Overflow Magazine Spring 2021 by Irrigation Australia

Quarterly Publication of Irrigation Australia (WA Region)

NO. 66 SPRING 2021

IN THIS ISSUE Perth’s groundwater future

Albany to Denmark pipeline

Woodchester Reserve upgrade

Aqwest launches waterwise garden

Winter rainfall update

Managing turf on new sand profiles

Hope Valley Nursery (Part 3)

Measuring the performance of green facades

Contents

Keep up-to-date with irrigation in Australia, visit the IAL website at www.irrigationaustralia.com.au

Perth’s groundwater future

New sprinklers feature in Woodchester Reserve upgrade

Winter rainfall update

Hope Valley Nursery (Part 3)

November 2021

Albany to Denmark pipeline: securing Denmark’s water future

9-10 & 16-17

Aqwest launches waterwise garden

Managing turf on new sand profiles

WA quiz night and networking event

Fruitico Farms – we love data

Better future through soil – why carbon matters to soil

Measuring the performance of green facades irrigated with greywater in a Mediterranean climate

How to set business goals

The benefits of natural turf

Cover: Inspecting table grape crop at Fruitico Farm. Article, pg 32.

Mark Your Diary Commercial Irrigation Design WA Member Event – Fruitico Farms, Meelon – Breakfast, Walk & Talk

December 2021 1-2

Basics in Wiring (virtual) limited places available

1-3

Irrigation Pumps & Systems (virtual)

7-10

Meter Installation and Validation – 4 half days (virtual)

7 & 8

Certificate III in Irrigation Technology AHC32419 Block 1 – Sessions 1 & 2 (Virtual)

14 & 15

Certificate III in Irrigation Technology AHC32419 Block 1 – Sessions 3 & 4 (Virtual)

January 2022 18 & 19

Certificate III in Irrigation Technology AHC32419 Block 1 – Sessions 5 & 6 (Virtual)

27 & 28

Certificate IV in Irrigation Management AHC41119 Block 1 – Sessions 1 & 2 (Virtual)

31 & 1 Feb Certificate IV in Irrigation Management AHC41119 Block 1 – Sessions 3 & 4 (Virtual) February 2022

National Office Staff

8-11

Urban Irrigation Design – 4 half days (virtual)

15-18

Meter Installation & Validation – 4 half days (virtual)

Geoff Harvey - National Training & Marketing Manager geoff.harvey@irrigation.org.au

22-25

Commercial Irrigation Design – 4 half days (virtual)

Andres Jaramillo - Training and Certification Officer

andres.jaramillo@irrigation.org.au

March 2022

Marike Froneman - Accountant (part time)

marike.froneman@irrigation.org.au

1-3

Certificate IV in Irrigation Management AHC41119 Block 1 – Sessions 5, 6 & 7 (Virtual)

WA Member Event – Woodchester Reserve, Nollamara – Breakfast

Certificate IV in Irrigation Management AHC41119 Block 1 – Session 8 (Virtual)

29-1 Apr

Irrigation Efficiency Course (face-to-face) limited places available

Bryan Ward - Chief Executive Officer

Chris Delphin - Business Administration Manager

bryan.ward@irrigation.org.au

chris.delphin@irrigation.org.au

WA Office Staff Tracy Martin - National Membership & Regions Manager

tracy.martin@irrigation.org.au

Rebecca New - WA Projects Officer Ph: 0458 291 643

rebecca.new@irrigation.org.au

Ellen Slobe - Overflow Coordinator Ph: 0411 293 398

overflow@irrigation.org.au

Authorised sprinkler testing signs

To download the order form click here.

The Overflow | Spring 2021

27 & 28

Certificate III in Irrigation Technology AHC32419 Block 2 – Sessions 1 & 2 (Virtual)

May 2022 3 & 4

Certificate IV in Irrigation Management AHC41119 Block 1 – Sessions 9 & 10 (Virtual)

$95ea (inc gst) Non-Members

10-13

Irrigation Efficiency Course (face-to-face) limited places available

Magnetic signs – approx. 400mm x 300mm.

10 & 11

Certificate III in Irrigation Technology AHC32419 Block 2 – Sessions 3 & 4 (Virtual)

24 & 25

Certificate III in Irrigation Technology AHC32419 Block 2 – Session 5 & 6 (Virtual)

$65ea(inc gst) IAL Members If you are testing a system outside of water rostering hours, as a gardening industry professional, you are not required to register for an exemption with the Water Corporation. However, to promote that you are doing authorized work and avoid a possible infringement, you might like to have a sign clearly displayed at the front of the property. These signs are available from the IAL (WA).

April 2022

June 2022 11 & 12

Certificate IV in Irrigation Management AHC41119 Block 1 – Sessions 11 & 12 (Virtual)

For further information please visit: www.coie.com.au

Chairman's Report

From the CEO Bryan Ward

Clinton Hort

Over the last 8 years, it has been a privilege to hold the chair position for the WA Regional Committee. Due to a career opportunity, I will be moving interstate at the end of October and will complete the last 12 years being involved with the regional committee. The work of the regional committee is primarily to ensure we remain topical and relevant within the industry, this is done through engaging with policy makers across all areas of government, IAL members and other stakeholders. This work cannot be completed without a strong, dedicated regional committee and passionate staff. We are fortunate to have both in WA. I would encourage everyone who works within the irrigation industry to get involved with the regional committee. It makes complete sense to me that the health of the industry and the viability of my personal career are closely related, any small contribution we can make to the industry contributes to the long-term sustainability and the benefit of all within. Over this time, I have had pleasure of working with the IAL staff, IAL members and many stakeholders and developed relationships I hold dear. I would like to extend my gratitude to the IAL Regional Committee members, the WA staff; particularly Tracy who has been supporting the Regional Committee since 2008, and to everyone else I have had the pleasure to engage with over the years. I am appreciative and proud of the work that the WA committee has achieved and look forward to seeing the region develop further in with the emerging committee members and leaders. I wish Irrigation Australia and the WA industry all the very best for the future, and look forward to catching up with any WA members attending the 2022 ICID and National Conference in Adelaide. Clinton Hort IAL (WA) Industry Chairman

The Overflow is the quarterly publication of Irrigation Australia (WA Region). Articles published are views expressed by the authors. IAL(WA) is not responsible for their accuracy and disclaims any liability which may arise from any person acting on the materials contained within. Editorial content does not necessarily represent the views or policy of Irrigation Australia (WA Region)

WA COVID restrictions prevented my attendance at the 2021 Waterwise Expo at the Crown Perth Convention Centre but we were delighted with the strong support the event received from the Western Australia irrigation community. A record number of exhibitors and delegates attended the event and the attendance by Hon Dave Kelly Minister for Water; Forestry & Youth, DWER Director General Michelle Andrews and Water Corporation CEO Pat Donovan reinforced the strong commitment and support that the government of Western Australia continue to have for water efficiency. I’d like to record my thanks to Tracy, Rebecca and Ellen from our WA Irrigation Australia Team for their outstanding commitment to put an event together in the face of COVID uncertainty. We now look forward 12 months to October 2022 to the ICID 24th International Irrigation Congress combined with the Irrigation Australia Conference & Exhibition and our confidence of welcoming good numbers of international delegates to Australia increases with the excellent vaccination results being achieved in Australia and internationally. We are inviting abstract submissions for both the domestic and international program and further information can be found at www.icid2022.com.au Despite the impact of COVID-19 on our face-to-face training program we were able to pivot quickly and introduce online virtual training in the past year, nearly 600 students were undertaking training with Irrigation Australia in this period which is an outstanding outcome for our organisation. Notwithstanding the difficulties presented by the pandemic Irrigation Australia managed to end the financial year with a satisfactory financial result which was presented to the Irrigation Australia Annual General Meeting on 27 October. Finally, on behalf of the board and management I take this opportunity to thank Clinton Hort for his services to the Western Australia irrigation industry over many years as he begins his new career in Queensland. Clinton has been a passionate and outstanding advocate for Irrigation Australia in his role as Chair of the WA Regional Committee and we wish him every success in his new position. Bryan Ward IAL Chief Executive Officer

Publisher/Editor: IAL WA Region, PO Box 3401 Success, WA 6964 Tel: (08) 6263 7774

The Overflow | Spring 2021

Regional Update By Tracy Martin, National Membership & Regions Manager & Rebecca New, WA Projects Officer

Dear Members, Industry Colleagues and Interested Parties, Welcome Members to the Spring edition of The Overflow. The WA irrigation industry, along with 30 companies shared the spotlight at the 2021 Waterwise Irrigation Expo which was held at Crown Perth Convention Centre on 25th August 2021. The weather was kind and we awoke to clear blue skies on Wednesday, which was greatly appreciated by the 212 delegates who moved around the complex and landscape precinct to participate in a variety of presentations delivered by industry experts who kindly volunteered their time. This year IALWA targeted the metropolitan school gardeners through a direct marketing campaign from Dept of Education, in an effort to attract this audience – 73 school gardeners were quick to secure

The Overflow | Spring 2021

their seat as a delegate for the first time to this highly successful biennial event. Feedback received has been extremely positive, with a large portion of schools indicating their interest in irrigation training and attending a similar event in the future. 2 streams were introduced to the event for delegates to choose from COMMERCIAL and RESIDENTIAL – The Commercial Stream covered topics on Burswood Park Landscape Precinct (Clint Jones, Burswood Park Authority); Management of Municipality Overall Irrigation Network (Blake Humber – City of Perth); South 9 Bore (Andrew Ogden – Western Irrigation) and Soil Monitoring and Management (John Forrest – Forrest & Forrest Consulting). We acknowledge the support of the volunteer speakers. The Residential Stream covered topics on correct use of dripline; designing systems with correct water coverage; water leak detection methods and

best practice in installations which was presented by Paul Willmott. Clever monitoring of smart controllers was presented by Robert Gough of Hunter Industries. We thank these presenters for their participation.

