Waterworks SA South Australia Branch Newsletter March 2014

AWA News Welcome to our first newsletter for 2014. We aim to produce one quarterly and they are a forum for recording the

Association’s regional activities. We are pleased to announce the appointment of John Ringham as President of the SA AWA branch. John is a Chartered Civil Engineer with 40 years’ experience in the Water Industry, mainly with UK water companies. John’s experience is in Engineering, Planning, Asset and Operational Management and commercial proposal development. Currently, John is the Chief Executive and Director at SA Water and for eight years was the Chief Operating Officer at SA Water, responsible for all aspects of the day to day running of the business which provides water and wastewater services. Articles include a review of 2013, and a look at what 2014 holds, from SA Water’s perspective, and a report on an evening event where we heard, pre-election, from the two main political parties about their policies on water. In addition there is an article covering an interesting YWP visit to SA Water’s new ASR facility at Adelaide Airport. OzWater 2014 is coming up in May, in Brisbane. AWA Biosolids and Source Management National Conference will be held in Melbourne, 25-27 June 2014. An advert is included in this newsletter if you require further information. Likewise, there is a summary of upcoming events both for our Branch and for the local WaterAid fundraising effort.

Diary SA Branch Calendar

April 2014 – June 2014

Please check our website for updates and to register for events, and look out for emails sent to our Branch members.

AWA Technical Meeting Wednesday 9 April

5.30 – 7.00pm Innovative Water Efficiency –

Next Generation Irrigation

April 29 – May 1 OzWater 2014 – Brisbane

Convention Centre

Young Water Professionals Annual Forum Thursday 22 May

AWA Technical Meeting Wednesday 11 June

Unconventional Gas – Where to from here?

August 13-14

SWWS 2014 Small Water & Wastewater

Systems Conference

Monday 28 April AWA Water Innovation Forum Brisbane Convention Centre

Australian Water Association SA Branch:

Alison Bowman

SA / NT Branch Manager

Australian Water Association

Tel: 08 8362 7576

Email: sabranch@awa.asn.au

8 Greenhill Road

Wayville SA 5034

www.awa.asn.au

Please send contributions to Waterworks

SA to:

John Skirrow

Senior Water Engineer

Parsons Brinckerhoff

Tel: 0432 520 579

Email: jskirrow@pb.com.au

Matt Howland Business Development Manager MAK Water Tel: 0407 422 032 Email: matt.howland@makwater.com.au

Matt Howland

Business Development

AWA News & Events

2

Challenges for SA Water in 2014 Water Industry Alliance Member’s Night

18 February 2014 The Water Industry Alliance’s first Member’s Night of 2014 was held on 18 February, where guest speaker, John

Ringham, spoke on SA Water’s experiences during 2013, and on the changes and challenges that lie ahead for South Australia’s water utility in 2014. John has over 40 years' experience in the water industry, having held numerous senior management positions with North West Water in the UK. He is experienced in water resources, water supply and distribution, capital planning, change management and international bidding. John joined SA Water as Head of Operations in November 2000, and later took on the role of Chief Operating Officer. In December 2010 he was appointed Chief Executive. He is also a Director of the Water Services Association of Australia, Deputy Chair of WaterAid Australia, and has recently been appointed the President of the SA Branch of AWA. The challenges facing SA Water should be seen in the light of the recent drought; the post-drought challenge is affordability. South Australia went through a very real and serious drought in the first decade of the Millennium and SA Water responded by delivering its biggest ever capital programme. The Adelaide Desalination Plant (ADP) and the associated North South Interconnection System Project (NSISP), both delivered within budget and on time in 2013, have provided water security to Adelaide. This gives South Australia a marketing advantage by being able to guarantee this to potential investors. The other major factor which affected SA Water in 2013 was regulation, with the Essential Services Commission of South Australia’s (ESCOSA) role, established under the Water industry Act 2012, having truly kicked in on 1st July. ESCOSA has decreased water charges, and limited increases in sewage charges to the Consumer Price Index. This decrease in revenue, along with reduced demand (owed in part to SA Water’s success in promoting conservation during the drought), has put the utilities’ revenue under pressure. Having summarised the year just gone, John turned his attention to the future direction of the Corporation. He said the business must now focus on customers, both external and internal. Under regulation competition is very real, and SA Water will embrace it. Customers’ biggest issue is cost, and affordability must now be the major focus of SA Water. ESCOSA has removed $120m from SA Water’s operating budget over three years. SA Water will make risk based interventions and deliver smart capital too. There is no longer free access to capital, and affordability and impact on customers are the key parameters now. Cost repeatedly springs up as a number one issue in SA Water’s current program of customer surveys – the task is to find out what are the key needs, wants and values of their customers. SA Water’s next submission to ESCOSA will draw on this research, which is being carried out in 2014 and will be reported on next year. Competition is coming and SA Water is not afraid of it. They will use competition to drive best performance – with the right customer proposition, and service to back it up. ESCOSA is delving very deep, reviewing prices and tariffs and will report to Government later this year on their view of what the tariff structure should look like. SA Water has also been concentrating on business transformation – there are now new senior people in post and there will be 200 fewer personnel on the books in April. As part of this commitment to find greater efficiency they are also designing new major business processes. Thirty-three cases for change have been identified, for further development, to improve the customer experience. Everyone accepts that the South Australian economy is currently under a lot of pressure. John reiterated that SA Water will play a part in strengthening it, primarily by taking a much more commercial approach to business than it has in the past.

