Current
THE AUSTRALIAN WATER ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE November 2016
Volume 1 No 4
WATERBORNE VIRUS
HOW THE WATER INDUSTRY IS DEFENDING ITSELF AGAINST CYBER ATTACKS
Taking the nation’s pulse with the Australian Water Survey
Innovation Award winners share secrets
Can modelling software change asset maintenance?
Control Components
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A N WAT E R A S S O C I AT I O N M AG A Z I N E
FEATURES
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COVER STORY Utilities and their physical infrastructure aren’t immune from cyber attacks. Here’s how they’re tackling the threat.
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COAST TO COAST It’s wide brown land out there; here’s what’s on the horizon for each state in 2017.
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BLACK GOLD RUSH The biosolids industry has quietly achieved big things but there is no space for complacency.
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UNLOCKING THE BUILDING CODE Advanced modelling software promises to revolutionise how assets are built and maintained. But what challenges stand in the way?
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SECURING THE FUTURE The Australian Water Survey has shown a high level of concern over water security. But there’s a plan afoot to help remedy that.
The risk of each jurisdiction and water utility company running their own race is that the supply chain will have to conform to numerous and differing digital requirements and we will have a repeat of the 19th-century rail-gauge issue. P43 PCSG’s Gavin Cotterill, on the need to harmonise Asset Lifecycle Information Modelling software standards.
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NEWS
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CEO welcome From the President’s desk Association news New membership structure 2016 Innovation Challenge
INDUSTRY
Liveable cities Bacteria detection Digital strategy Change management Water-sensitive urban design Remote communities Stormwater management Customer innovation
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DPI Water’s Dr Nanda Altavilla
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Mentoring spotlight
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State-by-state wrap-up
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Biosolids
EVENTS
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Asset Lifecycle Information Modelling
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Association events calendar
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Water utility cyber security
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NQ Conference
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Australian Water Survey
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Social pages
Catchment management Sewage asset data
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T H E AUST R A L I A N WAT E R ASSO C I AT I O N M AG A Z I N E
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Jonathan McKeown Email: jmckeown@awa.asn.au Content and Brand Manager: Maurice Khateeb Email: mkhateeb@awa.asn.au TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Ted Gardner (Chair); Chris Davis, Australian Water Association; Dr Andrew Bath, Water Corporation; Michael Chapman, GHD; Dr Dharma Dharmabalan, TasWater; Wilf Finn, WaterNSW; Robert Ford (rtd), Central Highlands Water; Antony Gibson, IXOM; Dr David Halliwell, Deakin University; Dr Lionel Ho, Allwater; Des Lord, University of Western Australia; Dr Robbert van Oorschot, GHD; John Poon, CH2M; David Power, BECA Consultants; Dr lan Prosser, Bureau of Meteorology; Dr Ashok Sharma, Victoria University; Diane Wiesner, Science Plus Consulting Group. Technical Editor: Chris Davis Email: journal@awa.asn.au
Current is the official quarterly magazine for members of the Australian Water Association. 655 Pacific Highway, St Leonards, Sydney, NSW 2065 Phone: (02) 9436 0055 Email: info@awa.asn.au
369a Darling St, Balmain, Sydney, NSW 2041 Managing Editor: James Chalmers Email: james@mahlab.co Deputy Editor: Cecilia Harris Email: cecilia@mahlab.co Graphic Design: Matt Caulfield Senior Account Manager: Stuart Singleton Email: stuart@mahlab.co Advertising Manager: Heidi Krohn Email: heidi@mahlab.co
EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS: Acceptance of editorial submissions is at the discretion of the editors and editorial board. TECHNICAL PAPERS: Submissions should be 3000–4000 words long and accompanied by relevant graphics, tables and images. To submit a paper or for more detailed submission guidelines, please email journal@awa.asn.au NEWS AND FEATURES: News tips, submissions and press releases should be sent to cecilia@mahlab.co COPYRIGHT: Current is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced in any format without the written permission of AWA. Email cecilia@mahlab.co DISCLAIMER: The Association assumes no responsibility for opinions or statements of fact expressed by contributors or advertisers. Mention of particular brands, products or processes does not constitute an endorsement.
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From the Chief Executive
NATIONAL WATER SURVEY RESULTS SECURITY: THE PRIMARY FOCUS Welcome to the last edition of Current for 2016 and thank you for the overwhelming support expressed for the new format of the Association’s magazine. In this edition, we cover some major issues directly affecting the Australian water sector. Learn about how our sector is preparing for the threat of cyber-attacks, the future of biosolids in Australia and New Zealand and the challenges of adopting BIM/ALIM systems. This year we have built new digital platforms to give members access to more relevant information from any device. The Association now has a revitalised website, an expanded online library of water information, an interactive water directory and a range of online informative videos and webinars. These upgrades offer members the ability to connect with industry experts through online communities and keep up to date with industry trends and activities through our regular Source newsletters. The Australian Water Outlook – the results of the Association’s national water survey – was released at the World Water Congress held in Brisbane last month, and the findings highlight a number of issues, including water scurity, support for water recycling and water quality in regional and rural areas. Both industry and community respondents said water security remained their main concern. There was a surprisingly low level of confidence in the ability of state and federal governments to address our water security. The Australian Water Outlook also shows community concerns about the lack of long-term water planning, investment in water infrastructure, and the lack of progress to address water quality issues in our regional and rural areas. It is encouraging to see the level of support from both industry and the community to consider alternative sources of water, including recycled water, and the community’s willingness to fund such water sources. The Australian Water Outlook has highlighted water-quality issues in regional and rural areas, and highlighted the need for both governments and the private sector to work together on alternative options for funding to secure future water supplies at acceptable levels of water quality. The report’s findings illustrate the necessity for longer-term planning for our water assets to provide the resilience needed to accommodate future severe weather events, increasing population and competing demands for water. To foster further debate on these matters, the Association is preparing two discussion papers – one looking at alternative financing models for water infrastructure and one on the evolution of procurement practices in the sector. All of the issues included in the Australian Water Outlook address community and industry concerns about how Australia needs a clear strategy to provide long-term water security for all Australians. The Association remains committed to our rural, regional and urban water users in advocating for, and measuring how effectively, the country can provide water security. Many of the report’s findings will be used in the preparation of our Water Security Scorecard, due for release at Ozwater’17. The Water Security Scorecard will provide an assessment on the achievements and gaps in providing the essential water security that will safeguard the country’s future prosperity. For further information on the report, see page 52.
BOTH INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY RESPONDENTS SAID WATER SECURITY REMAINED THEIR MAIN CONCERN.
Jonathan McKeown Australian Water Association Chief Executive
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From the president’s desk
COLLABORATION KEY TO MEETING FUTURE WATER CHALLENGES In writing this article, I have just had the privilege to attend the World Water Congress, of which Australian Water Association was the event partner. It was a very successful congress and did Australia proud. The theme was Shaping our Water Future, which is as applicable to Australia as it is worldwide. The Congress was launched by an amazing keynote from sustainability entrepreneur Gunther Pauli, who gave us multiple examples on how we can look beyond conventional solutions to solve a multitude of problems and enhance environmental and economic outcomes. This certainly set the scene for the discussions to come in encouraging attendees to open their minds and I recommend his latest book, From Deep Ecology to Blue Economy, to all our readers to help open their minds. One of the key areas of focus at the Congress was the 2015 Sustainability Development Goals and how they may impact the industry in Australia into the future. In 2000, many of the world’s nations developed and committed to the Millennium Development Goals. Since their creation, significant progress has been made across the board in providing services to the worlds disadvantaged. Fifteen years later, 179 countries came together to review the progress of the Millennium Development Goals and this lead to the creation of 17 Sustainability Development Goals to be achieved by 2030. All 179 countries signed off on these, which is in itself an amazing accomplishment. Many of these goals have an impact on water with one – Goal 6, Clean Water and Sanitation – providing a specific focus. Unlike in some other developed countries, this goal has significant impact on Australia, due to climate change, our vast land area, small widely distributed population centres and our Indigenous population. All these in one way or another were touched upon during the conference. Achieving this goal in Australia by 2030 will require a concerted effort by our state and federal governments, supported by the water industry and those representing water users, including our Association. Across Australia, we see communities whose access to drinking water is either at risk or non-existent and this must be addressed. And this applies equally to other water requirements. Our capital cities are addressing the issue through a diverse range of strategies, through the themes of Reduce, Reuse and Replenish, as required with new sources. What is not happening as well as it could is our ability to work with other agencies – particularly our planning agencies – to ensure that we have sustainable cities for the future, with water being at the heart of the planning. If there was one message that resonated with me at the Congress, it was this: as an industry, we’ve done many great things in isolation but we can achieve much more by working collaboratively with others, as long as we are focused on the common goal.
WE’VE DONE MANY GREAT THINGS IN ISOLATION BUT WE CAN ACHIEVE MUCH MORE BY WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH OTHERS.
Peter Moore Australian Water Association President
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AWA FOUNDING MEMBER RETIRES THE ASSOCIATION FAREWELLS A WATER SECTOR GREAT Taking initiative to ensure strong links with related he Association has come to the end of a long era professional bodies, Bishop has ensured industry groups have with the official retirement of one of its founding stayed abreast of best practice methodologies. members. Frank Bishop AM, Honorary Life Member While the industry’s consulting and project and recipient of the George Goffin Award markets have transformed since his entry into (now the Exceptional Service Award), has been the sector, Bishop has maintained a integral to the growth of the Australian Water professional, graceful and valued presence Association and the professional development of among colleagues and companies alike. the industry. GHD Global Technical Leader Water and “Frank spent 35 years loyally growing the current Association Director Mike Muntisov said Association, building and sharing a priceless Bishop has also contributed immensely to the bank of knowledge, mentoring and educating Association’s Water Journal Committee. his young colleagues, and bringing a culturally “I had the pleasure of working with Frank empathetic approach to projects in this over a long period of time on the >H[LY 1V\YUHS southeast corner of the globe,” NSW -YHUR )PZOVW (4 Committee. He has been the heart and soul of Independent Water Advisory Panel Chair and /VUVYHY` 3PML 4LTILY that committee,” Muntisov said. former Association CEO Chris Davis said. ¸;OL LɈ VY[Z OL W\[ PU [OYV\NO OPZ UL[^VYR PU [OL PUK\Z[Y` Similarly, International Water Centre CEO Mark Pascoe meant that he was the constant that has kept the >H[LY acknowledged Bishop’s contribution as wide-reaching, both 1V\YUHS relevant to its members over such a long period.” in technical expertise and in leadership. It is with thoughtful and sincere gratitude that the “Frank acted as a mentor to me when I was President in the Association farewells a true champion of the water sector. mid-nineties, when he was already 15 years a past To read more about Frank Bishop’s career and President,” Pascoe said. “His gentle and wise words and contribution to the Australian and international water industry, guidance were a source of motivation to me and I understand from take a look at The Last Drop on page 90. talking to others that this is part of the wiring of this man.”
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AWA STRENGTHENS TIES WITH INDONESIA
In September, CEO Jonathan McKeown signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indonesia’s peak water association PERPAMSI. Outlining a plan to connect the Australian and Indonesian water sectors, the MoU offers a framework for future collaboration, including facilitating expertise to improve Indonesia’s water quality. The MoU offers potential opportunities to Australian water
businesses seeking to expand their offering to an Indonesian market, with particular areas of interest including water technology, advice on intergrated water planning and minimising non-revenue water, and advice on alternative financing models for water infrastructure. Association members interested in learning more about the international program can contact Paul Smith at psmith@awa.asn.au or An Nguyen at anguyen@awa.asn.au.
Taking the nation’s pulse Results are in from the Australian Water Survey 2016, with feedback from industry and consumers giving a wealth of insights into the sector’s chief opportunities and challenges. Combining the Association’s previous State of the Water Survey and Water Consumer Outlook Survey, [OPZ `LHY»Z Z\Y]L` VɈ LYZ KPYLJ[ comparisions between community members and water professionals. Data from the survey will be collated PU H Ä UHS YLWVY[ [V OLSW N\PKL LK\JH[PVU and policy advocacy campaigns. -VY H YL]PL^ VM Z\Y]L` Ä UKPUNZ including both consumer and industry’s views on government, climate change and drought, water pricing and education campaigns, as well as alternative water sources, see page 52.
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FOUNDATIONS FOR CHANGE AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST WATER ASSOCIATION HAS UNVEILED A REVITALISED MEMBERSHIP STRUCTURE. ALIGNING THE NEEDS OF WATER PROFESSIONALS WITH A DIVERSIFYING INDUSTRY.
he water sector is changing rapidly. The industry has seen breakthroughs in technology and data use, transforming financing models and an ever-expanding professional pool from which water experts emerge. One thing is certain: the water industry has never before encapsulated so many diverse and dynamic elements. In recognition of this new landscape, the Australian Water Association has launched a revitalised membership structure. With a digital platform that delivers the latest news and information, webinars that enable professional development and an industry network that is across every state and territory, it’s a membership offer for a broad sector. “For more than 55 years now, the Australian Water Association has been encouraging debate about water issues and providing a platform for organisations and individuals to come together to share ideas, network and shape the future of the industry,” Chief Executive Jonathan McKeown said. “We’re growing bigger by the day, reaching more people in Australia and beyond, and it is crucial that our membership structure reflects this.” National Manager Membership Engagement Shona Gawel said the Association was fortunate to be able to call upon a supportive membership base that offered industry insight and in-depth participation as the categories were reviewed. “Our members care deeply about the Association and were generous with their time and feedback as we
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undertook the consultation process. We recognise expertise and knowledge through our Professional member category,” Gawel said. “Our Student members are also our future Professional members. We offer our Student members an opportunity to connect with the sector in a really unique way. “Our Young Water Professionals program is so strong and offers a lot of support to those who have identified a role in the industry or are keen to discover one.” A new e-membership category has also been unveiled, Water Supporter, as the Association has seen the growth of community interest in water issues. “Our Professional members represent the engineers, operators, researchers and suppliers who enable us to turn on the taps,” Gawel said. “Our Water Supporters are members who want to learn more about how this actually happens.” “Our corporate members strongly support the Association. We want to enable more of their workforce to take advantage of the industry knowledge and professional development activities we have on offer,” McKeown said. “We are the biggest water network in Australia and work hard to bring all facets of the industry together, profiling the different services provided and creating different opportunities pertinent to different members.” A recent new member, Rick Draper from Amtac Professional Services, said: “I recently joined the Australian Water Association because my company is now involved
New membership options CORPORATE MEMBER Who does it serve? Universities, firms, utilities, organisations, laboratories, think tanks, schools, NFPs – any business or professional entity seeking to serve its employees or stakeholders now fits under this category. How does it work? With six subcategories to choose from – Bronze, Silver and Gold levels, as well as Education, Platinum and Principal – the new corporate membership option accommodates the needs of varied water-related organisations.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBER Who does it serve? Individual water professionals, ranging from engineers, academics, scientists, policy makers, teachers, utility workers, business executives and thought leaders. How does it work? Offering a range of tailored benefits, including information on the latest industry developments and opportunities to network, this membership bolsters individuals’ professional efforts.
THE WATER SECTOR IS AGILE AND RESILIENT. WE HAVE TO BE BECAUSE WE MANAGE AUSTRALIA’S MOST IMPORTANT NATURAL ASSET. in supplying services to the sector. I believe that it is important to give a little back and support the work of the Association.” State Managers and Branch committees also offer members the chance to connect locally. “Our annual dinner welcomes over 500 people and is a highlight event for the water industry here,” Victorian State Manager Gail Reardon. “Membership of the Association is more important than ever before,” McKeown said. “Millions of people depend on our members to deliver on our promises of clean water, excellent service, expanded and functional infrastructure, and above all, the promise of sustainability, which is fundamental to the social and economic health of all Australians. The water sector is agile and resilient. We have to be because we manage Australia’s most important natural asset.” Membership information is available at bit.ly/awamember
STUDENT MEMBER Who does it serve? Students and young water professionals: those engaged in full-time study or people under the age of 25. How does it work? This individual membership ensures affiliates have access to a broad assortment of networking and training opportunities, as well as the latest industry news, all at an affordable price.
WATER SUPPORTER MEMBER Who does it serve? Everyone who is interested is staying abreast of news and initiatives in Australia related to our most precious natural resource: water. How does it work? The Association identified an emerging membership space that required a broad approach to water knowledge. This option keeps interested individuals in the loop with Australia’s latest water news and thought leadership.
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2016 Innovation Challenge
INNOVATING FOR CHANGE JOINT WINNERS OF THIS YEAR’S INNOVATION CHALLENGE PRIZE, VERDEATE AND WATER CORPORATION, DAZZLED JUDGES WITH THEIR PRODUCTS. BOTH AIM TO RAISE AWARENESS OF EFFICIENT WATER CONSUMPTION WITHIN THE WORKPLACE AND COMMUNITY. WATER CORPORATION’S WATER USE CALCULATOR Water Corporation’s winning entry, the Water Use Calculator, allows households to quickly create a tailored water saving plan. It asks you questions about your water use, such as how many people live in your home? How many showers do you have? How often do you use the washing machine? Front or top loader? How big is your lawn and how do you water it? Based on your answers, you get a traffic light rating – green, amber or red – for each area of your home, including the bathroom, kitchen and living area, laundry and garden. An overall waterwise rating for your household, compared to others of a similar size, is then generated, followed by a personalised water saving plan.
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Based on the information provided about water use around the home, the plan hones in on areas where you can achieve the most significant savings. You can then print, email or even share your action plan on social media. More than 31,500 people have visited the calculator since it was launched in October 2014, with 34% of visitors creating a water-saving plan. Judges said although there were competing products on the market, the Water Corporation’s offering was appealing, thought-provoking, suitable for young people and designed to generate a clear call for behavioural change. For more information on this innovation, visit bit.ly/2waterusecal
VERDÉATE’S GREEN CHALLENGES TECHNOLOGY CEO SEBASTIÁN BUSTAMANTE GONZÁLEZ Based in Colombia, we are called Verdéate, which in English means something like ‘green yourself up’. Basically, what we’re trying to do is help organisations improve their consumption habits across five areas – energy, waste, paper use, mobility [transport], but more importantly, water use. We have been studying how competitiveness and behavioural change occurs within organisations, and, whether it’s athletics, soccer or rugby, we all like competitions and we don’t want to be left out. Verdéate trying to is tap into that competitive nature. We provide the technology – through a PC, smart phone or tablet application – for people to upload their electricity bills, water bills, paper use and other verifiers of consumption. Application functionalities can be customised for each organisation, allowing them to rank participants, generate a statistical model or customise notifications, which can be shared on social media. The incentives for winning against your peers are up to the company. They can vary from free days off, lunch with your family or a carbon footprint certificate. We’ve also had cases where organisations have provided electric bicycles or ecotourism trips.