Staff Movement in WA Office

I am excited to advise our readership that we have promoted Rebecca New from the admin support role to the WA Projects Officer role, after the resignation of Ellen Slobe back in September. Rebecca joined IALWA back in January 2020 and is already familiar with a large portion of the WA activities, this knowledge placed her in a strong position to transition to the WA Projects Officer role. Many of our members will have met or spoken to Ellen over the past 4.5 years and I am sure will agree with me when I say she has done an outstanding job for our members and local industry. We won't be saying "goodbye" to Ellen just yet though, as she has accepted a part time position as The Overflow Co-Ordinator - this means Ellen will be sourcing articles of interest from our industry for inclusion in this publication for the WA Region. If you have a project/story to tell, please contact Ellen at overflow@irrigation.org.au . I take this opportunity to congratulate Rebecca on her promotion and wish her every success that this opportunity brings and wish Ellen every success in her extended future endeavours, wherever they may take her. To contact the WA office, simply call 08 6263 7774 or email rebecca.new@ irrigation.org.au for all Waterwise enquiries email adminsupport@ irrigation.org.au .

Annual Regional Meeting

The Annual Regional Meeting for the WA Region was held on Tuesday, 12th October 2021 at the South Perth Bowling Club. Minutes of the 2020 meeting were accepted and seconded by members of the floor. Reports were presented from the various sub committees that make up the regional committee outlining the past 12 months activities. No Notice of Motion were received, 21 nominations were received from local members wishing to support the Regional Committee either directly or channelled through one of the various sub committees for the 2021/22 year. Nominees will meet on the 3rd Tuesday of November and be assigned to a sub committee where their expertise can be put to good use, aligning all activities to the WA Strategic Plan and underpinning the activities associated with the WA Stakeholders – Department of Water & Environmental Regulation and Water Corporation. We take this opportunity to thank all nominees. Nominations were received from the following members:Darryl Wylie – HR Products Jason Rothery – The Retic & Landscape Shop Tim Robertson – Rain Bird Australia Nathan Yardley – Nutrien Water Troy Fiscus – Cadsult IDS Paul Willmott – Willmott Irrigation Todd Denzil-Williams – HR Products Nicole McNeil – Toro Australia Daniel Nelson – Newground Water Services Richard Yates – Harvey Water Stacey Oakley – Great Northern Rural Services Andrew Webb – Reece Irrigation & Pools Zaahir du Toit – Holman Industries Paul Mellor – Evergreen Blades Darren Seinor – Garden Solutions Steve Rowan – Vinidex Bede Anderson – Mr Retic Mark Barnes – Nutrien Water Mark Davies – Aquamonix Mark Harries – Holman Industries Clive Croxford – Croxford Irrigation

Waterwise

Irrigation Australia along with Country Water Solutions exhibited at the 2021 annual Bull and Barrel Festival held in Dardanup on Saturday 9 October 2021 to promote the Waterwise Programs in the South-West region. This event attracts some 15,000 attendees and we cheerily distributed the popular Sprinkler Run Time Flyer, along with product samples and information in show bags to eager visitors to our exhibition site, educating the community in water-use efficiency practices and showcasing the irrigation demonstration machine which we loaned from Water Corporation. Waterwise members benefit significantly from the dissemination of this flyer as the QR code on the flipside directs readers to the Waterwise Programs

website for lead generation with all members. Visitors to the site were able to enter a competition that we ran to win one of three weather smart irrigation controllers (Hunter X2 with WAND, Rainbird controller + WIFI Link module, and an Orbit B-Hyve). All models were on display providing us the opportunity to engage with interested visitors about their specific features. The competition was drawn on Monday 11 October 2021 by Country Water Solutions and winners were notified. We congratulate the winners: Hunter X2 – Annette Stone Rain Bird ESP TY2 – Jana Orbit B-Hyve – Cameron Martin

The Overflow | Spring 2021

The water utility in the South-West Region, Aqwest, has developed a Waterwise garden at the front of the main administration building at 5 MacKinnon Way, BUNBURY, which is free and open to the community. The garden features native plants and shrubs from the South West, with the type of plant, flowering times, watering times, and soil explained on QR codes and information sheets. There are three types of turf on display, information on growing techniques and the correct irrigation run times for your turf. A sprinkler demonstration station has been built and showcased in a section of the garden and visitors can operate the machine to visualise the sprinkler flow rates of various emitters. The garden has been designed and installed by endorsed Waterwise Garden Irrigator, Verve Landscapes. Visit Aqwest’s website for more information or to read Aqwest’s article see page 24. Water Corporation has announced the launch of the 2021 Weather Smart Irrigation Rebate to help save water in the garden. A total rebate of up to $300 is available, split for the purchase ($200), installation, and programming ($100) of one eligible weather-based irrigation product. This rebate is only available on eligible products and services from members endorsed in the Waterwise Programs and only available to customers of Water Corporation in the Perth and Peel region. The rebate is available for purchases made from 1 September 2021 and will cease after

The Overflow | Spring 2021

31 May 2022 or when the limit of 600 rebates is reached. To find your local endorsed Waterwise member participating in this initiative, please visit www.waterwiseprograms. com.au The Waterwise Irrigation Programs facebook page continues to post member spotlights and educational material weekly, so please like and share our posts.

Waterwise Council Training Program

This Training Program, which is a joint initiative supported by DWER and WC commenced its first year of fully subsidised training for Irrigation Efficiency to parks and gardens teams participating in the Waterwise Council’s Program in August 2021. 16 students attended the 4-day event, and all were assessed and completed the course with the 3 units of competency issued. This training is a new initiative to encourage local governments to achieve or retain gold endorsement under the existing Waterwise Council Program. The 2nd training course will be held in March ’22 and the final course for the 21/22 year will be held in May ’22. The 2nd round of uptake for Council’s who did not apply this year, will be promoted by DWER in May 2022.

Training

We have exciting news for people wanting a career pathway into the

irrigation industry in Western Australia only. Irrigation Australia has been approved to provide funded training for traineeships for school-based students; school leavers of 2021 and long and short term unemployed. This training course includes everything you need to learn to design, operate and maintain irrigation systems in a wide range of professional environments, such as local government (councils); landscapers; irrigation retail outlets; irrigation contractors. We currently have 15 places available so register your interest today. Irrigation Australia is keen to find irrigation related businesses to support and employ these students, particularly school based students for at least one day per week. Read more about this exciting opportunity and register your interest and/or support on the next page. Training demand remains consistent around the country and IAL continues to deliver face to face training here in Western Australia where practicable, however, for the better part of the nation most of the training is being delivered in a virtual capacity through Zoom during COVID. IAL will need to arrange for practical face to face assessment training when state borders open up, in an effort to catch up those students impacted by COVID. If you are interested in training specific to the irrigation industry, visit our dedicated training website to view the training courses and short course workshops available www.coie.com.au

WA Irrigation Traineeships NOW AVAILABLE AHC32419 Certificate III in Irrigation Technology Overview Exciting opportunities exist for trainees wanting an employment pathway into the irrigation industry in Western Australia only. This training course includes everything you need to learn to design, operate and maintain irrigation systems in a wide range of professional environments, such as:

• Local government (councils) • Landscapers • Irrigation retail outlets • Irrigation contractors Once successfully completed you will receive a Nationally Recognised Qualification and become a Qualified Irrigation Technician

Traineeships available for • School-based students • School leavers 2021 • Long and short term unemployed You need to be employed by a business in the Irrigation Industry – we can help you find an employer There are eligibility requirements that must be met (details available)

Duration 2 Years

30th November 2021

Delivery method ✓ Virtual ✓ Face to face in our training facility ✓ Onsite Contact us today for more details on 1300 949 891 or email us at training@irrigation.org.au

Course details can be found on our website: https://www.coie.com.au/course/certificate_iii_in_irrigation/

Perth’s Groundwater Future Groundwater is Perth’s main water source. We are fortunate to have three groundwater aquifers under our feet – the Superficial, Leederville and the deep Yarragadee aquifers. The groundwater in these aquifers provide hundreds of thousands of water users in the Perth and Peel region with good quality water at a relatively low cost. Groundwater users self-supply water through bores mostly for irrigating gardens, sports grounds, open space and crops, and Water Corporation uses groundwater in our drinking water supply. Importantly, groundwater also supports the environment, wetlands, wildlife, and our outdoor way of life now, and for Aboriginal people for tens of thousands of years. But unlike Perth’s dams, groundwater is out of sight. This means its importance is often overlooked. Perceptions that groundwater is an inferior source are outdated – all water is precious, regardless of its source.

The Overflow | Spring 2021

Like dam levels, groundwater has been impacted by climate change. The state's South West region is now one of the areas on the planet most affected by climate change through declining rainfall.

of Perth and Peel’s water supply. So, adjusting to climate change is crucial,” Ben Drew, Director of Water and Ecosystem Planning for Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, said.

“When you consider both scheme supply and self-supplied bore water, groundwater makes up 70 per cent

“The imperative is with us to act now and to be wise with our water use.”

