Australian Water Management Review Volume 2 2011

i s s u e 6 . 2

A u s t r A l i A n

WaterManageMentrevieW

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Contents

FOREWORDNick Apostolidis – Director of Water Australia

MAJOR PROJECTSSouthern Seawater Desalination Plant – Water CorporationSA Desalination Plant – SA WaterPSP – Three Towns Scheme – Sydney WaterWyaralong Dam Project – Qld South East WaterConnors River dam – SunwaterEnlarged Cotter Dam – ACTEW

SPECIAL FEATURESDesalination – an insight from WSAAProspect Hydro is pro renewable– Sydney WaterCIEAM and AGIC colaborative research – Australian Green Infrastructure Council (AGIC) SKILLS EMPLOYMENT AND TRAININGSkilling for the water industry – WIOAWater – What’s wise use – Total Environment Centre

WASTE WATER – Water tretment and reuseOur plans for growth – Sydney WaterEnd to end water management solutions – SunwaterBest practice equals best business – Sydney Water

STORMWATERWestern Australia Urban Development – Stormwater Industry AssociationStormwater an important part of the mix – SA Department of Water

INTELLIGENT SOFTWARE SOLUTIONSWesternport Water Uses WaterGEMS® – BentleyImproving river efficiency– DHIBarwon Water Uses WaterGEMS® – Bentley

PIPELINES SOLUTIONSNathan Dams and pipeline project – SunwaterChristchurch earthquake recovery – Great Southern PressTrenchless technology – Great Southern PressIn tough times trenchless will prevail – Great Southern Press

WATER IN MININGManaged aquifer recharge scheme – Fortescue Metals

PUMPING SOLUTIONSEffective water management – Pump Industry AssociationWaste water treatment plant improves pump performance – Pump Industry Association

IRRIGATIONPutting people in irrigation – Irrigation AustraliaA summer of destruction – Golf Cource Superintendents AssociationImproved web access to locals – SA Murray Darling Basin NRM BoardWorking together to modernise irrigation systems - SA Murray Darling Basin NRM Board

COMPANY PROFILES

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EDITORKathryn edwards

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTJarrod Fi tch

LEAD DESIGNERSKimberley SmithBianca Fidge

DESIGNERS michael gr i f f i thsKasha abbottLouie Smale

PUBLISHERgarth wright

CEOgary Peach

GENERAL MANAGERgraham miles

MARKETINGDaniel le tessar iJohnathon Dunstan

PRINTERnewstyle Pr int ing Co. Pty Ltd41 manchester Streetmi le end Sa 5031Phone: 08 8234 6155

APRS HEAD OFFICEgPO Box 1746adelaide Sa 5001

Phone: 08 8113 9200Fax: 08 8113 9201

Pre-Press: 08 8113 9206emai l : [email protected]

ADVERTISINGCedric vasseur: 08 8113 9224emai l : [email protected]

DISCLAIMERaPrS is not committed to nor takes responsibi l i ty for the v iews expressed in art ic les or advert isements herein.

the publ ishers could not possibly ensure that each advert isement publ ished in this magazine compl ies with the trade Pract ices act and responsibi l i ty must therefore rest with the person, company or agency submitt ing the advert isement for publ icat ion.

AustrAliAn water management rev iew | 1

Greener, cleaner seas

NHP’s involvement in the recent Cleaner Seas Project in Cairns serves as another example of where NHP products have proven they are ideal for ‘sustainable’ projects and are able to service a wide range of custom applications.

The $188 M project was based around upgrading the Marlin Coast Treatment Plant, the Northern Treatment Plant, the Southern Treatment Plant, and the Edmonton Treatment Plant with major goals of the work including:

• ReducingthenutrientsbeingdischargedintotheGreatBarrierReefbyupto80%

• IncreasingthecapacityoftheplantsgiventherapidlyincreasingpopulationandregionofCairns

• Capturingwaterenablingthere-useofrecycledwateraroundthebotanicalgardensand the airport

Meetingthesegoalsrequiredthedevelopmentof a number of new facilities that included Bioreactors, SMF Structures, Clarifiers, Pre-TreatmentAreasandUVDisinfection,andone of the big modernisations of the project was the automation and control element which now allows operators to monitor the plant from a central location.

With the help of NHP, the projects were fitted with anumberofCUBICMCCsandmainswitchboards,Finderrelays,IMEcurrenttransformers,fusesandterminals.AlargerangeofRockwellAutomation®productsincludingtheAllen-Bradleyrangeofintegrateddrivessoftwarewerealsoinstalled,provingtobeavitalcomponentintermsofminimisingenergyconsumption.

“NHP’sdistributionpartnershipwithRockwellAutomationinNorthernQueenslandmeantweusedalargesuiteofRockwellAutomationproducts including PLCs, Ethernet switches and Allen-BradleyPowerFlexVSDsandit’sbeena realadvantagethatNHPhaveaspecialisedbranch in Cairns”, said Karen Eaton, Principal Control&InstrumentationEngineer,UGLInfrastructureWater.

GiventherelativelyremotelocationofCairns,thetechnologyneededtobedesignedinawaythatwouldensureitwouldbeeasilymaintainablewhilstalsoprovidingeasytoaccesssparesintheeventthatequipmentwouldneedtobereplaced.

“AtNHP,wearecommittedtonotonlyfittingprojects with the required products, but equallyvalueouraftersalesservice,andourinvolvementintheCleanerSeasProjectwasnoexception”,saidMarkSmedts,NHPRegionalSalesRepresentative-Cairns.

NHP Electrical Engineering Products Sales1300NHPNHPnhp.com.auAuthorised distributor within our designated Area of Primary Responsibility (APR). Refer dark blue shaded area.

(Top) Marlin Coast Treatment Plant

(Above) An Allen-Bradley ControlLogix® system at the Southern Treatment Plant

NAWMWATERADV

NAWMWATERADV.indd 1 21/06/11 5:01 PM


Having spent the last 35 years in the water sector I have observed that Australia has come a long way in embedding sustainability principles in the way water is managed. Maybe it is our variable climate (“the land of droughts and flooding rains”), or the value our communities place on water or our prosperity.

Contrary to popular perception most of the world thinks Australia is doing a good job in managing water and look to our solutions and policies as being best practice. For example the Americans think our security through diversity approach to water supply security and our commitment to sustainability is best practice. China believes our water management and allocation policies are best practice. Europeans see our demand management initiatives as being best practice.

You can find evidence of this phenomenon in a wide range of actions, policies and regulations that are now implemented across the country. For example: • The peak Australian water association’s (AWA)

mission statement refers to - “ Trusted Leadership in Sustainable Water Management”

• Sustainability is embedded in many of our environmental regulations

• Sustainability is embedded in many of water utilities goals and objective

If you are looking to develop a water supply scheme, discharge wastewater to a waterway, you will not get approval unless you have demonstrated that project fulfils basic sustainability principles.

Sustainability can be defined in many ways. In the Australian context it is about • Optimising the use of scarce resources • Protecting the environment and the ecological

values that water supports• Making sure the community aspirations are taken

into account when developing water projects• Providing water infrastructure assets whose

performance endures over the life of the assets.

One of the challenges in the water sector is that there is no uniform approach to recognising and measuring sustainability. Many government agencies and owners of assets have different requirements and definitions.

In the case of the Building Sector we have seen the adoption of the Green Star program introduced by the Australian Green Building Council to independently rate buildings for their sustainability. This rating system has been widely accepted and is now driving innovation and value to the owners who are prepared to go the extra mile to achieve a higher green star rating. At present there is no such system for water infrastructure nor other infrastructure.

A unique feature of water sector infrastructure is that they are required to deliver a service over a very long time horizon. Much of it is buried and out of sight. Therefore there is an even greater need for a uniform and independent approach to rating water infrastructure.

Fortunately, there are now plans to introduce such a sustainability rating tool for infrastructure. Developed by the Australian Green Infrastructure Council (AGIC) the rating tool has been purposely designed for infrastructure assets covering the design, construction and operation phases of projects.

A prototype of the tool has been recently completed thanks to about $1 million in funds from the federal and state governments and industry. In excess of $2 million of in-kind contributions has also been contributed by a dedicated team of volunteers covering all sectors of the infrastructure industry including owners, designers, builders, regulators and financiers.

The tool is now undergoing pilot trials and it is hoped the tool will be released for implementation in March 2012. This will be another world first for the water sector in Australia.

The ImporTance of SuSTaInable InfraSTrucTure In The WaTer SecTor

Nick ApostolidisNick has over 30 years’ international experience in consulting, in particular the water sector which he led for the past 10 years. Nick is a director of Water Australia and was recently appointed to the Board of the Australian Green Infrastructure Council.


foreWord

| AustrAliAn water management rev iew4

Many of our New Zealand, Austral ian and UK energy ut i l i t ies are now act ively involved in smart metering ini t iat ives. So, understandably, conversat ions with our water ut i l i ty customers also frequently turn to developments in water metering and the value of integrat ion with bi l l ing, CRM, meter data management and col lect ions systems.

Rising costs of infrastructure development are driving water utilities to consider new technologies, technologies which include automated meter reading (AMR) to provide more granular levels of water capacity based data to support infrastructure investment decisions. The current deployment of smart meters across Tasmania is a good case in point.

Mapping volume data across a water network using AMR and specialist water meter data management software (MDMS) is essential to enable water utilities to analyse demand before re-configuring their network, or investing in additional infrastructure to support peak capacity requirements. Leak detection through the analysis of feed point volumes and volumes at the edge of a water network is also critical for water utilities as the costs of water supply and infrastructure continue to rise.

Unsurprisingly, many water utilities are excited about the potential of smarter metering technology. But what is perhaps surprising is that few see its primary role in active residential consumption management just yet, even in water starved Australia.

Why not?

Many see the move from rates to meter based billing as having already achieved a step change in consumer behaviour. Metering water has forced households to evaluate the way they use water and to make savings where possible.

Sure, further behaviour refinement is possible. The Australian Government National Water Commission’s latest publication “Review of Pricing Reform in the Australian Water Sector” suggests that even stronger reforms of water pricing models are necessary – such as more accurate cost reflective pricing and some flexibility in tariffs to handle periods of water scarcity – but this doesn’t actually necessitate a wide scale smart meter roll out. In fact, utilities already running an agile, configurable billing system should be well set up to move down the pricing path recommended by the commission.

Instead, what is driving current investment in smart water metering technology is its ability to tackle non-revenue water (NRW) and to optimise

WAtEr MEtErinG tO BE sMArt Or nOt tO BE sMArt...ThaT IS The QueSTIon


infrastructure investment. NRW losses are crippling many utilities. In many Asian cities, according to the Asian Development Bank, NRW averages 30% of total output, with some utilities experiencing NRW of up to 65%! In Ireland, the figure is believed to be closer to 40% while in Italy and the UK for example, figures are around 30% and 19% respectively.

Being able to more accurately, and quickly, pin-point consumption at a meter, street and district level will lead to improved theft prevention and leakage detection. In the same way, being able to accurately analyse consumption at various nodes provides a clear understanding of water use across the network, investments in both supply and distribution can be more accurately balanced with current and potential future demand.

Certainly, smart water meters should provide those benefits and deployments are kicking off in earnest. Just recently, the City of Ottawa announced the roll out of 210,000 smart meter modules, retrofitted to existing water meters, and managed over a fixed

network two-way communications infrastructure, at a cost of $25 million (CAD).

There are also some clever yet relatively inexpensive alternatives emerging.

We’ve written about them before, but water metering technology provider Outpost Central continues to grow, securing some of the largest Australian water utilities as customers for its battery operated pulse data logger. It captures granular data consumption at the meter level which is transmitted via the existing mobile communication networks for further analysis. Utilities can use this data to make the right investment decisions at a fraction of the cost of a full advanced meter roll out. While it doesn’t offer a real time snap shot of consumption like a true smart energy meter it doesn’t really need to. With daily or weekly uploads to a central site with a web front end, commercial and industrial water users are now tracking their water usage, highlighting bad practices and potential leaks long before the quarterly bill arrives.

Hook this up with a high performance back office data management tool and a customer centric billing system and you also have the foundation for a smart residential meter infrastructure. But critically, minus the costs, customer push backs and media scrutiny that have accompanied many roll outs of advanced metering technologies.

In fact, there are a range of smarter water metering technology options with solid return on investment figures that don’t require immediate, large scale, active consumer participation. Beleaguered energy executives must now be looking at their water counterparts with some degree of envy.

By Siobhan Boyle, Gentrack Market Consultant

A new flow of desalinated seawater from a major new plant on the coast about 150 kilometres south of Perth, Western Australia, has entrenched a new era in the state’s water supply.

By the end of 2012, when this plant reaches its full production capacity, most of the state’s population will be receiving about half of their supply from the ocean – independent of rainfall. The plant is adding to desalinated seawater that has been produced by the Water Corporation’s first plant at Kwinana, just south of Perth, since the end of 2006.

Not all that long ago, this was an unlikely scenario as Perth firmly relied on its traditional sources, dams in the nearby hills and groundwater below.

But the dams have fallen victim to a drying climate, and are in a sorry state, holding about 30 per cent of their collective capacity at the end of the 2011 winter. Clearly, they cannot be relied upon in future and must be relegated to the bench, with only limited usage. At the same time, the shallow aquifers beneath Perth are in a fragile state and need to be further protected.

Rainfall has been declining in recent decades, and was particularly hard to come by in the winter of 2010 which was the driest since records began. Long range weather forecasts indicate that this trend will continue, and WA water planners have had to move quickly to restore the supply security that the climate has been taking away.

Soon, the traditional sources will provide only half of total needs for the Integrated Water Supply Scheme (IWSS) which serves about 1.7 million people in Perth, Mandurah and some surrounding areas, and links with the historic and sprawling Goldfields Water Supply Scheme.

Because of an ominous dry start to the 2011 winter, the State Government moved quickly to announce, before the new Southern Seawater Desalination plant was officially opened on 2 September, that the second

stage of the plant, to double its output, would begin straight away.

By keeping the same team on site to complete the second stage, there could be a seamless shift from commissioning of the plant to installation of the expanded desalination facilities, and there would be worthwhile cost saving opportunities.

The first stage is producing up to 50 gigalitres per year, and when the second stage comes on stream by the end of 2012, this will rise to a satisfying and much needed 100 gigalitres.

The first stage was built in a tight timeframe of two-and-half years at a cost of $955 million. It was completed ahead of schedule and within budget, and will be fully commissioned before the end of 2011. The expansion will cost about $450 million.

As well as the desalination plant, two 900-metres long seawater intake pipelines, with submerged 10-metres high intake towers, and a single brine discharge pipeline of 1,000 metres with a 320-metres diffuser extension were constructed and laid in difficult open ocean conditions.

There were also difficult distribution issues to address: Because of the need to get the new water supply into a large and sprawling existing scheme, it turned out to be the largest and most complex suite of assets yet delivered by the Water Corporation.

A 30-kilometre supply pipeline was constructed inland to near Harvey and a 32 megalitre storage tank constructed there. The tank was the first of its size in WA using the precast post-tensioned concrete construction method. It has 66 concrete panels, is 56 metres in diameter and almost 15 metres high.

The whole southern part of the IWSS also needed to be extensively upgraded. This included:

• Construction of WA’s biggest water pumping station at Ravenswood, near Mandurah, to pump up to 265 million litres of water daily to the Tamworth Reservoir south of Perth.

• Construction of a 14-kilometre, 1400mm diameter pipeline from Ravenswood to the Dandalup trunk main to enable desalinated water to be ‘banked’ in the North Dandaup Dam when not imediately needed.

• Provision of four bladder-equipped surge vessels at Ravenswood and Waroona to absorb surges that can occur in pipelines if pumping is interrupted.

• Complete upgrading of the Tamworth pumping station to provide additional pumping capacity.

• Strengthening of the existing Stirling and Dandalup trunk mains at 137 points.

All of the above works required more than 40 major supply shutdowns to be made.

Without the successful completion and commissioning of all of these tasks the new supply of desalinated water might not have been made available for Perth in time for the coming summer.

Another critical factor was engagement with local communities and other stakeholders. Effective communications with the two small beach communities of Binningup and Myalup near the desalination plant site began early in the project and were critical to its successful completion on a tight timeline.

A Community Reference Group was formed to ensure that community concerns were discussed and solutions developed throughout the planning, construction and operation stages.

Key solutions were tunnelling for inlet and outlet pipelines beneath the beach to avoid long beach closures, and accommodation of project workers in Bunbury and other towns instead of at a site camp.

Community members also had a big say in environmental issues, including revegetation of disturbed land and protection of marine fauna and habitat.

Obtaining necessary state and federal environmental approvals in restricted time was another critical

Water CorPoration


factor. This involved more than 100 presentations and meetings with government agencies, indigenous and other community groups, local councils and industry bodies.

Most issues related to land disturbance and revegetation, and marine fauna and habitat protection associated with the desalination plant and marine works. A Public Environmental Review required 50 reports on a range of topics including flora and fauna, visual impact, water quality monitoring and seagress health.

Hundreds of varieties of native seeds were collected at the project site for revegetation following construction. Minimal clearing had been undertaken as most of the plant’s infrastructure was sited on a disused quarry, and tunnelling for ocean pipes avoided disturbance to dune vegetation.

A lot of attention was also given to the protection and study of sea life, particularly dolphins and migrating whales. Observers, including community members, kept watch for marine visitors, and all marine work stopped if there was a sighting.

One day, two whales frolicked just 25 metres from a dredging barge which shut down until they moved on.

In a major environmental coup for the new seawater desalination plant, it will purchase all of the outputs of the recently announced 10 megawatt Greenough River Solar Farm and 55 megawatt Mumbida Wind Farm which will be constructed near Geraldton by mid and late 2012 respectively, to offset the electricity it uses.

This follows a similar renewable energy arrangement for Perth’s first seawater desalination plant at Kwinana involving another major wind farm near Geraldton.

Desalination processes are big users of energy, so energy efficiency was a key part of design of the new Southern Seawater plant. Central to this is a newly developed approach to desalination that had not been previously applied in any large scale plant of this kind. It uses different kinds of filtering membranes

and pumping systems to allow for reduced operating pressures and consequently less energy for pumping.

To further improve energy efficiency the plant recovers energy from the brine – a by product of desalination – before it is discharged to the ocean.

These measures set a new world benchmark for energy use by plants of this kind.

This project did not take place in isolation to address the drying climate scenario. The Water Corporation is firmly focused on diversifying WA’s water supply. It aims for more climate independent water sources along with much greater recycling of water and effective water efficiency programs.

A trial of groundwater replenishment in Perth’s northern suburb of Craigie is producing excellent results and promises much for the future.

Groundwater will continue to be an important contributor to Perth’s water supply, but more will be drawn from the city’s vast deep confined aquifers while draw from the superficial aquifers will be reduced.



Valoriza is the water service provider within the Sacyr Val lehermoso Group (SyV). SyV is an integrated and diversi f ied group, l isted on Madrid Ibex 35 and Euronext Lisbon. In 2010, Sacyr Val lehermoso Group had a 4.8 bi l l ion Euro turnover and a net prof i t of 204 mil l ion Euro. SyV has contracts across f ive continents and a revenue backlog at December 2010 of 51 bi l l ion Euro.

The group has a high technical and technological capacity, a rigorous fulfillment program and a stringent risk prevention strategy. SyV develops its activities in several sectors through the following subsidiaries:

• Civil Construction: SyV’s technical and technological capacity allows the Group to tackle highly complex projects requiring first-class staff and technology. The most important works in progress are the expansion of the third set of tidal locks for Panama Canal; the Strait of Messina Bridge in Italy; and the Sants-La Sagrera High Speed Train Tunnel in Barcelona. At December 2010, 72 per cent of SyV’s construction backlog was related to international projects.

• Concessions: In 2010 SyV Concessions were among the 10 largest companies in the world in terms of concession participation. Its portfolio includes 33 concessions across six countries.

• Water Services: Valoriza Agua is a comprehensive water service provider specializing in both the design, construction and operation of water treatment plants and as well on the operation and management of the entire water cycle.

Valoriza Agua is a leader in the water treatment sector with the ability to design, build and operate drinking water, wastewater, tertiary, reuse and desalination treatment plants. Thanks to its experience in the design and construction of more than 60 desalination facilities, Valoriza Agua has become an international leader in reverse osmosis technology. The company’s total desalination production capacity is over 1,600,000 m3 per day.

Valoriza Agua has developed and, in many cases operates, seawater reverse osmosis facilities in Israel, Algeria, Spain, Tunisia and Australia.

Valoriza has designed and built many large-scale waste water treatment plants, including facilities with tertiary processes and new technologies, like MBR systems. We have also provided water solutions for industrial projects, such as ultra

pure water production (RO + EDI) for power plants, chemical dosing, EDR, electro chlorination, UF/MF membranes and MBR both for process water and effluent treatment.

Wastewater reuse is another important activity with technologies including UV disinfection, filtration, MF/UF and desalination treatments. Furthermore, Valoriza owns, operates and maintains an important number of desalination, wastewater and drinking water plants around the world.

Significant projects include:

• Skikda, Beni Saaf and Teclem Hounaine seawater reverse osmosis plants in Algeria to produce 500,000 m³ of drinking water daily.

• Design and construction of a seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant to produce 384,000 m³ of desalinated water per day in Ashdod, Israel.

• The design, construction and 25-year operation of the SSDP at Binningup, Western Australia with a capacity of 153,000 m³ per day.

• The design, construction and operation of the desalination plant in Aguilas, Spain with a total capacity of 212,000 m³ per day.

• EDR drinking water plant at Abrera, Barcelona. The largest-built EDR plant in world that produces 200,000 m³ per day.

• Design and construction of wastewater treatment plant at la Reguera, Madrid, with a total capacity of 80,000 m³ per day.

Valoriza Agua is also a significant water service provider, supplying water to over 10,000,000 residents across six countries. Delivering services such as water production, distribution, collection, wastewater treatment, reuse and disposal, Valoriza supply a full suite of operation, maintenance and asset management services. Valoriza’s track record and capability is demonstrated across the 40 contracts that manage every day.

In Spain, Valoriza owns 12 water utilities and operates them on behalf of the municipalities for terms that range up to 50 years. In Portugal and Brazil, the company has more than 22 water service contracts providing drinking water to more than 3,600,000 people. These include operation and maintenance services contracts, as well as PPP contracts. In Australia, Valoriza will be operating and maintaining the SSDP plant in Binningup, Western Australia for 25-years under an alliance with the Water Corporation. Valoriza has been an active player in the water market for over 20 years.

VAlOrizA WAtEr AustrAliA


Valoriza_FullPage_Ad_June2011_PRINT.indd 1 30/06/2011 4:20:49 PM


The South Australian Government and SA Water are committed to providing reliable drinking water supplies for the future. As part of the State’s Water for Good plan to secure water for the future, the Government is building a seawater desalination

plant at Lonsdale, south of Adelaide, to ensure drinking water is available even in times of drought.

desalination Part of the solution to seCure sa’s Water suPPly



The total project cost is $1.824 billion and the plant will deliver up to 100 billion litres (100GL) of water each year – this represents about half of metropolitan Adelaide’s annual water demand. A range of drinking water supply alternatives were considered, however – desalination was the only climate-independent option which could help meet the demands of South Australia’s changing climate and population growth predictions.

The Adelaide Desalination Project remains Adelaide’s climate-independent insurance policy against the drought and will be used in conjunction with a range of other water security measures including recycling, stormwater reuse and waterwise measures.

SA Water requirements for the Adelaide Desalination Project designers are broad ranging and focus on key customer, community and stakeholder requirements including:

• Maintain a health and safety culture as the first priority;

• Providing a sustainable and secure water supply for Adelaide;

• Environmental protection using industry best practices;

• Consistently achieve required quality, durability, performance and production of plant;

• Flexibility to up-scale the desalination plant from 150 ML/d to 300 ML/d (50 to 100 GL per annum);

• Provide energy efficient design and operation and minimise whole of life costs; and

• Achieve a high level of knowledge transfer to SA Water.

The Adelaide Desalination Project is large in scale and covers a variety of building environments and methods. The inlet and outlet works includes both marine and underground construction methods, comprising marine jack up barge and tunnel boring machine tunnel constructions. The process plant involves large scale civil, building, electrical, mechanical and process construction activities and materials.

The building’s major material components include high-grade stainless steel, glass reinforced plastic (GRP), high-strength reinforced concrete, pre-cast concrete panels and building elements and high-grade coatings and lining systems.

The ADP uses various building methods — these include concurrent design activities (designing whilst starting to build); early procurement; and specialised construction processes (including air-freight of large number of overseas components, coordination of building and area disciplines, extensive use of pre-cast concrete building elements and preassembly of some key process components).

The project is expected to produce its first desalinated water by the end of July 2011 and the overall 100 gigalitre capacity per annum project is on track for completion by the end of 2012.

An important part of the Adelaide Desalination Project is the Transfer Pipeline System to deliver water from Port Stanvac to the Happy Valley water treatment supply. Desalinated water will be pumped through the pipeline to Happy Valley, where it will be combined with water from the water treatment plant before entering the existing water supply network.

In addition to the works by AdelaideAqua D&C Consortium, SA Water has contracted other parties to undertake associated works. The Transfer Pipeline System (constructed by major contractor McConnell Dowell Built Environs Joint Venture) will transfer desalinated water from Port Stanvac to the Happy Valley drinking water supply system.

Further, a new Lonsdale Substation has been built (by ETSA Utilities) to ensure reliable power supplies to the desalination plant.

A web link to view the most recent fly-through of the ‘completed’ plant is available here: http://sawater.com.au/NR/rdonlyres/CCDAB33F-7455-4EB5-9511-6E71B957891A/0/ADPFlyOver.wmv

Some of the key milestones already achieved on site include:

• Construction completion and commissioning of the Transfer Pump Station and Transfer Pipeline System to Happy Valley;

• Substantial progress with the revegetation completion along Lonsdale Road;

• Completion of significant marine works for the intake and outfall pipelines;

• Tunnel boring machine 2 ‘Cora The Bora’ reaching its final destination 1.1km from the shore;Power supply infrastructure ready to meet needs of the 50 billion litre seawater intake tunnel boring work completed in July 2010;

• Brine outfall cross connection works completed successfully in September 2011;

• Operational transfer of Transfer Pump Station achieved with transfer of water from Port Stanvac to Happy Valley in September 2010;

• An Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Licence to operate the Adelaide Desalination Plant was granted in November 2010;

• Feeders 5 & 6 were successfully energised to the AdelaideAqua high voltage switch room. This provides the 50;

• MW N-1 redundancy supply for Stage 1 of the ADP;

• Completion of concrete works in the seawater intake pump station and solid waste building during November 2010;

• Construction completion and flooding of the intake and outfall marine pipelines – now ready for commissioning; and

• Starting installation of the RO and UF membranes.

Environmental outcomes far-reaching for Adelaide desal plant

The Government, SA Water and AdelaideAqua D&C Consortium are committed to the highest environmental standards for the Adelaide Desalination Project.

Critical environmental studies have been undertaken and SA Water has environmental performance measures for every step of the project. Detailed information on our environmental studies and monitoring programs, public consultation response document and details of the Independent Technical Review Panel can be found in our Environmental Impact Statement, which is located on our website: http://www.sawater.com.au/SAWater/WhatsNew/MajorProjects/EIS.htm. This includes details of the plant and how risks will be managed and mitigated.

There have been a number of challenges with the design of the plant to meet the stringent environmental and engineering controls sought by Mobil (the previous owner of the land) and statutory authorities. These have been discussed extensively in SA Water’s EIS – which is a public document.

Building on the EIS, some of the key environmental outcomes we have already seen on site are set out as follows:



• Tunnelling to avoid environmentally sensitive zones: During the early environmental investigations the intertidal zone at the base of the cliff at Port Stanvac (and the cliff itself) were identified as being sensitive. A ‘no go’ zone to protect this area was established in consultation with the local community. From an engineering perspective this meant there could be no activities of either a permanent or temporary nature within this zone, which necessitated the development of a tunnelling solution for the intake and outfall. Both tunnels will be driven using tunnel boring machines.

• Marine drilling and dredging: To meet strict water quality and environmental performance criteria for dredging and drilling activities, special settlement tanks were installed on a large barge as part of the management of spoil and water during drilling and dredging operations. Key features of the settlement and treatment system included primary and secondary treatment tanks, baffles to increase

flow path and encourage settlement and the installation of progressively finer treatment screens. The process also allowed for flocculent dosing and adjustable discharge points.

• Brine diffuser design: The use of duckbill valves as part of the final diffuser design for the outfall to assist with initial mixing both due to their ability to maintain relatively high port velocities under low flows as well as the elliptical shape of the duckbill jets enhancing mixing. To support the use of these valves hydraulic performance testing was undertaken and was coupled with dilution performance testing.

Further to this, Adelaide Aqua has an ongoing program to monitor the groundwater as part of its Groundwater Management Plan. Disposal of all material from the site is undertaken in accordance with EPA requirements, including the removal of some materials to an EPA licensed facility for treatment, reuse or disposal. Some other key environmental achievements to come out of the project during construction have been around

recycling. Waste recycling has been a key focus for the project. AdelaideAqua D&C Consortium has an arrangement with Veolia/Resource-co to manage waste disposal. Over 95 per cent of waste produced from site to date has been diverted from landfill and recovered as a raw material/alternate fuel source. This was recently acknowledged by Keep South Australia Beautiful (KESAB) and a certificate was presented to the project for recycling 15,000 tonnes to date. We have also recycled materials for bitumised roads and base material where possible. Together, SA Water and AdelaideAqua D&C Consortium, have developed a Construction Environmental

Management and Monitoring Plan (CEMMP) and a suite of environmental sub-plans to manage on-site environmental management in consultation with the EPA. These plans are regularly reviewed and audited to ensure on-site practices are complying. The ADP has installed an on-site construction water treatment plant facility which has enabled the project to treat construction site water and remove metals, hydrocarbons and sediments prior to discharge into the environment. This is well above the EPA licensing requirements which are set on construction sites to mitigate impacts. In some more locally-based work, the formation of a partnership with the KESAB Clean Site Program and the ADP has supported on-site recycling initiatives, environmental toolbox sessions with on-site construction crews, education materials distributed on site and supporting general environmental initiatives on site. SA Water is also working to put together a proposal for a greenhouse gas inventory and exploring possible options for achieving carbon neutrality. This is part of the greenhouse gas emission reporting under the National greenhouse and Energy Reporting Framework.

Environmental consideration was given to the local of the ADP at Port Stanvac. This area was chosen as the preferred site based on a range of factors – including information from surveys identifying the marine intake and outfall would be located in a mainly bare substrate/sandy habitat as opposed to significant seagrass meadows present in other parts of the Gulf. The site also has desirable mixing characteristics compared to other sites assessed north of Port Stanvac through the multi-criteria analysis. This has significantly reduced impacts to marine life and habitats and was a key achievement for the site selection. Further, the plant has been constructed in close proximity to the metropolitan water supply, thereby minimising power consumption and avoiding needed to pump water over large distances.



Another environmental focus of the project has been the natural environment surrounding the plant. Our team has undertaken landscaping with over 200,000 plants using local indigenous species to improve biodiversity. We have also installed rainwater tanks on site to capture water for use around the site. For example, two tanks will capture water from the reverse osmosis buildings, holding a total storage volume of 840 kilolitres for onsite re-use irrigating landscaping. This water is also planned to be used in the plant’s local plumbing features in administration buildings (eg. toilets).

Another more visually exciting part of the project has been the rehabilitation of the once-degraded creek on site. Whewn we first moved on the Port Stanvac construction site, the creek had severe erosion and weed infestation. Rehabilitation through use of gabion structures, bank stabilisation and planting of local indigenous species has significantly improved water quality discharged to the Gulf St Vincent and site habitat.

Wide-ranging challenges have been met by enthusiastic and experienced team

The Adelaide Desalination Project began in February 2008 with the proposal to build a climate-independent source of water supply for Adelaide and an original expectation to produce 50 billion litres per annum for our Adelaide customers by June 2012. Shortly after, following prolonged drought conditions in South Australia and the Murray-Darling Basin, the State and Federal Government changed this to an expanded program which included doubling of

the plant size of 100 billion litres per annum by end December 2012. With this bigger program came wide-ranging building disciplines and construction techniques which presented our team with unique aspects to the construction of such a large-scale desalination project. Meeting the construction quality and durability expectations remain key aspects of the project and have a significant impact on the sequence and programming of the works. Apart from the challenges of project delivery there was a strong desire from the Government for a wider community engagement and consultation process and therefore SA Water was required to go through a Major Development approval process and the preparation of a full Environmental Impact Statement.

Some of the challenges faced by the project included:

• Appointment of key leadership roles in the project team with experience on large complex projects – each with unique experience and capability, so the

best people were brought on-board to deliver this challenge on the largest infrastructure project in South Australia.

• Staying focussed on the key project objectives in the face of any emerging risks and challenges. This includes major up-front investment in key areas of safety, environment, community interaction and public health.

• Setting up an integrated team – with individuals personally committed to the success of the project. This group was selected for their leadership, expertise and willingness to put-in whatever it takes to deliver the project objectives.

• Retention of key people to support the duration of the project and this required unique employee value proposition and strategy – which ensured committed people were recognised and acknowledged.

• Innovation in an expanded project - which can sometimes get a back-seat. On this project innovative ideas are encouraged to ensure cost-effective and long-life solutions are generated, not only in the hardware but also in ongoing operating flexibility and operating costs.

• Senior leadership was established via a senior group of Chief Executives from key agencies which formed the ADP Steering Committee and provided strategic guidance and support to the Project director.

• A unique structure and culture (new norms, policies, procedures). Because of the size, complexity and large risks the project teams were pulled-out and located away from the normal routines of their respective matrix structures. The project team was granted special delegations and procedures considered appropriate for the success of the project. The project team also included specialists and experts to provide independent advice on any critical areas and improve the resilience of the collective team to solve any complex issues or challenges.

• A partnership approach is required for this project to ensure everyone works together towards the common goal.

• From a commercial and contractual sense, a key challenge (high risk) has been to constantly invest effort in ensuring good solid working relationships and timely actions to develop resolution road-maps to any emerging contractual issues. This included developing strategic action plans for any changes or variations.

Some of the other unique aspects to come out of this project are in the marine area. During much of the marine construction period we used helicopter transport to an offshore jack-up barge to facilitate an increased weather window and reduced travel times.

The heavy lift jack-up barge located off shore of the construction site was vital to the marine works. The barge had the capacity to enable large pre-cast segments to be installed in a timelier manner than otherwise and it also housed offshore water treatment facilities to enable all drilling and dredging to be recycled directly into the marine environment.

Construction of the marine tunnels was done in three shaft constructions – intake, outfall and a specific working shaft to support more efficient and safe tunnelling operations. The project has used two purpose-built tunnel boring machines (TBMs) to construct and line the tunnels with pre-cast concrete segments. One a quirky note, these TBM’s were named ‘Cora the Bora’ and ‘Nessie’ by local school kids in a competition we set up for them on arrival.

One way we overcame a civil issue was to apply an engineered fill solution to all building foundations in lieu of piles.

From a mechanical and electrical perspective we have a dual pass reverse osmosis process which is patented and exclusive to Acciona – one of the companies within the D&C Consortium.

All of the buildings on site have been constructed using high specification concrete, HDP liners in chemical treatment

tanks, and aluminium roofs – all to ensure durability and design life.

Efficiency in energy vital to ADP design and operation

Several innovative features have been incorporated into the project. These include the use of energy recovery turbines incorporated into the marine outfall system, advanced ultra filtration seawater pre-treatment system and an innovative high recovery rate two pass reverse osmosis system.

Establishment of the renewable energy contract with AGL has been an incredibly significant milestone for the project. This is an investment over a 20-year period, whereby the contract will ensure power consumed from the project will be matched with accredited renewable green energy sources within South Australia through the form of renewable energy infrastructure and purchased renewable energy certificates.


The Adelaide Desalination project will be one of the most energy efficient for any large reverse osmosis desalination plant in Australia. Building on this efficient outcome, the Adelaide Desalination Project team has also designed a range of energy saving and energy recovery systems to ensure the plant will be even more efficient in its use of power wherever possible. For example, the plant has been designed using a gravity hydraulic process. This will ensure the progressive treatment of seawater and turning it into drinking water will not require substantial pumping and assist in further power savings.

Another feature of the plant’s energy recovery systems includes the pumps connected to the reverse-osmosis membranes. These have energy recovery devices to re-capture up to 40 per cent of the energy for reuse on site. The turbine generators in the outfall tunnel will also produce renewable electricity and feed this back into the plant to minimise energy consumption. There are two turbine generators, one for each outfall shaft stage and each has a capacity of 720kW.

As far as the plant’s buildings go, they have all been designed to maximise natural light during the day and a selection of high thermal materials (eg solid precast concrete walls and insulation) to improve temperature control properties, thereby minimising energy consumption. More specifically, Solar Photo Voltaic cells have been placed on the reverse osmosis buildings for localised power generation. Each RO building has approximately 100kW cell array with a site capacity of approximately 200kW at peak sun hours.

World renowned desal expert pinpoints environment, safety and durability as stand-outs for ADP Early in 2011, the Adelaide Desalination project hosted Nikolay Voutchkov on our site to gain an expert opinion from a recognised world leader in desalination technology. Mr Voutchkov has more than 25 years of experience

in planning, environmental review, permitting and implementation of large seawater desalination, water treatment and water reclamation projects globally and his advice on the project’s progress was incredibly encouraging for those working on site. Some of the key points made by Mr Voutchkov when asked why Adelaide’s desalination project was different to many others around the world, are summarised below:

Outstanding desalination building quality: The plant is built to last. The quality of materials, work and architecture of the desalination building and other structures is exceptionally high and certainly stands above the rest in the desalination industry. Most desalination plant RO building structures worldwide are pre-fabricated metal buildings which would not last for more than 20 to 25 years before they begin to look like giant rusted thin cans. The Adelaide Desalination Plant is built to last. Building higher quality structures takes more time and expense, but I would consider them an investment into the future. Adelaide’s key plant structures will last twice as long as those of an average desalination plant (25 years).

Deep intake: Adelaide’s desalination plant marine intake is one of the deepest in the world allowing for improved plant reliability. This deep intake is a great benefit in terms of collecting superior source water quality, which will result in significant reduction of the overall water production costs because it will minimize RO membrane fouling, and RO membrane cleaning frequency and will improve the overall product water quality. The colder the source seawater, the higher the quality of the product water. While building the deeper intake is more costly and takes more time, it certainly is an excellent trade-off for higher capital costs and initial construction time versus reduced long term operation and maintenance costs and plant operational downtime for membrane cleaning and cartridge filter replacement.

Superior noise abatement design: Usually the noisiest piece of equipment in a desalination building is the energy recovery system. The configuration of your energy recovery system is designed in such a manner that the recovery devices are furthest away from doors as practically possible and located in the centre of the building, rather than on the sites of the RO trains. While this design may make the building a bit wider, it certainly provides superior noise protection at excellent cost.

Exceptionally high quality stainless steel welds: The Adelaide Desalination Plant’s super duplex stainless steel weld work on the high pressure piping is one of the best I have seen in the industry. Welds of high quality stainless steel include very delicate work which requires superior quality craftsmanship.

If this is not done correctly, stainless steel welds are the first location where pinhole leaks can develop in 6-12 months. Preventing pinhole leaks by applying more time and paying more for high quality work is an investment, not an expense. The costs of fixing pinhole leaks and losing production capacity usually are significantly higher than taking the time and expense to complete high quality work the first time around. My understanding is that it took longer than initially planned to get this superior quality, but it’s time and money well spent on investment into preventing future losses of plant productivity and reliability.



WEC11_210x297_AustraliaWater_02.1 1 8/10/11 12:39:55 PM


Perth Seawater Desalination Plant

The Perth Seawater Desalination Plant, which produces more than 145,000 cubic meters of water per day, is the first large desalination plant to be built in Australia. This state-of-the-art, $345 million plant was developed in 2005 for the Water Corporation of Western Australia and is able to produce up to 20 per cent of Perth’s drinking water. The plant consistently helps to deal with Perth’s population growth, increased water demand and reduced rainfall. The project was delivered by the proAlliance consisting of Multiplex Engineering, Degrémont SA and the Water Corporation WA.

Occupying just 6.3 hectares, the plant uses renewable energy from a specially developed wind farm (Emu Downs), provided via the power grid to power the plant. The plant creates a relatively small ecological footprint and involves an extensive ocean-monitoring program, making it a sustainable and climate-independent water source. This huge project involved the complete design and construction of the seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant within an 18-month period.

The Perth Saltwater Desalination Plant was declared ‘Australia’s Most Outstanding Example of Construction Excellence’ at the 2008 Australian Construction Achievement Awards.

Degrémont was able to create the perfect team for the project, with a need for considerable flexibility as aspects of construction, commissioning and operation needed at times to be managed concurrently. Commissioning was performed in parallel with production, with the operational team being provided with constant coaching and support. During this phase, document control and delivery were critical deliverables as was creating and implementing a robust Quality Assurance process.

After reaching its 5th year of water production, the focus continues to be on efficient operations and maintenance. The Operations and Maintenance team (‘the team’) is responsible for the operations and maintenance of the plant, as well as strictly implementing various key deliverables such as safety procedures, emergency response strategies, environmental plans, and operational quality management checklists. The team manages procurement of various services and materials, including sludge removal, chemical supply, various consumables and other specialist services, to ensure successful operation. The team is also responsible for all aspects of the plant’s finance, administration and asset management as well as the creation of useable operating manuals. Crucially, the team has to ensure that the plant continues to meet

the strict criteria in place to achieve ISO certification for water quality, safety and environmental impacts.

Degrémont developed strong relationships with client interfaces at various levels including; the Alliance Leadership Team (ALT), the Operation and Maintenance Management Team (O&MMT), the Operations Centre, the Water Quality Branch and the Energy Branch. Furthermore, importance was placed on developing strong relationships with other key stakeholders such as the Environmental Regulator and community groups including the Kwinana Industries Council and Cockburn Sound Management Council. This strong relationship management has been achieved by being flexible to change and empathetic to the requirements of all its stakeholders. Degrémont is focused on the long term, with a carefully planned strategy towards maintenance, asset optimisation, production replacement and overall plant efficiency

The plant reached a major milestone in July 2011 with more than 200 billion litres of water reaching customers’ taps since the plant’s commissioning in November 2006.1 The plant has run consistently 24 hours a day for over 2,040 days without a single hour of lost time due to injury and hasn’t had any unscheduled shutdowns since 2008. Equally important, the plant has demonstrated that it can operate with minimum impact on the environment.

The Perth Seawater Desalination Project has been hailed as a huge success and, after five years of operation, is delivering above its nominal capacity

of 45GL with 48GL being produced during 2009/10 and 52GL in 2010/11 to assist in addressing the drought. During these recent water supply challenges Water Corporation and the people of Perth have been able to rely on the valued service of Degrémont.

The Perth Desalination plant along with the Prospect Filtration Plant and the new Victorian Desalination Project currently under construction, demonstrate Degrémont’s expertise in designing and constructing plants that not only meet but exceed client expectations.

Why Degrémont?

Degrémont is a world-leading water treatment specialist and a key player in sustainable water development. Degrémont designs, builds, operates and maintains facilities for drinking water production, desalination, wastewater treatment, biosolid processing and industrial applications. A subsidiary of SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT Group, Degrémont has more than 4,500 employees in 70 countries.

Learn more about Degrémont by visiting www.degremont.com.au, or contact us at [email protected].

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Why do we need desalination?

In this era of climatic uncertainty, dams and groundwater supplies are no longer reliable, and it is prudent to develop a diverse portfolio of water sources.

Diversification of water sources is not new, in Perth dam water is supplemented with groundwater, and Adelaide relies on dual sources of supply – from local catchments and from the River Murray. Traditional water sources can be supplemented with recycled water, rainwater tanks, stormwater or desalinated water.

Desalination of seawater is particularly attractive because it is a source of water that does not rely on climatic conditions. It provides a sustainable base level of water which slows the depletion of dams. Desalination of brackish inland waters is also potentially a reliable and high quality water source. Desalination plants can be constructed relatively quickly as a response to drought and, unlike dams, do not reply on rainfall to fill. Every region of Australia has differing environmental conditions and although desalination is an available option it does not have to be an element in every regions portfolio of water options.

Desalinated water provides a high degree of reliability, as was proved after the floods in South East Queensland in 2011. When the City’s untreated water system was impacted by large amounts of silt, the resulting pressure on Brisbane’s drinking water supply was eased by water from the desalination plant at Tugun.

How is desalination used in Australia?

In coastal cities desalination plants provide an insurance policy that ensures our cities do not run out of water, which in long periods of drought is an unthinkable possibility. Detailed operating plans are in place to correlate storage levels, water demand, and other available water sources against

costs and water quality requirements. In Perth the desalination plants are a base load provider of water and it is unlikely they would ever be switched off. Desalination plants in other parts of Australia can be ‘downrated’, that is operated at a very low capacity, when their output is not needed, but are ready for a quick ramp up if required. There are significant cost implications to switching the desalination plants off, so ‘downrating’ is preferred.

How much does it cost to produce water from a desalination plant?

Even though desalinated water is more expensive than dam water the insurance value of preventing communities running out of safe drinking water should not be underestimated. The supply of drinking water from dams costs approximately $0.30 – $0.60 /kL whilst the cost to desalinate seawater to drinking water quality is $1.80 - $2.70 /kL.

How much energy does a desalination plant use?

All seawater desalination plants in Australia offset their energy impacts by purchasing renewable energy certificates or buying renewable energy from wind farms.