We’re very happy to have won this award. It means that someone outside our part of the world saw potential in what we do, and that we could add value to Australian companies. The win is also providing a lot of brand exposure and helping us to engage with the corporate sector. I think we were successful because we’re doing something different – focusing directly on habit is rare in traditional environmental solutions. In terms of overall impact, we’re in our fourth year and we have reduced more than 10 million litres of water and more than 200,000 kg of CO2 because of people improving their consumption habits. If we take that as an economic metric, we can say that we have saved around US$250,000. Right now, what we’re trying to do is scale our solution so that any decision-maker, anywhere around the world can create their own competition for their company, building, school, or university. We are making our technology and platform easy to use so people build their competition in a very tailored way without needing us. Our advice to others in the industry is that it’s false to think there’s no chance to create a profitable business around an environmental solution. The environment is an increasingly strategic issue for all organisations. Business models should be widely developed around the world to help capitalise on that. The second piece of advice: you never know what can come from testing new waters – we got to be winners in a competition that is all the way in Australia – so consider expanding to new horizons more seriously. To find out more about VERDÉATE, visit: www.verdeate.com
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2016 Innovation Challenge
THE O INITIATIVE: 2015 INNOVATION CHALLENGE WINNER FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR GRETHA OOST see a prototype they say, ‘oooh I want to hug it!’. It won the challenge because it creates an emotional response, which re-establishes a positive connection with water. The fountain can also connect with communities through customised artwork on its surface. Winning the award [in 2015] has been helpful – to be able to say that you’re the winner of an innovation challenge organised by the Australian Water Association and Arup definitely gives you credibility. After winning the award I met with Zip Water who is now a founding partner. In the last few months I’ve gone from just having a concept on paper, to having a prototype and reaching WaterMark compliance, to having a product that is ready to ‘wow’ Australia and reduce our bottled water consumption.
For ten years I’ve been on a quest to work out why Australians drink so much bottled water – we throw out a million plastic water bottles a day. Suddenly I realised: on one hand we have bottled water promoted by supermodels in bikinis, on the other we have stainless steel objects – drinking fountains – that are mostly positioned next to rubbish bins. So I designed a new fountain. It’s a refilling station that encourages people to use their own water bottle. What’s particularly special about the O Fountain is it’s a sculpture – an obelisk organic shape 1.4-metres high with an O-shaped opening in the middle where you refill your water bottle. When people
AUSTRALIAN STOCKHOLM JUNIOR WATER PRIZE WINNER: MOHAMED JAKARIA Current caught up with winner of the 2016 Australian Stockholm Junior Water Prize winner, Mohamed Jakaria, about his participation in the international junior water research competition. I went to the international finals of the Stockholm Junior Water Prize in August and gave my presentation to the panel of judges. It was on the effect that increasing the surface area of Elodea canadensis had on effluent nitrate levels at Queensland’s Beenleigh wastewater treatment plant. The judges interviewed me and, although I didn’t win the international prize, they gave me some great input. For example, a judge from UNICEF really liked that my project was cost-effective and a lecturer from the University of Nevada liked the idea of using something that’s looked down upon in Australia, and considered a weed, to clean water. The highlight of the entire week was meeting so many like-minded students and professionals from
all these different countries. We had the chance to attend seminars with leading water researchers and what they highlighted was there is still much to discover about sanitation. Our aim should be to make clean water accessible to everyone in the world. Some of the people I met were so passionate that it was overwhelming, actually. I would say it’s going to be interesting over the next 15 years to see where the water industry goes. As for me, I’m quite attached to my idea and I’d really like to take it further but I have a tough schedule studying biomedicine at the moment. If I have time, I could do this as a side project during the summer.
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T H E AU ST R A L I A N WAT E R A S S O C I AT I O N M AG A Z I N E
I N D U S T R Y F E AT U R E S INSIGHTS INTO AND ANALYSIS OF THE FORCES SHAPING THE AUSTRALIAN WATER INDUSTRY.
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THE BOOM AND BUST RECYCLE Alternative sources like recycled water are only growing in importance, and its music to the ears of Dr Nanda Altavilla.
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COAST TO COAST It’s wide brown land out there; here’s what’s on the horizon for each state in 2017.
FORGING CAREER PATHS Find out how the AWA mentoring program helped a YWP get a fresh perspective on her career.
BLACK GOLD RUSH The biosolids industry has quietly achieved big things but there is no space for complacency.
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UNLOCKING THE BUILDING CODE Advanced software promises to revolutionise how assets are built and maintained. What stands in the way?
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SECURING THE FUTURE The Australian Water Survey has shown a high level of concern for water security. But there’s a plan to remedy that.
WATER-BORNE VIRUSES Utilities and their physical infrastructure aren’t immune from cyber attacks but they’re tackling the threat head-on.
SPOTLIGHT ON WATER SECURITY Take a look at the figures from the Australian Water Survey, comparing professional and public opinion.
www.awa.asn.au
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Dr Nanda Altavilla
MIXING IT UP
BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE WATER FUTURE MEANS ALTERNATIVE SOURCES LIKE RECYCLED WATER ARE ONLY GROWING IN IMPORTANCE AND IT’S MUSIC TO THE EARS OF DR NANDA ALTAVILLA, THE NSW DPI’S RECYCLED WATER ASSESSMENT SPECIALIST.
AUSTRALIAN WATER ASSOCIATION: You’ve been involved in the recycled water sector since 2005. How have public perceptions of its place in the water supply mix changed during that time? Dr Nanda Altavilla: In the 2000s, we were in the grips of a drought and Australia was facing very dire water shortages, so the focus on recycled water was huge. To many people, effluent started to look like a resource, rather than something that you needed to dispose of, which is how many people had been viewing it – as a problem to deal with. But then a few things happened. The first was the Millennium Drought and the second was new technology that allowed water to be purified to a very high quality. Once you get those two things intersecting, water recycling becomes a more viable option. Federal and state governments started to put a lot of investment into water recycling. Of course, there is a lag time with seeing the benefits, but a lot of communities are now seeing water recycling as a more important part of the urban water mix. But when water becomes freely available, people start focusing on the cost of recycled water. And that’s what’s happening at the moment – we’re trying to get the mix right. That means we’re looking at the most efficient, most logical places to use recycled water as a solution. But when doing that, it’s important to look at water recycling as a long-term option, not just a short-term fix. This is the right time to do it. The right time to invest in water infrastructure is not when we’re in crisis, but at a point when we can have a long-term vision of integrating the whole water cycle and looking at all options.
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AWA: The Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling date from 2006. How fit for purpose are they for the industry now? Altavilla: I’m actually on a working group at the moment, being led by enHealth [the Environmental Health Standing Committee of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee] and tasked with updating those guidelines. Those guidelines were a world-first and we should be very proud of them, but there’s been a lot more research since 2006, so we need to update the guidelines from that perspective. We’ve got much stronger data we can use to reduce uncertainty. We’ve been using them now for 10 years and gained a lot of experience and lessons that we can use to make the guidelines more usable, more focused. We’re hoping to go to public consultation on the draft by the end of the year. AWA: The Association’s recently released Australian Water Outlook found public support for recycling water, for both potable and non-potable supplies, has continued to rise. How well do you think this level of comfort is reflected in the policy approaches of governments and utilities? Altavilla: There has been good long-term planning. We’ve seen good community involvement and outcomes, and Perth is a great example of that. How to do it and how not to do it – I think we’ve done both in Australia. But we’ve learnt a lot of lessons from the latter. The industry now has experience of how it can be done properly – how technology, policy and regulation can come together to deliver a really good outcome.
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Dr Nanda Altavilla
THE RIGHT TIME TO INVEST IN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT WHEN WE’RE IN CRISIS, BUT AT A POINT WHEN WE CAN HAVE A LONG-TERM VISION. We’re actually quite fortunate in Australia, in that people are really water-sensitive. In many countries, there is a strong sense of entitlement to water, whereas Australians tend to have more of a shared consciousness of water. I remember when Sydney Water started doing demand management. We had some people from the States who said, “You know what? Demand management would never work in the US. People wouldn’t accept it”. Now we’ve got people from as far abroad as California and Germany taking a look at our portfolio approach to water management, so we know we’re on to a good thing. AWA: What do you think are the most exciting recycled water projects currently being undertaken? Altavilla: The one I’m most proud of, that DPI Water and I were involved with, is the dual-pipe reticulation scheme operated by Ballina Shire Council, in Lennox Head. That’s the
first one in a regional area to be approved in NSW. Initially it’s small, but it will be rolled out to about 3700 homes over 30 years in Ballina Shire. The good thing about this one is that they’re a small utility. They’re not Sydney Water or another utility that has had wide experience and I think that they prove that smaller utilities can do this and do this well. They were independently audited and the auditor said it was one of the best schemes she had seen. They’ve had a sustainable water management strategy for the last 10 years and it has taken them that time to get to this point. The council knows that it’s not the lowest cost option but they were prepared to invest because that’s what their community wanted. AWA: Why is it so vital for the water recycling industries that smaller utilities get on board? Altavilla: It shows how important the right viewpoint on costs and benefits is. For some regional communities, recycled water may be their only option when it comes to supporting public amenity, because they are restricted in the amount of water they have. For people in Sydney, whether their golf courses are irrigated with potable water or recycled water, it wouldn’t even register on the radar, but for people in the Shoalhaven or in Harden or Orange, that golf course means so much more to them than a golf course in Sydney.
Photography: Steve Keough/Bureau of Meteorology
WE’RE ACTUALLY QUITE FORTUNATE IN AUSTRALIA, IN THAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY WATER-SENSITIVE.
That golf course could be one of their limited recreational facilities. It isn’t just the place that people go and play golf – it is the place where people gather and they have their social functions there, even their weddings. If we only focus on costs and not benefits, I think we’re really not taking the whole picture of the way of recycled water is used. AWA: What do you think are some of the issues standing in the way of recycled water becoming a bigger part of the water supply mix? Altavilla: We can fall into the trap of thinking too short-term and too small. We have to think much more broadly than what we have been doing, and it has to go beyond just utilities. We need to get urban planners involved in the whole process. That’s the next big challenge. People in the water industry are across the importance of recycled water but that attitude needs to spread more widely. There are signs of that happening already, with people talking about public amenity and liveability. Take urban heat effects – if we’re looking at urban sprawl and moving into greenfield sites in western Sydney, for example, we know that it is hotter in the areas without a lot of water in the urban environment. A heat wave will kill more people than a flood, but good urban planning with water in the mix can provide respite and mitigate a huge risk. It’s vital that we have good policy settings to ensure that we can promote this sort of work. AWA: What sort of work is DPI Water doing to help ensure this happens? Altavilla: We’re currently updating the Sydney Metropolitan Water Group for 2016 and consulting with the public to make sure we have a good handle on what the public wants in terms of water.
Water recycling always comes up really high on that list of wants, even when we tell them about the price. People don’t like waste. Every time there’s a major flood, we always get asked, “Why can’t we save this water? Why can’t we use it?”. So in the metro space, we’re striving to get the right mix of understanding that water is for people and for the environment. In the regional space, we’ve been working on the approval process. When the water recycling guidelines came out, there was a real pushback. People thought they were too complicated and onerous. We used to just require that people test every month and reach a certain quality but now we have a system of quality assurance and that is a big change for people. People say the goal posts have changed but I say it’s actually a whole different ball game. And it was met with a lot of resistance in the regional communities. What we did in 2015 is develop a suite of NSW guidance documents. I very much wanted these documents to be useful so we got together and discussed things from our side and the user side and figured out what were the things that people found really difficult about the guidelines. We then wrote some information sheets on those, and the guidance document, and then we did a series of workshops where we could work with the users in a series of facilitatived workshops to ensure that the information was targeted to the needs of the utilities. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of Nanda Altavilla’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NSW DPI Water.
www.awa.asn.au
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Mentoring
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CURRENT SPOKE WITH AN AUSTRALIAN WATER ASSOCIATION MENTOR PROGRAM PAIRING FROM SOUTH AUSTRALIA ABOUT VARIED CAREER PATHS, NEW PERSPECTIVES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING AN OPEN MIND.
GLENN KATHERINE As told to Cecilia Harris
atherine Reid joined the Association’s mentoring program in 2014 to gain a fresh perspective on the water industry. When she was paired with Glenn Sorensen, a water professional steeped in industry experience as wide as it is deep, Katherine found her outlook expanded, both in her options and in how to reach them.
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Mentor
Mentee
Mentor
Glenn
Katherine
APA Group Supervisor Technical & Regulatory Compliance
SA Water Wastewater Treatment Performance Analyst
Age:
Age:
43
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Time in industry
Time in industry
15 years
5 years
GLENN SORENSEN, APA GROUP I’ve had mentors myself assisting me through professional situations and development. Mentoring is a very good thing for anyone to be involved with. I feel like it is always an essential part of industry and professional development of people. So naturally, being a part of the Association, I wanted to support that. Our arrangement was more informal. We would catch up over coffee and discuss whatever matters might arise. It could be positions of interest to her, or insight to my career pathway and experiences that I have had. These various discussions would usually lead to aspirations that she might have and where she wanted to go with her career. We also talked about other involvements − not just professional work, but also the benefits that I’ve found in being involved with the Association. I certainly wasn’t a subject matter expert for Katherine. I was providing a different viewpoint, because I come from a broader background than a lot of other water professionals. I’ve been involved with other types of utilities. For example, I’m now involved with the gas industry, but there are a lot of similarities in the water industry that follow across to my area of work. Career pathways change a lot in today’s world. I’ve been involved with different industries and I’ve been able to impart my experience onto Katherine.
Sorensen
Reid
Industry experience gap
10 years
www.awa.asn.au
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Mentoring
The AWA mentoring program certainly gave me an opportunity to reflect on my own goals and practices. With mentoring or coaching, you need to consider the approach and the style that you take for that particular person, so there’s a development aspect in it for me as well. Even though I’ve mentored in the past, it’s always new for every single person. The experience also gave me exposure to fresh ideas that she has had, and also the challenges that a new graduate coming into the workforce has at this time. Katherine has been very accommodating in the needs that both of us have, and that’s been great. I’ve found her open and transparent with sharing information regarding what she’s doing on a professional level. She has also been very proactive, which I commend her on. Katherine is involved with professional bodies like the AWA and also takes an active role with the Young Water Professionals. She sits with the overall AWA SA Committee and relays to us what the YWPs are up to. I think they’re all very positive steps that she’s taken that will aid her through her professional development. From what I have seen of her technical approach to work, it’s been exemplary and quite impressive. Being part of the mentoring program is really about being a part of a relationship, one that needs to be based on mutual respect and trust. I’ve been fortunate enough to have this with Katherine. I commend the organisers who decided to link us up.
Mentee KATHERINE REID, SA WATER
WHAT I’VE LEARNED FROM GLENN IS THAT IT’S OKAY TO TAKE A DIFFERENT PATH, THINGS HAPPEN IN THE WAY THEY’RE GOING TO HAPPEN AND YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO TAKE OPPORTUNITIES AS THEY COME.
I’ve been in the water industry for about five years now. I started out as a graduate with SA Water, and eventually moved into an ongoing role as a Treatment Performance Analyst in Wastewater Operations. I analyse wastewater treatment performance data and then carry out optimisation activities to make sure our wastewater treatment plants are working at their best. I’ve been on the AWA SA YWP Committee for the last three years. In the water industry we’re constantly told to build relationships. For me, it’s important to build relationships in the water industry with people outside of my workplace. I decided to join the mentoring program because I wanted to find someone I could run things by, to get different perspectives and to learn how to navigate the water industry as well. This is my first go at a formal mentoring program. I’ve had people who I’ve worked with that have become somewhat informal mentors – people you can discuss things with, but again, they were all people that I worked with directly. The AWA mentoring program allows you to be paired with somebody who’s not in your workplace, which gives you an outsider’s perspective. I’m not really a big fan of building relationships based purely
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on progression. I think a lot of people will go into mentoring relationships thinking, ‘I’m going to get paired up with this person who’s more senior in the industry, and maybe I’ll get an opportunity out of it or make a contact’. But, for me, I just wanted to see if I could establish an easygoing relationship with somebody I could discuss different ideas with. Glenn and I decided that we’d meet each other on more of an ad hoc basis. We both understood that life gets busy. If I realised we hadn’t seen each other for a little while, I’d shoot Glenn an email and he’d do the same. Rather than follow a particular structure, we keep our sessions quite casual. We talk about what we’re up to with projects we’re working on. We often talk about any challenges we are having. A lot of our conversations are about the relationships we are building in our respective organisations and how we go about our learning there. A lot of what we talk about is really sharing stories and lessons learned. We don’t really go into the technical side of work. We talk a lot about where we’re going with our careers. I was interested to see how Glenn had progressed through his career and the different paths he’d taken. What I’ve learned from Glenn is that it’s okay to take a different path, things happen in the way they’re going to happen and you have to be willing to take opportunities as they come. I’ve learned the importance of being able to think outside the box. Recently, I’ve run into two opportunities to move sideways in my career, which I discussed with Glenn. It really helped to be able to tease out my own thoughts and reservations, and then to hear Glenn’s point of view. This helped me rethink my approach to what I was doing. I think our mentoring relationship is built on respect. I know I sure have a lot of respect for Glenn as he is really grounded. We have been a mentoring pair for about two years. It’s been a while, but we still catch up. I would certainly recommend the mentoring program to any other young professionals, even just as a means of gaining a different perspective on the vastness of the water industry and the different areas that you can work in. The water industry is bigger than your workplace. Being paired with somebody from elsewhere, or a different background, is really valuable. I think it’s really good to have someone as a mentor, but it’s great when you can count them as a friend too.
To get involved in the Australian Water Association’s mentoring program, as either a mentor or a mentee, contact your state branch.
Advertorial
Glass half-full for Adelaide River The township of Adelaide River is found on the Stuart Highway 110km south of Darwin. With an average population of 250 people, the town provides a warm welcome for many travellers but when tourists turned on the tap, the welcome was a little tainted.
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delaide River’s drinking water is drawn from a series of bores that contain elevated and variable concentrations of iron and manganese, causing the water to be discoloured and have an unpleasant taste. In July 2015, alongside Power and Water Corporation (Power and Water) in the Northern Territory, SUEZ and Joint Venture Partner Goodline commissioned a new $6 QMPPMSR FMSPSKMGEP ½ PXVEXMSR TPERX XS EHHVIWW XLI issue and provide locals and travellers with clean and clear water. “The objectives of the project were to ensure the supply of safe drinking water complying with the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines and to address the persistent aesthetic problems experienced by the local community,” said Tom Burns, General Manager of Design and Build at SUEZ. Bringing together a team of in-house experts with years of operational experience and partnering with a local expert constructor to design and build the plant, the new process was simple in nature. The upgrade consisted of a two-stage process applying advanced biological technology to remove the compounds in a cost-effective way. The proposed solution was E ½ VWX MR %YWXVEPME ERH VIQSZIH XLI RIIH JSV complex chemical systems.
