Water Research Lab welcomes hundreds to open day

The UNSW Water Research Laboratory opened its doors to the public on Saturday 17 February, welcoming a whopping 644 visitors to the world-class facility.

WRL is one of the biggest scientific and engineering facilities in Australia, and the open day presented an opportunity for members of the public to gain an insight into some of the challenges that are explored within the laboratory, and the types of technology that are devised and utilised to find solutions.

WRL Principal Engineer and Manager, Grantley Smith, said that they were astounded by the response on the day.

"We have not held an open day since 2013, and the level of interest on display by people of all ages and backgrounds was fantastic," said Mr Smith.

"We hope that some of the children and young folk who attended were inspired by what they saw and consider pursuing career opportunities in science, engineering or other roles in the water sector."

Ten different displays were available for the public to explore, featuring model fish ramps, a 29m by 16m wave basin, and a 1:50 scale model of a working dam. Also on show was the Coast Snap initiative - a new system which gives community members the chance to help monitor the state of the Northern Beaches' dynamic coastline.

Visitors also had the opportunity to buy a sausage sandwich as a fundraiser for the local Manly Vale primary school.

Images: UNSW Water Research Laboratory