South-west Western Australia's climate has changed significantly since the 1970s. In fact, climate change has reduced Perth’s long-term average rainfall by about 15 per cent since 1975. “When we group data from the Bureau of Meteorology’s Perth Airport weather station into decades, we can see a clear step-down trend in Perth’s rainfall over time. In the 1940s, Perth received an average of 895mm – can you imagine that? This is compared with 668 mm in the 2010s,” Mr Drew said. The combination of drier soils and reduced rainfall means less water is recharging our groundwater aquifers. This is having a measurable and visible impact on the water balance of the groundwater system and groundwaterdependant ecosystems including wetlands, caves, lakes and bushland. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation has a comprehensive groundwater monitoring network across Perth and monitoring data shows that the groundwater system is under stress in many parts, particularly across the Superficial aquifer of the Gnangara groundwater system north of the Swan River. “As a result of reduced rainfall from climate change our current rates of groundwater abstraction are now unsustainable. We have lost around 1,200 gigalitres (billion litres) of groundwater stored in the Superficial aquifer since 1980.” “This is causing water table and pressure declines, water quality deterioration near the coast and river, and significantly impacting many of our important environmental sites. These all significantly affect the long-term sustainability of Perth’s groundwater system as a natural, good quality source of water for Perth,” Mr Drew said. “As we continue to feel the impacts of climate change, local governments, businesses and the community all have a role to play to protect and adapt the way we use water. The irrigation industry plays a key role in helping everyone to do this”

The Overflow | Spring 2021

Mr Drew said to help secure our groundwater future DWER has a number of initiatives in place. The Waterwise Perth Action Plan sets the direction for Perth to be a leading waterwise city by 2030 with a target to reduce groundwater use by 10 per cent. The Plan is a first of its kind for water management in Western Australia and DWER has made great progress to adjust to the impacts of climate change on Perth’s water cycle. Many initiatives have been delivered by the department and the second iteration of the Plan is currently under development. “We are resetting sustainable limits for the Perth and Peel regions in response to climate change and providing early advice for long-term land planning. We launched the Waterwise Council Irrigation Training Program, provided metering support to the Department of Education to meter and report school groundwater use, and developed the Be Groundwater Wise website as a goto location for garden bore information. State Government has also invested $600,000 for a water efficiency grants program for irrigators in North Wanneroo.”

The Overflow | Spring 2021

Mr Drew also suggested that users can help secure future groundwater use by adhering to their water licence conditions and staying within their annual water entitlement, metering and reporting how much groundwater they use through Water Online and planning to find water savings. Mr Drew said the irrigation industry will play a critical role in transforming water use behaviour over the next decade and securing the Gnangara groundwater system as a low cost and sustainable water supply into the future.

“An innovative industry that has the technology ready to provide water users with the tools they need to make every drop of water count and a skilled industry with the capacity to advise, design, install and maintain all types of irrigation systems are among the keys to creating a secure water future,” Mr Drew said. “People using groundwater with as much care as scheme water has to be part of our approach moving forward.”

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New sprinklers feature in Woodchester Reserve upgrade The Woodchester Reserve is located in Nollamara, approximately 10km from the Perth CBD, within the City of Stirling local government area. The Reserve contains sporting grounds, including a long jump pitch and is home to the Tuart Hill Junior Soccer Club and other amateur football clubs. As part of the City of Stirling’s 20202021 irrigation capital works program, it was recognised that the irrigation system at the Woodchester Reserve had reached its end-of-lifecycle and was well due for replacement. The previous system, installed 24 years ago in 1997, didn’t include hydrozones and featured sprinklers spaced at 18.5m intervals. The Woodchester Reserve is elevated and open to very windy conditions, negatively impacting irrigation uniformity and efficiency. The 18.5m sprinkler spacing, nozzle sizing and design presented significant challenges for parks and garden staff to maintain the turf to a sufficiently healthy level for active sports and recreation play.

The Overflow | Spring 2021

Key questions considered by irrigation designers for the replacement system included: • Sprinkler type: What model sprinkler to use at this location? • Spacing requirements: What spacing to achieve the best water application rates? • Nozzle size: What nozzle size to use due to the windy conditions? • Reserve usage: What is the Reserve predominantly used for? • Hydrozoning: Ability to manage the water requirements across the Reserve. • Installation process: Ability to install the new system with minimal impact on the club users and public. The mainline was designed to be installed off the playing surface to allow the club to continue to use the

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20B Ø50 4.44 22

WOODCHESTER ROAD

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HUNTER I25 GEAR DRIVE PART CIRCLE SPRINKLER # 15 NOZZLE 61.5 LPM / 17.7M RAD / 550 KPA

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HUNTER I50 GEAR DRIVE FULL CIRCLE SPRINKLER # 20 NOZZLE 88.7 LPM / 19.8M RAD / 600 KPA

7.8M

BERMAD 200 SERIES SOLENOID VALVES PHILMAC POLY BALL VALVES 2 X 1419 RAINBIRD VALVE BOXES (STACKED) ORANGE BALL - VALVE MARKER

WOODCHESTER PLACE

40 25

80 80

7 CORE MULTI CORE TO END OF MAIN VALVES 20A, 20B, 21A, 21B, 3 X SPARE

9.2M

25 40 50

UTILISE EXISTING SLEEVE

75 50

HUNTER I20 GEAR DRIVE PART CIRCLE SPRINKLER # 6 HF L.A. NOZZLE 25.3 LPM / 11.9 M RAD / 450 KPA HUNTER I20 GEAR DRIVE PART CIRCLE SPRINKLER # 4.5 LOW ANGLE NOZZLE 18.9 LPM / 11.3M RAD / 450 KPA HUNTER I20 GEAR DRIVE PART CIRCLE SPRINKLER #3.5 LA NOZZLE 14.8 LPM / 11.3M RAD / 450 KPA

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HUNTER I20 GEAR DRIVE FULL CIRCLE SPRINKLER # 8.0 HF L.A. NOZZLE 33.6 LPM / 12.5M RAD / 450 KPA

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HUNTER I20 GEAR DRIVE PART CIRCLE SPRINKLER #2.5 LA NOZZLE 12.0 LPM / 10.7M RAD / 450 KPA

HUNTER I20 GEAR DRIVE FULL CIRCLE SPRINKLER #6 NOZZLE 27.9 LPM / 13.4M RAD / 450 KPA

150MM CL 12 RRJ UPVC MAINLINE

40 50

40 25

17 Ø50 8.1 20

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80 50

1 Ø50 8.1 20

2 Ø50 8.1 20

3 Ø50 8.1 20

6 Ø50 8.1 20

5 Ø50 8.1 20

4 Ø50 8.1 20

7 Ø50 8.1 20

75 8 Ø50 8.1 20

10 Ø50 8.1 20

9 Ø50 8.1 20

11 Ø50 8.1 20

13 Ø50 8.1 20

12 Ø50 8.1 20

15 Ø50 8.1 20

14 Ø50 8.1 20

19B Ø50 4.72 22 40

18A Ø50 4.72 22

80 50

7 CORE MULTI CORE TO VALVE 3 VALVES 19A, 1, 2, 3, 19B 2 X SPARE

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9 CORE MULTI CORE TO END OF MAIN VALVES 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18A, 18B 2 X SPARE

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75 40 25

50MM FLUSH VALVE

BORE

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VALVE No

VALVE SIZE

FLOW LPS

PRECIPITATION

STATION DATA

NOTE: INSTALLATION AND MATERIAL CONTENT TO CITY OF STIRLING IRRIGATION SPECIFICATIONS.

PUMP FLOW RATE 8.2 LPS @ 600KPA ( 2015 )

2 X RAINBIRD 1419 VALVE BOX'S (STACKED)

IRRIGATION LAYOUT PLAN:

50MM X 300 PVC G.L.

50MM SLIP FIX

1:500

75 X 50 MI TAKE OFF ADAPTOR 75MM PN10 POLY TO FIELD

50MM BERMAD 200 SERIES VALVE

50MM PHILMAC BALL VALVE

BRONZE TAPPING SADDLE TO SUIT MAINLINE

50MM FAUCET SOCKET

TYPICAL VALVE ASSEMBLY

Amendments

Tax Sheet Survey No B

12/20

AS CONSTRUCTED IRRIGATION LAYOUT PLAN

03/20

IRRIGATION LAYOUT PLAN

No Date

K.Z.

K.Z. REVISION

City of Stirling

DESIGNED

DATUM

DRAWN

SCALE

CHECKED

The lateral lines installed were 75mm PN10 poly pipe, which was ploughedin via a vibrating Moule plough. This allowed no downtime of the playing surface area, allowing the club to continue to train and hold weekend games throughout the project.

The new Hunter I50 (6’ pop-ups) with rear-opposing nozzles were chosen for the site after they were trialled and tested at another reserve near the coast. The rear-opposing nozzles were found to be extremely beneficial in the windy conditions. At the time, the Hunter I-50 was a new addition to the line of Hunter sprinklers. With a radius throw of 13.1m to 23.2m and a flow rate of 1.63 to 6.84 m3/hr (27.2 to 114.1 lpm), the high-torque I-50 is engineered to thrive in difficult water-quality and hard soil conditions, a common challenge at several Reserves within the City of Stirling. Sprinkler spacing was changed to 15.5m apart, which allowed consistent spacing across the sports fields. Catch cup tests carried out after the installation was completed resulted in 23.6mm per hour application, with 92% DU tested at 3kph winds. The City aims for 85% or above, so this was a great outcome.

The Overflow | Spring 2021

DRAWING No.

Job No.

App'd

Reserve while trenching works were undertaken to install the new mainline, cabling and solenoid valves.

SHEET

APPROVED

Hunter I20 Ultra SS sprinklers, spaced at 10m apart, were selected for the verge and perimeter hydrozones. The installation of the new system took place in October 2020. The new mainline was installed while the old system was still active thanks to the placement, allowing for uninterrupted irrigation scheduling until the ploughing-in of the lateral line and commissioning of the new system. A Grundfos injection unit was also installed as part of the upgrade works, which now enables the Council to inject wetting agents while the system is irrigating during the night. This further assists the management of the City’s water allocations, in addition to the optimised system now in place. To date, the upgrade at this location has proven to be reliable, and parks and garden staff have also seen an improvement in the turf health and quality across the Reserve.