AWA News & Events

3

the Adelaide Desalination Plant (ADP) built, the state is ready to face the next drought with more certainty. He listed the achievements of the Government over the past 12 years including the Water for Good Plan, storm water harvesting capacity of 20 GL, Adelaide Desalination Plant (ADP), the North South Interconnection System Project, the setting up of the Goyder Institute, the economic regulation of SA Water, and creation of water allocation plans. Ian reiterated his point that the Government has worked hard on diversification, and acknowledged the significant importance of partnership with communities, interest groups and industry, including the Water Industry Alliance.

The new approach is to look at whole life costs and smart capital – how to extend the life of assets that they already have. This means that they will be focusing on getting better information on their assets – how they’re performing and what their condition is, in order to inform investment decisions. It also means they will come to the market looking for solutions that offer low capital, smarter operating costs, and, potentially, not new assets that will last 100 years. The capital programme over the next two years will be $300m to $350m per annum. SA Water has set itself a challenge to deliver the same outcomes for about $100m less, and John challenged those present at the meeting to work towards this goal too. This can be by challenging SA Water, from an industry point of view, as to how projects can be delivered, constructed, maintained or operated innovatively. SA Water’s managers are being told to look at fit for purpose solutions, which may not necessarily meet the age old standards. SA Water will rise to the affordability challenge.

Talking Water Policy with the Minister and the Shadow Minister for South Australia – AWA, WIA and WRC

5 March 2014 With the impending State Elections, this joint event proved popular and was held at the Adelaide Convention

Centre and was kindly sponsored by the Goyder Institute. Approximately 110 people turned up - members of the AWA, the Water Industry Alliance and of the University of Adelaide’s Water Research Centre - to listen to the Minister and the Shadow Minister present their parties’ respective Water Policies for South Australia.

The first speaker was the Hon Ian Hunter MLC, Minister for Water and the River Murray. Ian was born in Broken Hill and was educated at Gilles Plains High and the Flinders University of South Australia. He has worked as a Research assistant at Flinders Medical Centre, Youth Worker at CYSS, and Policy Adviser. Before entering Parliament, Ian served as State Secretary of the Australian Labor Party. Ian’s policy interests include science and science education, industrial relations, social justice, the environment and sustainability. He became a Cabinet Minister in October 2011 and is currently Minister for Water and the River Murray, as well as four other portfolios including Sustainability Environment and Conservation, Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Emergency Services, and Road Safety. Ian started his presentation by stressing that as water is our most precious resource every part of the cycle must be monitored and it must be sustainable. The Millennium Drought was significant. Average annual rainfall has dropped since 1970, river water was over-allocated to upstream states, and the Coorong area approached environmental catastrophe. We came close to having to distribute bottled water to some communities for critical human needs. Now, with