Desalinated seawater takes on average 3.5kWh/kL to produce drinking water. By contrast pumps used for rainwater tanks, toilet flushing and other indoor purposes can use between 4kWh/kL and 6kwh/kL of energy. Further, the amount of energy consumed by gas and electric kettles to boil one litre of water is close to 50 times the energy required to desalinate that same quantity of water to drinking water quality. Currently a worldwide research and development effort is devoted to reducing the energy consumption of desalination processes, so it can be anticipated that in the future the desalination process will require less energy than at present.

• Conventional water systems – 0.2kWh/m3

• Recycled water – 2.8kWh/m3

• Desalinated water – 4.3kWh/m3

• Current desalination benchmark – 3.5kWh/m3desa

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Does desalination impact the environment?

Desalination plants in Australia comply with strict performance standards set by State environmental regulators. A range of monitoring controls are in place from on-line monitoring through to specific research studies, to ensure the plants meet these environmental standards. This regulation is in place to protect Australia’s coastal and inland waterways and its aquatic life during the construction and operation of desalination plants.

The intake structures draw water from the sea at such low velocities (as low as 0.1 metre per second) that they have minimal impact on local ecology. Visual inspections and research studies have shown that the intake structures are now developing their own aquatic communities and fish (including juveniles) are swimming freely around the structures.

The brine which is collected during the desalination process is discharged back to the ocean at locations where the energy disperses them very quickly. This means the salt levels are within the usual seawater concentrations within 30-50 metres of the discharge points.

Insurance against Australian cities running out of water

It is important that Australia with its rapidly growing population has sources of water such as desalination that are independent of rainfall. Desalination should be seen as part of a diversified portfolio of water supply sources which together ensure Australians have a reliable source of water in all climatic conditions. By 2012 all mainland coastal capital cities with the exception of Darwin will have operational desalination plants which, at full capacity, will be capable of supplying 47 per cent of capital city water needs (based on 2007/08 consumption). Allied with a positive approach to conserving water, this will help to build community and industry confidence and foster growth and investment in our region.

About WSAA

The Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) is the industry body that supports the Australian urban water industry. Its members and associate members provide water and wastewater services to approximately 16 million Australians and many of Australia’s largest industrial and commercial enterprises.

The Association facilitates collaboration, knowledge sharing, networking and cooperation within the urban water industry. It is proud of the collegiate attitude of its members which has led to industry-wide approaches to national water issues.

WSAA can demonstrate success in the standardisation of industry performance monitoring and benchmarking, as well as many research outcomes of national significance. The Executive of the Association retain strong links with policy makers and legislative bodies and their influencers, to monitor emerging issues of importance to the urban water industry. WSAA is regularly consulted and its advice sought by decision makers when developing strategic directions for the water industry.

WSAA’s Vision for the urban water industry is to provide...

“Valued Water Solutions for a Better Future”

It supports this Vision through its Mission

“WSAA will advocate, collaborate and innovate to deliver value for its members”

Image courtesy of SA Water



sydney Water Provides More than 8000 ProPerties With retiCulated seWerage



Sydney Water has provided improved sewerage services to over 8,200 properties across 24 villages, as part of the NSW Government’s Priority Sewerage Program (PSP). Sydney Water

delivers these projects in alliance with MWH Australia Pty Ltd, John Holland Group Pty Ltd, United Group Infrastructure Ltd and Manidis Roberts Pty Ltd.

In February 1997, the NSW Government announced the Priority Sewerage Program, which identified 16 suburbs, towns and villages with high environmental sensitivity for improved sewerage services.

In December 2001 the Government announced the extension of the Program to an additional 20 unsewered urban village areas within Sydney Water’s area of operations.

The program targets existing urban areas that were serviced by on-site sewerage systems, such as septic tanks and pump-outs. The PSP villages are generally environmentally sensitive, near drinking water catchments, rivers, beaches or national parks.

Sydney Water’s General Manager of Asset Solutions Ian Payne said Sydney Water’s Operating Licence, issued by the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal, includes a five-year program of planning and construction for villages benefiting from PSP.

“The NSW Government’s Septic Safe program indicates that on average, about 70% of existing on-site systems fail to meet community expectations for public health protection and environmental standards. The PSP helps protect public health and the environment by eliminating these failing systems.”

The most recent areas connected to a reticulated sewerage system are the ‘Three Towns’ of Glossodia, Freemans Reach and Wilberforce. The $138 million ‘Three Towns’ scheme provides improved reticulated

sewerage services to over 1500 properties, and was brought in ahead of time and below budget.

Benefits of the scheme include:

• potential increase in property values

• fewer septic odours

• potential cost savings for properties with regular pump-out and maintenance costs

• the elimination of dampness and seepage from systems into backyards

• reduced risks to local waterways and the local environment, including Bushells Lagoon, Howes Creek, Currency Creek, and the Hawkesbury River

• greater protection of water catchments critical to breeding fish, agriculture and community recreational areas

• reduced public health risks from leaking septic tanks

Ian Payne said the availability of reticulated sewerage services in the ‘Three Towns’ has already had a positive impact.

“The PSP is making a significant difference to not only public health and the environment, but also the day-to-day lives of many Australians residing in the Hawkesbury City Council.

“Within the first 12 months from when the first village was available for connection over 1125 properties were connected.”

Currently 307 connections have been made in Freemans Reach, 536 in Glossodia and 363 in Wilberforce.

In these villages Sydney Water provided and installed connection points and on-property pressure sewerage system equipment for each eligible property owner that committed to connecting. The work also involved installing more than 50 kilometres of new sewerage pipes and

transferring sewerage to the Richmond Sewerage Treatment Plant for high level tertiary treatment, including disinfection and the removal of nutrients.

“By connecting to the new sewerage system and removing leaking and poorly performing on-site systems, there will be reduced risks to public health, local waterways and the environment.

“Many residents now connected to the new sewerage system stand to save money on pump-out fees and maintenance over time,” Ian Payne said.

Sydney Water and the NSW Government subsidise the cost of the program for eligible properties, including the reticulation, transfer mains, pumping stations and treatment plants. Individual property owners are responsible for the cost of connecting their household plumbing to Sydney Water’s system. The total expenditure on the PSP over the past 10 years has been approximately $630 million; this amount includes the works taking place at the villages currently in delivery phase.

Sydney Water recently started work on providing improved sewerage services to the village of Appin. Connections will progressively become available by mid-2012.



Completed PSP suburbs, towns and villages include:


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MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER • Screenings and grit removal • Primary sedimentation • Biological nutrient removal (IDAL, MLE,

oxidation ditch, bardenpho) • Clarification (flat bottom clarifiers) • Membrane filtration (MF, UF) • Advanced treatment (reverse osmosis) • Disinfection (chlorination, UV) • Sludge treatment (aerobic, anaerobic) • Sludge dewatering and handling • Chemical treatment • Odour control • Biogas Co-generation

INDUSTRIAL WATER & WASTEWATER• Pre-treatment specialists (DAF, clarifiers,

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Queensland’s newest water storage facility, Wyaralong Dam, has filled and spilled in less than 25 days. With a 103,000 megalitre capacity the dam is the first to be built in South East

Queensland for 20 years and the fifth largest dam in the South East Queensland Water Grid.

the Wyaralong daM ProjeCt, australia



Situated 70 kilometres south west of Brisbane, it is part of critical water infrastructure needed for the long term social and economic benefit of the region after prolonged drought. The main project of the $348 million Wyaralong program of works, Wyaralong Dam has been built as an urban water supply storage to accommodate future demand in the South East Queensland growth corridor.

Background

Preparatory works began on the $348 million project in late 2009, with construction work on dam wall starting in earnest in 2010. The project has been delivered in three stages – construction of a 5.5 kilometre access road to connect the dam site to the existing public road; realignment of a 10.6 kilometre section of the existing Beaudesert-Boonah Road; and construction of the dam wall and surrounding recreational and environmental amenities.

In December 2010, the diversion conduit was plugged. With the onset of the summer wet season the dam filled in just under 25 days, spilling on 11 January 2011.

The dam is built from roller compacted concrete (RCC) and is 500 metres long and 48 metres high at its highest point above the foundations. Sandstone materials were quarried on site for RCC production.

Innovation

It is rare for a dam of this size to be substantially completed within one dry season. This was achieved as a result of the drive and determination of the entire team, and a number of design and operational innovations developed during the project, including:

• use of onsite aggregate for the RCC materials — despite being advised it ‘couldn’t be done’,

• adoption of a 24 hour, 8/4 shift roster to maximise RCC placement productivity,

• implementation of a ‘world first’ trenched gallery solution,

• development of a modular crest control room that achieved significant time and cost savings,

• Significant social benefits through environmental enhancement, job creation, training and long term economic benefits for local workers and businesses within the region, and

• a fully aligned high performing team that has created an interdisciplinary model for alliances in the future.

The Alliance

To meet the project’s requirements, the Wyaralong Dam Alliance was formed in May 2009 and brought together some of the world’s leading dam building specialists. Throughout delivery, this team has achieved exceptional outcomes and raised the bar for construction alliances. The alliance comprised:

Queensland Water Infrastructure Pty Ltd (QWI) — formed by the Queensland Government in response to prolonged drought conditions.

Macmahon Contractors Pty Ltd – one of Australia’s leading construction contractors with extensive experience in major infrastructure and water resource projects

Wagners Quarries Pty Ltd – a successful private Queensland company providing innovative project solutions on a global scale through materials processing and concrete supply.

ASI Constructors, Inc – a recognised construction leader in the US water resources industry.

Entura (formerly Hydro Tasmania Pty Ltd) – Australia’s leading renewable energy business and provider of specialist dam design, civil works, mechanical, electrical and control services.

Rizzo Australia Pty Ltd – a world recognised expert engineering and construction management firm for dams and water resource projects.

SMEC Australia Pty Ltd – one of Australia’s leading dam designers with expertise in geotechnical and geological investigations, spillways, outlet works, hydrological assessment, flood studies and dam safety and risk assessment.

The Wyaralong Dam program of works has seen construction of the Mt Joyce Escape Recreation Park – a network of 40 kilometres of multi use trails, 25 kilometres of purpose-built mountain bike tracks, camping and day facilities.

In addition, 400,000 native trees have been planted and regenerated in environmental corridors covering 213 hectares around the dam. This planting program will offset an estimated 305,000 tonnes of CO2

carbon emissions from construction.

The project is due for completion mid 2011.



Macmahon continues to be an industry leader in the successful del ivery of major dam and water infrastructure projects throughout Austral ia.

Macmahon was the lead contractor for the Wyaralong Dam Alliance for Queensland Water Infrastructure, with the dam substantially complete shortly before the beginning of the Queensland floods.

Wyaralong Dam was the first dam built in South East Queensland in the last 20 years and the fifth largest dam in South East Queensland’s water grid.

Macmahon Executive General Manager Construction East Mark Hamilton said the project achieved several world and Australian first innovations and showcased the Company’s industry leading expertise in major dam and water infrastructure projects throughout Australia.

An integral part of the region’s long-term water resourcing, the dam stores 103,000 megalitres of water.

“As part of the alliance, Macmahon applied several new techniques in the construction of Wyaralong Dam to ensure the best possible result for the client,” he said.

Queensland’s Wyaralong Dam was put to the test when it fi lled to capacity in just 25 days during the state’s wettest Christmas in 35 years.

“The fact that the dam withstood its fi rst major test so soon after completion refl ects the skill and technical excellence behind its construction,” Mr Hamilton said.

The project achieved significant cost, time, safety and quality benefits through the world-first use of a trenched gallery solution, while achieving positive environmental outcomes through the use of a world-first bi-directional fish lift.

The project also saw the Australian fi rst use of onsite sandstone aggregate for the RCC dam construction, with the alliance applying world best practice to prove its acceptance. Ejector trucks were used for the fi rst time in Australia for RCC placement and the installation of a modular, pre-fabricated electrical and control system.

Mr Hamilton said continual value management sessions and the adoption of rolling rosters to ensure 24/7 operations maximised productivity and fast-tracked the dam construction.

“The Alliance maintained a strong focus on safety throughout construction and recorded zero Lost Time Injuries (LTIs) in about 800,000 hours of work,” he said.

“The Alliance’s training and development programs helped demonstrate the importance of working well and working safely to more than 300 local workers, including 11 Indigenous employees and 12 trainees or apprentices.”

The project met more than 1400 approval conditions and won the Collaborative Contracting Excellence National Award for 2011 in recognition of the Alliance’s strong performance as a team.

Wyaralong Dam builds on Macmahon’s reputation for delivering exceptional outcomes in water infrastructure projects, which includes Paradise Dam, Ross River Dam and Logan River Catchment Early Works in Queensland.

MACMAhOn:DEliVErinG VitAl infrAstruCturE

www.macmahon.com.au

Macmahon is proud to have been part of the Wyaralong Dam Alliance.As a leading contract mining and construction company, Macmahon has operations across Australia and an expanding international footprint. With construction capabilities which include roads and bridges, rail, marine, water and resource infrastructure services, Macmahon has the proven skills and experience to deliver exceptional results on every project.

AustrAliAn water management rev iew | 29thE AustrAliAn water management rev iew | 29

With an 80-year strong history of experience behind it, SunWater supplies 40 per cent of all water used commercially in Queensland and manages around $7billion in water assets. But it is future innovation that is a clear focus for the organisation.

Around $4billion in bulk water infrastructure projects are planned for the next five years; in particular, SunWater is strategically developing infrastructure that will deliver bulk water supplies to mining operations in Queensland’s burgeoning coal industry and expanding water management operations across Australia.

A major component of SunWater’s water supply strategy is the delivery of the proposed Connors River Dam and Pipelines project which will provide a significant water supply to mining operators in Queensland’s Bowen and Galilee mining basins.

With a combined project value of around $1billion, the proposed Connors River Dam and Pipelines project is set to deliver the Bowen and Galilee basins with up to 49,500 megalitres (ML) of additional water supply, in effect enabling SunWater’s customers to expand their operations considerably.

The project will include a 133km large capacity pipeline which will transport the majority of the dam’s 49,500ML yield to a small holding storage near Moranbah, where it will be distributed to customers.

For those customers further down the line in the Galilee, SunWater is investigating a separate 276km buried pipeline to deliver up to 25,000ML further afield in the Alpha region.

According to SunWater’s Infrastructure Development General Manager, Mark Browne, SunWater has established themselves as the leading water provider for the booming Queensland mining industry by anticipating and planning for industrial water supply needs in the region before they became critical.

“Years before the mining boom swept across regional Queensland, SunWater was actively

investigating strategic water supply infrastructure that delivered water supply solutions for not only new mining developments, but also for established miners keen to secure reliable water supplies for their operations,” Browne said.

“In the case of the Bowen and Galilee mining basins, we foresaw a need for water and immediately set in motion a water supply strategy that would deliver the water security that the mining industry would eventually need.

“It is this foresight that has cemented SunWater as a water solutions leader in the region.”

SunWater’s foresight clearly paid off when 84 per cent of available water allocations from this project were purchased by mining operators within days of their release to market.

“Water is an essential element in the industrial production cycle so it stands to reason that miners in the Bowen and Galilee basins were keen to secure water resources for their operations,” Browne said.

“Our $1.6 billion investment in infrastructure development will provide the necessary water security the mining industry needs to achieve their goals during this intense period of demand for resources.”

While the Connors River Dam, Connors River Dam to Moranbah Pipeline and Moranbah to Alpha Pipeline projects will boost water supply as far as Alpha, SunWater is also leading the way in water infrastructure development further south.

Currently investigating a number of similar pipeline projects for customers located in the Surat mining basin, the organisation is anticipating a likely increase in water demand due to mining investments taking place in the region.

To meet this future water need, SunWater’s key initiative is the Nathan Dam and Pipelines project which is planned to be situated upstream of the Nathan Gorge on the Dawson River, approximately 75km downstream of Taroom.

The proposed Nathan Dam pipeline is a 260km trunk pipeline co-located with pre-existing infrastructure such as road easements and gas pipelines which will provide reliable water supplies to mining, agriculture and energy customers.

Mr Browne indicated that SunWater’s infrastructure development in this region appears to be supported by the market as demand assessments for the project show sufficient interest from new and existing mines in the coal basin.

While a focus on developing infrastructure and servicing customers in Queensland’s mining basins is a significant element of Sunwater’s future strategy, the organisation has also been actively expanding its expertise as a national water management provider.

Most recently, SunWater was awarded the facilities management contract for the $220 million irrigation project by the National Capital Authority in the ACT to operate Scrivener Dam which runs into the Australian Capital’s iconic Lake Burley Griffin.

“With facilities management contracts in Queensland, the ACT and also Western Australia, SunWater is able to leverage off a large database of maintenance history across a substantial asset portfolio and develop custom solutions to suit every business operation in any location,” Browne said.

For this future-focused organisation, SunWater’s existing and future water supply projects will play a significant role in enhancing growth in regional Queensland and delivering long term sustained benefits to the Queensland economy and its customers across Australia.

More information about SunWater can be found at www.sunwater.com.au

sunWAtEr: fOCusED On WAtEr sOlutiOns


In December 2006, the Queensland Government released the Central Queensland Regional Water Supply Strategy, outlining a range of strategies to help meet the region’s future water supply needs.

The proposed Connors River Dam and Pipeline project was identified within the strategy as the preferred solution to meet future water demands in and around the Bowen Basin region.

The 373,662 megalitre capacity dam will be located on the Connors River, near Mount Bridget, approximately 110km east of Moranbah and 70km south of Sarina.

A 133km long pipeline will transport water from the dam to a smaller holding storage near Moranbah where it will then be distributed to customers.

If approved, construction of the dam and pipeline is scheduled to start in early-2012, with completion and commissioning planned for early-2014.

Commissioning of the dam will be a major component of growth and development for the Bowen Basin and will satisfy demand for the water quantity and quality required over the mid to long-term.

A strong demand for water from the neighbouring Galilee Basin has also resulted from SunWater’s Business Case investigations. Separate feasibility studies will evaluate a pipeline from Moranbah to service areas of demand in the Galilee Basin.

Once complete, the Connors River Dam will be the first major dam developed primarily to support the resources sector in Queensland, while also assisting to provide a reliable water supply for the townships of Moranbah and Nebo.

Sustainable supply of water is critical to supporting the lifestyle, economic growth and prosperity of these townships.

Additionally, the dam will provide a place of recreation for the community, and will improve visual and social amenity in the area.

SunWater is committed to the environment and has considered local wildlife habitats as part of the final design for the Connors River Dam and Pipeline project. For example, a fish lift has been incorporated into the dam design to enable the Fitzroy turtle and local fish species to move between upstream and downstream.

Where possible, SunWater has also tried to minimise construction impacts to remnant vegetation. Where impacts may occur, very large areas of environmental offsets will be secured as close as possible to any loss of vegetation or habitat.

About SunWater

SunWater is Queensland’s leading water infrastructure owner, developer and manager, playing a key role in Australia’s water industry. SunWater owns and manages around $7 billion in water infrastructure assets and supply approximately 40 per cent of all commercially used water in Queensland.

For the past 80 years, SunWater has provided secure and reliable water supplies to commercial water users within regional Queensland.

SunWater’s proven experience in the water industry positions them well to deliver Central Queensland’s next critical pieces of infrastructure – the Connors River Dam and Pipeline.

Delivery of the project, and others in the pipeline, are all part of SunWater’s commitment to taking the right steps towards securing Queensland’s water future.

For more information on SunWater visit: www.sunwater.com.au

Key project information

The proposed Connors River Dam;

• located on the Connors River, 110km east of Moranbah and 70km south of Sarina

• a Roller Compacted Concrete dam with a 250m wide central spillway

• 602m crest length

• 373,662ML capacity

• 5,850ha surface area

• 129,140ha catchment area

• 49,500ML high priority and 5,000ML medium priority annual yield

The proposed Connors River Dam to Moranbah Pipeline will:

• transport water from the Connors River Dam to Moranbah

• have approximately 50,000ML annual capacity

• be approximately 133km underground pipeline

• be between 1200-1500mm diameter

• have one major pumping station at the dam

Connors river daM and PiPeline



Connors River Dam and Pipelines project

The proposed 373,662ML dam located on the Connors River is approximately 110km due east of Moranbah and 70km south of Sarina. The dam’s 49,500ML yield will be delivered to customers in Moranbah. The proposed construction date for this project is 2012, with commissioning commencing in 2014.



The tranquil Cotter precinct, located near the base of the Cotter River, has been transformed into a 24 hour a day seven day a week construction site – with the construction of Australia’s tallest roller compacted concrete dam underway.

The placement of around one million tonnes of roller compacted concrete for Canberra’s new Cotter Dam started in August after more than 18 months of intensive site preparation, abutment stripping and work in the foundation. Roller compacted concrete will be placed around the clock until it reaches 80 metres high and 260 metres wide at its crest.

The new dam will dramatically increase the Cotter Reservoir’s capacity by almost 20 times, from the current four gigalitres (GL) to around 78 GL. The project is being undertaken by the ACT’s water utility, ACTEW Corporation, and its partners ActewAGL, Abigroup, John Holland and GHD.

How will the wall be built?

Roller compacted concrete was chosen for the new dam as it was the best option for the geological conditions and catchment location. And the continuous mass placement method allows the dam to be completed in the shortest possible timeframe.

All the aggregate required to make the concrete for the wall has been sourced from the site itself and crushed into three different sizes in a large crushing plant which was constructed onsite. This was one of the largest mobile crushing operations in Australia, sometimes crushing more than 30,000 tonnes of rock per week. Over a period of 12 months the plant was able to crush the total 920,000 tonnes required for concrete in the new dam.

The crushed rock is combined with other components, such as cement and water to make roller compacted concrete at twin concrete batch plants which were imported from the US. The concrete’s placement temperature – which is an average of 20 degrees – is critical to control the onset of any potential structural cracking. This is strictly monitored and is controlled via either the introduction of shaved ice from the onsite plant or the injection of liquid Nitrogen.

Once the roller compacted concrete mix is ready, it is moved from the batch plant via a specialised conveyor belt system, which zigzags down the abutment. It is then loaded onto trucks and placed in approximately 300mm layers until the full height of 80 metres is reached.

Protecting the environment

Environmental protection has been paramount for this project, which when completed will inundate an additional 230+ hectares of land. The major

environmental issue has been ensuring protection of endangered Macquarie Perch living in the existing Cotter Reservoir.

The primary danger faced by the species will be the loss of habitat when the water levels rise in the new reservoir, leaving little protection from predatory bird species. ACTEW has been collaborating with experts and government agencies to mitigate this risk and artificial rock habitats are currently under construction which will provide protection and counter the varying water levels. The Macquarie Perch population are also threatened by the EHN virus, which is not present in the Cotter Reservoir, but prevalent downstream. Applying strict disinfection procedures for construction vehicles has been critical to ensuring the virus is not spread.

Sustainability is key to this project and in 2007 the ACT Government and ACTEW committed to offset emissions produced in the construction and operation of the ACT’s new water infrastructure. This will be achieved through methods such as, carbon sink forestry offsets, with emissions avoided as a first option. Sustainable principles are being used across the site, with all 920,000 tonnes of aggregate required for the concrete for the new wall sourced from an onsite quarry, which will actually be submerged and store valuable water when the enlarged reservoir fills. This also has a positive impact on the community by dramatically reducing construction traffic bringing in imported materials on public roads, which are used frequently by not only vehicles, but cyclist and equestrian groups as well.

Preserving the community values and heritage

The Cotter is a key recreational area in the ACT with significance to many Canberrans. ACTEW has committed to return a revitalised recreation area back to the community once construction is complete. To allow the community to get to witness the construction, ACTEW built the Cotter Dam Discovery Trail which will be a permanent feature for the community to enjoy during construction and after completion of the new dam.

The trail is designed to integrate with the Cotter landscape while providing recreational, educational and heritage benefits through artistic and interpretive signage. It is a great place to visit for locals and visitors alike to witness history in the making and the spectacle that is dam building.

The Cotter surroundings were also a traditional dwelling point for Aboriginal people and the area is abundant in Aboriginal cultural history. ACTEW has a comprehensive heritage program to ensure the Cotter’s history is recorded for present and future generations. European heritage has also been assessed and salvaged, including one of the oldest suspension bridges in Australia.

CAnBErrA’s GrEAt WAll WEll unDErWAy

Early work placing the first of the roller compacted concrete layers in August 2010 with conveyor belt in background Photo by Col Ellis

Before: Cotter Valley the hub of construction work

After: Artist impression of the new Cotter Dam

After: Artist impression of the new Cotter Dam and completed Saddle Dams


Watching the dam rise is easy

Watching as Canberra’s great wall rises is easy, no matter where you live. If you are visiting Canberra then you can get a front row seat with a visit to the Cotter Dam Discovery Trail. It is located just 30 minuntes from Canberra City with direct views of the construction site so you can all the action.

ACTEW’s website (www.actew.com.au) is also a great place to watch the daily construction progress. There is a time lapse camera, with images going right back to the early days of construction as well as a live ‘Dam Cam’ which shows images from the site. There are also well over 50 documentaries on ACTEW’s YouTube channel covering the many aspects of building a new dam, including not just the engineering behind it, but also the environment, community and heritage of the area.

Construction of the Enlarged Cotter Dam is well underway and scheduled for completion in June 2012.

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Visiting Canberra – then why not take a self-guided walk, or contact ACTEW to find out about guided tours.

Get yourself a front row seat to watch construction of Canberra’s new dam, with a visit to the Cotter Dam Discovery Trail.The Cotter Dam Discovery Trail is located on Cotter Road near Cotter Avenue, only 30 minutes drive from Canberra City.

The 1.4 km round-trip leads you along the Cotter River to a 16 metre wide viewing platform with direct views of the construction works. Now is the perfect time to visit, with construction of the wall well

underway – you can really see the new dam growing at an exciting rate.

The Cotter Dam enlargement, when complete in mid 2012, will be around 80 metres high, the same as a 26-storey building.

For further details about the self-guided walks, or to find out about guided tours contact ACTEW’s water security information line on (02) 6248 3563 or visit www.actew.com.au

faST facTS on The neW dam

• 80m high

• 50m higher than the current dam

• Will use around one million tonnes of concrete

• Will give the ACT 35 per cent more storage capacity

• Being delivered through an Alliance of Companies, ACTEW, Abigroup, John Holland and GHD.

• Located approx 30mins from the Canberra CBD

View of the construction site with tower cranes in the foreground and the twin batch plants and aggregate stockpile in the background. Photo by Col Ellis


George Wall, Executive Officer, Water Industry Operators Association of Australia (WIOA)

sKilling for the Water industry



The Water Industry Operators Association of Australia (WIOA) has been proactively working with water industry regulators, water utilities and operational staff to develop and

implement systems designed to improve the level of skills, training and competence of water industry operational staff.

WIOA provided the Foreword and an article in the Australian Water Management Review 2011 to alert the water industry to what in our view are significant deficiencies in the approach the Australian water industry has taken towards training the staff responsible for operating our water treatment plants.

To provide safe drinking water 24/7, under ALL circumstances, operational staff require sound training, extensive knowledge and well developed practical skills and experience as well as the time to implement the training on site. They also need a well maintained and fully functional water treatment plant that is appropriate for the source water being treated. There would be few people in our community who would dispute this notion.

How such an apparently straight forward concept can be translated into what we see in the field and the levels of experience and training our industry is prepared to accept is always intriguing. There is some very important work currently being undertaken to address the issues regarding operator experience and training.

Minimum standards

When we consider that operational errors at treatment plants or within water distribution systems can place thousands of people at risk of waterborne disease, it seems quite unbelievable that Australia has not defined how much training and experience is appropriate to equip operators with the necessary skills to allow them to meet their responsibilities.

For some time WIOA has recognised the need to address this situation and has worked proactively with the Victorian Department of Health (DH) and VicWater to develop and implement the “Victorian Framework for Water Treatment Operator Competencies - Best Practice Guidelines”.

The DH guidelines came into effect from 31 March 2011 and in an Australian water industry first, Victoria now has in place specified minimum training, competency and experience requirements. To meet the DH guideline, operators will be “certified”

as having the appropriate training and experience to match the type of systems they are operating and responsible for. Additionally, there is a requirement to undertake refresher training to keep the skills of operators up to date. WIOA is the only organisation “endorsed” by DH to act as a certifying body.

The certification of potable water operators has now also gained national importance following the awarding of a contract to develop a National Certification Framework for Potable Water Treatment Operators. This project is under the direction of the Council of Australian Government (COAG) water group and is funded by the National Water Commission (NWC). Government Skills Australia (GSA) has been awarded the contract to manage this project and WIOA has been approached to participate in the project steering committee, a role we look forward to undertaking. The project requires the development of a National Certification Framework by the end of March 2012, with implementation to follow in the future.

Although potable water treatment operators are the focus of the initial certification project, WIOA has actively been promoting the need for similar schemes for operation of potable water distribution networks, wastewater treatment, recycling and environmental fields. WIOA’s view is that becoming a certified operator in any of these fields of employment will help to raise the skills, knowledge and standards of the whole industry, which in turn will help guarantee quality to ensure the ongoing viability and sustainability of the water industry.

There are personal benefits too, certified operators will gain industry based recognition for their skills and experience which is transportable throughout their career.

Education and training

Education and training are the cornerstones of maintaining a modern society. Numerous issues related to deficiencies in training for the water industry have been identified and discussed at a variety of forums for some considerable time, however little has changed.

To be effective for the water industry, training must deliver on two separate but very much related key points. Firstly, training must be structured in a manner which ensures that all trainees can demonstrate that they have met a nationally agreed and consistently applied, minimum level of competence. Secondly, there must be an appropriate number of training providers with skilled and

competent trainers available to deliver the training throughout Australia, and across ALL disciplines included in the water training package.

Consistency and quality of training being delivered are often raised as points of concern by water utilities. The nationally agreed demonstrable level of competence is located within each individual unit of competence in the water training package. Industry sources have alerted WIOA that the quality and content of training resources and the level of assessment varies considerably between training providers delivering the same unit of competence. There are a number of potential reasons for this including different interpretations of the unit requirements, possibly a lack of depth of knowledge of those responsible for assembling the study resources or alternatively, to just make it easier for candidates to pass.

There is also a strong emphasis being placed on the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process where again, it is being reported that some assessment processes are not sufficiently rigorous to guarantee that the appropriate level of knowledge, experience and competence exist.

In combination, all these issues potentially indicate that in order to provide the greatest amount of flexibility, the requirements of the water training package are vague and open for interpretation by the training provider. A more formal definition of content/curriculum is required, and a more standardised approach to the training delivered and the RPL processes used by the training providers.

In relation to access to trainers and training, the low employee numbers of the water industry compared to other industries (skinny market) has long been quoted as one of the main impediments for the entry of new training providers. It is true that there are already a number of high quality providers delivering water training but they have limited capacity to service the whole water industry across Australia. The scope of units in the water training package is so broad that it is difficult for training providers to source the necessary expertise to provide training for all units. As a result, there is a tendency for providers to select a subset of units for which there is relatively high demand such as water or wastewater treatment, to increase their potential for a return on their investment. This leaves important job functions such as reticulation and collection, trade waste or reservoir operations with limited or no training providers. In some States, larger water utilities have


| thE AustrAliAn water management rev iew36

assumed provider status and have developed their own in-house training groups.

There is a variety of training delivery options available but some of these can also be problematic. Many of the existing training providers operate from single point facilities which can limit access to training for operators in smaller councils and where utilities are some distance from the provider’s location. Some providers are prepared to take their services to the regional areas but require a reasonable number of trainees to justify the cost of running a particular course. Again, it is difficult in smaller councils to provide the appropriate number of staff to justify a course. Web-based or e-Learning platforms have a place in our IT savvy training future and can alleviate the issue of tyranny of distance and the same can be said for distance education. However, care must be exercised when utilising these training methods as the technical nature of some of the skills to be learnt and assessed is not suited to online formats and both are reliant on the availability of experienced workplace mentors or readily available technical experts being on call at the training provider’s end. The term “blended delivery” – a mixture of all the training methods is likely to be the way of the future but requires the water industry to assume a much more proactive role in determining how training is formulated and delivered nationally.

The issues raised here are just the tip of the iceberg and any strategy to address them must be undertaken with a broad mind and importantly, a national view if it is to be successful.

Training In the future

WIOA participated in a recent Water Industry Skills Taskforce (WIST) meeting and was heartened to see that the issue of operator training has been elevated to the number one priority for this group. It was recognised that there are a variety of training or skills related projects already underway in various parts of the country, but many appear to be addressing a local or State based problem and may be oblivious of the bigger national picture.

As a result of WIOA’s demonstrated interest and expertise in the water training field, we have been requested to provide a report to the next WIST meeting to outline our ideas on how to rectify the issues identified. WIOA is interested in the experiences and views of everyone in the water industry to allow the best possible strategy to be developed. Contact us via our website – www.wioa.org.au.


thE AustrAliAn water management rev iew | 37

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Our masters degrees focus on vital contemporary issues inthe built environment and engineering industries, and featurestrong elements of sustainability, project management andleadership. They foster career development and creativethinking for long-term global solutions.

Be inspired and stay in demand. Start your QUT mastersdegree now. We offer masters degrees in:

Infrastructure ManagementProject ManagementEngineering ManagementEngineering SystemsPower Generation (industry supported)Urban and Regional PlanningUrban Design

An alternative entry pathway to these masters existsthrough the Graduate Certificate in Built Environmentand Engineering.

More information To learn more about our masterscourses or how to apply, phone (07) 3138 1433 or visitwww.qut.edu.au/bee/study/postgraduate.

Kristiane Davidson, real QUT graduate.

Qut faCulty of Built environMent & engineering

QUT’s reputa t ion as a “ rea l wor ld” univers i ty for s tudents is never be t ter i l lus t ra ted than in the School o f Urban Development which has taken two major s tudy tours th is year to Turkey and Taiwan.

Associate Professor Tan Yigitcanlar, course leader for QUT’s Master of Urban Development, took separate study tours to Gallipoli and Istanbul in May and to Taipei in July.

In Turkey, 30 students spent a fortnight conducting a field survey of the Gallipoli Peninsula to prepare a theoretical strategic regional development plan for the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing.

They worked with students from two Turkish universities and toured sites with historical, environmental and professional significance to learn about Turkish metropolitan cities and their planning challenges and issues.

For Julia Errington, a QUT graduate now working as an urban planner in Brisbane, the study tour was “fantastic”.

“It definitely expanded my way of thinking. We had only really learnt about planning in Australia and so it showed us new ways of doing things,” Ms Errington said.

“The trip to the Gallipoli National Park was very interesting because the way they deal with national parks in Turkey is very different from what we do here.

“We also got experience in working with people from a different country – we did a project together working in teams with Istanbul Technical University (ITU) planning students to problem solve and then deliver a presentation on our collaborative vision.”

The Taiwan study tour saw QUT students prepare a Strategic Regional Development Plan for the Taipei Metropolis’ and included lectures by the National

Taipei University and National Taipei University of Technology staff.

They also engaged with the Taipei City Council, New Taipei City Council, Taipei Transport Authority, and city NGOs as well as seminars, technical and social site visits to Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park and Taiwan Institute of Planning.

Dr Tan Yigitcanlar


Eco Recrui tment was establ ished by Jason Downes in 2008 to help address a ski l ls-shortage within the fast-growing Austral ian environmental industry.

According to Downes, “Our focus is on sourcing professionals with the appropriate qualifications, skills and experience to work for organisations within the Water, Sustainability, Design and Environmental fields.”

Eco Recruitment has quickly established itself as an organisation focussed on delivering excellent results to a narrow segment of the Australian market. “We don’t aim to fill every role from secretaries to project managers — at Eco Recruitment we’re specialists in water and environmental people,” Downes says.

Variety across the water sector

Being a specialist doesn’t seem to mean there’s a lack of variety in their work however. Heading up the water industry desk at Eco Recruitment, Downes has found 2011 to be an incredibly diverse year.

“This year I’ve been placing people into all segments of the water market. At the beginning of the year we saw a big push towards Asset Management specialists, with a number of assignments from water authorities and government sector clients. As the year has progressed, I’ve been involved heavily in the construction sector, sourcing site-based construction professionals for water and wastewater infrastructure projects across Australia,” Downes says.

“In addition to this, we’ve continued sourcing Design Engineers for consultancies and expect to be working on a number of new operations and maintenance assignments as some larger projects are completed and enter an operational phase. Overall, it’s been a great year to be involved in water and an exciting challenge to work with so many different organisations and types of water professionals.”

Methodologies:

Working Australia wide and across all technical-professional segments of the water industry, Eco Recruitment employs the best of traditional and cutting-edge recruitment methods. “Naturally we still meet with people and organisations to talk about their work. We seek to understand as much as we can about an organisation’s operations to put us in the best position to understand the type of people they need,” Downes explains.

In addition to reading numerous CVs, consultants at Eco Recruitment keep busy visiting treatment plants, construction sites and design offices throughout the year. “This allows us to see the type of projects our candidates will be working on and have a good understanding of the projects our industry produces,” Downes explains.

Once Eco Recruitment has a brief for a new vacancy, the challenge is to find the right person for the job. Downes says, “During 2010 and 2011 we’ve invested heavily in a variety of online and offline tools to ensure we source the best people every time. Our state-of-the-art database allows our candidates to log in to their own record, update their details and tell us exactly what they want in their next job. Our job orders sit in the same system, so we’re able to quickly match our active candidates to new jobs. This can be a fantastic benefit for our clients.”

“As well as face-to-face networking with clients and advertising through job boards, social media has been a fascinating way to connect with tech-savvy candidates during 2011. Through our Twitter and blog campaigns we’ve attracted some amazing candidates to ‘hard to fill’ roles. This supports the idea we’ve had since we started that we need to maximise the use of technology, while maintaining our personalised approach,” concludes Downes.

Information for jobseekers

Changing jobs can be one of the biggest and most difficult decisions we make. To ensure the process of finding your next role is hassle free, Eco Recruitment provides a three-part, no obligation service to suitably qualified candidates in the water and environmental industries. There is no charge for this service:

1. Initial meeting – this is an opportunity for you to have an in-depth discussion with an Eco Recruitment consultant, outline your work experience and describe exactly what you are looking for.

2. The search – Eco Recruitment will shortlist a number of organisations that match your profile and approach the companies you select. We will arrange interviews where possible and provide feedback at all interview stages.

3. Negotiation – We can work with you to help negotiate the best possible salary package and conditions.

Whether you are actively seeking a new role or just keeping an eye on the market, we would encourage you to visit our website, www.ecorecruitment.com.au for the latest jobs and industry updates.

Green jobs grow (…to nearly $100k)

The environmental and water industry in Australia is growing but it’s getting harder to find experienced professionals, according to a recent survey conducted by specialist recruitment firm, Eco Recruitment.

Over 800 environmental and water professionals, including 200 hiring managers, were surveyed in a bid to give a clear indication of salary levels and hiring intent in the sector.

Downes, said, “The vast majority of the organisations we surveyed are looking to grow or maintain the number of environmental and water professionals they employ. Of these, more than half said they were hoping to employ people into newly created roles.”

sPECiAlist rECruitErs fOr A sPECiAlist inDustry


“These new jobs predominantly focus on sustainability, climate change and environmental management across various industry sectors, including property, construction, water and mining.”

As much as the intent to hire is good news for workers, the flipside is the shortage of skilled workers in this area. “More than half of the organisations believed a skills shortage was their biggest impediment to filling vacancies over the next 12 months,” Downes said.

“Added to this concern is our finding that 58 per cent of people surveyed are considering leaving their current company, with most stating that they’re seeking better professional challenges. It seems that companies have to work harder than ever not just to find people but to retain these experienced environmental staff,” Downes concluded.

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For those wanting to know what environmental and water professionals are currently paid, Eco Recruitment’s 2011 salary survey average was $94,651. For further information on Eco Recruitment’s services, including a free copy of the final salary survey report, please contact:

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Queensland university of teChnology

A skip bin that can act as an emergency shel ter and a rain coat for a house are two innovat ive designs by Queensland Universi ty of Technology (QUT) archi tecture students in response to the Brisbane f loods.

QUT Architecture lecturers Glenda Caldwell and Lindy Osborne lead the projects by second and fourth year students to design flood-proof housing and resilient urban structures, which culminated in the Bouncing Back: Resilient Design for Brisbane exhibition.

Ms Caldwell said the project focused on both preparing houses for floods as well as reactive designs used in the event of a natural disaster.

“Housing and urban design to mitigate disaster impacts is a social, financial, cultural and climatic consideration.Solutions need to be wide spread and innovative,” Ms Caldwell said.

Ms Osborne said Darwin’s Cyclone Tracy in 1974 provoked a major review of building codes, and recent fires and floods sparked similar ongoing reviews, but builders and home owners should act now.

“People don’t need to wait until the next natural disaster to initiate change,” she said.

“Our building standards have served us well, but situations change and we need to avoid the same fall-out in the future. Getting power, food, water and shelter back online quickly is a major consideration.”

The QUT designs include everything from solar powered communication and information stations, deployable and connectable housing pods, futuristic suspended accommodation and an underground mega-structure.

Ms Caldwell and Ms Osborne have also written a paper based on the exercise and its ability to help the students cope with the grief following the floods that devastated the city in January.

“A lot of students who were away on holidays when the flood occurred said they felt disconnected because they were unable to do anything to help from so far away,’’ she said.

“This project helped them to reconnect by looking at real solutions.” Leading sustainable architect, John Cameron, said visionary clients will lay the foundation for new innovation in housing design.

“Innovation needs to be incorporated as a first principal of housing design, not tweaked in at the end,’’ he said.

“Councils work within many constraints when modifying building codes — so, clients mandating change from the community level up will be the greatest voice in affecting changes to standards.”


Ivy Verlaat with her piece in the Bouncing Back Exhibition.

Fast-act ing Queensland Universi ty of Technology (QUT) researchers have captured what is thought to be the world ’s f i rst real-t ime data of a major f lood event

in an urban area. Associate Professor Richard Brown from QUT’s School of Engineering Systems said 21 hours of raw data had been turned into a unique database measuring sediment concentrat ion and veloci ty of f loodwaters, which would benefi t engineers and emergency service workers in f lood-prone areas around Austral ia and possibly overseas.

As the Brisbane River broke its banks 100m from the QUT Gardens Point campus in the devastating floods of January this year, Professor Brown and a team of researchers braved the waters in order to collect the unique data.

Thankfully for the sake of the university, it suffered only minor damage to the basement and car park of several buildings. QUT was back to business as usual for the start of the academic year when more than 40,000 students returned to classes.

Measurements of flood waters were taken by Professor Brown at the height of the floods on January 12 and 13 with a sensitive recording device, the acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV). The instrument measures soundwaves of three velocities simultaneously and was installed in a car park at the CBD riverside campus.

“Floods are very unpredictable and people are rarely able to take measurements of things like velocity, sediment concentration and water heights while the flood is happening,” Professor Brown said.

“Our knowledge on exactly what happens during a flood event is fairly limited, so this data is important for a wide range of people — police officers and disaster management planners, engineers and urban designers.”

The “surprising” data was recently compiled into a report titled: Turbulent Velocity and Suspended Sediment Concentration Measurements in an Urban Environment of the Brisbane River Flood Plain.

“We found there were very large fluctuations in the velocity of the water,” Professor Brown said.

“One moment it could be measuring close to zero where an average person could stand up, yet within one minute it could increase up to 1.8 metres per second. That surge is so swift and strong that it would knock a person over.

“Added to this finding is the fact that the strength of surging floodwaters in buildings is exacerbated by smooth floors which offer no resistance or interruption to the flow.”The level of floodwaters also varied in conjunction with the velocity, sometimes going up and down by as much as 100mm.

The report also revealed that low frequency fluctuations were linked with local topographical effects including local choke induced by upstairs stairwells, which caused slow oscillations.

Unique data from the distribution of sediment also surprised the researchers. While it was expected that course particles would be left behind as the rush of the floodwaters slowed, Professor Brown’s team found that in fact, the sediment distribution remained constant.

“Sediment is a major problem during flood events. There are issues ranging from inland erosion to damage caused by debris and the impact seen downstream, such as what we saw in Moreton Bay,” he said.

“This data will also be useful for architects and urban planners in flood prone areas. There will be new buildings designed for places like Brisbane that are prone to flooding and this data will help with safety management.

“During the Brisbane floods, there were many large hazards that were carried away by flood waters, including large logs. When they crash into buildings at that velocity it’s going to cause damage, so it’s important to plan for that.”

The research was a collaborative effort between Professor Brown and fellow researchers Dr Jai Madhani and Dave McIntosh from QUT and Professor Hubert Chanson from University of Queensland.

“I was very lucky to have had so many colleagues who realised the unique situation we were in,” he said.

“They were many people, researchers and volunteers, who went above and beyond the call of duty.”

Professor Brown and his team have delivered a submission, based on the findings, to the Queensland Flood Commission which is expected to hand down its final report in February, 2012.

- Alita Pashley

Queensland university of teChnology


Professor Richard Brown


Delivers Cost Savings in the Operat ion and Management of More Than $43 Mil l ion in Water Assets

Accurate Decision Tool Was Way to Go

Westernport Water provides water, wastewater, and recycled water services to nearly 16,000 properties on Phillip Island, in the state of Victoria, Australia, and an area of the mainland from The Gurdies to Archies Creek. Using Bentley’s WaterGEMS water distribution modeling software integrated with a geographic information system (GIS) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system (both introduced into the utility the past two years), Westernport Water’s managers were able to achieve a high-performance, automated system. This targeted investment in new technologies is currently delivering substantial cost savings and contributes to the effective operation and management of more than $43 million in water assets.

The Open Spatial GIS, in conjunction with WaterGEMS, enables simple and easy updates of the system, including all new subdivisions. The Control Microsystems SCADA system allows field-measured data to be brought directly into WaterGEMS using the modeling software’s SCADAConnec and Darwin Calibrator modules.

