Scientists at Yorkshire Water could adopt techniques used by gold mining companies in the Australian outback to process sludge.

Project engineer Martin Tillotson has teamed up with his Antipodean counterparts at Brisbane Water to look at new and cheaper ways of de-watering sewage sludge.

Along with boffins from Melbourne University, they are half way through a three year project testing techniques used in the mineral industry.

Mining produces vast amounts of slurries and sludges and the water company hopes to adapt the techniques which separate the water from minerals to tackle the costly problem of processing sludge.

Mr Tillotson has set up a bench scale test model used by mineral companies at Yorkshire Water's headquarters in Buttershaw, near Bradford.

It is linked via computer to a scale model in Melbourne, and the two models run simultaneously while the results are monitored and recorded.

Dr Tillotson said taking water from sludge was "a fine art" and the processes even varied from plant to plant within Yorkshire.

He said: "Working with Melbourne University and our colleagues at Brisbane Water, we are hoping to find a solution where we can extract water more efficiently whilst using less power and chemical additives.

"This will save money and help safeguard the environment.

"In late June my counterparts from Australia are coming over to Yorkshire for a progress meeting.

"Even though we still have a long way to go, initial results are proving very interesting and I'm confident we will be able to finally master the art of de-watering sludge."