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Winter rainfall update In July this year, Perth's rainfall gave us the wettest month we have seen since 1995. Twenty sites in the South West Land Division (Geraldton to Esperance) were well above average for July, and of these, 12 had their highest July totals in 47 years. The wet July had an impact on the year-to-date rainfall totals, with only one station (Kellerberin) recording below average rainfall for the first seven months of the year. Well above average rainfall totals were recorded at three quarters of sites. While July was obviously a wetter month than we are used to, August rainfall was average or below average at most reference sites across the South West Land Division. Perth also received below average rainfall for all of winter.

The Overflow | Spring 2021

Nine of 19 streamflow reference sites across the same area recorded well above average flows in July, with another nine sites recording average or above average flows. The Margaret River station was the only site to record a below average streamflow for July. Three stations near Perth (Swan River, Hotham River, and Murray River) had their highest July recordings in more than 20 years. Current dam levels in our Perth Metro reservoirs (source: https://www. watercorporation.com.au/Our-water/ Rainfall-and-dams/Dam-levels) are only 11% higher than this time last year. Groundwater levels in Gnangara are reporting similar levels as observed over the last five years (source: https:// gnangara.dwer.wa.gov.au/status/).

While we may have periods of good rainfall, climate change continues to have a significant effect on the water resources in the South West Land Division. As we transition into drier, hotter weather over summer, the demand on our water resources increases. Putting this into context, the above average July rainfall we received equates to Perth’s average daily water use for just 12 summer days. This is a reminder for Perth residents of the ever-increasing need to stay waterwise all year round in the face of climate change. As we continue to feel the impacts of climate change, local governments, businesses and the community all have a role to play to protect and adapt the way we use water.

Hope Valley Nursery (Part 3) Following an extremely successful member event at the Hope Valley Nursery in November 2020, where the operation’s innovative water-saving strategies were showcased, The Overflow magazine has featured several articles on different components. To read the previous articles, see Part 1 and Part 2. In this third and final part, we will focus on the comprehensive control system which controls the heating, ventilation, irrigation, fertigation and water management of the facility.

The Argus Titan system is a comprehensive hardware and software control solution, featuring three systems in one: • Advanced automated equipment control, • Comprehensive monitoring and alarm system; and • Data Recording, archiving, tabular & graphical trend analysis and data export

Heating and Ventilation

Hope Valley’s Argus System decides how much heat or ventilation (Cooling) is required. The objective is to provide an output equipment response that just meets or balances the current energy flux between the indoor and outdoor climates, while avoiding excessive control oscillation that can result in over or undershooting of the targets. Equipment control for heating, cooling, and humidity management often involves multiple equipment systems that must work in harmony to achieve the climate targets efficiently. The program uses information from outdoor weather and climate zone sensors to analyze the current indoor and outdoor conditions. It then compares this data to the current climate targets and calculates a desired output response for heating and ventilation equipment. The data is gathered from Argus’s Advanced Weather Station and Indoor

The Overflow | Spring 2021

Climate Sensors to calculate the following 9 results which are then used to control the corresponding equipment: 1. Ventilation Required for Temperature Control 2. Ventilation Required for Humidity Control 3. Highest Ventilation Request 4. Sum of Ventilation Requests

5. Heating Required for Temperature Control 6. Heating Required for Humidity Control 7. Highest Heating Request 8. Sum of Heating Requests 9. Current Temperature Request to the Heating System.

Corresponding Heating and Ventilation Equipment: • Windward and Leeward Roof Vent Control • Boiler Distribution System & UnderBench Heating Control via Boiler Enables, System Monitoring and Valve Control (see graphic) • Shade Curtain Control • Fog Pump and Valve Control for Temperature, Humidity and Vapour Pressure Deficit (VPD) control.

Irrigation

Hope Valley Nursery can control irrigation growing zones by: • System-wide capacity management enables them to water multiple zones regardless of capacity limitations, queuing and scheduling based on zone priorities. • Intelligent, demand-based irrigation strategies can be based on light accumulation, light-energy

Screenshot of Argus System Graphics for Boiler Distribution System & Under-Bench Heating Control

accumulation, soil moisture, VPD, time-based scheduling and even manual watering for when a more “hands-on” approach is warranted.

Fertigation Control

Part of Hope Valley’s Phase one installation included the supply of an Argus RM Nutrient Rack, a fully automated nutrient control system. Hope Valley can choose to fertigate using concentrated stock solutions specific to their crop, continuously injected into the water stream as irrigation events are underway. Hope Valley Nursery uses Argus’ standard A/B style stock tank applications. Programming and operations are managed by the Argus fertigation management software and can produce up to 64 distinct userspecified recipes, if required (currently only two recipes used). This allows full set-point control for EC and pH allowing the nursery to deliver the exact quantities of fertilizer to their crop for ultimate control.

When Hope Valley schedule an irrigation event, they can choose from the two A/B fertiliser recipes which they would like to deliver to their plants, or they can simply decide to irrigate with clear water.

Water Management

Water source and storage tank level management • The Argus control system monitors Hope Valleys tank, dam and sump levels on their Grundfos pump sets, pulling back the data from Grundfos with a high-level interface and integrating into its Argus Titan System. • With this information the nursery can make informed water management decisions for optimal water conservation. • The Argus control system will also monitor water quality through control of Grundfos Chlorine Dioxide Dosing Unit

Screenshot of manual watering control option

Screenshot of Hope Valley’s Water Management Screen, showing interface with the pumps onsite

The Overflow | Spring 2021

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More than 7,000 lengths of pipe were used to construct the 43-kilometre pipeline

Albany to Denmark pipeline: securing Denmark’s water future Earlier this year, Water Corporation finished construction of the Albany to Denmark pipeline to help secure the town’s water supply in the face of climate change. The new 43-kilometre pipeline was constructed in response to years of declining rainfall in the region due to climate change. Although Denmark has experienced above average winter rains this year, the region is one of the most climate-impacted areas in the world. Since 2014, Denmark has experienced four of its driest winters since records began in 1911. By connecting Denmark to the Lower Great Southern Towns Water Supply Scheme, the town is now no longer

The Overflow | Spring 2021

solely reliant on Quickup Dam as it’s drinking water source. The project also saw more than $6.2 million injected into the region through the hiring of local workers and sourcing local materials and services. The pipeline project employed 198 Western Australian workers, with more than 186 workers directly from the Great Southern region. The project was a collaborative effort between Water Corporation, Shire of Denmark, City of Albany, Main Roads, Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, and WAbased head contractor Georgiou and its sub-contractors.

PROJECT FACT FILE • The pipeline is made up of 7,186 lengths of 6-metre pipe • The pipeline is gravity-fed, with water only able to travel westwards from Albany to Denmark. • Horizontal directional drilling (trenchless construction) was used to go under Quickup and Hay rivers without impacting the natural waterways. • Environmental targets were exceeded, with a 42% reduction in vegetation clearance to just 144m2, and all black cockatoo habitat trees retained.

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Aqwest launches waterwise garden As the supplier of potable water to Bunbury, Aqwest also plays an important role in promoting water conservation to the local community. We wanted to demonstrate how anyone with a garden could play a part in using less water, so earlier this year we started work to establish a waterwise garden which is free and open to the community. The garden at the front of the offices, was revamped and planted with native plants and shrubs from the South West, with QR codes and information sheets explaining the type of plant, flowering times, watering, size, soil and habitat. Local Noongar bush tucker, bush medicine plants and seasonal vegetables in raised garden beds have also been planted. There are three types of lawns on display, with information on growing and sprinkler run times. A range of mulches have been used throughout the garden to illustrate the correct use.

The Overflow | Spring 2021

A sprinkler demonstration station has been set up in one part of the garden and visitors can press each button to see sprinkler flow rates and the suggested run times. “By developing a Waterwise Garden, which shows an amazing array of native plants and how to grow and look after them, Aqwest hopes to assist people to develop their own waterwise garden,” said General Manager Business Services Claire Anderson. The garden is located at the front of Aqwest’s main administration building at 5 MacKinnon Way, Bunbury and can be viewed at any time.

The team behind the garden

Vivienne Hansen and John Horstall, authors of “Noongar Bush Medicine” and “Noongar Bush Tucker” and UWA Publishing, kindly gave permission to use information about the plants from their books on the Aqwest website. More information on these books can be found at: www.uwap.uwa.edu.au. The garden has been designed and installed by Bunbury landscaping

company Verve Landscapes, which is endorsed by Irrigation Australia as a Waterwise Garden Irrigator. The fantastic team at Activ in Bunbury maintains all of Aqwest’s water treatment plant and office gardens. They have helped install the mulch and will maintain the new garden. Aqwest's own "Garden Gurus" - employees who volunteer their time, look after the raised garden beds, weeding and planting seasonal vegetables. All new plants have been sourced from the Leschenault Community Nursery in Bunbury which is not-for-profit and run by volunteers who look after more than 300 varieties of native species. Visit the website for more information: www. leschenaultcommunitynursery.com.au.

Meet Mangrove Man

Submerge is an artwork which takes pride of place in the garden at the entrance to Aqwest’s main administration building. Designed and constructed by artist Simon Gilby, it is affectionately known as "Mangrove Man".

Submerge is an emblem of society's dependence on water and its essential role in the ecosystem. The sculpture takes the form of a surfacing figure interposed with images of water and growth. The stainless steel silhouette is etched with a stream of consciousness relating to water. The mangroves radiating above the waterline in a garland from the head and shoulders of the figure represent water's essential role in sustaining life in the local ecosystem. The filigree waveform or vessel across the shoulders of the figure indicates the spiritual symbolic place water occupies in the local culture. It was installed in the original garden on 14 April 2004 but has now been relocated a few feet away from its original site to a more prominent position to take pride of place in the new waterwise garden.

Different types of irrigation

The Submerge installation by artist Simon Gilby

Irrigation has been installed in the lawns and garden beds showing what can be used in any garden to get the best results.