Since SCADAConnect can use both historical and realtime data, the model is constantly up to date, but also has tables of previous values for trending and projections. This means that flow, pressure, and tank-level data for each demand zone can be fed on a real-time basis, enabling the system to model real-world conditions.

Using the imported SCADA values, Darwin Calibrator, and the demand inversing tool in WaterGEMS, Westernport Water engineers can proportionally change the demand values assigned to those nodes within each demand zone. This innovative first for the water industry in Victoria allows the model to continually update demand groups. As a result, all calculated values in the water model are more accurate, since the exact flow from the SCADA system is used to calculate, for example, velocity, losses, and system curves. An up-to-date and accurate model gives engineering design and operational personnel the best possible platform for decision making.

Cost Benefits, Efficiency, and Environmental Improvements

Previously, Westernport Water engaged the services of external contractors to manually upgrade and calibrate its water model. The SCADAConnect technology with real-time updates will save

Westernport Water the cost of these calibrations, which came to around $80,000.

Additionally, the WaterGEMS water model will help deliver savings in leak detection by measuring and identifying nonrevenue water. Westernport Water is aiming to achieve a 25 percent reduction in water losses and recover up to $85,000 (retail value) of water. Reducing water losses also means that less water will need to be pumped to customers to achieve the same level of service, so carbon emissions will be reduced as well.

Dean Jagoe, project engineer, Systems, at Westernport Water, concluded, “Westernport Water’s outlook on its ability to effectively develop and sustain our water distribution infrastructure

has never been so positive. The integration of GIS, SCADA, and water modeling technologies will provide unprecedented scope for managers, engineers, operational, and maintenance personnel at Westernport Water to understand, on a real-time basis, how the water network is performing. The level of integration being achieved is expected to set benchmarks in informed decision-making for our organization.”

WEstErnPOrt WAtEr usEs WAtErGEMs® tO AChiEVE An AutOMAtED DistriButiOn systEM

Fast Facts

• The SCADAConnect module links Westernport Water’s WaterGEMS water model and its live or historical SCADA data, creating an up-to-date and accurate water model

• Westernport Water’s investment\in GIS, SCADA, and water modeling integration will provide engineers with a reliable tool for management and operational decisions regarding its water distribution system

• Impacts of this modeling project include cost savings, water conservation, and environmental benefits

“The WaTerGemSWaTer model WIllhelp delIver SavInGSIn leak deTecTIonby meaSurInGand IdenTIfy InGnonrevenue WaTer.”

Find out about Bentley at: www.bentley.com/APRS

Contact Bentley +61 7 3270 4350 [email protected]

Westernport Water ’s WaterGEMS model shown in the AutoCAD inter face


What’s Wise use?

Currently national and state governments are considering the Murray Darling Basin Plan (MDBP) and in the cities, desalination is proliferating. Both have the capacity to influence the water using

and conserving practises of the future in a fundamental way.

Not enough water

For a hundred years we have been debating and aspiring to a sustainable future for the Murray Darling Basin. The latest attempt almost came unstuck with the botched delivery of the Guideline some months ago that alienated crucial regional political capital. That’s not to say

parochial interests should govern the broader objective of environmental and economic

sustainability but the plan needs to capture the middle ground so

that it can be understood, supported and

implemented over time.

The new head of the Basin Authority, Craig Knowles, has been working assiduously to re-engage all stakeholders with frequent trips to the regions and meetings with environmental and scientific interests. All issues have been on the table. He is also a key participant in ministerial council meetings where the states butt heads with the Commonwealth and each other. Historically it has been difficult for the states to surrender their parochial interests and traditional power over water allocations. There are also arguments about the process for and how much of the Commonwealth’s very significant funding allocations are disbursed.

It’s hard to think of any policy area that is more complicated at financial, constitutional and inter -governmental levels.

But we must sort this out. Too much water is being extracted for irrigation. A healthy river means a sustainable healthy environment for in-river and floodplain systems, from Queensland down to the Murray mouth; and an ongoing capacity to flush salt from the system, therefore helping sustain farmlands and towns.

However for the historic opportunity to be grasped and the best use made of government funds there are

four pre-conditions:

1. The allocation of water to the environment needs to be sufficient to sustain in the

long term a range of river and wetland environments. The allocation

should be based on current and future best available

information. It should also be recognised by

decision makers that it is most

likely that the

Wa te r w i l l a lways be a pe renn ia l i ssue in Aus t ra l i an na tu ra l and u rban resource p lann ing bu t somet imes we ge t the oppor tun i t y to make genera t iona l l y impor tan t dec is ions . Yea rs o f inc rementa l l y bad dec is ions add up and a c r i s i s ensues – bu t can governments and s takeho lde rs t ake us to the nex t l eve l and a embed w ise dec is ion?

auThor: Jeff anGel, execuTIve dIrecTor, ToTal envIronmenTal cenTre


Water


judgment of future generations will be based on the state of the environment which has much less capacity to adjust compared to economic factors over time.

2. The decision needs to be politically sustainable. That is, it has appropriate inputs from independent data and broad oversight that constrains negative parochialism and distorted information; but at the same time provides a clear and valid role for local communities. Further, there is an ongoing capacity for monitoring and evaluation. The policy making system should be robust and credible.

3. The taxpayer expects the best use to be made of the billions of dollars on the table. Those who hold the purse strings (national, state, and regional) bear a significant responsibility and will be held to account.

4. The current federal funding program and MDB Plan are built upon state environmental water allocations which are actually delivered to the environment in a quantity and timely manner that provides the most benefit, rather than de-prioritised to serve other purposes (such as conveyance water).

It is in the manner of delivery that socio-economic impacts can be ameliorated. Implementation can be via:

• water purchase (which is strategic and can improve the asset base of existing farm businesses or in fact through recognition of the need to exit from highly inefficient areas with appropriate structural adjustment)

• works and measures which if shown to have an assured capacity to deliver, improve local irrigation efficiency

• the Commonwealth becoming largely responsible for end of system flows and the Murray Mouth and lakes

• local communities helping to devise water purchase and trading and manage structures and improvements that are aimed at improving

• the health of local and regional river and wetland assets.

Whether the new draft plan to be released later this year can grasp the opportunity and build a community and inter-jurisdictional framework that embraces all reasonable stakeholders and delivers sustainability built on caution (given our knowledge about the science, climate change and agricultural productivity) – rather than the cargo cult seen in previous decades – remains to be seen.

Too much water

The cities are grappling with water shortages too. At least they were until they built large desalination plants. What could be in short supply is a water conservation ethic because the desal plants threaten an oversupply of water and a relaxing of conservation policies.

Sydney for example has spent the last 10 years learning how to use less water through a combination of restrictions, pricing, recycling and demand management programs. The massive desal plant will complete its running-in process next year which has involved its full time operation. The new government is also intending to sell it off to raise two billion dollars for other (much needed) infrastructure.

So what’s the problem? Firstly the operating rules require desal water to be produced when the dams are 70% full or less and it can operate when they are up to 80% — that is, virtually full time. Originally the plant was to be operated as a drought measure, initiated when the dams were at 30%. Instead the community will now pay for the most expensive water all the time. Very attractive to a future private buyer; and the NSW government intends to keep the 70/80% rule.

Secondly, this situation will retard Treasury support for more recycling of sewerage. They will argue it is not needed and be a competitor to desal. Even worse the contract for sale of the plant could limit the right of government to reduce or prevent the growth of demand through water restrictions and efficiency rules for business such purchasers of desal water.

In other words there is likely to be too little focus on water conservation leading to a loss of learning about

water scarcity. The coming generation of Sydneysiders and political leaders

should not have to relearn the lessons of water scarcity.


Water


groWth in sydney Means groWth for sydney Water



The NSW Government’s Metropolitan Strategy states that over the next 25 years to 2036, Sydney’s population is expected to reach six million people – an increase of 1.5 million. Sydney Water has allocated

over $1 billion in its Capital Investment Program over the next five years for infrastructure and asset-related investments to service this growth.

According to the NSW Government’s Metropolitan Development Program (2008/09), the Sydney Region’s dwelling production is highly cyclical. Dwelling production has fallen from a peak in 1999/00 of 32,358 dwellings per year to 14,795 dwellings in 2007/08.

According to the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure most growth (approximately 85 per cent) in Sydney Water’s area of operations will occur in established urban areas where Sydney Water’s existing infrastructure can service the majority of new growth. Targeted amplifications of a number of water and wastewater systems are required, such as the Malabar, Bondi, Botany and Parramatta Road Corridor systems to service new development.

The other 15 per cent will be greenfields growth, essentially in either the North West and South West Growth Centres.

Our plans for growth

Sydney Water’s annual Growth Servicing Plan informs local government and developers when and where water and wastewater services are to be built. The plan responds to the Department of Planning’s Metropolitan Development Program, Illawarra Urban Development Program and Employment Lands Development Program.

Sydney Water monitors the development industry and State Government directions to assess where investment in growth infrastructure is required. Sydney Water’s strong relationship with the Department of Planning and Infrastructure, local government and the development industry ensure Sydney Water can

determine where new infrastructure is required to service growth areas and where ongoing investment in augmentation of water and wastewater infrastructure should be concentrated.

The majority of investment in growth will be to service greenfield areas, including West Dapto in the Illawarra, the South West Growth Centre and the North West Growth Centre.

In the South West Growth Centre, wastewater services are now available for 4,000 lots in Oran Park and Turner Road with further water and wastewater works to service these precincts planned over the next five years. By 2012, 3,000 lots in Edmondson Park will be serviced in addition to the entire Spring Farm and Elderslie release areas (5,000 lots). Sydney Water is also planning the servicing of the second release precincts in the South West Growth Centre – Austral and North Leppington.

The importance of Sydney Water’s relationship with the development industry and NSW Government is evident through the acceleration of works at Edmondson Park. Sydney Water is providing trunk services to Edmondson Park to be completed by mid 2012. While Landcom is constructing a lead-in wastewater main to service the precinct, Sydney Water has accelerated delivery of a water lead-in main. As a result, 3,000 lots will be serviced in Edmondson Park in mid 2012.

In the North West Growth Centre we have recently delivered works to service 7,000 lots in North Kellyville, Alex Avenue, Riverstone and Area 20. Sydney Water will service an additional 6,000 lots in the North West Growth Centre over the next few years.

For more information on Sydney Water’s growth visit www.sydneywater.com.au



Norma Group connect ing products are the global leaders in engineered joining technology since 1949.

Over the last 62 years we have developed engineered solutions for various connecting and coupling applications. Our vast experience in product specifications and customer requirements cements us as the global experts in connecting solutions.

We offer a huge range of products in varying material grades including Aluzinc to marine grade 316 stainless steel. Our products are manufactured in Germany to the most stringent of guidelines, which ensures you are getting the highest quality.

The Norma brand is closely associated with quality product and customer focus. We design bespoke solutions for our customers and invest in developing innovative joining solutions. Our company motto is: “Customer Value through Innovation”. We are dedicated to developing sustainable and innovative joining solutions.

Our proven joining technology is used the world over in various industries including, construction, mining, industrial, automotive, shipbuilding and water management.

Our huge range includes various brands including Norma, Breeze, Torca, ABA, Terry, R.G Ray and Serflex.

We specifically design our products to provide solutions to industry demands. One such product that was developed for the Water Management & Gas industry is the NormaConnect® range and more specifically the FGR pipe coupling range.

The FGR (Flex Grip Repair) is an innovative and adaptive product range as it replaces the need for welded flanges. NORMACONNECT® products create dependable permanent connections for various pipe types carrying various media. NORMACONNECT® are the perfect solutions for fast fit requirements. They require no special tools for fitting and do not require pipe ends to be treated or prepared – thus reducing downtime and providing a reliable and economically sound clamping solution. The FGR coupling can connect most pipe materials including metal to plastic and can also be used to repair damaged pipes. The FGR is the first choice of many design engineers throughout the world and has been used on large projects such as the Dubai Palm Island Project and the AlpTransit Rail Line from Switzerland through the Gotthard Mountain to Italy.

In Australia, Queensland firm, Superior Coupling and Sealants, required a reliable and fast fit coupling, and chose NORMA FGR technology for the Burwood Beach (Newcastle NSW) Water treatment plant with excellent results. This is due to FGR having lower downtime due to not requiring pipe preparation or treatment and also no special tools for fitting.

Christian Vandal, Director of Superior Couplings and Sealants, insists on NORMACONNECT® FGR products. This is due to his clients demand for hard wearing reliability, and a desire to “fit and forget”.

“We recommend NORMACONNECT® FGR products to our clients as we know that FGR is a reliable fast fit coupling that can be used on preassembled pipes. Also Norma’s FGR requires no special tools and doesn’t require pipes to be prepared or treated, this means our clients projects stay on track and within budget. Whether your latest project is in mining or water treatment, the pipeline construction stage is critical and therefore requires the best in product, performance and price,” Vandal said.

On both a national and international level, Norma has the proven expertise to solve your connecting requirements. We provide advice and technical support on our products and can even design a solution based on your specific requirements. We value customer satisfaction and supply our Australian distributors through our Melbourne and West Australian warehouses. For more information on our huge range of products please contact us on 03 9761 4416, email us at: [email protected] or visit our website at www.normapacific.com where you can find all the latest information and download product brochures.

nOrMA PACifiC thE WOrlD lEADEr in ClAMPs AnD COuPlinGs


Engineered Connecting Technology

To discuss your connection needs or to request your free product brochures please contact Norma Pacific Telephone: (03) 9761 4416 Email: [email protected]

www.normapacific.com or www.normagroup.com

NORMACONNECT® pipe couplings provide an economic alternative to conventional pipe joining techniques for plastic and metal pipes. Plain-end pipes are joined quickly, do not need to be pre-treated and do not require any special tools for installation. The NORMACONNECT® pipe coupling is a permanent and reliable connection for thick and thin walled pipes which conforms to the latest Standard DIN 86128. Available to suit pipe OD (Ø) 26.9 mm to 2032 mm.

NOR_1036

1036_Water_MGMT_A4-Advert.indd 1 18/07/11 11:31 AM


With the f i rst commercial use of ul t raviolet (UV) disinfect ion technology in 1910, UV lamp technology has evolved over the years. In the 1950s, low pressure lamps were introduced and used in water and wastewater UV disinfect ion systems. Since the 1950s, lamp manufacturers have tweaked lamp technology to enable the production of more UV l ight output. As a result , low pressure high output, medium pressure and amalgam lamps were introduced from the 1950s to the 1990s. In the late 1990s, a revolut ionary change in UV lamp technology was released through the commercial isat ion of microwave UV lamps into water and wastewater UV disinfect ion systems.

Microwave powered UV lamps represent a significant advancement in UV lamp technology since they are electrodeless and remove the major failure mechanism found in traditional UV lamp technology. Traditional UV lamps fail by one of two means, electrode breakage and fade. By not having an electrode, microwave lamps do not suffer from the first failure method. The second type of failure, lamp fade, is also solved by removing the electrode. When a traditional lamp fades, the electrode wears out producing a grey / brown staining at the ends of the lamp. This can often be seen on florescent lamps, which are very similar to UV lamps. As the electrode wears, the actual brightness of the lamp diminishes over time, requiring traditional UV lamps to be replaced about every year.

Microwave UV lamps are powered by microwaves which excite the mercury-argon gas mix in the lamp to produce UV light. Commercial microwave UV disinfection systems for water and wastewater treatment are available from Severn Trent Services.

Severn Trent Services offers two types of MicroDynamics® microwave UV systems; an open channel for use in waste water plants, and closed vessel for use in drinking water, waste water, and industrial applications. Advantages of MicroDynamics include increased safety; reduced operational costs; consistent disinfection; flow pacing; and lower whole life costs.

The fill inside the MicroDynamics microwave UV lamps is very similar to traditional UV lamps, which means they produce the same 254 nm light generated by traditional low pressure high output lamps. MicroDynamics lamps feature an electrodeless design. Without an electrode to wear out, the lamps produce even, fade-free UV light over their entire life.

Unlike traditional lamps which limit starts and stops to four times a day, MicroDynamics microwave UV lamps have no cycle limit. Traditional lamp electrodes wear out due to successive heating and cooling. Without an electrode, MicroDynamics lamps can be turned on and off as often as needed. Additionally, MicroDynamics lamps start up in about a minute, compared to the five to ten minutes it takes traditional lamps to start up. This means less chance of producing non-treated water after a power failure and restart.

The MicroDynamics microwave UV lamps are enclosed in a wave guide, which keeps the microwaves in, while allowing UV light to emerge. This feature is analogous to the mesh seen in kitchen microwaves, which does the same thing. There is no electrical connection between the power head and the lamps. This makes maintenance much easier and safer with our system when compared to traditional systems that have wiring harnesses that must be individually removed.

The MicroDynamics microwave UV lamps are offered with a three year lamp warranty.

The MicroDynamics systems feature a chemical free wiper. Unlike other UV systems in which lamps run over 200 degrees F (93 degrees C), MicroDynamics sleeves are kept at 115 degrees F (46 degrees C), which means they are less susceptible to baking

on foulants. And while some traditional systems introduce an acid cleaner into their wipers, in an attempt to make their wipers clean better, the MicroDynamics system does not need that extra complication, since the sleeves are kept cool.

In wastewater applications, the MicroPace™ flow pace technology is used with MicroDynamics systems to match UV dose to operating conditions in real time, resulting in energy savings and efficient system use. MicroPace enables the lamps to be turned down or off so the system maintains a constant dose and is only using the power needed to disinfect and meet site specific needs, ensuring the most efficient and effective use of the system design.

The secondary benefit of MicroPace is a conservation of energy which reduces costs. MicroDynamics electrodeless lamps can re-strike immediately in the event of a power outage since they do not require a cool down period. One major benefit arising from this aspect is that there is no requirement for standby power or UPS systems, leading to significant capital cost savings.

MicroDynamics wastewater systems can operate in a dry or partially-filled channel. The systems employ an automatic, chemical-free cleaning system. Further, their vertical configuration and increased reliability of the systems reduces stand-by requirements to less than 25 per cent.

A rEVOlutiOn in uV DisinfECtiOn


sunWater Providing end-to-end Water ManageMent solutions



Effective water management has become a critical component in mine operations, with consumption rates of fresh water per tonne of coal produced up in the hundreds of litres.

With water essential for a number of activities across the mine site, particularly coal washing, dust management, drilling and human consumption, innovative solutions to manage water are critical to delivering mine operations with significant cost savings and assist in reducing their environmental footprint.

Understanding water and how to manage it efficiently is a challenge that many mine operations are faced with and without expert planning can cost more time and resources during the approvals and construction phases.

In addition to time and resources, regulatory conditions, environmental restrictions, and the interaction with surrounding communities can all pose limitations on a mine operation.

For a mine, these unknowns can affect productivity. But for a leader in water management, it’s just part of every day business.

SunWater, Queensland’s leading bulk water infrastructure developer and manager, has been in the business of managing water for over 80 years and with the responsibility of supplying 40% of all water used commercially throughout the state, understands the finer details on making water work.

With $7 billion in existing bulk water infrastructure assets and another $4 billion on the development pathway, SunWater’s experience is unparalleled when it comes to providing reliable and innovative solutions for managing water in any environment.

Over the past decade SunWater has been able to assist more and more mining customers in the

delivery of a reliable and secure water supply, as well as end-to-end water management solutions.

General Manager Infrastructure Development, Mark Browne, believes that SunWater’s regional network is one of the driving forces behind SunWater’s success within the mining sector.

“Our experienced team has been on the ground in regional Queensland for years and their intricate knowledge of regional water quality, historical water supply and drought events, local communities and environmental conditions can’t be matched,” he said.

“This fact alone leads to water management solutions that create efficiencies in time and money for our customers.”

“By utilising a full service approach to operations and maintenance SunWater is able to customise water supply and management solutions that are right for the mine and its unique systems.”

“Our team confidently works across industries from mining, energy, urban and irrigation and are able to combine their knowledge of water with each industry to develop strategies for efficient use by organisations and their surrounding environments.”

As manager and operator of 23 water supply schemes across Queensland, SunWater’s key capability is providing mining operations with an analysis on how they can best utilise existing infrastructure to maximise their operations and ensure reliable water supply.

This then flows into the development of a solution designed in conjunction with mining operators to best understand their consumption of water in the various parts of the mining operations. An understanding of effective water balances at a mine allows the opportunities for substitution of water of other qualities to be identified.

In addition to the core business of operation and maintenance of water supply schemes, which feature 19 major dams, 63 weirs and barrages, 84 major pumping stations and nearly 2,700 kilometres of channels and pipelines, Sunwater owns and operates water treatment plants that provide drinking quality water to small communities located throughout Queensland – from Bamaga in the north to Coolmunda (near Inglewood) in the south, and from Eungella to Emerald.

Their experience in water treatment extends to operating and maintaining conventional water treatment plants utilising the range of chemical coagulation, clarification, media filtration and disinfection, but also granular activated carbon filtration, membrane filtration and fluoridation.

All SunWater operators, who are trade certified in water operations, are mobile and able to operate the full range of our plants and systems.

This cross pollination of skills and experience enables SunWater to easily develop Strategic Asset Management Plans (SAMP) that aligns customer service standards with asset objectives.

By utilising well established Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) methodologies, SunWater is able to leverage its substantial database of maintenance history across its asset portfolio to develop whole of life maintenance plans, which include both Opex and Capex programs. The whole of life approach ensures that asset owners can minimise their cash outlays over the life of a portfolio.

Just as critical as SunWater’s role in delivering and managing water is the organisation’s commitment to safety. Providing a safe and risk free environment for staff, contractors, visitors, customers and local communities is all part of SunWater achieving its goal of ‘no harm’.



SunWater managed industrial and urban water and wastewater treatment plants

• Bamaga Water Treatment Plant

• Beardmore Water Treatment Plant

• Burdekin Falls Water Treatment Plant

• Clare Water Treatment Plant

• Coolmunda Water Treatment Plant

• Eungella Water Treatment Plant

• Fairbairn Water Treatment Plant

• Glenlyon Water Treatment Plant

• Kinchant Water Treatment Plant

• Leslie Water Treatment Plant

• Mutchilba Water Treatment Plant

• Peter Faust Water Treatment Plant

SunWater employees and contractors undergo comprehensive safety training at every facility they operate.

The core focus on ‘no harm’ is evident across SunWater’s workplaces through strong reinforcement. In 2010 SunWater staff were recognised by a long time resource client for having 1000 injury free days onsite.

It’s not just inside the mines that SunWater is reinforcing its commitment to safety. During the 2010-11 storm season that saw mass flooding and cyclones across Queensland, SunWater’s infrastructure was well preserved largely in part to the existing risk minimisation strategies.

Public safety is also a high priority for SunWater and its infrastructure is designed with the Queensland climate in mind.

To further satisfy SunWater’s long standing reputation are its certifications by industry bodies including; Quality Management System to ISO9001:2008, Occupational Health & Safety Systems to AS4801:2001, Environmental Management System to ISO14001:2008 and Australian Institute of Project Management - Certified Project Management Organisation (PMO).

SunWater’s water management services provide hydrology, engineering and environmental management principles across all phases of the project life cycle from design, approvals, construction through to ongoing operational and maintenance.


SunWater’s total water management solutions include:

• Business Case development

• Regulatory applications and approvals

• Site based management plans

• Design and review of existing systems

• Design and construction of new treatment plant infrastructure

• Design and construction of upgrades to existing treatment plant infrastructure

• Commissioning, performance monitoring and validation



Intelligent heat management

Intelligent heat management proved to be a key factor for the Southern Seawater Desalination Plant, which utilises Danfoss VLT® AQUA Drives for various applications with motors from 0.55 to 315kW. VLT® AQUA Drive in the power range of 110kW to 1.4MW dissipate average 85% of the heat losses via finned heatsinks, which transfer the heat to the back channel cooling air duct. This back channel is separated from the electronics area by an IP 54 seal.

This method of cooling greatly reduces contamination of the control electronics area, resulting in longer life and higher reliability which is vital for the plant. The remaining 15% of heat losses are removed from the control electronics area using lower-volume door fans. The excess heat from the back channel can either be dispersed into the switchroom or as in this particular case, directly removed from the area for significant reduction in switchroom heat load.

Due to the location of the installed drives for this project, the stainless steel back channel option was also selected.

PCB protection against contaminants

Due to the typically harsh environment in water and wastewater applications, all VLT® AQUA Drives are available with protection of printed circuit boards to prevent corrosion.

PCB protection is according to IEC 60721-3-3 Class 3C2 </= 250kW and Class 3C3 on 315kW -1.4MW as standard for the VLT® AQUA Drives.

High efficiency design, with all standard filters built-in

VLT® AQUA Drive have built-in EMC filters as standard including:

• RFI filter providing suppression of conducted noise to AS61800-3:2005 Cat C2 (First environment) with up to 150m screened motor cable as standard.

• Twin DC bus chokes for high level of harmonic mitigation, high true power factor and low load on supply network.

• Output peak voltage and rise time compatible with motors conforming to IEC60014-17 (-25)

without the need for extra output filters in most applications.

• Up to 98% overall drive efficiency, including all standard filters, for lower operating cost.

Danfoss MCD500 soft starters

A range of VLT® MCD500 Soft Starters with Adaptive Acceleration Control (AAC), in-line and by-pass contactors and were also selected for a number of 110-225kW pumps and blowers on this project.

Proven track record and support

Danfoss Drives has 43 years’ experience in design, production, application and service of VLT® Drives, with a proven track record in a broad cross section of industry world wide.

For further information about the Danfoss VLT® AQUA Drives range for water - wastewater or irrigation plants, call Danfoss (Australia) Pty Ltd on (03) 9703 5155 or visit us online at www.danfoss.com/pacific

intElliGEnt DriVE hEAt MAnAGEMEnt inCrEAsEs sErViCE lifE AnD rEDuCEs VEntilAtiOn COsts

MAKING MODERN LIVING POSSIBLE

VLT® AQUA Drive

The lowest overall cost for water & wastewaterWith its compact IP 54 enclosures incorporating segregated back-channel cooling and high effi ciency design, VLT® AQUA Drive reduces switchroom size and airconditioning costs, to provide the lowest overall cost for water & wastewater companies.

Melbourne, Tel. (03) 9703 5155 • Sydney, Tel. (02) 8845 1800Brisbane, Tel. (07) 3690 1899 • Perth, Tel. (08) 9333 3800

Auckland, Tel. +61 9 259 2519 • Christchurch, Tel. +61 3 353 4775www.danfoss.com/pacifi c

85%average lower switchroom heat

load resulting from the high effi ciency and innovative back-channel cooling of VLT® drives.


Sydney Water’s business program aims to drive the world’s best practice in non-residential water efficiency. Best practice guidelines have been developed for commercial buildings, hotels and clubs

and aquatic centres.

The guidelines build on and support water savings made by businesses and industrial water users over the past decade, as they have adopted holistic water management practices

Sydney Water’s Business Customer Services Manager Andrew Kirkwood said Sydney Water’s business water efficiency initiatives target both big and small businesses.

“Business best practice initiatives are for businesses of any size and focus on identifying opportunities for reducing water use through process improvement, leak detection, reuse, water efficient devices and business specific advice.

“The saving of over 18,000 million litres for 2010/11 demonstrates businesses, which use around 30 per cent of water in Sydney, see the financial and environmental benefits of being water wise,” Kirkwood said.

Best practice for commercial buildings / businesses

Some of the ways in which Sydney Water’s large and small water users can save water include:

• Regular maintenance of water fixtures, with special attention to identifying and fixing leaks

• Replacing taps, shower heads, toilets and cyclic flowing urinals in amenities with more water efficient models

• Cutting cooling tower water consumption by monitoring consumption, fixing leaks, identifying alternative water supplies to cooling towers and alternative cooling methods, minimising heat loads on cooling towers by improving energy efficiency

• Saving water in kitchens and food courts by installing water efficient dishwashers, pre-rinsing dishes, using air cooled ice rather than water cooled, not thawing food under running water and for Asian style restaurants using waterless woks that were developed by Sydney Water.

Best practice for hotels

Kirkwood said studies of four and five star business hotels involved in Sydney’s business customer program showed a significant reduction in water use between 2005 and 2010.

“Sydney Water has helped hotels cut water use in guest rooms by 37 per cent over five years by encouraging simple changes such as installation of water efficient fixtures and careful monitoring of water use,” Kirkwood said.

To help hotels reduce water use, Sydney Water has:

• Developed a free online water use monitoring program to help facilities managers track water use in real time and identify spikes in water use that could indicate a leak

• Developed a staff training DVD to encourage employees to report leaks

• Developed best practice guidelines for hotels that outlines where the most water is used in the average hotel and identified where savings can most often be made.

• Improved water efficiency by helping hotels install water efficient taps, toilets and showerheads and monitoring water use closely to pick up potential leaks and fix them early before large volumes of water are wasted.

Best practice for aquatic centres

In May of this year Sydney Water officially released its Best practice guidelines for water management in aquatic leisure centres.

Best PraCtiCe eQuals Best Business

Kirkwood outlined the gains made so far, and the major areas covered by the new guidelines.

“Obviously water is an essential component of aquatic centre operation. Any guidance on water and energy efficiency can only assist the industry. The guidelines are full of research findings like the fact 36 per cent of water is used in pool make-up and backwashing filters and a staggering 22 per cent of water is, on average, lost through leaks.”

To help Aquatic Centers reduce water use, Sydney Water has developed better management practices, including monitoring water use, finding and fixing leaks, retrofitting existing amenities with efficient fixtures, and investing in alternative sources of water where economically feasible.

The guidelines also cover important steps such as managing leaks, achieving water quality with less treatment, saving water in filtration and make-up systems, reducing evaporation, improving amenities and managing wastewater. These improvements have also reduced the energy consumption of these facilities.

Kirkwood said Sydney Water is dedicated to helping its customers save water in their business or at home, as ultimately it will help to sustain Sydney’s water supply.

“Water efficiency is a key part of the Metropolitan Water Plan to secure greater Sydney’s drinking water supplies and Sydney Water will continue to work with businesses and householders to help them use water wisely and save on water bills.”

For more information on Sydney Water’s latest best practice guidelines visit www.sydneywater.com.au



Image: waterless wok flame



TRILITY are industry experts when it comes to reuse schemes. Our local expertise and capability allows us to develop alternative water supply solutions through design and research into innovative water recycling methods. We have a number of very exciting projects in operation across Australia, including: Onkaparinga Wastewater Treatment Plant, Waikerie Wastewater Scheme, Victor Harbor Wastewater Treatment and our Berri Bamera Re-Use Scheme.

The Berri Bamera project is considered to be an excellent example of a local community working in partnership with major industry and community groups to solve a major infrastructure and environmental issues.

The Berri Bamera Re-use Scheme is centrally located in South Australia’s Riverland; the $14 million project is a partnership between Council, Constellation Wines and TRILITY.

In the year 2000 the Berri Barmera Council embarked on a project to provide 100% reuse of its wastewater through a series of significant infrastructure upgrades and the construction of an integrated reuse network throughout the area which also included treatment of wastewater from local wine makers located at Glossop. The project included the construction of new treatment plants, pump stations and rising mains at Berri, Barmera and Glossop along with an industrial wastewater treatment plant at Barmera, servicing around 2,500 people in total. The provision of reuse water from the project has removed the reliance on the River Murray by over 650 ML per year.

The project saw the construction of a wastewater treatment plant in Berri which is capable of treating 400 ML a year of Community Wastewater Management Systems (CWMS) reuse for use on the Berri Golf course and Council Sporting Park. Also constructed were two new CWMS pumping stations which replaced existing assets which included not just the pumps but the wet wells, control equipment and telemetry for remote monitoring. A similar plant was constructed at Barmera where the treated wastewater is reused on the Barmera Golf and Riverland Field Days site. Barmera also received a new CWMS pumping station of a similar design to Berri and the system is capable of providing 224 ML per year of reuse water. The Glossop lagoons were also upgraded to a capacity of 39 ML per year and the water is reused on adjacent vineyards, or transferred to the Barmera site for further treatment.

Reuse water can be transferred between the three plants constructed. As a result an integrated reuse network has been established between three towns allowing for much needed reuse water to be provided throughout the district.

Environmental impact

Essentially the project was about providing an environmental benefit to the region. The treatment plants and pumping stations constructed replaced existing assets which were aging and had a high chance to fail. The new treatment lagoons constructed replaced infrastructure which was built as long ago as 1965 and harboured environmental issues which included asbestos sheeting and substandard leakage prevention compared to today’s standards.

The new lagoons which were constructed utilise an HDPE lining over a compacted clay base to minimise the possibility of leakage. Also installed in the lagoons were leak detection systems which can be checked to ensure that no water is leaking into the surrounding soil and water table.

Through the provision of the project’s reuse water, the irrigation water to be drawn from the River has been decreased by up to 663 megalitres per annum.

Social impact

Riverland towns rely heavily on tourism as a driver of their economy and one of the attractions in the area is golfing holidays. By providing reuse water to irrigate both the Berri and Barmera Golf Courses the project ensures that the courses remain in top condition and attractive to tourists even in the height of summer. This has become even more important for the community since the Murray River irrigation allocations have been cut.

The Riverland’s central sporting area for hockey, baseball and softball is Allan Glassey Park at Berri which also receives reuse water as part of this project. Providing irrigated playing fields ensures the sport can be played in comfort all year round.

Sustainability

One of the key aspects of the project has been the minimisation of energy consumption in the treatment process. This was achieved by applying the time-tested treatment method of facultative lagoons to achieve the required level of treatment. More advanced treatment options were assessed however they were discounted at the early stages of the projects as they didn’t deliver the environmental benefits of the final solution.

In addition to the low energy domestic wastewater treatment, the treatment of the industrial wastewater

was based around the future expansion to irrigate Giant Reeds which can be used sustainably in paper production or power generation.

Innovation in project management and contracting

In order to reduce the cost of the project as much as possible a number of funding sources were used for the project. Government grants, council and winery funds with the remainder coming from project equity from United Utilities. In addition to this the project was broken up into four separate contracts for earthworks, pipelines, lagoon liners and MEI & Process which was awarded to three contractors for delivery.

The key features of the Berri Barmera Reuse Scheme include:

• Treated effluent is used as irrigation water in local golf courses and parklands, reducing reliance on the River Murray and providing local companies with process water and a disposal path for industrial wastewater.

• Enables wastewater collected from approximately 4,000 septic tank connections to be carried to the wastewater treatment plants where treatment includes filtration and chlorination and is then transported by pipelines to its reuse destination.

• Pumping stations and approximately 32km of pipelines enable the easy transfer of treated effluent across the network, which makes it possible for other potential contributors of wastewater or end users of treated water to join the network.

• The New Facilities involve mature treatment technology comprising enhanced lagoon-based treatment with HDPE lined facultative lagoons followed by filtration with screen filters and chlorination prior to distribution to four main reuse sites. They produce 600ML of Class B standard treated effluent per annum.

For more information visit: www.trility.com.au and www.berribarmera.sa.gov.au

PrOViDinG trEAtMEnt AnD rEusE sChEMEs tO sAtisfy thE nEEDs Of COMMunitiEs AnD inDustry


We have Evaporation and Algae controlled

Significant water savings have recently been achieved through the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline Project, replacing 17,500 km of open earthen channels with a 9,000 km large-scale pressurised pipeline system. Further savings are achievable by using optimisation processes to refine system operating procedures.

Water can also be saved by reducing losses from balancing storages. Given the climate of GWM Water’s operational area, there is the potential to achieve water savings by reducing evaporative losses from all storages across the region.

Evaporation in Ouyen, VictoriaOuyen loses up to 2.5 metres of water annually to evaporation – this equates to a loss of 200 million litres of water from the 8 hectare Ouyen water storages annually.

The 2 hectare deployment of AquaArmourTM on the Ouyen water storage will save up to 45 million litres annually – enough water to supply three quarters of the entire town’s population of 1,100 people with their annual water requirements (based on Victorian Government’s 155 Water Initiative for Melbourne) year after year.

GWM Water is excited about the AquaArmourTM technology trial being undertaken in collaboration with Aqua Guardian Group. They believe that the product has the potential to deliver the desired water savings with no impact on water quality.

For more information on AquaArmourTM contact Aqua Guardian Group T: +61 3 8530 2000 F: +61 3 8530 2020 or email [email protected] www.aquaguardiangroup.com

Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water save for the futureGWM Water is constantly investigating ways to save water, be it through improving the efficiency of system operation or by reducing losses incurred through their supply systems.

AquaArmourTM is an exciting new product for the prevention of evaporation and the reduction of algal growth for major water storages and dams.This product is specifically designed to be deployed in exposed conditions on major water storages populating a cover to any size. Moreover, this product requires minimal infrastructure and maintenance. It is simple to deploy and is highly cost efficient in capturing and securing the precious resource of water.

AquaArmourTM provides a very real solution for a very real problem to provide greater water security for all users.

AquaArmourTM has been designed, engineered and is manufactured in Australia.

For more information on AquaArmourTM contact Aqua Guardian GroupT: +61 3 8530 2000 F: +61 3 8530 2020 or email [email protected]

Check your evaporation level online www.aquaguardiangroup.com

A proudly Australian product developed by


We have Evaporation and Algae controlled

Significant water savings have recently been achieved through the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline Project, replacing 17,500 km of open earthen channels with a 9,000 km large-scale pressurised pipeline system. Further savings are achievable by using optimisation processes to refine system operating procedures.

Water can also be saved by reducing losses from balancing storages. Given the climate of GWM Water’s operational area, there is the potential to achieve water savings by reducing evaporative losses from all storages across the region.

Evaporation in Ouyen, VictoriaOuyen loses up to 2.5 metres of water annually to evaporation – this equates to a loss of 200 million litres of water from the 8 hectare Ouyen water storages annually.

The 2 hectare deployment of AquaArmourTM on the Ouyen water storage will save up to 45 million litres annually – enough water to supply three quarters of the entire town’s population of 1,100 people with their annual water requirements (based on Victorian Government’s 155 Water Initiative for Melbourne) year after year.

GWM Water is excited about the AquaArmourTM technology trial being undertaken in collaboration with Aqua Guardian Group. They believe that the product has the potential to deliver the desired water savings with no impact on water quality.

For more information on AquaArmourTM contact Aqua Guardian Group T: +61 3 8530 2000 F: +61 3 8530 2020 or email [email protected] www.aquaguardiangroup.com

Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water save for the futureGWM Water is constantly investigating ways to save water, be it through improving the efficiency of system operation or by reducing losses incurred through their supply systems.

AquaArmourTM is an exciting new product for the prevention of evaporation and the reduction of algal growth for major water storages and dams.This product is specifically designed to be deployed in exposed conditions on major water storages populating a cover to any size. Moreover, this product requires minimal infrastructure and maintenance. It is simple to deploy and is highly cost efficient in capturing and securing the precious resource of water.

AquaArmourTM provides a very real solution for a very real problem to provide greater water security for all users.

AquaArmourTM has been designed, engineered and is manufactured in Australia.

For more information on AquaArmourTM contact Aqua Guardian GroupT: +61 3 8530 2000 F: +61 3 8530 2020 or email [email protected]

Check your evaporation level online www.aquaguardiangroup.com

A proudly Australian product developed by

Spilling and leaching toxic dirt, mud and water pollution into nearby land and waterways affects employees, residents and the local environment. Road stabilisation is important in maintaining our landscapes integrity by stopping the leaching of water based and airborne pollution, preventing hard panning and increased salt content of soils, protecting native land and increasing the strength of roads and embankments.

Water$ave Flobind is used for soil erosion control, road stablisation, dam sealing and hydroseeding. Water$ave DS is an effective dust stabilising agent for civil and commercial construction sites; open cut and underground mines; coal stock pile management; quarries and landfills; unpaved roads; parking lots and open areas; dirt roads; airstrips and other dust prone areas. Water$ave DS offers a quick, safe and cost effective solution that reduces the amount and the frequency of cart watering.

SAP Range absorb large quantities of toxins in

water and hold them stable in removal for mining,

construction and governments roadways; dredging and

other industrial waste water affected areas. Toxic water

issues are dealt with quickly and they reduces damage

to the surrounding environment.

Our Water$ave PT Plantation is effective in the

revegetation and reforestation of roadside trees,

bushes, tube stock and saplings. Water$ave PT

reduces the mortality rate caused by transplant shock

and also enhances root development, encouraging

more rapid growth and production.

Water$ave HY Hydro is used to seed grass on

commercial sites, highways, parks and golf courses,

heavily damaged or burnt land. Once applied to

the soil, it enhances growth by providing an ideal

environment for seed germination thus maximising

plant establishment and holding the components

together preventing loss of material through wind and water erosion.

Water$ave Turf TF is widely used in turf landscaping for decorative lawns, golf courses, bowling greens, parks and gardens. It can be used throughout the growth cycle of lawns and sods, ensuring good germination and fast root development for the even growth of lawns.

Water$ave PL Plug is the best polymer based reservoir sealant that is 100% customised to your specific environment. Whether the leak is in the base, wall, through rock or in any soil type we have the specific Water$ave PL reservoir sealant to put an end to your water loss.

Polymer Innovations will tailor the best solution for your projects. For more information please visit Polymer Innovations website at: www.polymerinnovations.com.au or call 02 6571 5177.

EffiCiEnCiEs in WAtEr hAnDlinG

LEAKING PONDS & RESERVOIRS

ROAD STABILIZATION

HYRDO SEEDING

DUST & ODOUR CONTROL

Customised polymers to assist you to efficiently manage your water.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit : www.polymerinnovations.com.au Email : [email protected]

Ph: 02 6571 5177

PLANTATIONS

Suppliers of Superabsorbent and flocculating polymers to a diverse range of industries: Councils & Waste Management Mining & Construction

Golf Courses & Vineyards Agriculture & Horticulture

Polymer solutions for:

Road Stabilization Dust Pollution Control Sludge & Slimes Handling

Parks & Garden Maintenance Ponds & Reservoir Sealants Revegetation & Reforestation

Lawns & Landscaping Soil & Wind Erosion Control Farm Cropping & Seeding

SLUDGE HANDLING

PARKS & GARDENS


Western australian urBan develoPMent in areas of high groundWater: neW aPProaChes



In Perth, capital city of WA, Urban Development is increasingly occurring on land which has high groundwater. The dilemma can be paraphrased as “either filling the swamp or draining it”.

There are many valid environmental reasons why lowering the groundwater level (draining the swamp) is viewed by many as environmentally unacceptable: these reasons include drying of wetlands, effects on native vegetation, changes to the natural water balance.

Urban development is therefore reliant on importing significant volumes of sand fill to ensure adequate clearance of finished road and lot levels above the groundwater level.

This practice (filling the swamp) also has several adverse environmental consequences, including a gradual levelling of the terrain, greenhouse gas emissions associated with sand supply/transport/compaction, as well as additional wear and tear of sand transport routes.

Until recent years, the land development industry has accepted this practice. However there is an increasing threat of sand supply shortage and consequent risk of severe cost escalation.

It is ironic that high groundwater levels persist in Perth and the South West of WA given the well documented decline in rainfall of about 15 per cent which has occurred throughout the South West of WA since about 1975. It is the rainfall which replenishes the groundwater system by direct infiltration of the rain water through the predominately sandy coastal plain on which the main settlement centres of the South West of WA are located. In many locations the groundwater level is so close to the surface than even the current lower rainfall is sufficient to bring the groundwater level to the surface in winter, although there is a reduction in the runoff component of the water balance.

A major modelling study of the Murray Shire in the South West of WA, referred to as the Murray Drainage and Water Management Plan (DWMP), by Department of Water verifies this concept of groundwater still reaching natural surface in winter even with declining rainfall. The DWMP identifies that urban development will result in a reduction in evaporation and evapotranspiration from natural bush and farmland and a corresponding increase in groundwater levels or surface runoff with urbanisation.

To investigate this issue of urban development in areas of high groundwater a one-day Conference “Hydropolis 2010” was held on 24 November 2010 by the Stormwater Industry Association of WA, supported by the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA). The Conference, attended by over 100 delegates, was addressed by leading scientists and engineers debating a way forward.

The Conference was divided into three sessions:

1. Geotechnical Issues;

2. Groundwater Issues;

3. Department of Water and Local Government perspective.

Commencing the Geotechnical Issues section, Lindsay Stephens (Landform Research Consulting) described the market of sand supply, approved quarry licenses and difficulties of obtaining new extraction licenses mostly associated with land clearing legislation.

In the context of future land development foreshadowed by the State Government Planning Document “Directions 2031” to be on land with high water table, it is clear there is insufficient sand currently available. There is no clear message from Government that this contradiction between planning documents and engineering of land development is being resolved.

Geoff Cocks (Coffey Geotechnical) and Fred Verheyde (Douglas Partners) then described the relevance of

AS2870 Foundations for Residential Buildings where a water table is at shallow depth beneath the surface. It appears there is no geotechnical requirement, in terms of bearing capacity or settlement risk, for any specific clearance between a water table and finished building levels. There is a practical requirement in terms of typically 0.6m depth of dry soil being required to install residential foundations during construction. AS2870 is effectively silent on any required clearance to water table.

The Groundwater Issues session was led by Nicholas Deeks (GHD) explaining the need to protect eco-systems from excessive water table drawdown when designing drainage systems for land development.

A review of the impact of climate change, particularly falling rainfall, on future water tables was presented by Dr Don McFarlane (CSIRO). Don explained that as shallow water tables fall in a drying climate, there is a greater opportunity for infiltration of rainfall to occur so that rainfall recharge into the soil profile increases, resulting in less than expected water table decline.