Hon Ian Hunter MLC, Minister for

Water and the River Murray

AWA News & Events

4

Sponsor and Joint Event Partners

The second speaker was the Hon Michelle Lensink MLC, Shadow Minister for Water and the River Murray. Michelle has always lived in South Australia. She completed a degree in physiotherapy and worked at the Repatriation General Hospital, while also getting involved with the Young Liberals. When politics took over as a passion, rather than a hobby, she worked in government before being sworn in as a Member of the Legislative Council in 2003. Since then Michelle has held several portfolios, including correctional services, mental health, substance abuse, gambling, early childhood development, environment and conservation, sustainability and climate change, women, youth, and consumer affairs. Michelle introduced her speech with a commentary on the performances of both the previous Liberal and the current Labor state governments. Her critique of Labor’s legacy included the decision to double the capacity of the ADP to 100 GL - a choice believed by the Productivity Commission to be unjustified, and that South Australians now pay the highest prices for water in Australia (in 2002 the

Hon Michelle Lensink MLC, Shadow

Minister for Water and the River Murray

Looking to the future, if Labor was to win again they would concentrate on a holistic approach. Water policy will be based on science - the work of the Goyder Institute will be critical and must be innovative. They are currently looking at issues such as water in the outback and a study of the Adelaide Plains aquifers. Third party access regimes will be important in the future. The Water Industry Act was introduced in order to create a more efficient, transparent and competitive water industry in the state. Third party access will be developed over time. A significant challenge has been set for SA Water and it must constantly evaluate its business to ensure service that is second to none. Labor will however ensure that it remains in public ownership. Another challenge will be climate change; a Climate Change Vision has been drawn up and will be worked through. Finally, he discussed the recently announced Water Sensitive Urban Design policy.

base price was $0.38/kL and it is now $2.26). She added that Labor have underutilised treated storm-water as a resource. Her summary of her party’s policy was that a future Liberal government would support competition, partnerships, sustainable use of resources, and reinstitute a reform process. The Liberals’ principles for water policy are as follows: paramount is public health and safety, equity in pricing for all of SA Water’s residential customers regardless of where they live, diversifying water resources, and keeping SA Water’s prices as low as possible. This would be done by not unnecessarily gold-plating SA Water’s assets, ensuring that SA Water governance has a focus on efficient provision of services, encouraging competition in the market especially through third party access, and being more proactive with ESCOSA’s advice. It is envisioned that the latter will cover issues such as third party access, the cost benefits of restructuring industry in SA, and managing the monopolistic characteristic of our water market and its impact on water prices. The Liberals will ensure SA Water focuses on maintenance expenditure including dealing with leakage. While they will ask ESCOSA to look at the structure of the water industry including splitting retail services, bulk water provision and the pipe network, the Liberals will not sell SA Water either. Regarding the Murray, a state Liberal government will work in cooperation with the Commonwealth and the other basins states, will establish trigger points so that the ADP will be activated to the benefit of all South Australians and will push for accurate reporting on quantities to be returned to the river. They will examine the feasibility of engineering works to manage low flows particularly in the Coorong, and look at other sources to limit river use.

AWA News & Events

5

Adelaide Airport Aquifer Recharge Scheme Young Water Professionals Technical Seminar / Networking

20 February 2014

Our YWP Event Sponsors are:

The South Australian Government’s Water for Good Strategy outlines recommendations for improved harvesting and reuse of stormwater. One of these projects is the Adelaide Airport Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Scheme, which aims to harvest up to 340 ML per year from the Brownhill Creek / Keswick Creek Catchment. A group of 40 was shown around the facility, recently constructed for SA Water by Guidera O’Connor, at an AWA Young Water Professionals (YWP) Technical Seminar held on the afternoon of 20th February. The site tour was led by SA Water’s Project Engineer Daniel Maslin and their Project Manager Chas Allen. They started by giving the group a presentation, which was followed by a walk around the new facilities. The project has been constructed to capture and treat stormwater for industrial, commercial and irrigation use at or around Adelaide Airport. The Airport is currently the sole customer and will use the water for irrigation around the runways, and for their cooling towers, with the possibility also of supplying to a hotel in the future, The $9.8m project was started in 2009 and was 50% funded by the Federal Government, with the balance, at a quarter each, provided by the State Government and SA Water. This particular scheme will harvest 340 Ml/y, bringing the total for SA Water to 570 ML/y when its other ASR scheme, at Barker’s Inlet, is also accounted for. The treated stormwater will be stored in the aquifer primarily in winter and extracted during the summer months, with the latter limited to up to 80% of the annual throughput.