How it worked 8[S TVIWWYVMWIH ½ PXIVW [IVI MRWIVXIH MR XLI existing water line, located between the bore
pumps network and a series of disinfection and clear water storage tanks. Additional equipment, such as backwash pumps, was also installed to provide a fully automated operation. To remove the iron and manganese, SUEZ installed its biological technologies Ferazur™ and Mangazur™ at the Adelaide River Water Treatment Plant to remove the iron and manganese.
Since the commissioning of the WTP, positive feedback has been received from the community regarding the water quality and complaints have been reduced to zero,” Iron and manganese can be removed by two different types of bacteria which are naturally present in ground water; each of them require a different environment for the best performance. A process consisting of two successive biological iron and manganese VIQSZEP ½ PXIVW [EW MRWXEPPIH JSV XLI QSWX effective operation. In order to guarantee water quality from the plant through to customer’s taps, the township’s entire downstream water distribution systems were also cleaned with an innovative ice pigging process. Ice pigging is a global SUEZ solution, which uses the naturally abrasive properties of MGI XS VIQSZI FMS½ PQ ERH WIHMQIRX 1SVI XLER 8km of mains pipes were cleaned, with 440kg of suspended soils removed.
The results Burns said Power Water had been receiving a regular stream of complaints relating to the discoloured water since 2006. “Since the commissioning of the WTP, positive feedback has been received from the community regarding the water quality and complaints have been reduced to zero,” he said. %JXIV XLI ½ VWX QSRXLW SJ STIVEXMSR the treatment plant continues to meet the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. Eric Vanweydeveld, Senior Project Manager at Power and Water, said the collaborative approach between SUEZ and Power and Water led to lower costs, better value for money and a high-quality treatment facility. “SUEZ’s project team maintained a cooperative and positive relationship with Power and ;EXIV ERH HIQSRWXVEXIH WMKRM½ GERX XIGLRMGEP competence in terms of water treatment, risk management, constructability and commissioning. SUEZ’s project team successfully managed the planning, execution, and closing of the project ensuring that the key issues of safety, cost, time, quality and client satisfaction have been realised,” Vanweydeveld said. At the plant’s opening in December 2015, then-Primary Industries and Deputy Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Willem Westra van Holthe said: “It’s a huge step forward for Adelaide River to really bring their drinking water in line with everywhere else in Australia, to make water out of the tap look like it should.”
Branch presidents
FORECASTING
WATER’S FUTURE WATER SECURITY, GENDER DIVERSITY, FUNDING AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ARE JUST SOME OF THE CHALLENGES FACING THE WATER INDUSTRY’S FUTURE, BUT THERE’S ALSO PLENTY TO LOOK FORWARD TO. CURRENT SPOKE TO THE AUSTRALIAN WATER ASSOCIATION’S SUCCESSION OF STATE AND TERRITORY PRESIDENTS TO GET THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT’S UP FOR WATER IN 2017. As told to Cecilia Harris
What will the Western Australia branch be focusing on next year? We will be trying to expand the breadth of our membership by looking to engage with potential members who are outside of our traditional membership pool. In WA, we have traditionally focused heavily on engineers who work in the water sector and we’re trying to expand a little on that. We are looking to actively be more involved with other organisations that have a part to play in water management across all disciplines to strengthen our collective approach to managing a precious finite resource. What are the key challenges facing WA’s water industry in 2017? There’s one issue bigger than most in WA and that’s climate; issues with rainfall, inflows to dams and groundwater recharge are always present. Off the back of these issues, the challenge is in maintaining the community focus on water efficiency. The connection between water efficiency and urban form is also a challenge. How urban form influences water demand and efficiency, how we can capture and re-use water for gardens – these sorts of initiatives always need attention. Everyone wants their kids to be able to play on an oval and play weekend sport. As we urbanise, we need to make sure that we find ways to ensure there is an adequate water supply for those activity areas and important community open spaces.
DEANNE MCDONALD WESTERN AUSTRALIA 30
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Do you have a wish list for next year? I’d like to see us work more alongside other organisations. It’s very hard for us to push our barrow independently of everyone else. Competing with other organisations is not a smart move. We’re doing this really for the communities that we live and work in. You can only achieve the best outcome by working collaboratively with people across disciplines.
What are the key challenges facing the water industry in South Australia in 2017? The water industry in SA has to readjust to a different level of investment within the state. We have come out of a period of investment resulting from drought. There is not as much activity in the industry as there was, which means our major water utility now has a bigger focus on affordability for its customers, making it much more prudent in what it can facilitate. That obviously affects the AWA membership base, as suppliers and contractors have less available work inside the state. This opens up our state contractors to a much bigger, more competitive field, and therefore their margins are likely to be driven down. It’s a challenging time. What innovative work are you excited to see develop next year? I am a great supporter of what is known as the circular economy. I am really interested to watch how utilities, and the water industry as a whole, pick up on waste-to-energy. I believe the idea of circular economy – the reuse and recovery of energy and other things from waste – is an area of great opportunity going forward, particularly with the drive for more renewable energy across the nation.
JOHN RINGHAM SOUTH AUSTRALIA
What will the SA branch be focusing on next year? Our focus is two-pronged. Firstly, we want to encourage some of our members to be more active. Secondly, we want to provide more events that are both attractive and affordable to members, particularly young members. We are also looking at what might be the impact of the changes to the AWA’s membership model and how we can promote the value we offer our corporate members.
What are the key opportunities for the Tasmanian water industry next year? We are in an exciting period at the moment in terms of export. The key opportunities for us are around agriculture and tourism. Both of those areas of the economy are heavily linked to water and water quality. And that’s really shaping a lot of activity of the branch. With agricultural growth, the State and Federal Governments have been investing very heavily in irrigation infrastructure. A lot of that infrastructure is now being built and there are a lot of challenges and opportunities around management of delivery, water catchment and environmental management, and asset management. What are some of the key challenges facing Tasmania? Everyone has seen what’s going on in the media recently. There is a lot about the poor quality of drinking water in Tasmania. There are still more than 20 towns on permanent boil water alerts. This is a challenge for the state but an opportunity for the AWA to play a facilitating and supporting role in helping the state, and the asset owner, TasWater, to deal with those issues effectively. What state or national events are you most looking forward to? We have a number of key events on our state calendar, which we always look forward to because they are important for industry networking, and getting people together in regional communities. That’s critically important. Our water leader’s dinner, our annual conference, our Gala dinner and debate; they’re key events that really are great opportunities for water professionals to come together.
TIM GARDNER TASMANIA
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Branch presidents
What will the ACT branch be focusing on next year? In Canberra, 2017 is a year where funding will be spent on water quality in our urban stormwater system. This has been an ongoing initiative and it will start being implemented next year. It’s an important area for us. Our branch conversations have also been around Canberra 2050, in the context of a much longer timeframe. We’ve been talking about how population increase and climate change will affect our water supplies. We will be discussing a more regional approach to water management. Canberra is part of a region and we should try to get better outcomes by integrating the water supply and treatment system, harmonising how we do things across our region. What events are you most looking forward to? Every year we have a one-day conference called Water Matters. That’s been quite successful in canvassing hot topics. In the past few years it has focused on water quality, and urban storm water, wetlands and downstream impacts. This year we talked more about water security and the long-term view. It’s always an interesting day with water professionals getting together to talk about where we’re at and where we need to be. Do you have a wish list for 2017? As an industry, we still need to look at recycling as a fundamental source of water. It’s going to be a continuous integrated approach to water management, looking at all supply options as a viable mix, to get through to 2050 and beyond. I’d like to see cultural water and Indigenous values as they relate to water on the national industry agenda. We’re only just starting a conversation about water rights and need to give it more focus.
ADRIAN PIANI AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY
What will the NSW branch be focusing on next year? In addition to increasing our value proposition to all members, we want to try and provide more to members in regional areas. One way we are going to try and service that demographic in the next year is to offer seminars we hold in the cities in video format, making them available through the AWA website. Another focus will be, through our Young Water Professionals, increasing participation in our mentoring program. Is there any innovative work that you are looking forward to seeing develop in 2017? There is a lot of great stuff going on. A lot of people are moving into the data analytics space. The UTS Advanced Analytics Institute will be working with the likes of DPI Water. Some of the data and asset management work done by Data61 is also really exciting. And it’s all about using data better. There are limits as to what we can do with data when presented as just numbers. As an industry, we are great at collecting it and I think now we are really developing some sophisticated tools to make it into useful information.
GRAHAM ATTENBOROUGH
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What are the key challenges for the NSW water industry? The Department of Primary Industries wants to increase the value of the primary industries sector by 30% by 2020. Water is a big contributor to that, so helping to achieve that target will be a big challenge in the coming years. Also, continuing to improve customer service and how we provide it proactively. When you are having a conversation with the customer, it is usually because there has been an issue. We need to take it as an opportunity.
What will the Victorian branch be focusing on next year? We’ve got a strong focus on AWA’s overarching agenda on water security in Australia. We’ll be implementing various aspects of this by providing events during the year that focus on topics relating to water security that are pertinent to members in Victoria. Another focus is on promoting the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Not just Goal Six, which is the water goal, but promoting all of them. We plan on doing this by working with our partners – like the Victorian Institute of Water Administration. Do you have a wish list for the coming year? Mentoring is a really big thing for us next year. At our annual dinner, 500 people raised their hand to commit to mentoring a water professional this year. As part of improving productivity in the water industry, we need to develop all our water professionals. It’s about supporting one another in a membershipbased association. I hope that by promoting the mentoring program we will contribute to greater levels of productivity and engagement. How do you think Victoria is placed in relation to other states in the Australian water context? Most of our capital cities are unique in their own way. We also have similar challenges in rural areas, particularly in dealing with climate change and what that’s going to mean. The food bowl of Victoria is going to become more like South Australia in regards to water. How will we continue to develop our agricultural industry with less water, while protecting environmental and social values? We’re going to have twice as many people and need twice as much food. I think that’s a problem that’s going to face all states.
DAVID KIRBY VICTORIA
What will the Queensland branch be focusing on next year? One of the big goals for us is to maintain our relevance to the industry and to keep encouraging the broader participation of the full industry. Moving forward, we’re developing a plan to broaden our reach to different stakeholders to ensure sector diversity. In particular I’ve seen a decline in university engagement over the past years, but I hope with some new initiatives introduced by AWA we can increase our engagement with academics again. What’s the key challenge facing the Queensland water industry? One of our challenges is encouraging personal connection with water. In Queensland, we’re trying to move away from thinking about water for sustaining life towards water for lifestyle, bringing water into all facets of our living and understanding the importance of water in all parts of our life. Having community discussion is really important for that.
SANDRA HALL QUEENSLAND
Do you have a wish list for 2017? Yes – I have always wanted to encourage diversity in the industry. It’s not just gender but also age and expertise that I want to encourage. Being a woman of water, of course I would love to see more women step up and, for example, put their name in for awards or lead a committee. I think a greater diversity will create a lot more opportunities for all of us.
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What will the NT branch be focusing on next year? The main focus for the NT branch will be offering a range of events that interest all our existing members and also entice some new members. It’ll be about ensuring we offer up what people really want to participate in. We’d also like to focus on learning from some of the other branches, looking at events that have worked across different jurisdictions and potentially sharing some speakers or topics. We are a smaller community but will be looking at how to tap into that broader Australian water community. What are the key challenges for the NT water industry? In the NT, we’ve had a downturn in construction. That hit the industry pretty heavily, from materials suppliers to the designers and trades. There are some interesting projects on the horizon, and I think one of the challenges is for people to maintain some enthusiasm and optimism for those projects that seem a little bit too far away. Some of those projects are significant, like new water storages and challenges around sustainable groundwater use. What innovative work are you excited to see develop next year? At our recent Water in the Bush conference, Dr Ken Lawrie, Geoscience Australia’s Director of Groundwater Science Innovation, presented a range of exciting new mapping tools that could be applied to groundwater systems. There is an application for funding from the Commonwealth to apply some of these tools to the groundwater systems in northern Australia. This would begin to fill some of the knowledge gaps and expand and confirm what is currently known. Increased understanding of supply potential and system connectivity would increase confidence in water management requirements.
Branch presidents
OUR DESIRE IS TO BUILD STRONGER CONNECTIONS WITH THE NATIONAL WATER SECTOR.
DARRYL DAY INTERNATIONAL WATER ASSOCIATION AUSTRALIA
Quite a lot of people are engaged with IWA through Thematic Programmes, the 49 Specialist Groups and conferences, but many aren’t as connected nationally, in that their focus has been the international connections. Our desire is to build stronger connections with the national water sector, particularly in academia, and promote their international engagement among Australian colleagues. Another priority is to connect people at all levels of their career, focusing particularly on connecting Australia’s young water professionals or early-career professionals with counterparts overseas, and provide mentoring in order to help people to build their networks internationally. The IWAA Committee is very focused on mentoring and facilitating international networking for Australians. We want to see Australia’s influence have increased impact addressing the global challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals.
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Biosolids
BLACK GOLD RUSH ALTHOUGH THE AUSTRALIAN BIOSOLIDS INDUSTRY HAS BEEN A QUIET OVERACHIEVER IN RECENT YEARS, CHALLENGES ARE LOOMING. BUT SO IS OPPORTUNITY. By Thea Cowie
iosolids may not have a reputation for innovation or hi-tech solutions, but the industry in Australia has quietly built itself into a global champion, achieving sustainable outcomes with simple, but effective, solutions. Australia is a world-leader in biosolids re-use rates; last year, almost 90% of all biosolids were beneficially re-used on Australian soils, with two-thirds being applied for agricultural purposes, 16% for land rehabilitation and 7% for landscaping or compost, according to the Australia and New Zealand Biosolids Partnership. To put that in perspective, CSIRO estimates the nitrogen and phosphorous content of biosolids produced annually
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is worth more than $20 million in fertiliser nutrient costs, with some assessments as high as $40 million. Community acceptance of using biosolids on food crops in Australia is typically good, due in no small way to having some of the world’s most stringent regulations, said Australia and New Zealand Biosolids Partnership Chair Paul Darvodelsky. “Biosolids is highly regulated and it’s nearly impossible to hurt anyone or anything if you use biosolids in accordance to the regulation,” said Darvodelsky, who has provided consulting services to the nation’s major utilities over the past 33 years and is Managing Director of PSD Pty Ltd.
STEADY COURSE Most states and territories wrote their biosolids regulations in the 1990s and, while technology and experience have advanced since then, the regulations by and large stand true – taking a highly conservative approach to ensure safety is paramount. Consequently, there have not been major changes to biosolids management from a utility perspective in this timeframe. “What drives biosolids management is external factors, so because Australia has historically been blessed with having plenty of land, we’ve had low-tech solutions for biosolids,” said AECOM Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment Sector Leader Peter Hillis.
Loop Organics Director Lisa Rawlinson formed a similar view after 31 years in wastewater management, specialising in biosolids recycling. “Biosolids management is very price-driven – it’s often about finding the lowest cost option that meets the guideline requirements,” she noted.
FUTURE PRESSURES However, Hillis said a number of emerging factors were driving more high-intensity and innovative biosolids management practices. “Whether that be encroachment of development on sewage works meaning utilities have to start dealing with odour issues, storage space or a general drive to recover resources from biosolids,” he said. Sydney Water, for instance, is one of many
WE DIDN’T CHANGE OUR MANAGEMENT PROCESS; WE JUST PROVED THAT ONE YEAR WAS SUFFICIENT TO ACHIEVE THE PATHOGEN REDUCTIONS. SEW PRODUCT QUALIT Y SCIENTIST DR ARAVIND SURAPANENI
utilities using anaerobic digestion to not only help produce biosolids, but at the same time concentrate nutrients and generate on-site energy. “You start with a sludge product that’s about 3-4% solids, we remove the water after anaerobic digestion and in the final biosolids you’ve got a product that is 20-30% solids,” said Sydney Water Energy Manager Philip Woods. “Co-gen [generating electricity from the gas from digestion] is about reducing the cost of managing sewage sludge by making use of a by-product [biogas].” Sydney Water’s 2015-16 co-generation rate was equivalent to over 15% of its electricity demand, saving the utility millions in power bills.
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Biosolids
NEW ZEALAND REVAMPS ITS APPROACH Whether it be human, bovine, poultry or piggery waste, New Zealand’s new management guidelines propose to acknowledge both their common benefits and common contaminant content. “If you consider the things in biosolids that interest people from a pathogen and healthcheck point of view – E Coli, salmonella, campylobacter – the same things are in cow manures, pig manures and poultry manures,” Water New Zealand Technical Manager Nick Walmsley said. “So rather than having separate guidelines for human waste, we propose they’ll all be dealt with in a common manner. What we’re trying to do is get a level playing field – biosolids isn’t a total ogre and everything else is wonderful.” Water NZ has been working with the Waste Management Institute New Zealand Inc, the Institute of Environmental Science and Research, the Land Treatment Collective as well as central government ministries to come up with a document to replace the 2003 NZ Biosolids Guidelines. The new regime will be more aligned with existing manure management guidance in the farming sectors. “What we had before was an assumed soil quality and a mass-balance approach,” Walmsley said. “Further research shows that really as long as you limit applications based on the nitrogen-loading, it is very hard to over-dose any of the contaminants, and hence degrade the soil. “So as long as the product has the prescribed minimum quality, by matching the nitrogen dose to what’s being grown in the soils, we don’t need to have a lot of other fancy formulae.”
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In more recent years, adding commercial waste to anaerobic digesters has been shown to boost energy production and attract a gate fee, without significantly adding to the amount of biosolids to be disposed of, Woods said. “All of that [residual from anaerobic digestion] goes for re-use in agriculture as a fertiliser either directly or via composting,” he said.
NEW THINKING Barwon Water, meanwhile, built Australia’s first thermal drying plant to produce biosolids pellets after running out of on-site storage space. “Benefits are the small footprint required … it’s fully-enclosed so we can control things like noise, odour and dust,” said Infrastructure Services General Manager Paul Northey. “Biosolids in the form of pellets are more easily re-used. Because we’ve got a high-quality product, we don’t have the same restrictions that more traditional treatment methods have. Then there are environmental benefits, including a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to long-term storage and air-drying [Barwon Water’s previous management approach].” The plant began operating in 2013 and was delivered through a public-private partnership aimed at selling a product, rather than treating biosolids in the most convenient way for the utility. “We got in partners who had the experience and capabilities to not only deliver a biosolids treatment facility, but also develop the market,” Northey said. The product is now sold to farmers across Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia, but the venture is yet to turn a profit. “Revenue is certainly not outstripping our expenses at this stage; however, it is going some way to offsetting the cost,” he said. South East Water (SEW) was also facing storage restrictions when it gained Environment Protection Authority approval in December 2015 to slash the minimum three-year drying and storage period to just one year at two of its treatment plants. The utility had been processing its sewage sludge in an aerobic
digester and sludge lagoon, then drying solids in open drying pans or closed solar driers, before stockpiling them in the open for three years. “We didn’t change our management process; we just proved that one year was sufficient to achieve the pathogen reductions required to meet Treatment Grade T1,” said SEW Product Quality Scientist Dr Aravind Surapaneni. And the storage period could be reduced even further, according to preliminary testing of biosolids treated using SEW’s solar driers. Surapaneni noted that SEW’s experience suggested pathogen management controls may be too conservative. “The regulations are too stringent but, having said that, regulators are more than happy to engage with the water industry to look for other options – our EPA is very proactive in that.”