The buffering effect decreases with increasing depth of the water table and groundwater levels become increasingly more sensitive to a drying climate as a result. This impact would be greater in sands than in clays where groundwater can be perched during wet periods. Urban development in clayey areas with high water tables may therefore not be as advantaged by a hotter/dryer climate as much as areas with waterlogged sands. Don referred to recent research identifying areas where Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) may be feasible to address fall in groundwater levels to enable more water for use and to retain important wetlands and other groundwater dependant eco-systems.

Since the Conference, the topic of MAR has become increasingly relevant and a number of organisations are supporting a pilot MAR project within the Murray DWMP area with the aim, not as Don referred to, but to store excessive volumes of water generated by the



change in land use from native bush or cleared land to urban land.

Indeed MAR is perhaps the greatest opportunity that we have in this part of Australia to both harvest excess surface water and shallow groundwater into confined aquifers for later re-use, whilst at the same time providing a much needed balance between draining land and imported fill requirement.

Alex Rogers (JDA Consultant Hydrologists) described equations for estimating water table mounding between subsoil drains and showed results of measurements taken on a test site in the City of Armadale which had been filled but on which roads and Lots had not yet been created. This site provided an ideal set of real data with which to calibrate soil hydraulic properties (particularly hydraulic conductivity) to estimate the water table mound which occurs between parallel subsoil drains in design rainfall events. Alex’s talk showed that controlling groundwater levels with subsoil drainage, as practiced in many places in the world, is highly practicable providing drains are sufficiently closely spaced adequate access for maintenance and responsibility can be resolved.

Darren Pesich (Wood & Grieve Engineers) provided perhaps the most applied talk of the day titled Holistic Engineering Costs. Darren presented unit costs and rates associated with different forms of land development particularly varying fill depth and foundation type to show how various combinations affect development costs.

In the afternoon session Department of Water speaker Peter Muirden described the Murray DWMP, referred to above, particularly referring to the volume of water likely to be made available by reduced evaporation and evapotranspiration through urban development. It is this water which the Department of Water sees as being available for MAR schemes, which would assist in increasing availability of groundwater for other uses in our highly licensed environment.

A local government prospective was provided by Craig Wansbrough (Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale)

and Markus Botte (City of Gosnells), highlighting the responsibilities they perceive Local Government to inherit from land developers, particularly in the area of subsoil drainage.

Peter Kretschmer (Department of Water) described Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) schemes in South Australia and referred to investigations underway in the Murray DWMP area to identify a target confined aquifer for MAR.

A Plenary Session concluded the day with enthusiastic discussion of the need for issues raised throughout the day to be further investigated in future forums.

The Conference outcomes included the following suggested actions:

• Establish a formal working group to confirm supply and demand for sand;

• Investigate current difficulties in obtaining extractive licenses for sand;

• Progress investigation of alternative sources of fill such as mining industry by-products;

• Consider a shift in residential site classifications and alternative construction techniques with more competitive house foundation designs;

• Provide education for new land and house purchases;

• Ensure that no local authorities are requiring specific site foundation classifications to be achieved;

• Review required controlled levels for groundwater relative to seasonal variation, with focus on median groundwater level rather than current Average Annual Maximum Groundwater Level.

I would like to thank the Conference Organising Committee and the SIA WA Committee for their support in organising the Conference described above.

SIA WA acknowledges financial support for the Conference from ROCLA Pipeline Products, Vindex Systems & Solutions and Humes Water Solutions.

By Dr Jim Davies Chair Stormwater Industry Association of Western Australia (SIA WA)

| AustrAliAn water management rev iew64 Strength. Performance. Passion.

Smart solutions for above and below ground Humes Water Solutions has a great range of precast concrete solutions for

stormwater treatment, detention and infiltration, and harvesting and reuse.

Talk to us today about a custom solution for your next project.

Request a copy of our new harvesting and reuse brochure by calling us on

1300 361 601 or download a copy from humeswatersolutions.com.au today.

Humes Water Solutions is a registered trademark and a registered business name of Holcim (Australia) Pty Ltd ABN 87 099 732 297.

AustrAliAn water management rev iew | 65thE AustrAliAn water management rev iew | 65Strength. Performance. Passion.

Smart solutions for above and below ground Humes Water Solutions has a great range of precast concrete solutions for

stormwater treatment, detention and infiltration, and harvesting and reuse.

Talk to us today about a custom solution for your next project.

Request a copy of our new harvesting and reuse brochure by calling us on

1300 361 601 or download a copy from humeswatersolutions.com.au today.

Humes Water Solutions is a registered trademark and a registered business name of Holcim (Australia) Pty Ltd ABN 87 099 732 297.


When i t opens in 2014, Western Austral ia ’s new f lagship heal th faci l i ty, the Fiona Stanley Hospital , wi l l be a leader in cl inical care, research and educat ion. The hospital took a progressive approach to the faci l i ty ’s design, set t ing new standards in conservat ion and environmental management and developing one of the most technical ly advanced hospitals in Austral ia. Their innovat ion extended to the si te ’s stormwater management solut ion, with the select ion of six underground stormwater detent ion and inf i l t rat ion systems, and a stormwater harvest ing system.

The $2B hospital occupies a 32 hectare site with more than five hectares of natural bushland, landscaped parks, internal gardens, courtyards and plazas. Humes initially won a contract to supply five StormTrap® tanks for stormwater detention but project engineers identified an opportunity to replace a large retaining wall and detention basin with a sixth StormTrap® system. The StormTrap® system was as cost effective as building the retaining wall, while also providing the additional advantage of moving the detention basin below ground and freeing up land for other purposes. This was the largest detention system supplied for the project, with a storage capacity of 3,708m3. Its design included a grated side opening to allow extension and interaction of the basin with nearby vegetated bushland during a high flow event, a

further example of the client’s focus on delivering a water sensitive urban design solution.

With a tight building schedule and a requirement for early completion of the civil drainage works, the StormTrap® system was an ideal fit for the project. Humes delivered approximately 30 units of the stormwater system to site each day. Each piece took approximately 10 minutes to install, with each of the systems completed and ready to be backfilled in less than 10 days. This quick installation allowed the civil and structural works on buildings, roads and car parks to progress without delay.

Designed in accordance with AS5100.2-2004 – Bridge Design Code, the StormTrap® system also provided a fully trafficable solution for the project. This allowed great flexibility in terms of where the systems could be placed within the hospital grounds, with most of the units installed beneath hospital access roads and car parks. It also enabled the Managing Contractor to fully maximise the site for vehicular traffic and storage during construction, even before the finished surface was completed.

Working with the project engineers, Humes also helped to identify an opportunity to replace a fibreglass tank with a 219m3 concrete RainVault stormwater harvesting system. The RainVault system was designed to suit the overhead loadings identified by the engineers, provided ease and speed of installation and ultimately provided a more cost effective stormwater harvesting solution.

PErth’s nEW hEAlth fACility tAkEs innOVAtiOn unDErGrOunD

Project Outl ine

Project : Fiona Stanley Hospital , Murdoch, Western Austral ia

Owner: West Austral ian Government

Managing Contractor: Brookfield Mult iplex

Engineer: BG & E

Principal subcontractor: Downer Edi Works

Sub-contractor: TC Drainage

Product supplied: StormTrap® detent ion / inf i l t rat ion systems consist ing of six 3,000mm DoubleTrap® systems for a total of 12,165m3 storage (527 units) and nine 1,500mm SingleTrap® systems for a total of 245m3 storage (30 units)

A RainVault™ stormwater harvest ing tank with a storage capaci ty of 219m3


The RainVault™ system at Riverstone Crossing is now one of the largest precast concrete stormwater management structures in Austral ia.

The 1ML system will irrigate one hectare of entry

statements, parklands and open spaces at Stockland’s

new Riverstone Crossing residential community at

Upper Coomera. Stormwater will be diverted from

the main drainage system, through primary and

secondary filters, stored in the RainVault ™ system,

and then provide a sustainable and cost effective

water supply for the community. “There’s considerable

merit in reducing reliance on mains supply of potable

water with systems like RainVault™” says Col Dutton,

Regional Manager – Gold Coast and Northern NSW

of Stockland Residential Communities. “Increasing

numbers of land and home buyers now expect

sustainability to be part of the communities in which

they live. Through our partnership with Humes we’ve

been able to deliver a reduction in this community’s

long-term potable water demand, combined with the

benefit of enhanced parklands and open space areas,

a trademark of Stockland Residential Communities,”

Dutton said.

Humes worked closely with Morton’s Urban Solutions

to develop a customised system to efficiently collect

the stormwater and remove pollutants. A Humegard™

gross pollutant trap, the primary filter, captures litter

greater than 5mm such as plastic bottles, cigarette

butts and vegetation while two Humeceptor™ units,

the secondary filters retain contaminants including

free and floating oils, grease, hydrocarbon and

petroleum products and fine suspended solids. These

filtration devices work in unison with the RainVault™

system to deliver a sustainable water management

plan for Riverstone Crossing.

The RainVault™ system also gave Stockland greater

use of their land. As a fully trafficable underground

structure the system can withstand loads under car

parks, driveways and park areas with no impact on

above ground real estate. The massive structure was

installed four metres below ground, and comprised of

six precast concrete storage barrels each made up of

20 reinforced concrete sections and two end units.

In addition to being the largest project of this

scale to be constructed with precast concrete

components, the new 1ML RainVault™ system

is also the first of its size to be installed in an

Australian residential community. Riverstone

Crossing was the winner of the Stormwater

Industry Association of Queensland’s (SIAQ)

‘Stormwater Harvesting Re-use’ Award for 2008.

The RainVault™ system is available in various models

and storage designs to suit varying capacities, site

geometry, and the location of other services. Where

site geometry allows, larger capacity storages are

recommended to be designed in two or more lineal

components to provide primary, secondary and

tertiary storage chambers.

“ThrouGh our parTnerShIp WITh humeS We’ve been able To delIver a reducTIon In ThIS communITy’S lonG Term poTable WaTer demand.” -Col Dutton, Regional Manager Gold Coast & Northern NSW Stockland Residential Communities

stOCklAnD DEVElOPMEnt COMMits tO 1Ml stOrMWAtEr sOlutiOn

National award for the RainVault™

Humes’ RainVault™ has been named the 2008 Environmental Product of the Year by the Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Associat ion of Austral ia. The RainVault™ system was recognised for i ts design f lexibi l i ty, both in terms of i ts modular configurat ion and load bearing capaci ty, which makes i t adaptable to almost any si te constraints.


storMWateran iMPortant Part of the Mix



With a mandate to secure the state’s water resources, South Australia’s Department for Water is focusing on diversity of supply and resource management to overcome the issues of population

growth and climate change.

The recent drought, combined with long-term over allocation of the River Murray, showed that it was more important than ever to reduce the state’s reliance on water from the River, and the Adelaide Desalination Project is one way in which this will be achieved.

When fully operational, the plant will be able to produce 100 gigalitres a year, helping to secure Adelaide’s mains water supply during dry periods and to meet future demand.

The state’s water reform blueprint, the Water for Good plan, was introduced in 2009 to ensure South Australia’s water future to 2050. Its focus is to diversify water supply and improve the management of all water resources, both climate and non-climate dependent.

The state is already a national leader in stormwater harvesting, wastewater recycling, rain water tank ownership and irrigation efficiency. A key target of Water for Good is to recycle 45 per cent of wastewater from urban areas across the State by 2013, and we are currently on track to meet this target.

Water for Good also anticipates the capacity to harvest 20 gigalitres of stormwater a year in Greater Adelaide by 2013 and 60 gigalitres by 2050.

With Commonwealth assistance through the Special Call for Stormwater Harvesting and Reuse Projects, and a partnership between the Department for Water, SA Water, the Natural Resources Management Board, the Department for Environment and Natural Resources and local government, nine projects are under way across metropolitan Adelaide.

They are:

1. Waterproofing the South Stage Two – City of

Onkaparinga

2. Waterproofing the West Stage One – City of

Charles Sturt

3. Water for the Future – City of Playford

4. Unity Park Biofiltration – City of Salisbury

5. Adelaide Botanic Gardens – Department of

Environment and Natural Resources

6. Adelaide Airport Scheme – SA Water

7. Barker Inlet Scheme – SA Water

8. Unley Scheme – City of Unley

9. Oaklands Park Wetland Project – City

of Marion

These projects will harvest more than 8 gigaltires

of stormwater a year to offset potable supplies at a

total cost of over $145m, with construction due to be

completed by mid-2013. These projects, along with the

many others happening across our state, will help us

to exceed the ambitious stormwater harvesting target of

20 gigalitres by 2013, nearly quadrupling the amount of

stormwater that could be harvested in 2009.

Building on these projects, the South Australian

Government has developed the Stormwater

Strategy – The Future of Stormwater Management

to provide a comprehensive ‘road map’ for future

stormwater management.

Importantly, the strategy highlights how individual urban

water resources can no longer be managed in isolation:

stormwater should not be managed independently of

wastewater, and strong flood-mitigation measures must

be incorporated into urban design, making Adelaide a

water-sensitive city.

The strategy outlines nine actions which are

considered essential in achieving successful

stormwater management.

They include developing an integrated ‘blueprint’ for

urban stormwater and wastewater by 2014, introducing

interim targets for water sensitive urban design,

identifying ways to improve stormwater infrastructure,

completing further studies to improve stormwater

knowledge and commissioning a scientific research

program to underpin urban water policy.

The blueprint will be the first of its kind in Australia and

will help to ensure the state remains a national leader in

water management.

State and local government, academia, industry and the

community will be working together to implement the

strategy’s nine actions. This unified approach is vital

to ensure that the state makes the most of this highly

valuable, fit-for-purpose resource.

Water sensitive urban design (WSUD) is another

important way of protecting and valuing water resources.

Water for Good identifies WSUD “as a method of

planning and designing urban landscapes in ways that

support a great lifestyle and supporting sustained – and

more suitable – population and economic growth”.

The South Australian Government is developing a

WSUD policy statement that will set targets for new

development and outline how the government will

support an increased uptake of WSUD approaches in

the urban environment. In becoming a water-sensitive

city with mandated water sensitive urban design and

integrated water management, South Australia will

maintain the leading edge in water management.

By combining increased stormwater capture and re-use

with a range of climate and non-climate dependent

resources, and continuing to demonstrate water wise

behaviour in our homes, schools and businesses, we

will ensure we have a secure and diverse water supply

for South Australians.

For more information about Water for Good and the

Stormwater Strategy, visit www.waterforgood.sa.gov.au


Breathing life into the urban environment

Australia’s leading manufacturer of quality concrete building and landscaping products www.adbrimasonry.com.au

More than just a paver, permeable pavements are the visible starting point to a simple, environmentally effective, water saving system beneath the surface.

With constant water restrictions and ever growing urban land development, architects and designers are under increasing pressure to incorporate water management systems that maximise the use of water resources.

When an Ecopave® permeable pavement system is installed, a series of drainage holes are formed in the pavement surface. These drainage holes are filled with a small aggregate to allow water to filtrate through the surface layers, minimising stormwater run off, downstream flooding and pollution problems, with the added benefit of reducing the need for costly underground retention systems.

Although permeable pavements are an effective structural solution, with obvious environmental

benefits, permeable paving itself does not create a

sustainable water management system. Permeable

paving together with an appropriate basecourse

and sub-base material, is needed for the successful

filtration of stormwater for either harvesting, slowing

the rate of runoff, or re-introducing runoff into ground

water tables. As seen in projects such as Sydney

Olympic Park, as well as many other projects big and

small across Australia, permeable paving systems are

a practical and effective solution to water management

issues in Australia. Available in a number of made to

order colours and finishes, Adbri Masonry’s Ecopave®

permeable pavement system is the inspired solution

for permeable paving projects.

Need a breath of life in your next project?

Call Adbri Masonry on 1300 365 565 or visit www.adbrimasonry.com.au/permeable

Ecotrihex® - 181mm x 88mm x 80mm thick

Poorly Maintained Drainage Systems Are Putting Our Community

& Environment At RiskAs the photo to the left show, storm water drainage runoff is full of contaminants, ranging from physical nasties such as syringes and condoms as well as regular community waste such as bottles, cans, and packaging. On top of all the physical contaminants there are also the organic contaminants that are breeding grounds for diseases and cause a lot of harm to our natural environment.

In Australia, the maintenance undertaken on most city drainage systems is minimal at best, this results in the drains not being properly cleaned or emptied until the drain has flooded. This often means that public places such as parks or reserves become flooded and are covered by the physical and organic contaminants, which are completely unsafe for the community and the environment.

Apart from the poor maintenance, In Australia we also have a serious underground infrastructure problem. The drainage systems are primarily concrete and steel, which are both corrosive materials that are completely outdated. There are new alternative materials that are superior in many ways that should be used for replacements and all future drainage work.

We all need to work together to alter the existing infrastructure throughout Australia and ensure that from here on, all future drainage systems are environmentally friendly and safe for our community

For almost a decade now, SmartStream has been actively monitoring, cleaning, maintaining and reporting on Council and Private drain-age infrastructure assets, in the economical and practical method.

With over 10 years experience offering specialist services of complete management over every aspect of any Storm water Drainage Catch-ment network, Smartstream are Australia’s leading experts when it comes to drainage systems.

Shane Wormall, one of Australia’s leading drainage experts and founder of SmartStream is keen to promote and work with both government and private organisations to alter the existing infrastructure throughout Aus-tralia and ensure that from here on, environmentally friendly and safe systems and used.

Shane is currently offering a Free 15 minute “Drainage Phone Consul-tation” that will let you discuss any of your existing drainage problems, your future design projects or any possible drain maintenance issues to may have. Shane will provide your with his expert advice and put you into contact with the right people who suit your specific situation.

FREE “Expert Drainage Advice”To take Shane up on his generous offer of a FREE “Drainage Phone Consultation” valued at $97. Please get in touch in one of the following ways and a time will be arranged for Shane to give you a call back.

Phone: 08 9449 1000Email: [email protected]

As Shane is very busy, he can only take 10 FREE phone consultations each month, so ensure you get in now to avoid disappointment.

Poorly Maintained Drainage Systems Are Putting Our Community

& Environment At RiskAs the photo to the left show, storm water drainage runoff is full of contaminants, ranging from physical nasties such as syringes and condoms as well as regular community waste such as bottles, cans, and packaging. On top of all the physical contaminants there are also the organic contaminants that are breeding grounds for diseases and cause a lot of harm to our natural environment.

In Australia, the maintenance undertaken on most city drainage systems is minimal at best, this results in the drains not being properly cleaned or emptied until the drain has flooded. This often means that public places such as parks or reserves become flooded and are covered by the physical and organic contaminants, which are completely unsafe for the community and the environment.

Apart from the poor maintenance, In Australia we also have a serious underground infrastructure problem. The drainage systems are primarily concrete and steel, which are both corrosive materials that are completely outdated. There are new alternative materials that are superior in many ways that should be used for replacements and all future drainage work.

We all need to work together to alter the existing infrastructure throughout Australia and ensure that from here on, all future drainage systems are environmentally friendly and safe for our community

For almost a decade now, SmartStream has been actively monitoring, cleaning, maintaining and reporting on Council and Private drain-age infrastructure assets, in the economical and practical method.

With over 10 years experience offering specialist services of complete management over every aspect of any Storm water Drainage Catch-ment network, Smartstream are Australia’s leading experts when it comes to drainage systems.

Shane Wormall, one of Australia’s leading drainage experts and founder of SmartStream is keen to promote and work with both government and private organisations to alter the existing infrastructure throughout Aus-tralia and ensure that from here on, environmentally friendly and safe systems and used.

Shane is currently offering a Free 15 minute “Drainage Phone Consul-tation” that will let you discuss any of your existing drainage problems, your future design projects or any possible drain maintenance issues to may have. Shane will provide your with his expert advice and put you into contact with the right people who suit your specific situation.

FREE “Expert Drainage Advice”To take Shane up on his generous offer of a FREE “Drainage Phone Consultation” valued at $97. Please get in touch in one of the following ways and a time will be arranged for Shane to give you a call back.

Phone: 08 9449 1000Email: [email protected]

As Shane is very busy, he can only take 10 FREE phone consultations each month, so ensure you get in now to avoid disappointment.


By Terry van Kalken and Stefan Szylkarski ; DHI, Dan Berry and Nachi Nachiappan; NSW State Water and John Skinner; Water for Rivers

Background

As South-Eastern Australia recovers from its worst drought on record, the experience has driven new innovations for achieving water efficiencies, including better river management. The Murrumbidgee River was first highlighted in the Pratt Water report of 2004 as an example of where major water savings could be realised through infrastructure upgrades and smarter river operations. Murrumbidgee means “big water” in the local Wiradjuri aboriginal language. The river is one of Australia’s longest at 1600km, and it is a major source of irrigation water to the Riverina region in NSW as well as an important source of water to the river wetlands. However, its management is a complicated task. The complex nature of the river system, coupled with the critical need to meet irrigation, environmental, and town water demands, often results in excess water being released from the headwater storages which are surplus to the actual requirements.

Now, NSW State Water, the river operator, supported by Water for Rivers (www.waterforrivers.org.au), have embarked on a $65m upgrade of the river management and operational system that will set a benchmark for efficient river operations in Australia and internationally. The Murrumbidgee Computer Aided River Management (CARM) project will make control of water flows and dam

releases more precise and efficient through a combination of upgrades to river infrastructure, metering, operational modelling and information systems. Operational improvements will be realised through the integration of river monitoring, extraction metering, hydrodynamic river models and optimisation software systems. The system will support efficient and frequent decision making by river operators to ensure that the most efficient operational settings are achieved and that irrigators, environmental and other customers receive the right amount of water at the right location at the right time. The decision support system represents world’s best practise in river operations.

Current river management practice

State Water currently operates the Murrumbidgee River system, which includes the Yanco-Billabong Creek offtakes, through dam releases from the headwater storages at Burrinjuck and Blowering Dams and through an additional 10 re-regulation weirs and two off-line storages along the river. Irrigation is by far the largest user of river water in the basin, with two of the largest irrigation supply companies, Murrumbidgee Irrigation and Coleambally Irrigation accounting for approximately 70 per cent of water use. These are supplied by dedicated offtake canals located between 5-7 days travel time downstream of the dams. In addition to hundreds of private irrigators extract water directly from the river by pumping. Releases from the headwaters can take up to 28 days to reach some irrigators at the tail end of the system. Environmental customers are also increasingly important, and the catchment includes significant wetlands including

Lowbidgee, one of the most important waterbird breeding sites in the region. Large towns that also depend on the river for their water supplies include Gundagai, Wagga Wagga, Hay and Balranald.

Current river operations rely heavily on the experience and judgement of the river operator and are based on simple water balance modelling concepts. These models do not take into account the complexities of the catchment flow processes or river flow dynamics. Providing reliable water deliveries to customers located, in some cases, many weeks of travel time downstream of the dams is particularly challenging. Consequently dam releases often exceed actual demands, which lead to significant water loss. This is because, once released, water is removed from the basin due to much higher evaporation and evapotranspiration rates in the lower part of the river system compared to the headwaters. The main drivers leading to this operational surplus have been identified (SKM 2010b) as being due to unaccounted changes in channel storage, unaccounted tributary inflows and late changes in irrigation water orders. As a result, almost 12 per cent of the annual 4200GL of regulated flows is currently unaccounted for, (SKM 2010a).

Improving the process for the identification of unaccounted losses, and reducing operational surpluses requires modelling tools capable of reproducing the key physical behaviour of the catchment and the river system, which can then form the basis for optimal dam release and weir operation strategies.

Computer Aided River Management System

The river operations decision support system being implemented by DHI is being built around DHI’s Solution Software technology. The CARM ‘engine’ comprises a suite of MIKE by DHI computer simulation models that accurately reproduce the key catchment runoff and river flow processes: tributary inflows; continuously variable river flow travel times; in-channel storage dynamics; evaporation; evapotranspiration from riparian vegetation and near-river groundwater exchange.

The system will integrate the models with real time measurements from State Water’s on-line data and control systems, and will provide a range of fully customised decision support user interfaces for the river operators.

The CARM will make full use of existing and new monitoring data, including rainfall measurements and forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology, river flows and levels, as well as pumped extractions from real time metering that is being implemented as part of the project. Tributary inflows will be

iMPrOVinG riVEr EffiCiEnCy a compuTer aIded rIver manaGemenT SySTem (carmS) for The murrumbIdGee rIver, auSTralIa


forecast using hydrological models, utilising both rainfall observations and Bureau forecasts. These will feed into a MIKE 11 hydrodynamic river simulation model that is being developed for the entire Murrumbidgee-Yanco Creek system, incorporating over 2000km of river channels and floodplains. Real time water level and flow measurements will be used to automatically update the model state so that it continuously emulates the real river behaviour exactly. Near-river bank and groundwater exchanges, which were previously unaccounted, as well as evapotranspiration along the riparian margin, will be simulated using a MIKE SHE integrated surface groundwater interaction model, fully coupled to the MIKE 11 river model. This will ensure continuous dynamic coupling between groundwater behaviour in the alluvium of the river and the dynamic water levels in the river. With these integrated models it will possible to understand the relationship between dam release operations and groundwater changes within the riparian zone.

The hydrologic and hydrodynamic models will form the basis for the optimisation of the river system’s day to day operations. By utilising forecasts of river inflows and real time water orders, coupled with the ability to reproduce the river behaviour, it is possible to optimise the operation of the dam releases and the downstream re-regulation weirs, with the objective to meet all water demands while at the same time minimising releases from the headwater storages.

Environmental flows and flood control

The hydrodynamic model will allow for a high level of control of the river, and allow State Water to

accurately target both irrigation requirements and the watering of key habitats including the Lowbidgee Wetlands. When combined with the optimisation tool, the hydrodynamic model can synchronise releases to “piggyback” on tributary inflows to inundate environmental assets and wetlands.

Flood operations can be similarly optimised to mitigate the impacts of dam releases during flood events by avoiding synchronization of dam releases with downstream tributary peak inflows.

Proven concept

In a proof of concept for the upper parts of the system (dams to Narrandera) based on historical measurements, the CARM optimised solution has been shown to significantly reduce dam releases without compromising irrigation water security. Two periods selected, October-November 2006 (dry) and December 2007-January 2008 (wet), were previously identified as periods where significant operational surpluses had occurred. The optimized solution reduced the dry period releases from 441GL to 351GL, a saving of 90GL or 20%, and in the wet period reduced releases from 181GL to 94GL, a saving of 87GL, or 48%. These savings were achieved whilst still meeting all virtually all 6 day and 1 day demands for Murrumbidgee Irrigation and water orders further downstream of Narrandera. Real water savings are realised through a reduction in river operating levels, which means less water is lost through evaporation and evapotranspiration.

Decision support system

The new modelling and optimisation tools will be embedded into a state-of-the art decision

support system being developed for State Water. The CARM decision support system will support all of State Water’s business processes related to the river, including real time river operations, supplementary flow planning, environmental releases, flood operations and operations planning. The CARM system will provide river operators with real time access to State Water’s monitoring and control systems, including metered water usage, customer orders and SCADA systems. Operators will also be able to view river levels and flows in real time via the river monitoring network and the latest weather forecasts from the Bureau of Meteorology. The system is based around an open and modular architecture, allowing State Water to expand and customise the system, and to take advantage of future advances in modelling and monitoring technology. The CARM system will allow full automatic control of the river operations, but with manual intervention possible at any time. The system is currently on track to be fully operational by the end of 2012.

Benefits

The higher level of water control possible with the new system will mean positive outcomes for all users — including the environment — along the river: improved levels of service delivery in some parts of the system; more reliable delivery to all water users; greater technology options for irrigators; improving the equity for water delivery between water users; efficient flood operations to mitigate the flood impacts downstream of the dams and more confidence in the operation and measurement of the Murrumbidgee system. River operators will have access to all the information required to make informed and optimal decisions for river operations and for operational planning.

Despite an end to the drought and a return to wetter conditions, it is inevitable that drier periods will return in the future. By that time the Murrumbidgee River will be well established as one of the most efficiently regulated river systems in the world, meeting the needs of irrigators whilst also improving environmental outcomes for all river users.

References

Pratt Water (2005); “The Business of Saving Water: The Report of the Murrumbidgee Valley Water Efficiency Feasibility Project”, Dec 2004.

SKM (2010a), “Water Balance Study for Murrumbidgee River”, Stage 1 Report prepared for State Water, June 2010

SKM (2010b), “Operational Surplus Assessment”, Draft Report prepared for State Water, June 2011

Yanco Diversion Weir on the Murrumbidgee River

| AustrAliAn water management rev iew74 | thE AustrAliAn water management rev iew74

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The Australian Water Management Review is an

independent voice for the Australian water industry

and a well-established member of the APRS resource

publications. With regular editorial contributions from

leading water industry associations, the Australian Water

Management Review is an indispensible tool for any

company looking to reach the industry’s key decision

makers or for individuals to keep abreast of the latest

trends and projects within the Australian water industry.

Although the Australian Water Management Review is

produced as a bi-annual publication, the very latest news

from within the Australian water industry can be found

online at the APRS new portal:

“Voice for the Water Industry”

www.aprs.com.au/water-news

The magazine and water news portal are packed full of

content that is always aimed at the discerning reader who

is interested in quality, style, and informative editorial.

If you would like to subscribe to the free digital eBook of

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A u s t r a l i a ’s c o n n e c t i o n b e t w e e n p u b l i c a n d p r i v a t e s e c t o r s

ISSUE 1 2011

I S S U E 6 . 2

A U S T R A L I A N

WATERMANAGEMENTREVIEW


Software ’s analysis tools identi fy cr i t ical mains, saving ut i l i ty about AUD 200,000

From manual identification to simulation analysis

Barwon Water, the largest regional urban water corporation in the state of Victoria, Australia, provides world-class water, sewerage, and recycled water services to more than 275,000 people across 8,100 square kilometers. Its AUD 1.138 billion asset base includes 5,781 kilometers of pipes, 10 major reservoirs, 10 water treatment plants, and nine water reclamation plants. The utility deployed Bentley’s WaterGEMS water distribution modeling software, integrated with their geographic information system (GIS), to simulate shutdowns and measure the impact on system performance.

A key performance indicator (KPI) for customer service is the number of customers affected by planned and unplanned supply interruptions. WaterGEMS helped Barwon Water identify critical mains, defined as pipes that would interrupt service for a large number of customers should shutdowns occur. Prior to deploying WaterGEMS, identifying and quantifying every critical element in the utility’s water distribution system would have been too manually intensive and required a great deal of analysis.

Hydraulic modeling for criticality

The use of hydraulic modeling capabilities has made it easier for the utility to “fail” a pipe and assess its impact on the system. The criticality analysis tool in WaterGEMS allows users to automatically simulate the shutdown of each individual segment of the system and determine the impact on performance.

How critical each pipe is to the system is automatically based on the number of customers that would be affected should the pipe fail. The criticality analysis results are then presented graphically in Barwon Water’s GIS system. This helps operations and planning personnel to access the information and to more efficiently plan network improvements and optimise asset management decisions.

Barwon Water’s system includes 30 network models. Pressure zones range from as few as 100 properties to more than 20,000. The report generated from WaterGEMS is based on the percentage of the zones’ water demand that’s not meeting defined minimum pressure levels. (The analysis is run with three defined minimum pressure scenarios.) In the Oracle database, the percentage of demand affected is linked to the number of lots affected. A scoring number is utilised based on the number of affected customers. A weighting factor is allocated on each defined minimum pressure. This score is then used to classify the level of criticality.

Improved productivity

A critical pipe layer was created in Barwon Water’s GIS Oracle Spatial database, which the utility had successfully integrated with WaterGEMS. The use of GIS data via a direct connection to the Oracle Spatial database has made the model building process more efficient. Because the criticality analysis results are visualised in the GIS system, the distribution of vital information to planning, operations, and management staff in Barwon Water has been accelerated.

The efficient schematic process of critical mains identification, shown below, has enabled Barwon Water to save an estimated two years of work, which corresponds to a cost saving of about AUD 200,000, while improving the accuracy of the results when compared to a manual, error-prone process.

Community impact

Another of Barwon Water’s objectives was to ensure that all water and sewerage systems and services are efficient and effective, and that they meet both legal and government requirements, as well as community expectations. This project enabled Barwon Water to optimise asset management decisions and more reliably meet customer service targets for planned/unplanned interruptions to supply, which will improve the overall quality of service to customers.

BArWOn WAtEr usEs WAtErGEMs® tO iMPrOVE PrODuCtiVity, AssEt MAnAGEMEnt, AnD CustOMEr sErViCE

Fast facts

• Manual identification of critical pipes would be too time-consuming and highly subject to human error, so a more efficient process was needed

• Barwon Water’s critical main analysis using hydraulic models saved the organisation AUD 200,000

• The graphical representation of criticality results helps operations and planning personnel plan network improvements more efficiently

• Overall quality of service to customers improved as a result of improved asset management

“WaTerGemS helped barWon WaTer IdenTIfy crIT Ical maInS, defIned aS pIpeS ThaT Would InTerrupT ServIce for a larGe number of cuSTomerS Should ShuTdoWnS occur.”

Find out about Bentley at: www.bentley.com/APRS

Contact Bentley+61 7 3270 [email protected]


The Industry’s Most Widely Used Water Modelling Software

WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS

With WaterGEMS® and WaterCAD®, analyse and design water distribution systems, from fire flow and water quality simulations, to flushing and water loss analyses. With HAMMER®, determine appropriate surge control strate-gies and reduce transients.

SANITARY & COMBINED SEWERS

From urban sewer planning, to overflow remediation analysis, to detailed network design, SewerGEMS® and SewerCAD® are designed to give you more time for engineering.

STORMWATER DRAINAGE

From site development to municipal studies, Bentley’s stormwater prod-ucts offer solutions for every aspect of stormwater management. Select among CivilStorm®, StormCAD®, PondPack®, and hydraulic calculators like CulvertMaster® and FlowMaster.

Contact us: Toll free (Australia): 1800 245 005 Toll free (New Zealand): 0800 444 046 Email: [email protected]

www.bentley.com/NRWM

© 2008 Bentley Systems, Incorporated. Bentley, the “B” Bentley logo, CivilStorm, HAMMER, MicroStation, PondPack, SewerGEMS, SewerCAD, StormCAD, WaterCAD, and WaterGEMS are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

Select the best pipe sizes

Plan repair & replacement expenditures

Save pumping energy

Improve system operation

Design site drainage systems

Design site drainage systemsDesign an efficient system


Save pumping engery

Manage & reduce water losses

Plan repair & replacement expendituresMinimize flooding & overflows

Minimize flooding & overflows

Major water network operators like Brisbane City Council, ActewAGL Water Division, SA Water, and Barwon Water all rely on Bentley products every day.

WTR_SWR_STM_ad_NRWM_A4.indd 1 12/3/08 2:35:55 PM

The Industry’s Most Widely Used Water Modelling Software

WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS

With WaterGEMS® and WaterCAD®, analyse and design water distribution systems, from fire flow and water quality simulations, to flushing and water loss analyses. With HAMMER®, determine appropriate surge control strate-gies and reduce transients.

SANITARY & COMBINED SEWERS

From urban sewer planning, to overflow remediation analysis, to detailed network design, SewerGEMS® and SewerCAD® are designed to give you more time for engineering.

STORMWATER DRAINAGE

From site development to municipal studies, Bentley’s stormwater prod-ucts offer solutions for every aspect of stormwater management. Select among CivilStorm®, StormCAD®, PondPack®, and hydraulic calculators like CulvertMaster® and FlowMaster.

Contact us: Toll free (Australia): 1800 245 005 Toll free (New Zealand): 0800 444 046 Email: [email protected]

www.bentley.com/NRWM

© 2008 Bentley Systems, Incorporated. Bentley, the “B” Bentley logo, CivilStorm, HAMMER, MicroStation, PondPack, SewerGEMS, SewerCAD, StormCAD, WaterCAD, and WaterGEMS are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

Select the best pipe sizes

Plan repair & replacement expenditures

Save pumping energy


Design site drainage systems

Design site drainage systemsDesign an efficient system


Save pumping engery

Manage & reduce water losses

Plan repair & replacement expendituresMinimize flooding & overflows

Minimize flooding & overflows

Major water network operators like Brisbane City Council, ActewAGL Water Division, SA Water, and Barwon Water all rely on Bentley products every day.

WTR_SWR_STM_ad_NRWM_A4.indd 1 12/3/08 2:35:55 PM

System Effi ciency DeliveredExperience the power of Bentley’s integratedsoftware solutions for water utilities

The Industry ChallengeAging water and wastewater infrastructure in need of phased upgrades, combined with population growth, pose major operational challenges for utilities - putting system effi ciency and reliability at constant risk

The SolutionBentley’s water solution provides water professionals from utilities, municipalities, and consulting fi rms with software tools for:

• Intelligent planning for system reliability

• Accurate operations modeling for sustem effi ciency

• Reliable asses renewal decision suppose for system sustainability

• Leveraging existing CAD and GIS data for improved productivity

Contact Us:

Toll free (Australia): 1800 245 005Toll free (New Zealand) 0800 444 046Email: [email protected]

www.bentley.com/APRS

© 2011 Bentley Systems, Incorporated. Bentley, the “B” Bentley logo, and WaterGEMS are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

In 2006 the Queensland Government released its Central Queensland Regional Water Supply Strategy, which identified Nathan Dam as the preferred short to medium-term water supply solution in

Queensland’s Dawson-Callide sub-region.

Through the Statewide Water Policy, it then allocated funding of $120 million for the design and construction of Nathan Dam and associated pipelines, subject to the Commonwealth Government’s approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

In July 2007 SunWater was appointed as the proponent to develop a business case for the project. As part of the business case development, detailed studies are being undertaken to determine optimal dam and pipeline design and costs, expected water availability and demands, and the overall environmental, social and economic impacts of the project.

The proposed Nathan Dam is located 2km upstream of Nathan Gorge on the Dawson River, approximately 70km downstream of Taroom and 315km upstream from where the Dawson and Fitzroy Rivers meet. The dam will have a capacity of up to 888,000 megalitres and Full Supply Level of 183.5 metres Australian height datum (mAHD).

Water from the dam will be transported via a trunk pipeline to mines, power stations and towns in the Surat Basin. Water will also be released downstream to towns, mines, and existing irrigation customers along the Dawson River and mines in the Southern Bowen Basin.

The Nathan Pipeline will run from the dam through the Surat Basin potentially as far as Dalby with a total potential length of 260km.

SunWater is committed to delivering the project to secure water for the Surat Basin and the Dawson

and Callide regions and believes the Nathan Dam and Pipeline Project is the best long-term water supply solution.

The demand for water by industrial users in the Surat Basin provides a strong driver for the project to move ahead.

The outcomes of the Environmental Impact Statement process and SunWater’s business case will determine the project’s viability.

If approved, construction of the dam and pipeline could commence as early as 2015, with corresponding completion and commissioning planned for 2018.

About SunWater

SunWater is Queensland’s leading water infrastructure owner, developer and manager, playing a key role in Australia’s water industry. SunWater owns and manages around $7 billion in water infrastructure assets and supply approximately 40 per cent of all commercially used water in Queensland.

For the past 80 years, SunWater has provided secure and reliable water supplies to commercial water users within regional Queensland.

SunWater’s proven experience in the water industry positions them well to deliver Central Queensland’s next critical pieces of infrastructure – the Nathan Dam and Pipeline.

Delivery of the project, and others in the pipeline, are all part of SunWater’s commitment to taking the right steps towards securing Queensland’s water future.


Key project information

• The dam will have a capacity of up to 888,000ML and an inundation area of approximately 13,508ha (with an additional 316ha of islands created) from a catchment area of 23,185 km2

• Water from the dam will be transported via a trunk pipeline from the dam to Nathan Road, along Nathan Road to Wandoan, southeast from Wandoan across private property to Chinchilla, then along the Warrego Highway to Dalby

• The majority of new customers are located to the south of the dam and will be supplied through a pipeline. New customers located north of the dam site will be supplied from Nathan Dam via the downstream weirs

• The upper and lower Dawson sub-scheme will be merged to form a single water supply scheme – the Dawson Valley Water Supply Scheme

• Short-term employment, training and procurement opportunities for local communities and businesses, including employment prospects for about 240 workers over 20-30 months during construction, peaking at about 390 workers

Nathan Dam and Pipelines project

The Nathan Dam site, located just upstream of Nathan Gorge on the Dawson River, is expected to have a capacity of 888,000ML. The Nathan Pipeline will run from Nathan Dam through the Surat Basin, potentially extending as far as Dalby, representing a total length of 260km. The pipeline will transport water from Nathan Dam to customers in the Surat Coal and Dawson-Callide Basins.

nathan daM and PiPeline


thE AustrAliAn water management rev iew | 79

The AGIC National Sustainability Rating Scheme covers the design, construction and operational aspects of infrastructure. The AGIC Board identified the need for supporting research in the area

of operations of infrastructure due to the many challenges presented in the sustainable management of this phase during an asset’s life. As a result, a collaborative research project was instigated with the Cooperative Research Centre for Infrastructure Engineering and Asset Management (CIEAM).

CIEAM is based at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane and has funded a significant research project in close cooperation with AGIC.

This project focuses on the operations and maintenance components of infrastructure for the effective delivery of sustainability outcomes in asset management. There will be significant interaction between CIEAM researchers and the AGIC team responsible for the development of an integrated framework for sustainability assessment in infrastructure delivery and operational management.

The CIEAM research will not only underpin the operational component of the AGIC scheme, but will also assist in assessing how it is performing in the transformation of the infrastructure industry for more sustainable outcomes.

The project will research and develop resources (metrics, decision support tools, techniques and training packages) to optimise the performance of infrastructure owners and operators by incorporating sustainability as one of the key elements of asset management and operation.

The project will focus on:

• scientific validation of the social, environmental, and economic performance

measurement and assessment systems that will assist AGIC and industry with the development of a nationally consistent sustainability framework and rating scheme for the operational performance of infrastructure;

• providing resources and education to facilitate climate adaptation in asset management; and

• researching the need for, and developing decision support tools, techniques and training packages that will enable infrastructure managers to deliver more sustainable outcomes from the operation of their assets.

The rating scheme for sustainability performance measures developed by AGIC will also be incorporated into an evolving Asset Management Capability Maturity Model (AMCaMM). This will facilitate the integration of sustainability as a mainstream consideration in business decisions and industry priorities.

CIEAM and AGIC hold regular industry workshops with a view to sharing research outcomes and potential benefits.

AGIC has completed the final draft of the authorship of the assessment manuals and scoring spreadsheets and is testing the pilot version of its national rating tool in the period September to December 2011. The kick off workshop for round one projects was held in August and site assessment starts on 1st September. Round one projects are the Eastern Busway project in Brisbane incorporating flyovers, tunnels and on ground busways and the Logan Water Alliance (LWA) Logan Village water main, a 4.5 kilometre pipeline in the Logan Village area in South east Queensland.

Expressions of interest for round two trials closed on 12th August and approximately 10 projects will be selected from the various States and the Northern Territory and these projects will test the robustness of the AGIC tool.

Lessons learnt from the trials will be incorporated in the final released version of the tool.

CIEAM will also partner with AGIC to develop and deliver industry training sessions for AGIC members and industry on how to apply the tool in their organisations. It has run successful introductory programs during May and June in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and programs are currently being planned for Darwin, Canberra, Perth and Adelaide.

The CIEAM project team includes industry and academic professionals from Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, in Engineering, Asset Management, Urban Design, Architecture, Sustainability and Economics. The team also includes post-graduate thesis work in mathematical modeling and systems analyses that will provide asset managers with decision support resources to facilitate high sustainability ratings in infrastructure operation, maintenance and upgrading.

The project team is lead by AGIC Chairman, and QUT Adjunct Professor, David Hood ([email protected]), supported by QUT Professor of Infrastructure Management, Arun Kumar ([email protected]).

The AGIC Board looks forward to the outcomes of the CIEAM three year research program and the release of the AGIC National Rating Scheme for sustainability in Parliament House Canberra In February 2012. To receive regular updates on AGIC’s activities, email your details to AGIC’s Office Manager Liz Conway at ([email protected]).

CieaM and agiC CollaBorative researCh



CC-GRP SewerLine® for Melbourne’s Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Marketplace

HOBAS has been setting new and exciting engineering precedents in the Australian water industry ever since its comeback a few years ago. One of the most recent jobs implemented with HOBAS CC-GRP Pipe Systems is set in Victoria. Twenty kilometres north of Melbourne in the suburb of Epping was the location of an ambitious project to relocate and redevelop Melbourne’s large inner-city Wholesale Fruit and Vegetable Marketplace. With an annual turnover in excess of $1.5 billion the market is an important part of the state’s economic infrastructure. The new site would underpin the area’s long-term growth and development including the Fruit and Vegetable Market, the National Flower Centre and accompanying industrial warehouse and processing facilities. With the level of new infrastructure being installed above the ground, it went without saying that the project called for equally state-of-the-art civil engineering, and the sewer system was installed using HOBAS CC-GRP Pipes.

With the combination of posed challenges such as groundwater, poor soil strength and a maximum trench depth of 17.8 m, the Epping project is unique to Australia: The last decade has seen a significant increase in the amount of sewer pipelines being laid at depths greater than 6 m in Australia as larger excavators capable of reaching deeper are being used. Geo-technical investigation revealed challenging site conditions including poor soil strength and groundwater. This necessitated a pipe that was stiff enough for such adverse conditions. Owing to the importance of the proposed land development on the site it was important that the engineering reflected the best possible material for the conditions. Materials that traditionally had been accepted were overlooked in favour of HOBAS CC-GRP due to its superior mechanical characteristics. The client Yarra Valley Water and Global Pipe worked together to find a customised solution that would not only provide significant structural integrity, but also a long service life. There was only one choice: HOBAS.

