awad, J., Brunetti, G., Juhasz, A., Williams, M., Navarro, D., Drigo, B., . . . Beecham, S. (2022). Application of native plants in constructed floating wetlands as a passive remediation approach for PFAS-impacted surface water. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 429, 1-11.
DOI Scopus78 WoS68 Europe PMC39
2021 Myers, B., Awad, J., Pezzaniti, D., Gonzalez, D., Page, D., & Dillon, P. (2021). Stormwater runoff modelling in an urban catchment to plan risk management for contaminant spills for stormwater harvesting. Water Switzerland, 13(20), 17 pages.
DOI Scopus2 WoS1
2020 Phogat, V., Mallants, D., Cox, J. W., Šimůnek, J., Oliver, D. P., & Awad, J. (2020). Management of soil salinity associated with irrigation of protected crops. Agricultural Water Management, 227(105845), 1-11.
DOI Scopus72 WoS64
2020 Lewis, R., Cohen, J., Awad, J., Burger, H., Marzouk, J., Burch, G., . . . van Leeuwen, J. A. (2020). Corrigendum to “Study of the impacts of process changes of a pulp and paper mill on aerated stabilization basin (ASB) performance” (Chemosphere (2018) 211 (767–774), (S0045653518314437), (10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.07.178)). Chemosphere, 245, 125690.
DOI WoS1
2019 Hussain, S., Awad, J., Sarkar, B., Chow, C. W. K., Duan, J., & van Leeuwen, J. (2019). Coagulation of dissolved organic matter in surface water by novel titanium (III) chloride: mechanistic surface chemical and spectroscopic characterisation. Separation and purification technology, 213, 213-223.
DOI Scopus68 WoS56
2019 Yadav, M. K., Short, M. D., Gerber, C., Awad, J., van den Akker, B., & Saint, C. P. (2019). Removal of emerging drugs of addiction by wastewater treatment and water recycling processes and impacts on effluent-associated environmental risk. Science of the Total Environment, 680, 13-22.
DOI Scopus40 WoS29 Europe PMC21
2019 Ayres, J. R., Awad, J., Burger, H., Marzouk, J., & van Leeuwen, J. (2019). Investigation of the potential of buffalo and couch grasses to grow on AFIs and for removal of nutrients from paper mill wastewater. Water science and technology, 79(4), 779-788.
DOI Europe PMC1
2019 Bretreger, D., Yeo, I. Y., Quijano, J., Awad, J., Hancock, G., & Willgoose, G. (2019). Monitoring irrigation water use over paddock scales using climate data and landsat observations. Agricultural water management, 221, 175-191.
DOI
2018 de Oliveira, G. F., Bertone, E., Stewart, R. A., Awad, J., Holland, A., O'Halloran, K., & Bird, S. (2018). Multi-parameter compensation method for accurate in situ fluorescent dissolved organic matter monitoring and properties characterization. Water, 10(9, article no. 1146), 1-20.
DOI
2018 Awad, J., Fisk, C., Cox, J., Anderson, S., & van Leeuwen, J. (2018). Modelling of THM formation potential and DOM removal based on drinking water catchment characteristics. Science of the Total Environment, 635, 761-768.
DOI Scopus10 WoS9 Europe PMC3
2018 Kulkarni, V., Awad, J., Medlock, A., Monis, P., Lau, M., Drigo, B., & van Leeuwen, J. (2018). Field based pilot-scale drinking water distribution system: Simulation of long hydraulic retention times and microbiological mediated monochloramine decay. MethodsX, 5, 684-696.
DOI Scopus3 WoS2 Europe PMC1
2018 Lewis, R., Cohen, J., Awad, J., Burger, H., Marzouk, J., Burch, G., . . . van Leeuwen, J. (2018). Study of the impacts of process changes of a pulp and paper mill on aerated stabilization basin (ASB) performance. Chemosphere, 211, 767-774.
DOI Scopus15 WoS11 Europe PMC5
2018 Kulkarni, V., Awad, J., van Leeuwen, J., Drikas, M., Chow, C., Cook, D., . . . Amal, R. (2018). Impact of zinc on biologically mediated monochloramine decay in waters from a field based pilot scale drinking water distribution system. Chemical Engineering Journal, 339, 240-248.
DOI Scopus10 WoS10
2017 Awad, J., van Leeuwen, J., Chow, C., Smernik, R., Anderson, S., & Cox, J. (2017). Seasonal variation in the nature of DOM in a river and drinking water reservoir of a closed catchment. Environmental Pollution, 220(Pt B), 788-796.
DOI Scopus38 WoS30 Europe PMC12
2016 Awad, J., van Leeuwen, J., Liffner, J., Chow, C., & Drikas, M. (2016). Treatability of organic matter derived from surface and subsurface waters of drinking water catchments. Chemosphere, 144, 1193-1200.
DOI Scopus7 WoS6 Europe PMC1
2016 Awad, J., van Leeuwen, J., Chow, C., Drikas, M., Smernik, R., Chittleborough, D., & Bestland, E. (2016). Characterization of dissolved organic matter for prediction of trihalomethane formation potential in surface and sub-surface waters. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 308, 430-439.
DOI Scopus32 WoS27 Europe PMC6
2015 Awad, J., van Leeuwen, J., Abate, D., Pichler, M., Bestland, E., Chittleborough, D., . . . Drikas, M. (2015). The effect of vegetation and soil texture on the nature of organics in runoff from a catchment supplying water for domestic consumption. Science of the Total Environment, 529, 72-81.
DOI Scopus16 WoS16 Europe PMC7
2015 Awad, J., van Leeuwen, J., Chow, C., Drikas, M., Smernik, R. J., Chittleborough, D. J., & Bestland, E. (2015). The effects of catchment soils and land-use on the relationship between organic matter with chlorine decay and THMFP. VATTEN = Journal of Water Management and Research, (71), 159-166.