Trash collection sacks at the Creek, left, and a view of the borehole at the location of the extraction point from the Creek

The entire facility is spread out, with the boreholes several hundred metres apart, and it is located to the south of the airport, near the Glenelg Golf Course. The water extracted from the creek is initially screened with a 50 mm grid to keep fish out of the pumps. Pumps transfer the water to the treatment site where it is split between two filtration systems. Media-filtration units receive a total of 30 L/s and two bio-filter streams,

AWA News & Events

6

in parallel, accept 7.5 L/s each – summing to a total of 45 L/s being treated. The water is harvested from the creek based on samples tested for colour, pH, turbidity and conductivity, and it is pumped to the treatment site using variable speed drives in order to manage flow rates. The two methods of treatment have been installed in order to allow research to be carried out on the performance of the two processes. After filtration the water is retained in a 173KL balancing tank prior to injection into the aquifer for storage. Subsequently, water is pumped, when required, from the aquifer and disinfected, using UV, prior to distribution. The control philosophy of the whole system was written around the particular operating requirements of the UV modules, the latter which can only be turned on four times a day. There is spare room in the design to double the output of the facility should it be required in the future. As is often the case, this project has had its fair share of challenges; these included borehole sinking, and stakeholder issues. Two bores had to be abandoned during their sinking, with one hitting an obstruction at 80 m and the other affected by the local fault line. The project team worked very closely with the local Golf Course whose own boreholes had to be turned off during development of the new bores. In addition, stakeholder issues included noise management despite the site being sited next to the airport. In all this was a very interesting and informative site visit, rounded up afterwards with a snack and drinks, along with networking, in the Kings Head Hotel.

Top, further views of the borehole at the location of the extraction point from the Creek. Bottom left, the media-filtration units, and right, the bio-filters

AWA News & Events

7

WaterAid News

WaterAid Thanks Adam Laidlaw for his service

After six and a half years as Chief Executive of WaterAid Australia, Adam Laidlaw has resigned. Adam leaves WaterAid having successfully grown the organisation from a small $2.4m operation in 2007 to an effective and authoritative $10.6m Australian NGO in 2014. Due in large part to Adam’s hard work and dedication, WaterAid is highly regarded by the Australian public, a growing number of committed supporters, government and the water industry. His leadership has had a significant and positive impact on the lives of many people in Southeast Asia, the Pacific, Africa and South Asia. Adam’s last day as CEO of WaterAid will be Friday 21 March 2014. Once again, on behalf of the Board, staff and our many stakeholders, we thank Adam for his service and commitment to WaterAid, and wish him the very best in his future endeavors.

Rob Skinner Chair, WaterAid Australia

AWA News & Events

8

Gala Ball and Gold Days – Adelaide, 2 August 2014

WaterAid’s Fundraising Committees give you the chance to dress up, put your dancing shoes on and have a night out while supporting a great cause at annual Gala Balls held in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Gold Days are also held in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney throughout the year. WaterAid’s Adelaides Gold Day will be held in November 2014, dates TBA. Enquiries to kim@falsters.net For further information go to www.wateraidsa.com.au

WaterAid and H&M Conscious Foundation join forces for safe water, toilets and hygiene in schools

H&M Conscious Foundation and WaterAid are launching a new global partnership for safe water and sanitation in schools, with the goal to achieve long-term transformational change and directly benefit over a quarter of a million of the world’s poorest school children. The primary goal of this global program is to change the lives and future prospects of students by delivering safe water, sanitation and hygiene in schools to improve health and education. The program will with $A10 million deliver both immediate and long term transformational change; changing lives of students and influencing policies at national and international levels. For further information or interviews please contact: Kirrily Johns, Communications Manager Tel: +61 (0)3 9001 8246 or Email: kirrily.johns@wateraid.org.au