The superior jointing system of HOBAS CC-GRP Pipes allowed for easy construction under the given challenging conditions. Another favorable attribute of HOBAS CC-GRP is the fact that it is far lighter in weight than other materials. This allows for easier handling in deep trenches which reduces installation costs considerably. Furthermore, the HOBAS FWC Couplings provide excellent resistance to any possible groundwater infiltration which often causes costly damage to pump stations. Thus HOBAS CC-GRP Pipes provide many additional benefits to the client and helps improve the overall operational efficiency of the system. HOBAS is providing more than a pipe

for Yarra Valley Water; it is an investment in the sustainability of one of Australia’s greatest cities.

Year of Construction: 2009-2010

Construction Time: 48 weeks

Total Length of Pipe: 2280 m

Pressure Class: PN 1

Diameters: OD 1026

Stiffness Class: SN 20000, SN 320000

Application: SewerLine®

Installation Method: Jacking, open (deep) trench

Client: Yarra Valley Water

Contractor: Azzona Drainage and MFJ Construction

Advantages: Available high stiffness classes, easy installation, easy handling in deep trenches, several installation methods possible (open dig and trenchless), mechanical strength, long lifetime, superior mechanical characteristics and structural integrity.

GOinG DEEPEr DOWn unDEr With hOBAs

Water Directory 2011 PAGE 71

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP - EVENTS

What makes HOBAS Australia’s best value pipe?

For jacking or open cut, HOBAS CC-GRP will suit all of your sewer or potable water pipe needs.

HOBAS is proudly distributed in Australia by Global Pipe Global HOBAS Pipe Australia Pty Ltd Free call 1300 4 HOBAS (1300 446227) www.globalpipe.com.au

HOBAS is back!

Longer Service Life – Very high resistance to abrasion, corrosion and strain corrosion

Easier Handling – Lightweight, easy to handle, about 1/10th the weight of VC or Concrete

More Efficient – Ultra smooth interior wall gives HOBAS the best possible hydraulics

Sustainability Matters – Low energy costs for production and pumping

More Installation Options – only HOBAS has CC GRP pipe that is tough enough to be jacked with:

- Jacking loads up to 1,000 tonnes- Stiffness class up to SN1,000,000- Thinner pipe walls mean major cost savings in boring and excavation- No timber packing/spacer rings needed – giving best possible and longest lasting seal

Future-oriented – Quality throughout for consistent, leak free, long term reliabilitySizes range from 150mm to 2200mm

What makes HOBAS CC GRP Australia’s best value pipe?

Global (HOBAS Pipes) Australia Pty Ltd

AustrAliAn water management rev iew | 81Water Directory 2011 PAGE 71





HOBAS is back!











STRAUB is the original f lexible pipe joint , providing cost-ef fect ive pipe-joining solut ions since 1967.

Straub products have many advantages over more old-fashioned pipe-joining methods and are used extensively in many aspects of the water industry across the world, including wastewater treatment plants, desalination plants, stormwater storage and distribution, and even ice-skating rinks. Straub pipe couplings have only two bolts to tighten, so they are quickly, simply and easily installed, reducing the need for scarce specialist technical skills and equipment, and saving precious time and costs. They also save space (especially useful in renewals, renovations or expansions where new changes may not easily fit into original designs), and weight. Straub pipe couplings also enhance worker safety compared to other pipe-joining methods, needing no heat or hazardous equipment to instal.

Straub pipe couplings can also help with practical difficulties encountered in construction, refurbishment, expansion and repair of plants and machinery such as:

• pipes are straight but misaligned

• pipes lie at an angle to each other

• pipe-ends don’t quite meet, or

• where you need to join pipes of differing materials.

Straub pipe couplings are even reusable!

Straub repair clamps allow pipe repairs to be carried out without plant shutdown, and with minimal or no interruption of plant operations.

Kessler Couplings and Engineering Supplies (KCES) is the exclusive Australia and New Zealand importer for STRAUB products, proudly supporting pipelines, plant and other water infrastructure from its Melbourne warehouse. KCES stocks an extensive range of STRAUB Pipe Couplings and Repair Clamps in all standard MS and DI pipe dimensions from DN 20 up to DN 1200, as well as most tube dimensions, and some special dimensions such as for rubber-lined pipes. KCES’ investment means you can be confident of prompt delivery of stocked items. The team at KCES are the Pipe Coupling People — specialised in supplying pipe couplings and highly experienced in their application. We strive for excellence in customer service, including expert product advice, training and documentation.

Visit www.kces.com.au for a quotation, technical product information, and a video showing the easy installation and impressive capabilities of the Straub pipe coupling.

Think pipe couplings – think KCESCoupling You with Success

strAuB

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The new STRAUB-CLAMP for repairs

The easy installation of the new STRAUB-CLAMP.


As cities expand, the generation of sewer, waste and stormwater will continue to increase. These pressures will be exacerbated by an ageing infrastructure. Now more than ever, improvements in the processes dealing with infrastructure management are a critical necessity.

With an expected 50 per cent increase in urban population by 2050, providing safe, reliable and sustainable services for Australia’s cities is a major challengefor the 21st century.

“Australia is suffering from ageing infrastructure of both a commercial and domestic nature. This, combined with the ever increasing urban population is placing significant pressure on our water and sewer networks. New approaches to the management of pipe repairs are available to address the increasing inconvenience, damage and danger caused by burst water and sewer lines” says Ed Ahern, Director of Nuflow Technologies.

Typically, ‘excavate and replace’ has been the preferred method. However, with the current range of trenchless pipe rehabilitation technologies available, a more proactive use of pipe relining could dramatically reduce the frequency and severity of pipe failures.

An outstanding feature of rehabilitating pipes is that an existing pipe can be restored back to nearly full potential, reinstating its integrity and extending the life of assets exponentially. In addition, unlike conventional repair and replace options that can often cause a whole site to be shut down whilst works are performed, this process can be managed to ensure minimum disruption to operations. Other benefits include increased safety, pipe longevity and water quality.

Ahern wants service providers to know that there are products and services available that will assist in preventing these types of malfunctions.

“When a pipe fails, we go into reactionary management. This puts huge pressure on resources, and often results in significant disruption and costs far more than the preventative measures available. As a plumber, who has been in the business for over 30 years, I strongly believe that prevention is better than cure. Moving forward, we want Water Authorities, Councils and other companies to know there are products and services available in the market place that can assist them in preventing this type of problem occurring in future. Pipe rehabilitation should be seen as an investment, long term it saves time and money.”

it’s tiME tO lOOk At AltErnAtiVEs

Nuflow is no ordinary pipe reliner. We are proud to be different and when it comes to pipe repairs and relining, Nuflow are the experts.

The Nuflow system can be installed on bends, junctions, horizontal or vertical pipes all in one application.Nuflow are the experts in patch work, we can stop and start at any point within the pipe.Nuflow can repair any type of pipe from Earthenware to PVC, Copper to Concrete.Nuflow can reline and repair any diameter of pipe from 40mm to 1000mm.Nuflow’s seamless liner restores structural integrity and prevents joint weakening.Nuflow can reline any length of pipe from 1m to 100m.Our work is performed with minimal disruption.Nuflow can reline using only one point of access.Our product is guaranteed for 40 years.

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NO ORDINARY PIPE RELINER.

For no ordinary pipe relining solution, visit us at NUFLOWTECH.COM.AU or call 1800 NUFLOW.


Water infrastruCture grouP PitChes in With the ChristChurCh earthQuaKe reCovery

Following the devastating Christchurch earthquakes, Sydney Water and Water Infrastructure Group have been involved with sewer rehabilitation works across the region.

More than 80 per cent of Christchurch’s water and sewerage systems were severely damaged by the devastating earthquakes in September 2010 and February 2011. In response, Sydney Water coordinated a taskforce with six Australian pipeline rehabilitation companies to provide personnel and equipment to the disaster affected areas. Members of Water Infrastructure Group were part of the team helping to restore the city’s sewerage system.

Water Infrastructure Group redeployed resources so that a team of seven skilled operators and three trucks equipped for CCTV camera and water jetting work could travel to New Zealand.

Kevin Kane, Water Infrastructure Group’s Project Manager in Christchurch, said that when the taskforce arrived in March, approximately half of Christchurch’s 1,700 km sewerage network was not functioning.

“As a result of liquefaction, many of the sewer pipes have been left full of sand that is hardening. We’re using 2000 psi water jetting hoses to soften the sand so that it can be removed,” he said.

“Our hoses are fed into manholes and can push through the pipes for up to 200 m. When the hydraulic reel on our trucks winds the hose back to the manhole, the sand and water follows the hose back toward the manhole. We can then use suction hoses to pump the sand into trucks for removal.”

Kane said by Easter, it was estimated that 65 per cent of the network was working.

“There have been aftershocks and it is frustrating to arrive at a section of pipe we’ve successfully cleared to find that all our good work has been undone by further liquefaction,” he said.

“This means that it will take longer to get the sewerage network fully functioning but I’m confident we will get there and people in Christchurch will be able to get back to a more normal way of life.

“The effects of the earthquake have been severe and the dusty conditions mean that we have to do a lot of maintenance on our equipment but we are making progress.”

But Kane said “I think I can speak for the whole team when I say that although the conditions are challenging it’s been very rewarding to be part of this massive clean-up operation.”

Once the sewer pipe is clear of sand, the team will be able to send CCTV cameras down the pipe to check for structural damage and provide help with any further work required.

“We are helping to get the system working again as well as providing information collected with our CCTV equipment and advice for the next rehabilitation phase to fully reinstate the sewerage system,” Kevin said. “This will be a huge task and could take years to complete.”



Trenchless Technology continues to prove invaluable to water authorities rehabilitating existing assets and installing new infrastructure, writes Trenchless Australasia Associate Editor Laura Harvey.

At the Australasian Society for Trenchless Technology Annual General Meeting for 2011, it was noted that water authorities across the states are some of the key drivers for trenchless works throughout the country.

New installations

In terms of installation, horizontal directional drilling (HDD) has been used or will be used to great effect in both Victoria and New South Wales.

In Victoria, South East Water has completed the construction of a 13.2 km recycled water pipeline from Somers to Hastings, in Victoria, with the use of HDD.

As part of the Somers Recycled Water Project, the pipeline will carry water from Somers to BlueScope Steel’s Hasting Plant.

A Vermeer D36x50 HDD rig was used by contractor Thiess Services Civil to lay the pipe in environmentally sensitive areas, under creeks, railway lines and major roads.

South East Water Managing Director Kevin Hutchings said “Innovative engineering techniques were used on the project minimising the impact on local plants and animals while lowering the likelihood of damaging any archaeological artefacts.”

In New South Wales meanwhile, UEA has been awarded a contract to complete HDD works for a transfer main installation as part of the Appin Wastewater Scheme.

The Appin Wastewater Scheme is part of the New South Wales Government’s Priority Sewerage Program (PSP) which undertakes investigations, works and activities primarily to provide reticulated sewerage services to properties currently using on-site sewage treatment or collection systems.

The scope-of-works under this subcontract includes the detailed design, directional boring plans and construction of the transfer mains within a known mine subsidence area.

In total over 3,200 m of transfer main will be installed using HDD through shale and rock.

Rehabilitation works

Trenchless Technology also continues to be utilised in rehabilitation projects around the country.

Sydney Water recently completed a $A1.2 million upgrade of a major sewage pipe in Ultimo, New South Wales.

The work was part of Sydney Water’s $A560 million SewerFix program to improve the sewer system and to protect public health and the environment.

At the time, Sydney Water Managing Director Dr Kerry Schott said, “Repairs have been made to a 370 m section of sewer pipe, silt and debris has been removed, six maintenance holes have been repaired, and a new pipe over 340 m long has been installed inside the existing pipe.”

Dr Schott said that in rehabilitating the 100-year-old brick pipe, Sydney Water maintained an important part of its construction heritage.

And in Victoria, the 90-year-old Back Creek Siphon pipeline, located near Malmsbury, has been relined by Interflow as part of an $A2 million Coliban Water upgrade project.

The 600 m pipeline, which was originally built in 1921, transfers water from the Coliban catchment storages in Malmsbury to meet the water supply needs of customers in Castlemaine and Bendigo, via the rural Coliban Main Channel.

The project involved installing a new 1.3 m diameter pipe inside the existing 1.5 m diameter concrete pipeline. According to Coliban Water General Manager Infrastructure Dharma Dharmabalan, this was done

to ensure the historical significance of the original pipeline was maintained while limiting the excavation needed along the pipeline route.

Trenchless Technology continues to prevail

So far, 2011 has proved to be a promising year for the use of Trenchless Technology in the water sector — a trend that looks set to continue in years to come, as utilities work to maintain their existing assets and develop new infrastructure for a growing population.

To keep up to date with the latest news in the Trenchless Technology and water industries, visit www.trenchless-australasia.com

Trenchless Technology and the water industry – the big picture

The benefits Trenchless Technology can offer the water industry, both in terms of rehabilitation and the installation of new assets, will be discussed in depth at No-Dig Down Under 2011, the ASTT’s ninth annual conference and exhibition.

Being staged in Brisbane from 3-6 October 2011, the event will feature presentations from water industry experts including Daryl Gilchrist from Sydney Water, Jonathan Farrell from Queensland Urban Utilities and Alison Ratliff from GHD.

For more information or to register for No-Dig Down Under, visit www.no-digdownunder.com or contact conference organisers Great Southern Press on: 03 9248 5100.

trenChless teChnology



As the populat ion of Austral ia ’s ci t ies and towns continues to grow i t is becoming increasingly more di f f icul t to get good and clear si te access for the instal lat ion of cr i t ical service infrastructure works.

This has lead to the necessity for, and the increase in the popularity of trenchless and directional drilling technologies. These technologies minimise environmental impact for installation of pipe, and as such have become a vitally important step in the process.

The following material characteristics of PE100 polyethylene make ’s Hi-Vis Sewer Pipe the ideal product of choice for these types of applications. These characteristics include;

• Flexibility

• Workability

• Product strength

• Abrasive resistance

• Corrosion resistance

PPI Corporation’s Hi-Vis Sewer Pipe provides all the qualities of polyethylene pipe, allowing the easy internal viewing for maintenance and inspections. The product, being polyethylene, creates a fully sealed pipe system through the welded joints and unlike other systems eliminates the opportunity of root intrusion.

Some of Australia’s major councils and water authorities have already called for sewer pipe to be specified in PE100 polyethylene as they have realised the cost effectiveness of system life and environmental impact advantages of polyethylene, versus that of the traditional pipe system materials.

PPI carries stock of PE100 Hi-Vis Sewer Pipe in various sizes and pressure ratings to cover most gravity and pressure sewer applications. PPI also manufactures an extensive range of products suitable for use in recycled water applications.

If you require any further information regarding PPI’s PE100 Hi-Vis Sewer Pipe please contact our Mining, Industrial and Civil division on (07) 3860-0388.

PE100 hi-Vis sEWEr PiPE tO thE rEsCuE


Today the Smart thinking is towards modern concrete pipe design and construct ion. At the forefront of this new technology is the groundbreaking range of HardiePipe™ concrete pipes and f i t t ings. As a result of our ongoing research and development the HardiePipe™ product range has revolut ionised modern construct ion pract ices.

Light, long, adaptable and strong features enable speed of construction efficiencies that deliver real cost benefits. Not only is HardiePipe™ concrete pipe classified as a Reinforced Concrete Pipe (RCP) – it is longer and lighter than conventional steel RCP. Combine these benefits with a comprehensive range of fittings and accessories that also improve efficiency and reduce construction times, and you have a system that is indeed ‘Smart’.

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extensive and unique range at competitive prices, we provide superior technical assistance, product information and excellent customer service at every stage. Our customers know that we have been there for them in the past, and we will continue to be there in the future.

If you are interested in growing a partnership with us, our contact details are listed below. Should you ever need any information or if you would like us to quote on any projects for you in the future, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to being able to welcome you to James Hardie Concrete Pipes.

For further information regarding the range of James Hardie Concrete Pipes, Fittings or Systems, please contact our Internal Sales Team on 1800 659 850, ask for Siân and quote the reference SMS76, or alternatively refer to our website www.jameshardiepipes.com.au where you will find a wide range of technical information, product details, case studies and design tools.

thE sMArt thinkinG is JAMEs hArDiE COnCrEtE PiPEs

The smart thinking isHardiePipe™

Concrete Pipes

COPYRIGHT JULY 2009 © JAMES HARDIE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD ABN 12 084 635 558 ™ AND ® DENOTES A TRADEMARK OR REGISTERED MARK OWNED BY JAMES HARDIE TECHNOLOGY LIMITED.

Fast. Efficient. Strong. Smart.The Smart thinking on today’s civil construction projects is HardiePipe™ Concrete pipes.At 4 meters long, a straight 100m run goes down in just 25 lengths instead of 40 lengths of steel reinforced concrete pipes. That’s not just smart, it’s fast thinking too. And fast thinking pays big dividends in time and cost saving.Find out how the advanced technology of HardiePipe™ Concrete Pipes can work for you.

| AustrAliAn water management rev iew88 | thE AustrAliAn water management rev iew88

in tough tiMes, trenChless Will Prevail


AustrAliAn water management rev iew | 89AustrAliAn water management rev iew 89

The Australasian Society for Trenchless Technology (ASTT) recently held its Annual General Meeting in Melbourne, with a number of exciting developments flagged for the growth of the industry in the year ahead.

For the ASTT Annual Report, each state councillor submitted an annual review for the Trenchless Technology sector in their state. Many councillors reported difficult times, with the recent spate of natural disasters and ongoing effects from the Global Financial Crisis slowing business. However, despite the hardship, many reported that the future for the industry looking bright. As the effects of the GFC ease, and the reconstruction works from earthquakes and floods are set to commence, it’s clear that Trenchless Technology will begin to play a starring role in the months and years ahead.

Western Australia

Activity in the Western Australian civil construction industry continued to be slower than anticipated and this was reflected also for the trenchless technology sector.

Water Corporation continued its reduced programs, which affected works that allow for trenchless technology. The Infill Sewerage program continued at a reduced program but some microtunnelling lines were still being completed as part of these works. The Corporation continued a reduced sewer rehabilitation program for a panel of relining contractors and re-advertised for a new panel of contractors at the end of 2010. Several microtunnelling jobs were completed as part of the Pipelines and Pump Stations Alliance, utilising a number of contractors. These installed sintakote MSCL pipes in various locations.

The City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder announced contracts (over $A3 million) to rehabilitate its sewer pipe systems and is promoting the use of trenchless methods to do so. These have commenced.

The use of CIPP to rehabilitate pipes in several Perth councils rehabilitating drainage pipes was reduced due to budget cut backs.

It was pleasing to see RePipe using its pipe-bursting Tric tool system to complete several high profile projects in WA.

The use of directional drilling for the installation of underground power and communications continues and many contracts were completed, although this still remains a very competitive market with many smaller contractors. A notable contract was the communications line from Perth to Geraldton. While much of it completed by ploughing, over 7 km was completed using HDD. HDD projects are expected to increase with the NBN exploring projects in WA.

HDD contracts were also awarded for projects in the oil and gas sector. Contracts for drilling on Gorgon Island and associated works are being completed. The sector looks forward to more of this going forward.

It is pleasing that asset owners (such as the Water Corporation and Main Roads) in WA have instigated the staged requirement to have trained and qualified staff in the trenchless sector within their procurement contracts. This will ensure traineeships under the Australian Qualifications Framework in both the Civil Construction and the Drilling sector AQF will be taken up for the future.

Whilst 2010 was still a difficult period for the civil construction sector generally, including trenchless, the prospects do look brighter for 2011.

South Australia

SA Water drives a considerable volume of the trenchless works being carried out in South Australia.

A new CCTV program has been awarded to Rangedale that utilises IBAK pan and tilt camera to survey 150 km of sewer mains over two years. The digital video recordings are classified in accordance with WSA-05 Conduit Inspection Reporting Code.

As a result of the CCTV program, relining of approx 8 km of wastewater mains, primarily reinforced concrete gravity mains ranging in size from 150 to 600 mm diameter was undertaken in 2009/10. The

majority of these mains were rehabilitated using spiral wound liners. CIPP was used to rehabilitate several oviform sewers, and pipe bursting was used to replace one section of VC main structurally damaged by tree root intrusion.

As part of sewer extensions in the Adelaide Hills and sewer main relays, directional drilling has been used for both sewer pumping and gravity sewers using locally based contractors. Pipe diameters are at the smaller end of the PE range and generally less than 100 metres in length.

Trenchless technologies have also been used for sewer and gravity main crossings of major roadways, railways and creek crossings.

In the past year, Trenchless Technology has also been extensively used in the rehabilitation and maintenance of existing water mains. This includes various minor HDD and directional boring works on projects for road crossings, railway crossings, creek crossings or to minimise social and environmental impacts that would otherwise result with open cut excavations. These water main extensions vary from 20-30 metres to several hundred metres, in pipe diameters ranging from 63 PE up to 450 PE.

The Adelaide Desalination plant intake and outfall pipelines were completed using two 150 tonne tunnel boring machines to install the 1.5 km intake and 1 km outlet tunnels.

A project to swage line approximately 4.8 km of 600 mm diameter mild steel concrete lined in situ (MSCS) water main commenced in 2010. The existing 600 MSCS water main is located along one of Adelaide’s busiest roads and is due for completion in early 2011.

The Glenelg to Adelaide Parklands (GAP) project is to provide more than 3.8 billion litres of high quality recycled water annually to irrigate the Adelaide Parklands through a 32 km pipeline network. It will be piped underground from Glenelg to the Adelaide Parklands and CBD, reducing Adelaide’s dependence on other water sources, including the

89


River Murray. A combination of HDD, microtunelling, pipe jacking and auger boring was used for major road crossings, railway line crossings and other areas where conventional open cut techniques would have presented significant construction problems. Directional drilling was also used to connect a DN225 PE100 PN12.5 recycled water main to SA Water’s building in the central CBD.

Victoria

Trenchless Technology in Victoria continued to steadily grow throughout 2010. The focus on water shortages and leakage reduction has continued, however with the breaking drought and various natural disasters, the focus has changed to drainage waste water.

The large scale infrastructure projects commenced a number of years ago now, such as the Desalination Plant, Melbourne Main Sewer Replacement and Northern Sewerage Project are all in progress and expected to be completed shortly.

It is expected that investment in infrastructure will continue in the foreseeable future given the Victorian Government’s predictions for growth - Victoria’s population is projected to reach 6,600,000 people by 2051, an increase of 1.5 million people.

Given the expected population growth, existing infrastructure will be placed under greater pressure requiring increased expenditure by asset owners to ensure service targets are met. It is expected that growth in trenchless solutions will be a necessary part of any investment programs to ensure disruption is minimised.

Rehabilitation

Sewer rehabilitation across Victoria continues to be predominantly via trenchless methods.

Water Authorities in Victoria have increased expenditure during 2010/11 and are spending in excess of $60 million per annum on trenchless sewer rehabilitation mainly in the diameter range 150-900mm.

Water main renewals using the semi trenchless method of pipe bursting have grown throughout 2010 and this technique is becoming the routine renewal method rather than the exception. In metropolitan Melbourne between 80-90 per cent of water main renewals are undertaken in this way, especially in reticulation diameters (100-225 mm).

In regional Victoria there are more and more authorities looking at term contracts inclusive of pipe bursting as a routine renewal method, and generally, more regional authorities are investigating trenchless and semi trenchless options. It is expected that growth in trenchless methods will continue.

A number of recent tenders have been advertised for larger diameter water main renewal projects in inner city areas and it is expected that construction will be via a number of techniques ranging from microtunnelling, directional drilling, close fit lining and sliplining. More and more projects using these techniques are emerging due to the costs of reinstating other infrastructure and private property associated with open cut techniques.

New Infrastructure

New high profile projects in the rail and road sectors are planned that will continue to see the commencement of new tunnelling projects. Smaller scale trenchless projects are also expected as part of the current program of infrastructure investment. The trend towards joint ventures and alliances to enable the delivery of large capital programs is expected to continue.

Challenges for 2011

In the lead up to the national conference in Brisbane this year, it is important to remind people of the benefits of attending to ensure a strong participation from Victorian members and practitioners.

Queensland

Sadly in 2011, Queensland has been ravaged by natural disasters that have seen 70 of 73 local

government areas declared disaster zones. Outcomes for the utilities industries have been resurrection of destroyed and damaged infrastructure and delays in capital and recurrent projects.

However, with new flood levels and old pipelines now washed away, activities in trenchless will increase to ensure resilience of infrastructure to similar and greater flood impacts. Creek and river crossings are destined to go well underground and the debate about electricity continues.

In the midst of all this, Brisbane is preparing for the 2011 No Dig Down Under event, and has proposed a key note speaker on the flood from an engineering- infrastructure point of view. Flood proofing is high on the governments and utilities agenda and ASTT can develop this theme with suitable technical papers/speakers as a lot of our pipelines survived and delivered essential services.

New Zealand

2010, particularly the last half, has been a challenging economic time for the Trenchless Industry. However, despite the difficult environment there have been a number of positive achievements and initiatives that have taken place in New Zealand, some of these include:

New Zealand Trenchless Technology Forums: we have continued and expanded the NZ Trenchless Technology Forums – half day events open to members of the ASTT and others who have involvement or interest in the trenchless industry. At each forum we have at least four industry speakers presenting trenchless project case studies, discussing a new technology or other topical/technical issues related to the trenchless industry.

Dedicated ASTT Trenchless Technology Stream at the WaterNZ Conference: an ASTT technical paper stream was hosted at the WaterNZ (formally the NZWWA) Conference in Christchurch in September 2010. The technical paper stream was a very well attended stream, and WaterNZ have committed to continue to



incorporate this stream bi-annually at the request of the ASTT.

Continuing involvement in qualification development: the ASTT has maintained an ongoing representative role with Infratrain, (Infrastructure Industry Training Organisation), promoting the HDD qualification framework. The ASTT has endorsed the HDD qualification and the ASTT logo appears on the training work book. The ASTT is also playing a role as a member on Industry Advisory Groups (IAG), reviewing the Water Reticulation and Infrastructure Pipe laying qualifications.

Trenchless Technology in the earthquake recovery: following the earthquake in Canterbury in September, Trenchless Technology played a significant role in the speed of the emergency recovery and the affordability of the repairs to the Waimakariri District Council wastewater network. 113 CIPP patches were installed in the network to return the wastewater services to the occupied properties in the Town of Kaiapoi and surrounds within six weeks of the Earthquake. The sewers in Kaiapoi and the other nearby affected towns are typically deep, in silty sand, with a high ground water table. The cost of open excavation repairs is very expensive and rather slow. The use of Trenchless Technology provided a faster and cheaper option of emergency repair. Now that the network is up and running, tenders are now out for the rehabilitation of the first lines using Trenchless Technology as part of the long term recovery effort. Although Waimakariri District has made good use of trenchless technology, Christchurch is yet to follow in the same footsteps.

Rosedale Tunnel and Outfall: this $116 million development, the North Shore’s largest-ever capital works project, involved replacing a pipeline built in 1962 which carried treated effluent from the Rosedale Treatment Plant to a discharge point 600 metres offshore from Castor Bay. The new tunnel and outfall now carries the treated effluent from the treatment plant to Mairangi Bay along a 3 km underground tunnel, and

then it is pushed a further 2.1 km offshore through the new outfall pipeline, where it is dispersed deep in the Rangitoto Channel.

New technology: 2010 saw the introduction of new technology and materials into the New Zealand marketplace, enabling projects to be undertaken that conventionally would have been difficult to undertake. These include fusible PVC, rock drills and pressure liners.

Although the current environment of the industry is difficult, the overall long term outlook for trenchless technology in New Zealand is expected to be better. There are opportunities for organisations to offer innovative solutions to significant infrastructure problems that could place trenchless technology very much in ‘spotlight’. For many, it is a case of prevailing until the opportunities can be taken seized upon. In particular, I believe that opportunities will present themselves in providing solutions for the recovery of Canterbury and the rehabilitation of pressure pipes and the roll out of the new ducting for broadband fibre cable.

National update

The National report focused largely on the positive flow-on effects recent and upcoming events will have on the industry. Notably, the first-ever ASTT Trenchless Live event, organised by Great Southern Press and staged in Coffs Harbour, was declared a resounding success. In all, some 700 exhibitors, visitors and delegates attended the event over the three days. Over the course of the event, the program and the weather delivered precisely what it set out to do, and it is likely that this style of event will now be held biannually.

The ASTT is now looking ahead to the 2011 No Dig Live event, which is being held in Brisbane from 3-6 October 2011. In what is shaping up to be an exciting time for the industry, this event is a must attend for anyone involved with the procurement, use or development of Trenchless Technology.





































ISSUE 1 2011

I S S U E 6 . 2

A U S T R A L I A N



1800 803 861www.kemblawatertech.com.au

Australia’s Pipeline Renewal Specialist

18 years of experience in Australia and overseas

A proven track record of consistently delivering:

innovative and proven processes a full suite of renewal systems grown from strong foundations an emphasis on partnerships, integrity, safety & sustainability reliable delivery and strong community relations ensures highest quality outcomes


Oviform (or egg-shaped) pipes were originally installed in the early colonial era in many of our major cities, in what are now predominantly exclusive residential waterfront areas and National Parks.

The “flat” sides of an oviform pipe require a different design approach to the more common circular shape and Kembla Watertech’s Enviroliner (CIPP) can be specially designed and constructed to suit oviform requirements. Because the Enviroliner is soft during the initial installation process it takes the shape of the existing sewer and can even curve around sweeping bends which is often the case with oviform mains. Enviroliner is tailor-made to suit the circumference of each pipe being repaired and, when the resin impregnated flexible tube is inverted into the existing conduit by the use of hydrostatic pressure, the end result is a seamless and jointless ‘pipe-within-a-pipe’. The smooth and continuous inner surface of Enviroliner is installed to be in intimate contact with the wall of the pipe and so almost always results in the fully renovated asset having an increased flow capacity.

It was, in part, due to the experience and prior success with the installation of Enviroliner that Kembla was awarded two separate contracts as part of the Sewer / Stormwater Rehabilitation 2009-12 Program, for a total of 5.2km oviform sewer linings varying in size from 380mm x 254mm to 990mm x 660mm. These sewers were located in extremely difficult locations such as National Parks, RTA Main Roads and Sydney Harbour foreshores.

2010 NORTH SYDNEY

A particularly challenging job contracted to Kembla Watertech was located in North Sydney and completed in July 2010. This specific oviform was 635mm x 469mm and was 80m long. Kembla installed a 15mm thick CIPP Enviroliner into this pipe.

The biggest challenge of this job was the difficult and unique access requirement with a 23m horizontal access platform being erected over the upstream access chamber. This access chamber was located adjacent to a very steep stairwell leading down to a harbour foreshore scenic walk, approximately 10m below road level. Due to recent residential re-development of the foreshore area, the downstream access chamber proved to be even more challenging to access with a CIPP liner. A large apartment building had been built over the existing sewer, so in order to maintain access to the sewer a large tunnel (approximately 5m x 3m) was formed around the sewer and the sewer exposed with concrete encasement under the apartment

building. A 10m traverse was then required to reach the sewer access chamber located within the tunnel. Due to the configuration of the tunnel a load restriction of 1.5 tonnes on the suspended concrete slab above also meant that no equipment could be driven to the site with vehicles. Everything had to be carried by hand.

The line itself had several internal connections all of which were fed via pump lines due to the exceptionally steep grade and location of the oviform. The total bypass was 150mm x 490mm long. All residents from a block of 10 townhouses were relocated to hotels for the duration of the job due to the very high access platform and road accessibility.

2011 NEUTRAL BAY

Another uniquely challenging oviform pipe lining job was undertaken and completed by Kembla in February 2011 during one of the hottest weeks of the year. The section of oviform pipe to be lined was 168m long with two sweeping 45 degree bends

and located in Neutral Bay on Sydney’s Lower North Shore. The oviform size was 990mm x 660mm with an Enviroliner (CIPP) thickness of 21mm to provide a minimum design life of 50 years. With a weight of 70kg per metre, the entire length of Enviroliner weighed in at over 11 tonnes and required a 12 metre refrigerated semi-trailer for transportation.

In addition to the weight of the liner, the crew faced a major challenge with the brick access shaft which was a 12 metre deep 750mm cylindrical brick shaft as opposed to a more standard conical shaped access chamber. Given the liner’s circular equivalent diameter was 825mm and therefore larger than the access shaft, the team at Kembla had to devise innovative ways of ensuring a successful ‘blind’ installation. A system of straps and clamps was used in conjunction with a crane to support the 11 tonnes of folded liner to avoid any elongation prior to installation. Water was slowly fed into the liner to ensure conformity to the oviform profile of the pipe as it was lowered into place. All the installation processes had to be done

lOGistiCAl ChAllEnGEs A BrEEzE On syDnEy’s nOrth shOrEby Sarah mcTaGGarT

Oviform CIPP l iner clamped ready for instal lat ion


from above-ground with no visual help past the access chamber opening.

Once installed and cured, reinstatement of branch connections to this sewer presented the next problem as some of these were located in close proximity to the 45 degree bends within the oviform carrier. It was necessary for Kembla to design and build a custom robotic cutter to match the height, reach and profile of the oviform pipe. This robotic cutter proved successful and has since been adapted for use across all sizes of oviform and again reinforces Kembla’s innovative approach to trenchless technology.

The branch connections were blocked for the duration of the job and the flow controlled by three tankers. A detailed Flow Management Plan for the main sewer bypass was prepared and approved and this involved 938m of 200mm bypass hose from the collection chamber which was over 12 metres deep. In order to cater for a flow rate of over 150l/sec (with additional 100l/sec back-up), it was

necessary to install two banks of 200mm pumps at the bypass collection manhole as well as two more 200mm booster pumps along the line to account for friction loss over the entire length of the bypass. A successful Flow Management Plan was critical because of the high risk associated with a very low overflow point upstream of the bypass chamber which would have discharged directly into Sydney Harbour.

Kembla’s Traffic Control Department liaised extensively with local residents in order to temporarily relocate over half of the surrounding resident’s vehicles prior to the commencement of the job. A makeshift carpark was established and a security guard hired to ensure the safety of the vehicles. The Traffic Control team consisted of 15 controllers who managed road and foot traffic and the bypass lining equipment which extended over five residential streets.

Two more logistical problems above-ground had to be overcome. First the crew had to relocate

overhead services aerial bundle cabling and then reverse the 12m semi-trailer that transported the Enviroliner 1km up a one-way street. Because of high daytime temperatures in excess of 30 degrees it was decided to undertake the liner installation at night as an added precaution.

The 168m of Enviroliner was installed, cured and the branch connections cut-out in less than 48 hours. Conditions were tough but the job proved once again that detailed planning coupled with an experienced lining crew and experienced bypass and traffic control backup can successfully complete the most difficult Trenchless pipeline rehabilitation without any safety, environmental or customer relation incidents.

For further information on Enviroliner plus a comprehensive range of solutions to pipeline rehabilitation please call 1800 803 861 or visit www.kemblawatertech.com.au

Oviform night instal lat ion

Liner inversion


With the increasing need to rehabil i tate cr i t ical water infrastructure, sourcing renovat ion solut ions which minimise the impact on our environment and the community whilst restoring the integri ty of the pipel ine has become increasingly important . ITS Trenchless provides a broad range of world ’s best pract ice technologies for the instal lat ion and renovat ion of pipel ines part icularly large pipe refurbishment. Depending on the desired performance outcome, there are potent ial ly three options to consider: PE Lining through Swagelining™ or Sl ipl ining and Pipeburst ing. These technologies can be applied to pressure and non-pressure pipes up to 1500mm in diameter.

Where flow capacity needs to be retained or increased, Swagelining™ and pipebursting are more appropriate, with sliplining an option only where retaining existing flow capacity is not critical.

ITS has developed an extensive range of specialised equipment for large bore slip lining, pipebursting and swagelining applications. This includes a variety of rod and cable winching units, swage rigs, pneumatic and hydraulic pipebursting machines. More recently, to address the increasing number of large bore projects, ITS commissioned ABS Trenchless in Germany to build a “RBS1900” wire rope unit. This specialist unit, with a pulling capacity of 190 tonnes, is the largest of its kind worldwide and gives the ability for us to slipline, swageline or pipeburst through long radius bends with pipe installation runs of up to 1000m. The

longer installation runs reduce the number of excavations which may be required if standard equipment is being used. The direct benefit to clients is a more cost effective solution to large bore pipe rehabilitation and a reduced impact on the environment and the community in doing so.

The following is a brief overview of each technique:

Swagelining™

This process is ideally suited where techniques such as open trench or pipebursting are not suitable. Swagelining™ uses PE pipe, which has an outside diameter slightly larger than the ID of the pipe to be rehabilitated. After sections of PE pipe are butt fused together to form a continuous string, the PE pipe is pulled through a reducing die to temporarily reduce diameter. This allows the PE pipe to be easily pulled through the host pipe. After the PE pipe is inserted, the pulling force is removed, allowing the PE pipe to return naturally toward its original diameter until it presses closely against the wall of the host pipe. The new tight fitting pipe results in a flow capacity close to the original pipeline design. This technology is suitable for applications ranging in diameter from 150mm up to 1500mm.

A recent project highlighting the benefits and capability of Swagelining™ was the rehabilitation of 4,630m of an existing DN600 MSCL Locking Bar trunk water pipeline for SA Water (with or civil partner BJ Jarrad) the largest swagelining™ project undertaken in Australia. This pipeline runs beneath one of Adelaide’s busiest roads, so utilising swagelining™ has resulted in a significant reduction in the impact to the community, environment as well as tantial cost savings

with regard to road restorations compared with traditional open-cut methodology. The RBS1900 unit allowed us to swage through a sweeping bend under the largest road intersection on the project providing significant community and cost benefits to the Client.

Pipebursting

The method involves the displacement of an existing host pipe, and the simultaneous installation of a structural replacement pipe of the same or greater diameter. This technique is suitable for the replacement of pipelines in diameters ranging from 75mm up to 900mm.

Sliplining

Sliplining is similar to pipebursting, except a pipeline smaller than the existing main is installed. This is ideal for pipeline renewals where the capacity can or has to be reduced. Installation is either by towing in a product pipe, or pipe-jacking, depending on the project specifics. We are able to install a wide range of pipe products using this technique and the applications are also suited to ovoid or box section applications.

Two interesting large bore sliplining projects in the process of being completed for Sydney Water are the rehabilitation of the 900mm East Hills Submain Mars Street Siphon (500m) and the rehabilitation of approximately 1.6km (DN1200 & DN900) of the Bankstown Ashfield Water Pipeline.

For more information please call 02 8603 2000 or visit www.itstrenchless.com.au.

Anna O’Donnell Business & Marketing Manager

WhAt ArE thE trEnChlEss OPtiOns AVAilABlE fOr lArGE BOrE PiPE rEhABilitAtiOn? ISO14001 ISO9001 ASNZ4801

A Better, Smarter Approach...

Ourtrenchlesstechnologiesinclude:

• Robotics• Pipe Lining• Point Lining• Pipe Bursting• CCTV Inspection• Structural Coatings• Large Pipe RefurbishmentPhone: 02 8603 2000 Fax: 02 8603 2001Email: [email protected] Address: 1/13 Stanton Road, Seven Hills 2147Web: www.itstrenchless.com.au


ISO14001 ISO9001 ASNZ4801

A Better, Smarter Approach...

Ourtrenchlesstechnologiesinclude:

• Robotics• Pipe Lining• Point Lining• Pipe Bursting• CCTV Inspection• Structural Coatings• Large Pipe RefurbishmentPhone: 02 8603 2000 Fax: 02 8603 2001Email: [email protected] Address: 1/13 Stanton Road, Seven Hills 2147Web: www.itstrenchless.com.au


Prospect Hydro is the latest and largest of Sydney Water’s 11 renewable energy projects.

Designed and constructed by the Renewable Energy Generation Alliance consisting of Energetics, WorleyParsons and Sydney Water,

it is the largest of Sydney Water’s three new hydro-electric plants and will generate up to five per cent of Sydney Water’s total energy needs every year.

The hydro-electric plant converts potential energy from water flows from Warragamba Dam — which range from 5,000 to 12,000 litres per second — into electricity. The plant is located at the outlet of the water supply pipe, which feeds water from Warragamba Dam to the Prospect Water Filtration Plant.

Prospect Hydro’s capacity is 3.7MW and the energy it produces will save up to 20,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year. This is equivalent to taking 5000 cars off the road.

Sydney Water established a long-term Energy Partnership Agreement in 2002 with the focus to develop and implement a world-class energy management program to support the Sydney Water corporate objectives. The partners provide specialist technical, engineering and analytical skills to complement the Sydney Water Energy Management Unit.

The Prospect hydro-electric plant was built by Sydney Water’s energy partners as part of a $60 million investment in new renewable energy projects, which included five recently-completed methane gas co-generation units and the three new hydro-electric plants.

Sydney Water’s Energy Manager Daniel Cooper, said “Capturing potential energy within our water system at Prospect is a cost-effective way to reduce the amount of power Sydney Water sources from the grid.

“When combined with the eight methane co-generation units Sydney Water has installed at its sewage treatment plants, these plants will reduce Sydney Water’s reliance on electricity from the grid by up to 20 per cent a year.

“This is a key part of Sydney Water’s commitment to make our operations carbon neutral for energy and electricity use by 2020”, Cooper said.

Sydney Water recently implemented a Renewable Energy Generation (REG) Program as part of its pledge to be carbon neutral by 2020. The program aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a further 54,000 tonnes per year, this is equivalent to 12.5 per cent of Sydney Water’s total emissions.

Projects such as the REG Program are a step closer to sustainability in the delivery of Sydney Water’s

services, and an important step towards reducing the impacts of climate change.

Sydney Water’s three new hydro-electric plants will together generate around 30 Gigawatt hours of electricity a year, which is enough energy to power more than 2,250 average homes. The plants will reduce Sydney Water’s greenhouse gas emissions by over 30,000 tonnes a year, which is the equivalent of taking 7,500 cars off the road.

For more information on Sydney Water’s renewable energy projects, visit www.sydneywater.com.au

sydney Water is Pro reneWaBle energy at ProsPeCt hydro


AustrAliAn water management rev iew | 99AustrAliAn water management rev iew | 99


fortesCue Metals grouP CloudBreaK Managed aQuifer reCharge sCheMe



Located in the iron ore rich Pilbara region of Western Australia with close proximity to Asia and India, Fortescue Metals Group is the world’s fourth largest iron ore producer and is still growing. Fortescue has an

enviable record of rapidly bringing new projects online and is continuing to unlock the significant potential of the Pilbara’s vast resources.

Over the next two years, Fortescue will triple in size, increasing iron ore exports by 180 per cent. Fortescue is an integrated business comprising of mine, rail and port operations based in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with a head office located in Perth. Fortescue’s Cloudbreak mine has implemented an innovative Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) approach which mitigates environmental impacts related to surface discharge and dewatering drawdown and conserves brackish water resources for future mine water supply. The system is a first of its kind in a variable density groundwater setting and within a landscape with unique cultural and environmental values. In May 2011, the Cloudbreak MAR won national recognition through the Australian Water Association awards. The innovative approach to groundwater management won the national award for Infrastructure Project Innovation. It also likely to be nominated for the International Water Association’s Project Innovation Award at the World Water Congress in Korea late in 2012. The infrastructure has developed since August 2008 to the current 25 gigalitres (GL) per year capacity making it one of the largest and most complex MAR Schemes in Australia. This initial stage of the Chichester Papa Warringka Scheme has been operating as a sustainable ‘closed’ system with zero surface discharge since September 2009. The Cloudbreak iron ore mine lies along the southern flanks of the east-west trending Chichester Range in the

Pilbara region of Western Australia. The mine is bound on its southern side by the Fortescue Marsh, an internally draining, ephemeral wetland of national significance that is underlain by a hypersaline groundwater body. Ultimately the Cloudbreak mining area will extend over a strike length of 40 kilometres. Mining progress requires substantial dewatering of overburden and the orebody aquifer, 90 per cent of which lies below the water table (BWT) in a brackish groundwater system overlying a saline wedge emanating from the Marsh. The sensitive environmental setting and scale of the Cloudbreak project mean that dewatering and effective water management are integral to the success of the operation. Aquifer injection has been adopted as a primary water management tool and to date has proven to be practical and effective.

Advance borefield dewatering to establish safe and workable open cut mining conditions with the associated reinjection of the excess water at Cloudbreak began in August 2008 and the dewatering abstraction is currently 25GL per year. The site requires 5GL per year for ore processing and dust suppression, and the remaining 20GL (80 per cent of dewatering) is returned to hydrochemically compatible aquifers through injection bores. Brackish water is injected laterally along the orebody into future mining areas, and saline water is injected south of the operations into a highly permeable calcrete aquifer with natural salinity of 40,000 to 150,000 mg/L. Currently dewatering is primarily brackish but this will change in the future as mining extends further south and groundwater is increasingly drawn from the Fortescue Marsh saline wedge. The water abstraction, distribution and injection system at Cloudbreak is large and complex. The scheme currently includes over 300 abstraction bores (90 operational at any time), 15 in-pit sumps, 220 kilometres of existing pipeline

(80km proposed), 11 existing major transfer or settlement ponds (seven proposed), 76 existing brackish injection bores (19 proposed) and 20 existing saline injection bores (18 proposed). The progressive nature of the mining operation drives continual expansion of the water management system for new mining areas, and redundant bores and sumps are regularly mined through. The scheme is equipped to manage four separate water quality streams with progressive infrastructure design and hydraulic analysis using the EPANET platform utilised to optimise the evolving but ultimately temporary water management system. The current scheme represents the initial stage of an expanded Chichester-wide Papa Warringka scheme which will look to expand water management capacity to greater than 50GL per year through the expansion of the current successful approach of injection, storage, impact minimisation and multi water quality stream management. The current Cloudbreak scheme provides a strong demonstration of the robustness, effectiveness and advantages of the adopted managed aquifer recharge methodology and also demonstrates the successful application of a managed aquifer recharge to mine site water management, with the objectives of mitigating the potential environmental impacts of temporary dewatering and the conservation of water for future process water needs. The Cloudbreak MAR project has added greatly to the field of hydrogeology and water management. The scale of the MAR scheme is one of the largest in Australia and is certainly the first operated in a variable density groundwater environment, which has direct parallels with coastal groundwater settings. Specific areas of knowledge development include; density coupled groundwater flow modelling (FEFLOW), surface water and groundwater interaction, water distribution (EPANET) modelling, large scale borefield

“THE NYIYAPARLI MANGKURRA (FLOODWAY) PEOPLE FROM THE TOP END OF THE FORTESCUE MARSH HAVE BEEN DRINKING CLAY PAN PAPA (WATER) FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS AND IN MODERN TIMES ARE WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH FORTESCUE TO ADVISE AND ASSIST IN MANAGING AND MAINTAINING WATER QUALITY, THE QUALITY OF PAPA WARRINGKA, THE WATER IN THE GROUND.” - BRIAN TUCKER MANGKURRA MAN



injection hydraulics (with variable water quality types) and automated flow control systems and groundwater monitoring.