Year Citation
2019 Bretreger, D., Quijano, J., & Awad, J. (2019). Monitoring irrigation volumes using climate data and remote sensing observations. In Hydrology and Water Resources Symposium (HWRS 2018): Water and Communities (pp. 112-123). Melbourne: Engineers Australia.
2019 Awad, J., Pezzaniti, D., Vanderzalm, J., & Esu, O. O. (2019). Irrigation water resource management: 'iw-qc2' software tool. In S. Elsawah (Ed.), International Congress on Modelling and Simulation - Supporting Evidence-Based Decision Making: The Role of Modelling and Simulation, MODSIM 2019 (pp. 1028-1034). Australia: Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand.
DOI
2019 Burger, H., Awad, J., Hewa, G. A., & Van Leeuwen, J. (2019). Simulation of the suppressive effect of zinc on cyanobacteria in paper mill wastewater. In S. Elsawah (Ed.), International Congress on Modelling and Simulation - Supporting Evidence-Based Decision Making: The Role of Modelling and Simulation, MODSIM 2019 (pp. 1084-1090). Australia: The Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand.
DOI
2015 Awad, J., van Leeuwen, J., Chow, C., Drikas, M., & Smernik, R. J. (2015). Modelling THM formation potential based on the character of organics- in catchments and drinking water sources. In R. Anderssen, T. Weber, & M. McPhee (Eds.), MODSIM 2015 (pp. 2470-2485). Australia: Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand Inc.
2015 Awad, J., van Leeuwen, J., Chow, C., Drikas, M., & Smernik, R. (2015). Modelling THM formation potential based on the character of organics - in catchments and drinking water sources. In T. Weber, M. McPhee, & R. Anderssen (Eds.), Proceedings of the 21st International Congress on Modelling and Simulation (MODSIM 2015) (pp. 2479-2485). Gold Coast, AUSTRALIA: The Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand.
Scopus1

Year Citation
- Leeuwen, J. V., Awad, J., Chittleborough, D., Bestland, E., Chow, C., Drikas, M., . . . Beecham, S. (n.d.). Chlorine demand of organics from SA catchment sources.
DOI
- Leeuwen, J. V., Awad, J., Chittleborough, D., Bestland, E., Chow, C., Drikas, M., . . . Beecham, S. (n.d.). THM data of organics from SA catchment sources.
DOI
- Leeuwen, J. V., Awad, J., Chittleborough, D., Bestland, E., Chow, C., Drikas, M., . . . Beecham, S. (n.d.). General water quality data in waters from SA catchment sources.
DOI
- Leeuwen, J. V., Awad, J., Chittleborough, D., Bestland, E., Chow, C., Drikas, M., . . . Beecham, S. (n.d.). Treatability of organics from SA catchment sources.
DOI
- Leeuwen, J. V., Awad, J., Chittleborough, D., Bestland, E., Chow, C., Drikas, M., . . . Beecham, S. (n.d.). Character of organics from SA catchment sources (F-EEM).
DOI
- Leeuwen, J. V., Awad, J., Chittleborough, D., Bestland, E., Chow, C., Drikas, M., . . . Beecham, S. (n.d.). Nutrients data in waters from SA catchment sources.
DOI

  • Sustainable Expansion of Irrigated Agriculture and Horticulture in Northern Adelaide Corridor ED-17-01, Goyder Institute for Water Research, 01/03/2017 - 31/03/2019

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2023 Co-Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Hugo Carvalhal Silva
2020 Co-Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Jessica Paloma Tejeda Cuevas
2020 Co-Supervisor - - Master Full Time Mr Thanusshan Packiyarajah

Connect With Me

External Profiles

Other Links