Jacqui and Peter from Leschenault Community Nursery

The Overflow | Spring 2021

Where does Aqwest operate? Aqwest is a West Australian Government Trading Enterprise responsible for providing drinking water to the City of Bunbury and surrounding areas, which includes about 18,000 properties. Jarrad Back from Verve_Landscapes

This includes Bunbury, parts of Dalyellup and the Picton industrial area, however its operating licence matches the boundary of the Greater Bunbury Regional Scheme, from north of Harvey and Myalup to south of Capel. It produces water from an integrated treatment and distribution system which includes 12 bores, six water treatment plants, four reservoirs, one water tower and about 380 kilometres of water mains. Aqwest operates independently from the Water Corporation and is the sole provider of water for the Bunbury region.

HARVEY

AQWEST’s OPERATING LICENCE AREA

MYALUP BINNINGUP

Map Key Current Water Supply Assets Operating Licence Area Roads / Highways Towns

AUSTRALIND

EATON

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Aqwest recommends an endorsed waterwise garden irrigator is used to ensure correct run times and water use. Lawn The lawn areas are irrigated with Gear Drive sprinklers. These sprinklers are durable, versatile and can be fully adjusted and fine tuned to get the water exactly where you need it to go. Garden All garden beds have a surface installed dripper system hiding beneath the mulch. Using this kind of system means no overspray or misting in windy conditions, no water loss through evaporation and perfectly even watering across the whole garden. All system timers are set to apply 10mm of water twice a week during the heat of summer and are automatically set to use less water as we enter the wetter months.

The Overflow | Spring 2021

DALYELLUP

BOYANUP PEPPERMINT GROVE BEACH CAPEL

DONNYBROOK

All of our controllers are WIFI compatible and are able to read weather patterns, automatically adjusting run times when rainfall is imminent.

Lawn and turf varieties

Three different types of turf have been found in the Garden, representing the three most common lawns found in Bunbury backyards.

Buffalo 'Sapphire' A non-invasive soft leaf variety that grows well in shade. Kikuyu 'Kenda' A fast growing, tough variety for active families. Couch A versatile, inexpensive variety and a remnant from the old Aqwest garden.

Three different mulches

Coarse wood mulch has been used throughout the garden, keeping the soil cool and preventing water loss through evaporation.

Where does our water come from?

The coarse mulch also allows water to penetrate the surface and easily reach the plant root zone.

Not from dams or desalination plants – Bunbury’s water is pumped by Aqwest from the Yarragadee Aquifer.

The larger pieces break down very slowly and feed the soil over a long period of time, removing the need for constant reapplication.

This large, fresh water source is deep underground and stretches from Geraldton in the north to the south coast of WA.

Three different types of mulch have been used in the garden.

The aquifer stores about 1000 cubic kilometres of water.

• Pure Crushed Pine Bark.

While it is recharged with rainfall which percolates through the ground, it is still a limited resource which must be conserved and protected.The water used now will affect the amount of water available in the future.

• Bushland Mulch (Pine bark, wood fines and screened black soil). • Tree Mulch (Crushed bark and recycled sawmill wood waste).

Guiseppe Rugnetta from Verve Landscapes installs one of the sprinklers

The team from Activ mulch the new garden

The Overflow | Spring 2021

Large rolls of kikuyu laid onto an unamended sand profile.

Managing turf on new sand profiles Article by Peter Ruscoe, Sports Turf Technology

To satisfy the demand for all-weather natural turf surfaces, drainage is the highest priority for the construction and ongoing maintenance of active recreational facilities, especially those used for winter sports. In the Perth region, we are blessed with ample supplies of naturally occurring sands with ideal drainage characteristics for turf root zones. However, these freedraining sands can be very challenging to manage, and the aim of this article is to highlight some of the key issues and considerations for construction and ongoing turf maintenance.

• Sting nematode thrives in sandy soils with low organic matter content. This pest is becoming more widespread and is particularly severe on newly-laid turf.

Key issues for turf maintenance

A new sand profile with excessive organic matter content causing the turf root zone to become waterlogged.

• Sand has low moisture and nutrient holding capacity, tending to be droughty and nutrient deficient. Young turf requires more intensive watering and fertilising than mature turf. • Free-draining sand has poor surface stability and can be difficult to consolidate and maintain good surface levels, being prone to wheel ruts and pitting.

The Overflow | Spring 2021

• Root diseases (ERI fungi) are more prevalent in new sand profiles, especially when turf becomes nutrient deficient.

Effect of sting nematode on the establishment of Wintergreen couch planted on infested sand (top) and non-infested sand (bottom).

• Excessive organic matter in the turf root zone alters the properties of sand profiles, causing slow infiltration that leads to turf surfaces becoming soft and muddy in wet conditions.

Soil amendments

When establishing turf on sand profiles, these are some of the considerations for whether or not to incorporate an amendment. What impact does the soil amendment have on the drainage of the sand profile? Incorporating a high rate of organic matter can be detrimental to the rootzone sand by holding excess moisture and forming a restrictive layer on the surface. What is the method of turf establishment, i.e., rolls, plugging or stolonising? When planting turf by stolonising or plugging, the addition of a soil amendment is desirable for improving the surface stability, moisture retention and nutrient content of root-zone sand. This is not as critical for turf rolls, because a layer of soil is introduced on the surface. Does the site have an existing infestation of sting nematode?

A catch-cup test being conducted on a new irrigation system to measure the average precipitation rate for setting the appropriate station run times on a sand-based oval.

The addition of an organic soil conditioner, such as fine compost, is essential to support turf establishment against sting nematode.

expense of soil amendment may be prohibitive, due to the cost of material and the process of incorporation to a suitable depth.

Will the rate of incorporation be effective? A soil amendment can be wasted if the rate is insufficient to provide a meaningful improvement in moisture and nutrient retention. This should be evaluated by laboratory testing with the sand.

The options available to turf managers for amending sand profiles are as follows.

What is the budget for the project? On a large scale, the additional

1. No amendment An unamended sand profile is a viable option and has proven to be successful under the right conditions, e.g., an oval planted with large turf rolls and no sting nematode infestation.

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Young turf in poor condition (left) and mature turf in good condition (right) growing on a sand profile in the UWA kikuyu study.

2. Inorganic soil conditioner There is a range of inorganic products available with quite different properties, such as TerraCottem, Terra Start, Mineral Magic. Kaolinite clay (Soil Solver) and bentonite clay.

but at least every second day if the turf has adequate root depth. This means that irrigating only 2 or 3 days/week will not be sustainable on a new sand root zone without supplemental hand watering.

3. Organic soil conditioner The most common type of material used on turf in the Perth region is based on composted green waste and animal manure. Locally available products include C-Wise Sports and Richgro Lawn Marvel.

Station run times should be limited to avoid water wastage and potential nutrient leaching from overwatering. For example, set a maximum application of 6 mm in a watering event. If the irrigation system has an average precipitation rate of 18 mm/ hour, the maximum station run time would be 20 minutes.

Improved root establishment in sand with an inorganic amendment (right) compared to no amendment (left).

Irrigation practices

The scheduling of watering events will be influenced by the low water holding capacity of a new sand root zone, because it can only hold 1 or 2 days of available water in summer.

Monitoring the soil moisture content is essential to support irrigation scheduling decisions. The best management practice is a combination of: • continuous soil moisture monitoring using a sensor and data logging system at fixed, representative locations; and • periodic spot-checking of soil moisture levels using a hand-held moisture probe.

Turf nutrition

One of the difficulties with a new sand profile is that once turf is established, it tends to lack vigour and gradually

loses leaf density. Unhealthy turf is then more susceptible to severe root diseases in the first few years. Therefore, fertiliser input, especially nitrogen, needs to be significantly higher than for old sand profiles with accumulated root-zone organic matter. As a guide, the annual rate of nitrogen application on new sand root zones should be from 150 kg N/ha on passive turf to 300 kg N/ha in active turf situations. In the first few years, granular fertiliser should be applied 6–8 times/year, not exceeding a rate of 40 kg N/ha in a single application. Nutrient requirements should be monitored using soil and leaf analysis on a regular basis to support fertilising decisions. Leaf analysis is especially useful for identifying nutrient deficiencies that may hinder turf growth and colour. Where the turf has become unthrifty, an application of compost soil conditioner effectively boosts nutrient levels and growth.

Implementing a management plan

Given the increased maintenance requirements of turf on new sand profiles, it is important to follow site-specific management plans for irrigation scheduling and fertiliser applications. Another consideration is the need for annual turf renovation to prevent the accumulation of organic matter in the turf root zone, e.g., dethatching by verti-mowing or scarifying, coring with hollow tines, and top dressing with sand. The application of soil wetting agent is also a good practice to treat water repellent sand during the irrigation season.

Example: Typical daily turf water usage of 5 mm Full point

Stress point Available moisture

15% volumetric moisture content or 15 mm water in 100 mm soil 7.5% volumetric moisture content 7.5 mm = 1.5 days

Frequent irrigation is required to avoid turf stress, preferably daily watering

The Overflow | Spring 2021

Continuous soil moisture monitoring graph showing irrigation events on a new sand profile.

WA Quiz Night and Networking Event The Australian Water Association is inviting the WA water industry to join their Young Water Professionals for a Quiz Night and end-of-year networking for Water Professionals, young and old. Enjoy a warm summer night at the exclusive location of Mount Eliza House in Kings Park. It was built in 1890 for the catchment warden of the Mount Eliza Reservoir, which is Perth’s first reservoir and not open to the general public. The quiz will consist of both general knowledge and waterrelated trivia. Gather up your friends and colleagues and come in teams of six (6), OR come individually and meet fellow young water professionals. The team with the most points at the end of the night will win a mystery prize. Do you have what it takes to compete? Come and prove it!