BRINGING IT TOGETHER ANZBP has been calling for greater harmonisation of Australian biosolids regulations since 2009. A number of jurisdictions have reviewed their guidelines since then (WA in 2012, Tasmania and NSW in 2016), but little progress has been made in terms of
IF WE DON’T PRODUCE A GOOD PRODUCT, AND CONTROL ODOUR IN PARTICULAR, WE MAY CAUSE ENOUGH NUISANCE TO COMMUNITIES THAT THERE’S A KNEE-JERK REACTION AND SOMEONE SAYS WE DON’T WANT YOU DOING THIS ANYMORE. AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BIOSOLIDS PARTNERSHIP CHAIR PAUL DARVODELSK Y
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Biosolids
WHAT IS THE AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND BIOSOLIDS PARTNERSHIP?
consistency – items like contaminant grading systems still vary widely. Yet state and territory regulations continue to provide appropriate guidelines for keeping pathogens and other contaminants at safe levels, said Curtin University Department of Environment and Agriculture Research Assistant Dr Karen Schwarz. That is, so long as biosolids application is assessed on a case-by-case basis as set out by the authorities in accordance with legislation. “There is more cause for concern from unregulated activities, such as animal grazing by the side of waterways or imported fresh produce than from biosolids use, provided that proper protective measures are used,” she said. Other experts have warned that although regulatory frameworks across states maintain excellent safety credentials, challenges relating to odour pose risks to the public acceptance of biosolids application. Loop Organics’ Rawlinson said: “The single biggest issue that occurs with land application is having odorous biosolids products, and sometimes that’s just a result of inadequate stabilisation and retention at the treatment plant,” she said. “It’s really easy to meet New South Wales’ stabilisation Grade B, plus the 38% volatile solids reduction. So you can meet that and still have a fairly poor quality product in terms of odour.” PSD’s Darvodelsky warned utilities should not take agricultural re-use of biosolids for granted. “If we don’t produce a good product, and control odour in particular, we may cause enough nuisance to communities that there’s a knee-jerk reaction and someone says we don’t want you doing this anymore,” he said. Agricultural re-use of biosolids has been banned in some parts of the United States following the erosion of community support, and Darvodelsky said he didn’t want the same happening in Australia. “That would be a tremendous loss to the farming community and a real backwards step in terms of sustainability,” he warned. It could also leave utilities frantically searching for ways to dispose of more than 300,000 tonnes of biosolids each year.
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Managed by the Australian Water Association, the Australian & New Zealand Biosolids Partnership (ANZBP) is a member-based collaboration of utilities, processors, distributors, consultants, academics and government bodies committed to the sustainable management of biosolids. Since forming in 2007, the ANZBP has developed a diverse range of research products and tools to support its members and further the development of the sector as a whole. To learn more, visit www.biosolids.com.au
BIOSOLIDS AND SOURCE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE This event will draw biosolids and source management specialists from across Australia, New Zealand and beyond to examine cutting edge approaches in these vital areas of the water sector, and to discuss how the sector and its regulators can create an industry fit to support Australia’s society and its sustainability agenda into the future. As part of the two day program, ANZBP Chair Paul Darvodelsky will be hosting a workshop ‘Protecting Human and Environmental Health in a Rapidly Changing World’ in which delegates have the opportunity to explore and discuss how the water industry and our regulators can stay ahead of the game when managing emerging risks. Among the diverse program of keynotes, internationally renowned biosolids specialist, Dr Bill Barber will offer an insightful address exploring the development of sludge treatment, global trends in production and will provide some thoughts on where it may go in future years. Visit bit.ly/biosolids2016 today to secure your place at this event. MADE POSSIBLE BY:
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Bharati Research Station, Antarctica Š Architects: IMS Ingenieurgesellschaft / bof architekten / m+p consulting; Photographer: Rakesh Rao/NCAOR
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Asset Lifecycle Information Modelling
UNLOCKING THE BUILDING CODE
ADVANCED MODELLING SOFTWARE, SUCH AS BIM AND ALIM, HAS THE POTENTIAL TO TRANSFORM NOT ONLY HOW ASSETS ARE BUILT, BUT HOW THEY ARE MAINTAINED AS WELL. BUT PLENTY OF CONFUSION AND A FEW CHALLENGES ARE SLOWING ADOPTION. By David Barbeler
sk someone to picture information-rich asset management technologies, like BIM and Asset Lifecycle Information Management (ALIM), and they'll probably call to mind a 3D model, floating in cyberspace. But as Dr Peter Love from Curtin University’s School of Civil and Mechanical Engineering points out, that is only half the story, missing two major dimensions. “The 4D environment is when you bring scheduling into it – so that’s time. The 5D component is cost,” Love said. Although BIM and ALIM are still the subject of mystery to many, they are bringing enormous real-world benefits to many forward-thinking utilities across the world. Initially, BIM was feted as a method of reducing construction costs on new projects, but asset managers are increasingly realising that proper use of ALIM allows for better management of assets across their entire lifecycle, with some of the biggest benefits coming in the maintenance and planning stages. Ashok Sukumaran, MWH Global’s General Manager of Industry & Water, Australia, further explained the benefits of having a model that takes in an asset’s entire lifespan: “Let’s say three years after you’ve built a pipeline you need to make a change – perhaps an extra connection for a new housing development. If you’re able to access all the asset’s information through BIM it’s a lot more efficient and effective.
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CUTTING THROUGH THE ACRONYMS
BIM Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the process of generating and managing information, or asset data, throughout the whole lifecycle of an asset by using digital model-based technologies linked to databases of reliable information – Crossrail (UK) BIM aims to take advantage of new technologies to link databases of information, thereby leveraging the value and potential of that information in design, construction and project management decision-making – BIM and Quantity Surveying (2016) BIM tools are the technological and process successor to CAD and 2/3D. BIM is not a single software application, but rather, the use of software tools embedded in a process. Its use can be applied to all types of assets – ICE, ICES & IAM position paper
“So once it’s built, it doesn’t just become a set of drawings stored away on a shelf. You’ve still got a live model to use.”
THE BASICS ALIM can be imagined as the next evolution of BIM, said Tom Carpenter, CEO and Director of the Institute of Quality Asset Management (IQ-AM). “BIM was originally designed to ensure that all base asset data was handed over at the end of the design-and-construct phase. What they’ve realised is that there’s still an awful lot of other information that’s needed for ongoing operation and management of the asset phase, and a lot of this information can come from, and should come from, the designers, constructers and suppliers. “So you’re looking at setting up a seamless information management process, essentially from the end of conceptual design right through to asset disposal, to ensure that at every phase or stage of the asset’s life those responsible for managing the asset have the input
ALIM Asset Lifecycle Information Management (ALIM) products bring together and unify a series of project delivery and asset management business functions. Core tools help you manage and maintain overall data accuracy, integrity and quality, together with relationships between the various data and documents that you can share through defined business workflows with key project stakeholders. This extends not only to engineering data but also the underlying project documents, specifications and records created during the lifecycle of the asset. ALIM bridges the gap during the CAPEX phase of a project through handover into OPEX. It’s a big step up from traditional approaches, which have relied on manual, uncontrolled issues of data and drawings without considering what information should be managed across the lifecycle. – Bentley.
THE RISK OF EACH JURISDICTION AND WATER UTILITY COMPANY RUNNING THEIR OWN RACE IS THAT THE SUPPLY CHAIN WILL HAVE TO CONFORM TO NUMEROUS AND DIFFERING DIGITAL REQUIREMENTS AND WE WILL HAVE A REPEAT OF THE 19TH CENTURY RAIL GAUGE ISSUE. GAVIN COTTERILL, PCSG
data and information they need from the previous one.” Paul King, Bentley’s Solutions Director and Project Delivery expert, said more and more clients are beginning to gravitate towards what ALIM has to offer. “Until now, the general construction industry has largely tended to focus on creating 3D models rather than data. But as owners start to demand better handover data, there is a growing recognition of its importance. When it comes to managing real assets in the virtual world, it’s mostly about the data – accurate, reliable and accessible data.” SA Water provides one of the best examples of the recent shift towards ALIM, achieving optimal operation of Adelaide’s newly integrated water network, reducing operating costs by more than $3 million, while also boosting efficiency.
ADOPTION HURDLES Roberto Mascarenhas is the Regional Engineering Manager at Pure Technologies. The company
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Asset Lifecycle Information Modelling
specialises in technology-driven solutions and engineering services to provide actionable information to clients who own and operate existing critical infrastructure. He said challenges facing companies and water utilities looking to adopt information-rich technologies sometimes include unfamiliarity with the current offerings available, or an initial reluctance to embrace change. “Utilities require a long lead time to understand the return on investment they can get with embracing innovation, not to mention time to develop business cases and budgets to conduct the work,” Mascarenhas said. “Early adopters are hard to find, but we do have some great clients who are willing to accept and implement innovative solutions. To some degree, there are also a lot of smoke and mirrors being presented and confusion of what is being offered. This has resulted in a little scepticism but is usually overcome with demonstrating value and showing results.”
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? The UK, which refers to ALIM simply as AIM (‘lifecycle’ being implicit), is making impressive inroads when it comes to asset management technologies. “The big difference is that the UK Government has put in place a regulatory framework and I believe we’re a bit away from our government taking such a positive initiative,” said IQ-AM’s Carpenter.
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“Their government has seen a vision, they’ve run with it and the industry is responding. There are companies that have picked this up in the UK and are bringing it over here – they’re trying to interest the Australian industry and the government. Many asset owners and their industry associations are also pushing for implementation. “But basically, we’re just behind the eight-ball in terms of getting something moving. It is a shame we are not moving as fast.” MWH Global’s Sukumaran, on the other hand, said the uptake of technologies such as BIM and ALIM needs to be spearheaded by large water utilities. “You can imagine if all the major water utilities said, ‘we are going to use BIM for everything’, the entire supply chain would need to keep up,” he said. “So when the clients drive the requirements for BIM in their projects, and say they’re going to use BIM across all their asset creation and asset management exercises, then you will start to see greater uptake. There’s probably some regulatory drivers and push that is needed as well.” Gavin Cotterill, who was recently appointed to head Australia’s digital advisory service for UK firm PCSG, said: “Without a government mandate to direct it, the BIM conversation in Australia has really been driven by the supply chain and the technology vendors. Currently, it’s predominately focused around the technology of 3D information modelling. Yet in UK and now EU countries, the focus is around process and better information management.”
YOU’RE LOOKING AT SETTING UP A SEAMLESS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT PROCESS, ESSENTIALLY FROM THE END OF CONCEPTUAL DESIGN, RIGHT THROUGH TO ASSET DISPOSAL. TOM CARPENTER, INSTITUTE OF QUALIT Y ASSET MANAGEMENT
CASE STUDY: TYING IT ALL TOGETHER
THE TRACK AHEAD PCSG has recently set up shop in Melbourne and one of Cotterill’s primary responsibilities is to help advise the nation’s Federal and State Governments to deliver technological, information and data-driven business change programs that will reduce waste, improve productivity and increase the value and performance of their assets. However, he warned that without consistent nationaland state-level reform to drive unity when it comes to the adoption of information-rich technologies, there’s a risk the major utilities will use competing, incompatible systems, slowing growth as a result. “The industry is fragmented from three layers of government,” Cotterill said. “There’s still a huge opportunity to bring that together and I am optimistic. But I think what could happen is large utilities – such as SA Water, Melbourne Water, or Sydney Water – will create and implement their own digital programs, and effectively run their own race. “The risk of each jurisdiction and water utility company running their own race is that the supply chain will have to conform to numerous and differing digital requirements and we will have a repeat of the 19th century rail gauge issue.”
Responsible for delivering water to people in the driest state in the driest inhabited continent on earth, there are probably few utilities in the world that could make better use of Asset Lifecycle Information Management (ALIM) systems than SA Water. The water utility recently teamed up with Bentley in its quest to achieve optimal operation of Adelaide’s newly integrated $400 million water network, reducing operating costs and improving efficiency in the process. The last prolonged drought that hit Adelaide and the surrounding area prompted the construction of its high-capacity desalination plant and a north-south interconnecting pipeline within South Australia that, for the first time, allowed SA Water to distribute water almost anywhere in its network. What it had difficulty achieving, however, was successfully predicting demand and optimising water movement accordingly. The new desalination plant and an ongoing investment in telemetry equipment prompted SA Water to look for a way to increase its analytical and decision-making capabilities to enhance the management of its network and optimise water usage. Bentley’s AssetWise Amulet ALIM product was chosen as the commercial operational intelligence platform for the project. It consisted of three separate systems (rolled out in stages), and provided SA Water with the ability to combine IT and operational data to predict water usage, distribution and electricity usage. The combined systems saved SA Water $3 million in energy-related costs alone from 2013 to 2014 by predicting tariff increases and moving water accordingly. - Case study provided by Bentley
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Cyber security
CAUGHT IN THE NETWORK DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IS TAKING THE EFFICIENCY OF WATER UTILITY OPERATIONS TO NEW HEIGHTS BUT THIS BRAVE NEW WORLD HAS A DARK SIDE. WITH THE RISK OF CYBER ATTACKS FIRMLY ON UTILITIES’ RADAR, HERE’S WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT IT. By Thea Cowie
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ormer Prime Minister Tony Abbott once famously said “all you need to carry out a terrorist attack is a knife, an iPhone and a victim.” But it turns out that you don’t even need the knife. “You could just do it with the iPhone,” said Thales Australia General Manager Cyber Security Jeremy Hulse. “Smartphones are a threat vector – they’re part of everyday use and [utilities are] starting to use them for productivity and maintenance of systems.”
F
As Ernst & Young Cybersecurity Partner Charlie Offer put it: “Instead of running amok with a machine gun, an attacker could attempt to login remotely and poison a whole district of unwitting water users.” And while talk of cyber attacks often focuses on data being stolen, advanced hackers are increasingly using malicious code to derail service delivery or destroy infrastructure and computer-controlled hardware. In fact, one of the first ever cyber attacks to jump from the digital to the physical realm hit close to home: in 2000, a disgruntled former Maroochy Shire Council contractor released 800,000 litres of raw sewage into nearby waterways. Since then, high-profile cyber attacks on physical infrastructure have included the computer worm, Stuxnet, which in 2009 destroyed up to a fifth of Iran’s nuclear centrifuges by spinning them
world, a spokesperson from the Federal Attorney-General’s Department has warned the threat is real. “Australia is an attractive target for malicious cyber actors for a number of reasons – our resource wealth, international commercial interests, expertise in science and manufacturing, relationships and alliances, and role in the Indo-Pacific region, to name a few,” the spokesperson said. Water Corporation alone fends off more than a dozen probes every second, said Chief Financial Officer Ross Hughes. “We have 1.2 million connection attempts per day. Those numbers are just eye-watering,” he said. “Of the 1.2 million attempts, there are 7000 malicious attempts per day that we need to protect ourselves against or capture.” While Australian utilities have been largely unscathed to date, EY’s Offer
INSTEAD OF RUNNING AMOK WITH A MACHINE GUN, AN ATTACKER COULD LOG IN REMOTELY AND POISON A WHOLE DISTRICT OF UNWIITTING WATER USERS. EY CYBER SECURIT Y PARTNER CHARLIE OFFER
out of control. In 2014, a German steel mill suffered massive blast furnace damage after hackers used phishing emails to acquire control system logins. And last year, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians were thrown into darkness when hackers shut down three power authorities.
THREAT LEVELS While Australian utilities may seem like small targets on the opposite side of the
said the risk was too big to ignore. “When we talk about risks we talk about likelihood and impact,” he said. “Likelihood here may be low to medium, but the impact is potentially enormous and that alone is enough to make this a significant business risk.” And it’s a risk that has been rising in tandem with the digitisation of the water grid. “Back in the day, every asset – every pump, valve, dam, pipe,
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Cyber security
water treatment plant – was managed by onsite field staff,” Offer said. “But over time those systems have become increasingly internet-enabled and managed remotely and the reality is, if you’re connected to the internet, an attack can be launched.” As Hulse pointed out, these Industrial Control Systems (ICS), such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), were never designed with cyber security in mind. “That’s the fundamental problem with transitioning between what used to be a very closed system to one that is now accessible from multiple areas,” he said.
DOSE OF TROUBLE It’s this very opening in security planning that recently allowed Syrian hacktivists to infiltrate a water utility’s control system and alter chemical inputs for water treatment. Verizon Security Solutions reported the incident earlier this year, referring to the victim under
information and associated billing information.” The hackers used programmable logic controllers to alter chemical dosing over 60 days. No ill effects were reported, but if the hackers had more time or knowledge of the system, the community could have suffered greatly. “If someone alters chemical levels, the effects could be anything from minor to catastrophic,” Hulse said. “The ultimate risks are physical damage and loss of life. You’d also have service delivery disruption, contamination and loss of reputation.” EY’s Offer added that water itself could be used to wreak havoc, recalling the effect of opening the Wivenhoe Dam gates during the 2011 Brisbane floods. “That had a 10-metre impact on the floods. Imagine if someone did that unexpectedly – that would be potentially very destructive,” he said. “In terms of damaging infrastructure, you could damage the pipes or burnout
THERE ARE 7000 MALICIOUS ATTEMPTS PER DAY THAT WE NEED TO PROTECT OURSELVES AGAINST OR CAPTURE. WATER CORPORATION CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER ROSS HUGHES
pseudonym ‘Kemuri Water Company’. “[KWC’s] internet-facing perimeter showed several high-risk vulnerabilities,” the report stated. “Many critical Information Technology and Operational Technology functions ran on a single AS400 system … [which] functioned as a router with direct connections into several networks, ran the water district’s valve and flow control application … housed customer personally identifiable
ANATOMY OF AN ATTACK Last December, almost half a million Ukrainians were left in the dark after sophisticated hackers took over parts of the power grid, taking about 60 substations offline. They even disabled back-up power to the utility distribution centres themselves, leaving utility operators in the dark. Here’s how it happened.
the pumps fairly easily by turning them on or turning them off, or pumping far too much water pressure.”
NETWORK EFFECT With such diverse implications a real possibility, a spokesperson for the Attorney-General’s Department said: “Strong cyber security is key to Australia’s economic wellbeing and national security.”
PLANNING PHASE: MARCH – DECEMBER 2015
SPEAR-PHISHING CAMPAIGN: Emails with a malicious Word document attachment are sent, targeting IT staff and system administrators at Ukrainian power authorities.