The Cloudbreak Scheme offers the opportunity of monitoring the effects of pumping on a saline groundwater interface. The current approach utilises extensive multi-aquifer profiling, airborne electromagnetic surveying and the adoption of a comprehensive Operating.

Strategy with an extensive trigger level system to maintain an understanding of the system and initiate strategies to mitigate potential environmental impact. The learnings from this work have direct application to global coastal groundwater management challenges. The Scheme has evolved since 2008 to the current 25GL per year capacity. The scale of the current operation establishes the Cloudbreak MAR scheme as one of the largest successfully operating Managed Aquifer Recharge schemes in Australia. The scheme has achieved predominantly zero surface discharge to the environment situation which remains a high measure of success against a very public trigger. The Cloudbreak scheme showcases how MAR can be used to meet a range of complex multi-aquifer/multi quality water management objectives in a dynamic mining environment. The findings from this work have application to a range of broader water resource management challenges.

There are a number of water resource benefits from the development and operation of the Cloudbreak MAR scheme:

• Conservation of the available brackish water resource for redraw over the life of the mine;

• Minimisation of the drawdown footprint from the dewatering operation, particularly toward the Fortescue Marsh where ecological functioning is poorly understood but values are known to be high; and

• Limiting the environmental and cultural concerns associated with the surface discharge of excess water to the Marsh. Prolonged discharge in an area which is dry most of the year round can lead to dependency of vegetation and associated fauna, and is an issue of note for Pilbara mining operations. Surface discharge is also discouraged by the traditional owners of the Cloudbreak project area, the Nyiyaparli people, who believe it disrupts the natural way of the land.

The learning opportunities associated with a project of the scale of Cloudbreak are extensive and varied:

• Integrated planning and management of groundwater systems is the exception rather than the rule in many remote areas of Western Australia. The scheme is providing an opportunity for the skills development of operators, planners and groundwater managers through gaining applied experience on a large scale water resource management challenge;

• The opportunity for progressing scientific understanding through the publication of findings and the sponsoring of masters level project work. Members of the Cloudbreak team have also recently played a lead role in contributing findings and knowledge to the EPA’s Fortescue Marsh working group; and

• Indigenous Australians currently comprise 20 per cent of the Water Management team at Cloudbreak and the Traditional Owners are regularly engaged to ensure continued strong representation of their values for water and the Fortescue Marsh. The granting of the Scheme name Papa Warringka (meaning ‘Water in the Ground’) by the local Nyiyaparli Elders earlier this year further highlights the shared commitment to learning and values.

The sustainable benefits of the scheme are clear with economic value through resource conservation, environmental value through impact minimisation

and social value through learning and training opportunities all derived from the adopted approach. Furthermore the entire scheme is a temporary water management system which will be dismantled and rehabilitated on completion of mining. The Cloudbreak MAR scheme has quite rapidly graduated from a system with teething difficulties to a well-functioning operation. The feasibility and practicality of a large-scale aquifer injection system for management of the mine’s waters has been demonstrated. The total dewatering abstraction at Cloudbreak and neighbouring Christmas Creek may ultimately exceed 100 GL per year and the array of injection bores and pipework will continue to grow to service the site’s evolving dewatering needs. Along with this growth, the focus for injection management at Cloudbreak and Christmas Creek will be characterisation and optimisation of the system to reduce the numbers and maintenance of bores, and the ongoing investigation of the regional hydrogeology in this highly complex natural and managed environment. The Cloudbreak scheme showcases how MAR can be used to meet a range of objectives in a complex environment. MAR is an ideal water management tool for the Pilbara region, which is characterised by high-yielding and often fresh aquifers, low rainfall, and a proliferation of major BWT mining developments. However, MAR has application in many environments, and is likely to be used increasingly at minesites around the world facing varied and difficult water management challenges.


AustrAliAn water management rev iew | 103AustrAliAn water management rev iew | 103

Polymer Innovations works closely with the government, mining and construction industries to remove or manage all types of water, soil and air pollution. Our 100% Australian, biodegradable and non-toxic polymer products absorb large quantities of toxins in water from underground coal mines, control dust pollution, stabilise and remove roadside slurries from haul roads, assist hydroseeding and reforestation of cleared land and seal tailings dams.

Our SAP Range was specifically designed for critical applications where underground mine production is affected by water based slurries. Recovered waste can be transported safely and easily to the surface without extended periods of downtime or reduced productivity. Water-based roadside slurries that compromise road stabilisation and leach into the nearby environment are also removed easily with our Polymers.

Water$ave DS Dust Suppression keeps workers free from allergies and asthma, reducing soil erosion, ecological damage and airborne pollution. Not to mention reducing wear and tear on expensive equipment. Finding ways to effectively control dust in a simple and cost effective manner is beneficial for everyone. Water$ave DS Dust Suppression meets this demand with its own specific polymer blend for dust pollution control.

Road stabilisation is important in maintaining our landscape integrity by stopping pollution, protecting native land and increasing the strength of roads and embankments. Water$ave Flobind is used for soil erosion control, road stablisation and hydroseeding.

Water$ave HY Hydro is a specific blend of polymers applied for hydroseeding operations in mountainous areas and road embankments. Water$ave PT Plantation is effective in the revegetation and reforestation of trees, bushes and saplings.

Water$ave PT reduces the mortality rate caused by transplant shock and also enhances root development encouraging more rapid growth and production. Both Water$ave HY and PT are highly effective in the regrowth of trees, shrubs, bushes and saplings.

Heavy industry tailings and waste water dams are kept secured and sealed with our Water$ave Plug Range used by mines and individuals across the world. Water$ave PL Plug is the best polymer based dam or pond sealant that is 100% customised to your specific environment. Whether the leak is in the base, wall, through rock or any soil type, Water$ave PL will put an end to your water loss

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PiaeffeCtive Water ManageMent



The importance of effective management of water resources has never been more apparent to Australians than in 2011, when many areas have gone from long periods of drought to extremely rapid and devastating floods. While

we cannot control the climate in the short term, there is a lot that can be done to minimise the impact of these extremes by examining all the influences on the water cycle, for initial harvesting, through to distribution, usage, recovery and recycling and final disposal of waste water. Pump Industry Australia (PIA) has been actively engaged in promoting sound management principles for this sector and has liaised with Bob Herbert, who was appointed as Water Advocate by the Federal Government, to achieve measurable improvements. We have encouraged all our members to register with Industry Capability Network , so that our local capacity and expertise is recognised for Water Infrastructure projects, especially those where Project Engineering is done offshore. We hope this top-down approach will help our members win more business in the Government sector.

Within the Australian Pump Industry, PIA has recognised the significant role that pumping equipment can play in all aspects of this cycle. Many of our members have engaged in innovative solutions to ensure that systems are efficient, reliable and the cost of ownership is minimised.

Several of our members operate in specialised niches and have developed expertise to provide advice to customers in a variety of water management situations. These range from small domestic systems for distribution of rainwater collected in tanks to sophisticated equipment for large water supply stations and desalination plants.

At the domestic level, PIA has been involved in developing an Australian Technical Specification (ATS) for pumps used within rainwater systems. This specification is aimed at providing a sound technical basis for the design and construction of small single phase pumps and improving the reliability of this equipment in service. Representatives from Davey, Pentair, Grundfos, ITT, Ebara, Clayton Engineering and White International all contributed to the development of this ATS and the draft is now in front of Standards Australia for approval.

Such pumps are often used in conjunction with changeover devices, which allow household to use rainwater for non-potable services, like toilet flushing and washing machine supply, with and safety net from the mains when the tank levels are low. Several PIA members have these changeover devices in their range and these are also covered by an ATS to ensure reliable operation.

Most PIA members view the water sector as important for their business and offer a range of pumps to handle clean cold water, grey water and waste water and sewage. These range from submersible borehole pumps though to large pumps for Municipal water supplies. Companies like Flowserve, Tyco Flow Control and KSB are very active in the general water market. Some smaller specialist firms, like BKB Envirotech, have been successful in supplying pumping equipment for water resource project. The Wimmera Mallee pipeline system is an example, where water is piped rather than distributed via open channels, which significantly reduces losses due to evaporation.

Much attention is now being focussed on water recycling and waste disposal. Many companies are looking at improved pumping and filtration systems for grey water. Other suppliers have expertise in pumping solids in suspension to dispose of waste water and sludges. Mono Pump Australia is a major supplier in this sector. More recently a new PIA member, Hydro Innovations has been looking solutions using the Gorman Rupp self priming sewage pumps for waste disposal.

In addition, drive technology is playing a significant role in better managing variable demand in pumping systems. The flexibility offered by VFD motor control systems has been recognised as a very useful tool in the challenge to match pump duty more precisely with the system demand. As a result, PIA has been pleased to have Electric Motor and Control Equipment suppliers in our ranks. We have representation from CMG, WEG and ABB within the Association, as well as international pump suppliers like Grundfos and ITT, who have their own VFD drive systems.

At an Association level, the PIA council has been particularly keen to improve our networking capability with Consulting Engineers, major Pump End-users and Government Departments, to ensure that practical measures are adopted which can be supported by the Industry. Pump designs follow global trends and Australian consumers are best served if the latest designs are used in projects throughout the country, providing the equipment is backed by local sales and service capability.

During the course of 2011, PIA has concluded a series of cooperation agreements with like minded Associations and we are hopeful that this will increase the level of common understanding. The agreement with the British pump Manufacturers Association is an important step in this process, since it allows PIA members to tap into a rich source of technology and expertise. We will exchange information on product standards, new technologies, and Industry training

programs, all of which are intended to increase the level of expertise of Australian pump engineers.

This was followed by concluding a Memorandum of Understanding with the Air Conditioning & Mechanical Contractors Association to work together to improve the technology of pumping equipment as used in the commercial construction industry.

In addition, PIA has been working with Sustainability Victoria on their program to introduce MEPS (Minimum Efficiency Performance standards) for water pumps used in Australia. The draft recommendations are understood to be under consideration and we hope that these will soon be released for industry feedback. A pump operating at higher efficiencies mean less power is consumed in friction, noise and vibration and consequent improvements in reliability are realised. We acknowledge the work done by Ian McNicol at SV in support of these development and look forward to further cooperation on this project to achieve a positive outcome.

This has led PIA to organise two “Energy Efficiency in Pumping Systems” seminars in the past 12 months. The first was in Melbourne in October 2011 and this was followed by a similar seminar in Parramatta in May 2011. Both were well attended and copies of proceedings can be obtained for the PIA Secretary for those interested in this topic.

We were also fortunate to participate in Oz-Water, held in Adelaide in May 2011. PIA and five of our members were present at the AWA convention and this proved useful for us to increase our understanding of the structure of the Water Industry in Australia

It is hoped that by increasing both its membership and its profile, PIA will be able to make a significant contribution to water conservation and management initiatives in the years ahead. Our corporate profile is available on the PIA website and we invite you to visit www.pumps.asn.au



aBB teChnology helPs seCure sydney’s Water needs

ABB’s high-efficiency motors and variable speed drives have provided an energy efficient solution for transporting large volumes of desalinated water from Sydney’s newest water supply, to over 1.5 million Australian residents

living in New South Wales.

Clean water is being supplied from the newly commissioned desalination plant, based in Kurnell, south of Sydney, and is capable of producing up to 250 million litres of water a day, which is up to 15 percent of Sydney’s water needs. The new pump station and pipeline were built by Water Delivery Alliance (WDA) comprising Kellogg Brown and Root, Bovis Lend Lease, McConnell Dowell, Worley Parsons, Environmental Resources Management and Sydney Water, to ensure the city’s water supply against population growth and the damaging effects of climate change and drought caused by reduced rainfall.

Making drinking water flow at the turn of a tap in people’s homes requires millions of litres of desalinated water to be pumped via an 18 km pipeline to Erskineville, in Sydney’s inner-west, from storage tanks at the plant. Critical parts of the process are facilitated by two ABB drive systems installed at the desalination plants’ pumping station. ABB’s technology ensures the pumps operate at the highest levels of energy efficiency and reliability, reducing harmful emissions and saving hundreds of thousands of dollars in running costs.

“A significant factor in selecting ABB as the supplier for this project was the compatibility between the ABB supplied variable speed drives (vsd) and the ABB, Nijhuis supplied motors. This compatibility aligned closely with one of the key overall project objectives of sustainability.

The high efficiency pump-motor-vsd set allowed The Alliance to minimise life-cycle costs. ABB’s ability to guarantee an equipment efficiency rating of more than 96 per cent played a major role in this decision as it

directly translates into affordable potable water,” said Tallaesen, Project Manager for the pump station.

Adrian Heaton, ABB’s NSW regional sales manager for drives and motors explains why evaluating operating costs is critical for water applications: “Electrical power consumption is one of the largest running costs of a desalination plant that uses reverse osmosis technology. Therefore it was important for WDA to ensure that all the necessary factory and efficiency string tests were carried out in conformance with the contract requirements.

“The string testing involved running the pump, motor, variable speed drives with integral transformers in sequence at actual load conditions to prove minimum life-cycle costs. We are pleased to report that the water pump discharge system which is capable of discharging water at 3183 litres per second satisfied the test requirements in every respect. String testing was performed at Nijhuis, the pump manufacturer’s plant in Holland,” Heaton said.

According to Heaton the water consortium’s investment in ABB’s technology will have a huge impact on reducing their daily operating costs because water consumption can vary greatly during any given day. Consequently, the flow and pressure of Nijhuis pumps need to be controlled and adjusted either electrically with variable speed drives, or mechanically with fixed-speed solutions, such as inlet guide vanes, throttling valves or hydraulic couplings.

By selecting a variable speed drives solution, changing the flow is achieved simply by changing the motor speed, which can be compared to reducing the speed by taking the foot off the accelerator and switching to a lower gear. The pumps can then operate at the best efficiency point under all operating conditions.

Since pumps typically run at partial load, huge energy savings are achieved by controlling their speed with variable speed drives. The power required to run a pump is roughly proportional to the cube of the

speed, i.e. a small reduction in speed can make a big reduction in the energy consumption. A pump running at half speed consumes as little as one eighth of the energy compared to one running at full speed.

WDA’s investment in two 1.35 MW, 3.3 kV high-efficiency motors from ABB’s AMA-family of modular induction machines, in combination with drives, is even more effective. The energy savings quickly add up because the energy used to run a motor over its lifetime costs 100 times more than the motor itself.

ABB designed the motors to operate at 66 Hz as this produces the highest efficiency, at minimum current, at most economical execution to suit the drives.

The ACS 1000i model is a fully integrated standard drive which includes input transformer and input contactor. The combination is an unbeatable solution for pumping stations in the water industry, and by employing the drives on pumps instead of throttling, the energy bill can be reduced by as much as 60 per cent.

Sydney Water reinforced their commitment to sustainability by opting for a renewable energy power supply to run the desalination plant and the pump station. The plant which uses reverse osmosis technology to extract fresh water from the seawater, is completely powered by renewable energy sourced from the Capital Wind Farm in Canberra. ABB also played an important role in the supply side of the renewable energy equation — having been the principle construction contractor for the wind farm.

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 117,000 people.

For help with any technical terms in this release, please go to: www.abb.com/glossary



For over 14 years the Moe Wastewater Treatment Plant has been effectively and successfully processing sewage. Located in Gippsland, Victoria, the medium-sized plant serves an equivalent persons population of 22,000. Its

average daily flow is five megalitres per day.

Starting in February 2010, the plant’s wastewater treatment engineers noticed that its two submersible pumps (one duty pump and a standby pump) at the inlet station were blocking up with increasing regularity, making them virtually ineffectual and impacting on the efficiency of the plant.

“Between February and the start of December 2010 our submersible pumps were choking about once a fortnight. The pumps were no longer capable of effectively handling the rags and other solid material in the inflow,” explained Adrian Harper, Senior Engineer Wastewater Treatment Group, Moe Wastewater Treatment Plant.

To deal with the problem, the plant operator would call in their maintenance contractors to isolate the obstructed submersible pump, lift it using a crane and then clean it before lowering the pump back into the wet well.

According to Harper the entire exercise was time consuming, inconvenient, expensive and negatively impacted on the plant’s performance.

“Between February and December 2010 we spent some $27,000 just on getting the contractors in to clean the pumps,’ Harper said.

The problem also created OH&S headaches as it required the continual lifting by crane and cleaning of a 700kg submersible pump.The whole process increased the risk of accident when the plant was committed to improving its safety profile.

By about May the situation had become untenable and Harper and his colleagues were keen to find a permanent and effective answer to the choking pump problem.

Impressed with the solutions that Hydro Innovations had exhibited at a tradeshow, Gippsland Water invited the company to assess their dilemma and provide a workable option. After exploring the site and the needs of the plant, Hydro Innovations suggested that it consider installing an above ground Gormann-Rupp self-priming pump.

To evaluate Hydro Innovation’s solution as well as to explore the pros and cons of a self-priming pump versus a submersible pump with a cutter impeller, Gippsland Water initiated an option study. The study confirmed that a self-priming pump would be a workable solution.

“We had never used an above ground, self-priming pump at the plant before, and although we were happy to think outside the box, and the study had confirmed that such a solution was viable we weren’t entirely convinced. So we asked Hydro Innovations if we could trial the pump for three months which they readily agreed to because they were certain the pump would meet our needs,” Harper explained.

Hydro Innovations provided the plant with a Gorman-Rupp T8A3S-B above-ground self-priming centrifugal pump in December 2010. By mid-December the pump was installed and in use.

According to Garry Grant, General Manager of Hydro Innovations, the Gorman-Rupp T8A3S-B self-priming centrifugal pump is a purpose-built sewage pump that is fitted with an aggressive self-cleaning wear plate. The wear plate has been specifically designed to change the shape of solid waste and stringy material so that the pump does not clog. In addition, if any choking does occur, the pump can be easily and quickly unclogged via the removable cover plate and without the need to disconnect piping. Better still, it can be done with only one operator and without the need for a lifting device.

The design of the pump allows users to adjust the clearance between the impeller and wear plate without having to pull it apart. This eliminates the need to

realign belts, couplings or other drive components. The machine’s unique collar and adjusting screw allow for incremental adjustments of the wear plate clearance. Once made, the collar locks in place maintaining the clearance setting. These features help double the life of the impeller and the wear plate while maintaining peak operating efficiency.

After the three-month trial period, Gippsland Water was impressed with the Gorman-Rupp pump’s performance and purchased the machine.

It’s now May 2011 and our Gorman Rupp self-priming pump has been in operation for about five months. It did slightly block a couple of times but it still kept pumping and overall it has made a huge, positive impact on the processing efficiency of our plant. It performs very well and delivers 110 litres per second at 8.9 metres of total head.

Also, we are no longer wasting money on cleaning the pumps fortnightly. Plus, the down time associated with this as well as the inconvenience have been eliminated. If the pump does need cleaning the design of the pump lets you do it quickly and of course, its done above ground so we don’t have to worry about OH&S issues arising.

“Another big plus with the Gorman-Rupp pump is that if you do get a malfunction occurring in the motor you can just replace the motor. This isn’t possible with submersible pumps. If there is a motor problem you have to change the entire pump,” Harper said.

With no regrets about having purchased a Gormann-Rupp self-priming pump, Gippsland Water is now planning to replace its other submersible pump at the Moe WWTP with a self-priming pump.

“As an engineer I grew up on submersible pumps but having now been exposed to an above ground centrifugal pump I’d say they have a lot to offer and should be seriously considered as a pump option in a wastewater treatment plant,” Harper concluded.

WasteWater treatMent Plant iMProves PuMP PerforManCe and saves on MaintenanCe Costs With the installation of a self PriMing PuMP



Cairns regional CounCil iMProves redundanCy of its WasteWater systeM By Partnering With hydro innovations

One of the constant challenges of maintaining wastewater systems in cyclone prone areas is ensuring that your equipment is always operational in the face of adverse conditions so that public health and environmental

disasters are averted.

As part of this requirement, Grahame Dunstan, Co-ordinator for Wastewater Services for Cairns Regional Council (CRC), explored the options for emergency pumping during power outages at the White Rock #1 pump station. The solution had to help ensure that CRC’s wastewater services in the greater Cairns area remained operational and effective during tropical storms and in emergency situations.

“Experience has taught us that during extreme weather conditions and in emergencies not all your equipment may perform the way you would expect. So it’s important to try to implement mechanisms that will help safeguard against poor performance and make a system as failsafe as possible,” Dunstan explained.

The council currently has numerous emergency generators to help maintain wastewater services in the event of loss of mains power.

“Our generators are not always one hundred per cent reliable. We have had situations where an emergency generator has failed to kick in when it was most needed. So for us, generators can be a liability in an emergency,” Dunstan said.

Dunstan undertook some research, comparing pumps, associated costs and their benefits before deciding that an emergency stand-by pump was a viable alternative to installing another generator and would help improve redundancy of the system.

Already familiar with the Gorman-Rupp name he looked closely at the company’s emergency stand-by pumps and chose to partner with Hydro Innovations, Gorman Rupp’s authorised distributor in Australia.

“We were already using other Gorman-Rupp equipment and their track record to date was excellent. Their products are very reliable and robust. We searched for a local supplier and found Hydro Innovations.

They were very professional and helpful in meeting our needs for an emergency stand-by pump,’” Dunstan explained.

To meet their requirements, Hydro Innovations installed a self-priming, centrifugal, diesel pump with auto-start.

Called a Gorman-Rupp V6-SCP, the above-ground pump has a suction line that goes down into the wet well and a float switch that activates the auto-start. The unit only runs when required and remains silent at all other times.

The V6 provides superior solids-handling and increased pressure capabilities. It delivers higher pressures and flows than any other self-priming sewage pump on the market and is also the most efficient pump in its class.

As with other Gorman-Rupp sewage pumps, the V6 is fitted as standard with a unique and patented self-cleaning wear plate system that enables the pump to handle stringy materials and rags that would block other pumps.

Enclosed in a sound-attenuated metal canopy, the V6 emits low noise levels. Lockable doors prevent unauthorised personnel from tampering with the pump, fuel, engine or controls. Fuel capacity allows for a minimum 24 hours of continuous operation.

According to Dunstan the cost to purchase the V6 was comparable with the cost of buying another generator. In addition, it also eliminated the need to have to install variable speed drives in the switchboard to make the generator operational.

Since having the stand-by pump installed in early 2010, Dunstan and his team have seen the V6 perform under emergency conditions.

“During Cyclone Yasi, we had to make use of the pump and it performed outstandingly. It kicked in straight away and did what it was meant to effectively,” Dunstan said.

Apart from reliability Dunstan also found that the Gormann-Rupp V6 required less fuel to keep it operational.

“Each of our generators is eight times more expensive to run when compared to the V6 and the maintenance costs associated with the generators are far higher than those of the V6. The generators are also people intensive to maintain. Whereas the V6 requires less maintenance and uses up less of our people’s time.

“The V6 pump has helped reinforce the operational capability and efficiency of our wastewater system during an emergency situation. It’s reassuring to know that we have the V6 in place,” Dunstan explained.

“Choosing to partner with Hydro Innovations was also the right decision. They grasped what was required immediately, have a very good understanding of their products and their backup service has been excellent,” Dunstan said.


AustrAliAn water management rev iew | 109thE AustrAliAn water management rev iew | 109

Stevco Seals and Pumps Victoria was establ ished in 2004 with a clear mission to provide f i rst class products, support and af termarket service in pumps and mechanical seals.

We have selected products and aligned ourselves with leading manufacturers of high quality equipment to ensure we are able to offer our clients “best fit” solutions for all of their pumping and sealing needs.

We offer a comprehensive range of pumps and mechanical seals to suit almost every industrial pumping application.

Understanding our client’s process and commercial needs and building relationships through our dealings ensures we can deliver service and value above and beyond the products we provide.

Our workshop is well equipped to build new pump sets, overhaul your existing pumping equipment or

perform improvements including mechanical seal upgrades and application of high efficiency abrasion resistant surface coatings.

We can also provide on-site servicing including pump installation, removal, routine servicing and repair with our suitably equipped vehicles and trained field personnel.

Supply of gland packing, gasketing, pump spare parts and mechanical seal servicing are also part of our all-inclusive range.

We are also distributors of the world famous Inpro-Seal compound labyrinth bearing isolators and “Air Mizer” dry running, air purged product seals.

Industries we currently service include:

• Water and waste water facilities

• Pulp and paper manufacturing

• Food Processing

• Beverage production and packaging

• Ink manufacturing and printing

• Pharmaceutical

• General process

• Specialist equipment manufacturers and pump OEMs (mechanical and Inpro seals)

With support from our supply partners we provide ongoing product and technical training for all of our field and workshop staff and are active members of “Pump Industry Australia”.

Visit our website at www.Stevcovic.com.au for further information or contact us to discuss your pumping and sealing requirements.

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KSB Australia has released their new Amarex/KRT waste water pump series coupled with energy-efficient motors which meet the new European IE3 Premium Efficiency requirements for standard motors to the Australian market. These pump sets can be supplied with or without explosion protection and whether operated at rated or low flow conditions, their efficiency exceeds that of standard submersible motors.

KSB has developed these motors and manufactures them, making sure they are perfectly matched to the mechanical and electrical requirements of waste water pump hydraulics.

By optimising the electric and magnetic design, the pump manufacturer has already fulfilled the requirements of efficiency class IE3 for its KRT series up to a drive rating of 150 kW.

Dry-installed pumps up to 45 kW can also be driven by the KSB-developed “SuPremE” motor, cutting the losses of the highly efficient IE3 motors

by another 15 percent. These motors provide operators with a technology which, already today, more than surpasses the upcoming legal efficiency requirements. Following are some major features of the pump.

1. Optimum hydraulic and energy efficiency due to variable hydraulic systems offering the right impeller for every fluid.

2. Non-clogging low-maintenance design and large free passages substantially reduce clogging risk and maintenance (inspection hole provided on pumps with DN 100 and above).

3. Safety, Absolutely water-tight resin-sealed cable entries prevent any water from entering the motor – even in the event of a damaged cable.

4. Reliability due to two bi-rotational mechanical seals and rolling element bearings sealed for life.

5. Monitoring, Sensors monitor the motor temperature and prevent overheating. Moisture sensors signal any ingress of moisture into the motor.

6. Long service life. The shaft is made of corrosion-proof stainless steel. All wetted fasteners, too, are made of stainless steel

The motors are available with power ratings of:

5,0 – 19 kW 2-pole 4,0 – 150 kW 4-pole 4,8 – 132 kW 6-pole

in the following variants: 400 V 50 Hz, non-explosionproof (U) 400 V 50 Hz, explosion-proof EEx d II BT4 (Y) 460 V 60 Hz, non-explosionproof (U) 460 V 60 Hz, explosion-proof FM Class I, Division I, Group C & D (X)

For further information, please contact KSB Australia Pty Ltd, Greg James, Business Development Manager (Water & Waste Water), Mobile: 0438 941 843, or visit www.ksb.com.au.

A PrEMiuM EffiCiEnt WAtEr PuMP tO thE AustrAliAn MArkEt frOM ksB

Pumps ■ Valves ■ Systems

As a full-range supplier, we at KSB Australia provide high quality tailored products for special requirements. Our offering includes standard products for the widest variety of applications in the waste water business. Our impellers which are available in many sizes and designs are a match for every conceivable pumping challenge while offering a high level of efficiency.KSB Australia Pty Ltd · VIC 03 9314 0611 · SA 08 8234 0066 · NSW 02 9584 2099 · WA 08 9412 0100 · Kalgoorlie 08 9021 2447 QLD 07 3725 8200 Townsville 07 4774 9200 · NZ +64 9 476 4047 · www.ksb.com.au

Standard at KSB: The right product for every kind of waste water.


Fairbanks MorseIndustrial Pumps

Reliable, dependable and innovative

Products to suit a wide array of applications including:

• Commercial and industrial fi re pumps

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Ph: 1300 137 344 Fax: 1800 006 688 Web: fmpump.com


Putting PeoPle in irrigation

Irrigation Australia Limited represents over 700 organisations and some 45,000 individuals from all sectors of the Australian irrigation industry including water users and irrigators, consultants and designers, manufacturers, distributors and

retailers, contractors and installers, education and training institutions, research institutes and all levels of government. It is the only national body to cover the entire value chain of the irrigation industry, both rural and urban.

Over the last decade the association has been developing a number of industry wide initiatives to build the professionalism and capacity of the industry so that it is better positioned to be part of the solution to water resource management and environmental challenges in the future.

Irrigation training pays off

How we manage our water resources, including for irrigation, continues to be a hot issue throughout Australia. Many of us would have seen in the media references to how much water is used to produce a variety of food items from hamburgers to a glass of milk. Some of these figures appear shocking to city people and the result is more pressure being put on irrigators to ensure that water is used efficiently. Now it is not enough simply to be efficient, rather there is increasing pressure to prove that the resource is being managed by people with the appropriate skills.

Qualifications in irrigation provide an easy, provable way of identifying that the water is being used efficiently and in an environmentally sustainable way by a skilled person.

Starting at entry level and progressing through to diploma level for a manager or owner, these qualifications span the range of sectors in the irrigation industry. Catering for different sectors provides skills in irrigation that are appropriate to individuals in that sector. The training is offered by Irrigation Australia through the industries own

registered training organisations (RTO) Irrigation Training Australia. This training is also supported by a range of other RTOs and TAFEs throughout Australia and may, depending on the circumstances, be linked to traineeships and government funding. Irrigation Australia works closely with RTOs to ensure that they share the same common values to expanding the necessary skills of our industry.

A big advantage of these qualifications is that they are recognised nationally making them very portable and allowing people to take their skills to other areas of the country without having to retrain.

Irrigation Australia Limited has been active in developing vocational training and recognising the professional skills of people in the industry because it knows that these are crucial elements that help to provide sustainability and environmental best practice and puts people into irrigation.

Certification recognises skills and promotes professionalism

An important element of recognising the professional skills of those involved in the irrigation industry is through certification. Over the years Irrigation Australia has developed a comprehensive certification program for both urban and agricultural sectors.

Irrigation Australia has a vision that in future all significant irrigation systems, be they urban or rural, will be designed by certified irrigation designers, installed by a certified irrigation installers or certified irrigation contractors, run by certified irrigation operators and certified irrigation managers with advice from certified irrigation retailers and certified irrigation agronomists.

Certification is a voluntary program of industry recognition. To become certified a person will first need to demonstrate industry experience, irrigation skills and knowledge and commitment to ongoing professional development.

Certification benefits individuals, the irrigation industry and the general community by:

• setting and developing the skills requirements for each occupation in the industry

• lifting the skills and knowledge of everyone in the industry through continued professional development

• driving industry involvement in training and qualifications

• providing job satisfaction, personal recognition and support a career pathway

• rewarding and recognising those operating at best practice

• assisting the industry to control its own future

• ensuring sustainability for the industry by ensuring that irrigation practice is strongly linked to water supply, soils and the environment.

Certification can help natural resource managers to recognise those who can implement best practice in water use and irrigation and minimise the potential environmental impacts of irrigation.

The program is already used by local and state governments and statutory authorities when procuring services or offering grants and incentives. Resource managers can also use the program to identify and improve irrigation and environmental performance and therefore meet their resource targets.

CASE STUDY

Streamlining evaluation of irrigation system performance - Merv Jessen, Industry Development Officer, Queensland

Irrigation Australia has supported and promoted the importance of evaluating irrigation systems to determine performance and identify where improvements can be made.

WrITTen by IrrIGaTIon auSTralIa



Irrigation system evaluations have been carried out for almost a decade in Queensland resulting in an impressive bank of very useful data. A key aim of these evaluations has been to characterise irrigation system performance, compare the results with existing system and industry benchmark indicators and, where appropriate, provide recommendations to growers on ways to improve system performance.

To do the evaluations, procedures were developed for collecting field data and analysing system performance using computer spreadsheets that were developed by the various industry sectors. While this was useful in providing grower feedback on an individual basis, there was no process by which the data collected in these evaluations could be collated, either to provide broader scale interpretation for each industry or region, or to identify any trends in performance parameters.

The development of the Irrigation Performance Audit and Reporting Tool (IPART) has changed all this so that now the data has become a powerful management tool.

IPART was commissioned by the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Water as part of the South East Queensland Irrigation Futures (SEQ-IF) program. It was developed by the National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture and is designed to help consultants and agency staff evaluate and collate data on infield irrigation system performance.

What does IPART do?

IPART provides a range of functions, including the standardisation of infield data collection, calculation and presentation of in-field irrigation performance data, and the generation of grower recommendations and grower reports. The program covers all the major irrigation system types used in agriculture, and has the added feature of being able to be used to collate industry and regional data for higher-level analysis and reporting.

Benefits

Dan Corfe, an Industry development officer with the Queensland Turf Producers Association (QTPA), has

been using IPART since it was first released in 2007. He says that since the IPART software was introduced it has streamlined his data collection and recording when evaluating a grower’s irrigation system.

“Generally, after the field has been set up with catch cans under the irrigator, and pressure gauges installed on the device, all relevant readings can simply be entered into IPART, where the feedback information is used to determine the level of performance of the device being evaluated,” he explained.

After the evaluation is finished, recommendations can be added for the grower to follow. These relate to improvements which can be made before a second or final evaluation is conducted.

Dan also pointed out that IPART’s online facility can also print out a report, which is used as the basis for grower discussions. The report includes graphs or charts representing a trend line of the distribution pattern as the irrigator passes over the catch can area.

In a recent evaluation completed by Dan on a centre pivot device on a turf farm in South-East Queensland, the first results showed some unevenness of application at the boom backs at the first tower. The analysis showed that the boom back nozzles were applying more water than was needed and that the distribution pattern was poor. As well, the operating pressure was well above the recommended level, and the pressure at the machine centre could be reduced to decrease pumping costs.

After these recommendations were implemented and a follow up evaluation conducted, the Coefficient of Uniformity (CU mod HH) for the device improved from 92% to approx 94%.

CASE STUDY 2

Standards underpin efficiency Jeremy Cape, CapeAbility Pty Ltd

One of the areas recognised by IAL as crucial to improving water use efficiency is irrigation standards – for equipment, systems and operation. Jeremy Cape,

Australian representative on the International Standards Organisation subcommittee responsible for irrigation standards and chair of IAL’s Professional Development Committee, explains the role of standards.

One of the results of the implementation of the National Plan for Water has been the development of standards for non urban water meters. Policy makers and water managers have decided that measuring irrigation water supplies accurately requires high quality meters. This means that meters must comply with standards to ensure their accuracy and fitness for purpose.

Standards already exist for a number of classes of irrigation equipment, and an international standards subcommittee, which includes representation from Australia, is developing more. So far thirty-three standards covering equipment as diverse as travelling irrigators, sprinklers and sprayers and emitting pipe have been developed by the subcommittee.

Why do standards matter?

Standards are not just written for technical people to review the performance of different pieces of equipment. They are written to provide a verifiable way of judging the quality of different brands of irrigation equipment. In every standard there is a measurement that indicates how a particular piece of equipment works, e.g. head loss is measured in valves. The wrong data can lead to incorrect designs being prepared and, in some cases, to much higher energy costs.

A greater awareness of standards by irrigators could lead them to be more discriminating buyers of equipment. With many areas facing severe water shortages a greater premium than ever before has been placed on irrigation efficiency. While irrigation efficiency is affected by many things, mainly management, irrigators are in a position to buy only equipment that complies with international standards.

One simple example of this relates to micro irrigation emitters such as drippers and sprayers. A good



irrigation design specifies a system that delivers precise quantities of water to specific parts of the irrigated area. The designer’s ability to do this depends on the equipment they select for the system operating as specified.

Buying equipment without any referring to the appropriate standard could result in too much or too little water being applied. As a practical example, if a dripper delivers 2.5 L an hour rather than a specified 2 L an hour the irrigator may actually be applying 25% more water than they planned to. Over a season a citrus grower might apply 5 ML/ha rather than a target of 4 ML. What is more, the grower could easily believe that they were applying the correct amount. All that potential water wasted could be avoided by the irrigator specifying equipment that complies with the standard at the time the system was first designed.

There are similar descriptions of performance for sprinklers and sprayer. The area wetted by the sprinkler is just as important as the volume of water delivered through the sprinkler or sprayer. In under tree sprinkler irrigation designers take care to ensure that the area watered by sprinklers is best for plant health and that no water is wasted by being sprayed outside the target area.

Standards specify tests for the diameter and radius of coverage to help designers with this issue.

A greater awareness by irrigators of the existence and meaning of standards would ensure that irrigation systems comprise good quality equipment, at least initially.

The content of standards

All irrigation equipment standards are written to a common framework. The draft standard for sprayers (ISO 8026) includes the following sections:

1. the scope and coverage of the standard

2. normative references (other documents which are referred to in the standard such as other standards)

3. definitions (covering issues such as diameter of throw)

4. classification

5. general requirements covering materials, manufacture and assembly and connections

6. test methods, in this case diameter of coverage, spray coverage pattern, water distribution curve, uniformity of flow rate, flow rate as a function of inlet pressure, trajectory height, durability tests, and mechanical tests

7. identification and marking

8. data to be supplied by manufacturer.

These clauses are typical of other standards and vary only in the detail of the tests to be completed.



Murrumbidgee Irr igat ion Ltd has establ ished the MIA Renewal Al l iance to carry out modernisat ion infrastructure works that wil l improve productivi ty and create water savings for the future. The All iance is made up of Murrumbidgee Irr igat ion, GHD, John Holland Group and UGL Infrastructure.

Infrastructure works are expected to commence from early 2012, subject to project planning and funding approvals.

The MIA Renewal Alliance is therefore calling for expressions of interest from suppliers and subcontractors who may wish to provide their services to the Alliance in the future. This will provide the Alliance with the opportunity to assess the capability of interested organisations and further develop supplier and subcontractor capability to ensure compliance with the relevant requirements.

Those organisations and individuals who respond will be asked to complete a confidential

questionnaire relating to their current capacity, experience and capabilities.

Expressions of interest should be forwarded by 30 September 2011 to:

Mr Ian Butler Delivery Manager Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area Renewal Alliance PO BOX 716 Griffith NSW 2680

suPPliErs AnD suBCOntrACtOrsExPrEssiOns Of intErEst

The National Code of Practice for the Construction Industry (the Code) and the Australian Government Implementation Guidelines for the National Code of Practice for the Construction Industry, reissued August 2009 (the Guidelines), apply to this project. By agreeing to undertake the works, you will be taken to have read and to agree to comply with the Code and Guidelines.

To know more please email : [email protected]


ICI Industries Pty Ltd is a 100% Australian owned private company, supplying high quality products and services to the horticultural, hydroponic, and irrigation industries. There are four divisions that make up the ICI Industries group, each specialising in providing the end user high quality products and services.

Irribiz design, supply and install all irrigation systems and equipment including pump stations, filtration, PVC, Poly pipe and fittings to all parts of Australia. Irribiz warehouse/retail outlets are located in Griffith NSW, Robinvale, VIC, and Kununurra WA, selling quality irrigation products for leading industry brands such as Grundfos, Davey, Hunter, HR Products, Iplex Piplelines, NaanDan, Nelson, Netafim, Nylex, John Deere, Philmac, Vindex, Toro, Rainbird, PPI and many others.

The Irribiz Warehouses also cater for the home gardener- stocking a complete range of PVC and poly fittings, drip tubes as well as an extensive range of sprinklers. And farmers when it comes to irrigation products, spare parts and accessories, Irribiz also deliver the most competitive prices. Irribiz specialise in ways of maximising your water usage so you can save time, water and money.

Ibis Controls specialises in all aspects of control automation and switchboard construction, with emphasis on automation efficiency within the water transfer industry. With the use of the latest CAD drawing systems our experienced engineers are able to design and build switchboards and control Automation for Pump/filtration systems.

From the smallest irrigation unit to the largest scale corporate system Ibis Controls can produce concept drawings for budget purposes to workshop drawings, ready for manufacturing, tailoring to suit your individual requirements.

Custom Built Stainless prides itself in proficiencies in all aspects of steel fabrication and construction, with emphasis on stainless steel within the water transfer industry. We are able to offer a diverse range of services which include manufacturing of mainline fittings, pumps/filtration, pipe work, manifolds and stainless steel welding all to Australian Standards.

AIS Greenworks is an engineering projects company that will design, supply and install the mechanical, hydraulic, and energy systems required for competitive greenhouse operation. Products include both cooling and heating systems, growing systems,

growing media, water management, as well as design services.

Greenhouses are quickly becoming leading producers of fruit, vegetables, and flowers throughout Australia.

Growing within a greenhouse enables the grower to control their environment; increasing yields and quality, while lowering inputs such as water, energy, and pesticides. Greenworks is involved in projects ranging in size and complexity. In Australia, projects vary from family run plastic houses of a few hundred square meters to corporate production facilities consisting of high tech glasshouses over 20 hectares in size.

WhO ArE iCi inDustriEs?


ICI Industries Pty Ltd is a 100% Australian owned private company, supplying high quality products and services to the horticultural, hydroponic, and irrigation industries. Four divisions make up the ICI Industries group, each specialising in providing the end user high quality products and services.

TOTAL WATER SOLUTIONS

Irribiz specialising in all aspects of irrigation - design, service & maintance, pumping systems, fi ltration, PVC and poly pipe and fi ttings. www.irribiz.com.au

Ibis Controls focus on control automation and switchboard construction, with emphasis on automation effi ciency within the water transfer industry.

www.ibiscontrols.com.au

Custom Built Stainless prides itself in profi ciency in all aspects of steel fabrication and construction, with emphasis on stainless steel within the water transfer industry. www.cbstainless.com.au

AIS Greenworks design, supply and install mechanical, hydraulic, and energy systems required for greenhouse operations. www.aisgreenworks.com

ICI INDUSTRIES PTY LTD 20 Bridge Road Griffi th NSW 2680 PHONE 6964 7299 FAX 02 6964 7355 EMAIL [email protected] www.iciindustries.com.au

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In the past few years, Melbourne councils have been required to reduce water allocations to less than 25 per cent of previous water restrictions or to limit irrigating to one in four turf sporting grounds under strict Stage 3a restrictions. After substantial rainfall in the catchment areas, many restrictions have been eased to Stage 2 but monitoring and reporting of irrigation data for sustainable management is now considered best practise regardless. Water scarcity and waste minimisation are issues that are here to stay and councils must be seen to be decreasing water consumption in their facilities. Ground managers and curators need to adopt new initiatives to minimise irrigation waste and optimise precious resources.

The Victorian Government has recently provided $2 million worth of funding under the Sustainable Sporting Grounds Program to help sports clubs deal with the impact of increasingly stringent restrictions and future proof facilities against drought conditions.

The Minister for Sports and Recreation Hugh Delahunty says “This program provides the cash boost needed for sports clubs to develop long term, sustainable, low water use community sporting facilities that are better equipped to deal with future climate challenges.”

Traditionally, councils have simply maintained sporting grounds to the basic standards required by sporting codes. When new restrictions were implemented, one in four playing fields were left to survive on rainfall unless the club or local council could justify having additional water provisions.

Many fields deteriorated under severe restrictions and became unplayable while demand continued to rise for these facilities. Restrictions also led to less competitive or socially disadvantaged users having less access to suitable playing fields. Increased population growth and demand for playing spaces in general have placed additional pressure on those turf based facilities that meet the criteria to benefit from an increase water allocation.

Introduced in April 2007 in metropolitan Melbourne, the policy aimed to achieve an 80 per cent reduction in water use on sports grounds. To qualify for further water allocations, facilities need to develop a ‘Water Conservation Plan’, install water meters, centralise watering systems, audit irrigation systems and publish irrigation schedules. There was a fear that these seemingly harsh restrictions would ultimately lead to increased player injury, undermine community engagement, reduce the health and well-being in the population, and even lead to job losses in the turf industry. Councils were therefore faced with the challenge of utilising limited state and federal funding to optimise limited water allocations.

The impact of water restrictions on playing fields varies greatly depending on the local rainfall, soil types, ground conditions and intensity of activity. The need to know the soil moisture content in a variety of soils and conditions is paramount.

One way to reduce your water footprint is to stop over-watering. Not only is it environmentally more sustainable, it will save money and produce better turf.

Many councils across Australia have invested in the Hydrosense soil moisture monitoring system made by Campbell Scientific to ascertain optimal water coverage and duration. With a release set for September this year, the Hydrosense II is the second generation of this innovative Australian technology.