AWA News & Events

9

AWA News & Events

10

Name Katharine Ward

Dogs or cats? Dogs

Qualifications Bachelor of Engineering (Civil & Environmental), First Class Honors Current Employer Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources Current Position Water Projects Officer Describe a typical workday I work within the Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges region. I am lucky that I get a good mix of office-based work and fieldwork and that I get to work on a variety of water projects, so every day is different from the one before. A lot of my role is project management; planning and scoping projects, managing budgets, contract management, project reporting etc.

What can’t you do without? Food, for the obvious reason, but also because I like to cook and share good food with family and friends. I have a rather large collection of cookbooks and food magazines, which just keeps growing What is the most important factor for success? Honesty and sincerity. Passion and hard work. Rugby, AFL or soccer? Tennis What are the important qualities required to be a good manager? Good communication, Good delegation, Trust. Knowing your people. Who do you admire? So many people.

How do you maintain balance between your work and personal life?

Good calendar management. What did you want to be when you grew up? To be honest, I’m not sure that I knew what I wanted to be.

Hobbies past or present? Late last year I joined a local community knitting and crochet group so that I could learn to crochet a baby blanket for my first niece. After I finished the blanket for my niece, (very successfully I might add), I kept crocheting. So I guess you could say this has become a new hobby for me. I’m now working on a tea cosy.

What is your dream job? To always be doing something that I believe in and love doing.

What’s in your music player currently? I use Spotify on my iPhone, so the music possibilities are almost endless.

Career path Working in water in South Australia. I started out working for GHD as a graduate engineer. From GHD I moved to SA Water. I held various positions with SA Water, moving around from operations roles to planning roles. Then I moved to the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges NRM Board and now DEWNR.

Career highlight(s) You never forget getting your first professional job. What's the most unusual thing that's happened to you at work? I’m not sure I recall anything truly unusual. Do you have children? No

Do you have any other Volunteer roles? Not at the moment. I am a Meals on Wheels alum and would love to get enough time to get back to that. What is your favorite film? There are so many. John Hughes movies from the ‘80’s have to be at the top of the list – Pretty in Pink, Breakfast Club etc… What was your first job? Working as an office assistant in my father’s real estate office. If you could invite four people to dinner who would they be? My family.

Meet the AWA SA Committee

AWA News & Events

11

Australian Water Quality Centre Research and Innovation Forum – September 18

th 2013

The annual SA Water, R&I Forum were held on September 18th. More than 130 delegates attended the event including 40 external registrations. This included keynote speaker: Professor Amit Pramanik from Water Environment Research Foundation (United States) and representation from many other SA Government and water industry research providers. There was a strong contingent of managers from other utilities from across Australia including representation from WA, Vic, NSW and Qld. Their attendance highlights the interest in SA Water’s R&I program and provided opportunities for future collaboration. The key to the success of the current Forum was the focus on the ‘Outcomes’ and ‘Value’ delivered from their investigations. Presentations included: • Delivering Outcomes and Value from Research • Innovative ways to improve pump efficiencies • Taste and Odour in Drinking Water – What do our customers really want? • Installation of Biofilters – What’s the big deal with odours • Smart Metering: Lessons learned • Biogeochemical Modelling – what will the future hold for wastewater discharges in Adelaide coastal waters? • Future Climate: Where to for reservoir water quality? • Hydrogen peroxide: the new way to kill algae in waste water lagoons • Assessing Cryptosporidium Risk – Not all Crypto are the same! • What are the effective tools and indicators for delivering quality water?