48 www.awa.asn.au Sources: Wired.com, Electricity Information Sharing & Analysis Centre, SANS Institute
NETWORK ACCESS GAINED: Workers click the attachment and a pop-up asks them to enable macros for the document. Those who click yes infect their computers. and give hackers access to corporate networks.
CREDENTIALS STOLEN: Hackers explore and map corporate networks. Privileges are escalated and credentials are harvested along with the VPNs grid workers use to remotely login. to the SCADA network.
So what are water utilities doing to safeguard themselves and their assets? Ideally, they’re building cyber risk and information asset management into every aspect of their business, said Sydney Water Chief Information Officer George Hunt. “Our primary enterprise risk is protecting public health, the second is to ensure employee and contractor safety, the third is reputational risk. A cyber security or data breach incident would impact all of those things,” he said. An obvious first line of defence is technological protection. Many utilities, such as Yarra Valley Water, are working to the International Organization for Standardization’s specifications for information security management systems (ISO 27001). “Strong defence requires things like internal and external firewalls, intrusion prevention and reverse proxy devices, segmenting our networks, and ensuring we have good protection against malware and viruses across all our systems,” Yarra Valley Water Managing Director Pat McCafferty said. Effective network segmentation is vital as it becomes increasingly challenging to maintain the (pre-digitisation) physical gap between IT and operational technology networks. As Sydney Water’s Hunt said: “As we open up customer and employee self-service, enable cloud-based customer functionality, embrace smart metering and smarter asset management services – all things that we need to do to better serve our customers – we are also enhancing our security in parallel.” “The dilemma is: if you look at this through a security lens you’d try to close everything down, but if you focus on customer value and efficiency, you want to open things up.”
Not surprisingly then, authentication is now a strong focus for utilities like the Water Corporation. “There are times our systems need dual factor authentication. We’re also investigating things like biometric security – finger or facial scanning,” said CFO Hughes. The utility is one of many around the country bringing in auditors to conduct regular penetration tests. “They bring in a couple of laptops, plug themselves in somewhere inside the business, and show us what they can do without authorised access,” Hughes said. “One time my Head of Risk found his way into my system, grabbed a photo of me and put it on my PC desktop. He made his point.”
UNITED STRENGTH Unfortunately though, 53% of cyber security breaches are not detected by the victim, but an external organisation, according to global cyber security advisor, Mediant Consulting. The median number of days to detect a breach in the Asia-Pacific was 520 days – significantly higher than the global average of 146 days. It’s for this reason that many utilities are drawing on, and contributing to, shared threat intelligence, said SA Water’s General Manager of Business Services, Jamie Hollamby. “Sophisticated hacking attempts are … normally detected by security agencies that find the perpetrators and then work out whose systems they’ve accessed afterwards,” he said. “So we share our practises and information on security threats … with state authorities, federal security agencies and other infrastructure providers.” At a federal level, that means collaborating with the Australian Cyber Security Operations Centre, which
THE ATTACK: DECEMBER 23 2015
SYSTEMS RECONFIGURED: Hackers reconfigure back-up power system to two control centres. Firmware is replaced with malware on serial-toEthernet converters at more than a dozen substations.
SUBSTATIONS SHUTDOWN: Hackers enter SCADA networks through hijacked VPNs. Almost 60 substations are taken offline, impacting around 225,000 customers across three regional distribution companies.
TELEPHONE DENIAL OF SERVICE ATTACK: Call centres are flooded with thousands of automatically-generated phone calls, designed to stop customers reporting outages.
KILLDISK ATTACK: A KillDisk attack wipes or overwrites operator stations and servers. Master boot records are manipulated or deleted, meaning the systems cannot be restarted.
POWER RESTORED: After power outages of up to six hours supplies are restored but because critical firmware has been overwritten workers have to manually control breakers for weeks after the attack.
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Cyber security
draws on expertise from Defence, the Attorney-General’s Department, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Australian Federal Police and Australian Crime Commission. “We embrace the Australian Signal Directorate’s ‘catch, patch and match’ approach,” Hollamby said. “The catch is application white-listing – so rather than trying to detect applications that are viruses, it’s about allowing only approved software to run. “Patching is around keeping applications and operating systems up-to-date, then matching is ensuring you manage administrative permissions.” Thales’ Hulse, meanwhile, stressed the importance of drawing on international expertise and frameworks such as those provided by the United States’ National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to ensure maximum protection. “The main thing is, don’t do it yourself. Use qualified expertise,” he said. “With the lack of cyber security resources globally, we’re seeing people starting to do it themselves but that will leave gaps.”
IF SOMEONE ALTERS CHEMICAL LEVELS, THE EFFECTS COULD BE ANYTHING FROM MINOR TO CATASTROPHIC. THALES AUSTRALIA GENERAL MANAGER CYBER SECURIT Y JEREMY HULSE
WEAKEST LINKS But even with the world’s very best technology and expertise in place, a successful cyber attack often exploits the human element, said Sydney Water’s Hunt. “That’s the area we’re very active about developing our security profile – things around how people manage the information assets they have access to, behaviours about being diligent with passwords or sensitive files,” he said. SA Water’s Hollamby used phishing emails as an example. “A very high level of phishing goes on – about 90% of all the email we have is blocked before it reaches us,” he said. “There is a small number that gets through our blocking techniques, so that’s where we rely on our staff to identify and reduce those threats.”
Similar vigilance is needed around USBs and smartphones, not only for employees and contractors but anyone entering the building, warned EY’s Offer. “Recently, a military aircraft manufacturer had to repeatedly reinstall their cockpit software because people building the aircrafts were charging their phones via the USB slot in the cockpit,” Offer said. “They were unwittingly uploading malware that infected the system. For a utility, an infection could result in an attacker gaining complete control of Process Control systems.” So with these threats seemingly coming from every direction, Hulse said: “The fact is, cyber threats have to be on the radar of utilities. “There is no feasible reason why you shouldn’t be considering cyber as a risk vector.”
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CASE STUDY: MAROOCHY ATTACK Hell hath no fury like a contractor spurned. That was Maroochy Shire Council’s experience with engineer Vitek Boden, a former employee of Hunter Watertech, which had supplied and installed the Queensland utility’s SCADA radio-controlled sewage equipment. Boden had been site supervisor on the project for two years, but after the relationship with his employer became ‘strained’ he sought work with the Maroochy Council. When he failed to secure a job, a disgruntled Boden took revenge in an attack which drew the attention of the US Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology. “He packed his car with stolen radio equipment attached to a (possibly stolen) computer,” the Institute stated in a report dedicated to the incident. “He drove around the area on at least 46 occasions from February 28 to April 23, 2000, issuing radio commands to the sewage equipment he (probably) helped install. “Boden caused 800,000 litres of raw sewage to spill out into local parks, rivers and even the grounds of a Hyatt Regency hotel.” NIST’s interest in the far-off incident is not surprising given the historical context: Boden’s attack became the first widely known example of a cyber attack doing physical damage. The Australian Environmental Protection Agency’s Janelle Bryant
said at the time: “Marine life died, the creek water turned black and the stench was unbearable for residents.” The incidents were initially put down to teething problems with the new system and a Hunter Watertech employee was appointed to investigate. He monitored and recorded all signals, messages and traffic on the radio network, concluding that many of the problems resulted from human intervention, rather than equipment failure. A subsequent police investigation found a PDS Compact computer in Boden’s car had been programmed to identify itself as a pump station. Also in the vehicle were a two-way radio set to the repeater station frequencies and leads to connect it with the computer and a laptop. In October 2001, Boden was found guilty of orchestrating the spills and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
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Australian Water Outlook
TAKING THE NATION’S AUSTRALIAN WATER ASSOCIATION RESEARCH HAS FOUND LOW CONFIDENCE IN AUSTRALIA’S WATER SECURITY. THE NEXT STEP IS TO TRIGGER THE SORT OF ACTION THAT WILL ENSURE AUSTRALIA IS READY FOR THE CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE. By James Chalmers
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www.awa.asn.au
or a resource inextricably linked to not just our prosperity but our survival, water can sometimes take a back seat on the public policy stage. It’s a frustration routinely felt by those in the water industry and one the Australian Water Association is tackling head on. With the assistance of Arup, the Association has surveyed a core sample of more than 2000 people, both in and outside the water industry, gauging their concerns and opinions about water to help craft the Australian Water Outlook. Covering everything from water security to price and water sources to business prospects, the outlook is aimed at starting conversations, on an industry, government and community level, about the importance of water to Australia’s prosperity, and how to best plan its supply and use.
F
WATER WORRY Total confidence in water security is alarmingly low, with just 4% of industry respondents and 3% of community respondents having complete confidence in the country’s ability to provide water security to meet our
social, economic and environmental needs, said Australian Water Association Chief Executive Jonathan McKeown. “There’s a very strong message here that there is a need for governments to work with industry and the community to improve understanding of water security issues and how to tackle them,” he said. The research also revealed that the level of confidence differed widely according to population density and expertise. In rural areas, for instance, more than three-quarters of community respondents reported lacking confidence, compared to a quarter of inndustry respondents. Much of the lack of confidence in Australia’s future water security may be related to dissatisfaction with government handling of water issues. In fact, 71% of the public and 54% of the industry profess little or no confidence in governments working together to make the right decisions for water resources. “There’s a real lack of community confidence in the level of priority and the level of cooperation that governments across the country are giving to working together to encourage sustainable water management,” McKeown said.
Similarly, nine in 10 water professionals said there were opportunities to better coordinate regulation to encourage sustainable water management. Both industry and community were united in ranking climate change and drought as the biggest challenges for water security, although members of the public are more likely to voice concerns than professionals. In total, around 85% of the former are concerned about each, compared to 65% of industry. The resource industry is seen as the next biggest threat to water security, with both unconventional gas extraction and general mining ranking high on the list. This is bolstered by only 13% of water professionals deeming the scientific information on the impacts of unconventional gas on water storages as adequate.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION Perhaps driven by concern about water shortages, there is strong public support for alternative water sources, the survey found. Along with the expected high levels of confidence in water sourced from dams and rivers, the majority of community respondents report confidence in
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Embracing Innovation and Disruption for a Smart Water Future
Australia’s International Water Conference & Exhibition 16-18 MAY 2017 International Convention Centre Sydney Registrations opening soon. Keep up to date at www.ozwater.org or follow @ozwater on Twitter Exhibition and Sponsorship opportunities also available.
Australian Water Outlook
potable water sourced from desalination (72%), bores (70%) and recycling (56%). McKeown said the findings had large ramifications for water policy. “You’ve got a majority of people saying they are quite comfortable with recycled water,” he said. “Governments need to listen to what the community and industry is saying and start evolving their policies about using recycled water with more speed.” “We hope this survey is a shot in the arm for governments to be less timid with their policy frameworks. It suggests the public are further down the track on alternative water sources than we have given them credit for. When it comes to policy responses, all options should be on the table. Starting now will enable policy-makers to help build the argument and public support before the next big drought.” The findings also highlight the power of well-run education campaigns, with Western Australian residents reporting the most confidence in recycled water for potable use, following long-running efforts by authorities there to educate the public ahead of its recently launched indirect potable reuse scheme. “They’ve had to work intensively for 10 years to get the community on their side, and they’ve had to go through drought conditions where they had no alternatives,” McKeown said. “The community saw how desperate the situation was.” The survey also revealed extremely strong support for alternative water sources for non-potable uses, with close to nine in 10 across both industry and the community confident in using desalinated seawater, ground water, recycled water and urban stormwater for such purposes.
PRICE IS MIGHT The survey found mostly broad acceptance for current urban water pricing levels, with the most common
WE MUST ENSURE THAT PEOPLE LIVING IN REGIONAL AND RURAL AREAS HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAME QUALITY DRINKING WATER AS ELSEWHERE. AUSTRALIAN WATER ASSOCIATION’S LINDA KELLY response from both industry and community respondents being that water prices were “about right”. Among industry, 43% feel that way, with similar proportions (just shy of one in five) responding that prices were either a little too high or a little too low, suggesting the industry has for the most part balanced water prices well. In South Australia, which has the highest-priced water overall, results were predictably different, with 43% of respondents nominating that prices were too high. The outlook also reveals substantial levels of inelastic demand for water among consumers, regardless of pricing levels. In fact, almost a quarter of the community said the cost of water did not affect how much water they used. Just over 26% responded that their water use patterns were considerably or significantly altered by the cost of water.
The finding is significant for efforts to manage water demand via price, although the outlook has identified similar levels of support between the industry and the community to link water prices to availability. Almost three-quarters of industry respondents were supportive of prices reflecting scarcity to a moderate to large extent, along with 68% of the public. However, honing in on the South Australian results finds consumers may underestimate how much of an effect price has on their water use, with that state’s residents the most likely to ascribe major changes to price; more than 40% say the cost of water has a considerable or significant impact on their use.
BEYOND CITIES One of the most challenging findings of the survey is the marked disparity
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between perceptions of water quality in different regions. More than three-quarters of respondents said urban drinking water was high quality, but this level of satisfaction plummeted as cities were left behind. Only 37% ranked the water in regional areas so highly, and the figures are even grimmer in rural areas, where the figure was only 9%. Add to that those who deem it of acceptable quality and the figure only rises to 52%. Association Advocacy and Industry Development National Manager Linda Kelly said the findings should sound a clarion call for the industry as a whole. “It’s a significant challenge, given the population sizes in many of these areas compared to the level of investment needed for water treatment,” she said. “But if you have national guidelines on drinking water quality, you can’t have the system of a apartheid where those guidelines are met only if you happen to be in a large urban area. We must ensure that people living in regional and remote areas have access to the same quality drinking water as elsewhere.” Kelly said tackling the challenge would require bold action and perhaps new financing models but the industry should not accept some Australians not having access to first-rate water. “If you look at telecommunications or energy, you expect the same level of service no matter where you live. Water shouldn’t be any different.”
KEEPING SCORE: THE NATIONAL WATER SECURITY SCORECARD
With its focus on keeping water security centre stage and in the spotlight high on the priority list, the Australian Water Association will soon launch a new project to help do just that. Ozwater’17 will serve as the official launch of the Australian Water Security Scorecard. The Association, together with other Australian institutions, will create the scorecard aimed at prompting national conversation about Australia’s water challenges and the best approaches to managing them.
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WHAT INDUSTRY SAID We respond when there is drought or a disaster but do not achieve much towards water sustainability for the future outside of such events. We look for a 'band aid' solution to the current problem and though this may achieve some longevity, it should not encompass the tunnel vision that we know occurs in the moment when looking for a critical resource resolution.
Australia’s water security is a sleeping giant – we have been a land of plenty since federation, the impact of decades of drought, under investment in assets, ageing assets, growing water-hungry crops in water-scarce areas, plus the low residential water price and people’s lack of willingness to pay the true cost of water are putting enormous pressure on our water resources.
[There are] huge challenges for rural and small indigenous communities. Private sector not inclined to invest in these areas and they are not resilient, some unable to provide drinking water to [the] ADWG. [It is] hard to get politicians interested when it doesn’t affect big cities.
USE THE BIGGEST ISSUE OF THE AUSTRALIAN WATER ASSOCIATION’S MAGAZINE CURRENT TO HIT AN ENGAGED AND TARGETED AUDIENCE. THE OZWATER’17 ISSUE IS A SPECIAL BUMPER EDITION, WHICH WILL ALSO BE DISTRIBUTED AT OZWATER’17 IN SYDNEY.
This is the perfect opportunity to extend your reach to thousands of water industry representatives. It is also a great opening to start the conversation early and advise delegates you are exhibiting.
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THE WATERS EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE AUSTRALIAN WATER ASSOCIATION COMPREHENSIVELY POLLED ALMOST 2500 AUSTRALIANS, FROM BOTH WITHIN THE WATER INDUSTRY AND OUTSIDE OF IT, PULLING TOGETHER A VITAL PORTRAIT OF PROFESSIONAL AND PUBLIC OPINION.
%
93
9 out of 10 water professionals say THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR
BETTER COORDINATION ACROSS ECONOMIC, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL AREAS
of water consumers and professionals are concerned about WATER SHORTAGES
NATIONALLY How many people HAVE CONFIDENCE IN ALTERNATIVE WATER SOURCES?
INDUSTRY
%
88 82% 67% 57% 58
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COMMUNITY DESALINATED WATER
GROUND/BORE WATER RECYCLED WATER URBAN STORMWATER
72% 70% 56% 47%
HOW MUCH CONFIDENCE is there that Australia has SUFFICIENT WATER SECURITY to meet social, environment and economic needs?
INDUSTRY
4%
42%
38%
15% 1%
COMMUNITY
3%
33%
VERY CONFIDENT
SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT
42% NOT VERY CONFIDENT
20% 3% NOT CONFIDENT
NOT SURE
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
BIGGEST SOURCES OF CONCERN: in their state or territory DROUGHT
CLIMATE CHANGE
UNCONVENTIONAL GAS EXTRACTION
COMMUNITY
%
%
86
%
84
76
WATER PROFESSIONALS
%
%
65
%
64
55 %
12
of Australians DON’T KNOW who SUPPLIES THEIR DRINKING WATER
%
45
OF INDUSTRY AND
46%
%
OF THE COMMUNITY RATE PUBLIC EFFORTS TO SAVE WATER AS GOOD.
LESS THAN
%
1
of the community REPORT TAKING NO ACTION TO SAVE WATER.
13
of water professionals think there is ADEQUATE SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION on the IMPACTS OF UNCONVENTIONAL GAS ON WATER SUPPLIES WANT TO LEARN MORE? Download the full report at bit.ly/wateroutlook16
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Peter Walsh Major Projects Leader - Comdain • • •
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T E C H N I C A L PA P E R S SUMMARIES OF THE LATEST TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES AND INSIGHTS FOR WATER PROFESSIONALS.
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OPENING UP How Melbourne Water is boosting physical activity and liveability. BACTERIA DETECTION The move towards detecting pathogens in real-time. DIGITAL STRATEGY A digital portal is being used to optimise land development processes. WATER-SENSITIVE URBAN DESIGN Taking a closer look at Green Square, Australia’s largest urban renewal project. CHANGE MANAGEMENT Lessons in keeping a massive IT relaunch running smoothly.
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OPERATION OUTBACK Addressing maintenance issues in regional communities. STORMWATER MANAGEMENT Assessing a novel pilot project aimed at slashing stormwater flow. CUSTOMER INNOVATION Sydney Water tackles breaks with digital maps for customers. CATCHMENT MANAGEMENT Educating customers to create positive change in behaviour. SEWAGE ASSET DATA A new data-driven decision making tool to help monitor sewage infrastructure.
For extended papers on the latest research in the Australian water sector, visit the Water e-Journal at bit.ly/water-ejournal www.awa.asn.au
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executive summary liveable cities
Our Space, Your Place: Opening Water Utility Land for Liveability A NEW ONLINE APPLICATION FROM MELBOURNE WATER K Naylor id you know that physical inactivity is responsible for 8000 deaths a year in Australia and directly costs the health system at least $400 million annually? Or that mental illness costs Australia $20 billion per year when you include the cost of lost productivity and labour? Attractive, accessible green space encourages greater levels of physical activity, while contact with nature can lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression. However, the type of environment that supports wellbeing is becoming increasingly more precious in a rapidly densifying Melbourne.