The Hydrosense II is a handheld display and soil moisture sensor. Featuring a new display and a new easy insertion soil probe, this compact measurement system has a clear, large LCD display with a convenient layout of the buttons to allow for undemanding one-handed operation in the field.

Incorporating Bluetooth connectivity with an onboard GPS, the new and improved Hydrosense II allows for storable geo-tags recording location specific data. This data can be transmitted wirelessly from your handset to your laptop or PC and can then be exported to Google Earth, GPX and CSV (Excel).

Full spacial representation can be achieved allowing gardeners, curators and grounds keepers to selectively irrigate only where and when needed, reducing water costs, improving sustainability and the overall condition of the turf.

According to a report commissioned by the Victorian Government on ‘Ground Conditions and Injury Risk’, the Hydrosense is “easy to use, not subject to operator error”. The new Hydrosense II, which sells from around $1500, also offers the latest communication capabilities coupled with geo-tagging for more precise, three dimensional representation of your playing field and Campbell’s legendary technical and integration support.

The Hydrosense II is recommended for any curator or grounds keeper wishing to comply with sustainability programs while getting maximum mileage from your allocated resource.

For more information about the Sustainable Sports Ground Program, visit www.grants.dpcd.vic.gov.au

Up to $100,000 is available for each project. Applications close Wednesday 10 August 2011.

tOuGh turf tiMEs rEquirE innOVAtiVE tEChnOlOGy tO surViVE


a suMMer ofdestruCtion



Never has a cigar tasted so good. It’s barely a week after the Brisbane River has turned the lives of tens of thousands of Brisbane residents upside down, yet for McLeod Country Golf Club superintendent Peter Daly it

is time to celebrate.

Together with his assistant Phil Boag and the rest of the McLeod course maintenance crew, Daly has spent the best part of the last week knee-deep in thick, stinking mud, pushing, scraping and dragging a mountain of silt off greens and tees which has been deposited by the incredible volume of floodwaters that inundated 90 per cent of the course.

As well as being immensely therapeutic and providing Daly with a brief and welcome respite away from the heartbreaking condition of the course, sparking up the Cuban represents the first milestone achieved on the long road to getting his beloved club back on its feet. Cleaning off the greens and tees is on the top of an exhaustive list of jobs facing Daly and the sense of relief and satisfaction of being able to put a line through it is almost palpable.

Given what he has endured in the past week, few would begrudge Daly such a small indulgence. It’s not every day that you watch on helpless as your course turns into an inland ocean and becomes a victim of one of the greatest natural disasters in Australian history. Despite being one to always look on the lighter side of life, even Daly struggles to comprehend what has just happened three weeks shy of him notching up 10 years at the club.

“You just can’t fathom it,” says Daly. “It’s like a disaster zone, yet you drive 10 minutes away and it is like nothing has happened. We have markers from the 1974 floods on the course so we knew what was coming, but I don’t think we really believed it until we saw it.”

A few kilometres upstream at Wolston Park Golf Club, superintendent Warren Langlands is also trying to get his head around what he has just witnessed. Standing next to a mini skip stacked high with what was once the contents of his office, the look of disbelief is still

plastered across his face. That disbelief, however, is slowly replaced by the grim reality of the task that now confronts him and his small team to get the course back into some form of playable condition.

Among the sodden contents of the skip lies 15 years of Langlands’ detailed course maintenance records – from diaries which he religiously wrote in, spray records, equipment and product purchases, inventories, parts manuals, the lot – all destroyed. “I’ve been here 15 years and it’s the first time I’ve seen anything like this,” says Langlands. “When I first got down here after the flood waters receded, I opened the door to the office but quickly closed it again. It’s pretty heartbreaking.”

A few bends in the river downstream and at Indooroopilly Golf Club the full extent of just how devastating the floods have been is on show for all to see. Driving through the gates of the 36-hole complex you would be forgiven for thinking what all the fuss is about and aside from a washed out fence and a small but steady trickle of water across the entrance road, the course is seemingly in excellent order.

Continue up to the clubhouse, however, and the jaw quickly drops. What would normally be a sea of green is now an ocean of dark brown as far as the eye can see. Everything – greens, tees, fairways, roughs, bunkers, cart paths, trees and shrubs – is smothered in a muddy film, the smell of freshly cut turf replaced by the pungent and unpleasant stench of silt and goodness knows what else.

A fleet of 11 posi-tracks, which course superintendent Charlie Giffard has managed to source from all over south east Queensland, drone away in the background, pushing a seemingly endless amount of silt off fairways, while a swamp dozer does likewise on the practice range.

Down in the maintenance compound, a muddy watermark near the roofline of the main storage shed provides a shocking reminder of the sheer volume of water that has ripped through the place. Waters reached 8.5m above normal river levels and while most of Indooroopilly’s big ticket items were evacuated to

higher ground, the compound remains littered with flood-damaged equipment, chemicals and product.

“It’s a life-changing event that’s for sure, but now that the levels have gone back down we just want to get stuck in and start reclaiming areas of the course and get it back up as soon as possible,” says Giffard. “For now it’s about trying to rally the staff, the members and the club and figuring out just where to go from here. The road ahead will be long, but we’ll get there eventually, one hole at a time.”

These are just some of the scenes that were being played out at many golf clubs and turf facilities which reside along the Brisbane River in the week after the unprecedented floods hit the city during the second week of January. From Karana Downs, which literally had one of its holes swept into the river, to Jindalee which lost everything and further down to Indooroopilly and Brisbane just a few clicks from the Brisbane CBD, numerous golf courses and turf facilities were left decimated.

It was the culmination of an extreme spring and summer for the whole of Queensland, the likes of which had never witnessed before. After notching its wettest spring on record, Queensland would record its wettest December on record and in the first two weeks of the New Year further deluges pushed catchments to breaking point.

Brisbane’s Wivenhoe Dam, constructed after the Australia Day floods in 1974, was at bursting point, receiving inflows of up to one million megalitres a day which necessitated the massive release of water into the Brisbane River. At times, up to 170,000 megalitres a day flowed through Wivenhoe’s spill gates and over a four day period from 11-14 January the nation watched as river reached breaking point and inundated more than 30 Brisbane suburbs and tens of thousands of homes, business and facilities.

For the likes of Daly, Giffard, Langlands and the rest of their superintendent and turf management colleagues, to see their facilities laid to waste has been incomprehensible and you can only hope they’ll never have to witness another event like it in their time.

a suMMer ofdestruCtion

Af te r 10 yea rs o f d rough t , l as t summer saw Mother Na tu re un leash he r fu r y on Queens land . Record ra ins th roughou t sp r ing and then in to December and Januar y caused f lood ing to vas t a reas o f the s ta te , cu lmina t ing in the inc red ib le scenes o f the Br isbane R ive r inunda t ing t ens o f thousands o f suburban homes and bus inesses in the s ta te cap i t a l . As we l l as the t r ag ic loss o f l i f e and p roper ty, the even ts had a w ide- rang ing impac t on the spor ts tu r f indus t r y and i t s p rac t i t ioners . Aus t ra l i an Go l f Course Super in tenden ts Assoc ia t ion ’s (AGCSA) ed i to r B re t t Rob inson looks back a t Queens land ’s summer o f des t ruc t ion and how the tu r f indus t r y has once aga in shown i t s inna te res i l i ence and des i re to bounce back in the f ace o f adve rs i t y.



Yet, true to the resilient nature which is the hallmark of many within the profession, these practitioners have proven in the weeks after the floods that there isn’t much that they can’t handle. Together with their crews and the help of members, they have thrown themselves unsparingly into the horrendous task of cleaning up their courses. While some have fared better than others, across the board the desire of all superintendents has been clear – to get their facilities back bigger and better than they were before the floods hit.

What a difference a month makes

A month on from the floods and countless hours of back-breaking overtime later, the progress most courses have made is, quite simply, remarkable. Brisbane Golf Club had all 18 holes open for play by Australia Day, while Oxley Golf Club and Indooroopilly’s East Course were also open within a matter of weeks.

For clubs to get anywhere near opening stage required an incredible undertaking on behalf of course maintenance crews, as well as an army of volunteers. At Brisbane Golf Club, course superintendent Ben Cavanagh had more than 160 volunteers turn up in the days after the floods while at Indooroopilly, more than 250 members rolled up, including a group of lady members who had the delightful task of cleaning out the maintenance facility.

“After seeing the silt deposits when the waters finally receded and to see where we are at now, I am pleasantly surprised,” says Giffard. “What faced us on the Saturday immediately after the floods was difficult to comprehend. We more or less started out from the clubhouse and literally dug our way down to the shed.

“You did wonder how on earth we were going to come out of this, but after we got the posi-tracks in and you could see changes each day and some green life coming back, you did start to have some hope. Initially, any progress was fantastic. It was hard yakka rallying all the staff and volunteers and trying to keep some good humour about the whole situation, but I think where we are at now everyone can be very proud of their efforts.”

With most turf surfaces now cleaned up and slowly recovering, attention is shifting to repairing infrastructure such as irrigation and staff amenities which were damaged. While many had temporary pumping arrangements rigged up relatively quickly, getting their full complement of pumps online is ongoing, and in the case of Jindalee superintendent Tony Richards has had to rely solely on Mother Nature.

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, Brisbane has received plenty of rain in the six weeks after the floods and despite a relatively dry spell toward the end of January, fifteen of the first 21 days of February saw persistent daily falls of between 1mm and 21mm. While Jindalee’s greens have reveled in the conditions, the flip side of course is that the rain has further delayed reinstatement works at most courses.

For those club’s whose maintenance facilities were inundated and machinery lost, progress varies. While work has started to refit the staff areas within the Indooroopilly maintenance compound, by contrast the Brisbane shed is still the bombsite that was left behind when floodwaters finally receded.

Cavanagh’s office remains piled high with ruined furniture, computer components and flood-damaged folders while chairs, upturned fridges and silt-covered work gear remain strewn throughout the locker rooms and lunchroom. Even the mud-stained sign proclaiming ‘Clean your shoes, please’ still clings resolutely to the entrance door to the staff amenities areas.

What could be salvaged, such as mechanic tools, has been moved into a temporary maintenance facility which will more than likely be the Brisbane crew’s home for the next three months as the club continues down the path of getting insurance assessments and deliberating possible alternatives on where and in what form a new facility might be constructed.

At Jindalee, where the maintenance facility was one of the first areas to go under and last to re-emerge, the clean up process has been painstaking. With just two full-time and one part-time staff and little in the

way of resources, the road back has and will continue to be a long. It took almost four weeks to get power reconnected, but of more concern for Richards is been getting flood-damaged machinery back in working order. With the small nine-hole club simply not having the cash reserves to afford machinery or engine replacements, Richards has had to rely on a local mechanic stripping back engines in an effort to get them working again.

“We are doing the best we can,” says Richards. “We were able to get the fairway mower going so for the first time in about a month we were able to get out and give the fairways a cut. We have got a couple of machines still to get up and running, but until then people will just have to be patient. There is talk that the machinery shed will be relocated to a higher point on the course and hopefully that will happen because the club simply can’t afford another event like this.”

Steady as she goes

For the likes of Oxley superintendent Shane McDonald and Peter Daly at McLeod who haven’t had to worry about losing their maintenance facilities, the primary concern now is getting their turf back to optimum health before winter and also trying to balance the needs of the turf with constant requests from management to lower cutting heights.

“Our root system, which was 25cm deep before the floods, is back to between 7cm-10cm,”says Daly. “Some greens were down to as little as 3cm after the floods but they are getting stronger each day which is encouraging. We still have two greens – 15 and 17, which were under for six days – that haven’t quite reached the level of the others, but it’s just a matter of getting them back slowly and not stressing them too much before bringing them back into play.

“Everyone’s in the same boat and I’m sure we’ve all been placed under pressure by management to get everything open as quickly as possible and then to start lowering cutting heights. At the end of the day, though, you can’t put too much pressure on the turf after such an



event like this. Concentrating further stress on greens by getting them down too quick will only cause further problems in the long run and in most cases will undo all the good work we have done to date.

“It has been a funny season. As well as the rain, it has been very cool and the lack of sunshine has really affected growth. I reckon we might be in for an early winter and the last thing we need is to go into winter with stressed greens because you can’t do anything then. Our concentration now is getting the greens in as good a condition root-wise as possible, while we are feeding up the fairways with liquids (fertiliser) and mowing them at every opportunity to get them to grow over.” Daly said.

Cavanagh shares Daly’s sentiments and while his surfaces were brought back into play relatively quickly, their management over the next couple of months will be critical, as will educating members and committees that while the surfaces may look okay to the eye, underneath it can be a different story.

“We were fortunate not to have the amount of silt that say Indooroopilly had and although our greens have come back well, even four weeks later there is still a hell of a lot of silt coming out of them when we are coring,” says Cavanagh. “The big thing is trying to educate the committee and membership about what happens when the silt settles and gets down into the profile and the long-term problems that can eventuate. They have to understand that getting the course back to what it was before the floods is a big job. It’s not just a matter of coming back out and cutting at normal heights.”

If there is one thing that has surprised all superintendents, it’s the ability of their couchgrass to recover despite the hammering it has received, whether through water inundation, machinery traffic during the clean-up process or the mandatory renovations to remove silt within the profile. Another upside has been that the floodwaters have provided a rather drastic form of weed control and many fairways are now clean of undesirables such as crowsfoot, wire weed, paspalum and carpetgrass.

While reinstating turf surfaces and course infrastructure has been the primary focus in the weeks immediately after the floods, attention is also slowly turning to reinstating other areas. On top of an unenviable list is reinstating and refurbishing bunkers which in most cases have been left untouched apart from a quick initial clean out of silt and debris. Many will need to be completely reconstructed, a process which will keep many going for the remainder of the year.

Then there are the smaller but no less time-consuming tasks of repairing pathways that were either gouged out or simply washed away, replacing mulch in garden beds and replanting trees (Oxley, for instance, lost more than 100 drought-tolerant plants and trees, many of which had only been recently planted).

Lessons learnt

As with any major disaster of this scale, the lessons learnt have been many and varied, even if they have been discovered the hard way. The events have brought out of the best in most and the worst in just a handful, but ask any of those Brisbane superintendents affected and the positive generally outweigh the negative and they will be taking plenty away from the unprecedented event.

For Giffard, the standout was the camaraderie that was discovered not only among the maintenance staff but within the different departments of the golf club. Mucking in together, it has helped to forge some new friendships and has given those who work in the clubhouse an appreciation of what the maintenance crew has to put with sometimes. Giffard says it was also good to have the interaction and connection with the members and he hopes they too will take something away from the experience.

“Without wanting to sound boastful, I think we did a pretty bloody good job,” reflects Giffard. “We kept a very close eye on everything from staff fatigue to managing the volunteers and that’s half the reason why we are so far down the track. It has been a very good experience in that regard and everyone has done their bit, from Dale (Durant) the CEO, Darren (Richards) the director of golf and Jon Mathias who helped us with HR issues.

“I really can’t think of anything that I wouldn’t do again. We are certainly now a lot more wary of infrastructure and how we set ourselves up for the future so that if something does happen again we will be able to remove stuff quickly. I guess the only thing I would do differently is get the posi-tracks in a few days earlier than we did. They really saved us and the amount of silt they were able to remove and their ability to work in the conditions was quite remarkable. Even the operators were impressed.” Griffand said.

Across the river at Brisbane, for Cavanagh it was the importance of ensuring the welfare of his staff in the wake of the floods, especially seeing they didn’t have a maintenance facility to operate of, and keeping a good sense of humour. As well as organising some good temporary accommodation for his crew, Cavanagh inadvertently did his bit for staff morale after he managed to bog one of the machines. What made his efforts priceless was that only a few hours earlier he had dished out a serve to one of his younger staff member for doing the exact same thing!

“It has certainly been a learning experience,” states Cavanagh. “The big thing for me was keeping the morale of the staff high, because if you don’t have the guys behind you working towards a common

Situated at the lowest point of the course, the Jindalee maintenance facility was one of the first areas to go under, with massive loss of equipment and product .

A mountain of silt waits to be removed after being pushed of the 15th green at Wolston Park



goal, you’re pushing uphill from the start. My blokes were fantastic, but you have to be flexible given the situation and be mindful that this is just as hard on them as it is on you. Setting two or three goals each week and ticking them off as you go was also important but at the same time not over-extending and trying to reach for too much.”

For someone like Warren Langlands who relied heavily on manually documenting his maintenance operations at Wolston Park, he would have paid more attention to salvaging his records. The major realisation, however, is that he needs to be more computer savvy and were those records in an electronic format he wouldn’t be lamenting the loss of 15 years’ worth of knowledge.

One of the best things Shane McDonald did at Oxley was to take heed of the advice of some of club’s old timers who experienced the 1974 floods. On their word McDonald moved all machinery to higher ground – the shed went under in 1974 – but even though this time around the maintenance facility and pump shed were spared (even if it was only by a matter of metres), it was valuable having that reference.

“Looking back, if you didn’t have that advice you would think there would have been no way the water would get that high,” says McDonald. “We were of the mindset that it wouldn’t be that bad, but now we know what can happen, next time you would be more wary and plan ahead a lot better, both before and during the clean-up. We did prepare but we left a lot of things to last minute. If there is a next time you would start a lot earlier and we would probably have sandbagged areas like the pump station and shed.”

For Daly, who like most of his fellow Brisbane colleagues hopes to be in a retirement village reading about an event of this magnitude should one ever happen again, the one thing he wouldn’t do again is concern himself with mowing immediately before the floods. Thinking it best to try and mow as much as possible before the floods hit, Daly and his staff managed to knock off six greens before retreating back to the maintenance facility. Ironically, those six greens

have taken longer to recover than those which had a little more leaf left on them and in the case of one green where only half the surface was mown there is a distinct difference between the section that was mown and the one that wasn’t.

Depending on the nature of the floodwaters too, Daly believes there could also be merit in putting tarpaulins across greens. In the case of the January floods, water levels rose and receded at a relatively slow and steady rate and Daly says that pegging down a few tarps across greens would have saved countless man hours scraping silt off in the aftermath.

Documenting a disaster

Hindsight is, of course, a wonderful thing and as the saying goes ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’. If there is a common overriding thread among all those superintendents that have had to reinstate their courses after the events of early January, it’s their desire to document what has happened to them.

Whether it’s the various methods they used to remove silt from their turf surfaces, how to best manage staff and volunteers during the clean-up, or simply a priority list of things to do when a flood is imminent, it is their hope that by doing so will not only provide a useful future reference for their club but for the golf course and turf maintenance industries as a whole.

Both Brisbane and Indooroopilly are in the process of creating disaster management policies and procedures manuals which will become part of the fabric of each club that will be regularly reviewed and updated. At Brisbane, they have formed a disaster management committee comprising Cavanagh and members of the general committee who now meet on a fortnightly basis to brainstorm ideas. The aim is to have a document that will cover not just flood events but also any other major natural events which could potentially damage the course.

Daly too is in the process of putting together a dossier for McLeod. Already he has a wealth of material from the regular updates he posted onto his course

maintenance blog documenting the mammoth clean-up effort, but being the joker that he is Daly would add a few special touches to such a document.

“It would have been great to have had some sort of reference to what the guys did here in 1974, outlining what happened, the damage to the course and the stuff they did that did and didn’t work when it came to cleaning up,” reflects Daly. “I’m not sure what I’m going to call it, but I reckon on the first page I’m going to have great big aerial photo of the course completely flooded with the words, ‘If you see the course like this — RUN’. Maybe I’ll include a plane ticket to Dubai!”

No doubt it will also contain a small glass compartment containing a Cuban cigar with the words ‘Break glass in case of emergency.’

The 15th green at McLeod Country Golf Club remained under for six days and along with the 17th was one of the worst affected holes



Underneath this mass of water lies the nine-hole Jindalee Golf Club. Jindalee was completely submerged when the Brisbane River flooded Nemours riverside suburbs in the second week of January. Photo: Courtesy of Digital Realism



Concern over the fu ture d i rec t ion o f the Aust ra l ian f ru i t indust r y has prompted Turnbul l Bros Orchards Pty L td to move towards a new high product ion, h igh qual i ty sys tem for i ts Goulburn Val ley enterpr ise .

Located at Ardmona in Victoria, the Turnbull family is targeting consistent 80-tonne per hectare yields and minimum 80 per cent class 1 pack-out, an enormous jump from current 55t/ha yields and 60pc pack-out with their Cripps Pink and Rosy Glow apples.

Brothers Alex, Philip and Chris are the fifth generation on the 1892-established orchard, taking over from parents Ross and Daphne.

They grow apples, pears, peaches, cherries and nectarines, with 130ha of the 220ha property currently under orchard production, excluding young trees.

Alex said speculation over the future of the industry, including the impact of imports as well as labour costs and water supply concerns, had led the production change at the orchard to ensure a profitable business for the future.

“We are battling imports that are produced where labour costs are very low compared to Australia. We need to supply a higher quality product with higher yields, and without raising production costs, to compete and be profitable,’’ Alex said.

“There is a focus in the fresh industry that lower tonnages produce better quality, but we need challenge that.’’

A research trip by Alex and Chris to Washington State in the US, a region noted for its excellent orchard technologies and good water supply, was influential in the family’s new direction.

One of the keys to their move to the higher production, high quality system has been investment in a specialist Netafim drip irrigation system that is automatically controlled by the company’s NMC SingleNet unit. This also uses Netafim’s FertiKit fertiliser injection system for total nutrient application control.

Prior to this the family was applying nutrients through their irrigation system and had previously broadcast fertilisers.

Alex said four new production blocks, comprising 15ha, were now being fed via the FertiKit and drip irrigation, while the drip system also had been installed on two existing blocks. An existing mini jet system is watering other areas.

“We are changing over to drip irrigation. We will go drip with any new plantings and wherever we have the ability to do it.

“We like the low output drip line in terms of getting water use efficiencies. We use a pulse irrigation method to reduce soil compaction, improve capillary wetting and to achieve a continued supply of water to the tree – less water, more often.

“We also plan to have overhead cooling and netting to improve fruit colour,’’ Alex said.

The Netafim drip and NMC SingleNet system is achieving significant water savings.

“We estimate that we are saving 45-50 per cent of our usual water application with the new system on the four new blocks. And together with the use of straw mulch, we are saving about 70pc.’’ Alex said.

“We would normally be watering for 46 hours a week, whereas with the new system we are doing 14 hours a week.’’

He said the NMC SingleNet automation unit had improved irrigation management.

“There is less involved in terms of management by an irrigator. Instead of paying someone to turn taps on and off and switch channels, they are spending more time on crucial things.

“The system waters from Saturday through to Friday night with low rates and the irrigator puts the whole schedule in on the Friday afternoon and he only needs to check that it is turned on and the fertiliser is going in.

“We check the filters every two weeks and we flush the system four times a year.’’ Alex said.

Netafim agronomist Sam Birrell said the full NMC SingleNet, drip and FertiKit system offered a new level of irrigation and nutrition control to orchardists and was now being adopted by an increasing number of growers. The systems also are available separately.

“Fertiliser injection is crucial for growing high quality fruit and drip irrigation works well in all systems to reduce water requirements and better control moisture in the profile,’’ Birrell said.

ArDMOnA GrOWErs AiM hiGh With nEW ADVAnCED PrODuCtiOn systEM

Sam and Alex among some of the young apple trees on one of the new production blocks established last winter at Turnbull Bros Orchards. The family is targeting one metre of vertical growth with the trees over the growing season as part of their new high production, high quality system. They have passed 85 centimetres of growth on average for the year already.


“The majority of wine grapes are now irrigated by systems similar to this.’’

Netafim also offers a more advanced automation system, NetaJet, which comes with EC and pH control as standard and is particularly suited to situations where there are water quality issues. EC and pH control is an option with the NMC SingleNet.

Flow meters and pressure sensors also are added options with the systems.

While the Turnbulls are not necessarily saving money on fertilisers per hectare through their new fertigation system, they recognise they are getting much better use out of the fertiliser applied.

“We are using much more of the fertiliser that we are paying for. With broadcasting you know you are losing a significant amount,’’ Alex said.

“In previous times we fertilised three times a year by dumping it in the irrigation pits and then sucking it through a pump in five seconds without knowing that it was getting spread through the

block evenly. We are now fertigating five days out of a week.

“We are now pulsing so often – every four hours while it is hot – and so we are able to spread the fertiliser application out over a series of waterings. And we are putting it right where we need it around the root zone.

“We are applying 25-35 kilograms of fertiliser a week spread over 10 applications of water. We are also watering at times when we are not fertigating.

“We are fertilising a lot because we are pushing the hell out of the trees, but we will slow this down.

“We hope to see with this efficient system that we will be able to reduce the amount of fertiliser we need to use. It is about applying less, more often – applying a little bit all the time to optimise fruit size and colour, but being careful not to over-invigorate the trees.’’ Alex said.

With the young trees on the four new production blocks established last winter, the Turnbulls are targeting one metre of vertical growth over the growing season.

“Consultants were saying that the 1m aim was too large, however we have passed 85 centimetres of growth on overage for the year already,’’ Alex said.

Tree density on the new blocks also has been increased, equating to 3000 trees/ha.

Alex said this was still too low and by spacing trees 1.2m apart on 4m row spacings in future, he could increase this to 4160 trees/ha.

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Sam and Alex look over the Netafim FertiKit fertiliser injection system used for total nutrient application control on the Turnbull’s property.


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OTT ADC – state-of-the-art technology for discharge measurement according to the conventional current meter method OTT ADC, a mobile, acoustic f low measuring instrument for the measurement of point veloci ty and discharge in open waters.

Introduction

Flow velocity is still measured predominantly with hydrometric current meters. Due to their mechanical principle there are natural restrictions in the application of current meter measurements. The OTT ADC (Acoustic Digital Current Meter) is an acoustic flow measuring instrument for the measurement of point velocities in open waters (e.g. rivers, small streams, irrigation canals and so on). It combines in an outstanding way the popular plumb-line method with innovative technologies for the measurement of flow velocity and water depth. Approved acoustic measuring principles combined with a high end signal processor guarantee the availability of precise and reliable data.

Product description

The OTT ADC basically consists of two components, the sensor and the display unit. They are connected with a sensor connection cable and attached to the standard wading rod with flexible adapters. The sensor contains all important components which are needed for the measurement of flow velocity, water depth and temperature. Velocity measurement in fact takes place in a sampling volume in front of the probe at a distance of 10 cm. Two ultrasonic bursts are emitted simultaneously against the direction of flow. They will be reflected by suspended particles in the water body (e.g. suspended materials, air bubbles, plankton etc.). Depending on particle size and shape an echo image returns and is processed in the systems DSP (Digital Signal Processor) as echo image. After a short interval the instrument emits a second burst and a second echo image will be digitised. Following the measurement phase the DSP checks both received reflection images for similarities using a cross correlation method. The result of this mathematical calculation allows a conclusion about the time shift between the two images which is then used to calculate the water velocity. Furthermore, a built-in pressure sensor provides automatic depth readings for the determination of both, individual vertical depths and sensor immersion within a measuring range of zero to five meters.

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The project involved building almost 8,800

kilometres of reticulated pipeline to replace

17,000 kilometres of inefficient open

channels, saving around 103 billion litres of

water a year.

The pipeline supplies stock and domestic

water to approximately 9,000 farms and

34 townships across a region that covers

almost 10 per cent of Victoria, from the

Grampians to the Murray River. The system

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PVC pipes have played a major role in this

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total length of the project.

The PVC pipe was supplied primarily

in pressure class PN12 but with some

CASE STUDY / WIMMERA MALLEE PIPELINE PROJECT

PN9. PVC was chosen because of its

price competitiveness, ease of handling,

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magnitude of the project has facilitated the

development of special pipe installation

techniques compatible with the soil and

terrain encountered.

The major pipe material used in the

project, in terms of length of pipe and

mass of material, is PVC. PVC-U is used in

diameters DN50 and DN80 and modified

PVC (PVC-M) was used in the larger

diameters. PVC-M is similar to PVC-U in

many respects but contains an impact

modifier which enhances the fracture

toughness and allows the pipe to be

operated at higher stresses than PVC-U.

PVC pipe’s non-corrosive nature and

resistance to chemical attack also renders

it non-reactive with drinking water. PVC

pressure pipes do not adversely alter water

quality. There are no corrosion byproducts

with PVC pipe. PVC water pipes have been

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One of the major requirements for nearly all

piping applications is joint tightness. PVC

pipes are available with deep insertion, push-

together gasketed or solvent cement joints.

Gasketed PVC pipe joints have consistently

outperformed those of traditional pipe

products in actual service.

PVC pipes are simple and easy to assemble

and gasketed joints can be filled, tested and

placed in service immediately after assembly.

The use of PVC pipes has aided the

development of rapid, yet reliable installation

techniques and contributed to the economic

viability of the project.

The Wimmera Mallee Pipeline represents one of Australia’s most significant water-saving projects.

Officially opened in April 2010, the project was completed in just under four years, well ahead of the ten

year timeframe originally proposed and under the original $688 million budget.

Versatility, cost effectiveness and an excellent track record makes PVC the most important polymer in plastic piping and its quality and safety helps to contribute to the environmental sustainability of completed construction projects.

PVC PERFORMANCEThe range of useful properties afforded by

PVC makes it the most versatile of all pipe

materials, a fact attested to by the variety

of applications and markets served by PVC

pipes. PVC offers benefits such as:

• Highflowcapacity

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• Corrosionresistance

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• Costeffectiveness

• Recyclable

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PVC’s environmental credentials are sound when compared to alternative materials.

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Photo by The Wimmera Mail-Times


PVC has established an enviable reputation as the material of choice for infrastructure applications in both pressure and non-pressure pipelines. With a service history dating back to the 1930s, industry has recognised the many benefits of PVC: material strength, corrosion resistance, high strength to weight ratio, ease of handling and installation together with excellent f low characteristics.

PVC pipes are chosen most often for water supply because their smooth bore allows high flow rates. They are corrosion resistant and are easy to handle, transport and install. All forms of PVC boast excellent performance standards and offer extended, trouble-free service lives.

“Considering their relative low weight, PVC pipes are strong and durable” says Nigel Jones, Market Development Manager, Think Pipes. Think PVC. “This makes this material suitable for all types of long-term applications, including domestic water, sewerage, stormwater and deep underground piping systems.”

Developments in plastics have made many improvements available to pipeline systems. Recent innovations in pipe manufacture have led to the availability of new products such as oriented PVC

(PVC-O) and modified PVC (PVC-M) pressure pipes. These innovations offer greatly enhanced strength and impact resistance properties as well as larger bore, providing greater hydraulic capacity over traditional PVC-U pipes.

By manufacturing these new PVC technologies with up to 50 per cent thinner walls, the pipe has significantly less embodied energy and is more material-efficient compared to other pipe options.

PVC pipes in water infrastructure

Industries around the world are choosing PVC pipes for their piping systems. PVC pipes are less prone to breaks and other failures; therefore the cost to repair and maintain the pipe system is far less than with alternative materials.

“PVC pipes save water and sewer utilities substantial amounts by reducing water loss and ingress into sewer systems. Gasket joints provided with PVC pipes are manufactured and tested to perform without any leakage,” states Jones. “The zero-leakage PVC joints enable sewer utilities to dramatically reduce wet weather inflows and avoid unnecessary treatment costs. Similarly, water utilities have reported much lower unaccountable water losses where systems are comprised of PVC pipes.”

PVC far surpasses any other material used in piping applications. Its dominance is evident in the water distribution and sanitary sewer pipe markets where it has a large percentage of market share.

One of the most dramatic illustrations of the advantages PVC pipes has over other materials was demonstrated in 1994 during the catastrophic 6.7 magnitude Northridge earthquake in California. This earthquake was generally felt to have had some of the strongest ground motions ever recorded by instruments in a major North American urban area (Fisher.C, Northridge Earthquake Puts PVC’s Seismic Capabilities to the Test. PVC News, Vol 25, Number 1, 2002). The Valencia Water Company’s system was dewatered in 30 minutes, and main line and service line breaks were in the hundreds. Yet none of the main lines made of PVC pipe – about half the total of the 270 mile system – failed.

Smooth arteries prolong life

PVC pipes are the high-tech ‘lifelines’ of our complex world, providing us with vital elements — clean water to drink; gas to heat our homes; drainage for the waste we produce and for surface water; and protection for our telecommunication systems.

The extraordinary smoothness of PVC pipes, which is comparable to glass, prevents these vital lifelines

PVC PiPEs: thE BEst ChOiCE fOr hiGh-PrEssurE fluiD trAnsfEr


from blocking up — a serious concern in any pipe system. Leaving accumulations unchecked can result in diminished life expectancy, costly maintenance and inconvenient replacements.

Unlike pipe systems made from traditional materials, the exceptionally smooth walls of PVC pipes make it extremely difficult for sediment to accumulate. Bacteria and other particles have virtually no chance to attach themselves to the pipes’ inner walls – a major advantage for sewer pipe systems, which often need to transport waste water containing significant quantities of sediments.

Smooth, cleaner PVC pipes also save money and reduce environmental impact because lower friction allows water to flow through at much higher speeds – requiring much less help from pumps and allowing larger volumes of water to flow than through a pipe of traditional material of the same size. (PVC4Pipes, Best After 2099, www.pvc4pipes.com)

Think pipes. Think PVC

Think Pipes. Think PVC is an initiative set up to encourage further awareness in regards to recent developments with PVC pipes and to promote the usage of PVC pipes across a range of markets.

The range of useful properties afforded by PVC makes it the most versatile of all pipe materials,

a fact attested to by the variety of applications and markets served by PVC pipes. The rationale for specifying or using PVC pipe is justified on the basis of any or several of its performance attributes.

Strength and Durability

Considering their relative low weight, PVC pipes are strong and durable. This makes PVC pipes suitable for all types of long-term applications, including domestic water, sewerage, storm water and deep underground piping systems. It stays strong through a range of temperatures, resulting in fewer burst pipes and other maintenance issues.

The long-term tensile strength of PVC pipes is twice that of iron, steel or other thermoplastic pipe materials.

Lightweight

PVC pipes offer a tremendous weight advantage. The comparatively low weight of PVC piping means that installers are less likely to get injured and while it may take a team of workers or mechanical hoists to carry a large section of metal pipe. PVC pipe is so light that a single person could easily move a long piece. This means fewer installers are required, and those hired can get the piping installed comparatively faster than iron or steel.

As PVC piping weighs only a fraction of alternative piping materials such as steel, iron and concrete,

the structural support systems used to support the weight of the piping are much less complex.

PVC contributes to sustainability

PVC is one of the most well researched and tested materials in terms of environmental credentials. At least 60 reputable life cycle assessments have been carried out on PVC since 1985. The weight of evidence from these studies and the recent changes to the PVC Credit in Green Star confirms that PVC’s environmental credentials are sound when compared to alternative materials.

PVC, as a raw material, is energy efficient to process. More than half of the raw material used in production of resin is provided by salt, of which there is virtually unlimited supply. Similarly, PVC pipe is efficient to manufacture and transport, using less non-renewable resources than competing materials.

Compared to other polymers, PVC consumes significantly less non-renewable feedstock, such as crude oil or natural gas. Other plastics such as Polyethylene, Polypropylene, PET and Polystyrene are traditionally totally dependent on oil or gas. Hence PVC can be regarded as a natural resource-saving plastic.

Given the durable nature of the material, the long life afforded by PVC pipe essentially eliminates the question of disposal. Nevertheless, PVC pipe is recyclable, with existing markets for recycled material, and new ones continually developing.

In April 2010, the Green Building Council of Australia introduced the new PVC Credit in the Materials Category of its Green Star rating tool — recognising the environmental advances made by PVC resin and product manufacturers across Australia, in order to continue to drive production and use of best environmental practice PVC products.

Under the PVC Credit, projects will be able to claim two points towards their Green Star rating if the PVC products used in the project meet the GBCA’s ‘Best Practice Guidelines’.

“Versatility, cost effectiveness and an excellent track record makes PVC the most important polymer in plastic piping and its quality and safety helps to contribute to the environmental sustainability of completed construction projects,” Jones concludes.

www.thinkpipesthinkpvc.com.au 1300 THINK PIPES (1300 844 657)


The South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management (SA MDB NRM) Board has recently completed an upgrade to the data management system and website of its regional weather monitoring network.

The network, extending from Murtho in the north of the SA Murray-Darling region to Currency Creek in the south, consists of 29 automatic weather stations and seven rainfall-only monitoring sites.

Michael Cutting from the SA MDB NRM Board said the upgrade had been funded through the Australian Government’s Modernisation and Extension of Hydrologic Monitoring Networks program and would deliver significant improvements to the network for both the Board and end users.

“The first stage of the network was established back in 2005 however the biggest limitation of the system since this time has been the absence of an automated quality assurance system which is critical to efficiently managing a network of this size,” he said.

“The new data management system provides automated alerts when sites stop communicating or if sensor readings are outside pre-defined tolerances. It’s a big leap forward because previously we relied largely on detecting network faults manually.”

Cutting said weather data from the network was helping local irrigators with decisions on issues ranging from

irrigation rates to frost protection activities. Meanwhile, dryland farmers through the SA Mallee were using the data to help pick optimal seeding times and to assist with spraying activities.

The project builds on earlier work to install telemetry linking the network’s seven rainfall monitoring sites, which enabled near real-time data transfers to the web in a project funded through the Water for the Future initiative in 2009.

“The network was primarily established to provide natural resource managers within the SA MDB with access to localised weather data to assist with decision making and encourage the adoption of adaptive management practices across the region,” Cutting said.

“The Board recognised that the reliability of the network was critical to the increased use of the data and this was a key driver for seeking funding to complete the upgrade.”

Data from the Board’s regional weather monitoring network can be accessed by clicking on the NRM Weather link on the SA MDB NRM Board’s home page: www.samdbnrm.sa,gov.au.

The Australian Government’s Modernisation and Extension of Hydrologic Monitoring Systems Program is administered by the Bureau of Meteorology.

iMProved WeB aCCess to loCal Weather data Benefits Water Managers and irrigators



The South Australian Murray-Darling Basin Natural Resources Management (SA MDB NRM) Board is working with local irrigators to deliver water savings projects across the region with funding secured

through the $5.8 billion Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure (SRWUI) program which is a key component of the Australian Government’s Water for the Future initiative. The SRWUI program assists farmers in making better use of water by upgrading their irrigation infrastructure and assisting communities to address the impact of climate change by securing their long-term water supplies.

The aim of the program is to:• improve the efficiency and productivity of rural water

use and management

• deliver substantial and lasting water returns to the environment

• help secure a long-term sustainable future for irrigated agriculture through value-for-money projects.

The SA MDB NRM Board has been successful in attracting investment through two of the key programs that form part of the SRWUI package including the $300 million On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency Program (OFIEP) and the $110 million state priority project, Private Irrigation Infrastructure Program – South Australia.

In September 2010 the Board signed a funding agreement with the Australian Government for $1.652m through Round 1 of the OFIEP. This funding supported the implementation of 21 on-farm projects in the SA MDB region to deliver water savings through focusing on converting existing irrigation systems to drip and extending soil moisture monitoring networks.

Michael Cutting from the Board said that when the Board agreed to act as a Delivery Partner in Round 1 of the OFIEP it was unsure of what level of interest existed within the local irrigation community.

“Given the significant investment that had previously occurred in the region to improve both off-farm and on-farm irrigation systems coupled with the fact that much of the area is dominated by smaller scale irrigation enterprises we suspected that uptake may only be minimal,” Cutting said.

“Many of the projects funded through Round 1 of the OFIEP have successfully integrated irrigation system conversions with improved control and monitoring, meaning that the on-farm water efficiency gains have been maximised.”

Round 1 OFIEP participant Peter Hill of Ridgehill Properties at Loxton was confident that upgrades to on-farm irrigation control and soil moisture monitoring systems would deliver further efficiencies to his operation.

“The extension of the existing soil moisture monitoring network will assist to further refine our irrigation scheduling to best meet crop water requirements throughout the season which is particularly important given the different varieties and ages of the plantings,” Hill said.

The Board’s successful Delivery Partner application into Round 1 of the OFIEP stimulated irrigator interest in Round 2 of the program with the Board fielding a large number of expressions of interest for the second round.

Cutting believes many irrigators may have waited to see the outcome of Round 1 of the OFIEP before becoming engaged in the program themselves.

“Seeing investment occurring on the ground in the local region obviously demonstrated that there were opportunities and the end result was a much larger project proposal being submitted for Round 2 of the OFIEP,” he said.

In July 2011 the SA MDB NRM Board was announced as one of nine successful Delivery Partners for Round 2 of the OFIEP with in-principle funding approval of $13.5m. The in-principle approval will allow the Board

to work together with local irrigators to implement approximately 100 on-farm projects in the region.

“The in-principle funding will support further modernisation of on-farm irrigation systems and similar to Round 1 of the OFIEP there is once again a strong focus on improving irrigation control and monitoring networks,” Cutting said.

In addition to the OFIEP investment the Board’s Delivery Partner application was also successful in securing $7.2m of investment on behalf of 16 irrigators through Round 2 of the Private Irrigation Infrastructure Program – South Australia (PIIPSA).

The PIIPSA requires an off-farm irrigation infrastructure improvement to be undertaken in order to be eligible for funding however projects that demonstrate benefits from integrated investment in both off and on-farm infrastructure are also considered.

The Board’s successful Round 2 PIIPSA application contained projects that will upgrade off-farm pumping and water delivery infrastructure including the fitting of variable speed drives and increasing the capacity of mainlines. Many of the PIIPSA projects will also involve integrated on-farm works including irrigation system conversions and increasing the density of soil moisture monitoring networks.

Investment secured by the SA MDB NRM Board through the Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure program to implement on-farm modernisation projects in the SA Murray region that will cover an area of approximately 6,000ha and yield water savings in excess of 7,200ML.

WorKing together to Modernise irrigation systeMs in the sa Murray-darling Basin



Paul Pearce is the Managing Direc tor o f Hydrosmar t , an Adela ide Company tha t manufac tures i ts unique resonance f requency approach to solv ing a lmost a l l types o f water problems, both here and overseas. Over many years the i r sys tems have been used by farmers , counci ls , mining companies , remote s ta t ion holders e tc . who need quick , s imple solu t ions to the i r sa l in i ty, sca le , i ron, gypsum, a lgae and odour issues or to improve water qual i ty and c lar i ty. By supply ing the one and the same technology Hydrosmar t have been quie t ly de l iver ing a wide range of benef i ts in a la rge var ie ty o f consumer markets .

From unblocking sheep station pipe runs of over 20 kilometres out to numerous descaled water troughs through to improving vineyard yields in the Barossa or removing gypsum and calcium scale build up from kilometres of 250mm poly pipes for Crocodile Gold in the Northern Territory.

Hydrosmart initially faced the problem of having to prove that their new approach actually worked, when starting off 14 years ago. These days, however, the company treats an impressive ever growing list of major clients looking for the genuinely sustainable cleantech credentials it carries.

Pearce explains “These days the question we get most asked by prospective clients is not ’does it work?’, it’s now a case of a council, hospital or mining company callisng and asking us will it work for my specific problem?’

“When we first started out, it seemed unlikely that anyone could solve a wide range of water related issues with just the one product this just sounded too good to be true”. Given the old adage “if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is”, people were originally wary of such promises.

“This made it hard going in the early days when we were pioneering the concept of using just frequencies to treat water without need of big machinery, filters or membranes. We encountered a healthy degree of scepticism and so in the begining we provided a rental or money back option to overcome customer suspicion that they were being hoodwinked.

“We even offered a ‘free trial’ approach back then which worked very well for us” Pearce says. “Many people started trying and using systems on farms and vineyards around South Australia. What we found that they mostly wanted to solve when using bores was invariably problems with salinity, calcium or iron scale and water hardness in the majority of cases”.

hyDrOsMArt

Superintendant Des Russel of Bunbury Golf Course looks over his system used to solve iron issues.

Rio Tinto in the Pilbra treating mine site water for scale and hardness


“As these issues are all caused by bonded minerals and compounds present in water and by applying Hydrosmart’s resonance frequencies, we actively targeted the bonds, altering the otherwise predictable outcomes.

“Clients would go from being tentative at first use, to becoming impressed as drippers, pipes and sprays visibly unblocked and plants perked up within months of applying the approach and in a wide number of cases, salt stress was seen to disappear from the crop or vineyard being treated.

“We would invariably find they did not plan to give the technology back, in fact there were impressive gains using saline water in Hydroponic production or vineyard problems that had been resolved with unblocking and removal of build up of the irrigation channels, lines or drippers, Pearce said.

Wine producers such as d’Arenbergs, Pikes, Haans, Geoff Hardy’s, Grant Burges and Corriole wines all use Hydrosmart units to resolve irrigation issues as does Rockhampton Council, Mt Barker Strawberries and the Dubai Polo Fields in the UAE.

Hydrosmart’s systems are now being used by many golf courses such as Bunbury WA, Manly NSW, Cromer NSW and also Adelaide Oval in SA, Spirit of Tasmania, BHP, Rio Tinto and over 30 Australian Councils have all applied systems for management of their water problems.

By removal and prevention of calcium, gypsum scale or oxidised iron build up, Hydrosmart prevents both short and long-term problems, from occuring in pipes and on all surfaces that come into full time contact. The big bonus in irrigation is that these minerals are now made bio available and plants can select them out from the water for increased plant growth and lower fertiliser and chemical usage and costs.

There is growing awareness that older, conventional water treatment technologies such as reverse osmosis or water softeners actually cause downstream

environmental problems. These approaches often require chemicals to run, have high power and water consumption and often produce large amounts of wastewater in order to get a usable product that is devoid of all minerals.

