SU STAINABIL I TY
AUSTRALIAN WATER UTILITIES ON THE
right track for zero emissions by Christopher Allan, Journalist, Utility Magazine
It’s promising to see that around Australia, more and more organisations like city councils are pledging ambitious emission reduction targets – but what does the journey to zero emissions look like at the scale of our major utilities?
T
he Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) recently announced that 14 Australian and New Zealand water utilities have collectively joined a Race to Zero campaign, with each developing a tangible strategy for net zero emissions reduction by at least 2050, including interim targets. Here we look at how these water utilities are recalibrating their assets for emissions reduction and delivering new renewable projects – all without compromising ongoing service delivery to millions.
CHALLENGES FOR MANAGING WATER SERVICES The water sector is both shaped by the effects of climate change and an essential part of the conversation regarding emissions reduction. Major drought events, like the Millennium Drought that affected countless communities, highlight the livelihoods at stake when it comes to water access and security in Australia. And with the recent IPCC Assessment Report 6 describing the current outlook on climate change as a ‘code red for humanity’, drought events are predicted to become longer and more frequent. Adding to the challenges posed to the water sector by a changing climate, global population growth can also affect water security – by 2025, more than 2.8 billion people in 48 countries are likely to be short of water. From an emissions perspective, managing water services for cities and towns is an energy intensive
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activity: water use, storage, and distribution accounts for around ten per cent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Water utilities have a global responsibility to work around the challenges of climate change from both angles – from developing ways and technologies that adapt to water shortage, to tackling sector emissions.
A LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR WATER SECTOR Australia has an opportunity to develop a smart framework to guide water utilities around the world when it comes to meeting consumer outcomes while keeping emissions in check. Over the next 15 years, Australia’s water utilities are expected to take large steps in further reducing their energy consumption, slashing their internal costs of energy consumption while making a sizable contribution to emissions reduction efforts. Importantly, many water sector assets have natural opportunities for sustainable practices and technologies, best shown by the rise of waste to energy practices. By harnessing and recycling the energy and other resources generated by waste products from water treatment, water utilities can make substantial progress towards emission reduction targets. For example, if the hydraulic energy generated by the waste stream of some desalination plants can be fed back into the treatment cycle, it could allow water utilities to unlock efficiencies up to 97 per
cent – particularly promising given that bettering the sustainability of desalination plants is a long-term goal in the sector. Indeed, many water utilities have already proven to be early adopters of waste to energy, wind, and solar technologies, sustainably powering critical infrastructure. A combination of improving asset practices alongside investment in dedicated, utility-scale renewable projects will ensure that the water sector makes progress towards upcoming targets.
THE RACE TO ZERO Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA), in partnership with Water UK, announced that 14 Australian and New Zealand water utilities have joined the UN-led, Race To Zero campaign, pledging to reach Net Zero Emissions by 2050 or earlier, with interim targets within the next decade. The water utilities, 13 Australian and one New Zealand, join major UK water utilities in the Race To Zero campaign, together servicing over 72 million people across Australia, New Zealand and the UK. These 14 utilities are: • Barwon Water • Coliban Water • Gippsland Water • Goulburn Valley Water • Icon Water • Melbourne Water • SA Water • South East Water • Southern Rural Water • Sydney Water