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BIG RESPONSIBILITY Melbourne Water is the largest landowner in Victoria after the crown, and our land is now available for projects that benefit the wider community. Big or small, short- or long-term, we are interested in a wide variety of projects that can benefit the local community and enhance the liveability of our city. Projects could include playgrounds and parks, shared pathways, community gardens, vegetation plantings and murals. To make the process easier, we have developed a new online application called Our Space. Your Place, which gives details of the availability, size and potential use of Melbourne Water’s many hectares of land. Available land is colour coded, making it easy to find and understand how it can be used. Users can then express interest in using the land directly through the app. A list of available funding grants has also been provided. This is a great opportunity for councils, organisations or communities to explore
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options for using Melbourne Water land and turn our spaces into ‘your places’. Since releasing the application publicly, Melbourne Water has received a number of expressions of interest across a broad variety of uses, including education programs through various school and community groups, a fishing competition,
tree planting and revegetation projects, a community performance stage and community gardens.
POSITIVE POTENTIAL This application has complemented the range of projects we are already working on to achieve more community benefit
Melbourne Water’s land is now directly contributing to improving physical and mental wellbeing for communities in a rapidly densifying Melbourne. from our land. It allows us to connect with more diverse stakeholders and make smaller, quicker changes as desired by local communities. It has helped to increase engagement in a liveability-focused approach across
the organisation, with the development of multiple land use policies, structured referral systems and collaboration between a number of teams, which has seen Melbourne Water able to use many tracts of land for multiple benefits, rather than just being managed for a single asset requirement. It has also allowed Melbourne Water to be more open and transparent with data sharing, and increase collaboration with other agencies with regards to land availability to improve joint decision-making and the delivery of shared services. This, in turn, has allowed Melbourne Water’s land to support the broader community outcomes we are pursuing for our liveability goals – increasing opportunities for active transport, recreation, urban cooling, a sense of place and a sense of community. Over and above our traditional role to ensure public health and safety through water, sewerage and drainage systems,
Melbourne Water’s land is now directly contributing to improving physical and mental wellbeing for communities in a rapidly densifying Melbourne. This is occurring via changes to the physical environment, such as creating more accessible, attractive places and increasing greening and contact with nature, as well as opportunities for social connection within local communities. For more information, visit www.melbournewater.com.au/ ourspaceyourplace Kathryn Naylor is a Senior Liveability Planner at Melbourne Water.
To read the full article, visit the Water e-Journal at bit.ly/e-Journal
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executive summary bacteria detection
Detection methods for faecal contamination events: the gap for Australia TRENDS IN PATHOGEN DETECTION AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE FIELD OF PATHOGENIC BACTERIA DETECTION. A Anastasi, A Power, S Chandra, L Voss, S Cosford and J Chapman
his review paper analyses the trends in pathogen detection and other recent developments in the field. The detection of pathogenic microorganisms is essential to end-users of water systems, particularly if the water is supporting life as an end-user. The outbreak of pathogenic waterborne disease is caused by coliforms and E. coli and as such these organisms need to be monitored for such events arising, particularly as they are a health issue for humans. The conventional methods of choice have been media-based growth and culturing and multiple tube fermentation methods. Both of these methods are standard protocols and also take in excess of 48 hours to perform, meaning results are somewhat slow. Because the protocols take time, there are clearly issues with time to react to such contamination events, representing a golden opportunity to develop a sensor with near-real time capability. The review explores new and emerging methods that could potentially be developed into near-real time sensors. We have reviewed numerous techniques from immunological, fluorescence in-situ hybridisation, proteomics and genomics, biochemical and finally enzyme detection.
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KEEPING UP The paper shows that research in microbial detection in water is ever
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If conventional methods are still employed then rapid detection will not be able to be carried out effectively, resulting in a potential risk to public health.
growing and ever important as a requirement for safe water consumption. If conventional methods are still employed then rapid detection will not be able to be carried out effectively, resulting in a potential risk to public health. Using a series of genomic and biochemical detection assays, characterising E. coli in water bodies will become far easier with improved response times. The challenge comes with building early detection systems that are cost effective, portable, and long-term deployable in a given water body. However, with expected expansion in population growth and increases in tourism, these costs may be offset with economic drivers.
In conclusion, the review showcases some of the potential detection methods that could be developed as near-real time sensors for the future of water usage and water consumption in Australia. Dr Amie Anastasi is a lecturer of permaculture and Dr Aoife Power, Dr Shaneel Chandra and Leanne Voss are lecturers of chemistry at CQUniversity, where Dr James Chapman is the group leader of the innovative biomaterials group. Salina Cosford is a research assistant.
To read the full article, visit the Water e-Journal at bit.ly/e-Journal
executive summary digital strategy
A digital strategy for land development HOW YARRA VALLEY WATER SAVED COSTS, OPTIMISED RESOURCES AND ENHANCED ONLINE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE THROUGH THEIR EASYACCESS PORTAL. A Alchin arra Valley Water (YVW) has implemented the easyACCESS system, with an industry-first FICO (Fair Isaacs Corporation) business rules engine to map processes and streamline the decision-making for the developers, plumbers and builders. Although FICO is widely used in the finance sector, this is a first for the water industry. Typically for the water industry, this is a multi-step process, however, in 80% of YVW cases, easyACCESS automatically produces conditions of connection, including products, services and costs required. The new technology has dramatically reduced turnaround times, strengthened by providing consistent responses to customers.
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HOW IT WORKS The easyACCESS portal uses a business rules engine (FICO) that largely automates decisions for users based on property, spatial, billing and asset data. The system determines where the business rules engine can make decisions on behalf of users. For example, in a single application for water and sewer connections, where 27 decisions are required, easyACCESS makes 81% of these decisions on behalf of the user, who only has to answer five questions. Combined with a user interface, the engine has reduced the average time to complete an application to less than five minutes. Even with a 22% increase in development applications, YVW has found that automating, where appropriate, significantly contributes to improved business results; including a saving of $2.5M a year, resource optimisation and enhanced customer outcomes. The team operating easyACCESS now has an outstanding culture with an Organisational
The digital strategy has delivered an improved customer experience resulting in improvements to staff satisfaction and increased output. Cultural Index improvement of 41% in the positive measures. The launch of easyACCESS to large enterprises is proving a major success. Dedicated online support specialists visit clients to demonstrate easyACCESS and users are provided with account access, training support, site visits, monthly accounts and support for all projects. The rules engine is based on the Water Metering and Servicing guidelines (applied to all of Melbourne and used in other parts of Victoria) and Water Services Association of Australia. This provides great opportunities for other water utilities to use the business rules engine, with potential to move to a shared platform.
REPORT CARD The digital strategy has delivered an improved customer experience resulting in improvements to staff satisfaction and increased output. YVW continues to focus on growing the quality of the online
customer experience for the benefit of all customers. In 2015, YVW received a worldwide FICO Award for Decision Management Innovation. Sam Austin, General Manager, Sustainable Development at Yarra Valley Water, said, “Processing new applications had been a labour-intensive process and we felt developers were waiting too long. We have made a significant effort to map our processes and decision-making. Previously, much of this resided in people’s heads or was scattered in documentation. With the new system, this information is built into a robust, rules-based solution, yielding significant rewards for Yarra Valley Water and developers alike.” Amy Alchin is an Online Support Specialist at Yarra Valley Water.
To read the full article, visit the Water e-Journal at bit.ly/e-Journal
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executive summary water-sensitive urban design
Green Square: protecting communities and enabling urban renewal through effective flood risk management AN OUTLINE OF AN INNOVATIVE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION SOLUTION, INCLUDING A NEW 2.5KM UNDERGROUND STORMWATER DRAIN. N Taylor, D Kent
ocated between Sydney Airport and the city, Green Square is Australia’s largest urban renewal project. Until recently, the recurring likelihood of major flooding during torrential rain hindered the development of this precinct. Now work is well underway to significantly reduce the flooding risk and create the catalyst for other liveability improvements such as road upgrades, enhanced amenities and infrastructure for this flourishing community. Overall, the $16 billion redevelopment will transform Green Square from old industrial land into a modern, high-density and sustainable hub, suitable for a population of 60,000 people and forecast to provide 20,000 permanent jobs. As the area sits on a major floodplain, once known as the Waterloo Swamp, periods of heavy rainfall present a significant safety risk to the public and community. To address the flooding risk, the City of Sydney and Sydney Water defined the Green Square Stormwater Drain Project and, after a competitive tender process, formed the Drying Green (DG) Alliance with United Group Engineering, Seymour Whyte Constructions, WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff, and RPS Manidis Roberts. The DG Alliance team united with a common goal to develop a solution that was sustainable, innovative and
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Overall, the $16 billion redevelopment will transform Green Square from old industrial land into a modern, high-density and sustainable hub, suitable for a population of 60,000 people and forecast to provide 20,000 permanent jobs. respectful to the community. In a busy urban environment, the team faced technical, logistical and community-related challenges to make this happen, but the alliance delivery method allowed the wider team to be involved in evaluating the options and determining infrastructure with the greatest benefit and value to the community.
FORMING A PLAN Using a thorough planning process and rigorous modelling, the DG Alliance developed an innovative design and construction solution, which includes a new 2.5km underground stormwater drain from Link Road, Zetland to the Alexandra Canal. The aim is to reduce high hazard flooding to low hazard flooding in the one per cent Annual Exceedance Probability event without adversely impacting the surrounding areas.
While the client’s reference design consisted of box culverts installed by trenching, to reduce the construction footprint the Alliance design used mainly pipes (twin and triple DN1800 RCPs) installed by a combination of open trenching and microtunnelling. Microtunnelling involves using a tunnelling machine to install pipes underground without disturbing the surface. Microtunnelling is being used for more than half the drain and resulted in: • Minimum impact on the more than 120 underground utilities that cross the GSSD alignment; • Minimum impact on existing roads and developments (no open cut); • Minimum environmental impact (spoil and dewatering); • Minimum community and traffic impact (less open cut).
The hydraulics also differed from the reference design, allowing for a pressurised system that varies with flow and tail-water conditions. Extensive modelling was undertaken to design the system and prove that it would meet the required flood mitigation criteria. The modelling used both a 2D surface model (TUFLOW) to determine flood impacts and a 1D trunk drain model (XPSWMM) to assess the pipe hydraulics. Critical structures were also modelled using 3D computation fluid dynamics (CFD). Physical modelling was also undertaken on three of the most critical ore representative structures to confirm the CFD results. The resulting innovative design will achieve the required reduction in flood levels at a fraction of the cost of the reference design. Overall construction of the Green Square Stormwater Drain Project began in May 2015 and is progressing well. It is expected to be finished by the end of 2017 with minimal impact on residents, businesses and the community. Nick Taylor currently works for WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff and has recently been technical lead on a number of water, wastewater and stormwater projects. David Kent is Principal Civil Engineer at WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff. To read the full article, visit the Water e-Journal at bit.ly/e-Journal
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executive summary change management
Four factors for effective change management in IT implementations HOW A BUSINESS-CENTRIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT APPROACH DELIVERED POSITIVE PROJECT OUTCOMES FOR YARRA VALLEY WATER. ML Han
ith often-massive investments made by businesses when implementing new information technology (IT) systems, there’s an ever-increasing interest in successful IT projects. This paper shares the lessons learnt from a successful IT implementation, and how a business-centric change management approach delivered positive project outcomes. In 2012, Yarra Valley Water’s (YVW) asset management system was no longer effectively delivering on business requirements. After 12 years, it had reached the end of its operational life. In response, the Improving Infrastructure Management Systems (I2MS) project was initiated to deliver a new asset management system. The business was aware that in any organisation, large IT projects were notorious for running significantly over-budget and over-time. Additionally, while end users were frustrated with existing systems, they had a high level of familiarity and knowledge with them. As the organisation had been through several significant change programs over the past few years, another key challenge was the potential for change-fatigue and information-overload. To overcome these challenges, YVW committed to being truly business-centric in its approach. Underlining this principle was that the project was owned and driven by the business. Staff were not passive recipients of the new system, rather they were its driving force and ultimate benefactors.
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KEYS TO SUCCESS While several change management activities were implemented, four key success factors were most impactful: 1. Creating business ownership (business-driven, not project-driven) • Committed available and visible Executive Sponsor; • Significant and consistent involvement by YVW staff throughout project; • Half project team consisted of on-project YVW staff member. 2. Building a positive project culture that aligned with the organisational culture • Culture-fit a key selection criteria when selecting implementation partners; • Alignment workshop with senior project influencers to define what an exceptional outcome for the project would look like; • ‘One team’ approach for the project team. 3. Communicating to engage end users • Giving the new system a persona that end users could connect with (“Meet Max”); • Using engaging and fun communications (Max comic strip); • Conveying key messages in a light-hearted and appealing manner. 4. Focusing on business outcomes • Rather than focusing on a project-centric Go Live date, communications focused on a ‘fully operational’ milestone (when the business was operating at a capacity similar to the existing system). I2MS was delivered on time and within expected budget. Additionally, the organisation was able and prepared to
The business was aware that in any organisation, large IT projects were notorious for running significantly over-budget and over-time. cope with the peak summer period, a key success factor for the organisation. The project was awarded the Smart Infrastructure Project Award (National Infrastructure Awards) recognising excellence in the design, delivery and use of smart infrastructure. Nine months post-implementation, the organisation administered the Human Synergistic’s Organisational Cultural Inventory survey. Results indicated the area most impacted by the change showed significant cultural improvements from their 2013 results. For an IT project of its size and magnitude, this was an exceptional outcome for the organisation. Mae-Lin Han is Project Manager, Enterprise Change and Capability, at Yarra Valley Water.
To read the full article, visit the Water e-Journal at bit.ly/e-Journal
FORTNIGHTLY 1:1 MEETING
EXECUTIVE SPONSOR
I2MS PROGRAM DIRECTOR
I2MS PROGRAM DIRECTOR
ENTERPRISE CHANGE MANAGE
FORTNIGHTLY 1:1 MEETING
Updated Educational Resources for Water Educators and Teachers The Australian Water Association is proud to launch the updated Australian Curriculum Project teacher resources, an expansive compendium of resources on key water topics and issues in the Australian Curriculum. Help us reach out to teachers across Australia by sharing the below link on your organisation’s education pages.
www.awa.asn.au/teacherresources
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executive summary remote communities
NSW Aboriginal Communities Water and Sewerage program ADDRESSING OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE ISSUES THAT PUT THE HEALTH OF COMMUNITIES AT RISK. P Byleveld, W Lee, J Standen, S Leask he New South Wales Aboriginal Communities Water and Sewerage Program aims to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people living in discrete communities by providing safe and effective water and sewerage services that are equivalent to the standard expected in the wider community. Aboriginal people are disadvantaged in health outcomes. Before the commencement of the program in 2008, Local Aboriginal Land Councils were responsible for the water and sewerage infrastructure on their land. Most had small populations, could not generate sufficient income and lacked technical skills to sustain services. These arrangements presented a number of difficulties, especially for very small communities that are a long way from service providers. There was no systematic process to address operation and maintenance. In some Aboriginal communities, water and sewerage services did not meet general community standards. Inadequate water supply and sewerage systems were identified as a major factor in the poor health status of some Aboriginal communities. Where contamination was found, often there was no option other than to issue a boil water alert to communities.
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WINS ON THE BOARD The program is a joint initiative of NSW Aboriginal Land Council and the NSW Government. More than $200 million is being invested over 25 years for routine operation, maintenance, monitoring, repairs and replacement of infrastructure. Key points include: • More than 6000 people in 61 communities are receiving improved water and sewerage services; • Aboriginal communities participate in developing management plans, meetings and regular inspections; • Local water utilities (councils) are engaged to provide services to nearby Aboriginal communities; • Regular monitoring to ensure water quality is maintained and improved; • The program provides employment and training opportunities for Aboriginal people.
DEEP SUPPORT Under the program, experienced service providers are contracted to provide support to communities. The service providers bring their expertise and experience to the program and take responsibility for the day-to-day operation and maintenance activities. The program is managed by the Department of Primary
Industries Water and overseen by a steering committee. Engagement with the community is central to the Program. Consultation meetings between community members, Local Aboriginal Land Councils, DPI Water, Public Health Units and utilities/councils were held to examine infrastructure, identify issues and discuss actions to be taken to maintain and improve water and sewerage services. Risk-based water and sewerage management plans have been implemented for each community, based on the Australian Drinking Water
The program provides services to more than 6000 people in 61 eligible communities. Guidelines ‘Framework for Management of Drinking Water Quality’. The program provides services to more than 6000 people in 61 eligible communities. Implementation of
management plans has improved understanding and control of risks, resulting in safer, more reliable operation of water and sewerage systems. Management plans were in place for many Aboriginal communities well before this was required of water utilities by the Public Health Act 2010. The program provides a mechanism to address longstanding operation and maintenance issues that put the health of communities at risk. As a result, Aboriginal communities are now benefiting from improved water and sewerage services.
Dr Paul Byleveld is Manager – Water Unit, and Wendy Lee is Senior Project Officer, Water Unit, both at NSW Health, while Jeff Standen is Manager of the NSW Health Aboriginal Environmental Health Unit. Sandy Leask works for NSW Health Water Unit and was involved in the NSW Aboriginal Communities Water and Sewerage Program.
To read the full article, visit the Water e-Journal at bit.ly/e-Journal
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executive summary stormwater management
Using market-based instruments to deliver cost-effective stormwater management outcomes OUTCOMES FROM AN INNOVATIVE PILOT STUDY INTO IMPROVING STORMWATER QUALITY AND FLOW. J Cheesman, L Harvey, CJ Walsh
elbourne Water, South East Water and Knox City Council (KCC) have been working together to achieve KCC’s stormwater quality and flow objectives for Dobsons Creek, which runs through the peri-urban community of The Basin, 31 kilometres east of the Melbourne CBD. To achieve KCC’s target of reducing direct connected impervious (DCI) in Dobsons Creek catchment to less than one per cent by 2020, disconnection needs to occur on public land and private land. This paper reports the results of a market-based instrument (MBI) pilot, an outcome-based auction, for installing rainwater tanks on homes in Dobsons Creek. The process involved: (1) households in the Dobsons Creek catchment being contacted and asked to participate; (2) having a licenced plumber assess how much impervious area on the property could be disconnected using rainwater tanks, and the cost of disconnection; (3) receiving a bid offer form from Melbourne Water; and (4) making a best and final bid for having rainwater tanks installed on the property by a closing date. Bids were evaluated and prioritised based on cost-effectiveness to Melbourne Water using a ‘$ per unit of Environmental Benefit (EB) measure’ ($/EB). EB was calculated based on
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changes in flow frequency, volume reduction and water quality resulting from the tank, standardised to 100m2 (complete disconnection of 100m2 of impervious surface = 1 EB). The $/EB measure was the net cost to Melbourne Water per EB gained by disconnecting
The pilot highlights that waterway and catchment managers should consider MBIs to manage stormwater impacts on catchments and waterways. roof area from the house. The net $/EB was calculated as the cost of installing the tank minus the household contribution, divided by the number of EB that disconnection would achieve. The information needed to calculate the $/EB was estimated for each household by a licenced tradesperson during the site visit.