BITE

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EVENT DETAILS Date: Friday 26 November 2021 Time: 6.00pm to 9.00pm WST

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COST

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Fruitico Farms – we love data Fruitico Farms is a local table grape grower, and part of the larger Fresh Produce Group (FPG) family of produce suppliers. Three years ago, Fruitico Farms were part of a SWAN Systems trial monitoring water use across a newly established vineyard. At the end of the trial period, these young vines were found to have produced yields of table grapes that were above average in both quantity and quality. Three years on, Fruitico Farms are still using SWAN Systems, and regularly review the data provided by the platform to assist in their management decisions. Soil Moisture Management

Maintaining an optimal soil moisture balance is an essential requirement for the management regime used at Fruitico’s vineyards at Hamel and Riverdale – located approximately 100 km south of Perth in the Peel region of Western Australia. The SWAN System has been used by Fruitico since the 2018/2019 growing season to monitor soil moisture around the vines to ensure the soil does not dry out, or become waterlogged. The goal is to ensure that fruit growth is consistent and not interrupted by the vines becoming stressed. SWAN Systems is a cloud-based decision support system for irrigators.

The Overflow | Spring 2021

The software analyses weather, irrigation, and soil moisture data to provide recommendations for optimised irrigation. It also provides integrated modules for nutrient planning and management, and satellite data is used to generate a health (see article) or 'greenness' index for sites based on absorption and reflectance data. Traditionally, irrigators might have access to crop factors, recent weather observations, and soil moisture readings from tensiometers, gypsum blocks, neutron probes, and capacitance probes. The irrigator would use whichever of these tools were at their disposal, to estimate

irrigation requirements. This is a timeconsuming process, and not always accurate. Cloud-based systems take the same inputs and more, then using its proprietary algorithms, provides the irrigator with the information required for irrigation scheduling, faster and more accurately than is possible with manual methods. Soil moisture predictions are provided for the coming week. These are updated daily based on the current, known soil moisture status, the latest weather forecasts, and the existing irrigation plan. Soil moisture forecasts allow users to plan for specific weather or management events – proactive management rather than set-and-forget.

Figure 1: Screenshot of dashboard, showing water use for past six weeks, plus calculated soil moisture balance for the past three days, and the coming week.

Data

It is the collected data for analysis and reporting that Fruitico finds invaluable. Data is collected from a variety of sources including local weather stations and forecasts, soil moisture probes, and flow meters. This data is then used to calculate the current, and predicted, soil moisture balance throughout the vineyards. Upon logging in to the dashboard, the Irrigation Manager can quickly judge the condition of Fruitico’s two vineyards, including soil moisture and water usage, and can use this

information to determine if any remedial action needs to be taken (Figure 1).

unusual data trends, which can be used to guide onsite management of resources.

At the end of the season, they can run reports on actual water used, and see how it compares to what was budgeted for the season (Figure 2).

Another useful feature of these annual reviews is the ability to calibrate crop coefficients from the past year. As the age of the vines varies (some vines are mature, some are newly planted), their crop water use also varies. Once reviewed, these crop coefficients can be set in place for the following season, allowing the Irrigation Manager to closely manage the water use requirements of the vines across the vineyard.

At the end of every season, an annual report is prepared and sent to Fruitico for review. As well as providing an overview of the vineyards’ performance over the past season (including soil moisture status of blocks, Figure 3), this report highlights

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1300 12 12 50

Figure 2: Vineyard water usage for the 2020/2021 growing season, showing budget to actual water usage.

Fruitico continues to optimise their Successful horticultural water use, andtoday benefit from increased operations utilise all the production quality and quantities based tools at their disposal. Margins onare thetight, valuable, much-loved data so the key is to received. produce high fruit quality while maximising yields. Efficient irrigation design is paramount to a long term sustainable irrigation project.

The Netafim irrigation design at Fruitico Hamels table grape project had to meet key criteria regarding capacity to apply a peak daily application rate within a daily irrigation window of 15 hours. The system also had to have the capacity to apply the peak demand with only a 3 shift system - these requirements all being factored into the design process to develop the hydraulic design. Pressurised water is supplied to the farm gate via the Harvey Water Scheme, then booster pumps ensure the system duty meets the irrigation design requirement. The water supply can vary in quality seasonally, so

phenolic coated media tanks were specified in the pump shed to ensure maximum filtration of both organic and non organic particles, for protection of the twin lateral, low flow pressure compensated DripNet drip irrigation system in the field. Secondary semi automatic screen filters were specified in the field before irrigation valves to add another layer of protection should organic particles colonise in mainlines, also to protect against any contaminant ingress should a mainline be damaged. All dripline laterals terminate into flushing manifolds, for ease of flushing drip lines via strategic manual flush valves servicing multiple drip laterals as opposed to individual taps on each dripline. Encorporating the flushing manifolds into the irrigation design can add capital cost at the start of a project but can provide long term savings reducing time and labour for ongoing maintenance. Automated irrigation valve control and fertigation are vital elements in Fruitico’s production system.

Figure 3: Soil moisture status of blocks in vineyard throughout the growing season.

The Overflow | Spring 2021

The original Fruitico Coolup property had the RadioNet radio valve control systems installed in 2008 , and in 2016 the new Hamel project also followed with the same system. The radio system is driven by the NMC controller and paired with the Fertikit fertiliser injection system (a modular multichannel injection unit). Remote access to a control system optimises resources allowing operators the freedom to do other tasks while maintaining a connection to the irrigation operation. The system has the ability to send alarm messages to the operator’s phone so that they are aware of the situation at all times. The system records the operational data and is able to interface with SWAN systems powerful scheduling application.

For any crop, nutrition is an essential component.

Their typical setup is for five by 1000lph injection channels and one 150lph special treatment channel. This system allows the flexibility to inject nutritional elements at various rates according to the stage of the crop. Fruitico work only with proportional fertigation (a mechanism where nutritional elements are continuously injected at low concentrations during every irrigation) which ensures accurate delivery even to the extremities of the farm. The concentration of these elements remains constant throughout the irrigation network. The main aspect of the system is the ease that operators can interface with the NMC controller, even for complex fertigation activities.

Make the most out of your Irrigation Australia membership Membership benefits available to you are 1.

Irrigation Journal Copies Receive four copies of the only national Irrigation Journal per annum. Each journal contains valuable industry information about new projects, technologies and techniques for Agriculture, Landscape & Domestic Irrigation 2. National Irrigation Directory Receive a digital copy of the only national and comprehensive Irrigation Directory. Find details about irrigation shops, manufacturers, installers, contractors, certified professionals and more.

3. Training Discounts Receive significant member discounts on nationally accredited irrigation training and qualifications delivered by Irrigation Australia in major cities and regional towns.

4. Certification Discounts Receive significant member discounts on the joining fee and renewal fee to the Certification Program administered by Irrigation Australia.

6. Members Only Portal Gain access to the members only portal on the Irrigation Australia website. Through the portal you can manage your Irrigation Australia membership, access members only documents, presentations and other materials.

Access to eKnowledge Irrigation Australia eKnowledge repository has vast resources of technical papers, conference papers, Irrigation Journals and FAQ’s available only for Members.

8. Discounts on Publications and Merchandise Irrigation Australia offers a wide range of books, eBooks and other merchandise through its online store. Members receive significant discounts on materials. 9. Invitations to Regional Meetings & Events Irrigation Australia hosts a number of regional meetings, events and site visits across Australia. This is a great opportunity for members and industry colleagues to come together to discuss new challenges, technologies and network.

Certification is a voluntary, national program of industry recognition. Certification adds instant credibility with customers, increases job opportunities and demonstrates your commitment to efficient water management. Visit our website to learn more www.irrigationaustralia.com.au 5. Conference & Tradeshow Discounts Member discounts on attending and exhibiting at the Irrigation Australia Biennial International Conference & Exhibition.

11. International Representation Be part of the global irrigation community and gain access to international contacts via the Irrigation membership of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID). 12. Discounts on Waterwise endorsement Receive significant member discounts on the Waterwise endorsement programs, relevant for domestic irrigation contractors, installers, landscapers and retailers. Benefit from Waterwise marketing and merchandise to promote yourself as a Waterwise irrigation professional to the community.

See www.waterwiseprograms.com.au for more information.

Additional Membership Benefits (EXCLUDES PRIMARY PRODUCERS, INDIVIDUALS & RETIRED MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY) 13. Free Listing in the National Irrigation Directory List your business or organisation for free in the digital National Irrigation Directory reaching the wider irrigation industry. 14. Free Online Job Listing List your upcoming job vacancies on Irrigation Australia’s online job board which attracts significant targeted views every month.

10. Monthly Electronic IrriNews Newsletter Receive our monthly Irrigation Newsletter with the latest information on upcoming training, events as well as new products, information and industry news.

15. Free Listing on Irrigation Australia’s Website List your business on Irrigation Australia’s Website Directory which attracts significant page views every month. 16. Journal Advertisement Discounts Receive significant discounts on advertising in the Irrigation Journal. Circulation is more than 2000 copies per quarter.