National Science Week – AWQC Pilot Plant Demonstration AWQC held a very successful Open Day on Sunday 18 August 2013 as part of the National Science Week activities. Interested members of the public could join laboratory tours where they were able to see and gain an appreciation of what is required in ensuring delivery of safe drinking water. It was also an opportunity to showcase the new state of the art laboratories which were completed in 2009 and to describe some of the research being undertaken. A popular aspect was the demonstration of the main drinking water treatment process using one of the pilot plants available within the Water Treatment and Distribution Research group. The pilot plant comprises coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and media filtration and its flexible design enables changes that facilitate simulation of specific configurations. A range of online instrumentation provides understanding of the impact of operational changes and this particular pilot plant has been used within research projects and to assist in optimization and trouble-shooting problems at operating drinking water treatment plants.

AWA News & Events

12

AWQC Lends Assistance to Mount Isa Water Board in

Monitoring of a Cyanobacterial Bloom – Oct 2013 AWQC has for many years been recognised nationally and internationally for its expertise in the provision of analytical, advisory and research services to the water industry for the monitoring and management of cyanobacteria. Under ideal environmental conditions, these micro-organisms can proliferate rapidly and seriously impair water quality due to the production of tastes, odors and toxins. In October 2013, the assistance of AWQC was sought by the Mt Isa Water Board located in the remote mining town of outback Queensland. AWQC was asked to provide onsite cyanobacterial analysis to monitor the development of a bloom of the toxin producer Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii in the town water supply. Senior Biologist Peter Baker was based in Mount Isa for a period of four weeks, providing rapid turnaround of cell counts by microscopic examination. The lack of rain since early in the year and temperatures exceeding 38oC every day were contributing factors to the onset of the bloom. During his stay, Peter was able to provide advice to the Mount Isa Water Board in methodology used for microscopic analysis of cyanobacteria and in the interpretation of the results. The Water Board was also referred by Peter to other AWQC experts in Adelaide on the analysis of cyanobacterial toxins as well as treatment options for removal of cells and inactivation of toxins in the water supply. One of the highlights for Peter during his time at Mount Isa was a trip to the local reservoir, Lake Moondarra to see the local residents: a well-established population of freshwater crocodiles.

AWA News & Events

13

News Feed

MDBA welcomes environmental water trade

On 20th January 2014, MDBA chairman Craig Knowles had welcomed the news that the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder has decided to trade environmental water on the temporary market. Mr. Knowles said, "We have been calling for the temporary trade of environmental water for at least the past two years, in line with the Commonwealth Water Act, and as part of our work on the Murray–Darling Basin Plan," Temporary trade means that water for the environment can be fully valued and take its place for the first time in Australia's history alongside other classes of water. Environmental water must take its place in a market-based system in order to extract the highest and best environmental benefits. This move by the CEWH demonstrates a further maturing of water management in Australia and, importantly, gives people more confidence to invest in the water market with increased certainty around the CEWH's activities.

Adelaide’s Desalination Plant Milestone

Since its production of producing drinking water in October 2011, SA Waters desalination plant has produced a staggering 75 billion litres.

Water production to date (to end of December 2013) = approximately 68.5 billion litres

Water production for last month (December 2013) = 6.1 billion litres SA Water’s Quench Bench delivering free drinking water in the city SA Water has come to the rescue of hot city workers and shoppers, with its Quench Bench providing free water in Hindmarsh Square. The Quench Bench is a specially designed mobile trailer that can tap into the mains water supply so people can refill drink containers or have a drink from the trailer’s bubblers. “The Quench Bench was developed by SA Water about a year ago as an easy, low cost tool to promote its services, as well as highlighting tap water as a high-quality product for the community. The Quench Bench is available for bookings for eligible community events – contact sponsorships@sawater.com.au Former Wastewater Lagoons Transformed into Wetlands

Former lagoons which once stored treated wastewater from SA Water’s Christies Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant have been transformed into a wetland sanctuary. The extensive rehabilitation effort is one of the last components of the $272 million redevelopment of the Christies Beach Wastewater Treatment Plant, which has enabled the decommissioning of the former sludge drying lagoons and the return of the site to its natural origins. SA Water Chief Executive John Ringham says the rehabilitation of this site and its contribution towards restoring the natural values of the Onkaparinga Estuary is symbolic of SA Water’s commitment towards protecting and fostering the natural environment.