IN THE FIELD Half of all households contacted accepted the site visit. Bids were received from 53 of the 63 households who accepted. Of these, bids were accepted for 39 properties that represented value for money for Melbourne Water, based on cost effectiveness comparison with the cost of delivering stormwater disconnection on public land in the Basin. Households’ average winning bid was a $622 contribution towards having rainwater tanks installed, with a $100–$1000 bid spread. The 39 properties will disconnect 6500 square metres of roof area on private homes from the stormwater system that drains into Dobsons Creek. Disconnection will benefit the Creek by reducing untreated stormwater runoff by around 2.2ML on average each year. The pilot highlights that waterway and catchment managers should consider MBIs to manage stormwater impacts on catchments and waterways in combination with public works and other actions when one or more of the following are present: • Stormwater runoff from household and commercial roofs and impervious areas
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have to be disconnected to achieve stormwater flow and quality targets; There is limited public land available for stormwater works or public land has a high developable land value; There are more than 20 households that can be involved that do not have rainwater tanks, where roof area makes a significant contribution to stormwater drainage, and stormwater systems are connected to waterways that waterway managers want to protect, maintain or enhance; A council has limited capacity to operate and maintain public stormwater treatment assets. Locating stormwater treatment works on private land may provide managers with opportunities to operate and maintain these assets in cooperation with the landowner; Managers want to maximise the amount of environmental benefit they get from their available budget by obtaining co-contributions from households that benefit from having rainwater tanks installed on their property.
Dr Jeremy Cheesman is a Director at Marsden Jacob, Associate Professor Chris Walsh is a Research Team Leader at Department of Resource Management and Geography, University of Melbourne, and Leon Harvey is Principal – Redevelopment IWM, Melbourne Water.
To read the full article, visit the Water e-Journal at bit.ly/e-Journal
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executive summary customer innovation
Launch of new online maps for leaks and breaks SYDNEY WATER’S NEW MOBILE-FRIENDLY CUSTOMER SOLUTIONS APP. P Ambrosoli
ydney Water supplies over 1.4 billion litres of drinking water to homes and businesses each day through a network of over 21,000 kilometres of watermains. That’s almost the distance from Sydney to Los Angeles and back. Both planned and unplanned water outages cause customer anxiety and inconvenience. Sydney Water needed to improve the visibility of information to better inform customers about what’s happening in their area and when disruptions will be rectified so they can plan around it. A small project team was formed in October 2014 with representatives from each of the critical customer process
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touchpoints. This enabled us to gather collective business knowledge and capture the customer’s ‘voice’ to define scope requirements.
OUT OF THE GATES An initial testing prototype was designed and built within weekws. It was launched internally in December 2014 to enable staff and contractors to provide feedback and improvement opportunities. We received an overwhelming amount of interest and it became apparent that although we were attempting to create something simple, we needed an enhanced design with more specific updates. More than 70 detailed
business rules were created that generated over 400 combinations of possible scenarios that required mapping, data cleansing and testing to fit with our generic display icons. When a customer reports a problem that requires a new work order, it’s captured and geo-located in ‘Hydra’ (a geographical information system) before being pushed to ‘Maximo’ (an asset data management system) and despatched to field crews. At this point, pending our business rules, we display icons on the ‘Water Service and Outage Map’ via our website to inform customers we’re aware of a problem. As the job progresses, the crew
updates the job status and outage details using tough books (field laptops). This information is transmitted back to Maximo in real time. The Water Service and Outage Map refreshes every 10 minutes so customers get the latest status very quickly. When the job is completed, a new icon appears. It remains visible for 24 hours to ensure customers can find out about the rectification work done.
Recognising that 44% of customers were viewing the map from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, we introduced a ‘List View’ in August 2015. This makes it easier for customers to see information remotely using smartphones.
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analyse customer usage patterns and gain customer insights wherever possible. To try the map for yourself, visit sydneywater.com.au/watermap Paul Ambrosoli is Customer Solutions Manager at Sydney Water.
overall average across our site. Recognising that 44% of customers were viewing the map from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, we introduced a ‘List View’ in August 2015. This makes it easier for customers to see information remotely using smartphones. Customers are becoming increasingly technologically savvy. To meet their needs and expectations, we need to continue to listen to customer feedback,
On 1 April 2015, we launched the map on our Sydney Water website, but didn’t actively promote it to customers. However, the map quickly became a popular addition to the site. It has consistently ranked in the top 10 pages viewed since the launch and has attracted more than 138,000 page views. Over 72% of these were unique views and visitors spent 4.57 minutes on the page on average. This is higher than the
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Size mmonw argue CONF in exp of som 9). Where often the underd Ros in ma and over argum sions are menta 10 15:3 our cas time of 48 me red is a sign ’ (Co and , P Byl drain Tank Resour adig status The dra uming the al., 2014; iron n as volu rainfall. too imp point overflow afe , tralians too slow rnative There g conflict t par 28/11/20 P 198 ea s and er flow derson . thout drain ism and take et ual uns conclu rent env nse a SSO Aus ass n inan ate (wi size Hen sew as far this view find alte urs. HSW far lsh m sian ann k to issu 6 inte W n bee 0.5, 24 deb to be (NA red at the 0 Case tank) explorin predom -Malthu than ts the al ce (Wa et has nt tan rature, res, the n t 10 11:3 maximu on cur demic 0, 12, s, the ce is during found has bee ia 2015). Base refuted will always flict occ Measu two ter (3) t lite other ter e figu me whe e tha presen essenti th nities. an orifi differe ys of pipe aca in offs to neo 24/11/20 con The were run the orifi . riginal re 4 er is s on Rainwa and Austral curren r over wa ikely, option to commu impact volu (in %) is CT in dela e model Sou . In thes onstrat en: 0). Dra ng that sewer ion for relate imism. wat Abo people s before Figu of an ng no rs, view n tank dra ted ge in l uct e RA 201 unl the les t rflow its New e er field ce opt lysi for and t wa was hav thes to dem in betwe ely aler s in xis. to clea 0). The 48 hou m assumi rainwat rain presen on in ove base cas me red blished ithetica rcity and solution s (T) ABST South Wa and Sewerahealth In ana let pipe s) Water ent s flow nt tha extrem different rs) e aims volume hours. In kept as water zero, ary x-a volu esta ne is being 2 resour Access t ant underd ities eem O 201 four RDII of the in time ut ter maximu be sca boil the out New reducti ed to the second paper somewher ter alo appare alone is lthusian tom rflow . m was of an agr d e dra rain flow, and 48 hou in theory nflict e the s Wa presen ource and 36 The the tank (T) was from ual SSO ugh the d by the lth (WH al Commun bring abo in the s. It can 2. The ervious it is -Ma y wa This bot ources the par gra ove rov rs’ rs’, r Sinc ple hea nitie thro Ann ater lted imp time res ML ure ces from sits on res Co ing erne The in Pro ing er wa Neo ter wa the to to com imp Lan s 3. mu h 23 ter mw Fig in t ove water flow mitt resents underd 12, 24, 36 y. The dra The drain had resu overflow rainwat ct of with s to aims flict. nal peo is gov rflow s such as Aborigin resour ‘water alarmist. Com shown ed earlier, shown flict ‘wa MM, the sign Aboriginal Figure e was it er the trut h conflic parame le 1 rep off is The stor the ove tion, ieve by com itoring (of stud on the also m aim the Wales e Program of ment. the effece on con cept of Aborigi with s by g con e cas rflow In SW water tank ation, as resents tion ple shared since on in sew re that the 500L, with s area s. The times exceed l as with g short in this ments to ng in Tab NSW sts bel conten Progra lbeing of mon 2008 re run althougunlikely, an existin re is am Govern ncies ual ove munitie s As men for the bas a rain orifice equ 4). C rep drain than used ed to not squito in the garden ted (%) n the influen e the con optimi to adapt d. (as wel to perviou , whe Sewerag s this ts occurri waterimprove ance and com reducti this figu water s. The wel e NSW the from ht of nothin the ann drain time been ce , trea ted in able ate rete nt age ged from me greaterrs, resultedrflows and flic betwee and the ctive highly cerbat ions. If volume al., 201 the heig and ous area er tank ershed confirm ne in years. propos risk of mo of drain er have area sents espousas resour humans erestim y is rou states are mainten e services seen sustain in disc and effe a ernme exa is 1,500L submer (Walsh et data rstate con ces alo were et 3 pre different rainwat ly of impervi the rainwat this sew of volu er ove 12 hou rcit und which to the d range ration, may scarce reg ween the nificantly have living 4,000 Council NSW Gov ent, D drain offs es erag roof times ed in our ter of where ability ities. Figure the four runs, the tanks delay of on in sew case area d in es is sider sca tion ng safe l to ope and sew dar sig vices, Eq. (1) in coeffici rs due 1,200L NSW no inte ter res ations area for the tinuous 1200 strategi WMM. expect in the last t over wa l roof ova del water- capital bet factor ucti the base is the commun er wa drain providi erage ser capture ervious Severa er organis 48 hou g. The stan sed LID that ce shortag sts con s in a dra her the dard m. The in PCS e inn volume these mo d to be cony of 0 m red the dra water, Hd ing the tota 2 , which ous over of wat Aboriginal to imp 1,000L stan nt conflic issues 900 sew ). In the used oth region Progra the hig states, the social cerbat onent. ude total 8km2 and 0.99km resour ce optimi ly to driv ter breedin storage-ba and maximucompared of 23 ML ce pipe is and es. to the rete L nceme (T). In ate meters assumea drain dela the . fact, in the impervi2 s incl stored drain exp exa barren , despite ly, wa like l me ent the as 500 issu disc fall rav our al .69 for are nity para ll the en 900 4.12 re orifi – in g re, ncie role (1) me s tota ed ival this ver ike rain is of mu Res ng mo C=9 (wh km time tank age ween ses volu equ tank n vital the com 2008, Loc LCs) outlet ing the , NSW to que will agg the existin n is the Howe being unl (i.e. with in this figu lted in the ative estimat24% of the of 0.99 T: water er com be ment of that H) the t. 500 decrea capital bet t water in bate be used was t initi (LA Before gram in as bei overflow ions, the ed dur resu overflow irs NSW ce, NSW er C=8.39 flowing As seen (D – d and 1. Rain nts f area roof size the wid true (C) can and is Govern opt tha alone a join ncils NFLIC conflic clos y is the timere the and exacer er hours , rath can Pro Table q=C s is (L) nal Affa sing Offi ing a social ly it is m is represe total roo average in the than delay d to be Council $200 still fficient Eq. (1) d Cou ility C hours). of 48 on in sew case. water ustries C=8.39 D CO of the befo tention ing factor. olds C=14.54 The like can N ns. Thi dan. Dur ces, Aborigi in dela Progra nal Land Volume in coe time ting seen, nal Lan e for the ) availab of con than ucti on an 0 househ rs ary Ind lth, area. less g tensio base area, assume and dra the storm nal Hou The their Jor drain ER AN LTHUSIA The dra by integra As can be agonis social m red C= 6.26 More resour r Aborigi ponsibl ely the Water g areas l roof (D) (mm based C=12.59 to the Hea 25 yea Aborigi Aborigi ent of Prim and a ure on ll ent ed was 2 for the 3,75 this tota WAT events, se afte ned. existin Israel and g water ial to an ant whether (2). ment. over res s, nam maximu pared NSW Height y sma , NSW artm m and 1,200L on astruct T=36 elap ce, of existin ing as ng estimat ted in Eq. h com were C=12.59 O-MA Govern g invested is ope C=29.09 in dela variable (D) of the Departm I Water) NSW Dep st had the 264m ed. Usi of 681.2m must case of declinin the potent the hig act ge infr siders this. when 1,000L, the reducti %, intenan a dra reduction . Mo NSW (DP orifice ent erate A NE OACH approach list 0.85, Hours d than r, it con er key l presen tion of twothe depth the time two s, es, and with 500L, sewera nity land is bein ration, ma lacement C= 9.39 C=25.19 outlet %, 23.6 sewershual rainfall of around d by the Water . Oth period ter had g issu Coeffici tor in not gen is rea be use en the rep For the water tank by 13.8 (for the mu 0L tank in a 33% same tank million ry NSW Cabinet wa ope Furthe is a fac is a func (T) and time (T) D of stored Drain stin lthusian h the ual loca could routine T=24 wn to and com 0.5 APPR rain te betwe ishment tine the ann fficient off capture ed as C=25.19 was ectively tinuous a in when bate exi time Treasu and ions, The 1,50rs resulted reas the individ al coe for neo-Ma ned wit rnational is sho promo ties), repairs capital for rou depth 1,500L volumes drain water. Dra lted in cate mier capital establ Hours of run 0.5 /hr) estimat The alig hou whe runoff populat t income 0.5 technic include ring, % resp In the con out a 0 exacer social C=18.78 ter utili capital es and in water g resu of Pre . the sely indi of 12 volume, of inte 9). volume s can be d to flow in SSO and 27.2 ce ure. s (wa stored d to drain niti ement cien ations lacked s. These rs). monito 2 l of y (C) (mm bled is clo tation drainin lts also Social er tank ted uct orifi total ncil mu hou nag tank larl anis ume 0.5 suffi T=1 ncils, and leve % risk 197 ena SSO let tes wat 0 ous er astr uce cou org in ass com ticu is es resu ons e ma 24.1 of 48 the out ing require the rain d Cou d the service a number ƉĞƌĞĚ͕ ŝƐ interpre s (Waltz, of infr ment continu on. The y times red in rainwat , which is area. and time n dur is study s, Hours ntaged to link ation, par s theory ION in countri ar disput reduce 0.5 operati sustain 24 0 with dra ted nal Lan viders s Ŷƚ ŝƐ ŚĂŵ ϮͿ͘ drain g proces to be ope govern nt y case Thi water cle 0, 12, relation reducti drain dela has (2) 573ML previou DUCT are disadvalth of ls to longer tank with mwater s presen Aborigi vice pro d ǀĞůŽƉŵĞ ŇŝĐƚ͕ ϮϬϭ cooper ement. ernme for ver inin of a basin , in the al skil 24 27% that stor RO nts lly ŝĐ ĚĞ ĂŶĚ ŽŶ than 0 tation. the dra ume s Gov ter rter ple r Loc l me Hea the INT nal peo ecia ŽŶŽŵ ƌĐĞƐ 0, 12, mes sho ove 24% perviou to a a long is ass 1,200L 28% ted ser for loca manag red wa Jordan tors, water proces t confron ƌĞ ĞĐ ĞƐŽƵ nt (n) arrange ies, esp that are 24 ƚ͘ inches AND pipe events and to the es. The : Report and s lead ly that re SSO volu ce, the lted in a the sha fac ) and len re contrac bodies s of 4). ĐŝƚLJ͕ ǁŚĞĞǁĂďůĞ Z ted cult Aborigi outcom s 0, 12, 24% LTS ǀĞƌŶŵĞŶ Hen y resu Expone on a en Israel TION ntial ). NSW ing er tank it slow NSW of vio mo ry rs. The capital rainfall ously rou in unit et al., 201 ƚĞ ŐŽ lth ĂƚĞƌ ƐĐĂƌƌĐŝƚLJ ;ZĞŶ of diffi 24 Drain munitie times. ment found whereas ple of ctorate D is rainwat off since the Height RESU SSION sewer modell indust ůůLJ͘ t the ste social provide s to in hea 0, 12, ŵĂƚĞ ƐƚĂ ODUC betwe 24% delay rs drain delavolume, ll com ŶŶƵĂ ǁĂƚĞƌ ƐĐĂ MM, rs (Walsh C using continu refore, Govern ůĞŐŝƟ Offset ter Dire nal Peo lth Officer sma n INTR rcity is an exil, one whichd will 1 context of service proces CU es of the water tank sented The PH[PVU ace run er through d tank In SW ĐĂƉŝƚĂ ĂŶŝƟŽŶ ŽĨ Drain d ) (mm) (Local (NSW Wa ing hou nance. ƌƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ Hea ZZVJ 12 hou on in SSO Aborigi 24% ƌ ƉĞƌ from DISout d in area. on in surf betwee people ĚĞĮ ŽƌĚĞ [LY ( (H PVU PVU PVU com sca T is in pre Chief rain way calculat provide ed wat for a fixe eases tematic and mainte s, to rs) ties VJPH[ VJPH[ VJPH[ U >H arity surviva ts conten rcity Ŷ ƚŚĞ ucti Ɛ ŽĨ ǁĂƚĞ ĂƚĞƐ ƚŚŝƐ d ter ucti are inal the for sys and te rent stor [YHSPH Y (ZZ Y (ZZ Y (ZZ ĞƐ Ž utili red (hou 0 ĞƚƌĞ s, disp sca The red of Wa ƌƉŽƌ (as re, no incr orig (\Z lts ntis >H[L >H[L >H[L s the modifie es of . Thu to sta M [OL Delay ration HSPHU HSPHU HSPHU ƚǁŽ ƐƚĂƚ munitie ĐƵďŝĐ ŵ ĂƉĞƌ ŝŶĐŽ was the diffeduring 201 the resu time scie As water ificant YUHS V (\Z[Y (\Z[Y (\Z[Y Therefo of D in mm to be non-Ab health com release ce pipe in drain Hence, in with s ope Drain threat mental valu L QV\ M [OL M [OL M [OL Ĩ Ăƚ ůĞĂƐƚ a sign Area ĂŶ ϭ͕ϳϬϬ ŚŝƐ Ɖ s did and ters tly. orifi ease res, the % 4. For 6USPU YUHS V YUHS V YUHS V ƐƐ ƚŚ ŶŶƵĂůůLJ͘ d (2) has (3). The ulated addres Aboriginal service on. ulation L QV\ L QV\ L QV\ values ŵŝůŝƚĂƌLJ Ž ervious (%) 2). The riginal outlet nal Eq. parameres 3 and these figu n as 100 ucti environ significan incr 6USPU 6USPU 6USPU e ŽŶƐ ĂƐ ůĞ ĐĂƉŝƚĂ Ă pop ƚŚĞ ge Eq. Imp 201 1), Abo our calc red in the h n EĂƟ ůǀŝŶŐ lth nal nal nal e-J most r’s In som Table sented sewera ŶŝƚĞĚ ǁĂƚĞƌ ƉĞƌ size, in Figu ted in bot olds is take e case Treated le 1 are of D and volume worse W Hea Ministe ŇŝĐƚ͕ ŝŶǀŽ e-Jour e-Jour e-Jour and Water across pre bas ďLJ ƚŚĞ h Ɛ ŽĨ e in Tab values y (as re has ŵĞĚ ĐŽŶ Water Water Water that water ors (NS the SSO ĮŶĞĚ ďŝĐ ŵĞƚƌĞ presen of househ with the n without Prim ƚĞ Ăƌ ŝƐ ĚĞ gh the sented with the Ϭ ĐƵ indicat the Gap ber ƌĞƐƐ ectivel Ŷ ŝŶƚĞƌƐƚĂ C pre num parison conditio s) is also ‘Althou education ůŽǁ ϭ͕ϬϬ 1. tĂƚĞƌ Ɛƚ ŵĞĂ Eq. (3) hours resp com ent that in ĞŶ ƚŽ Closing ĞĚ ĂƐ ďĞ using and a is the curr water tank ĚĞĮŶ stated rovement and 1). ƉĞƌ ŝƐ ƚĂŬ ŝƐ ƉĂ ich rain Table in mm Report imp in T ng (wh e ŝŶ ƚŚ enti ted ŇŝĐƚ͛ som Ϯ͘ ͚ ŽŶ been presen implem
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Submit your technical paper for the Water e-Journal, the Association’s online repository of water-related papers. Visit the Association’s website and look under the Publications tab or email journal@awa.asn.au for more information.
executive summary catchment management
Aiding water utilities considering development planning within open water supply catchments TOP 10 LESSONS FROM PLANNING TRIBUNALS IN VICTORIA REGARDING DEVELOPMENT WITHIN OPEN POTABLE WATER SUPPLY CATCHMENTS. K Billington, D Deere
ictoria has specific statutory planning provisions for developments on land in an open drinking water catchment. As a referral authority, water utilities can object to a planning permit application where the risk to drinking water is considered unacceptable. If the water utility objects on this basis, the local council must refuse to grant a planning permit. Where the water utility recommends refusal of a planning permit, or when a council refuses to grant a permit in its own right, the applicant can seek for the case to be reviewed at the Victorian Civil and Administrate Tribunal (VCAT). The development applicant, local council and water utility then present assessments and submissions in support of their various positions at VCAT. Over the past 10 years, key cases have now provided a body of evidence that can be consolidated into a set of key lessons.