11/58 Metroplex Avenue, Murarrie Qld 4172 | 1300 949 891 | info@irrigation.org.au | irrigationaustralia.com.au

Better Future Through Soil Why Carbon matters to Soil A key indicator of soil health is the amount of its carbon-rich organic matter. Such soils hold more nutrients and water, and thereby improve productivity and water conservation. A good soil structure • Is key in allowing water penetration and air flow • Will stop nutrients being locked in, allowing the plant to utilise these more • Helps in preventing soil compaction (when soil particles are pressed together, resulting in reduced rate of both water infiltration and drainage) • Increases pH buffering (the ability of soil to resist changes in pH) • Prevents leaching losses of key nutrients like calcium, magnesium and potassium as these are held on to by organic matter

The Overflow | Spring 2021

Better soils help alleviate the consequences of climate extremes, such as droughts and heavy rainfall events. Since healthy soil allows more water to infiltrate and retains more moisture, it promotes the effective absorption of extreme rainfall as well as support crops during droughts. Increasing carbon in soils also removes greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and so may contribute to mitigating climate change. Only in recent history has the understanding of soil productivity been tied to soil organic matter (SOM) levels, with the depletion of SOM stocks often leading to largescale impacts on whole ecosystems as well as the entire planet - for instance the much-publicised destruction of rainforests. In September 2021, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched key tools for climate action designed to encourage soil organic carbon maintenance and sequestration (1). Eco conscious companies such as family-owned Richgro has substantially

invested in soil carbon research. Richgro and UWA are currently working together in testing new compost materials as a carbon source, testing these for soil amendment in relation to the Carbon/Nitrogen (C/N) ratio cycling processes and soil incubation. So far plant growth experiments are showing great results with plant nutrition and rhizosphere processes (the area around a plant root that is inhabited by a unique population of microorganisms influenced by the chemicals released from the plant root). The company aims to use the results of this research towards new commercial lines in the near future. Troy Franks, Commercial Sales and Operations Executive at Richgro concludes “Soil Science is the future whether it’s economics, agriculture, forestry, mining … there are endless reasons why. So, if we don’t keep innovating and evolving, we will all be left behind”. (1) http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1438175/icode/

• • •

Measuring the performance of Green Facades irrigated with greywater in a Mediterranean Climate Land use / development type

Scale

Institutional School

Lot

Water source/ supply

Scale

Greywater

Irrigation/Nonpotable

Efficient use of water

Scale

Green wall

Building

Other Benefits

Benefits measure

Thermal comfort

Moderate

Aesthetics

Significant

Increase property Significant value Improved air quality

Moderate

Wind reduction

Low

Biodiversity

Moderate

Local government

Location

City of Canning

Bentley Primary School

Green walls/facades have been used for millennia for thermal comfort and aesthetics. Biophilic design, the practice of connecting people and nature within our built

The Overflow | Spring 2021

environments and communities, has been recommended to enhance the sustainable development of urban centres. In biophilic cities, green infrastructure aspires to mimic and support the natural environment. The benefits of green walls are shading and blockage of solar radiation, evapotranspiration cooling, energy saving, cost, environmental, health and well-being benefits.

The greywater used for irrigation was generated from hand basins in the senior students’ toilet block and from drinking water fountains. The green facade locations were selected facing east (E), west (W) and north (N1, N2, C). The location of the green facades are indicated in Figure 1.

This case study provides a summary of how the pilot study of several green facades irrigated with greywater has been conducted at Bentley Primary School. It outlines the objectives of the research and the thermal and water performance of the facades. This case study provides information on suitable plant species for Perth’s Mediterranean climate that could survive greywater irrigation, based on diurnal water use and end-use of outflow, as well as their ability to improve water quality.

The case study site: Bentley Primary School

Bentley Primary School is situated about 10 km south-east of the Perth city centre. The site was selected through collaboration with the Department of Communities and the Department of Education. The objective of the case study was to utilise greywater to irrigate the green wall, which also acts as a treatment system for greywater.

Figure 1: Aerial image of Bentley Primary school showing location of green facades.

To avoid any physical contact, the greywater was stored in an underground sump(polypit) and pumped to irrigate the green walls. Gingin loam was selected as a soil media for use in the green facade planter boxes.

Outflow pipes were installed in the bottom of the planter boxes to collect drained water. Pressure sensors and ultrasonic flow meters were installed to measure the inflow and outflow from the polypit. Soil moisture was monitored with moisture sensors. After the installation of monitoring equipment, data was collected regularly for water quantity and quality assessment.

Measuring performance

The water balance of the green facades was calculated based on inflow, outflow, evapotranspiration and soil moisture. The monitoring project commenced in June 2019 and finished in December 2020. The long-term plant water use or evapotranspiration accounted for plant transpiration via plant stomata, plant evaporation and soil evaporation. The stomatal conductance was measured in triplets using a portable photosynthetic system. Hibbertia scandens and Hardenbergia violacea plant species were selected for the case study.

Water samples from the potable water tap, greywater influent and planter effluents were collected and analysed in the field for temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and dissolved oxygen (DO). The water samples were analysed in a laboratory for nutrients [total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total suspended

solids (TSS)], metals and pathogens. The analysis was conducted using standard laboratory methods. The study measured the thermal performance of the green façades and sought to understand the role that plants had on the cooling effect of green façades at Bentley Primary School.

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The building’s energy saving was calculated by measuring external wall temperatures with and without the green façade. Gap cooling was measured and compared with ambient air temperature. A heat map of the external green wall was generated to measure the effect of leaf morphology of the green façade on thermal performance.

Key findings Water Usage In 2019, the average rates of evapotranspiration for planter boxes with non-deciduous climbers was 3 L/ day in cool months and 9 L/day during warmer months. For planter boxes with deciduous climbers, evapotranspiration was estimated to be 2 L/day and 9 L/ day, respectively.

Figure 2: a) Stomatal conductance and solar radiation (PAR), b) transpiration, c) irrigation, d) water storage and outflow from green façade

In 2020, the estimated average rates of evapotranspiration for planter boxes with non-deciduous climbers increased to 4 L/day in cool months and 10 L/day in warmer months, and planter boxes with deciduous climbers increased to 3 L/day and 10 L/day, respectively. The stomatal conductance, which is an indicator of plant water status or use, of Hardenbergia reached its maximum in the afternoon. Whereas for Hibbertia, the maximum was in the morning. Soil water storage started to reduce after the planter boxes were irrigated around 8am and reached a maximum decline around midday when the plant transpiration rate was high. The hourly transpiration rate of Hardenbergia was almost double that of Hibbertia for most of the day, suggesting that Hardenbergia uses more water than Hibbertia.

Figure 3: Total nitrogen and total phosphorus in greywater inflow and outflow discharged from the controls and green facades

Nutrient and pathogen removal performance The inflow and outflow temperature ranged from 14–29 ⁰C; pH 6.4–7.9; EC 0.1–1.2 mS/cm and DO 0.5–12.1 mg/L during June–December 2019. The outflows test results for heavy metals, pH and EC indicated a satisfactory range for most of the green facades. The green facades achieved 50-100% reduction in TN and TP loads. No specific trend or impact of vegetation was observed for pathogen removal by the green facades.

The Overflow | Spring 2021

Figure 4: External wall and air temperatures

Thermal comfort • The gap temperature with facade was up to 4 °C cooler than ambient air during warm and hot weather. • The gap temperature with facade was up to 2 °C warmer than ambient air during cool periods. • The thermal performance of a shade sail was also tested. It achieved approximately half the cooling of the green facade. • The external wall with facade was more than 17 °C cooler than the external wall without facade during warm periods. • The external wall with facade was about 4 times cooler than the wall with a shade sail during warm periods. • A north facing facade can prevent losing heat energy from external walls during cool periods (2 times warmer than without facade).

Outcomes

The results of the case study suggests that green facades irrigated with greywater are viable in Perth. It was observed that when sufficient outflow was available to analyse, nutrient attenuation is very good and that air temperatures behind the green facades were substantially lower than ambient temperatures. Plant species selection is an important consideration for the management of outflow, as it is dependent on the type and evapotranspiration rate of plants.

Way Forward

This study confirms that green facades watered with greywater can be considered for residential properties in Perth. As this study was done on a pilot scale, limited data is available to comprehensively evaluate all the aspects that influence design and performance (e.g. how different plant species influence outflow). It is recommended that the environmental, social and economic performance of green facades are studied in a larger scale application. Consideration should also be given to

the impact of higher winds (which is applicable in apartments) and the longterm build-up of salts in media. References and resources

CRC for Water Sensitive Cities (CRCWSC), Green façades in Mediterranean climates: Water use, treatment and re-use, case study presentation by Azrina Karima and Reza Bakhshoodeh. The University of Western Australia, Performance of green façades irrigated with greywater under a Mediterranean climate: A pilot-scale study Research Proposal and Progress Report for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. This case study was prepared by New WAter Ways (www.newwaterways.org.au) with the assistance of the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities (www.watersensitivecities.org.au)

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How to set business goals Many small business owners spend so much of their time tending to day-today operations, that they have little time left for planning, reflection and considering the future beyond their urgent jobs. However, without making a forward plan and setting clear goals, it’s easy to get stuck on the hamster wheel of working in your business, rather than on it. Taking a longer-term view, by setting and achieving strategic goals, is the key to moving past the cycle of urgency while still placing appropriate focus on what’s important.

Trevor Flint, the founder and director of Capstone Associates and a business skills workshop presenter for the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) says, “In my experience, small business owners are often wired to be firefighters. By that, I mean they will always do what needs to be done — handling their customers’ needs, paying bills, managing their taxes. Their brains are wired for achievement.” However, Trevor warns that after several setbacks or unanticipated challenges, they might start to feel overwhelmed and lose belief in themselves and their business. Setting strategic goals is the antidote to running a business that has become just a job. Business goal setting can give you the opportunity to build your business into something substantial that contributes to your life, family and community.

Defining your goals and baseline There are distinct steps to setting strategic goals for your business, according to Trevor. Trevor Flint

The Overflow | Spring 2021

The first step is to clarify exactly how you want your business to look in three

to five years’ time. Some aspects to consider are the mix of products or services you want to offer, the kind of clients you want to work with, how much time you plan to spend working in your business, and how much revenue and income you need to support your ideal lifestyle. Be as clear as you can on what you want to achieve. Secondly, look at where you are right now with your business. Measure the things that matter to you such as profitability, the hours you work, clients and staff you are attracting and how you feel about your business overall. This is essential so you can start working out the specific actions you need to take towards achieving your vision.

Planning your actions

Now you know where you are and where you want to be, you need to figure out the specific steps to take to get there. It’s important to break these down, for example, if your goal is to achieve a million dollars sales figure five years from now, what is your sales target in the next 12 months? What do you need to do in the next 90 days to reach this goal? What can you start doing this week?