Hydrosmart makes a genuinely sustainable water technology and sales keep increasing which is not too surprising given that the computerised technology is simple to install and has the lowest power consumption of any water technology around. At only five watts power draw enables it to produce the resonance frequencies needed and it requires no chemicals or consumables to produce 100% usable water without any waste stream or byproducts.

“ABC’s Landline and Stateline ran national and state TV stories on Hydrosmart’s successes and we use TV advertisements around rural Australia to let people know they can solve issues simply” Pearce says. “We then provide direct consultancy over the phone and via internet with most of our clients when they respond.”

It is a long term electronic ‘plug and play‘ approach to water treatment and the most important part is where the client installs it. We help them establish this via photos and phone conversation in most cases. Many users who range from domestic right through to mining, tend to organise their units in this way, we then ship them off and they self install their units to achieve their desired outcomes.”

“I love my job even after all these years it’s still exciting coming to work each day” says Paul. “The fundamental thing HYDROSMART does is to break or weaken the bonds of minerals and compounds in the treated flow path making many improved outcomes when treating water. Hydrosmart keeps learning new things about the promising capacities for sustainable change brought about when breaking bonds in water and wastewater.

www.hydrosmart.com.au 1300 138223

Test imonial

I have 150 acres of vines watered from a bore through drippers installed in 1990.

Over the years the drippers have become blocked necessitating constant cleaning by hand. After treating the water with the Hydrosmart water conditioner over the last three irrigations the drippers are now functioning normally.

I have now installed two more units on another property- 130 acres on dams that are supplied from surface aquifers with water that varies between 600 EC and 2000 EC units.

The vines in this vineyard had their best crop yet after a drought year.

Bore water is also used in the houses once the rain water has gone during summer and it is noticeable how soft the treated bore water is.

The lawns and gardens around the house and restaurant complex are quite green and lush again responding to the treated water.

The d’Arenberg winery complex uses the treated bore water through a series of gas-fired boilers and so far scale has not been a problem at all.

I recommend the Hydrosmart system for domestic, viticulture and winery use.

F D’Arry Osborn D’arenberg Pty. Ltd


Polymer Innovat ions design speci f ic polymers that are ef fect ive in the seeding, revegetat ion and reforestat ion of nat ive trees, bushes and saplings.

Water$ave PT Plantation is effective in the revegetation and reforestation of trees, bushes and saplings. Water$ave PT reduces the mortality rate caused by transplant shock and also enhances root development encouraging more rapid growth and production.

Water$ave HY Hydro prevents cellulose mulch from becoming hardpan during a dry spell. The mulch remains aerated allowing the seeds to sprout quickly. Water$ave HY is highly effective in the young regrowth of trees, shrubs, bushes and saplings to assist in revegetation and reforestation.

Water$ave Flobind is used for soil erosion control, road stablisation, dust suppression, dam sealing

and hydroseeding. It is a water soluble polymer specifically designed to control soil erosion and improve water infiltration. It flocculates suspended fine soil particles and stabilises existing soil structure. Flobind is ideal for smaller applications where powder or emulsion dosing systems are not practical.

Water$ave TF Turf is a special polymer formulation that can be used throughout the growth cycle of lawns and sods, ensuring good germination and fast root development for the even growth of lawns. The rooting of the sod is faster, increasing growth efficiency. Water$ave TF polymers reduces labour and water costs, as well as providing relief for difficult growth areas and hot spots that are vulnerable to drying out and going brown. TF is widely used in turf landscaping for decorative lawns, golf courses, bowling greens, parks and gardens.

Water$ave PL Plug is the best polymer based reservoir sealant that is 100% customised to your specific environment via our specific dam sealing blends Plug, Seep and Bomb. Whether the leak is in the base, wall, through rock or in any soil type we have the specific Water$ave PL dam sealant to put an end to your water loss. Water$ave PL locates the leak and seals it. Even if you don’t know exactly where the leak is our polymers will locate the outflow and stop it!

EnVirOnMEntAl sOlutiOns tO MAnAGE yOur WAtEr

VEGETATION

HYDRO SEEDING

GARDENS & PARKS

PLANTATION

Customised polymers to assist you to efficiently manage your water.

TURF & LAWNS

LEAKING PONDS & RESERVOIRS

REFORESTATION

Suppliers of Superabsorbent and flocculating polymers to a diverse range of industries: Agriculture & Horticulture Golf Courses & Vineyards Councils & Quarries Mining & Construction


Parks & Garden Maintenance Lawns & Landscaping Ponds & Reservoir Sealants Revegetation & Reforestation Soil & Wind Erosion Control Dust & Pollution Control Road Stabilisation Sludge & Slimes Handling Farm Cropping & Seeding


Ph: 02 6571 5177


COMPAny PrOfilEs



COMPAny PrOfilEs

ACtEW COrPOrAtiOn p32

head office: level 5, 40 Bunda st, Civic, ACt, 2601

telephone: +61 2 6248 3111

facsimile: +61 2 6248 3567

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Web: www.actew.com.au

number of employees: 40

Contacts:General enquiries: (02) 6248 3111Water Conservation Office: (02) 6248 3131 or [email protected] security Projects: (02) 6248 3563 or [email protected]

services: ACteW Corporation supplies water and sewerage services to the ACt and surrounding region. ACteW also promotes the sustainable use of water.

ACteW also has investments in the supply of electricity and telecommunications services.

AquA GuArDiAn GrOuP ltD p60

head office: level 9, 564 st Kilda road, Melbourne, Vic, 3004

telephone: +61 3 8530 2000

facsimile: +61 3 8530 2020

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.aquaguardiangroup.com


Contact:national sales Manager: Danny de Graaf – [email protected] – 0431 718 097

Products: AquaArmour™ is an Australian manufactured and engineered evaporation and algal control system. AquaArmour™ is scalable from small dams to major water storages and reservoirs. it is proven to reduce all evaporative losses by 88% and inhibit Algal growth

AquAlAB sCiEntifiC p129

head office: 36/10 Gladstone road, Castle Hill, nsW 2154

telephone: +61 2 9894 4511

facsimile: +61 2 9894 4522


Web: www.aqualab.com.au


Contacts:CeO: Adam Merhab

Products: Aqualab scientific is an industry leader in water quality and level monitoring instruments.

• Hydrolab Water Quality Multiprobes • Ott level and discharge sensors• Diver temperature/level/salinity

Data loggers• turner Designs Flurometers for chlorophyll a,

blue green algae and dye trace studies• Hach - Handlhelds

BAysiDE PErsOnnEl p40

head office: Melbourne

Branch offices: north sydney, Brisbane

telephone: +61 3 9864 6000

Email: [email protected] [email protected]

Web: www.baysidepersonnel.com.au

number of employees: Part of the Bayside Group of specialist recruiters – 250 employees, 2000+ on-hired employees

Contacts:ViC: Bill rendall - [email protected]: liz Floyd - [email protected]

services: Bayside Personnel is one of Australia’s leading suppliers of executive and technical professionals. With a specialist Water and environment team well known for their active participation and valuable contribution to the industry, Bayside Personnel provides career advice and talent services in the specialist areas of:

• total Water and Waste Water Management

• sustainability

• environmental Management

• natural resources Management

• Geosciences

specialising in permanent and contract recruitment, Bayside Personnel services major clients across Australia and internationally. With a service philosophy to build long term relationships, Bayside Personnel provides our employers with cost effective, quality services and assists professionals to meet their career goals.

ECO rECruitMEnt p38

head office: Melbourne

telephone: 0423 593 692


Web: www.ecorecruitment.com.au

number of employees: 5Contacts:General Manager: Jason Downes, 0423 593 692, [email protected]

services: eco recruitment is a specialist end-to-end recruitment firm providing staffing solutions to the water and environmental sectors. We have been operating in the Australian water sector since 2008 and enjoy excellent relationships with some of the most well-recognised organisations in the industry. Our expertise and recruiting capabilities cover:

• Operations and Maintenance

• Construction

• Government and Water Authorities

• Consultancy

• executive and Management

With strong networks from operations to CeO level, we are in an excellent position to assist your organisation find the right staff, first time.

e oc recruitmentenvironmental career opportunities



COMPAny PrOfilEs

BEntlEy p43, 76

head office: Bentley systems, 6 riverside Quay, level 6, southbank, ViC 3006, Australia

Branch offices: Melbourne, sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Auckland. Visit www.bentley.com/contact for more office locations

telephone: +61 7 32704350

facsimile: +61 7 3270 4311


Web: www.bentley.com/nrWM

Contact: CeO: Greg Bentley sales Manager: uma umakhanthan

services: Bentley’s fully integrated water and wastewater software solution addresses the needs of owner-operators and engineers who contribute to the water infrastructure lifecycle. its powerful capabilities enhance mapping and data management, information sharing and collaboration, hydraulic simulation and analysis, design and construction documentation, field engineering and inspection, and operations and maintenance.

Products: Modeling and management software for:

• infrastructure and Asset lifecycle information management• water distribution systems analysis and design • transient analysis • sanitary and combined sewers analysis and design• stormwater drainage analysis and design• hydraulic calculators• Gis • mapping• geospatial web publishing• road and site design • plant design and engineering

CAMPBEll sCiEntifiC AustrAliA p118

head office: townsville

telephone: +61 7 4472 0444

facsimile: +61 7 4772 0555


Web: www.campbellsci.com.au


Contacts: CeO: rob Kurz Product Manager: David Boadle

services: training, calibration, repairs

Products: Data loggers, sensors, Communications, Measurement & Control Peripherals, software, tripods and towers, Weather stations, eddy Covariance, time-Domain reflectometry

DAnfOss (AustrAliA) Pty ltD p55

head office: 18 Dansu Court, Hallam ViC 3803, Australia

Branch offices: Perth, Brisbane, sydney

telephone: +61 3 9703 5100

facsimile: + 61 3 9703 5159


Web: www.danfoss.com


Contacts - Danfoss Power Electronics division: Pacific regional Director: Patrick ramsden Projects sales Manager: robert Alter

services: Danfoss is a global leader supplying energy-efficient solutions that help save energy and combat climate change. With a turnover of approx. 31.5 billion DKK in 2010, Danfoss expects continued increase in net sales and earnings in 2011 from continued global growth. Danfoss employs 24,000 employees worldwide in 21 countries. Danfoss, the first to mass produce variable speed drives in 1968 has been supplying Australian industry since the 1950’s.

Products: Danfoss Vlt® Drives

• Variable speed Drives (0.37kW – 1400kW)

• Vlt ® AQuA Drive, Vlt® Automation Drive, Vlt® HVAC Drive

• Vlt® soft starters

• 6p, 12p and low Harmonic Drives.

• Advanced Active Filters



COMPAny PrOfilEs

DEGrÉMOnt p18

head office: PO Box 3246, rhodes, nsW 2138, level 7. 5 rider Boulevard, rhodes, nsW 2138

telephone: +61 2 8759 7900

facsimile: +61 2 9332 6882


Web: www.degremont.com.au

Committed together to water, a source of lifeDegrémont is a world water treatment specialist and a key player in sustainable water development. We work with local authorities and industry participants to design, build, operate and maintain facilities for drinking water production, desalination, waste water treatment, biosolid processing and industrial applications.

As a subsidiary of the sueZ enVirOnneMent Group, Degrémont is an international company with more than 4,500 employees in more than 70 countries around the world.

Degrémont offers an extensive range of turnkey solutions tailored to our customer’s needs. We also provide a full range of services; from ad hoc technical assistance to long-term operation of facilities.

through our business line Degrémont technologies, Degrémont is able to address the needs for water treatment equipment in general and the specific requirements of our clients.

Degremont has established a significant presence in Australia and new Zealand, through the production of high quality drinking water, the provision of desalination solutions for sea and brackish water, the treatment and recycling of waste water and through the development of innovative reuse solutions.

Degrémont’s employees are committed to the principles which, for over 70 years now, have underpinned the company’s pursuit of excellence: being ambitious for Degrémont, committing with courage, creating trust through respect and integrity, progressing and helping others to progress. it is this culture that is the source of the company’s expertise and performance.

Degrémont strives for team spirit, excellence, commitment and entrepreneurship.

Dhi p72

head office: Brisbane

Branch offices: Gold Coast, sydney, Perth

telephone: +61 7 3236 9161

facsimile: +61 7 3236 9461


Web: www.dhigroup.com

number of employess: 30

Contacts: Managing Director: stefan szylkarski technical Director: terry van Kalken Product Manager: Mark Britton

services: DHi Water and environment is a research and consulting organisation in the water-related fields of science and engineering. DHi offers a broad spectrum of cutting edge technologies which support the analysis, planning, design and operation of water related infrastructure and the natural water environment.

Products: DHi’s leading edge MiKe by DHi water modelling software and solutions are the global industry standard for water resources, marine, environmental and urban water management and planning. MiKe by DHi software is used by government agencies, consultants, industries and water utilities globally. DHi’s products and services are provided by local teams of water modelling specialists across Australia, backed by our global network of over 900 technical specialists.

GlOBAl PiPE p80

head office: 12/3 Westside Avenue, Port Melbourne ViC

telephone: +61 3 9646 1110

facsimile: +61 3 9646 6100


Web: www.globalpipe.com.au or www.hobas.com.au

importer

Contact: executive Director: Andrew Holman

services: Importer of premium quality pipe for companies throughout Australasia, with a focus on internationally and domestically accepted standards, state-of-the-art manufacturing and rapid delivery.

Products: HOBAs: the world’s premium supplier of patented CC-GrP pipe suitable for pressure water, sewerage and drainage applications from 150mm – 3,500mm

Jain Pipes: HDPe pipe solutions ranging from 4mm – 1,800mm

Water Directory 2011 PAGE 71





HOBAS is back!










hyDrOsMArt p136

head office: 259 Fullarton road Parkside sA

telephone: +61 8 8357 3334

facsimile: +61 8 8357 3336


Web: www.hydrosmart.com.au


Contacts: CeO: Paul Pearce General Manager: Paul Pearce state Manager: Brain Wilkins sales Manager: Jonas Harrow Product Manager: Chris Murphy

services: Manufacturing and consulting on sustainable water treatment approaches to industry, Agriculture and Domestic markets.

Products:

• Hydrosmart Digital Water Conditioner• Hydromaster Water Conditioner• Poolmaster • Minemaster



COMPAny PrOfilEs

GEntrACk p4

head office: level 9, 390 st Kilda road, Melbourne, ViC 3004

telephone: +61 3 9867 9100

facsimile: +61 3 9867 9140


Web: www.gentrack.com

number of employees: 120+

Contacts: CeO: James Docking Country Manager: Cesare tizi Marketing Manager: Aaron Baker Product Manager: terry Maude

services: Gentrack has a highly experienced and dedicated team available to deliver professional services to support water utilities of all sizes. services include:

• utility Business Consulting• industry Consulting• Project services

Products: Gentrack Velocity – specialist solutions for water utilities including:

• Billing – water, waste water and sewerage• CrM• Credit and Collections• Works and Asset Management• Meter Data Management

huMEs p65

head office: 18 little Cribb st, Milton QlD 4064

Branch offices: Australia wide

telephone: 1300 361 601


Web: www.humes.com.au


Manufacturer, importer

Products: We offer a range of precast concrete solutions for bridges and platforms, road and rail infrastructure, tunnels and shafts, retaining walls, pipeline systems, water treatment, reuse and detention, and traffic management. We can customise our solutions to ensure they create maximum value for your project, and achieve your installation, performance, and budgetary outcomes.

its trEnChlEss p96

head office: 1/13 stanton road, seVen Hills nsW 2147

Branch offices: 4/8 shannon Place, VirGiniA QlD 4014

telephone: +61 2 8603 2000

facsimile: +61 2 8603 2001


Web: www.itstrenchless.com.au

Contact: Director: trevor Groeneveld Director: Phill Cook General Manager: Wally Akacha Operations Manager: Brendan Dive Business & Marketing Manager: Anna O’Donnell BD Manager: Peter Gray

services: its trenchless, the infrastructure rehabilitation specialists, provides a broad range of world’s best practice technologies for the installation and renovation of pipelines and structures. Our capabilities include: pipebursting, swagelining™, sliplining, CCtV inspection, pipeline robotics, Point-lining® (patch repair), and water/wastewater related structure rehabilitation. its has built a reputation as the industry leader on the back of successful projects, innovative solutions, strong project management and strong commitment to our systems.

kEsslEr COuPlinGs & EnGinEErinG suPPliEs (kCEs) p82

head office: unit 46, 65-67 Canterbury road, Montrose, Vic 3765

telephone: +61 3 9728 3973

facsimile: +61 3 9728 2973


Web: www.kces.com.au


Contacts: Director: Wolf Kessler senior sales Consultant: liam riddiford

Products: straub Pipe Couplings and Clamps are backed by over 40 years of manufacturing experience, r&D and quality improvement. Water businesses the world over recognise and benefit from the many advantages of the straub Pipe Coupling over older technologies such as Gibault-style joints and welding. For a flexible, quicker, safer, more efficient and more cost-effective solution, contact KCes to discuss your pipe-joining needs. straub-Clamp is the optimal solution for sealing pipe leaks. KCes is the exclusive Australian and new Zealand importer for these swiss quality products. We stock an extensive range of straub Pipe Couplings and repair Clamps in our Melbourne warehouse to ensure you get the pipe connection and repair solution you need in the shortest possible time. We strive for excellence and provide product information, advice and training as part of our customer service. KCes — the Pipe Coupling People — we have the solution!



COMPAny PrOfilEs

kEMBlA WAtErtECh Pty ltD p93

head office: strathfield, nsW

Branch offices: Central Division, strathfield nsW, southern Division, Altona north, Vic, northern Division, loganholme, QlD

telephone: 1800 803 861

facsimile: (02) 9642 7093


Web: www.kemblawatertech.com.au


Pipeline rehabilitation Contractor Contact: CeO, Founder and Managing Director: Chris Meredith Cheif estimator: Brian Campion. Business Development: Chris Frangos

services: Kembla Watertech Pty ltd is a specialised pipeline rehabilitation contractor with over 18 years experience in Australia and overseas. Kembla Watertech is committed to working in partnership with its clients to deliver the highest quality products and services using the safest and most efficient and sustainable processes.

Kembla Watertech has been active in the pipeline rehabilitation industry since 1993 and has a team of over 150 experienced and trained personnel, who operate an enviable suite of products and services from around the world and customised to meet unique Australian conditions. Kembla has invested heavily in acquiring state-of-the-art technology in order to offer the most cost effective solutions to critical environmental problems, such as deteriorated sewers. Kembla has a proven track record, second to none, in the introduction and operation of new technology in Australia.

With Quality, OHs&r and environmental Accreditation, Kembla Watertech readily accepts its accountability to clients, staff and the environment with a strong focus on customer service being fundamental to fulfilling this responsibility.

ksB AustrAliA Pty ltD p110

head office: 27, indwe street, tottenham, ViC 3012, Australia

Branch offices: ViC, nsW, WA, QlD, sA, nt, townsville, nZ

telephone: +61 3 9314 0611

facsimile: +61 3 9314 7435


Web: www.ksb.com.au


Manufacturer, importer, exporterContacts: CeO: David Alexander CFO: sue Munro sales Manager: Harry Katunar Product Managers (Water and Waste Water): Mauricio Cle and Greg James

services: • supply and service of standardized water pumps• supply and service of submersible borehole pumps• supply and service of sewage / waste water pumps• supply and service of submersible mixers• supply of globe, gate, butterfly, diaphragm and control valves• service of KsB, Ajax, Forrers, GiW brand pumps and other makes.

Products: • standardized water pumps• Drainage & waste water pumps• submersible borehole pumps• sewage / waste water pumps• submersible mixers• energy recovery systems• Globe, gate, butterfly, diaphragm and control valves

MACMAhOn hOlDinGs p28

head office: Perth, Western Australia

Branch offices: sydney, Brisbane, Darwin, Adelaide, Kuala lumpur, Hong Kong, lagos, Mongolia

telephone: +61 8 9232 1000

facsimile: +61 8 9232 1001


Web: www.macmahon.com.au

number of employees: More than 3500

services: Macmahon is a leading Australian contract mining and construction company with projects throughout Australia, and in new Zealand, Asia, Mongolia and Africa.

An AsX/s&P 200 company, Macmahon has played a major role in the delivery of many of Australia’s largest multi-disciplinary mining and construction projects throughout its 48 year history for both public and private sector customers.

While offering the full range of underground and surface mining services, Macmahon’s comprehensive construction capabilities span roads and bridges, rail, marine, water and resource infrastructure services.

iCi inDustriEs p116

head office: 20 Bridge road, Griffith nsW 2680

telephone: +61 2 6964 7299

facsimile: +61 2 6964 7355


Web: www.iciindustries.com.au

Contact: General Manager: Graham Foley

services: iCi industries Pty ltd is a 100% Australian owned private company, supplying high quality products and services to the horticultural, hydroponic, and irrigation industries. there are 4 divisions that make up the iCi industries group, each specialising in providing the end user high quality products and services. irribiz – all aspects of irrigation, ibis Controls – electrical including custom automation and switchboard manufactuing, Custom Built stainless – steel fabrication & construction, Greenworks – all aspects of greenhouses.



COMPAny PrOfilEs

JAMEs hArDiE PiPEs p87

head office: level 9, 390 st Kilda road, Melbourne, ViC 3004

Branch offices: Meeandah-46 randle road 4008

telephone: 1800 659 850

facsimile: 1800 639 908


Web: www.jameshardiepipes.com.au

Contacts: state Manager: Jesper Jensen

services: Delivering Concrete Pipes solutions to Government and Civil industries

Products:

• Concrete Piping• Drainage solutions• Headwalls

MurruMBiDGEE irriGAtiOn ArEA p115 rEnEWAl AlliAnCE

head office: Griffith nsW

telephone: 1800 894 969

facsimile: +61 2 6962 0213


Web: www.miarenewal.com.au

services: to carry out innovative infrastructure works that will improve the productivity of the Murrumbidgee irrigation Area and create water savings for the future.

nEtAfiM p126

head office: 213-217 Fitzgerald road, laverton ViC, 3026

Branch offices:

• level 6, 35 Boundary street, south Brisbane QlD, 4101• unit 1, 54 Discovery Drive, Bibra lake WA, 6163• suite 14, 116 – 120 Melbourne st, Adelaide sA, 5006• 11 timberley road, Mangere, Auckland nZ, 2021

telephone: +61 3 8331 6500

facsimile: +61 3 9369 3865


Web: www.netafim.com.au

number of employess: 100

Contacts: national sales Manager: James Wyatt

services: netafim offers comprehensive solutions to the argicultural, landscape and turf, waste water, industrial water, mining, greenhouses and nursery markets.

netafim services include design, technical services and agronomic expertise.

Products: netafim offers a full range of products and services to satisy all your drip and micro-irrigation needs including dripperlines, sprinklers, filters, valves, water meters, crop management technologies (automation, fertigation and monitoring) and other vital systems components.

nhP ElECtriCAl EnGinEErinG PrODuCts Pty ltD p2

head office: 43-67 river street, richmond, ViC 3121

Branch offices: With an extensive branch and regional network across Australia and new Zealand, nHP are able to deliver local support and service right where you need them. to locate your nearest branch or nHP representative, contact us on:

telephone: 1300 647 647

facsimile: +61 3 9429 1075


Web: www.nhp.com.au


Contacts: robert lester – Business Development

services: nHP understands the value of our most precious resource and has quickly adapted to the shift towards the need to recycle and sustain water and waste water. Be it pumping stations treatment plants or pipelines, nHP can provide a complete product range suitable for the most complex of water and waste water applications.

Products: • intelligent motor control • Discrete control solutions • Motion control solutions • Process solutions • Process Control • safety solutions • Drive solutions



COMPAny PrOfilEs

nOrMA PACifiC p48

head office: 85 Merrindale Drive, Croydon south, ViC 3136

telephone: +61 3 9761 4416

facsimile: +61 3 9761 4030


Web: www.normapacific.com


Manufacturer, importer, exporterContacts: CeO: Paul Davey General Manager: Vivian Chater state Manager: Michael Doukakis (ViC) sales Manager: Geoff Griffiths Product Manager: Geoff Griffiths

services: nOrMA Pacific, is a member of the nOrMA Group – the world leader in the global market for engineered joining technology. Our strength lies in our broad and innovative product portfolio of the highest quality as a leading supplier for the Automotive, industrial and irrigation Markets.

Our regional and international presence and decades of know-how contributes to our customers’ success and their overall satisfaction. We’ll find the optimal solution to your requirement – be it an individual component or a complete multi-material system, such as emission control.

Products: We offer a range of quality products for an array of industry applications. We offer such brands as, nOrMACOnneCt®, nOrMAFiX®, nOrMA®, Breeze®, ABA®, serflex®, terry®, r.G ray®, torca® and serratub®

Our joining technology includes worm-drive and heavy duty clamps, fixing and retaining products, tool-clips, plastic connectors and pipe couplings. We can also design a customized joining solution for your connecting needs.

nuflOW tEChnOlOGiEs p83

head office: 20 Central Park Ave, Ashmore, QlD 4214

telephone: +61 7 5597 1455

facsimile: +61 7 5597 1655


Web: www.nuflowtech.com.au

Contacts: CeO: ed Ahern General Manager: Mike lambert

services: nuflow are the specialists in trenchless pipe repair and relining. they can provide a cost effective solution to stormwater, sewerage and potable pipe repairs with their team of nearly 40 licensed installers throughout Australia and new Zealand.

Products: nuflow currently have two highly specific technologies available: reline and redline.

nuflow’s ‘no Dig’ technology, reline, is the most versatile pipe relining system in Australasia, capable of structurally rehabilitating stormwater, sewerage, trade waste or drinking water pipes in diameters from 40mm to 1000mm. lengths from 1m to 100m and includes junctions, traps and bends can be relined. Any make of pipe including PVC, iron, Gal, Clay, Asbestos and Copper can be rehabilitated without having to dig, all backed with a 40 year guarantee.

redline is the latest addition to their pipe lining products, launched in Australia in July 2010, it can service any market that has a pressure pipe (water, fire or gas) ranging from 12mm to 300mm. With limited access required to carry out repairs, there is no more cutting into walls, ripping up roads or unnecessary damage to assets. using a simple and highly effective cured-in-place pipe restoration technique, that completely coats the inside of problem pipes, occupants will never have to worry about corrosion, leaks or the quality of their water again. there is currently no other system capable in the market place that can offer this type of repair.

sEVErn trEnt sErViCEs p50

head office: united states

Branch offices: 1 Maritime square, #09-51, Harbourfront Centre, singapore 099253

telephone: +65 6737 9565

facsimile: +65 6887 5026


Web: www.severntrentservices.com


Manufacturer, importer

Contact: General Manager: Mr. Marwan nesicolaci state Manager: Mr. Vincenzo Palma sales Manager: Mr. William stimeling

services: Contract Operations and Maintenance

Products: Chlorine Dioxide Generators, Gas Feed systems and Accessories, On-site sodium Hypochlorite Generation systems, Gas scrubbers- emergency and Process, ultraviolet Disinfection systems, Ballast Water treatment system, seawater electrochlorination systems, inorganic removal systems, Membrane Filtration systems, Biological Wastewater treatment, tertiary and Wastewater treatment systems, Drinking Water underdrains, residual Analyzers, Gas/leak Detectors, Controllers

stEVCO sEAls AnD PuMPs ViCtOriA p109

head office: unit 8, 53 Gateway Boulevard, epping Business Park, epping, Vic, 3076

Branch offices: sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Hong Kong, Vietnam, singapore

telephone: +61 3 9408 3875


Web: www.stevcovic.com.au


Contact: Directors: rainer Wiemann, steve russell

services: sales, service and repairs of pumps and mechanical seals. insallation of new and refurbished systems. upgrades and onsite pump surveys. laser alignment.

Products: Hygienic pumps, centrifugal pumps, air diaphragm pumps, submersible pumps, helical rotor pumps, dosing pumps, vacuum pumps, gear pumps, inpro bearing isolators and airmizer products seals, gland packing and of course stevco mechanical seals.

AustrAliAn water management rev iew146


COMPAny PrOfilEs

POlyMEr innOVAtiOns Pty ltD p61, 103, 128, 138

Branch office: unit 2, 129 Maison Dieu road, singleton, nsW 2330

telephone: +61 2 6571 5177

facsimile: +61 2 6571 2505


Web: www.polymerinnovations.com.au


Contacts: General Manager: Andrew evans Operations Manager: lachlan evan

Products and services: We specialise in cost effective super absorbent, lineal and flocculating polymers to assist in the management and efficient use of water and pollution. Polymer innovations work in a broad range of industries such as Mining, Construction, Government and Agriculture, where their polymers help absorb large quantities of toxins in water and hold them stable for removal on roadways, in dredging and any other industrial waste water affected areas. Our products can also assist with the maintenance of parks and gardens, leaking dams, revegetation and reforestation of native land, pollution and dust control. these easy to use products can seal leaking dams, save water, suppress dust, prevent soil erosion, control toxic pollution, stabilize run-offs or maintain roads and crops.

Our continual research and development ensures that we meet the specific requirements and conditions of our clients.

sunWAtEr p29

head office: Brisbane

Branch offices: Ayr, Biloela, Brisbane, Bundaberg, Clare, emerald, eton, Mareeba, Moranbah, rockhampton, st George, toowoomba

telephone: +61 7 3120 0000

facsimile: +61 7 3120 0260


Web: www.sunwater.com.au


Contacts: CeO: Peter Boettcher Business Development Manager: Garry Grant sales Manager: Brad Cordery

executive Management team: Mark Browne, General Manager infrastructure Development Barry Jeppesen, General Manager infrastructure Management Geoff White, General Manager Corporate tom Vanderbyl, General Manager safety, strategy and risk

Products and services: sunWater is leading the way in bulk water infrastructure management and development solutions and has built a reputation as one of the most progressive and successful water infrastructure companies in Australia. Our total water solutions span across the mining, industrial, agricultural and urban industries and include:

Bulk water supply, design and design review services, infrastructure development, asset management, planning and review, flood hydrology, hydraulics and flood management, infrastructure operations and management, customer water account management and billing, water management and policy strategy advice

PEntAir p111

head office: notting Hill

Branch offices: Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, sydney, townsville

telephone: 1300 137 344

facsimile: 1800 006 688


Web: www.pentairwater.com.au

number of employees: 100 in Australia

Contacts: sales Manager: David Potts Product Manager: Paul Hanns

services: technical support to our product range.

ACteW also has investments in the supply of electricity and telecommunications services.

Products: Pool systems, rural and domestic water systems, large-scale industrial water systems & filtration solutions.

Fairbanks MorseIndustrial Pumps

Reliable, dependable and innovative

Products to suit a wide array of applications including:

• Commercial and industrial fi re pumps

• Municipal ground water pumps

• Municipal water supply pumps

• Municipal lift stations pumps

• Municipal sewage treatment pumps

Ph: 1300 137 344 Fax: 1800 006 688 Web: fmpump.com


COMPAny PrOfilEs

PPi COrPOrAtiOn Pty ltD p86

head office: 85 Prosperity Place, (PO Box 55), Geebung QlD, 4034

telephone: +61 7 3865 2300

facsimile: +61 7 3857 0058


Web: www.ppi.com.au

ViC: 12a Kitchen road, Dandenong ViC 3175 telephone: (03) 9791 3700 email: [email protected]

nsW: 54 redfern street, (PO Box 6045), Wetherill Park nsW 2640 telephone: (02) 8706 2400 email: [email protected]

tAs: no 2 lamb Place, Cambridge tAs 7170 telephone: (03) 6248 5933 email: [email protected]

WA: 256 star street, Welshpool WA 6106 telephone: (08) 9212 3200, email: [email protected]

sA: 91 Cleveland tce, Ottoway sA 5013 telephone: (08) 8447 2611 email: [email protected]

Products: PPi Corporation is a leading manufacturer and supplier of products for irrigation, drainage, water supply and domestic watering. Principal brand names include PPi, neta and Dix. PPi is an Australian owned, private company with manufacturing and warehouse facilities geographically spread across Australia and new Zealand.

tECniCAs rEuniDAs p10

head office: level 26, 44 st Georges terrace, Perth, WA 6000

telephone: +61 8 9218 8609


Web: www.trsa.es


Contacts: Managing Director: Macario sanchez Business Development Manager: Manuel Barbera

services: tecnicas reunidas is one of the leading international general contractors for engineering, design and construction of industrial facilities for a broad spectrum of costumers throughout the world. since 1959 tecnicas reunidas has designed and built more than 1000 industrial plants worldwide in more than 50 countries with a team of 6000 professionals. tecnicas reunidas capabilities in the water industry are: drinking water supply and treatment, water desalination and debrining, urban and industrial waste water treatment, channels and conducts, cadastres, inventories and registries, hydroelectric power plants, soil decontamination, water resource planning, dams, AlBerCA projects, water supply and sewerage systems, irrigation, agricultural and rural development, water transfer.

trility Pty ltD p58

head office: Adelaide – level 10, 115 Grenfell street, Adelaide sA 5000

Branch office: Brisbane: level 7, 217 George street, Brisbane QlD 4000 Perth: suites 4-5, 251 stirling street, Perth WA 6003

telephone: +61 8 8408 6500

facsimile: +61 8 8408 6599


Web: www.trility.com.au


Contacts: Communications Manager: Caroline Kerkhof - Phone: (08) 8408 6511

services: At the core of our business is a commitment to integrity. We are responsible and respectful of our natural environment. We seek constructive engagement with clients, governments and the community. trilitY constantly achieves the highest standards built from experience gained from over 20 years of serving the water sector in Australia. trilitY services over 3 million people every day and we operate and maintain more than 60 treatment plants with a combined capacity of over 1,250 mega litres per day (Ml/d). trilitY offer the full suite of utility services associated with water, wastewater, reuse water and desalination solutions.

We are proud to offer the following range of skills:• experience in all forms of contractual delivery structures including Design and Construct (D&C), Design, Build,

Finance and Operate (DBFO), Design, Build, Operate and Maintain (DBOM), Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Maintain (DBFOM), Operate and Maintain (O&M), Alliance contracting, and Public-Private-Partnerships (PPP)

• tailored solutions from project funding, engineering, technical, operational and environmental perspectives• All aspects of project delivery including design, construction, and commissioning• Development, implementation and operation of advanced control methodologies• Asset management, operation, maintenance and customer service• extensive track record in complex municipal, industrial and resource sectors and in water, wastewater, water

reuse and desalination solutions.

think PiPEs. think PVC – An AustrAliAn Vinyls CAMPAiGn p132

head office: 65 leakes road, laverton, ViC

telephone: 1300 844 657

facsimile: +61 3 9368 4881


Web: www.thinkpipesthinkpvc.com.au

Manufacturerservices: the think Pipes. think PVC Campaign has been launched by Australian Vinyls to encourage more education about recent developments with PVC pipes and to promote the usage of PVC pipes across a range of markets.

Products: ideal markets for PVC pipes are water infrastructure including fresh water supply, sewerage, stormwater, drainage, agricultural and rural irrigation and mining. PVC pipes’ excellent durability and performance has been well proven, with over 50 years of successful use in Australia


COMPAny PrOfilEs

uGl liMitED p25

head office: north sydney – Corporate office

telephone: +61 2 8925 8925

facsimile: +61 2 8925 8926


Web: www.ugllimited.com

number of employess: 46,000

ManufacturerContacts: Chief executive: Andy summers General Manager, Business Development & Proposals: David Mackenzie General Manager Water: terry schubach Business Development Manager - Water, nsW & QlD: Voon Chin WA Business Development Manager Municipal Water: neil Maisey

uGl limited: uGl is a global leader in outsourced services, engineering, construction, asset management and property services that enhance the environment that we live in.

With operations across 14 countries worldwide and more than 46,000 employees and sub-contractors, we play an essential role in helping customers maximise the value of their investments.

uGl specialises in water and wastewater engineering, construction and maintenance services. Our water capability has been developed over more than 50-years servicing the commercial, utilities and resources sectors in Australia and south east Asia.

uGl are recognised as one of the largest expert water and wastewater engineering companies in Australia with an enviable reputation within the industry and is a successful process design, program, project and construction management company, satisfying municipal and industrial clients’ needs for water and wastewater treatment.

We deliver collaborative service solutions aligned with customers’ commercial and value requirements, from scoping and design, through to construction, implementation and facilities management.

VAlOrizA WAtEr AustrAliA Pty ltD p8

head office: level 9, 256 Adelaide terrace, Perth 6000 WA

telephone: +61 8 6142 5250

facsimile: +61 8 9325 2504


Web: www.gruposyv.com

Contacts: Business Development and Commercial: Marc riera

Products and services: integrated water cycle management. Design, construction, operation and maintenance of water treatment plants.

• Potable water• Desalination• Wastewater treatment and reuse• industrial process and effluent water treatment

Company profile: Valoriza is the water services provider within sacyr Vallehermoso Group (syV), listed on ibex 35 and euronext. in 2010, syV had a 4.8 billion euro turnover and a net profit of 204 million euro. syV has contracts across five continents and a revenue backlog at December 2010 of 51billion euro.

We are leaders in the water treatment sector with the ability to design, build and operate any type of water treatment plants. Over 60 desalination facilities have made Valoriza an international leader in rO technology. We produce over 1.65 million m3 of desalinated water every day.

Valoriza provides water solutions for industrial projects, such as ultrapure water for power plants, chemical dosing, eDr, electro-chlorination, uF/MF and MBr for process water and effluent treatment.


INTEGRATED

INNOVATIVE

thiess.com.au

OuR cApAbIlITIEs plAcE yOuR NEEDs fIRsTYou seek sustainable water solutions to meet community

demands and population growth.

We deliver the technical knowledge and skills to ensure the preservation of

this vital natural resource for future generations.

The Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Upgrade Alliance

Program (pictured) is working to deliver one of Western Australia’s most

substantial WWTP upgrade programs. The project includes conceptual

design, engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning

services for capacity upgrades at the Water Corporation’s Beenyup and

Woodman Point WWTPs.

Our water infrastructure and services specialists are delivering major

projects across Australia and New Zealand. We bring a range of

multidisciplinary engineering skills, including civil, mechanical, hydraulic,

tunnelling and processing capabilities, to this important sector.

Through our integrated capabilities, we also provide network maintenance

and asset delivery solutions through our Thiess Services subsidiary.

Recent pRojects

» Victorian Desalination

Project, Vic

» Bundamba Advanced

Water Treatment Plant, Qld

» Goodna Water

Reclamation Plant, Qld

» Wurdee Boluc Water

Treatment Plant, Vic

» ‘us’ – Utility Services

Alliance, Vic

» Waikato Water Project, NZ

» Hinze Dam Stage 3

Alliance, Qld

» Swan Water, WA

» Metrowater, NZ

ouR capabilities

» Dams, weirs and

catchment works

» Desalination Plants

» Bulk irrigation schemes

» Major pipelines

» Plant operations and asset

management

» Sewage treatment

» Transfer and network

distribution

» Water recycling plants

» Water treatment

NationalRob Evans – Manager – Water

07 3121 8500

Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania Bob Brownlee – General

Manager Utilities - Services

03 8892 5900

New South Wales and ACT Phillip Charley – Water and

Wastewater Manager

02 9332 9444

Western AustraliaJim Aquino – Business

Development Manager

08 9214 4200

contact


Marina Bay Sands, Sands Expo and Convention Centre

2 – 6 JULY

2012

www.siww.com.sg

Singapore International Water Week 2012

Water Solutions for Liveable and Sustainable Cities

In the face of global urbanisation and climate challenges, the theme “Water Solutions for Liveable and Sustainable Cities” reinforces the pressing need to integrate sustainable water management strategies into the urban planning process.

Opportunities abound for global water leaders and practitioners from the public and private sectors to debate in water dialogues, network with key industry players, showcase leading-edge technologies and best practices and identify viable solutions to address this common challenge.

Singapore International Water Week 2012 is held in conjunction with the 3rd World Cities Summit and the inaugural CleanEnviro Singapore. Delegates, trade visitors and exhibitors will have more opportunities to promote practical and sustainable water solutions and tap into a vast network of public and private sector players in urban solutions.

A Premier Water Event Not To Be Missed

Steadily gaining traction as one of the leading water events in the global water calendar, Singapore International Water Week 2011 notched new highs when the event came to a close.

•Remarkablegrowthof60%inattendanceand70%increasein exhibition space since its inauguration in 2008.

•13,500participantsfrom99countriesandregionsattendedthe Water Week 2011, making this one of the biggest events on the water calendar.

•The totalvalueofannouncements forprojectsawarded,tenders,investmentsandR&DMOUsreachedS$2.9billion,underscoring the immense business opportunities available at Water Week.

•Strongsupportfromsome600participatingcompaniesand15internationalpavilionscementstheWaterExpo’spositionasoneofAsia’smostcomprehensiveexhibition.

•37newproductsandtechnologiesmadetheirregionalandinternationaldebutattheWaterExpo’sLaunch@SIWWinnovationshowcase, reinforcing Water Week as an important platform for promoting new products globally.

Water Convention 2012 is Now Calling for Papers

For enquiries, please contact the

Water Convention secretariat at

[email protected]

or visit

www.siww.com.sg/water-convention

Exhibition Space at Water Expo 2012 is Now Open for Reservation

For Water Expo sales and sponsorship

enquiries,pleaseemailMsRuthCheahat

[email protected]

or visit

www.siww.com.sg/water-expo

Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) is the global platform for water solutions. It brings policymakers, industry leaders, experts and practitioners together to address challenges, showcase technologies, discover opportunities and celebrate achievements in the water world.

Theevent’sflagshipprogrammescomprisetheLeeKuanYew Water Prize, Water Leaders Summit, Water Convention, Water Expo and the Business Forums.

Withflagshipprogrammeshighlighting integratedwatersolutions, Singapore International Water Week continues to add value to participants with opportunities to forge discussions, explore business collaborations and promote theexchangeofideasandinnovations.Theseprogrammesexplore various topics – technology, policy, business and financing – that contribute to the development of holistic water solutions.



Marina Bay Sands, Sands Expo and Convention Centre

2 – 6 JULY

2012

www.siww.com.sg

Singapore International Water Week 2012


In the face of global urbanisation and climate challenges, the theme “Water Solutions for Liveable and Sustainable Cities” reinforces the pressing need to integrate sustainable water management strategies into the urban planning process.

Opportunities abound for global water leaders and practitioners from the public and private sectors to debate in water dialogues, network with key industry players, showcase leading-edge technologies and best practices and identify viable solutions to address this common challenge.

Singapore International Water Week 2012 is held in conjunction with the 3rd World Cities Summit and the inaugural CleanEnviro Singapore. Delegates, trade visitors and exhibitors will have more opportunities to promote practical and sustainable water solutions and tap into a vast network of public and private sector players in urban solutions.

A Premier Water Event Not To Be Missed

Steadily gaining traction as one of the leading water events in the global water calendar, Singapore International Water Week 2011 notched new highs when the event came to a close.

•Remarkablegrowthof60%inattendanceand70%increasein exhibition space since its inauguration in 2008.

•13,500participantsfrom99countriesandregionsattendedthe Water Week 2011, making this one of the biggest events on the water calendar.

•The totalvalueofannouncements forprojectsawarded,tenders,investmentsandR&DMOUsreachedS$2.9billion,underscoring the immense business opportunities available at Water Week.

•Strongsupportfromsome600participatingcompaniesand15internationalpavilionscementstheWaterExpo’spositionasoneofAsia’smostcomprehensiveexhibition.

•37newproductsandtechnologiesmadetheirregionalandinternationaldebutattheWaterExpo’sLaunch@SIWWinnovationshowcase, reinforcing Water Week as an important platform for promoting new products globally.

Water Convention 2012 is Now Calling for Papers

For enquiries, please contact the

Water Convention secretariat at

[email protected]

or visit

www.siww.com.sg/water-convention

Exhibition Space at Water Expo 2012 is Now Open for Reservation

For Water Expo sales and sponsorship

enquiries,pleaseemailMsRuthCheahat

[email protected]

or visit

www.siww.com.sg/water-expo

Singapore International Water Week (SIWW) is the global platform for water solutions. It brings policymakers, industry leaders, experts and practitioners together to address challenges, showcase technologies, discover opportunities and celebrate achievements in the water world.

Theevent’sflagshipprogrammescomprisetheLeeKuanYew Water Prize, Water Leaders Summit, Water Convention, Water Expo and the Business Forums.

Withflagshipprogrammeshighlighting integratedwatersolutions, Singapore International Water Week continues to add value to participants with opportunities to forge discussions, explore business collaborations and promote theexchangeofideasandinnovations.Theseprogrammesexplore various topics – technology, policy, business and financing – that contribute to the development of holistic water solutions.


Councils & Institutions choose the aquaBUBBLER with water bottle fillerProvide people with a drinking fountain that is hygienic, that doesn’t leak, has a tap that people of all ages andphysical disabilities can use.

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aquaBUBBLER - good for the environment & good for peoples wallet & health.

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ISSUE 1 2011

I S S U E 6 . 2

A U S T R A L I A N


Councils & Institutions choose the aquaBUBBLER with water bottle fillerProvide people with a drinking fountain that is hygienic, that doesn’t leak, has a tap that people of all ages andphysical disabilities can use.

aquaBUBBLER is a modern and stylish drinking fountain that includes a water-bottle filler.

aquaBUBBLER - good for the environment & good for peoples wallet & health.

Water-bottle filler

Water-efficient (does not drip)

Graffiti proof

Choice of colours and heights

Install inside or outside

Made in Australia

Guarantee parts & workmanship for 5 years

B E N E F I T S

Call 1300 213 774 or +61 3 9415 6672 www.aquabubbler.com.au

WARRANTYaquaBUBBLER is proud to support

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Australian Water Management Review Volume 2 2011

Documents

Transcript of Australian Water Management Review Volume 2 2011