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Human health protection considerations take priority over other planning objectives.
TAKING NOTE For the purpose of this paper, 10 related principles have been extracted and logically ordered to reflect the key lessons arising from VCAT decisions: 1. Multiple barriers: Water utilities and councils have complementary roles in development assessment and control as part of the ‘multiple barrier’ approach to water quality protection. 2. Human health priority: Human health protection considerations take priority over other planning objectives. 3. Pathogens from humans: Pathogens from human origins take priority over other potential contaminants when considering human health. 4. Practical over theoretical: Real-world experiences (noting field experience with reliability of controls) rather than theoretical risks need to be considered. 5. Failing on-site sanitation: Typically, poor performance and failure of on-site sewage management systems in practice is well established and documented and not in dispute. 6. Cumulative effects: Cumulative impacts must be considered rather than merely considering developments in isolation. 7. Drawing lines: A ‘line in the sand’
approach that acknowledges the need to avoid an incremental creep is a legitimate reason to limit potential polluting. 8. Community costs: For vulnerable water catchments, community costs should be recognised when considering the implications for drinking water treatment and contamination events. 9. Equity: Intergenerational and community equity should be recognised when considering costs. 10. Precautionary principle: In relation to the protection of public health, the ‘precautionary principle’ should be applied. It is considered that an awareness of these principles will aid water utilities when considering development planning within open water supply catchments and specifically if they wish to present cases for review at VCAT or similar tribunals interstate. Karla Billington is a Director and Consultant with Naturallogic. Dan Deere is the Director of Water Futures. To read the full article, visit the Water e-Journal at bit.ly/water_ejournal
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executive summary sewerage asset data
Maximising sewerage asset data: a desktop tool to rank sewage pump station capacity A DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING TOOL TO MONITOR CRITICAL SEWERAGE INFRASTRUCTURES. F Bressan, S Zhong, N Turich
he electronic age – or as some term it, the Fourth Industrial Revolution – has propelled the amount of available data being recorded. This is no different for a water utility such as the South Australian Water Corporation (SA Water). In isolation, there are specific regulatory or operating reasons why particular data is collected. It is, however, when strategic links are made between the varying data streams that simple yet powerful benefits are realised. This paper bridges the gap between anecdotal information of Sewage Pump Station (SPS) operation and developing priority lists for SPS asset upgrade programs. In the past, the identification of wastewater assets – particularly Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) and SPSs – for capacity upgrades was a mix of local knowledge and experience. The Treatment and Network Planning team at SA Water latched
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onto the idea of using existing data sources to produce a priority list of SPSs that require an upgrade prior to reaching their capacity. This lead to the development of an Automated sewage Discharge Analysis Tool (ADAT).
QUICK INSIGHTS ADAT measures the relationship between pump duties and theoretical catchment discharges as a theoretical indicator of capacity performance of these systems. ADAT enables a relatively quick process to estimate how SPS sub-catchments are behaving. ADAT is a simple data interrogation tool to rank SPS performance that utilises a mix of Geographical Information System (GIS) data, Microsoft Excel macro-based tools and pump station asset performance records. ADAT uses existing and future connection growth derived from sewage discharge rates against theoretical SPS pump duties, a process that is performed using Microsoft Excel macro programming.
A single batch process is run to generate sewage flow projection charts and their corresponding summary tables for every pumping catchment. Where information exists, ADAT has been able to produce tabular and graphic representations of historic and projected sewage discharges for each individual pump sub-catchment. ADAT has also provided SA Water with a simple and effective way to identify SPS sub-catchments that have reached their theoretical design pump duty (1-pump mode) and those that are estimated to reach it sometime over the next 25 or more years. Reviewing some 500 SPS catchments, ADAT generated more than 1,000 figures, consisting of maps, tables and charts.
COUNTING THE BENEFITS Through the development of ADAT, there have been several benefits achieved and discovered including:
Sewage Pump Station Catchment Boundaries
• identifying data gaps in SPS pump duty records, • a relatively quick and inexpensive process to identify sewage pump stations running at or close to their theoretical limits, • a simple means of comparing industrysupplied planning projections against actual sewage connection growth rates, • a method to verify anecdotal operational information, • a method to compare metered water consumption with sewage discharge rates, and • the ability to generate a broad understanding of growth statistics at different spatial scales at WWTP, SPS and suburb levels.
THE VARIOUS DATA INPUTS AND HOW THEY ARE USED IN ADAT.
AroGIS
CSV File Containing Gip Records Of Sps Catchments
Discharge / Peson And Pump Duty Data
SPS Analysis Spreadsheet
Summary Table
Projection Chart
Several opportunities to further improve ADAT have also been identified, including extending ADAT to consider 2-pump operating conditions, the addition of Septic Treatment Effluent Discharge Scheme (STEDs or also now known as Community Wastewater Management Systems) connections (which are not presently accounted for), and analysis of data at smaller time scales, which allows for the measurement of the impact of higher and lower rainfall years on the sewage return rate ratio. Through the development of ADAT, SA Water’s Treatment and Network Planning team has gathered business intelligence in a relatively simple process and has avoided a highly repetitive manual task. ADAT’s strength is that it applies a systematic approach to analysing every sewer pump station through a single batch run.
Priority Table
Colour-Coded Map
SPS Annual Report
Water Consumption Analysis
Picture information: tion: Please caption the Sewage Discharge Versus
To read the full article, visit the Water e-Journal at bit.ly/e-Journal
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T H E AU ST R A L I A N WAT E R A S S O C I AT I O N M AG A Z I N E
A S S O C I AT I O N E V E N T S SHARING EXPERTISE ACROSS THE WATER INDUSTRY
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EVENTS PLANNER Plan your professional development with the Association’s event calendar. NORTHERN WATER Check out why this year’s North Queensland Regional Conference was better than ever. AWARDING EXCELLENCE This year’s Victorian Gala Dinner had water professionals singing the sector’s praises.
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CONFERENCE CANDOR Water professionals from Tasmania and South Australia got the lowdown on water’s future challenges. TERRITORY TIME Water issues in the north took precedence at this year’s Water in the Bush Conference. QUEENSLAND’S FINEST Renowned for its lively networking, the Queensland Gala Dinner was back again this year to celebrate the state’s best.
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Association events
EVENT CALENDAR N OV EM B ER
09 09-11 10 14-15
TAS: TAS ASSET MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENCY TECHNICAL SEMINAR INT: VIETWATER’16
24 24-25
NSW: LEGENDS OF WATER DINNER VIC: YWP WASH SEMINAR NAT: BIOSOLIDS & SOURCE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE
QLD/NSW: QWATER IN NSW
DECEM B ER
01
18
SA: WATER AWARDS GALA DINNER
08
23
WA: WORKSHOP: PERTH WATER
09
QLD/NSW
INT
TAS: GALA DINNER & DEBATE
Vietwater’16
QWater in NSW
The Australian Water Association will be attending Vietwater 2016, and AWA International Manager Paul Smith said this year’s itinerary is set to bolster international relationships. “The program that we are developing for the Australian delegates is much greater than the trade exhibition and booth display,” Smith said. When: November 9-11 Where: Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
“QWater gives presenters the opportunity to showcase their expertise at an event that’s less formal than Ozwater,” QWater Committee Chairman Steve Tansley said. “The other benefit is that QWater is a family event, with a considerable amount of networking going on. It’s more low-key, laid-back and attracts a diverse range of professionals.” When: November 24-25 Where: Twin Towns Service Club, Tweed Heads, New South Wales
VIC: WATER AWARDS LUNCHEON ACT: DEBATE ON THE LAKE & AWARDS SA: YWP END OF YEAR EVENT: WATER SECURITY & TRADING
NAT Biosolids & Source Management Conference Presenting a keynote presentation at the conference, Cambi Technical Director Bill Barber said: “When we take a closer look at why we do what we are doing, it’s relevant to drivers from a previous era.” “I’ll be taking a look back at wastewater treatment and also into the future to where treatment can go.” When: November 14-15 Where: Novotel on Collins, Melbourne, Victoria
FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO REGISTER, VISIT BIT.LY/AWAEVENTS 82
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NQ Regional Conference
Watering the top end THIS YEAR’S, THE NORTH QUEENSLAND REGIONAL CONFERENCE ROLLED INTO TOWNSVILLE AND FOUND OPPORTUNITIES FOR MORE WATER PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING THAN USUAL.
ailed as one of the most successful regional events on the Australian Water Association’s 2016 calendar, the North Queensland Regional Conference honed in on water security, while offering delegates a healthy dose of camaraderie, too. With almost 150 attendees and exhibitors, Australian Water Association Queensland Branch Immediate Past President Matt Dawson said the high engagement from industry and delegates was a result of focusing heavily on timely issues in the region. “Every year we look at the key issues unfolding in the region. This year the conference was held in Townsville and, as a result, we really wanted to examine the topic of water security,” Dawson said. “We had a presentation from the Townsville City Council on the topic, which really brought home the key issues very clearly and explained the rationale behind how the council is dealing with it. That was a real highlight.”
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BIG ISSUES, CLOSE FOCUS Dawson said another conference focus was water quality and the Great Barrier Reef, with presentations explaining what is a huge and complicated concern for many water professionals working in the region. “We had a bigger picture view of runoff issues into the Great Barrier Reef offered
This year the conference was held in Townsville and, as a result, we wanted to examine the topic of water security. to us from the CSIRO. Then, later in the day, we had a cane farmer present on how he’s taking steps to manage water runoff on his property,” he said. “People really enjoyed this; it was just a grassroots, practical response to what is a huge issue. It showed there’s a lot of pro-activity and commitment across the entire water cycle.” And while many of the delegates came away from the program with a head full of ideas to consider, this year the conference featured a twist on the program’s local theme. “We didn’t have a formal conference dinner, instead we went to a Cowboy’s game. Somebody joked about it and then, in the same meeting, someone got online and checked. The Cowboys just happen to be playing in Townsville that Thursday night,” Dawson said. “The idea grew from there. What started as a joke turned out to be another great way we could support something local and a really well organised evening, thanks to the events team at the Association.”
CROSS-POLLINATION Aside from the popularity of evening entertainment, the conference’s success
was put down to the support of the Townsville City Council, a dedicated organising committee lead by Conference Chair Jeff Ballard, and cross-industry collaboration, which Dawson hopes to see continued in future. “This year we reached out early to the Queensland Water Directorate, WIOA and WSAA, and they all attended and supported,” he said. “We actually had a Queensland Water Directorate event the day before to create a three-day program. It was really good to see that cross-industry collaboration. Hopefully this conference in North Queensland is a bit of a model for how industry associations can collaborate. “We’ve already had a commitment from Mackay Regional Council to host the conference next year. “In fact, they came to us and said, ‘when do we start planning?’ It’s so great to see the event building momentum.”
Learn more about the QWater, including exhibitor opportunities and registration, here: bit.ly/qwater2016
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Out and About
AWA VIC GAL A DINNER | SOFITEL MELBOURNE, VIC his AWA Victorian Gala Dinner celebrated the state’s water sector with a keynote address from Minister for Water Lisa Neville, offering water professionals an opportunity to reflect on another year of hard work and achievement.
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WHERE THE WATERS MEET CONFERENCE | HOBART, TAS
xploring the issues of climate change and innovation within the water sector, this year’s Tasmanian conference hosted an array of leading experts to help pad out expectations of the future.
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WATER 2020 CONFERENCE | ADEL AIDE, SA ncluding a YWP breakfast, technical tour, presentations on commercialisation and a conference dinner, Water 2020 offered delegates the latest research and emerging trends within the state’s water sector, as well as a chance to network with peers.
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Out and About
POLICY SEMINAR: DOING MORE WITH LESS | PERTH, WA ttendees at the WA Policy Seminar: Doing More With Less heard from six experts on strategy options for managing water in a drying climate, and the afternoon also gave water professionals a chance to catch up with peers.
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WATER IN THE BUSH CONFERENCE | DARWIN, NT
n its 27th year, the Northern Territory’s Water in the Bush Conference returned in 2016 to inspire water professionals on topics ranging from water and energy, development in north Australia and ecological priorities.
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AWA QLD GALA DINNER | BRISBANE, QLD
ne of the highlights on the Queensland event calendar, this year’s Gala Dinner served up a spectacular celebration of the state’s achievements, while delegates took the chance to catch up with peers from around the state.
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Out and About
WOMEN IN WATER | SYDNE Y, NSW
osting the first female-focused water event for the state, the AWA NSW branch welcomed water professionals along to an evening of insightful and celebratory discussion about women in water.
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AWA STAFF TOUR | NORTH HE AD W W TP
he team at the Australian Water Association head office were treated to a day at the North Head Wastewater Treatment Plant. Taking the opportunity to delve into one of the water industry’s most important functions, the team enjoyed learning all about one of Sydney Water’s key facilities.
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The Last Drop
FRANK BISHOP
FRANK BISHOP HAS HAD ONE OF THE LONGEST CAREERS IN AUSTRALIA’S WATER SECTOR. FRESHLY RETIRED AS CHAIR OF THE ASSOCIATION’S WATER JOURNAL TECHNICAL COMMITTEE, THE STALWART LOOKS BACK ON WHAT MADE IT ALL WORTHWHILE.
IT’S A FAMILIAR STORY, BUT I GOT my start in the water industry by accident. The trigger for it all was World War II, which in a way disrupted my education three times. In 1939, my family left Liverpool in the UK, sailing to Canada. From there, we travelled by train across the breadth of the continent, disembarking in Vancouver, where we boarded a ship to Hong Kong. I was 16 years old at the time and my father found me a position as an apprentice engineer. That was the start of my career as an engineer but my time in Hong Kong was short-lived. In July 1940, all women and children were evacuated to Australia because of the likelihood of war with Japan.
FALSE START I started my formal engineering education in Melbourne in 1941 but, less than a year later, I was called up to serve in the Army. I ended up in what was called the Operational Research Unit, where we were tasked with testing equipment and weapons under operational conditions. We tested everything from tropical boots to flamethrowers. I served in Australia and Papua New Guinea. After my discharge, I was able to complete my studies and in 1949, I started my civil engineering career proper. Early on in the piece, I took what was going to be a temporary job with Scott &
One of the strengths of the water industry is its ethos of cooperation. Furphy Group, focusing heavily on water supply and sewage. But what started as a temporary job continued for 35 years.
WATER WORKS Our first big job overseas was the water treatment plant in Port Moresby. One of the key lessons I learned there and working on other projects overseas was the importance of respecting and accounting for different cultures and different approaches to water treatment. The biggest consideration when planning and designing a water treatment plant in another country, whether that be in Papua New Guinea, Malaysia or China, is to allow for different cultures and to not simply assume that what would be best in an Australian context will be the best solution somewhere else. Unfortunately, the popular thing in those days was often simply taking what was considered the best Western technology and supplying it to developing countries. There were too many instances of American technology being installed and not being accepted by the locals. It often ended up falling in a heap. Instead, it is important to be alive to differences, and supply technology that can be assimilated accordingly.
LOOKING BACK I first got involved with what became the AWA as a member of the Institution of Engineers. I was attending a conference and there was a discussion about the need for a water-focused organisation. I attended the first meeting in 1962 as a fairly junior person and was involved from then on, in many different roles. I got involved because the water industry is such a vital aspect of a society but often its importance is not recognised until there is a health hazard. The community relies on the water industry and, like with the medical profession, take it for granted until a disaster occurs. I hope talented young professionals continue to choose the water industry as a good place to launch their careers. It truly is a multi-disciplinary group, covering engineering, science, management, economics and finance, and learning to work together is vital. One of the strengths of the water industry is its ethos of cooperation. Throughout my career, I’ve seen people come to the aid of their fellow professionals time and time again. A lot of valuable information gets readily passed around to other bodies, and not kept as secret or protected. It hasn’t just been hard work. We managed to have quite a lot of fun too.
Frank Bishop AM is AWA’s most honoured member. He was one of the group of founding members of the Australian Water and Wastewater Association (now AWA) in 1962. He served on the Victorian Branch Committee, the Journal Committee as Chairman, and the Federal Council, becoming President from 1982 to 1984. Frank led the process of preparing the Association’s first Strategic Plan in 1987 and establishing membership. After being made an Honorary Life Member, Frank received the George Goffin Award, which was AWA’s highest honour (now called the Exceptional Service Award). National recognition came in early 2003, when Frank was made a Member of the Order of Australia, for his services to AWA, engineering and education. Frank is a Fellow of the American Society of Engineers, a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and Honorary Fellow of Engineers Australia. He retired from his position as the Water Journal editor in July this year, at age 90. Our industry owes a great debt of gratitude to Frank Bishop AM, and it’s evident that his record won’t be surpassed.
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T H E A U S T R A L I A N WAT E R A S S O C I AT I O N M A G A Z I N E
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