Once you start looking at the changes required, you can plan your actions. Identify opportunities you can take advantage of to move towards your goals. Are there any obstacles you need consider? What kind of resources, including money, do you need? Do you need further training or education within your industry or to market your business more effectively? Once you start to think in this way, you’ll ultimately identify options and create a strategy to work towards your goals.

Making your goals achievable

You want to be able to come up with two or three non-negotiable, practical actions you can commit to doing now, and every week, to help you achieve your goals. If there’s a huge gap between where you are now and where you want to be, you might need to really think outside the box or speak to an expert. Or look at breaking it down further to give you a sense of confidence that you can fulfil your plan. If your mind can’t grasp your goal as a reality, it can be demotivating. Trevor explains that once you get into the habit of identifying and consciously moving towards your goals, it can

inspire you to achieve more in your business. “Committing to taking small steps towards your goals can give you a sense of satisfaction. In turn, this wires your brain for achievement and builds momentum. As you celebrate small wins along the way, you can get even more intentional about setting and achieving business goals, and you’ll do more and more to move your business forward.”

More information

If you’d like to learn more about goal setting, professional development or building the small business skills you need to move your business forward, visit the Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC).

The SBDC is a Western Australian Government agency dedicated to helping small businesses start, survive, and thrive. We offer a range of online and in person small business workshops delivered by experienced business leaders like Trevor Flint. Learn more about our free business advisory service, online business resources, dispute resolution service and more by visiting smallbusiness. wa.gov.au.

The Overflow | Spring 2021

The benefits of natural turf Supplied by Turf Australia

During the past few years there has been some great research undertaken on the many benefits of natural living turf to homes and communities. Through Horticulture Innovation Turf Levy projects, research has proven the role of natural turf in reducing urban heat islands, as well as bushfire prevention and erosion control. Turf Australia has produced some videos that highlight these benefits and remind homeowners, landscape and design professionals and local government why natural turf should be a priority in planning their greenspace. As we head into another summer, we need to consider simple ways to reduce our own impact on the harshness of Australia's climate. Past experiences with bushfires, heat waves and floods are reminders that everyone has a role to play and natural turf provides so many solutions. Natural turf not only supports the environment but we all know the impact of stay at home restrictions during Covid-19 and the value a home lawn or local park played in supporting physical and mental health during this time. The value of turf in a natural greenspace has never been more important.

The Overflow | Spring 2021

Get smarter with your sprinklers and save Weather Smart Irrigation Rebate

We’re offering Perth and Peel residential customers a rebate of up to $300 for the purchase and professional set-up of selected weather smart irrigation products. Weather smart irrigation uses local weather data to adjust the watering times for your garden, ensuring it gets the water it needs without overwatering. By only watering as much as your garden needs, you can reduce watering by around 15% while keeping plants healthy. • You may be able to convert a standard irrigation controller to a weather smart one by connecting a weather smart component.

Think climate change. Be waterwise.

HAVE YOU VISITED THE WA WATERWISE PROGRAMS WEBSITE? www.waterwiseprograms.com.au

The Waterwise Garden Irrigator Program is a joint initiative of the WA Region of Irrigation Australia and Water Corporation, with a goal of optimising water-use efficiency of domestic irrigation systems in Western Australia. Endorsed Waterwise Garden Irrigators are fully trained in water efficient practices and can design, install, repair and maintain home garden irrigation systems.

WATERWISE GARDEN IRRIGATORS AAA Irrigation

HomeCare Reticulation

Retic Doctor

Adonis Gardening & Irrigation

Horizon West Landscape & Irrigation

Retic Express

Advantage Bores & Reticulation Services

Instant Gardens

Retic Mate

Alessio’s Gardens

Irriscape Reticulation & Landscaping

Reticulation Pro

Allwest Bores & Reticulation

Jim's Mowing Wilson North

Robert Reynolds

Ben’s Garden Maintenance & Landscaping

Joel Irrigation & Landscaping

Rob’s Retic and Lawn

Beyond Reticulation

Landscape Australia Construction

Ryan Daly

Landscape Elements Pty Ltd

Softscapes & Reticulation Pty Ltd

LD TOTAL

Sprinkler Fixers

BHG Garden Service Bolesta's Backyard Creations

2020/2 1

Lime Gardens

Bowie Irrigation Bradkaz Irrigation Brighton Reticulation Brookwell Irrigation Candid Reticulation Services CHATT Services Chris’s Landscaping Civic Reticulation Clackline Reticulation Condo Landscapes Pty Ltd

2020/2 1

Donewell Contracting Dynamic Property Solutions Earlybird Landscaping Earth & Water Pty Ltd Ecoedge Retic Supplies Evergreen Blades Evergrow Gardenscapes NEW

First Element Irrigation Fluid Irrigation

NEW

Forever Green Reticulation & Garden Maintenance FPM Landscapes Pty Ltd Garden Solutions Greenworx Growing Assets

The Overflow | Spring 2021

The Garden Fixer

Luke's Landscaping Co

The Greenscape Collective

Meticulous Maintenance Services

The Retic Company

Midwest Turf Supplies

The Retic Guy

Mr Retic

The Retic & Landscape Shop

Newground Water Services

The Watershed Water Systems Midland

Nutrien Water – Head Office

Think Water Dunsborough

Oasis Reticulation

Think Water Geraldton

NEW

Think Water Perth

One Two Tree Irrigation & Landscaping

Country Landscaping & Irrigation

Fastlane Maintenance

Living Eden Property Maintenance

Olive Branch Landscapes

Coast to Coast Irrigation

NEW

Superior Landscaping & Reticulation

NEW

TLC Services Perth

OZ Commercial Maintenance Services

Top Dog Landscaping and Reticulation

PC Landscaping

Ultimate Blue Pty Ltd

NEW

Turfed Out

Peel Scape Solutions

Urban Reticulation

Perdita Reticulation & Garden Solutions

Wanda’s Gardening & Landscaping

Perfect Home Solutions

WaterLink

Perth Irrigators

Water Smart Retic

NEW

Perth Lawns and Retic

Water Smart Services Pty Ltd

Plantech Grounds Maintenance

Water Well Reticulation

Portworks

Waterwise Landscaping

Pretty Blooming Good

Westcoast Reticulation Services

PTC Irrigation Pumps N Pipes Supplies

2020/2 1

NEW

Western Irrigation

2020/2 1

Wet Frog Retic

Purely Irrigation

WF Landscape Industries Pty Ltd

Rain Maker Irrigation Services

Wild Earth Landscapes

Rapid Retic

Yurra Pty Ltd

Repair Your Retic

NEW

Zimban Reticulation

The website features an extensive and up-todate business directory where the community can search for their local Waterwise members, based on their location. Head to the search directory at www.waterwiseprograms.com.au for members’ contact details, or if you’d like information on how to become an endorsed Waterwise business. With an increasing number of DIY enthusiasts installing and maintaining their own irrigation systems, the Waterwise Irrigation Design Shop Program was developed to raise the standard of irrigation advice and design services offered by staff at counter level of specialist irrigation retailers. Endorsed staff have the knowledge and skills to provide their customers with waterwise advice, products and services.

2020/2 1 Several Waterwise Garden Irrigators and Design Shops were randomly selected for audit in the 2020/21 period. Successfully audited businesses are acknowledged with this customised logo.

WATERWISE IRRIGATION DESIGN SHOPS Addwater Reticulation - Maddington

Nutrien Water - Myaree

Controlled Irrigation Supplies - Joondalup

Nutrien Water - Osborne Park

Nutrien Water - Balcatta

Nutrien Water - Rockingham

Joel Irrigation & LHP Landscaping Nutrien Water - Bibra Lake

NEW

2020/2 1

Nutrien Water - Byford Nutrien Water - Canning Vale Nutrien Water - Greenwood Nutrien Water - Joondalup Nutrien Water - Malaga Nutrien Water - Mandurah Nutrien Water - Midvale

The Watershed Water Systems Cockburn The Watershed Water Systems - Midland The Watershed Water Systems - Morley

Peel H20 Solutions - Mandurah

The Watershed Water Systems - Subiaco

Pumps ‘n Pipes - Mandurah Rainscape Waterwise Solutions - Bibra Lake

2020/2 1

Think Water Broome Think Water Dunsborough

Reece Irrigation & Pools - Belmont

Think Water Geraldton

Reece Irrigation - Canning Vale

Think Water Perth

Reece Irrigation - Malaga

2020/2 1

WA Reticulation Supplies - Armadale

Reece Irrigation - Osborne Park

WA Reticulation Supplies - Midland

Reece Irrigation - Rockingham

Western Irrigation - Greenwood

The Retic & Landscape Shop - Southern River

2020/2 1

SOUTH WEST WATERWISE PROGRAMS Irrigation Australia has recently launched the Waterwise Irrigation Programs in the South West region of WA, with the support of local water utilities; Busselton Water and Aqwest.

WATERWISE IRRIGATION DESIGN SHOPS Country Water Solutions – Bunbury Nutrien Water – Bunbury Nutrien Water – Busselton

WATERWISE GARDEN IRRIGATORS ARB Landscaping & Fencing

Nutrien Water - Busselton

Country Landscaping & Irrigation

PC Landscaping

Fastlane Maintenance

Russell’s Retic

NEW

Fergies Total Lawn Care

Verve Landscapes

LD TOTAL

Zimban Reticulation

The Overflow | Spring 2021

Water Update Water Usage Metro Region

https://www.watercorporation.com.au/Our-water/Rainfalland-dams/Water-use

Yearly Streamflow https://www.watercorporation.com.au/Our-water/Rainfalland-dams/Streamflow

Perth Rainfall Comparison https://www.watercorporation.com.au/Our-water/Rainfalland-dams/Rainfall

Supplied by the Water Corporation Current graphs can be found at www.watercorporation.com.au